Things to Do or Ponder the Next 2 Days

Today November 19:
Need an escape from the onslaught of 24-hour news cycles? Bemoaning the loss of the warmer weather? Bored? Today at 12noon, The Russell Library has the cure for the symptoms above and more. The "Gutter to Penthouse" Film Series presents "Gold Diggers of 1933", a movie musical extravaganza starring Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Joan Blondell, and Ginger Rogers as well as a slew of dancers. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, choreographed by the legendary Busby Berkeley, and songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubin (including "We're In The Money" and "Pettin' In The Park"), "Gold Diggers.." is truly a classic of early (talking) cinema and, for its day, fairly risque. Most of all, it's a "hoot" and worth spending time in the Hubbard Room. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 860-347-2528, extension 135.

Performance artists Eiko & Koma are the subjects of "Time is Not Even, Space is Not Empty", a retrospective of their (nearly) 4 decades of creating dace and theater pieces, works that often look at political, environmental and social issues. Eiko has been a fellow with the Center for Creative Research (CCR) and has served as a Visiting Instructor in Dance and East Asian Studies, as well as teaching Delicious Movement workshops in various curricular contexts for the past several years while maintaining an active performance and residency schedule. The retrospective is an ongoing installation in the Zilkha Gallery (today through December 20) and the artists presents an "Opening Reception" today at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. To find out more about this fascinating couple, go to www.eikoandkoma.org/.

The Elia Kazan Centennial Celebration continues tonight at 8 p.m. at the Center for Film Studies at Wesleyan with "Splendor in the Grass." The 1961 film stars Natalie Wood, Warren Beatty, Pat Hingle and Phyllis Diller (yes, the comedienne as a sarcastic nightclub owner), the script written by William Inge and the score composed by David Amram. Set in Kansas in the late1920s, the plot revolves around a young woman (Wood) whose involvement with her boyfriend (Beatty) is quashed when he insists they have sexual relations. She refuses, he moves on, marries and she ends up institutionalized. There's more to it than that with issues around the Depression and life in the Mid-West. Steve Collins, Assistant Professor of Film Studies at Wesleyan, will introduce the film. The event, taking place in the Goldsmith Family Cinema, is free and open to the public. For more information, call 860-685-2220.

Friday November 20:
Pianist Nicholas Luby, winner of the 2009 Elizabeth Verbeer Tischler Piano Competition and Wesleyan University Concerto Competition, is featured in a recital of works composed by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Shostakovich at 7 p.m. in Wesleyan's Memorial Chapel. Joining him o several pieces will be cellist Lucy Strother, a former Concerto Competition winner. This concert is free and open to the public.

The Buttonwood Tree presents a double bill of Connecticut-based singer-songwriters at 8 p.m. Frank Critelli (pictured) and Shandy Lawson both combine pithy lyrics with memorable melodies, songs that can touch your soul but also make you want to move your feet. The former leans more towards a "rock" feel in his music while Ms. Lawson blends acoustic country elements into her works. Her music has been described as "folk-noir." Call the music what you please, this should be a fun evening. For more information, call 860-347-4957.

Toussaint the Liberator & Buru Style brings its infectious "dub/funk" sound into Boney's Music Lounge for several sets of funk, reggae, and soul. The band, featuring Middletown-based drummer Bill Carbone, creates an infectious and extremely danceable sound for the smooth and soulful vocal stylings of the Liberator. Both Buru Style and Toussaint released CDs this past summer (the cover of the group's debut EP is pictured on the left) and you can find out more by going to http://toussaintandburu.com/fr_index.cfm. You can find how much fun their music is by going to Boney's - the music starts around 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 860-346-6000.