Tuesday marked the 65th anniversary of “the day the music died.” In the early morning hours in 1959, a small airplane carrying early rock pioneers Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens crashed in a frozen Iowa cornfield, killing all on board. Hobart Art Theatre has a special tribute weekend concert for audiences celebrating the impact Buddy Holly had on popular music around the globe during his short life and his enduring legacy. Kenny James recreates Holly’s incredible catalog of songs, along with some historical commentary about the man and his music. Doors open at 6 p.m. at the stage space at 230 Main St. in Hobart and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets, which range from $20 to $175 VIP seats, are on sale at the Hobart Art Theatre Box Office, online at www.Brickartlive.com or call 219-942-1670.
Darkness descends
The stage thriller “Wait Until Dark” is a suspense melodrama prompting the audience to wonder what will happen next as written by Frederick Knott and detailing husband and wife Sam and Susan, a couple living in Greenwich Village in the 1960s. Opening this week at Footlight Players at 1705 Franklin St. in Michigan City, it follows Susan, who is blind, but knows her way around the apartment to live independently while her husband is away for business travels. The play’s thriller twists and turns begin after Susan discovers that a doll, gifted to her after Sam’s most recent trip, has secretly been stuffed with a valuable bag of drugs, unbeknownst to her husband. When three murderous thugs attempt to reclaim the contraband from Susan, a nightmarish scenario unfolds during the two-hour stage story.
The play premiered on Broadway in 1966 and the following year, the story was brought to movie screens by Warner Bros. and backed by a score by Henry Mancini, starring Audrey Hepburn. This run directed by Tom Olsen through Feb. 15, and tickets are $12 for youth and $17 for adults by calling 219-874-4035 or www.footlightplayers.org.
Stepping it up
Clever and unique themes are blended with music and combined with the innovative choreography for the Valparaiso University Dance Ensemble. Valparaiso University’s Department of Theatre annually schedules the dance ensemble performance around Valentine’s Day as a way to celebrate the students’ love for the art of dance. The 2026 two-hour demonstration of student talent is Feb. 6-8 with the theme “Finding Free” presented by Playact Theatre and highlighting a range of dance, including ballet, ballroom, tap, jazz, hip hop, musical theatre and contemporary. Directed by Salena Elish and hosted inside the VU University theatre space at the Center for the Arts. Performance times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with 2 p.m. matinees Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $20 general admission by calling 219-0464-5162.
Telling it all
Orchestra conductors have seen and heard much in their careers while perched and presiding over row after row of musicians. Maestro Kirk Muspratt is celebrating a quarter of a century guiding the NWI Orchestra with a special afternoon event at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts, sharing stories and highlights of his illustrious life behind the baton. Muspratt, 71, is a native of Crowsnest Pass, Canada, and became an American citizen in 2010. Beginning in Gary, Indiana on Dec. 7, 1941, the Northwest Indiana Symphony has a history with many guest performers over the years, including Benny Goodman, Van Cliburn, Dizzy Gillespie, Itzhak Perlman, Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band, The Smothers Brothers, Billy Gilman, Rachel Barton Pine, Carol Lawrence and Shirley Jones. The Symphony is celebrating its 84th season, and a meet and greet with the Maestro will follow the 90-minute presentation. Tickets are $30 for adults and students are $10 by calling 219-836-0525 or www.nisorchestra.org.
Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and weekly radio show host on WJOB 1230 AM. He can be reached at PhilPotempa@gmail.com.