STEVENS POINT — The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has a host of events coming up during the next several weeks.
Discover the roles of forest restoration, roots, trapping and woodpeckers in nature through programs at Schmeeckle Reserve.
Taught by UW-Stevens Point students, the free programs meet at the reserve’s Visitor Center, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point, unless otherwise noted. For more information, call 715-346-4992 or go to www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/schmeeckle/. Dress for the weather, as most programs are outdoors.
November programs include:
Wintering Woodpeckers, Nov. 17, 1-2 p.m. Take a walk to look for woodpeckers and discover the clues they leave behind.
Discover secrets of the stars in the sky in a show at the Allen F. Blocher Planetarium.
“The Stargazer” will be offered at 2 p.m. Nov. 18. Open to the public for free, the show is hosted in part by Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura in the original “Star Trek” series, and noted astronomer James Kaler. Look at the life cycle of stars and what astronomers have learned by studying the light from those stars.
On Nov. 19, the “Night Sky” program is offered at 8 p.m. in the planetarium to look in detail at objects in the current night sky.
Planetarium seating is first come, first served for up to 55 people. Groups of 15 or more can schedule a special showing of any planetarium program by calling 715-346-2208 or completing an online request form at www.uwsp.edu/physastr/plan_obs. There is a cost of $25 per group for these presentations.
The Arthur J. Pejsa Observatory telescope is open for free viewings from 8:30-10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday evenings if the skies are clear and the temperature is above 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
The planetarium and observatory are on the second and fourth floor of the UW-Stevens Point Science Building at the corner of Reserve Street and Fourth Avenue. Parking is available in Lot D behind the building and is free in all university lots after 7 p.m. and on weekends.
“Heathers the Musical” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14-17 in Jenkins Theatre in the Noel Fine Arts Center, 1800 Portage St., Stevens Point. A matinee show will be staged at 2 p.m. Nov. 11. The show is recommended for mature audiences due to adult language and subject matter.
The off-Broadway rock musical is set at Westerberg High School, where a shoulder-padded, scrunchie-wearing trio, each named Heather, are the hottest and meanest girls in Ohio. Another student, Veronica, seems to fit in with them until the mysterious J.D. leads her down a different path.
The black comedy is filled with many funny, satirical moments as well as 80s references, fashion, music and dance. It touches on awkward first love, bullying, teen angst, sexuality and suicide.
Tickets are $23 for adults and seniors and $13 for ages 17 and younger, and are available at the UW-Stevens Point Information and Tickets Office in the Dreyfus University Center concourse, by calling 715-346-4100 or at http://tickets.uwsp.edu. Discounts are available for UW-Stevens Point students, faculty and staff.
Tickets are also available for the First Nighters package Nov. 9, which includes dinner before the performance (www.uwsp.edu/theatre-dance/Pages/First-Nighters.aspx).
The Central Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra Program will perform in concert at 4 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Stevens Point Area Senior High School auditorium.
The program’s two age groups, the Youth Symphony and the Philharmonia, will both perform.
Tickets will be available at the door beginning at 3 p.m. Admission is $3 per person or $10 for families of four or more. Cash or checks made out to UWSP Continuing Education/CWYSOP will be accepted.
For more information about CWYSOP, needs-based scholarships and registration, visit UWSP Continuing Education at: uwsp.edu/cwysop or call 715-346-3838.
NEW! The UWSP Jazz Band performs in concert on Nov. 20.
The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Michelsen Hall in the Noel Fine Arts Center, 1800 Portage St., Stevens Point. Director Myles Boothroyd, assistant professor of saxophone, will lead the band in jazz works, including swing, ballad, disco/funk and new age.
Two students will be featured soloists. Trombonist Alex Kolb, Marshfield, will perform in “My One and Only Love” by Robert Mellin and Guy Wood, and drummer Alex Bates, Rothschild, will have a solo in “The Git” by Bill Holman.
Other works will include “Night Flight” by Sammy Nestico, “Afro Blue” by Mongo Santamaria, “Disco Pigs in Space” by Gordon Goodwin, “Respiration” by Ben Allison and “Newk Meets the Prezident” by Rick Lawn, inspired by jazz tenor saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Lester Young.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, $5 for UW-Stevens Point students, faculty and youth and free the day of the concert for students with a UW-Stevens Point I.D. if not sold out. Tickets are available at the University Information and Tickets Office in the Dreyfus University Center, by calling 715-346-4100 or 800-838-3378 or at tickets.uwsp.edu. Tickets may be purchased at the door if available. Proceeds benefit student scholarships.
Part Irish pub band and part rock band, Gaelic Storm will perform at 7:30 p.m. March 13 in the Laird Room of the Dreyfus University Center. General admission tickets cost $25 plus service fees. Tickets will be $30 the day of the show.
Purchase tickets at the University Information and Tickets in the Dreyfus University Center concourse, at 800-838-3378 or online at tickets.uwsp.edu.
The band has topped the Billboard World Chart six times and makes regular appearances at music and Irish festivals across the country, including Milwaukee’s Irish Fest. The group’s latest album, “Go Climb a Tree,” was released in 2017.
Gaelic Storm includes Patrick Murphy on vocals, piano, harmonica, accordion and spoons, Steve Twigger on vocals, guitar, mandolin and bouzouki, Ryan Lacy on drums and world percussion, Pete Purvis on pipes and Katie Grennan on fiddle.
Photos courtesy UWSP.
Feature photo: Gaelic Storm
