Arts & Entertainment

West Des Moines and Metro Weekend Events: HeartFest, Gotesques, 'Spank,' Des Moines Home and Garden Show, Plus Matchbox Twenty

Time, dates and ticket information for what's going on in West Des Moines and the metro, including Garth Fagan Dance, Des Moines Social Club and Stage West production.

This Weekend in West Des Moines

HeartFest – A Fine Art Show: Annual fine art show featuring local and regional artists working in paints, paper, jewelry, clay, fiber, wood and more. Free activities for the kids, including Valentine workshops. A booth at HeartFest offers art lovers a chance at Jan Fleming’s book, “Grotesques in Des Moines, Iowa and Abroad.” Grotesques, for the unfamiliar, are those stone carvings on buildings. HeartFest is a partner show to Iowa’s largest fine arts show, ArtFest Midwest: The Other Art Show. 

Valley West Mall, 1551 Valley West Drive
Feb. 9, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Feb. 10, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Cost: Free

Around the Metro

Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody: The show spoofs the racy E.L. James’ bestsellers, about a shy woman’s encounters with a mysterious, rich man who enjoys bondage. The stage show imagines a fictional author at home alone with a few bottles of wine, determined to whip up her own lurid novel. The show is a two-hour, sketch-comedy of bizarre love scenes.
Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines
Feb. 8-9, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $32-$38; buy them at www.hoytsherman.org

Des Moines Home and Garden Show: The Des Moines Home and Garden Show features over 400 exhibitors, 1,000 experts, amazing feature gardens, national and local celebrities. Find innovative products, new ideas, practical advice and great deals in remodeling, home improvement and gardening with hundreds of experts all under one roof.
Hy-Vee Hall and Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center, Des Moines
Feb. 8-10, noon to 9 p.m. Feb. 8; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 9; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 10
Cost: $4 for kids 7-12; $11 for teens and adults Buy Tickets

Garth Fagan Dance: Garth Fagan Dance is "unfailingly original" deemed The New York Times, which also named the Company's piece, Mudan 175/39, third of the top six dance watching moments of 2009. Tony award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan's dancers communicate with energy the depth, precision and grace of his work.
Des Moines Civic Center
Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Buy tickets

Matchbox Twenty: The top 40 group is touring with a stop at the Des Moines Civic Center this weekend. Their hits include “Push,” “3 a.m.,” “Real World,” “Back 2 Good” or frontman Rob Thomas’ collaboration with Santana, “Smooth.” The opening act is Season 11 “American Idol” winner Phillip Phillips, whose song “Home” tops the charts right now.
Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St.
7:30 p.m. Feb. 10
Tickets: $49.50-$85. www.desmoinesperformingarts.org.

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Des Moines Social Club: The group’s in-house theater company produces its first musical this weekend. “The Last Five Years” is about a New York couple whose stories unfold in opposite directions — one chronologically, the other in reverse.400 Walnut St., Des Moines
7:30 p.m. Feb. 7-9 and 2 p.m. Feb. 10 and 17.
Tickets: $14-$20. Buy tickets at the door on Feb. 13 for whatever dollar amount rolls on a pair of dice.
www.desmoinessocialclub.org

“Good People”:
The play about a determined middle-aged woman who can’t seem to escape Boston’s rundown South End, opens this weekend at the Civic Center’s Stoner Theater.
Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St.
7:30 p.m. Feb. 8-9, Feb.13-16, Feb. 20-23, 3 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 24
Tickets: $25-$30, with half-price discounts on Wednesdays and $15 seats for seniors and students on Sundays.www.stagewestiowa.com.

Upcoming Events

Five By Design's Club Swing: From the frenetic-paced opening of Benny Goodman's "Bugle Call Rag" to the show's finale of Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing," Club Swing celebrates the songs, events and personalities that defined American popular culture during the Swing era. Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines; 3 p.m. Feb. 17. Tickets: $27.50-$30.50; visit theater box office online.

Miranda Lambert: L
ocked and Re-Loaded tour stops in Ames with Dierks Bentley and Lee Brice.
 Hilton Coliseum in Ames
 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21
 Tickets on sale

The Second City: Laughing Matters:
Founded in Chicago in 1959, The Second City has become the premier training ground for the comedy world's best and brightest. Their alumni list includes: Joan Rivers, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. No topic or subject matter is off limits for The Second City. Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St.; Feb. 20-March 3; Buy tickets.

“Jekyll & Hyde the Musical”:
“American Idol” star and Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis joins Grammy nominee Deborah Cox in new, lively version of the classic tale of good and evil that spent four yours on Broadway. This new pre-Broadway production includes all the classic songs -- “This is the Moment,” “A New Life,” “Someone Like You” -- that first won over audiences.Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St.; March 5-10 Buy tickets

Tracy Morgan --
Excuse My French: The former “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock” star brings his comedy tour to Des Moines in March.Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines; 7 p.m., March 15; Tickets: $45.50-$55.50; visit theater box office online

Jon Bon Jovi:
The New Jersey rocker and his band will return to Des Moines on April 14 with the "Because We Can" Tour at the Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines. Ticket prices start at $19.50; tickets on sale through dahlstickets.com.

Taylor Swift:
Country star Taylor Swift returns to Wells Fargo Arena on Aug. 1. No word yet on ticket prices or an on-sale date. The event is listed on Swift's website but is not listed on Ticketmaster or its partner website. In nearby Kansas City, MO tickets range from $30 to $85.

Justin Bieber:
Pop star Justin Bieber will also make an appearance at the Wells Fargo Arena on July 7. Tickets are on sale now. Tickets range from $40 to $95.

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