"Simple Melody," a new play by Jill Bess, will receive a staged reading at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25, at Anchorage Community Theatre, 1133 E. 70th Ave. Bess is known for several film and stage acting roles in and outside Alaska and is the author of the award-winning monologue "The Mommy Dance." She is also a former member of the "Whale Fat Follies" troupe. The reading is a pay-what-you-can event and will include a feedback session with the audience.
A walk in the sun
Weary of winter? Join Dane Johansen as he recounts his walking tour of northern Spain with sunny photos at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Johansen, a cellist from Fairbanks now on the faculty of Juilliard School for the arts in New York, spent last summer hiking the ancient 500-mile pilgrimage route known as El Camino de Santiago. Along the way he stopped at local churches and gave concerts of the Bach Suites for Solo Cello. A film crew accompanied him and the whole thing is in the process of being turned into a documentary. See walktofisterra.com.
Johansen will be the guest artist with the Anchorage Symphony on Jan. 31, but Anchorage will get the chance to hear him twice. He'll be presenting a short recital along with his talk on Tuesday, which takes place at the First Presbyterian Church, 616 W. 10th Ave. The program is free but donations will be accepted.
Metropolis screens Saturday
The International Gallery of Contemporary Art, 427 D St. will show the classic film "Metropolis," directed by Fritz Lang. The futuristic art deco look of the movie and ingenious special effects stunned audiences when it was first shown in 1927 and continue to impress as a major piece of modern art. Admission is by a suggested donation of $3. Popcorn is available and folding chairs are provided, but you can also bring your own seating. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, and the film will roll at 7 p.m., the fourth installment in the gallery's Winter Film Series.
Brass program Sunday
Anchorage Lutheran Church, 1420 N St., will host The Glacier Brass, a local brass quintet, at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25. The program includes music by Brahms, Holst, Bach, Saint-Saens and others. The concert is free, but donations are always welcome to help the church continue its series of public music programs.
Bagpipes at Loussac
The recently formed APU Pipe Band will present its first concert ever at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, in the Wilda Marston Theatre at Loussac Library. Five pipers plus drummers and singers will present a program of solos and group numbers that include the premiere of a new work, "Gates of Atlantis," by Alaskan Brady Byers. Tickets are $15 at the door.