In the Company of Dancers Kitchen Theater, Opening Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Kitchen Theater Company’s 21st season continues this Saturday Oct. 1, with the opening of In the Company of Dancers. The theater’s artistic director, Rachel Lampert, and Ithaca College modern dance professor, Lindsay Gilmour, are teaming up to choreograph this completely original theater piece. The work takes us on a nostalgic journey through the stage-life, photographs and letters of a former professional dancer, Deborah (played by Norma Fire). Revered pieces perfromed by Linda Case, concertmistress of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Rose Elliot, the orchestra’s first cellist, and guest pianist, Andrea Merrill, will complement this novel production. This truly Ithacan production will demonstrate the blossoming talent we have in our city; it is surely a performance not to be missed.— Martha Wydysh
Deerhoof The Haunt, Wednesday at 9 p.m. This Wednesday, Dan Smalls Presents is bringing Deerhoof to the Haunt. If Deerhoof itself isn’t widely known in non-music circles, its influence, especially within the indie rock community, is immense: The Flaming Lips, Sleigh Bells, Of Montreal and Grizzly Bear all cite them as an inspiration. Founded in California back in 1994, they have since shuffled genres, from indie pop to math rock to noisy indie, regularly enough to avoid the trap of becoming stale. This would be a perfect concert for your friend whose music taste is hard to pinpoint, but is definitely a little left of center. While one song might feature an electronic sample from the famous Greek soundtrack to Zorba’s Last Dance, the next could be a sweet melodic song in Catalan. There’s no telling what they’ll do at the Haunt. — Natasha Bunzl
Janelle Monae Barton Hall, Sunday at 8 p.m. Following a 2010 year in which she released The Archandroid to widespread critical acclaim (it was even included on The Sun’s own Top Ten List!), Janelle Monae has been touring like a fiend, winning over crowds all around the world with her electrifying dance moves, soul-shaking voice and effervescent energy. As someone who can, in one year, collaborate with both Homecoming concert-headlining (and bartab-ignoring) wunderkind B.o.B and Of Montreal’s gender-bending, white funk-perpetrating frontman Kevin Barnes, Monae proves that she has something to offer anyone. Tickets are still left for her show on Sunday at Barton. Our advice: get some. You won’t regret it.
Other Events/Features On and Around Campus Throughout the Week
Gordon Lightfoot at State Theater, Thursday at 8 p.m. The old time Canadian folk writer and musician will be playing State this week. Lightfoot is widely accredited as the greatest Canadian songwriter ever, and was very influential during the 1960s and 1970s in the folk-pop movement.
Applefest. We give it minor mention here, because it should already be on the calendar of every Cornellian. Applefest, the annual festival celebrating fall, apples and apple cider will occur on the Commons during this upcoming weekend. In addition to an unlimited supply of apples, there will be street craft and music.