THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR MAR 7 - 13 

• Monica Khanna

Sam Daley-Harris: Reclaiming Our Democracy
It's perhaps natural to think that the times one is living in are unprecedented—particularly bad, particularly good, or in some other way without reasonable points of comparison from earlier times. That ignores how many of the same basic principles can be applied to any time. And while it's easy to express frustration at certain developments in our political landscape, similar concepts for becoming an activist have been true at least since Sam Daley-Harris wrote the original version of Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen's Guide to Transformational Advocacy in 1993.

Now, more than 30 years later, Daley-Harris has released a new, updated edition of his book, continuing to share the lessons he learned as founder of the global hunger-eradication non-profit RESULTS in the 1980s. It's in part a challenge to the idea that activism is something only for other people, that it's too difficult or time-consuming to move from frustration and complaining to action. He presents the premise that the sense of fulfillment involved in becoming an advocate counteracts the perceived negatives, and that engaged citizenship isn't merely essential to helping make democracy work, but an opportunity for personal satisfaction.

Sam Daley-Harris speaks at the Salt Lake City Main Library Tessman Auditorium (210 E. 400 South) on Thursday, March 7 at 6 p.m., sponsored by The King's English Bookshop. Tickets are free and open to the public, but must be reserved in advance via Eventbrite. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event, and signed copies may be ordered in advance. Visit kingsenglish.com for ticket reservations or advance book purchases. (Scott Renshaw)

• Deborah Feingold

Gary Gulman @ Wiseguys
For more than years, Gary Gulman carved out a career as what is known in the biz as an "observational comic," devoting his material on late-night talk shows and his own comedy specials to absurdities in everyday life, like his classic routine speculating on the process that arrived at the two-letter state abbreviations. Then, in the mid-2010s, Gulman was hospitalized for depression multiple times, to the point that he wasn't sure if or when he could resume his standup career. But when he did, it was with a new approach that found him opening up about his own life and experiences, including his 2019 HBO special The Great Depresh, in which he found laughs in his long history of mental-health struggles.

In 2023, Gulman continued that creative shift. His 2023 Max special Born on Third Base included material about growing up poor in the Boston area, and how that affected his life. He also went into detail about his childhood in his wonderful memoir Misfit: Growing Up Awkward in the '80s, which addressed his experiences with anxiety and the friendships he remembers so well that he can provide the kids' phone numbers. Yet even as his focus has shifted, he remains one of the funniest comedians around, a gifted storyteller whose playful way with words lends a particular intelligence to his work.

Gary Gulman visits Wiseguys Gateway (190 S. 400 West) for five performances, March 8 – 9 at 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., and March 10 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40, and remaining seats for Friday and Saturday are limited at press time; visit wiseguyscomedy.com. (SR)

• Courtesy Photo

Pilar Pobil gallery dedication @ Utah Cultural Celebration Center
If you are familiar at all with the visual arts scene in Salt Lake City, you know about Pilar Pobil. The Spanish-born painter and sculptor has been a vital part of that scene for decades, since relocating to Utah in 1956—inviting guests into her garden annually for a gathering of like-minded folks, and creating a body of work that earned her the designation in 2019 of one of Utah's 15 Most Influential Artists. Now, she receives yet another honor, as the gallery space at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley becomes the Pilar Pobil Celebration Gallery.

As part of this new partnership with the Pilar Pobil Legacy Foundation, the gallery will be showcasing My Vida – My Art, a retrospective of Pobil's work spanning the full breadth of her career. "We are honored that PPLF has secured the naming rights for our gallery space," says Jeff Olsen, Director of Arts & Culture at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. "Her legacy will not only live through the name of our gallery but also through a donation of Pilar's artwork that will be displayed in our building."

The Utah Cultural Celebration Center (1355 W. 3100 South, West Valley City) will hold a free opening reception and dedication for the renamed gallery space on Friday, March 8, from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m., with Pobil scheduled to be in attendance. The exhibition opened Feb. 28, and will run through May 29. Visit pilarpobillegacyfoundation.org for additional information. (SR)

• Courtesy Photo

Utah Opera: The Marriage of Figaro
We tend to think of sequels as a modern phenomenon, a desire to chase a quick buck in the aftermath of an artistic success. That conception tends to ignore how many of the greatest creative minds in history looked to continue the stories of their most popular characters: Shakespeare with The Merry Wives of Windsor, Mark Twain with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Louisa May Alcott with Little Men. And we would be poorer indeed if Pierre Beaumarchais hadn't followed up The Barber of Seville with another tale of barber-turned-manservant Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro in 1784, which subsequently became the libretto for one of Mozart's most beloved operas.

The premise—considered daring enough in its time that it was initially banned by Emperor Joseph II for its challenges to the class structure—finds Figaro preparing for his wedding to fellow servant Susanna. Those plans are complicated by the desire of Figaro's master, Count Almaviva, to re-establish his right to bed his servants on their wedding night, as well as the machinations of Dr. Bartolo, whom Figaro made an enemy of in The Barber of Seville.

Utah Opera's production of The Marriage of Figaro comes to the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theater (50 W. 200 South) for five performances: March 9 & 15 at 7:30 p.m., March 11 & 13 at 7 p.m. and March 17 at 2 p.m. Ticket holders are invited for an "opera talk" with principal coach Carol Anderson one hour before each performance. Tickets are $18.50 - $110; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)