A&E

Student and opera star plans to perform in New York City

A spotlight shot down from the ceiling to the back of the IU Musical Arts Center and the entire audience turned. Figaro, the self-confident and self-loving Barber of Seville, strutted down the aisle distributing fliers and proclaiming his fortune in a booming baritone voice. He literally sang his own praises as he told of his wealth and assured the crowd that he was the most loved citizen of the town.

(Don't) show us your udders, ladies!

"Girls Gone Wild" has been taken over by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Actually, no, it hasn't. But PETA's new anti-dairy campaign, "Milk Gone Wild," is comparable to the videos of young women flashing their breasts on spring break. The ad features a bar, where women lift up their shirts to reveal udders, rather than human breasts, and spray milk out of them to the delight of the male patrons.

Alumna explores eating disorders, body image

March is not just the month of basketball madness, it's also National Women's History Month, a proposed time to appreciate the dedication and perseverance of strong women. In honor of the month, IU alumna Amy Fortoul will perform a one-woman show at 8 p.m. tonight at Rose Firebay in the John Waldron Arts Center. Her performance will expose the harsh realities that many woman face everyday. The piece, "This Is My Body," is a spoken-word performance, which she wrote, directs and performs in.

Who said big booties are not what's hot?

Benefit concert will revive Motown classics, assist ill children

From the speakers at a dance or a party come the first sweetly distinct notes of The Temptations' "My Girl," and almost immediately, the entire crowd becomes animated. Smiles creep over every face in the room, and there is not a person who doesn't feel the pressing desire to get up and dance to this old standard that sounds fresh every time.

Wu-Tang member GZA/Genius in Bloomington tonight

Hip-hop artists GZA/Genius and DJ Muggs will make an appearance in Bloomington tonight. GZA, a member of the former Wu-Tang Clan, and Muggs, a member of the Latin-American hip-hop group Cypress Hill, will perform at 9 p.m. at The Bluebird, 216 N. Walnut St. The duo released an album together in November, Grandmasters, and is making a Bloomington stop on its tour. Earlier in the evening, Bloomington fans will have the opportunity to meet with GZA and have their albums signed at Tracks, 415 E. Kirkwood Ave.

BREAK IT DOWN

'Silvia the Zulu' film screening and lecture shown tonight in Ballantine

"Siliva the Zulu," the first film with an all native Zulu cast made in South Africa was rediscovered only several years ago by Canadian filmmaker and film historian Peter Davis. The silent film was made by Italian filmmaker Attilio Gatti in 1927, but was lost soon after production. The film will be shown at 5:30 p.m. today in Ballantine Hall 205. Prior to the screening, at 4 p.m. Davis will present a lecture "The Image of the Zulu in Cinema."

SIDEWALK RUNWAY

It's all in the hips

Belly dancers with colorful costumes, exotic jewelry, convulsing hip movements and bare midriffs will migrate to Bloomington this weekend. But even though there will be special performances and workshops dedicated to the ancient art form this weekend, students can participate in belly dancing events year-round. The Bloomington Area Arts Council and Different Drummer Belly Dancers will host a Tribal: Pura, a tribal style belly dance workshop and "An Evening of Belly Dance" on Saturday.

PIGCASSO

Helping find your inner-geek

Most people have at least a little geek in them. It might be the driving force behind an addiction to Dungeons and Dragons or the online World of Warcraft. For others, it's the subtle voice prodding them to understand the artistic merits of Radiohead or to watch "The Fellowship of the Ring" for the umpteenth time. This dork factor has carved out a healthy niche on the Internet -- one crammed full of movies and music catering to the geek in all of us.

IMP students showcase majors, art at exhibition tonight

Sophomore Abbey Stemler wanted to study mental health, but since there wasn't a program for that at IU, she developed her own major. Calling it Social Constructions of Mental Health and Illness, Stemler developed it through the Individualized Major Program. She selects classes from anthropology, sociology and psychology to gain perspectives from different disciplines. At the IMP's 2nd Annual Creative and Performing Arts Exhibition at 6:30 p.m. in the John Waldron Arts Center, Stemler and 19 other IMP students will display posters they have made that outline their majors. At 7 p.m., IMP students in dance, musical theater and fashion design will perform their talents in a show that is free to the public.

DANCE WORKSHOP

ARTIFACTS

Local business honored for promoting films

Local law firm Mallor, Clendening, Grodner, and Bohrer received the 2006 Arts Leadership Award in business Feb. 22. This award, presented by the Bloomington Area Arts Council, recognizes businesses that have shown outstanding support of the local arts scene. "We wanted to recognize a business that supported the arts through more than just financial giving," said Danise Alano, assistant director of economic development for the city and member of the selection committee. "(The firm) has donated countless hours of pro-bono legal work for various causes."

Voice-over major performs both on airwaves and stage

If you have ever listened to WIUX on 100.3 FM, you've heard the catchy promos, a wide range of University information and a taste of the diverse variety of music. You've also heard the luring voice of junior Zach Pollakoff, which appears on the station at least every 20 minutes. Pollakoff writes and edits his own on-air spots and records the promos, the station identifications and the public service announcements. This isn't just something Pollakoff does in his spare time. This is his major, and he created it himself.

Our Town

Cody Fosdick swings a baseball bat backstage before rehearsals for the opera version of the Thornton Wilder play, "Our Town." Fosdick, a performance diploma candidate in the Jacobs School of Music graduate program, is one of two students sharing the role of George Gibbs. "I know it's stupid," he said as fellow cast member and second-year graduate student Liz Baldwin laughed at his admission, "but I'm supposed to be a baseball player."

Actors shine in 'Our Town'

A boy threw up on the stairs of the school bus on my fourth-grade field trip to see "Our Town" at Indianapolis Civic Theatre. I remember the teachers didn't want the rest of us walking over his pile of vomit, so they opened up the emergency exits on the bus and made us all crawl out into the streets. To this day, that is all I remember about the play. But after watching the world premiere of Ned Rorem's opera, "Our Town," Friday night at the Musical Arts Center, I realized it's perfectly OK if that's all I remember. Because those little moments in our lives, "ticking clocks and shoes and socks," according to J.D. McClatchy's libretto, are the most important parts of life.

EMBRACE