July 2013 Arts Calendar

What you need to do, see, and hear this month<br /><br />

Theater

Camino Real • Don Quixote, Casanova, Lord Byron—these are the over-the-top dudes of fact and fiction who truly explored the edges of possibility. Tennessee Williams’s play, as staged by Girl Friday Productions, fuses fantasy with reality to explore such fundamental topics as the nature of freedom, fate, and what it means to be human. • 7/5–27, girlfridayproductions.org

[THE RUNNERS-UP]

Pride and Prejudice • Jane Austen’s masterpiece and the Guthrie celebrate their birthdays—200 and 50, respectively. • 7/6–8/30, guthrietheater.org
 

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie • The adorable kids’ book as an adorable kids’ play.
6/21–7/21, childrenstheatre.org

Les Misérables • Sorry, Hugh Jackman, this is where these tunes belong: on stage.
7/31–8/4, hennepintheatretrust.org
 

Music

Mary Chapin Carpenter and Marc Cohn • If there’s any doubt of the Twin Cities’ love of pop, folk, and country mixes—preferably filtered through progressive songwriting—note this two-night stand at the Minnesota Zoo. It’s the only double-header of the series and follows Carpenter’s induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. • 7/10–11, mnzoo.org

[THE RUNNERS-UP]

Vieux Farka Touré • The Hendrix of the Sahara returns for the Cedar’s African Summer festival.
7/9, thecedar.org

Music in Plymouth • Minnesota Orchestra trumpeter Charles Lazarus fronts the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. • 7/2, musicinplymouth.org

Basilica Block Party • Father John Misty, Cloud Cult, ZZ Ward, and more.
7/12–13, basilicablockparty.org
 

Film

Bringing Up Baby • The perfect summertime film, from 1938, pairs an abrasively charming Katharine Hepburn as a spoiled brat and the suavely agitated Cary Grant as the handsome paleontologist who can’t resist her (who could?). Screened at the Trylon Microcinema in Minneapolis, “baby”—not a child—is the wildest of many screwball twists. • 7/26–28, take-up.org

[THE RUNNERS-UP]

Downloaded • The life cycle of Napster, in 106 minutes. • 7/10, take-up.org

The Thief of Bagdad • The Arabian nights fantasy comes to life, complete with organ accompaniment.
7/14, heightstheater.com

My Man Godfrey • The ultimate slapstick comedy—and first film to receive Oscar nominations in all four acting categories . • 7/1, heightstheater.com
 

Dance

Momentum: New Dance Works • Emerging choreographers SuperGroup—Leslie O’Neill of Zenon Dance Company, Pramila Vasudevan of Aniccha Arts, Jennifer Arave—get their moment in the spotlight. Each will present their new works several times at the Southern Theater in partnership with the Walker Art Center.
7/11–13, 18–21; walkerart.org

[THE RUNNERS-UP]

Ballroom Championships • Like Dancing With The Stars, but for real. • 7/11–13, twincitiesopen.com

Ground Breaker Battle Festival • Breakdancing remains the most jaw-dropping of modern dance forms, as proven by this contest. • 7/13, thecowlescenter.org

Studio Series • Dancing, science experiments, installations, and visual arts galore. • First Monday of every month, ritz-theater.org
 

Visual Arts

Minnesota River Arts Fair • Creativity seems to flow (no pun intended) from this second-annual fair as 75 regional artists perform, show their work, and otherwise celebrate art alfresco at The Landing. The nearby 1880s historical village offers a welcome alternative for antsy kids. • 7/20–21, mnriverartsfair.org

[THE RUNNERS-UP]

It’s New, It’s Now • More than 80 original works on paper by artists including Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, and Francis Bacon. • 7/14–9/1, artsmia.org

Make Your Mark • A whole gallery devoted entirely to the medium of soft pastels. • 7/19–8/23, btacmn.org

The Youth/Dhalinyarada • Mohamud Mumin aims to change negative feelings surrounding the Twin Cities Somali-American community through 13 men’s stories. • 7/13–2/9/14, weisman.umn.edu
 

Events

Music and Movies • The daily performances and screenings at Minneapolis parks mean there’s absolutely no reason to be inside watching American Idol. At the Lake Harriet Bandshell, arguably the premier venue, Molly Maher and War Poets top the long list of local bands. • Daily, mplsmusicandmovies.com

[THE RUNNERS-UP]

Midwest Tomato Fest • A food fight, in the Spanish tradition, with 100,000 pounds of tomatoes in downtown Minneapolis. • 7/13, midwesttomatofest.com

Tall Ships • The awesome spectacle of immense sailing vessels from around the world returns to Duluth three years after its popular last visit. • 7/25–29, visitduluth.com

Grand Marais Art Festival • Great art displayed beside a great lake. • 7/13–14, grandmaraisartcolony.org