GO: Mary Nutter Cathedral City CoLLEGIATE CLASSIC / FEB. 20-23
The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic is the nation’s largest and most prestigious preseason women's college softball tourney, featuring more than 25 top Division I teams and this year Team USA. Team USA (Women’s Olympic softball team) will be a featured guest team playing against the very best collegiate softball teams in preparation for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. marynutterclassic.com
GO: Modernism Week / Feb. 13–23
Every February, design buffs flock to the desert for a valley-wide celebration (think: tours, lectures, parties, and more) of all things midcentury modern. There is also free and low-cost programming available. modernismweek.com
• VIDEO: Take a tour of the Gillman House. See our Facebook page.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ALLISON WHITLOCK
The Gillman House designed in 1948 by Herbert Burns.
GO: The Cree House Tours / Feb. 13-23
Other than his own home, this is Albert Frey’s most intact residential work. It was commissioned by a prominent desert family at a time when little if anything had been built nearby. Since the early 1970s, it has been owned by a single family and thus, has quietly existed on its hilltop perch overlooking the desert floor, largely forgotten and rarely seen by the public. modernismweek.com
• READ NEXT: View the Interiors of the Cree House.
GO: Circus Vargas / Feb. 13-23
Run away with the circus, for two unforgettable hours of nonstop action, thrills, excitement and adventure. Circus Vargas presents their new 2020 production “Mr. V’s Big Top Dream!”, a tribute to the man himself, the late Mr. Vargas. circusvargas.com
GO: It’s Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Modernism Mayhem / Feb. 18
Attend a very special car show reception and screening. The car show will feature more than 20 1950s-1960s vehicles from Great Autos of Yesteryear members. Enjoy a hosted cocktail party with passed hors d’oeuvres in front of the theatre amidst the cars. After that, pick up a boxed dinner at the café and proceed to the large theater for the screening of the epic comedy, It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, which was filmed in Palm Desert and premiered in 1963 with a huge all-star cast. tickets.modernismweek.com
GROOVE: The TEN Tenors / Feb. 19–23
The McCallum Theatre’s most popular act makes a much-anticipated return to the Palm Desert cultural outpost, singing of romance, delight, and devotion with their new show “Love Is in the Air.” mccallumtheatre.com
GO: Opening Reception for Artist Claudia Taylor / Feb. 20
Ace Hotel & Swim Club welcomes Malibu artist Claudia Taylor to Palm Springs for month-long exhibition of her latest work, Hearts of Trees Lost, a site specific outdoor showing of Woolsey Fire-inspired totems. These stacked fire-charred wood burls are interspersed with ceramic rings with patterns and words creating bold statements. The art will be installed at Ace from Feb. 20 to March 21. Opening reception is 5-8 p.m. Feb. 20. acehotel.com/palmsprings
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ACE HOTEL AND SWIM CLUB
GO: NOW AND THEN / FEB. 20
This show is presented by four famous performers that bring you their life as performers today and their great acts and then take back in time to when they started: Marcia Harp formerly of the Palm Springs Follies; Patrice Morris of the 5th Dimension; Jessica Parker formerly of The Platters, and Freddie Pool formerly The Ladies of the Supremes and currently The 3 Degrees. Shows at noon and 5 p.m. bettekingproductions.com
GO: MATA ORTIZ POTTERS SHOW & SALE / FEB. 21-23
Come out to the Cabot’s Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs for the10th Annual Mata Ortiz Pottery Exhibition and Sale, as part of the museum’s Cultural Weekend Series. Three Master Potters from Mata Ortiz, Mexico will showcase their skills. The event is free and open to the public. cabotsmuseum.org
GO: Pierre Cardin, Palm Springs Walk of Stars / Feb. 21
Pierre Cardin, the legendary fashion designer known as much for his “cosmic” futurist designs as he is for his innovative licensing and branding concepts, will be honored with the 440th star on the City’s world-famous Walk of the Stars Palm Springs. palmspringswalkofstars.com
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PALM SPRINGS WALK OF STARS
Pierre Cardin
GROOVE: Danny Vernon / Feb. 21
Fans of the King can’t help falling in love with Elvis tribute artist Danny Vernon. Head to Spotlight 29 Casino in Indio for a show that will make you say, “There’s good rockin’ tonight.” spotlight29.com
GROOVE: Arrival / Feb. 21
This talented group of Swedish songsters have been honoring the original dancing queens for nearly 15 years. Killer costumes and groovy hairdos enhance the ABBA-licious experience of seeing tunes like “Mamma Mia,” “Super Trouper,” and more played live at Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage. aguacalientecasinos.com
groove: Georgia on My Mind / Feb. 22
Blind musical virtuoso Ray Charles was a forefather of soul and, according to Frank Sinatra, “the only true genius in show business.” This celebratory show at Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage features Emmy and Grammy-winning artists performing some of Charles’ top tunes. aguacalientecasinos.com
GO: Desert Woman’s Show & Greater Palm Springs Food and Wine / Feb. 22
The free woman’s expo at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa focus on empowering, educating, and entertaining women with health and beauty seminars, local vendors, and fashion shows. A $20 tasting wristband grants access to the attached food and wine event, where local restaurants offer delicious samples and sips. desertwomansshow.com
GROOVE: Sheryl Crow / Feb. 22
“Run Baby Run” to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino for a hit-packed performance by Sheryl Crow. Crow backed Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder and penned ditties for Celine Dion and Tina Turner before rising to fame with her debut album Tuesday Night Music Club (1993) and the fan favorite “All I Wanna Do.” fantasyspringsresort.com
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY FANTASY SPRINGS RESORT CASINO
Sheryl Crow
TASTE: Palm Desert Greek Festival / Feb. 22–23
St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Palm Desert hosts this colorful fest celebrating all things Athenian. Get your mousaka and baklava fix before browsing the Greek art, souvenirs, and religious items on offer or breaking it down with the Greek folk dance performers. pdgreekfest.org
GO: AGNES PELTON HOUSE MUSEUM DAY / FEB. 23
The annual Agnes Pelton House Museum Day is an open-house event to celebrate the life and legacy of American Modernist painter, Agnes Lawrence Pelton. This one-day-a-year event is an opportunity for the general public to visit and learn about her historic home, her paintings, and the paintings of her artist friends, who formed an art colony in her quaint, Cathedral City Cove neighborhood in the 1930s through the early '60’s. agnespeltonsociety.com
GROOVE: Burton Cummings / Feb. 24
Fans of Canadian rock band The Guess Who (whose first 1968 album was a double-sided, Coca Cola–advert LP dubbed A Wild Pair that could be purchased for the price of 10 Coke caps and a buck for shipping) will flock to the McCallum Theatre for an appearance by the group’s former lead singer. mccallumtheatre.com
THEATER
Old Jews Telling Jokes / Through March 15
Get ready for an outrageous evening of one-liners, double-entendres and hysterical routines. Created by Peter Gethers and Daniel Okrent, Old Jews Telling Jokes showcases five actors in a comedy that pays tribute to and reinvents classic jokes of the past and present. palmspringslife.com
Rumors / Through March 1
Join Desert Theatreworks at the zany, mystery-packed anniversary party of the deputy mayor and his missing wife by Bronx-born playwright Neil Simon. dtworks.org
The Pajama Game / Feb. 21 – March 15
Romance is blossoming at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Handsome new Superintendent Sid Sorokin falls hard for feisty Union rep “Babe” Williams, and, despite her dismissal of all things love-related, it seems she’s falling right back. palmcanyontheatre.org
Art Exhibitions
Alexander Girard: A Designer’s Universe / Through March 1
Girard wore many hats in the world of design — buildings, furniture, fabrics, and more all bear his mark. More than 400 objects, plus a replica of one of his celebrated interiors, bring the artist’s unique sense of whimsy to the galleries of the Palm Springs Art Museum. psmuseum.org
Imaging Change: History, Memory, and Social Justice / Through April 5
Inspired by Dawoud Bey’s moving photographic series honoring and remembering the six children who were murdered by white supremacists in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sep. 15, 1963, this exhibition at the Palm Springs Art Museum features artists whose photos engage with the past, the contemporary moment, and the need for a different future. psmuseum.org
Lino Tagliapietra: Il Deserto Fiorito / Through April 12
Renowned Italian glassblower (and mentor to American glass master Dale Chihuly) Lino Taliapietra exhibits more than 30 vibrant glass sculptures at the Palm Springs Art Museum. psmuseum.org
Reach for the Sky: Tradition + Inspiration / Through June 7
A striking 30-foot-tall totem pole has greeted visitors to Walter and Leonore Anneberg’s Rancho Mirage estate, Sunnylands, since 1978. Carved by indigenous artist Henry Hunt and later restored by his son Stan and grandson Jason, the totem pole serves as the focal point for a new exhibition featuring work by the Hunts and American sculptor Herb Alpert. sunnylands.org
Touching History: Stonewall 50 / Through March 29
Fifty years after the uprising at the Stonewall Inn in New York City that kickstarted the fight for LGBTQ rights, the Palm Springs Art Museum presents this beautiful exhibition of photographs and collages exploring the power of queer intimacy and touch. psmuseum.org
Gerald Clarke: Falling Rock / Through May 31
Palm Springs Art Museum mounts Cahuilla artist Gerald Clarke’s first major solo exhibition, highlighting around 80 works, including branded books and metal signs, that approach modern issues with a dry wit and a singular cultural perspective that refuses to let viewers shy away from America’s fraught history. psmuseum.org
Jim Isermann, Copy. Pattern. Repeat. / Through Sept. 27
Jim Isermann, a longtime Palm Springs resident, has over many years built an artistic practice that encompasses painting, drawing, sculpture, site-specific installation, and product design. Pattern, color, geometry, and repetition are the cornerstones and the generators of his work in all mediums. psmuseum.org
Salton Sea Stories / Through March 28
Experience the heyday of the Salton Sea through the 1962 photographs of George Mann and the story of Helen Burns, “Queen of the Salton Sea. playinlaquinta.com