Here are a selection of brief news items pertaining to arts, entertainment, culture and other fun things to do in your spare time:

Tickets on sale for LCT’s ‘Twelfth Night’

Tickets for the La Crosse Community Theatre production of William Shakespeare’s antic farce “Twelfth Night” are now on sale.

As with most Shakespeare comedies, “Twelfth Night” is all about mistaken identity. Viola and her twin brother, Sebastian, are separated in a storm, which washes them both up at different points on the shores of Illyria. Viola masquerades as a young page for Orsino, who is in love with Olivia. Cesario (Viola) soon falls in love with “his” master. Whilst Viola falls in love with Orsino, Olivia falls in love with Cesario, whilst being pursued at the same time by her servant, Malvolio. Olivia’s house is turned upside-down by the antics of her drunken uncle, Sir Toby Belch, and the whole crazy situation reaches boiling point when Sebastian reappears.

Show dates will be March 20-22, 26-29, and April 2-4 at 7:30 p.m., and April 5 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $18.50 on Fridays and Saturdays and $17.50 with a $10 student/military ticket available on Thursdays and Sundays. Student rush tickets for Friday and Saturday shows are $10 if seats are available after 7 p.m.

For tickets, call the box office at 784-9292 or stop in at 118 Fifth Ave. N. in downtown La Crosse. Box office hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and one hour before curtain time during performances.

Viterbo to stage musical cabaret ‘FAQ’

Viterbo University will present “FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions (A Musical Cabaret)” at the Pump House Regional Arts Center in downtown La Crosse at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 20-21.

This cabaret-style production presents a series of musical numbers that pose the many questions people ask themselves and others: From the all encompassing and often unanswerable questions (What is life about? What happens when we die?) to self reflections (What am I waiting for? Am I lost?) to the routine and sometimes comic queries of daily life (Why did I just say that? Why do I care about my weight? Why are there so many songs about rainbows?).

This performance offers a variety of pieces from several Broadway musicals including “Spring Awakening,” “Avenue Q,” “Floyd Collins,” “Jekyll & Hyde,” “The Full Monty” and “The Scarlet Pimpernel.” It also includes an original composition by Viterbo student Ian Kane.

The cast features seven Viterbo music theater students: Katie Bakalars, Johannah Brooks, Paul Hibbard, Nikki Hilsen, Ian Kane, Mark Sopchyk and Courtney Toepel. It is directed by Viterbo music theater faculty member Miranda Crispin, with lighting design by Jim Nardulli.

Tickets are $10 for general admission seating. Tickets for Viterbo students are $5. For more information, call the Pump House at 785-1434 or log onto thepumphouse.org.

Annual MVAC artifact show set for Saturday at Valley View Mall

Artifacts unearthed last year along Sand Lake Road in Onalaska will be featured in the annual UW-La Crosse Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center Artifact Show. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 14, in the Center Court of Valley View Mall in La Crosse.

Along with the recently found artifacts, private collections of up to 20 regional collectors will be displayed. The collections include pottery, arrow and spear heads and other artifacts from throughout the Coulee Region.

Joe Tiffany, executive director of MVAC, said the public will see a wide range of artifacts from the private collections dating from the time of the French fur trade back to Native American artifacts up to 10,000 years ago.

Also, archeologists at the show will offer free artifact identification. Those who have possible artifacts can bring in the objects to have them identified on the spot by professional MVAC archaeologists.

Often it is possible to tell how old an artifact is, which culture made it and even where the material to make the artifact originally came from.

Appraisals of the value of artifacts will not be made.

The show is free and open to the public.

For more information on MVAC and archaeology, call 785-8463 or log onto www.uwlax.edu/mvac.

Trumpeter swans are Audubon talk topic

The Coulee Region Audubon Society will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at the Ho Chunk Nation building, 725 Main St., La Crosse. The meeting is free and open to all.

Pat Manthey of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Bureau of Endangered Resources will present a program on the Trumpeter Swan Reintroduction Project.

Trumpeter swans — named for their resonant, trumpet-like call — are the largest native waterfowl species in North America. Adults have white plumage and can stand up to 4 feet tall and weigh 20 to 30 pounds. Trumpeter swans were found in Wisconsin until the 1880s, when market hunting and feather collecting almost drove the species extinct.

Beginning in 1989, Wisconsin biologists flew to Alaska for nine consecutive years to collect surplus trumpeter swan eggs that were then hatched in incubators at the Milwaukee County Zoo. After they hatched, the young swans were either placed in a captive rearing program or decoy rearing program until they were released to the wild.

Manthey will discuss the progress of the project and resulting success.

Crafting day offers jewelry making

La Crosse County Home and Community Education will host a “cabin fever reliever” at which people can make their own summer jewelry.

The craft day will be held starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 21, at Hamilton Town Hall in West Salem. The cost is $5 for HCE members, $6 for nonmembers, including materials needed for one project.

Registration is due March 16. Registrants should include name, phone number and address. Registration and checks payable to LAHCE should be sent to Marie Dummer, N6500 Hwy. XX, Holmen, WI 54636. Registrations are transferable but not refundable.

Auditions set for ‘The Producers’

The La Crosse Community Theatre will hold auditions for its production of the Mel Brooks musical, “The Producers,” on March 23-24, by appointment beginning at 7 p.m. at 118 Fifth Ave. N.

“The Producers” is truly a hit, winning a record twelve Tony Awards and wowing audiences. In the show, a down-on-his-luck Broadway producer and his well-mannered accountant scheme to produce the most notorious flop in Broadway’s history thereby bilking their backers out of millions of dollars. Only one thing goes awry: the show is a smash hit.

The cast will be made up of 28 actors, ages 16 and older. If necessary, callbacks will be held Wednesday, March 25.

Rehearsals begin March 26, and all cast and crew will need to be present beginning Sunday, May 3. Performances start May 8.

Musicians also are needed.

For more information or for an audition appointment, call 784-9292.

Nordic Choir to sing in Onalaska

Luther College’s Nordic Choir, one of the top college choirs in the nation, will perform Saturday, April 18, 7 p.m. at First Lutheran Church, 410 Main St., Onalaska.

The performance by the 72-member Nordic Choir is open to the public. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students. For tickets, visit www.luthertickets.com or call 1-800-4 LUTHER.

The concert will feature “Exsultate Deo” by A. Scarlatti, “Advent Motet” by Gustav Schreck, “Reincarnations” by Samuel Barber, “Vinea mea” by F. Poulenc, “An Apostrophe To The Heavenly Hosts” by Healey Willan, “The Old Church” by Stephen Paulus, “Glorification” by F. Melius Christiansen, and folksongs and spirituals.

Nordic Choir, founded in 1946, is the flagship choral ensemble of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

Storytellers to give 3-woman show

Storytellers and comédiennes Sara Slayton, Terry Visger and Lynn Wing will bring the sights, sounds and stories of the 1950s and ’60s to life in their memorable new show: “Three Boomer Broads — Remembering While We Still Can.”

“Three Boomer Broads” will have two performances at the Pump House Regional Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 13-14.

Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. All tickets are general admission. For more information or tickets, call 785-1434 or e-mail info@thepumphouse.org.

Pump House Regional Arts Center is located at 119 King St. in La Crosse.

Barbershop harmony singers set show

The La Crosse Coulee Chordsmen barbershop harmony singers, now 35 members strong, will present their 63rd annual show on Saturday, March 14, at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Marie W. Heider Center for the Arts in West Salem.

This marks the first time the Chordsmen have held their annual performance in West Salem.

The show theme, “Life on the River-Twain’s World” will feature Land O’ Lakes District champion quartets Vocality and The Monotones , as well as Chordsmen three quartets: Special Export, Vintage Plus and Four’s Company.

The Chordsmen were awarded the Most Improved Chorus during the 2008 District contest last October in in Appleton.

Tickets are $12, $5 for students. Senior tickets are $10 for the matinee performance at 2 pm. Tickets are available from Hanson’s IGA, Festival Foods and Degen Berglund. Tickets also will be available at the door prior to the performances.

UW-L art show, sale set for March 14

A first-ever art show and sale at UW-La Crosse will highlight 27 established and emerging 7 Rivers Region artists.

The Cabin Fever Art Show & Sale runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at the Cleary Alumni & Friends Center, 615 East Ave. N. Admission is free.

The fine art and craft exhibition will showcase the work and vision of the area artists, along with a guest artist from Wisconsin Rapids. The wide range of original artwork shown will include paintings, photography, pottery, stained glass, jewelry, quilts and more.

Exhibitors in the show include: Jen Ash, Jeannie Bush, Alesa De Jager, Joyce Diveley, Jean Donohoe, Minx Hanson, Cheri Haug, Jamie Heiden, Jean Hayden, Nancy Horton, Christine Johnson, Cheryl Keeffe, Michelle Lanzel, Amanda McConnell, Suzanne Merkl, Sandra Musolf, Mary Olson, Linda Raymer, Laura Reichenbach, Elizabeth Rose, Nick Smolen, Marianne Stanke, Mary Louise Thompson, Deloras Vind, Gary Wiste, Carol Witt-Smith and Mary Yerhot.

For more information, visit www.uwlax.edu/sbdc/ or www.CabinFeverArtShow.blogspot.com.

Arts classes planned at Heider Center

The West Salem School District’s Community Education Program is offering several classes in upcoming weeks at the Marie W. Heider Center for the Arts, 405 E. Hamlin St, West Salem.

Classes include:

BEGINNING SEWING: A sewing class will be held on Saturday, March 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will learn how to read a pattern and understand the basics of sewing by making either lounge pants or an apron. Cost is $25 plus supplies.

UKRAINIAN EGG PAINTING: Decorate two eggs using the wax resist method of egg dying. Class is open to those 17 and older and will be held on Monday, March 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. Cost is $25 which includes all supplies.

Registration forms are available at www.wsalem.k12.wi.us/PDF/CommunityEdClasses.pdf or leave a message at 786-1220, option 4.

Artists sought for MAYFAIR event

The West Salem Fine Arts Board will hold its annual fundraiser, MAYFAIR, a Fine Arts Festival, on Sunday, May 3. The board is seeking artists who would like to exhibit and sell their original works of art at MAYFAIR, which also will feature children’s activities, a silent auction and a chickencue.

Interested artists can call Jane at 786-2388.

Theater, art part of spring Chicago trip

An April 18-19 overnight trip to Chicago sponsored by UW-La Crosse Continuing Education will include a production of “Mary Poppins” and a stop at the Chicago Art Museum.

La Crosse artist Carole Edland will guide the motorcoach tour taking travelers to downtown Chicago by early Saturday afternoon to the Hampton Inn and Suites. Before curtain time that evening, participants can shop the Miracle Mile, visit Millennium Park, go to the Botanical Gardens and enjoy dinner, all within walking distance from the hotel. The motorcoach will take travelers to an evening performance of “Mary Poppins” at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.

After breakfast Sunday, its off to the Chicago Art Institute to see the feature exhibit, “Edvard Munch: Influence, Anxiety, and Myth.”

Cost is $339 per person for double occupancy. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. For more information or to register, call 785-6500 or log onto www.uwlax.edu/Conted/tours/chicagoarttheatertour.html.

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