Plays, art, music and films in and near South Bend abound this weekend

Tribune Staff Report
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It's not a leap year, but for this final Thursday in February, how about an extra pick for the weekend? Yes, six events follow, highlighting plays, an art reception, a concert and Oscar-nominated films playing in and around South Bend. Don't forget to check Joseph Dits' Outdoor Adventures column, too, and The Tribune's online events calendar for more ideas.

The cast rehearses a scene from “Dawn’s Early Light,” a new musical written by University of Notre Dame student Solomon Duane that premieres Feb. 23 and continues through March 5, 2023, at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. It takes place in the 1940s amid the flashing colors of the World War II home front and the swinging sounds of the Big Band era.

Notre Dame premieres new World War II-set musical ‘Dawn’s Early Light’

SOUTH BEND — The University of Notre Dame’s film, television and theater department presents “Dawn’s Early Light” from Feb. 23 to March 5 at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

A new musical by Notre Dame student Solomon Duane, “Dawn’s Early Light” takes place in the 1940s amid the flashing colors of the World War II home front and the swinging sounds of the Big Band era.

Christian Dunne, left, and Theresa Thomas rehearse a scene from “Dawn’s Early Light,” a new musical written by University of Notre Dame student Solomon Duane that premieres Feb. 23 and continues through March 5, 2023, at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. It takes place in the 1940s amid the flashing colors of the World War II home front and the swinging sounds of the Big Band era.

The musical follows the story of an Italian-American family living in Buffalo, N.Y. When Tommy Zucchiatti decides to enlist in the military, his immigrant father resists, haunted by the pains of a dark past.

How much must the family sacrifice to hold on to their American Dream?

“Dawn’s Early Light” is the third student-written musical to emerge from the New Works Lab, a program that curates, workshops and produces new musicals under the direction of Matt Hawkins.

New Works Lab:Notre Dame's premiere of ‘Stupid Humans’ strives to make dreams real

The New Works Lab has previously workshopped and produced “An Old Family Recipe” by Veronica Mansour in (2021) and “Stupid Humans” by Jorge “Jay” Rivera-Herrans in 2019, now revised and titled “My Heart Says Go.”

A “My Heart Says Go” concept album, produced by Hawkins and featuring Javier Muñoz (Hamilton) and Tony Award-winner Jessie Mueller, is set to be released in March, ahead of a full production at South Bend Civic Theatre in April.

The cast rehearses a scene from “Dawn’s Early Light,” a new musical written by University of Notre Dame student Solomon Duane that premieres Feb. 23 and continues through March 5, 2023, at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. It takes place in the 1940s amid the flashing colors of the World War II home front and the swinging sounds of the Big Band era.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23-25 and March 2-4 and at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 26 and March 5.

Tickets are $15-$7.

For more information, call 574-631-2800 or visit performingarts.nd.edu.

Ebba (Sigirid Husjord, left) and passenger (Ola Hoemsnes Sandum) appear in a scene from director Eirik Tveiten's "Night Ride," one of the films nominated for an Academy Award in the Live Action Short Films category. On a cold night in December, Ebba waits for the tram to go home after a party, but the ride takes an unexpected turn. It will be shown Feb. 24 and 25, 2023, at the University of Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center with the other nominees in its category.

DeBartolo screens Oscar-nominated short films

SOUTH BEND — The University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center presents the following screenings of this year’s Academy Award-nominated short films:

• Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films, at 9:30 p.m. Feb. 23 and 25: “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, “The Flying Sailor, “Ice Merchants,” “An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It” and “My Year of Dicks.” Films include adult or mature content. Not recommended for young children.

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• Oscar Nominated Documentary Short Films, at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 24, 3 p.m. Feb. 25 and 4 p.m. Feb. 26: “The Elephant Whisperers,” “Haulout,” “The Martha Mitchell Effect,” “Stranger at the Gate” and “How Do You Measure a Year?”

• Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films, at 9:30 p.m. Feb. 24 and 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25: “An Irish Goodbye,” “Ivalu,” “Le Pupille,” “Night Ride” and “The Red Suitcase.”

Tickets are $7-$4 for each screening.

For more information, call 574-631-2800 or visit performingarts.nd.edu.

The paintings "Space Jam: 'A New Legacy'” and "Kobe Bryant Tribute" by 2b Artiztc are among the works included an exhibition of four local African American artists from Feb. 3 through March 3, 2023, at the Colfax Campus Gallery in South Bend. A reception takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 24, 2023.
The paintings "Space Jam: 'A New Legacy'” and "Kobe Bryant Tribute" by 2b Artiztc are among the works included an exhibition of four local African American artists from Feb. 3 through March 3, 2023, at the Colfax Campus Gallery in South Bend. A reception takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 24, 2023.

Reception Feb. 24 for exhibit of four local African American artists at the Colfax gallery

SOUTH BEND — A reception takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 24 for an exhibition by four local African American artists at the Colfax Campus Gallery, 914 Lincoln Way W.

Attendees may meet the artists, view the artwork and celebrate Black History Month.

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The featured artists are Pam Blair, Groshonda McDonald, Brandon Reed and 2B Artiztc.

The exhibit continues through March 3. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and by appointment Fridays.

Pam Blair's "Peace Studies Mural" is one of the works included an exhibition of four local African American artists from Feb. 3 through March 3, 2023, at the Colfax Campus Gallery in South Bend. A reception takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 24, 2023.
Pam Blair's "Peace Studies Mural" is one of the works included an exhibition of four local African American artists from Feb. 3 through March 3, 2023, at the Colfax Campus Gallery in South Bend. A reception takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 24, 2023.

Admission is free.

For more information, call 574.289.1066 or visit sbheritage.org/Colfax-gallery.

Kyrrah White, left, and Shannon O’Riordan rehearse a scene for The Acting Ensemble's production of David Brian Walker's "Dog" that opens Feb. 24 and continues through March 5, 2023, at the theater in Mishawaka.
Kyrrah White, left, and Shannon O’Riordan rehearse a scene for The Acting Ensemble's production of David Brian Walker's "Dog" that opens Feb. 24 and continues through March 5, 2023, at the theater in Mishawaka.

‘Dog’ opens for two weekends at The Acting Ensemble

MISHAWAKA — “Dog” opens Feb. 24 and continues through March 5 at The Acting Ensemble, 602 E. Mishawaka Ave.

In this dark comedy written by David Brian Walker, Bailey has lost her dog. She’s searched for it for more than a year. One day, she’s walking in the park and sees him, and he’s being walked by someone else.

In concert:New York City-based Ben Rosenblum piano trio performs Feb. 23 at Merrimans’ Playhouse

Four people’s lives intersect over the dog as the play explores trying to get back what’s lost and examines how sometimes people can act like dogs and dogs can act like people.

Directed by Angie Berkshire, the cast features Tiemen Godwaldt, KC Matthews, Shannon O’Riordan and Kyrrah White.

Shannon O’Riordan, left, and Tieman Godwaldt rehearse a scene for The Acting Ensemble's production of David Brian Walker's "Dog" that opens Feb. 24 and continues through March 5, 2023, at the theater in Mishawaka.
Shannon O’Riordan, left, and Tieman Godwaldt rehearse a scene for The Acting Ensemble's production of David Brian Walker's "Dog" that opens Feb. 24 and continues through March 5, 2023, at the theater in Mishawaka.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24-25 and March 2-4 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 26 and March 5.

Tickets are $19-$16; the March 2 performance is pay-what-you-can.

For more information, call 574-217-8873 or visit actingensemble.com.

Elkhart Civic Theatre’s production of Agatha Christie’s "Murder on the Orient Express," adapted by Ken Ludwig, opens Feb. 24 and continues through March 5, 2023, at the Bristol Opera House.
Elkhart Civic Theatre’s production of Agatha Christie’s "Murder on the Orient Express," adapted by Ken Ludwig, opens Feb. 24 and continues through March 5, 2023, at the Bristol Opera House.

‘Murder on the Orient Express’ opens at Elkhart Civic’s Bristol Opera House

BRISTOL — “Murder on the Orient Express” opens Feb. 24 and continues through March 5 at Elkhart Civic Theatre’s Bristol Opera House, 210 E. Vistula St.

Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig at the request of the Agatha Christie estate, the comedy-mystery features the detective Hercule Poirot solving a locked-door mystery on the Orient Express train.

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the train in its tracks, and in the morning, an American tycoon is discovered dead in his compartment, stabbed multiple times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on Poirot to identify the murderer — in case he or she decides to strike again.

Hercule Poirot (Jeff Tryka, center) and Monsieur Bouc (Keith Sarber) reveal a message in invisible ink in front of Countess Andrenyi (Annette Kaczanowski) in Elkhart Civic Theatre’s production of Agatha Christie’s "Murder on the Orient Express," adapted by Ken Ludwig, that opens Feb. 24 and continues through March 5, 2023, at the Bristol Opera House.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24-25 and March 3-4 and at 3 p.m. Feb. 26 and March 5.

Tickets are $25-$19.

For more information, call 574-848-4116 or visit elkhartcivictheatre.org.

Blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa performs Feb. 25, 2023, at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.
Blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa performs Feb. 25, 2023, at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.

Blues-rock guitarist Bonamassa plays the Morris

SOUTH BEND — Blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa performs at 8 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Morris Performing Arts Center, 211 N. Michigan St.

Bonamassa’s career began onstage opening for B.B. King in 1989, when he was 12 years old. Beginning with his debut album, 2000’s “A New Day Yesterday,” he has released 16 solo studio albums, including 2020’s “Royal Tea” and 2021’s “Time Clocks,” his most recent.

He’s also released 18 solo live albums, including this year’s “Tales of Time.”

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Bonamassa also has three longstanding collaborations, as a member of the jazz-funk band Rock Candy Funk Party, the hard rock supergroup Black Country Communion and with blues-soul multi-instrumentalist and singer Beth Hart.

He founded and oversees the nonprofit Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation to promote the heritage of the blues to the next generation, fund music scholarships and supplement the loss of music education in public schools.

Blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa performs Feb. 25, 2023, at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.
Blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa performs Feb. 25, 2023, at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.

Bonamassa and Roy Weisman also founded Keeping The Blues Alive Records, which has released albums for many artists, including Dion, Joanna Connor, Larry McCray and Joanne Shaw Taylor.

Tickets are $202.50-$52.50.

For more information, call 574-235-9190 or visit morriscenter.org.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Weekend in and near South Bend features plays, art, music and films