Groundhog Day Gala in Whiting, NWI Symphony chorus concert welcome February arrival

OF NOTORIETY

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An employee at VIP Nails and Spa in Whiting, one of the sponsors for the 2nd Annual Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society Groundhog’s Day Gala, pretends to give the furry weather-predicting guest of honor a manicure in advance of the Feb. 2 celebration. Gayle Kosalko

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Saturday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. celebrates the Second Annual Groundhog’s Day Gala at the Whiting Knights of Columbus Hall, 1120 119th St. in Whiting. Music, a full bar and a multi-course feast are part of the fundraising festivities until 11 p.m. All money raised will go towards supporting the new Whiting-Robertsdale History Museum opening in 2025. Individual tickets are $100 and tables are $800 and include eight seats. Reservations are required by calling Gayle Kosalko at 219-659-8129 or visit www.wrhistoricalsociety.com to purchase tickets online. The Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society was started as a Bicentennial project in 1976. Since that time it has amassed a large collection of historical items related to the Whiting-Robertsdale area, all now housed at the organization’s new museum location at 1606 119th St. in Whiting.

What to wear

It’s the final weekend of performances of “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” the clever cabaret-style anthology play written by Nora and Delia Ephron, playing 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Feb. 2 and all performances in the upstairs studio space at Chicago Street Theatre, 154 West Chicago St. in downtown Valparaiso. Produced as a dinner show concept, the meal starts with a garden salad followed by a main entrée choice of fried chicken or roast beef served with mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans or a meatless/gluten-free option of mostaccioli along with coffee and bottled water and dessert. Tickets are $40 for dinner and show or $15 for show only.

The show is best described as “a compelling collection of monologues and ensemble pieces telling the stories of women’s lives through the items they wore, spanning the all-important outfits from a woman’s life: prom dresses, buying bras with mothers with a very different sense of taste, hating purses and the secrets of wearing black.” Patrons with dinner tickets are reminded to arrive an hour before curtain and since the show is upstairs, patrons must be able to walk a flight of stairs to access the seating. For reservations, call 219-464-1636 or visit www.chicagostreet.org.

Beatniks bus stop

Beatniks begins its 17th season as Beatniks On Conkey at 420 Conkey St. in Hammond with a new stage story for this intimate 60-seat entertainment iconic destination for Northwest Indiana. “The Passengers,” a gripping tale written by Sam Bobrick told in eight scenes based at a local bus stop transitioned seamlessly between the characters’ connections and contrasts, has performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, and Saturday, Feb. 1, and a 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 matinee and continues the same schedule the next weekend Feb.7-9. Tickets are $20 cash only at the door or call the box office for reservations at 219-852-0848 or go to beatniksonconkey.com. Open auditions will also be held for the next production of “Now and Then” by Sean Grennan, at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2, and Monday, Feb. 3.

Swift ticket sales

RED REVOLUTION: The Taylor Swift Experience is led by spotlight singer Tiffany Lidster with one concert performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 at Memorial Opera House, 104 Indiana Ave in downtown Valparaiso. Featuring five talented musicians from the Chicagoland area playing the favorite hits from the biggest artist of this generation joining Lidster on stage are Roye Robley on drums, Jeremy Andrews on bass, Chris Wander for keyboard and Tom Vienna on guitar. When choosing seats for purchase, patrons are reminded dancing is encouraged at the front of the stage area. Tickets range from $40 to $60 and are available by calling the box office at 219-548-9137 or www.memorialoperahouse.com.

Buddy to all

Feb. 3 marks the 65th anniversary of what’s come to be known as “the day the music died.” The date when in the early morning hours in 1959, a small airplane carrying early rock pioneers Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens crashed in a frozen Iowa cornfield killing all on board. The Art Theater, 230 Main St. in Hobart is hosting a special tribute concert on the anniversary weekend of the crash reminding audiences of the impact Buddy Holly had on popular music around the globe during his short life, and underscoring Holly’s tremendous and enduring legacy. Starring Buddy Holly tribute band Kenny James and Rave On, the 7 p.m. Feb 1 show includes all the expected hits, but also promises some deeper cuts from Holly’s incredible catalog of songs, along with some historical commentary about the man and his music. Along with Buddy’s songs, James often wraps up his concerts with an encore set of songs by other oldies artists who were influenced and inspired by Holly and his music. Tickets range from $20 to $175 by calling 219-942-1670 or visit www. brickartlive.com.

Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@powershealth.org.