Friday, Sept. 15
Keep Louisville Gonzo
Take time now to see a heartfelt film about one of Louisville’s true geniuses at a place that remains (for now) one of Louisville’s finest watering holes. The Rudyard Kipling is hosting a showing of Sara Booth’s intriguing mini-documentary “The Road to Hunter.” The first doc made since the Good Doc’s death, it’s a charming film whose chief fault is that it doesn’t last longer. Its showing will be accompanied by live readings and music. Boasting humorous and not so humorous interviews with heavyweights like George McGovern, historian Doug Brinkley and our own Ron Whitehead — as well as some scorching music by Arthur Lee’s band Love — the film may prove to be hard to find once this promotional effort ends. So see it now. —Paul Kopasz
The Rudyard Kipling
422 W. Oak St.
636-1311
$7; 7 p.m.
Sept. 15-16
Louisville Ballet’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’
This doesn’t star Ron Pearlman in disturbing makeup — instead, it’s the Louisville Ballet’s take on the timeless fairy tale, as adapted by choreographer-designer Domy Reiter-Soffer. Reiter-Soffer adapted this tale of a daughter who sacrifices freedom for that of her father for the Hong Kong Ballet in 1999, set to a commissioned score by Chinese composer Seen-Yee Lam. Reiter-Soffer was fascinated by “Beauty and the Beast” author Charles Perrault’s vision for the story. (Perrault also brought us “Sleeping Beauty,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Cinderella” and others; Disney owes this guy a ton.) “(Perrault) compares forests with the forests of our minds where we sometimes get lost because of fear, anxiety, sickness, etc.,” Reiter-Soffer said. “But eventually most of us survive.” Reiter-Soffer, also accomplished as a painter, designed all the costumes for this lavish production. Student rush tickets are available for these performances. —Kevin Gibson
Whitney Hall, Kentucky Center
584-7777
www.louisvilleballet.org
$21-$76; 8 p.m. (Sept. 15); 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. (Sept. 16)
Sept. 15-16
Squallis Puppeteers’ ‘Outside’
Louisville’s most talented puppeteers are offering preview performances of a work-in-progress, “Outside,” a fantasy for puppets. Squallis Puppeteers Nora Christensen and Jess Myers will operate a 14-puppet cast in this original play, written by Liz Fentress and featuring new music by My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. The previews will be followed by discussions in order for the company to get the audience’s reaction to the play and the production. Squallis suggests a $5 donation, but no one will be turned away. “Outside,” which is suitable for all age groups, will tour to schools and communities throughout Kentucky starting in February. —Jessica Farquhar
Shark Tank Theatre
Third floor, 414 Baxter Ave.
540-4977
squallispuppeteers.com
$5 suggested donation; 7 p.m. (Fri.), 1 & 7 p.m. (Sat.)
Saturday, Sept. 16
All-Italian Car Show and Picnic
If you’ve ever wanted to simulate the experience of strolling idly by an upscale parking lot in Rome near the Vatican, you owe it to yourself to head out to the second annual All-Italian Car Show at Long Run Park this weekend. All of your favorite names in Italian autos will be there: Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, Lancia and Maserati cars will be in attendance. And if you have a car that you’d like to shamelessly exhibit, any and all Italian-made cars are welcome to enter a competition to win year-long bragging rights. Advance registration and a $10 fee (per applicant) is required for any who wish to compete, and those competing cars should arrive at the park between 11 a.m.-noon. Those who wish to simply stare and drool at all the shiny, speedy goodness can attend the show and partake in the picnic for free. —Nathan Thacher
Long Run Park
1605 Flat Rock Road
412-4213
www.alfa-kars.org
Free; noon-4 p.m.
Sept. 16-17
Ursuline Campus Art Fair
The annual Ursuline Campus Art Fair is throwing its hat into the ring of top music festivals in the area. This year’s lineup features more than 12 bands in a variety of genres, including gospel, rock, Irish and folk. Some of the players include My Darling Asleep, the Kyene Drum Ensemble and the Sacred Heart Academy. As always, the two-day festival showcases more than 130 juried artists and will have plenty of children’s activities and fair food and drink. Even better, it’s all free. —Sara Havens
Ursuline Campus
3105 Lexington Road
896-3999
www.ursulineslou.org
Free; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sept. 16-17
Oldham Co. Studio Tour and Art Sale
The calendar doesn’t say it’s autumn yet, but the big fall art events are starting up anyway. Oldham County is having its first annual Studio Tour and Art Sale featuring 31 studios open to the public, with such artists as Prospect ceramicists Judy Miner and Laura Ross, the art teachers of St. Francis School in Goshen, and woodworkers Sandy Frederick and Mary McKinney in Crestwood.
Maps are available at the Westport General Store and on their Web site, or call Kate Fisher at 222-9439 for more info. My fingers are crossed that the weather will be beautiful. —Jo Anne Triplett
Westport General Store
7008 Hwy. 524, Westport, Ky.
(502) 222-4626
www.westportgeneralstore.com
Free; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (Sat.), 12-6 p.m. (Sun.)
Sunday, Sept. 17
Literary Underground
If you’re looking for literature on Sunday and your tastes lean to the predictable, you can go to church and thumb through good ol’ King James. But the seekers of edge and alternatives should find they’re in the right pew this Sunday when they drop by Carmichael’s on Frankfort. Local writer Jason Jordan will be reading from his new indie-press short-story collection “Powering the Devil’s Circus.” He’s got two veterans of the Chicago zine scene coming by, too: One of them, Al Burian, has delivered creative rockin’ to our clubs in recent years whenever his group Milemarker drops by. That’s not the only music connection here: Jordan is a regular contributor to www.metalreview.com. So it’s hard to say whether the trio (Todd Dills rounds things out) will be able to contain themselves to just one medium of expression. —T.E. Lyons
Carmichael’s Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Ave.
896-6950
Free; 4 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 18
Author Ron Suskind
Former Wall Street Journal foreign affairs editor Ron Suskind is the kind of speaker other cities’ libraries might be too shortsighted to invite to their towns. The relatively conservative author of two books that radically broke paths with the current administration, Suskind is a formidable, far-thinking journalist. His biography of former Treasury secretary Paul O’Neill (“The Price of Loyalty”) was widely seen as an opening salvo in conservative attacks on the current president. His most recent book, the fine “The One Percent Doctrine,” is by turns an espionage procedural and a scathing indictment of the current vice president and his merry band of “neocons.” Get tickets early, as this event will surely draw a large crowd. —Paul Kopasz
Louisville Free Public Library (Main branch)
574-1644
Free (tickets required); 7 p.m.
Through Oct. 21
Sculpture by Emily Trick
Sculptor Auguste Rodin would be proud. Well known for his metal and marble fragmented body parts, such as “The Walking Man,” Rodin would feel right at home with the ceramic sculpture of Emily Trick. Her figures come from her “searches to define what constitutes life through fragmentation,” she said in a press release. “I challenge the amount of information needed to convey the body, making works that are complete in being incomplete.” As these small figures attest, here’s certainly nothing lacking in her creative vision. —Jo Anne Triplett
Winfrey Blackburn Gallery
Mary Anderson Center for the Arts
101 St. Francis Drive
Mount St. Francis, Ind.
923-8602 or 923-6942
www.maryandersoncenter.org
Free; by appointment only
