Critic’s Picks: Four don’t-miss South Sound arts events

Love comedies from Changing Scene

While you’re still in the Valentine’s mood, Changing Scene Theatre Northwest opens an evening of comedies about love by Seattle playwright John C. Davenport. From inflatable dolls to biker chicks, the 10-minute plays tackle everything — including the kitchen sink — in Tacoma Musical Playhouse’s newly-heated venue The Spire. Some strong language.

7:30 p.m. Friday (Feb. 17)-Saturday, Feb. 24-25; 2 p.m. Sunday. $18 in advance, $20 at the door. The Spire, 710 S. Anderson St., Tacoma. 253-565-5857, tmp.org.

Chris Burns plays bass at UW

Chris Burns, principal bassist of the Symphony Tacoma, tackles some of the instrument’s most virtuosic repertoire in a free recital at the University of Washington. Sonatas by Adolf Misek and Frank Proto, by Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina, as well as Corelli’s famous “La Folia” variations originally for violin, are on the program, as well as a quirky set of Hindemith miniatures for bass and clarinet with Tacoma’s Lawrence Bradley.

2 p.m. Sunday. Free. Brechemin Auditorium, School of Music (off East Stevens Way Northeast), University of Washington Seattle. music.washington.edu.

Monet on film at The Grand

For Monet lovers, it’s the ultimate eye-candy. In “I, Claude Monet,” award-winning director Phil Grabsky paints a picture of the famous impressionist artist through letters and private writings, exploring both the painter’s acute depression and his hope through art and gardening. Shot on location in Paris and Normandy, France; London and Venice.

1:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. Thursday. $10 general; $8 senior, military, student. The Grand Cinema, 606 S. Fawcett Ave., Tacoma. 253-593-4474, grandcinema.com.

Black History Month at American Art Co

To honor Black History Month, American Art Co. presents “Harlem Renaissance” by Lacey Reuter, whose mural-sized paintings depict music, art and life in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.

10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays through February. Free. American Art Co., 1126 Broadway, Tacoma. 253-272-4327, americanartco.com.

This story was originally published February 17, 2017 at 5:21 AM with the headline "Critic’s Picks: Four don’t-miss South Sound arts events."