7 things to do this weekend in Des Moines, including 'Six,' 'The Piano Lesson' and more

Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register
·4 min read
Sydney Parra (center) as Catherine Parr in the North American Tour Boleyn Company of 'Six.' The pop music inspired musical tells the stories of the wives of the English monarch Henry VIII. The show will be at the Des Moines Civic Center from Feb. 7 to 19, 2023.
Sydney Parra (center) as Catherine Parr in the North American Tour Boleyn Company of 'Six.' The pop music inspired musical tells the stories of the wives of the English monarch Henry VIII. The show will be at the Des Moines Civic Center from Feb. 7 to 19, 2023.
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For some, this could be a long holiday weekend with President's Day on Monday. It's a great weekend to take in some culture with "Six" and "The Piano Lesson" on stages, "Lovesick Comedy" bringing comedians from the Midwest to Des Moines, and a titillating 50 Shades of Green lesson at the botanical center. Get out and enjoy the long weekend.

See Iowa art through the years

Duane Slick (American/Meskwaki, born 1961), Turtle Mountain, from the “Aria for a Coyote Opera” Series, 2018
Duane Slick (American/Meskwaki, born 1961), Turtle Mountain, from the “Aria for a Coyote Opera” Series, 2018

Friday afternoon: One of the coolest free things to do in Des Moines is a visit to to the Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave., Des Moines. The museum celebrates its 75th anniversary with an exhibition of artists who have lived and worked in Iowa and their connections to the Des Moines Art Center. The Art Center has showcased the work of Iowa artists starting in the early 1950s and has run almost every year since. Open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays.

More:Meet the new director of the Des Moines Art Center Kelly Baum from the Met in New York

Get a lesson in plant sex

See the Dome After Dark.
See the Dome After Dark.

Friday night: The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, 909 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines, goes sexy with 50 Shades of Green, a lesson about the birds and the bees of flowers and trees. Participants will learn everything from overnight plant sex changes to motile sperm while drinking a glass of wine. The class from 5:30 to 7 p.m. for those age 21 and older leads into Dome After Dark, the garden's Friday evening event that sees the lights go down for a different view of the center. Members get in for free, while adults pay $10, seniors and military pay $9, kids age 4-17 pay $7, and children 3 and younger are free.

More Things to Do:Meet In Confidence, the whimsical new speakeasy at the Hotel Fort Des Moines opening Friday

Laugh about love

Friday night: Just not done with Valentine’s Day yet? Teehee’s Comedy Club, 1433 Walnut St. in Des Moines, explores all things relationships, dating, breakups and more during “Lovesick Comedy” at 7 p.m. Improvisers pop in between comedians to create a routine based off the comedy. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and Teehee’s now requires customers to also purchase two items, such as drinks, mocktails or snacks.

More:Des Moines comedian AJ Simmons buys Teehee's Comedy Club, the destination for Iowa comedy

Celebrate girl power

Aline Mayagoitia as Katherine Howard in the North American Tour Boleyn Company of "Six."
Aline Mayagoitia as Katherine Howard in the North American Tour Boleyn Company of "Six."

Friday night: Girl power!! Catch one of the final nights of “Six” at the Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines. An all-woman cast and an all-woman band tell the tale of the six wives of Henry VIII set to a pop music soundtrack mixed with history. Only one survived. Tickets range from $40 to $150 for the 7:30 p.m. show.

More:6 things to know about 'Six' the musical before it comes to Des Moines Civic Center

Find out if aliens visited

Giorgio Tsoukalos, of "Ancient Aliens" fame, is one of the special guests appearing at Hoyt Sherman Place.
Giorgio Tsoukalos, of "Ancient Aliens" fame, is one of the special guests appearing at Hoyt Sherman Place.

Friday night: Love the long-running History Channel show "Ancient Aliens?" The stars of this show take the stage to talk about extraterrestrial theories about ancient Egypt, the moon, and more, all exploring the theory that extraterrestrials have visited Earth for millions of years. Giorgio Tsoukalos appears at the show at Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 to $69 online.

More Things to Do:Meet your favorite new wine bar, The Cork 50131, now open in Johnston with 120 varieties

Take the kids to a show

Saturday morning: Based on the book of the same name by Bette Bao Lord, "In the Year of the Boar & Jackie Robinson" is a multi-media performance that tells the story of a young girl, Shirley, moving from China to America with her family in the mid-1900s. Despite being the only kid in her class who doesn't speak English, Shirley finds belonging in her new home as she falls in love with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 11 a.m. show takes place at the Temple Theater, 1011 Locust St., Des Moines, with tickets starting at $12.

More:Love hanging with cats, at a roller rink or on a farm? Join us in exploring Iowa's Off Hours

See a Pulitzer Prize-winning play

August Wilson’s "The Piano Lesson" features (clockwise from lower left) Larryah Travis, Aaron Smith, Emmett Saah Phillips Jr. and Tiffany Johnson. The show is a co-production of Pyramid Theatre Company and The Des Moines Playhouse, performed at The Playhouse, Feb. 3-19, 2023.
August Wilson’s "The Piano Lesson" features (clockwise from lower left) Larryah Travis, Aaron Smith, Emmett Saah Phillips Jr. and Tiffany Johnson. The show is a co-production of Pyramid Theatre Company and The Des Moines Playhouse, performed at The Playhouse, Feb. 3-19, 2023.

Saturday night: See one of the final performances of “The Piano Lesson,” which follows a household in 1936 Pittsburgh with a piano that’s been with the family for more than a century and is adorned with carvings recalling the family's African roots. This local adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play is scheduled to run through Sunday at the Des Moines Playhouse, 831 42nd St. Tickets range from $29 to $43.

Have an event we should cover? Drop us a line at sstapleton@gannett.com with information.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Best things to do in the Des Moines area for President's Day weekend