Churchill County arts and entertainment news

Noir classics

The fall film series in November features noir classics at the Oats Park Arts Center.

• “Chinatown” (1974), Nov. 10 – When Los Angeles private eye J.J. "Jake" Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her husband's activities, he believes it's a routine infidelity case. Jake's investigation soon becomes anything but routine when he meets the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) and realizes he was hired by an imposter. Mr. Mulwray's sudden death sets Gittes on a tangled trail of corruption, deceit and sinister family secrets as Evelyn's father (John Huston) becomes a suspect in the case.

• “The Maltese Falcon” (1941), Friday, Nov. 17 – In this noir classic, detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) gets more than he bargained for when he takes a case brought to him by a beautiful but secretive woman (Mary Astor). As soon as Miss Wonderly shows up, trouble follows as Sam's partner is murdered and Sam is accosted by a man (Peter Lorre) demanding he locate a valuable statuette. Sam, entangled in a dangerous web of crime and intrigue, soon realizes he must find the one thing they all seem to want: the bejeweled Maltese falcon.

Each movie will be shown at 7 p.m. Box office, Art Bar and the galleries open at 6 p.m.

Each movie is free for members and season ticket holders. The cost for nonmembers is $5 for each showing. Tickets are available at the box office on the night of screening or call the Churchill Arts Council at 775-423-1440.

Pixie and the Party Grass Boys

Hailed as “The hottest band in the Wasatch” by the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association, Pixie and the Party Grass Boys create a uniquely American sound that can turn the room into a ruckus, but offers a full variety of other dynamics as well – approaching bluegrass/folk with a classical and jazz background while incorporating elements of Broadway, Pop-Punk and an unabashed love for having a damn good time.

Pixie and the Party Grass Boys Perform at the Oats Park Arts Center on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. The box office, Art Bar and galleries open at 6 p.m.

Tickets are members $17, nonmembers $20 and youth and students (with valid student ID), $10.

For tickets call Churchill Arts Council at 775-423-1440.

Auditions for ‘Fiddler on the Roof’

Auditions for Performing Arts of Churchill County’s community musical “Fiddler on the Roof” will be held Nov. 8 and 9 at the Churchill County High School auditorium from 6-8 p.m. This community musical is open to all ages.

Audition workshops are Nov. 1 and 6 at the CCHS auditorium from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Callbacks will be Nov. 10 and the cast list will be posted digitally Nov. 11.

Rehearsals begin Nov. 14 from 5:30-8 p.m. with a full read-through of the script Nov. 18 at 9 a.m.

“Fiddler on the Roof” tells the story of a Jewish milkman named Tevye and his family in the little Russian town of Anatevka in 1905. Tevye struggles to maintain his traditions in the face of changing times and growing anti-Semitism in Russia. He also has to deal with the marriages of his five daughters who challenge the customs of arranged marriage and the authority of the matchmaker.

Mary Poppins drops in

Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company’s production of “Mary Poppins” is set for weekends at the Carson City Community Center through Nov. 19: Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $25/$28. For information go to WNMTC.com.

The history of how this magical novel about Mary Poppins became a smashing film and musical was a struggle that nearly didn’t happen.

The stories of Mary Poppins are taken from a series of eight children’s books written by P.L. Travers between 1934 and 1988. Mary is a magical nanny who comes to tend to the Banks children and to help mend the hapless Banks family. She takes the children on several extraordinary adventures while using her “Spoonful of Sugar” discipline, staying until the parents, George and Winifred, learn how to create their own sense of family. The stories draw on myths that Travers cherished, as well as eastern mysticism and Celtic folklore. She was also deeply drawn to theosophy, which shows the connectedness of the universe and the divine. Mary demonstrates that magic is around and within us: We only need to embrace it with childlike wonder.

The show was a blockbuster on Broadway, winning seven Tony nominations and running for six years before surrendering the Disney theater to the opening of “Aladdin.”

For information and to purchase tickets, visit wnmtc.com.