‘A Crazy Little Cafe Called Love’ (FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JAN. 30-31)
It’s a weekend of Girl Scout cookies (if you watched Montana This Morning on Friday), comedies, library fun and films showcasing the best of the best when it comes to Montana nature. We’re starting off at NOVA Center for the Performing Arts, who will be drawing back the curtain for the opening weekend of ‘A Crazy Little Cafe Called Love.’ Directed by Ginger Role, this comedy by playwright Luigi Jannuzzi is one that has a lot of moving pieces for the production to take place, simply, in one set. Organizers say there is a list of highlights that I find humorous to read aloud; there’s Linda with a blind date, Bob working to cast a movie, a waitress who likes a monk, someone who wants a seance performed, a frantic bride and her seething father. Oh, there is also a dancing nun. For any stage performance, that is a fair collection of things to look forward to in a production. There are three shows this weekend, starting tonight at 7:30pm, then again at 7:30pm on Saturday. A matinee performance is scheduled for 2pm on Sunday, Feb. 1. You can find out more about tickets and more about the show, itself, on NOVA’s website.
Friday Night Fun at the Billings Public Library (FRIDAY, JAN. 31)
If you’ve taken part in Friday Night Fun at the Billings Public Library before, then you already know that it is a relaxing affair, bringing people together from across the community to read. This Friday night kicks off a series of nights all the way until the first week of March, showcasing a month of fun between the rows. From 5:30pm to 6:30pm, the library will host Silent (Reading) Night in BLP’s Community Room. The event is built around hosting a cozy atmosphere with quiet snacks, where the public is invited to simply read quietly among their peers. When the event is done after its hour, you are welcome to stay and chat or just leave quietly without saying a word. At 6pm, HarmoniSounds is also set to host a “Soundbath,” but that event (as of about 8am Friday morning) is fully booked, registration-wise. That being said, the experience just adds to the evening’s relaxation, bringing resters to crystal bowls, gongs, chimes and other soothing tools. You have to be 18 and older to register for that event. Best part: all of this is free of charge.
Symphony on Pointe (SUNDAY, FEB. 1)
Finally, last but not least, Sunday brings the beauty of Montana nature to the silver screen once again. At 1:30pm, Art House Billings is set to host its Backcountry Film Fest, alongside Wild Montana. Over the course of three hours, the theater will be showcasing two screenings taking viewers to the farthest reaches of the Treasure State, with organizers saying the films will highlight “human connections to wild places” all while celebrating “wild winters.” Art House is also commemorating their 20th season in the process. Doors open for the first screening, again, at 1:30pm, with the film debuting at 2pm. The second screening hits the theater at dinnertime, with doors opening at 6pm for a 6:30pm viewing. Some lucky folks can win gear and other prices, too!
