The Music
Diana Ross
Wed., Aug. 28, 8 pm • Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 1-800-982-2787 or www.HennepinTheatreTrust.org • The legendary Grammy and Tony Award-winning vocalist named “Female Entertainer of the Century” by Billboard Magazine will give a rare, one-night-only performance at the Orpheum Theatre.
Robert Cray
Sun. Aug. 25, 7:30 pm • Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater, 13000 Zoo Blvd., Apple Valley, 952-431-9200, www.suemclean.com or www.mnzoo.org • With his mix of rock, soul, jazz, blues, plus a little gospel feel, Robert is internationally admired as a stylist whose innovations have brought new life to the blues.
Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp, Shaun LaBelle and Stokley Williams
Aug. 27-28 • Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-332-1010 or www.dakotacooks.com • Keyboardist/composer/producer Jeff Lorber, saxophonist Everette Harp, bassist/keyboardist Shaun LaBelle, and Mint Condition’s Stokley Williams join forces for a night of inspired jazz and R&B.
The Screen
The Butler
Opens Aug. 16
Various theaters
The Butler tells the story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades. The film traces the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man’s life and family. Featuring Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard, Minka Kelly, Lenny Kravitz, Melissa Leo.
The Stage
Eddie Griffin, The Labor Day Explosion!
Fri., Aug. 30, 7 pm • Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 1-800-982-2787 or www.HennepinTheatreTrust.org • Comedian Eddie Griffin appears with special guests Jay Lamont and Honest John.
A Brown Tale
Sept. 12-22 • Penumbra Theatre, 270 North Kent St., St. Paul, 651-224-3180 or www.penumbratheatre.org • Written and performed by James T. Alfred and directed by Lou Bellamy, A Brown Tale is a one-man show about his childhood in Chicago. It reels from the outlandish to the hilarious to the deeply poignant. Born in 1972, Alfred recalls a time when “the projects” contained a proud Black community that was tightly knit and well managed.
The Arts
The Fifth Annual LOLA Art Crawl
Sat. and Sun., Aug. 24-25, 10 am — 5 pm • LoLa (the League of Longfellow artists) will be opening their doors for the fifth annual LoLa art crawl • Smaller and more intimate than many art festivals, the LoLa art crawl will give you a glimpse into the creative workspaces of artisans working on jewelry, glasswork, painting, photography, textiles, pottery, gardens, sculpture and more • For more info and a map of the event, visit http://lolaartcrawl.com/
Send all Entertainment Spot briefs to abuchanan@spokesman-recorder.com, or call 612-827-4021.
Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.