Oliver! is coming to town. The IPFW Department of Theatre and Fort Wayne Youth Theatre are bringing the award-winning musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic story about a young orphan who runs away from the orphanage and hooks up with a group of boys trained to be pickpockets by an elderly mentor on the streets of London to Fort Wayne’s Arts United Center.

With catchy songs, like Pick a Pocket or Two, Boy for Sale, Where is Love; wonderful dance numbers; and a classic tale with themes that still resonate today, this show is perfect for everyone of all ages.

What makes the production of this musical extra-special is the cast – 50 of Fort Wayne’s finest young talent of university, secondary and elementary age students. They will charm and delight you with their takes on the memorable tunes and choreography.

I had the chance to take a sneak peek at a video and was amazed by the talented cast, and can’t wait to see the live performance.

Oliver!

Arts United Center

303 E. Main Street

Fort Wayne, IN

February 8, 9, 14, 15, 16 at 8 pm

February 10, 17 at 2 pm

Call the ArtsTix Box Office for tickets at (260) 422-4226 or visit tickets.artix.org for tickets.

Adults $16

Children (under 18) $10

Seniors (over 60) $14

Groups of 10 or more $7/ticket

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The 2012-2013 Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) Omnibus Lecture Season, now in it’s 18th year, is underway. This free event is open to the public and features special lectures by actors, activists, inventors, authors and more.

The next speaker this season is Human Rights Advocate Naomi Tutu on Thursday, February 21.

Tutu is a well-known human rights advocate, born in apartheid South Africa. She later lived in Lesotho, the United Kingdom and the United States. She has served as a development consultant in West Africa and has worked in coordination of programs that support race and gender awareness. She also leads conflict resolution workshops on race and racism and holds women’s retreats with her sister.

Tutu’s lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are free but required in advance to attend all lectures. Tickets should be acquired about three weeks before each event and are available online or by calling the Larson Box Office at Gates Athletic Center, at 260.481.6555. Parking is free for all events, which take place at The John and Ruth Rhinehart Music Center in the heart of IPFW’s campus. The campus is located just off of North Coliseum Boulevard on the city’s near north side.

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Are you an NPR junkie who loves to travel? Luckily Fort Wayne has an NPR affiliate to fill that void. NIPR, found on the dial at 89.1 FM, offers an eclectic mix of music, entertainment, and of course news!

The station carries a lot of the programming NPR is known for: “A Prairie Home Companion,” “Car Talk,” “All Things Considered,” “Fresh Air,” etc. But visitors might equally appreciate the local programming. The programs are produced by a mostly volunteer crew, which adds to the magic of public radio.

Here, are a few of my personal favorites:

Midday Matters: I appreciate the variety of this program. Each weekday is assigned a specific topic of interest to the local community. For example, Wednesdays are focused on health related issues. Reporter Sean Bueter does a great job of keeping guests and callers on task. Tune in Mon.-Fri from noon to 1 for this program.

Meet the Music: “Meet the Music” is the brain child of host Julia Meek and features the great music of our region.  This show invites listeners to learn more about music they love and meet music they will soon love! Tune in Thursdays and Sundays from 7-9 pm.

The Burnt Toast Show: “The Burnt Toast Show,” co-hosted by local musicians Todd Harold and Colin Boyd, is modeled after free-form radio shows of the ’60s and ’70s. You’ll hear a funky mix of songwriters, acid jazz, fusion, funk, R&B, jam bands and creative rock. This show is a great way to end your week and mentally prepare for another. Tune in Sundays from 9 pm to midnight.

For a complete listing of NPR affiliates, click here!

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Remember when you gazed into the night sky as a kid? Well, you can re-live those same memories now as as adult. The University of Saint Francis’ Edwin Clark Schouweiler Memorial Planetarium is quite the astrological experience.

Enter a 30-foot projection dome with 75 seats. At the center of the room is a Spitz Model A4 projector, with the capacity of showing the sky as it appears on any night of any year, anywhere on Earth. The machine projects 2,100 stars, the Milky Way, Sun, Moon, and the positions of the 5 planets visible to the naked eye.

In addition to the main star projector, there are many auxiliary projectors that simulate the constellations, comets, meteors, auroras, and galaxies. Special effect projectors mounted around the cove of the room illustrate the functions of various celestial bodies, satellites, space ships, and other effects.

The Edwin Clark Schouweiler Memorial Planetarium is located on the campus of the University of Saint Francis.  You can enter off of Leesburg Road entrance, east side of campus.  They are located inside Achatz Hall.

Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for children under 18, and $3 for senior citizens. The maximum charge is $14 per family (family consisting of 2 adults and their dependent children). Purchase tickets at the door. Insider’s Note: Be sure to arrive prior to program time to avoid congestion in the hallway.

Want to have a more intimate experience? You’re in luck! Visitors can schedule a private group program! For more information regarding our programs, including planetarium location,contact Jean at (260) 399-7700, ext 821.

Insider’s Note: They prefer a minimum advance notice of 4 weeks (6 weeks for Two-Fer Programs) to schedule a program.  Due to staff and facility availability, they may not be able to accommodate requests made with less than four weeks’ notice. Also, the planetarium is closed the months of January and June for show production and equipment maintenance.

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Travel back to the 1700 – 1890s at the Fort Wayne Historical Trade Fair: Saturday and Sunday, February 9 – 10. From demonstrations and reenactments to original items and crafts, you’ll have the chance to experience what it was like to live during this time historic era.

“What’s nice is that you really get to learn a lot about that time period especially with the historical reenacting that goes back in time. There will also be many items that people used then – a lot of which we still use today,” says Mike Radke, one of the fair’s organizers.

Try your hand at weaving, spinning and broom making, and even learn how to play the dulcimer. Enjoy artwork by artists specializing in the time period. Take home a piece of history and stop by the craft tables where many pre-1890 items will be on sale – furniture, cookware and plates, clothing and shoes, lanterns and lamps, books and music, toys and dolls, early firearms and supplies, tomahawks and knives. And learn more about the Indian history in the area.

Food and drinks will be available – sloppy joes and hotdogs, chili, vegetable soup – plus a bake sale by the ladies group of the Old Fort.

Fort Wayne Historical Trade Fair – Allen County Fairgrounds

2726 Carroll Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46818

Saturday, February 9, 9 am – 5 pm

Sunday, February 10, 12 pm – 9 pm

Admission at the door.

Adults $3

Children 6 – 12, $1

Children 5 and under, free

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