Top nine classical and dance events in Phoenix this October
Break out the garlic and holy water. It’s vampire season, which means the return of Scorpius Dance Theatre’s highflying “A Vampire Tale” as well as the Arizona premiere of the opera-plus-film “Hercules vs. Vampires.” Here are our top picks for classical music and dance in October.
‘Ghosts & Goblins & Witches, Oh My!’
Despite the title, Center Dance Ensemble’s season opener isn’t just fun for the wee ones. The Herberger Theater Center’s resident modern dance troupe will perform a new work by founding choreographer Frances Smith Cohen, “Sweet Hauntings,” inspired by the memories of loved ones lost. Cohen also is bringing back “A Department Store Murder Mystery,” based on a John Collier story about mannequins that come to life at night.
Details: Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 19-22. Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix. $14-$28; $7 for shortened Lunch Time Dance Theater performances. 602-252-8497, center dance.com.
‘Hercules vs. Vampires’
Swords and sandals meet tenors and sopranos when Arizona Opera kicks off its season with this film-opera hybrid featuring singers voice-syncing to the 1961 cult film “Hercules in the Haunted World,” by Italian director Mario Bava. American composer Patrick Morganelli’s creation has a few laughs along the
way, mostly thanks to the primitive special effects, but it’s still a serious piece of dramatic music that aims to evoke the heightened textures of the Technicolor era.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21; 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22. Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. $25-$45. 602-2667464, azopera.org.
‘Swan Lake’
It’s the quintessential fairy-tale ballet, written by the quintessential ballet composer, Tchaikovsky. Ballet Arizona’s version is choreographed by internationally acclaimed artistic director Ib Andersen.
Details: Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 26-29. Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. $25-$159. 602-381-1096, balletaz.org.
‘A Vampire Tale’
It wouldn’t be Halloween in Phoenix without Scorpius Dance Theatre and choreographer Lisa Starry’s goth-girl answer to “The Nutcracker.” It’s a sexy, occasionally humorous horror story performed to an industrial-rock score and featuring Cirque du Soleil-style aerial dance.
Details: Thursday, Oct. 26, through Saturday, Nov. 4. Phoenix Theatre, 100 E. McDowell Road. $25 and up. 602-2542151, scorpiusdance.com.
‘Bruffy’s Best’
Charles Bruffy, the Grammy Awardwinning conductor of the Phoenix Chorale, bids farewell after 18 years with the ensemble. Selections include Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Choir and Moses Hogan’s “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel.” Bruffy has brought an ethereal, intricately layered sensibility to music ranging from American folk to contemporary classical, and we can attest that Bruffy’s best is very fine indeed.
Details: Three venues. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at American Lutheran Church, 17200 N. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 100 W. Roosevelt St., Phoenix. 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at Camelback Bible Church, 3900 E. Stanford Drive, Paradise Valley. $15-$35. 602-253-2224, phoenixchorale.org.
Malpaso Dance Company
Just 5 years old, this Havana troupe has been hailed for bringing a fresh sensibility to contemporary dance in Cuba.
Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. ASU Gammage, Mill Avenue and Apache Boulevard, Tempe. $20. 480-965-3434, asugammage.com.
Orion String Quartet
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the acclaimed ensemble, a Lincoln Center resident company, is joined by soloist Tara Helen O’Connor in a performance of Mozart’s C Major Flute Quartet. Also on the program are works by Haydn and Dvorak.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Camelback Bible Church, 3900 E. Stanford Drive, Paradise Valley. 602-2520095, phoenixchambermusicsociety.org.
MusicaNova Orchestra
Mid-century modern isn’t just a design style. It’s also the theme of the season-opening concert by Phoenix’s MusicNova ensemble. The “Mid-Century Masters” in the spotlight are Richard Arnell, Malcolm Arnold and Ralph Vaughan Williams (they also were all English).
Details: 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29. Central United Methodist Church, 1875 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $15-$20; free for youth under 18 with a paid admission. musicanovaaz.com.
‘The Halloween Tree’
Arizona State University’s Lyric Opera Theatre performs a reading of a new work in progress by composer Theo Popov, based on the Ray Bradbury novel about a group of kids who travel back in time and learn about the ancient roots of America’s Halloween tradition. Appropriate for ages 12 and up.
Details: 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29. ASU Kerr Cultural Center, 6110 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. $8. 480-596-2660, asu kerr.com.