Entertainment

Storm Lake High School presents Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein’s prize-winning musical classic South Pacific on stage at the Storm Lake High School Auditorium November 4-6 at 7:00 pm. Based on James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize winning book Tales of the South Pacific, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific has music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples -- US Navy nurse Nellie Forbush & French plantation owner Emile de Becque and Navy Airman Joe Cable & a young local native girl Liat -- and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of the war and by their own prejudices.. ...

The Holiday Hootenanny returns to the Buena Vista County Fairgrounds this holiday season. The fair board recently announced two dates for the event - December 4 from 6-8 p.m. and December 18 6-8 p.m. Visitors will be able to stroll through the fairgrounds to experience all the holiday cheer, including the live nativity, Christmas caroling, a fire for roasting marshmallows, lots of holiday lights, inflatables of country Christmas displays, and of course, Santa Claus to visit with the children...

Join Maddie Poppe for an intimate night of music at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at the fabulous Roof Garden Ballroom in Arnolds Park. The 23-year-old Clarksville native and Season 16 winner of ABC’s American Idol performed here last year as part of the first Maddie Poppe’s Acoustic Christmas tour. She also performed in the Roof Garden on July 2 in front of an enthusiastic audience. Her November show is presented by The Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association, in partnership with the Roof Garden Ballroom...

The Cherokee Symphony will be presenting its “Pops” concert on November, 7 at 4p.m. in the upper level of the Cherokee Community Center. This will be the 66th season of the Cherokee symphony. Ted Hallberg, an educator and cellist from LeMars, will be entering his 9th season as the conductor of the symphony. ...

Mark your calendars, Sunday November 7, come hear Touch of Grey play at the Deadhead Capital of Iowa, Byron’s in Pomeroy, starting at 5 pm. Put on your dancing shoes. Self-described as “only mostly dead,” the band from Omaha/Council Bluffs plays tunes in the spirit of the Grateful Dead, mostly the way the Dead played them. The band includes Matt Wilber (lead vocals), John Scherle (guitar), DaVal Johnson (keys), Sandy Steckman (bass), Josh Mason (drums)...

Local favorites Gary & Dani return to the Innspiration Wines and Vines stage for the Friday Night Music series, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m. The Gary & Dani Show are a husband-and-wife duo from Sioux City. They perform music from the ’50s to present, with guitar, harmonica, percussion, and a few jokes thrown in for good measure...

Buena Vista University will host Simon Estes’ 99 Counties Root & Wings Tour at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 21 in Schaller Memorial Chapel. The free afternoon concert features Simon Estes, the BVU Concert Choir, and Buena Vista County high school choirs...

You know the drill: the temps are getting colder, the fall foliage is in full display, and everyone knows what is around the corner. In spite of possible supply chain woes, the holidays will be here anyway. So, why not get some good tunes into your sound system? Here are some picks to cope with the brisk winds of autumn...

A special exhibit, “Termespheres: The Total Picture,” will be on display for a limited time at Arts on Grand until Nov. 14. The artist behind the exhibit, Dick Termes, has brought his one-of-a-kind paintings to the city of Spencer. Termes takes a unique approach to painting. Instead of working on the usual flat square surface, Termes paints on spheres. The spherical paintings, which he calls Termespheres, can be seen hanging from the ceiling of Arts and Grand...

One early morning in February 1979, I stood atop a water truck in the oil patch in North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit, servicing a workover rig. Neon-green Northern Lights danced across the horizon. Later that morning, butte tops floated in a mauve morning fog sea. It was so beautiful I forgot it was 40 below...

Witter Gallery is holding another Witter After Hours on Friday, October 29. A collection of local musicians will be playing in a piano bar style atmosphere. Festive Fall Musicale is a relaxed environment with a grand piano to create a nostalgic bar setting with light snacks. Guests attending Witter After Hours are invited to bring their own favorite drinks! Alcoholic drinks are permitted during the performance...

We’ve all come to better appreciate health and medicine in the past 18 months. And we all know that a great movie is good for what ails you. Today’s list features doctors, hospitals and illnesses. Take two of these and call me in the morning. 12. The Doctor (1991) - When a self-centered doctor is diagnosed with cancer, he becomes better able to understand his patients and appreciate a life outside his career. ...

Brews and Boos will be Saturday, October 23, 7:30 p.m., hosted by Jones Nursery. This adult Halloween spooktacular in the greenhouse features Iowa native traditional country music recording artist Eli Alger. Eli’s newest single, Rednexico, debuted in September...

“Voices from the Pandemic” by Eli Saslow (Doubleday) More than 18 months into the coronavirus pandemic, there’s already been a bumper crop of books about COVID-19 that have focused primarily on the policy failures that allowed the virus to spread. Eli Saslow’s “Voices from the Pandemic” instead draws attention to the people who have been affected by the virus...

The Usual Suspects will return to InnSpiration Wines & Vines at Linn Grove, October 29 in the Friday Night Music concert series. The show starts at 6:30. The acoustic blues and rock band is based out of Orange City.

The Hard Rock resort in Sioux City will host Rock-O-Ween, October 29, featuring the Pork Tornadoes. Doors open at 7, showtime is 8 p.m. Must be 21 or over to attend. The popular regional band will perform pop/rock hits from the 1980s to today, and a costume contest offers $2,000 in prizes - $500 each for the best male and female costume and $1,000 for the best couple or group costumes. ...

Young singer/songwriter/guitarist Emma Elsbecker from Algona will be performing live at Shiny Top Brewing in Fort Dodge. Emma is a freshman at Iowa Central Community College. Emma began writing music at age 10 and performing at age 13. Her original songs include “Pick Me Up,” “Dramatic” and “Never Really Truly.” Her inspirations cross several genres, as she covers classic and newer rock and country...

Actor Duffy Hudson as his magical alter ego Alfredo the Magnificent will perform mind boggling feats of prestidigitation during a children’s magic show, Saturday, Oct. 28 at Sanford Museum in Cherokee. He will defy the very laws of physics. He will reach into your mind and reveal your secret thoughts. He will pull your card out of thin air. And the greatest magic trick of all, he will make you laugh...

Chicago Farmer will perform Tuesday, Nov. 2 at Byron’s in Pomeroy. Showtime is 8 p.m.-midnight. The son of a small town farming community, Cody Diekhoff logged plenty of highway and stage time under the name Chicago Farmer before settling in the city in 2003. Profoundly inspired by fellow midwesterner John Prine, he’s a working-class folk musician to his core. His small town roots, tilled with city streets mentality, are turning heads North and South of I-80...

The Artisans Road Trip returned last weekend. Several area artists showing at the Synergy Gallery in Storm Lake Sunday were (front) Denice Peters, Denison and Jean Wenell from Laurens; and (back, left to right) Cherie Courter, Tonya Archer, Joleen Dentlinger and Ron Netten, all from Storm Lake. Visitors to various show sites and studios around northwest Iowa were able to meet artists, explore many genres and purchase original art pieces in the annual event. / Pilot photo by Dana Larsen...

The Witter Gallery exhibit this month is by artist Abby Jones from Newell, called, “Abstract Grunge.” This exhibit is an experience from the moment you walk in the door, with large-scale abstract impressionist paintings tied together with crime scene tape, and three dimensional dioramas made from old television sets and found items...

Spencer Community Theatre, joined by Spencer Public Library and Candice Getting Modern Woodmen, will host a family-friendly costume contest for all ages. All are invited to participate in the Third Annual Costume Contest on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 4-6 p.m...

Charlie Leissler IV returns to InnSpiration Winery in Linn Grove tonight for the Friday Night Music series. The show starts at 6 p.m. Leissler is a popular area guitarist from Cherokee, with a repertoire including folk, classic rock and pop rock covers. He taught himself to play at age 12, with influences such as Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Beatles, The Beach Boys and others...

Boji Scare: A Haunting Experience is now open, offering fright nights at Arnolds Park Amusement Park through Halloween. Chilling thrills await in the Haunted Mirror Maze, the Tormented Tipsy House, the Haunted Chamber, and Terror on the Tracks. Come explore this new haunting experience in Arnolds Park...

Live music by Paper Moon - Rebecca Carlson on vocals, Mike Monnahan on guitar and Tim Schumacher on bass - will be on tap at The Beach Club in The Inn Hotel, Arnolds Park. The show will be Thursday, October 28, 6-8 p.m. Paper Moon will also be featured at InnSpiration Winery in Linn Grove, Friday, Nov, 19, 6:30 p.m...

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - with audience participation - will be a Halloween season special event at Holstein State Theatre, Saturday October 30, 7 p.m. Wear your Halloween best and join in the 5th Anniversary celebration of reopening the historic theatre. Props for participation will be provided with the first 50 tickets sold...

No notable photograph exists of President Abraham Lincoln giving his famous Gettysburg Address — it’s said the speech was so brief that the photographer hadn’t finished setting up his camera before its conclusion. But a number of folks lined up to have their photos taken with “Mr. Lincoln” following his recital of the well-known speech last week at the Milford Community Center...

The Artisans Road Trip will return this weekend - Saturday, October 9 - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 10 - noon to 5 p.m. The Artisans Road Trip is a free, self-guided studio tour in northwest Iowa held annually on the second weekend in October, featuring many northwest Iowa artisans who work in a variety of mediums...

The Bango Haunted Crib in Schaller opened for the season Friday, with a new crop of scary residents. The haunted attraction will be operating every Friday and Saturday night in October, plus Halloween night. Concessions now include pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos and more, and beer is available to guests of legal age...

Friday Night Music series at InnSpiration Wines and Vines in Linn Grove will feature popular area vocalist Jill Brees Barr. The concert is Friday, Nov. 5, starting at 6:30 p.m. Jill is a performer and public speaker from Spencer, and a former Mrs. Iowa pageant winner...