By Isaac Hamlet, Des Moines Register
The winter weeks are truly here, accompanied by snow and sleet and cold weather.
Frightful as the weather outside may be, there are still plenty of shows and events to occupy your time around central Iowa if you’re looking for something to do. Below are some of the most noteworthy events of the season, from Broadway shows such as “Cats,” “1776” and “Six,” concerts from Dionne Warwick and We the Kingdom, and shows from “Ancient Aliens” and comedian Drew Lynch. These 23 concerts and shows can help keep you warm all winter.
‘Cats’
When: Jan. 3-8
Where: Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines
Price: $40 to $125 online at my.desmoinesperformingarts.org
Andrew Lloyd Webber created the Broadway musical “Cats” based on the 1939 poetry collection “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T. S. Eliot. The touring version of the show that includes songs such a “Memory” visited more than 30 countries in 15 languages since the original opened in 1981. The winner of seven Tony Awards features the original score by Webber, along with new lighting design, sound design, choreography and direction.
Taylor Fest
When: 9 p.m. Jan. 6
Where: Wooly’s, 504 E. Locust St., Des Moines
Price: Head online at tix.axs.com.
Taylor Swift fans, head to the Wooly’s dance floor for a career-spanning journey through T-Swizzle’s extensive catalog of music that spans early hits (“You Belong to Me”) to deep cuts (“Mary’s Song (Oh My My My),” “Change,” “I Know Places”). Yes, you can request songs.
Dionne Warwick
When: Jan. 21, 8 p.m.
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines
Price: $74 to $250 online at ticketmaster.com
Hoyt Sherman Place celebrates its 100th anniversary with An Evening with Dionne Warwick at 8 p.m. on Jan. 21.
Warwick has received six Grammy Awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. Those wins recognized her work on songs like “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.” She also received a nomination for “That’s What Friends Are For,” a collaboration with Gladys Knight and Elton John.
Warwick released her studio album “She’s Back” in 2019 and the album “Dionne Warwick & The Voices of Christmas” later that year.
‘Collision of Rhythm’
When: Jan. 21 at 11 a.m.
Where: Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines
Tickets: $12 to $25 online at my.desmoinesperformingarts.org.
If you like going to performances that make your toes tap, there’s no better show than this one to check out.
Tap-dancer Aaron Williams and beatboxer Bronkar Lee come to Des Moines as Collision of Rhythm, in which the duo creates a rhythm-centered experience with comedy, instrumentals and more. The duo has been featured on “The Tonight Show,” “America’s Got Talent,” and in Super Bowl commercials.
‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Concert’
When: Jan. 27-28
Where: Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines
Price: $35 to $126 online at my.desmoinesperformingarts.org.
The Des Moines Symphony is dusting off their brooms and diving back into the wizarding world with the return of the Harry Potter Film Concert Series at the Des Moines Civic Center.
The symphony will perform Patrick Doyle’s score of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” the magical franchise’s fourth film, as the movie plays in high definition on a 40-foot-long screen.
Miss Gay Iowa USofA
When: Jan. 28, 7 p.m.
Where: Temple Theater, 1011 Locust St., Des Moines
Tickets: Tickets start at $25 online at my.desmoinesperformingarts.org.
Find out who will be names the best female impersonator in Iowa during this competition, now in its 34th year. The winner goes on to the national contest in Dallas.
‘Forbidden Broadway’
When: Jan 31-Feb. 5
Where: Temple Theater, 1011 Locust St., Des Moines
Tickets: Starting at $35 online at desmoinesperformingarts.org.
Do you have “Frozen” committed to memory? Do the lyrics of “Phantom of the Opera” haunt your waking days? Then it might be worth seeing a new twist on those shows with this particular performance.
In “Forbidden Broadway,” more than 30 Broadway hits will be spoofed by a madcap cast, parodying everyone from Andrew Lloyd Webber to Lin-Manuel Miranda.
‘The Secret Life of Bears’
When: 7:30 p.m., Jan. 31
Where: Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines
Tickets: $15 to $48 online at my.desmoinesperformingarts.org.
Rae Wynn-Grant is a conservation scientist and wildlife ecologist who specializes in how human presence in an area influences local large carnivores.
In her Des Moines appearance, Wynn-Grant will be discussing “The Secret Life of Bears,” in particular the North American black and grizzly bears and the parallels they have with East African lions, which have had interactions with local communities that proved problematic for conservation efforts.
Hairball
When: 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 4.
Where: Jacobson Exhibition Center on the Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines
Tickets: $28 in advance, $33 at the door online at iowastatefairgrounds.org
Des Moines’ favorite heavy metal cover band brings its setlist of arena rock tunes to the Jacobson Exhibition Center on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Hits from Van Halen, KISS, Mötley Crüe, Queen, Journey and Aerosmith come screaming out of the guitars and mics. The Pork Tornadoes open.
‘Six’
When: Feb. 7-19
Where: Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines
Tickets: $40 to $150 online at my.desmoinesperformingarts.org.
“Six” is a pop musical with compositions inspired by the likes of Ariana Grande and Beyoncé to create a show in which the six ex-wives of the infamous English King Henry VIII get to celebrate their girl power.
Crowds will hear an empowering breakup song from Catherine of Aragon and club music performed by Anne of Cleves. Each song provides insight into the lives of the women who were largely divorced or beheaded by their shared husband.
The show began its life across the pond at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, created by former students of Cambridge University. From there, “Six” began an ascent that was interrupted, but not halted, by COVID-19. When Broadway reopened last year, “Six” was the first new musical to perform since shutting down.
Drew Lynch
When: 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 9
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines
Tickets: $30 to $45 online at ticketmaster.com.
Comedian Drew Lynch came in second on Season 10 of “America’s Got Talent,” and now he brings his comedy to Hoyt Sherman. Want a taste of his style? Head to his YouTube channel.
Winter Jam
When: Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.
Where: Wells Fargo Arena, 233 Center St., Des Moines
Tickets: Start at $15 at the door
Christian music’s biggest tour returns with headliners We the Kingdom and Jeremy Camp as well as Andy Mineo, Disciple, Austin French, NewSong and Anne Wilson. Winter Jam’s pre-jam party will be led by Thrive Worship, Sean Be and Renee with pastor and author Zane Black speaking.
Des Moines Storytellers Project: Love
When: Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines
Tickets: Start at $12 online at hoytsherman.org.
The Des Moines Storytellers Project will be back in 2023 with its sixth season — and it’s already casting for the first show covering love. The live storytelling nights feature Des Moines Register journalists who curate and host nights of true, first-person stories from neighbors and notables. The Register’s award-winning journalists help community members to draw out authentic, personal experiences and hone them into engaging dialog.
‘Ancient Aliens Live’
When: 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 17
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines
Tickets: $45 to $69 online at ticketmaster.com.
Love the long-running History Channel show “Ancient Aliens?” The stars of this show take the stage to talk about extraterrestrial theories about ancient Egypt, the moon, and more, all exploring the theory that extraterrestrials have visited Earth for millions of years.
‘In the Year of the Boar & Jackie Robinson’
When: Feb. 18 at 11 a.m.
Where: Temple Theater, 1011 Locust St., Des Moines
Based on the book of the same name by Bette Bao Lord, “In the Year of the Boar & Jackie Robinson” is a multi-media performance that tells the story of a young girl, Shirley, moving from China to America with her family in the mid-1900s. Despite being the only kid in her class who doesn’t speak English, Shirley finds belonging in her new home as she falls in love with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Chris Janson
When: Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.
Where: Horizon Events Center, 2100 NW 100th St., Clive
Price: $35 to $45 online at etix.com
Chris Janson, the American Country Music award-winning artist behind “Drunk Girl” and “Buy Me A Boat,” is making his way to central Iowa this February as part of his latest tour. Janson’s most recent album, “All In” was released in April of 2023.
Balanchine-Plus
When: Feb. 24 and 25, TBA times
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines
Price: TBA
This tribute to the co-founder and choreographer of the New York City Ballet features a performance of “Who Cares?” a ballet from Balanchine set to music from George Gershwin, the composer of the American opera “Porgy & Bess” among other works.
‘The Simon & Garfunkel Story’
When: Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines
Price: $30 to $75 online at desmoinesperformingarts.org
Since the duo this show is titled after are famously difficult to re-unite, Des Moines Performing Arts is going for the next best thing with “The Simon & Garfunkel Story,” which features a pair of impersonators performing the works of Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon. The concert-style show includes film footage, photos and a live band as hits from the folk duo’s career are performed through the evening.
Three Dog Night
When: March 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines
Tickets: $45 to $89 online at ticketmaster.com.
Rockers Three Dog Night take the stage at Hoyt Sherman Place with their hits including “Mama Told Me (Not To Come),” “Joy to the World,” “Black and White,” “Shambala,” and “One.”
123 Andrés
When: March 4 at 11 a.m.
Where: Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines
Tickets: $12 to $25 online at my.desmoinesperformingarts.org
The next act is a multi-lingual music experience the whole family can enjoy when the Latin Grammy-winning husband-and-wife pair Andrés and Christina perform as 123 Andrés. The duo has performed across the U.S., Panama and Mexico among other countries. The pair was nominated at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for the 2021 album “Actívate.”
‘1776’
When: March 14-19
Where: Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St.
Price: $40 to $145 online at desmoinesperformingarts.org
Half a century after “1776” was first performed on Broadway, the classic musical was refreshed in 2019 by American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. The show and the songs will be familiar to anyone who’s seen the classic musical before, but the show will likely look different from previous versions. The cast is composed of female, transgender and non-binary performers from a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds who take on roles traditionally portrayed by almost entirely white, male actors.
Leah Hawkins in Concert
When: March 19 at 4 p.m.
Where: Plymouth Church, 4126 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines
Price: $25
The Des Moines Metro Opera will be bringing Leah Hawkins, who performed as Serena in the organization’s 2022 production of “Porgy & Bess,” to Plymouth Church in Des Moines for an afternoon of performance. Allen Perriello, the opera’s director of artistic administration, will accompany Hawkins on the piano
Harlem Globetrotters
When: 7 p.m. March 21
Where: Wells Fargo Arena, 233 Center St., Des Moines
Tickets: $26 to $125 online at hyveetix.evenue.net
The stars of the Harlem Globetrotters bring their spinning balls, slam dunks and basketball hijinks to Wells Fargo Arena to take on their longtime foe the Washington Generals.
Isaac Hamlet covers arts, entertainment and culture at the Des Moines Register. Reach him at [email protected] or 319-600-2124, or follow him on Twitter at @IsaacHamlet.
Facebook Comments
