Tickets are $47.50 and go on sale Friday through Ticketmaster, or at Hoyt Sherman Place’s box office. You won’t pay any ticketing fees if you purchase there.

Otis Williams is the group’s only living original members. Performing with him these days are Terry Weeks, Joe Herndon, Ron Tyson, and G.C. Cameron.

That’s how Jimmy Buffett greeted a sold out crowd of over 15,00 Parrottheads Tuesday night. The crowd erupted as the 65-year-old pirate kicked off the show with the steel drum-heavy “One Particular Harbor.”

 The weather is still up and down, but Buffett’s concert served as the unofficial kick-off for summer, with Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts and coconut shell bikini tops (the latter two rarely on women) clothing much of the crowd.

“It was a long time since we played here last, I apologize for that,” Buffett said before “It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere.” “I went to Australia and fell of a stage and said ‘I better go see those people in Des Moines.’”

Buffett was full of fun facts during the show. Alan Jackson couldn’t bee there for the “It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere” duet because of a “mustache accident.” Iowa is the largest producer of beach ball trees in America. Or that there was a volcanic warning in Iowa last night.

That last one was Buffett’s way of introducing the song “Volcano.”

Buffett’s music has an appeal that crosses generations and genres, as evidenced by his influence on acts like Kenny Chesney. They’re not complex songs, or songs that seek to change the world. They’re not deep songs, but they’re fun, and they can get stuck in your head like none other. Buffett keeps it simple and sticks to what works, and it serves him and his fans well.

Buffett’s fans are dedicated enough that he can do things like throw his biggest hits in during the middle of his show, not saving them for the end. 90% of acts would save “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “Margaritaville” for the second encore, but Buffett fans are probably happy for the show to end with something more obscure.

“I promise you one thing, it won’t be 27 years before we come back,” Buffett said near the end of the show. That would make a lot of Parrotheads very happy.

Setlist:

“One Particular Harbor”

“License to Chill”

“It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere”

“Growning Older But Not Up”

“Son of a Son of a Sailor”

“Come Monday”

“Knee Deep” (Zac Brown cover)

“Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”

“Grapefruit Juicy Fruit”

“Volcano”

“Cheeseburger in Paradise”

“Bama Breeze”

“Creola”‘

“Why Don’t We Get Drunk”‘

“The Pascagoula Run”

“A Pirate Looks at 40″

“Back Where I Come From”

(I didn’t get the last song of the main set written down, can anyone help?)

Encore:

 ”Great Filling Station Hold Up”/”Midnight Rider” (Bob Seger cover)

“Pencil Thin Mustache”

“Tin Cup Chalice”

“Brown Eyed Girl” (Van Morrison cover)

“Fins”

Second encore:

“Gypsies in the Palace”

David Ladd brought his ’53 Plymouth Suburban wagon out to tailgate. A surfboard was lashed to the roof, but when asked if he surfed Ladd pointed to the “surfing impaired” sticker, one of many plastered on the windows. Multiple fans were stopping to look at the car and ask questions.

Ladd had a pink cooler under the tailgate and two carved tiki god statues in the back. “For sale, 25,500″ was written on the front window, but Ladd said he wasn’t out hoping to entice a Parrothead to buy his car. He’s a fan, first and foremost.

‘Truth be told, that’s been on the car since right after I bought it,” Ladd said. “You can’t catch a fish without a line in the water.

David Ladd with his Plymouth Suburban

Sisters-in-law Christine and Denise Ray drove from Cedar Rapids for the concert and were wearing rather outlandish hats. The multi-foot headwear featured inflatable beach balls and toy fish “glued, stapled and taped” together. Christine said she got the idea for her hats from her last Buffett show and decided to use beach balls, thinking they would be light.

“On their own they’re pretty light but when you put this many together it has some weight to it,” Christine Ray said.

Christine (left) and Denise (right) Ray

Much of the tailgating was taking place in the Wells Fargo Arena parking lot, but directly north of Vet’s Auditorium there was an official tailgate party with music and vendors. The Isle of Iowa Parrot Head Club had a booth set up, giving out free temporary tattoos as well as free nametags for Jimmy Buffett “virgins.”

Buffett "virgin" nametag

“Captain” Tony Topping first saw Buffett in concert when he played Sec Taylor Stadium in 1985. Since then he’s seen 22 Buffett shows, including concerts in Chicago, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tampa. Topping didn’t expect Buffett to make another stop in his hometown.

“It was quite a shock,” said Topping, who was tailgating with a group of friends, surrounded by RVs. “We told their kids they could come down after school, as long as they get their homework done.”

Tony Topping

Linda Conley’s parrothead scooter.

Parrothead partying: Part II before the Jimmy Buffett concert.

Carol Mau — a former cancer patient — talks about meeting Jimmy Buffett in Chicago.

Parrothead tailgating at Wells Fargo Arena.

"Parrotheads" set up in the Wells Fargo parking lot.

The RVs and cars started rolling in around 8 a.m., minutes after officials at Wells Fargo Arena staff opened up the parking lots surrounding the concert venue.

By 9 a.m., the beach themed decorations were up and tables set out. By about 9:30, the most devoted fans of Jimmy Buffett, or at least of the ubiquitous parties preceding his concerts, were mingling with cups in hand.

There weren’t many people out at that point, just pockets scattered throughout the parking lots. But if the 65-year-old musician’s past shows are an indication, there will be many more by the time the 8 p.m. concert starts.

Many wore the trademark flip flops and funny hats, though their Hawaiian shirts were hidden under jackets in the slight morning chill.

“Heck, we go to Wisconsin days before the show,” laughed Kim Harmon, 43. “A few hours is nothing.”

And while Harmon, and the group, had all attended multiple shows before, they agreed the pre-parties are a big part of the draw.

“It’s just the camaraderie,” said Jim Viggers, 48. “Everybody’s friendly. Everyone shares. That’s the best part about it.”

The group was excited. They’d been to plenty of concerts. This will be Viggers’ eighth. Tom Rawls, 49, sitting in a nearby chair has been to 11. (His favorite: The 2005 show at Wrigley Field.)

But even though the large group is from the Des Moines area, they’ve never been to a Buffett concert in Des Moines. Buffett hasn’t performed here since 1985.

In a way they toned it down. No giant fin on the roof of a car. No tiki bar.

But they had the necessities: a grill, food, and plenty to drink in their coolers.

Once again, the celebration will be held adjacent to the Clive Aquatic Center, 1801 N.W. 114th St.

The festival will partner with the Metro Arts Alliance’s “Jazz In July” to bring a variety of great live music to Clive.

Planned activities include an enhanced Kid’s Corner, Iowa’s largest Slip ‘N Slide, the mayor’s bike ride and many more.

Visit www.clivefestival.com for more information.

The following bands will headline Music in the Junction shows in 2012.

All concerts are from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The shows are free and held on the Railroad Park stage, located at the corner of Railroad Avenue and 5th Street in West Des Moines.

The entertainment is offered in conjunction with the Valley Junction Farmers Market.

2012 performers are:

May 3 – Brother Trucker

May 10 – Echos V

May 17 – It’s Complicated

May 24 – Comfort Zone

May 31 – Boomerang

June 7 – Matt Woods & the Thunderbolts

June 14 – Melodie Proffitt Band

June 21 – Jony & the Rectifiers

June 28 – Faculty Lounge

July 5 – Lesson Seven

July 12 – RSVP

July 19 – Tony Valdez Large Band

July 26 – Final Mix

Aug. 2 – Brother Trucker

Aug. 9 – Abby Normal

Aug.16 – Brian Holtz Band

Aug. 23 – Boomerang

Aug. 30 – Malcolm Wells & the Two-Timers

Sept. 6 – Lavender Lace

Sept. 13 – El Dorados

Sept. 20 – Throwing Toast

Sept. 27 – The Sons of Gladys Kravitz

The Ice Age exhibit is a temporary exhibit, running through June 10, that includes several animatronic displays of prehistoric mammals.

Watch the video here.

Also new is the $1.3-million sea lion and harbor seal exhibit, a 130,000-gallon pool that gives visitors a view of the pinnipeds, or marine mammals, found there from a lookout above the water, at water level and from an underground viewing area that looks below the water. As of now, there are two female sea lions, Dinghy and Pupper, and a harbor seal, Red. Two sea lion pups, a male and a female, Ross and Meru, will be added soon. The two were rescued from the wild in British Columbia and the hope is that they will breed to produce more sea lions for the exhibit.

This video is of the underwater viewing area. Here, the sea lions glide by the windows, giving visitors an up-close look at them.

The sea lions and seal showed off a few tricks during feeding time Saturday. The demonstration was special for the spring opening. More demonstrations will be given on weekends during May and daily between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Note: The video includes some words you probably wouldn’t say around your grandma. Click to see the video on Metromix

The last time a comedian headlined a Grandstand show was in 2010 when ventriloquist Jeff Dunham played the fair. Reno Collier will open.

Also announced was Big Time Rush, an addition that will delight younger fans (and likely puzzle others). The group is from the Nickelodeon show of the same name about four hockey players who form a boy band. They’ll play the Grandstand Aug. 14.

Ticket prices are still TBA, but it looks like tickets will go on sale April 14.

Here’s what the Grandstand lineup looks like so far:

Aug. 9: TobyMac with Tenth Avenue North and Jamie Grace

Aug. 10: Happy Together Tour 2012 with The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, Micky Dolenz, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, The Grass Roots and The Buckinghams.

Aug. 11: Larry the Cable Guy

Aug 14: The Band Perry

Aug. 16: Big Time Rush

Aug. 17: Hank Williams Jr.

Aug. 19: Rascal Flatts

According to his Margaritaville website, Buffett is due for a visit to Wells Fargo Arena on April 17. Tickets will go on sale March 3, but there’s no word yet on ticket prices.

Grab a cheap beer and watch some hockey or lace up your skates with a view of downtown.

My past experiences with hockey involved a team that shared an arena with concerts, exhibits and barrel horse racing. But here in Des Moines, the Des Moines Buccaneers have their own arena (at 7201 Hickman Road in Urbandale), and at a recent game I attended, full stands.

Buccaneers play Sioux Falls Stampede Jan. 7

Tonight, Friday, Miller Lite is $1.50 throughout the game. You can find more upcoming games, events and promotions on their website. As of 4 p.m. this afternoon, tickets were still available for tonight’s game against the Youngstown Phantoms.

If you didn’t buy your tickets to Saturday’s Wine, Women and Hockey, you’re out of luck. The wine-tasting and hockey 101 event sold out this afternoon, said Scott Montesano, VP of Sales and Communication for the Buccaneers.

There are plenty of other special events at games coming up, such as the Doxie Dash to Benefit the Animal Rescue League on Feb. 25.

Another idea for icy fun: skating at Brenton Plaza in East Village. Brenton Plaza is open 7 days a week with generous public skate times.

Skating at Brenton Plaza is affordable: $3.50 for adults on weekdays and $5 for adults on Friday nights and weekends.

Brenton Plaza on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

I took my parents there on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, when the ice was crowded but fun. We saw all skill levels and ages on the ice, as I was out-skated by a 5-year-old child. Bonus is the view of downtown Des Moines and proximity to East Village restaurants and shops, making it a good stop for out of town guests or a date.

Looking for more winter adventures? Here are more top picks for winter activities on Metromix.

But you can ogle Redbook Magazine’s “Hottest Husband in America” when he appears today on TV. Ankeny hunk Nate Miller and his wife, Denise, plan to stop by ABC’s “The Talk” at 1 p.m. 

Miller beat out 2,000 entries and 24 other finalists in the magazine’s annual contest, and won a vote among 18,000 of the magazine’s readers. He works as a contractor, has been married to Denise for 13 years and has two kids, Caden and Sophia.

He used to be more rowdy.

“I was a bad boy in college, always partying, drinking, and fighting,” he told the magazine. “As soon as I met Denise, my grades went up, I stopped causing so much trouble, and she took me to church. She gets 100 percent of the credit for making me a better person.”

She also gets credit for entering him in the contest, which won the couple a free trip to Los Angeles, for today’s interview on “The Talk,” and then another free trip awhile later: The contest prize is a trip for two to St. Croix.

The students will present their annual Festival of Peace concert at 7 p.m. on Dec. 16 and at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 18 at Waukee High School’s auditorium, 555 S.E. University Ave. Tickets are $10.

“We call it the Festival of Peace because this time of year, it’s an exciting time of year for people, but oftentimes it can also be challenging, trying to juggle activities with families and making sure that you’re getting everything done. This concert is supposed to represent an opportunity for people to come and just enjoy,” said Amy Hall, director of vocal music at Waukee High School.

The performance features the ninth-grade chorus, tenth-grade chorale, intermezzo, a cappella, a string ensemble, a brass ensemble and a children’s choir made up of sixth-graders from Waukee Middle School and South Middle School. Some songs include everyone.

The audience is encouraged to sing with the students during several Christmas carols. In one long-held Waukee tradition, students will circle around the audience, hold hands and sing “Silent Night.”

That moment is Waukee senior Kristy Housholder’s favorite part of the performance.

“That’s the thing about the concert is you definitely feel like it really is a festival of peace,” said Housholder, 17, of West Des Moines. “You definitely feel kind of relaxed. I do, anyway, as a singer. But it does take you on an adventure, because there’s exciting parts.”

This year is an especially high note for Housholder and for Zoey Spooner, 18, of West Des Moines. Housholder and Spooner were selected for the Iowa All-State Chorus every year they’ve been in high school.

“It’s becoming more and more of a rarity, especially in the larger schools,” said Hall, the vocal music director. “Many large schools don’t allow freshmen to audition.”

Hall said this is the first year in her memory that Waukee has two seniors that have been selected for All-State all four years of high school.

Spooner said the achievement took “tons of practice, tons of practice, a little bit of luck — I’m not going to lie — motivation, support from the choir department and my family.”

Ben Schaefer, 17, of Clive, is a Waukee High School senior who is considering a career in either music performance or music education. Schaefer qualified for the All-State Chorus three years. Schaefer said the Festival of Peace is unique because everyone involved with vocal music at Waukee High School participates.

“It’s always neat singing with all the other choirs at once, because that doesn’t really ever happen because of sometimes time, schedules and just how it’s difficult to organize something like that. So it’s really neat to be able to sing in like the mass choir,” Schaefer said.

Maddie Nevenhoven, 17, a junior at Waukee High School, said her favorite song in this year’s festival is “There Will Be Rest.” The song resonates with many students, Nevenhoven said.

“It takes you back to a place that you’ve been sad, but you know things will get better, whether it’s a funeral and you know that the person is in a better place or just something’s not going right in your life – it just kind of reassures that there will be rest and you can be happy,” Nevenhoven said.

The Festival of Peace is a concert that anyone of any age can enjoy, she added.

“We have the traditional Christmas carols and then we also have the really pretty pieces that really make the Festival of Peace. You do find peace in the holidays,” Nevenhoven said.

For more information or for tickets, call 515-987-2758. The performance lasts about two hours and includes a 20-minute intermission with desserts.

A turkey leg wrapped in bacon. A meal fit for a Swanson

When Parks & Recreation first debuted a few years back it seemed like it was just going to be a knock-off of The Office. At first it was, but after the first year it became its own beast, and I believe the thundering heart powering that beast is none other than Ron Swanson. He may be the best comedic character on TV.

And the thundering heart inside that thundering heart is actor Nick Offerman, who will be coming to Stephens Auditorium in Ames on Feb. 2.

Much like Swanson, Offerman is also an accomplished wood worker and creates furniture, canoes and even personalized mustache combs in his free time as a side business.

The show will be part comedy, part acoustic songs, part Q&A and part woood working tips. That’s a pretty good deal for $15 ($10 if you’re an ISU student). Tickets go on sale Monday through Ticketmaster.

Yikes: Jack Nicholson showed up with a smile in the 1978 classic "The Shining." (Register File Photo)

Here’s a tidbit to chew on this Halloween: Iowans aren’t big fans of scary movies.

No fewer than three of the state’s cities — Ottumwa, Ames and Des Moines — ranked among the top 10 “scaredy-cat” cities in a recent nationwide survey by Redbox, which manages movie-rental kiosks at McDonald’s, Hy-Vee, Kum & Go and other locations. Ottumwa turned in the seventh-lowest percentage of horror movie rentals, Ames ranked eighth, while Des Moines rounded out the list at No. 10.

As it turned out, nine of the 10 most cowardly cities are in the Midwest. The No. 1 slot went to Marquette, in the deep dark wilds of Michigan’s upper peninsula. By contrast, eight of the 10 hot spots for horror rentals are in the South, led by the brave citizens of Columbus, Miss. (See the chart below for the full lists.)

So, why are we so chicken? Iowa State professor emeritus Loring Silet took at stab at an explanation. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

“I hate to use the word ‘sensible,’ but there just isn’t as much of a tradition here,” said the Ames scholar, who taught film classes for more than 30 years and has written several books on movies and mystery writers.

He cited a long history of Southern Gothic literature, stretching from Flannery O’Connor and William Faulkner all the way back to the New Englander Edgar Allan Poe, who spent his later years in Virginia and Maryland. New Orleans, in particular, has an obsession with ghosts and voodoo.

Silet suggested that despite a few notable exceptions (see: “Fargo” and “Children of the Corn”), the Midwest doesn’t have the same “cheesy Halloween imagery” that people associate with the South: old plantations, shadowy family graveyards and trees laced with Spanish moss.

It’s worth noting that movie-watching statistics might shake out differently at Netflix or the box office, since Redbox choices are often guided by impulse.

“After Mom and Dad finish shopping for groceries, are they going to pick up ‘Halloween 6’ ?” Silet wondered.

Well, maybe, if Mom and Dad happen to be Nicole and Paul Wiborg. The West Des Moines couple stopped by the Redbox at the Wal-Mart in Windsor Heights after a shopping trip last week with their 11-month-old son, Pierson. They were hoping to find the action flick “Fast and Furious 5” — no luck — but said they occasionally rent scarier fare.

“I love Fearfest,” Paul Wiborg said, referring to the series that airs every October on cable’s American Movie Classics (AMC). He’s loved scary movies ever since he was 11 or 12, when he used to sneak downstairs and watch them in his room. “When you’re by yourself in a dark basement, your imagination can run away with you sometimes,” he said.

But misery loves company, too. A movie club gathered Wednesday night at the Best Place Ever, the rental store in the Drake neighborhood, to watch the 1967 thriller “Wait Until Dark.” When a knife-wielding thug leaped out to attack Audrey Hepburn in the final scene, one of the viewers almost fell out of her chair. The others jumped, too, then laughed.

“Sometimes we react to the reactions of others,” said store clerk Dan Hutchison, who organizes the club’s weekly meetings.

He added that part of the appeal of watching scary movies “is just the adrenaline rush of being scared but knowing you’re going to be safe, surrounded by other people.”

Dan Hutchison added vintage paper decorations to spiff up the Halloween section at the Best Place Ever. (Michael Morain / The Register)

Another part of the appeal is the familiar format. Circumstances may change from one movie to the next, but most involve some sort of monster, a group of jittery teenagers and the so-called “final girl,” said Leland Poague, another professor of English at Iowa State, citing a book called “Men, Women and Chainsaws.”

Horror movies “give us a chance to confront the monstrous, to confront things which challenge our conceptual categories, like the idea of the living dead. It’s a paradox. It’s an oxymoron,” he said. “But we can do it in a safe context and in a very conventional form. Think about how many ‘Friday the 13ths’ they’ve made.”

As for Iowans’ aversion to wet pants, Poague suggested it might be a simple question of demographics. Scary-movie audiences tend to be teens and 20-somethings, who are often outnumbered by older residents in the Midwest.

Or maybe we live longer here because we watch fewer scary movies. If the secret to longevity involves, say, romantic comedies, it’s a safe bet Redbox will let us know around February 14.

…
…

Top 10 “scaredy-cat” cities, with the lowest percentages of horror-movie rentals
1. Marquette, Mich.
2. Traverse City, Mich.
3. Springfield, Ill.
4. Peoria, Ill.
5. Champaign, Ill.
6. Lima, Ohio
7. Ottumwa, Iowa
8. Ames, Iowa
9. Norfolk, Va.
10. Des Moines, Iowa

Other findings from the Redbox survey:

– Nine out of 10 viewers believe scary movies are scarier when watched in the dark. More than 20 percent are too scared to turn out the lights.

– One in three respondents (34 percent) named demons or Satan as the scariest movie villains. “Creepy kids” from movies like “Orphan” and “The Ring” came in second (20 percent), and “unsuspected killers” like those in “Scream,” “Saw” and “Hostel” came in third (18 percent). “Political candidates” were apparently not among the options.

– Respondents ranked the following movies as the scariest of all time:
1. “The Exorcist” (31 percent)
2. “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (19 percent)
3. “Halloween” (15 percent)
4. “Paranormal Activity” (9 percent)
4. “The Shining” (9 percent)

Waukee High School students will retell the story of “The Elephant Man” at 7 p.m. on Nov. 11 and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the Theatre Arts Center at Prairieview School, 655 S.E. University Ave. in Waukee.

Merrick was an Englishman who suffered from extreme bone and skin deformities that impaired his speech and, eventually, all aspects of his life. As he aged, his appearance became more monstrous.

Peyton McDermott, 17, of Adel, plays Joseph Merrick, although his first name is “John” in the play written by American playwright Bernard Pomerance.

Peyton McDermott, 17, of Adel, plays John Merrick, in Waukee's production of "The Elephant Man."

“As long as I leave the play feeling like I gave life to the character, then I will be happy,” McDermott said.

Actors who have played Merrick onstage traditionally have not worn makeup or any sort of prosthetic device. McDermott is no exception.

McDermott speaks out of the corner of his mouth. His left shoulder is held considerably higher than his right shoulder. When he walks, he uses a cane and drags one foot behind him.

McDermott said the most challenging part of playing Merrick was making sure that he was mimicking Merrick’s behavior, not mocking him.

Wayne Kischer, theater director for the Waukee Community School District, said McDermott is a versatile actor. Kischer said he gave him tips on how to play Merrick, but that McDermott had to define the role himself.

“It had to be his. He had to come to it on his own to really make it work,” Kischer said.

Ali Hassan, 17, of West Des Moines, plays Merrick’s proper English doctor, Frederick Treves. Treves saves Merrick from a life of poverty and sideshows — but slowly, Treves realizes Merrick is still on display, even in his hospital room.

Hassan said his character is “definitely an advocate for Merrick, but sometimes he gets a little out of hand.”

“Why do rules make you happy?” Treves questions Merrick, soon after he becomes a permanent resident of the hospital. “Rules make us happy because they are for our own good.”

Under Treves’ care, Merrick became a socialite, receiving visits and even Christmas gifts from a long list of the elite, including British royalty. He is befriended by several women, including Mrs. Kendal, an actress played by Angelica Gonzalez, 17, of Waukee.

Merrick eventually trusts Kendal more than he trusts Treves.

“I have concluded I need a mistress,” Merrick said to Kendal, as she prepares to read to him one night.

Kendall undressed before Merrick, who has never seen a naked woman.

“It is the most beautiful sight I have seen, ever,” Merrick said, just before Treves walked in and ordered Kendal to leave.

This is a high school production — Gonzalez is never nude in the scene, but appears to undress behind a screen.

Treves’ relationship with Merrick is strained after the encounter, with Merrick demanding to know why Treves doesn’t believe in heaven.

“The Bible promises in heaven, the crooked shall be made straight,” Merrick tells Treves.

Joseph Merrick died on April 11, 1890, at the age of 27.

The mature and sometimes dark themes of “The Elephant Man” are not for young children. The producers of the Waukee version recommend that viewers be at least in the sixth grade.

“The Elephant Man” ultimately makes everyone question their own deformities —whether they are internal or external.

“Our flaws make us normal,” Hassan said. “Merrick’s flaws were on the outside; other people’s are inside.”

Ticket information

Adults: $8

Students: $5

http://www.seatyourself.biz/waukeetheatrearts

Cast list:

Frederick Treves: Ali Hassan

John Merrick: Peyton McDermott

Carr Gomm: Jenner Lathrop

Ross: Jordan Coleman

Three pinheads: Lexi Parrino, Callie Benge, Rachel Lienemann

Belgian/London policeman: Warren Duncan

Woman at the fairgrounds: Kennedy Landes

Conductor: Trevor Wiley

Bishop Walsham How: David Carlson

Porter: Ridg Downs

Snork: Kyle Cutler

Mrs. Kendal: Angelica Gonzalez

Dutchess: Jamie Van Syoc

Countess: Cassi Erickson

Princess Alexandra: Giulia Notaristefano

Lord John: Dustin Eubanks

Miss Sandwich: Marissa Koci

Voice: Jack Oberman

I get to interview Lily Tomlin next week for a preview of her Nov. 18 performance at Hoyt Sherman. If you have any questions for her, send them my way: mmorain@dmreg.com.

This, of course, is how I’ll picture her on the other end of the phone:

The movie was filmed two years ago Iowa — mostly around Martensdale and Bevington — and Breslin had nice things to say about her stay.

“Jordan Creek mall in Des Moines, Iowa — it’s like Disneyland,” she said, adding that the staff at the movie theater there wear tuxedos and serve giant buckets of popcorn.

She was also impressed with the city’s “amazing grocery stores,” where employees haul customers’ shopping bags out to their cars.

Here’s the clip. The Iowa bit starts around 3:20.

Also performing will be Sanctus Real, former Newsboys frontman Peter Furler, Kari Jobe, Building 429, Group 1 Crew, illusionist Brock Gill and speaker Nick Hall.

Admission is $10, sold only at the door. Find more info at jamtour.com.

In 2012 the event will move to the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fair, giving them room for 4,000 bacon fans. So if you’re lucky, tickets might last half an hour.

It’s fitting that since the world didn’t end today, the Iowa Bacon Board is looking to the next possible end-date for their theme, 2012 with: ”Baconpocalypse Now: I Love the Smell of Bacon in the Morning.”

Between 2011 festival and the Bacon Week events before it 3,500 pounds of bacon were consumed. Expect that number to increase again.

Here’s a tasty quote from the press release:

“As a thought leader in the bacon industry, the Iowa Bacon Board takes our responsibilities of bacon education, recognition, advocacy and research very seriously.  So, we thought, if anyone was going to prepare bacon enthusiasts for the impending Apocalypse, it should be us,” said Brooks Reynolds, Chair of the Iowa Bacon Board and co-founder of the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival.  Reynolds continued, “From horrifying events like zombie invasions to cataclysmic natural disasters, we want people to learn how they can maintain a robust bacon diet even under dire conditions and circumstances.”

No word yet on when tickets will go on sale, but if it’s similar to previous years it will likely be sometime in early January.

“… Enjoy a great night out for a great cause —”Hell’s Kitchen” winner Chef Rock Harper has joined forces with March of Dimes, and will host a one-night-only dining experience at Des Moines restaurant Baru 66 on Friday, Oct. 28. Indulge in a specially-crafted meal prepared by Chef Rock all while helping support Iowa’s babies. Proceeds will benefit the March of Dimes and help fund research to help prevent premature birth. Reserve your seat today to do your part. Visit marchofdimes.com/Iowa today.”

The site says to contact Contact Heather Riley at (515) 657-6292 for tickets.

Oh my. The ambience at Baru 66 is amazing, and while chef David Baruthio is amazing, also, how wonderful would it be to have a celebrity chef cook for you there? Do yourself a favor and grab tickets while they’re still available.

Kleiser’s program, “The  Nina Foch Course for Filmmakers and Actors” will be held Nov. 6 from 1-3 p.m. The workshop is $45 in advance, $50 at the door.

To register email bobbusbee@aol.com. For the full schedule of Wild Rose, click here.

The New York Post and other papers are reporting that Kutcher has been canoodling with another woman, and the usually Twitter-chatty couple has been unusually silent. The news, of course, comes on the heels of Kutcher’s recent media blitz as the newest star of “Two and a Half Men.”

That’s all we know for now.

More Kutcher coverage from the Register:

Ashton Kutcher Dwolla investment announced

Ashton Kutcher’s amazing ascent

Timeline: How Ashton Kutcher made it

Photo gallery: Ashton Kutcher’s rise to fame

 

 

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