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WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK APRIL 1 - 7, 2016

PERFORMING ARTS

THE HIDDEN VOICE EXPERIENCE Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center April 1; 8 p.m. Enjoy this evening of theater with live music and poetry, featuring Abys, Tangelia Rouse, the cast of Sisters Without Voices and more! 2410 Wickham Avenue, 757-247-8950, www.downing-gross.org.

VIRGINIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS MAHLER’S FIFTH SYMPHONY Ferguson Center for the Arts April 1; 8 p.m. JoAnn Falletta closes her 25th anniversary 2015–16 Classics season with Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. Mahler takes us through a range of emotion, from negative and mournful through to thrilling feelings of jubilation. Also on this program is three-time National Sphinx Competition semifinalist and Curtis Institute of Music student and prodigy, Brendon Elliott, who joins the orchestra to perform Glazunov’s technically brilliant Violin Concerto. 1 Avenue of the Arts, 757-594-8752, www.fergusoncenter.org.

YANNI Ferguson Center for the Arts April 4; 7:30 pm YANNI is a legendary composer and live performer who has brought hundreds of millions of fans and fellow world citizens together via his concerts, with countless more experiencing the magic of his music via TV broadcasts. Truth of Touch, released in 2011, returned YANNI to the contemporary instrumental form that made him an international superstar. The album, his 19th overall and 16th studio release, is his first collection of primarily instrumental music since 2003. YANNI delved into instrumental composing about 10 years after his first album release, and had his first platinum album with Reflections of Passion in 1990. Over the past several years, YANNI’s ongoing studio explorations have resulted in more than 300 songs. He also extensively toured, performing sold-out concerts in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. This is the international superstar’s first appearance at the Ferguson Center. 1 Avenue of the Arts, 757-594-8752, www.fergusoncenter.org.

ON SCREEN/IN PERSON: DEAF JAM Ferguson Center for the Arts April 5; 7 p.m. Illuminating the extraordinary power of American Sign Language (ASL) poetry, Deaf Jam is story of Aneta Brodski’s bold journey into the spoken word slam scene. When Aneta, a deaf Israeli immigrant high school student, makes an extraordinary connection with a hearing Palestinian slam poet, they transcend personal and political divisions to generate a new form of poetry that speaks to both the hearing and the deaf. 1 Avenue of the Arts, 757-594-8752, www.fergusoncenter.org.

MOSCOW FESTIVAL BALLET: CINDERELLA Ferguson Center for the Arts April 6; 7 p.m. The Moscow Festival Ballet was founded in 1989 when legendary principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet Sergei Radchenko sought to realize his vision of a company that would bring together the highest classical elements of the great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet companies in an independent new company within the framework of Russian classic ballet. Under Radchenko’s direction, leading dancers from across the Russias have forged an exciting new company staging new productions of timeless classics such as Giselle, Don Quixote, Paquita and Carmen. Scheduled to be performed at the Center is the fairy-tale classic Cinderella. 1 Avenue of the Arts, 757-594-8752, www.fergusoncenter.org.

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES: MICHAEL BESCHLOSS Ferguson Center for the Arts April 7; 7:30 pm Michael Beschloss is an award-winning historian, No.1 best-selling author and serves as the NBC News Presidential Historian — the first time any major network has created such a position. He is also a regular contributor to the PBS NewsHour. Beschloss co-authored (with Caroline Kennedy) the No. 1 New York Times best seller Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy (2011). He is currently working on a history of American presidents in wartime, from James Madison to George W. Bush, which will be published in 2017. Beschloss is a trustee of the White House Historical Association, the National Archives Foundation and the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs. Newsweek called Beschloss “the nation’s leading Presidential historian.” Albert Hunt of Bloomberg News has called him “a national treasure.” 1 Avenue of the Arts, 757-594-8752, www.fergusoncenter.org.

SPECIAL EVENTS AT NEWPORT NEWS ATTRACTIONS

BUGS – ALIVE! Virginia Living Museum April 3; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join reptile and invertebrate enthusiasts from across Hampton Roads at the Virginia Living Museum for a day of Live Insects. View live insects of all kinds, plus other invertebrates like spiders, scorpions, centipedes and millipedes. These animals will represent species from different parts the world – visitors will be able to learn about what kinds of animals they are, where they live, what they eat, and how they protect themselves in order to survive. Create a buggy craft. Activities 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Included in museum admission. 524 J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, 757- 595-1900, www.thevlm.org.

AMERICAN SCRAP ARTIST: ASSEMBLAGES BY SAM HUNDLEY Peninsula Fine Arts Center Continuing through April 3 101 Museum Drive, 757-596-8175, www.pfac-va.org.

EXPERIMENTS/MACHINES: PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBERT SULKIN Peninsula Fine Arts Center Continuing through April 3 101 Museum Drive, 757-596-8175, www.pfac-va.org.

BIG BUGS Virginia Living Museum Continuing through April 17 This larger-than-life animatronic exhibit features six super-sized bugs: the Madagascan Sunset Moth, the Bombardier Beetle, Dragonfly, Stag Beetle, Orb-Web Spider and Say’s Firefly. There is also a caterpillar photo-op and a display of live bugs, all designed to showcase a bug’s life and why bugs are important. The exhibit is created by Billings Productions, the creators of animatronic dinosaur exhibits. Also explore the fascinating world of invertebrates - insects, arachnids, and their kin - through beautiful color photographic banners by famed Harvard scientist/photographer Piotr Naskrecki. “Bugs and Friends” live animal shows are presented on the weekend at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. 524 J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, 757-595-1900, www.thevlm.org.

RETOOLED: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE HECHINGER COLLECTION Peninsula Fine Arts Center Continuing through May 1, 2016 101 Museum Drive, 757-596-8175, www.pfac-va.org.

PLANETARIUM SHOWS Virginia Living Museum Continuing through May 6 Choose among three shows in the Virginia Living Museum’s Abbitt Planetarium. “Stars to Starfish” is a full dome show that compares the exploration of the universe with the exploration of the oceans. It is shown Wednesday through Sunday at 1:30 p.m. “Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus and Andromeda” is a retelling of the classic Greek legend. It is showing Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. A staff astronomer takes a tour of the current night sky in “Virginia Skies,” showing Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The planetarium is open Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets are $4 plus museum admission. 524 J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, 757-595-1900, www.thevlm.org.

RESTAURANTS AND CLUBS

JAZZ FRIDAY WITH PHAZZ II OPEN MIC WITH VAUGHN DEEL The Train Station AND SUEANNE DOYER April 1; 7 p.m. Cozzy’s Comedy Club 2295 Harbor Road April 4; 7:30 p.m. (757) 247-7512 9700 Warwick Boulevard www.thetrainstation757.com (757) 595-2800 BO LAST NAME DACIOUS WITH www.cozzys.com MIKE EASMEIL Cozzy’s Comedy Club GIRLS ON THE LOOSE COMEDY April 1; 9 p.m. SHOW April 2; 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Cozzy’s Comedy Club 9700 Warwick Boulevard April 5; 8 p.m. (757) 595-2800 9700 Warwick Boulevard www.cozzys.com (757) 595-2800 www.cozzys.com ACTION JACKSON Hoss’s Deli COMEDY OPEN MIC WITH SID April 2; 9:30 p.m. BRIDGE 806 Old Oyster Point Road Cozzy’s Comedy Club (757) 596-9104 April 7; 9 p.m. www.hosssdeli.com 9700 Warwick Boulevard (757) 595-2800 SUNDAY FUNNIES www.cozzys.com Cozzy’s Comedy Club April 3; 8 p.m. UNITED SOULS 9700 Warwick Boulevard Manhattan’s (757) 595-2800 April 7; 9:30 p.m. www.cozzys.com 601 Thimble Shoals Boulevard (757) 873-0555 www.manhattansdeli.com

NOTE: This calendar was compiled based on information submitted to the Newport News Tourism Development Office by the Newport News tourism industry. All events are subject to cancellation and date and time changes. Attraction operating hours, as well as admission and event fees, are subject to change without notice. Please contact event planners directly to confirm information. Additional Newport News events can be found online at www.newport-news.org.