Art Beat: Anchorage songwriter featured in 'Tarzan'

The latest film in the King of the Jungle franchise, which goes back to before sound movies, is "The Legend of Tarzan," which opened in the U.S. this month. In one scene a tribe sings a song titled "Aye We Mae" by Glaceia Henderson of Anchorage.

Henderson, last seen at home as Pitti-Sing in Anchorage Opera's April production of "The Mikado," has not actually been able to see the film herself.

"I have just come back from Europe on business," she said, "but have dealt with all the Warner Bros. paperwork along the way." She's delighted to see the song make the final cut and to be listed in the end credits.

'Old-timers' hoof it for Music Machine

For 35 years, the Music Machine has produced annual song-and-dance extravaganzas featuring performers ages 6-18. But the Music Machiners rehearsing numbers from the musical "Grease" last week were, well, considerably older. Some of the 20 or so admitted to having performed with the company in the 1980s. And, although they're all grown up now, they still love to perform and, on Aug. 5, they'll have a chance to do just that and relive their glory days.

Director Janet Carr-Campbell said a number by alumni isn't unprecedented. Prior members of the troupe joined the program for the 30th anniversary show five years ago.

"What's neat is that some of these folks have children in the Music Machine this year," she said. "The kids are all charged up to see their mom or dad go on stage. And for the parents it's a way of giving back."

In addition to the alumni, this year's Music Machine/Dance Machine show will feature 73 young people of elementary through high school age. The program includes the evergreen Cartoon Medley, a little hip-hop, tunes from "Annie," "The Twilight Zone" and "The Wiz," and the trademark Grand Parade finale. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3-5 and 2 p.m. Aug. 6, all in the Discovery Theatre. But the old folks will only be featured in the Friday performance. Tickets are available at centertix.net.

New Ivey book released

It's been a few years since Chickaloon author Eowyn Ivey scored an international hit with her novel "The Snow Child" and readers have been waiting ever since to see what she'd do for a follow-up. At long last the volume is finally here. "To the Bright Edge of the World" will have its release party at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2, at the train depot in Palmer. In addition to the author signing books, there'll be refreshments and live music by The Inlaws and the Outlaws.

"Bright Edge" repeats "Snow Child's" mix of magical realism and all-too-real relationships in an Alaska setting, though it is a separate tale. It's published by Little, Brown and Co. in the U.S. and Tinder Press in the United Kingdom, where "Snow Child" made an even bigger splash than it did in America.

Ivey will be in town for the book release event, but not much longer. The publishers are sending her on a tour across the U.S. and then across the Atlantic that will occupy the rest of August.

Last weekend for 'Baskerville'

Anchorage Community Theatre's summer production of "Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery" will receive two more performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. David Block directs a cast of five who take on more than 40 roles in this co-production with Midnight Sun Theatre.

The house was packed last Friday, maybe because of the rain but more likely because of word-of-mouth advertising. Arthur Conan Doyle fans will recognize the play as a perfect point-by-point dramatization of "The Hound of the Baskervilles," but with a big dose of campy jokes tossed in. Think of "Young Frankenstein." For instance, Baskerville heir Sir Henry hails from Canada in the book; here he's a Texan, which lets him interject lines like, "Y'all got anything around here I can shoot?" and "This reminds me of my mamma's funeral without the liquor."

Michael Noble plays a consummate Holmes, Eric Worthington does Watson like the criminologist in "Rocky Horror Show." Tyler Andrus, Ivory Bodnar and Alex Lannin play the other 38 roles, leaping from costume to costume and accent to accent with fine timing. It's an excellent all-ages show. Tickets are available at actalaska.org.

Alaskans receive national grants

Two artists with connections to Southeast Alaska have received this year's Native Arts and Cultures Foundation National Artist Fellowships. Preston Singletary, who lives in Seattle, will use his grant to continue work on a project designed to tell a Tlingit story through glass sculptures in a theatrical installation that includes video projections. T.J. Young of Anchorage plans to use his grant to concentrate on completing two 18-foot clan totem poles for a community house.

Demonstration garden planned for Central Lutheran

Having written about the annual Anchorage garden tour for several years, I'm surprised that the St. Patrick's cloister is the first time I remember a church garden being on the tour. There is no shortage of churches with beautifully kept grounds in Anchorage.

One church garden of special note is due to be installed beginning Aug. 3. Central Lutheran Church at Cordova Street and 15th Avenue will be the site for a demonstration garden created by several groups and addressing several different purposes. It will include a vegetable garden where homeless families in transition can grow fresh food for themselves. A large-scale rain garden will include an orchard. A Native medicinal garden will include benches for socializing.

In conjunction with the Central Lutheran gardens, a permaculture group will present a class on building gardens that reflect natural ecosystems. Also, the parking area used for the Anchorage Farmers Market will get a new coat of paint and generally be brightened up.