THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR MAY 5 - 10 

• Courtesy Photo

HAZE MAT & Sara Serratos @ Finch Lane Gallery
Finch Lane Gallery boasts a long history of presenting unique, challenging work to the public. That tradition certainly continues with two new offerings running throughout the month of May, showcasing local artists willing to take on sacred cows.

HAZE MAT—a collaborative project of sculptor/performer Patrick Winfield Vogel and artist Albert Abdul-Barr Wang—presents Supreme Clientelemental (AAYYZEMM-AATT) never ready to wear, an exhibition they describe as a "Neo-Marxian science-fiction printmaking and performance project." Through the use of performance, paintings, fabric-based printmaking, photography and more, the creators take on the fashion industry by finding the weirdness in the consumption of clothing.

Running concurrently with the HAZE MAT show is work by Salt Lake City-based artist Sara Serratos, titled Mystic tongues and ears struggle with our structured brain. A native of Nahua land in Mexico, Serratos investigates her own experience as a migrant and observing new customs, new accents, new music, new handwriting and more. The artist describes the exhibition as asking the question, "What happens when somebody moves between cultures and starts their life over again?," continuing an artistic mission of exploring language, landscape, inhabitable places, notions of racial construct and more.

Supreme Clientelemental (AAYYZEMM-AATT) never ready to wear and Mystic tongues and ears struggle with our structured brain both run at Finch Lane Gallery (54 Finch Lane) through June 8. The gallery is open Tuesdays 9:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m., and Wednesdays-Thursdays 9:30 a.m. 5 p.m. Visit saltlakearts.org for additional event and venue information. (Scott Renshaw)

• Courtesy Photo

Impractical Jokers @ Maverick Center
TV trivia buffs may remember a popular 1960s show called Candid Camera, which featured host Allen Funt cooking up implausible situations intended to catch his innocent victims off-guard. It laid the groundwork for the latest incarnation of a hidden camera television show, truTV's ever-popular Impractical Jokers, which marks its tenth season this year. In this case however, the element of embarrassment is heightened to an outrageously absurd degree, even though the cast of pals and participants know what they're in for.

At the beginning of each episode, a cast member, or so-called "joker," is given a thumbs-up or thumbs-down based on his performance in a competition that veers from silly to stupid. The loser is then forced to engage an unsuspecting bystander in a decidedly bizarre scenario, one intended to humiliate the joker and delight the other cast members as they watch their pal make a fool of himself as punishment for his failure.

Q, Murr and Sal, the creators and stars of this improbable show, are taking their ignoble exploits on tour, allowing audiences to experience that sick humor for themselves. It's not quite guilt-free entertainment, but the fact that Impractical Jokers ranks as a top five cable comedy and the network's longest-running and top-rated original comedy may say something about the maniac and masochist in us all.

The Impractical Jokers Drive Drive Drive Drive Drive Tour comes to Maverick Center (3200 S. Decker Lake Dr., West Valley City) on Friday, May 5 at 7:30 pm. Tickets cost $40 - $90.50. Visit ticketmaster.com or phone 801-988-8888. (Lee Zimmerman)

• Austin Opera

Utah Opera: The (R)ev- volution of Steve Jobs
Historically, the creators of operas have been drawn to epic figures and epic themes—gods and goddesses, kings and queens, and the consequences of their desires and follies. So it's not surprising that a contemporary opera might look to a modern figure with a similar, almost mythologized story: Steve Jobs, the late-co-founder of Apple. Composer Mason Bates and librettist Mark Campbell turned him into the center of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, which premiered with the Santa Fe Opera in 2017.

According to Bates' production notes for that original performance, Jobs was something of a natural compelling subject for an operatic tale. "Many of us want to change the world," Bates writes. "Steve Jobs did. An enigmatic public figure, he could be magnetic yet unapproachable, empathetic yet cruel, meditative yet restless. He helped connect us all while building a firewall around his own emotions. At the heart of this world premiere is the story of a man who circles back to the formative events in his life while learning to acknowledge his own mortality." The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs conveys that story with a distinctive approach in which the central character (played by John Moore) never leaves the stage; "The world must come to him," one production note for the show states.

Utah Opera presents its local premiere of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs at the Capitol Theatre (50 W. 200 South) for five performances May 6 – 14; dates and showtimes vary. Tickets are $12.50 - $25, available via arttix.org along with a schedule of performance dates. (SR)

• Marcella Setter

Philip Plait: Under Alien Skies
Dr. Philip Plait has willingly taken on the designation of "The Bad Astronomer"—but don't mistake that title as indicative of a failure of scientific rigor on his part. On the contrary, the name comes from the title of his 2002 book Bad Astronomy, in which he addresses hoaxes, frauds and misconceptions about astronomy, ranging from astrology to the moon landing. In a layperson-friendly approach—impressive considering his bona fides as a member of the Hubble Space Telescope team—Dr. Plait has taken to making the vastness of the cosmos accessible and understandable.

His latest book, Under Alien Skies, continues that sensibility as he presents—as indicated by the book's subtitle—"a sightseer's guide to the universe." That includes letting readers know what it might be like to peer into the unimaginable void of a black hole, or to look down on the rings of Saturn as a space traveler. The lively, entertaining writing brings you up close and personal with asteroids, planets and distant stars.

Dr. Plait visits Salt Lake City for two events this week. On Friday, May 5 at 6 p.m., he presents one of the keynote addresses celebrating the 20th anniversary of Clark Planetarium (110 S. 400 West); tickets are $20 - $25, with discounts available for Planetarium members, and a book-signing opportunity at the end of the event. On Saturday, May 6 at 2 p.m., Dr. Plait comes to The King's English Bookshop (1511 S. 1500 East) for a reading and participatory experience including afternoon star-gazing; this event is free and open to the public. Visit kingsenglish.com for additional information. (SR)