February Shows Kick Des Moines into Gear

No matter what the groundhog said on February 2nd, February will kick start an early spring with shows of every variety setting up shop in Des Moines.

Rain - A Tribute to the Beatles, lights things up with a two night engagement February 4-5th. Rain is the real article, not a schlocky, tired tribute band but a musical trip back in time. For those who were there or who wish they had been, Rain transports audiences to a Beatles concert during the height of the British Invasion. For ticket information visit Des Moines Performing Arts.

In a similar vein, Blue Man Group brings their theatrical phenomenon to Des Moines February 18-23rd. Blue Man Group is difficult to describe, not a musical and yet not quite a concert, the show brings together comedy, music and technology to create a one of a kind theatrical experience. Blue Man Group is perfect for all ages and as they embark on their first US theatrical tour, they are sure to pick up new fans at every stop. For ticket information go to Des Moines Performing Arts.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, The Des Moines Playhouse is producing the play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey, but most likely know from the film adaptation starring Jack Nicholson, Cuckoo's Nest tells the tale of mental institution patient Randle McMurphy. A consummate rebel, McMurphy battles the establishment in a setting where sanity means obeying rules. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest opened January 31st and runs through February 16th. For ticket information visit Des Moines Community Playhouse.

StageWest Theater Company presents the Iowa premier of the David Ives play Venus in Fur. Venus in Fur follows the cat and mouse game between Vanda, the aspiring ingénue, and Thomas, the playwright, as she vies for a part in his new plan based on the classic erotic novel Venus is Furs. Venus in Fur is alternately provocative and entertaining. For ticket information go to StageWest Theater Company.

Repertory Theater of Iowa kicks off the second half of their season with a presentation of Thornton Wilder's Our Town. Our Town weaves the together the tales of Grover's Corner, a fictional American town at the turn of the 20th century. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Our Town has stood the test of time and remains one of the most performed plays today. For ticket information visit Repertoroy Theater of Iowa.

Rounding out the options this month, Tallgrass Theatre Company presents Sam Shepard's True West. True West explores the tension between Austin and Lee. Austin has sold a script to a producer but when Lee, a petty thief, pitches his own idea for a movie, the producer lands on the side of Lee's trashy western, the idea of which flies in the face of Austin's ideas for a modern love story. For ticket information go to Tallgrass Theatre Company.

Over the course of the entire month, you will find shows that will make you laugh, cry, and think. If this month is any indication, 2014 is going to make a splash.

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