A&E

In recent years, LEGO has become a monolithic multimedia brand, including hit feature films, direct-to-market and streaming shows, spinoff products and retail outlets devoted exclusively to this one product. It’s hard to believe it all started with on Danish inventor nearly a century ago, whose gift for putting things together ultimately combined with the commercial availability of plastics to present the world’s kids—and kid-like grown-ups—with a product of limitless creative imagination.

That spirit of creativity is at the center of Brick Slopes, a LEGO fan event that returns to Utah this week. The 24,000 feet of display space includes amazing custom creations representing a wide range of familiar characters and properties, with builders offering presentations about their work. Guest will have an opportunity to explore the “build and play” brick pit with more than one million bricks, and even create their own LEGO creations for a chance to display it or even win prizes.

There’s a chance to build—and race—a customized car on the event’s race track, buy and trade mini-figures, or even risk the soles of your feet with the “LEGO fire walk” across 40 feet of bricks (parents, you know what I’m talking about).

Brick Slopes takes place at the Mountain America Expo Center (9575 S. State, Sandy) on Aug. 26 (noon – 7 p.m.) and Aug. 27 (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.). At publication time, general admission tickets are available only at the door for $15, with VIB (Very Important Builder) upgrades available. Visit blog.brickslopes.com for tickets and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

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It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 25 years since the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center first opened its doors, providing downtown Salt Lake City with a much-needed multi-space venue that would host theater, dance, comedy, music, the Sundance Film Festival and even— during the 2002 Winter Olympics—tapings of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Currently, in addition to the a la carte offerings hosted by the Rose throughout the year, it’s home to six resident arts organizations—and every year, you can get a taste of all six of them in one performance.

This year, The Rose Exposed takes the 25th anniversary as cue for its theme, “Birthday Suit(e),” that informs the offerings of each company. Plan-B Theatre Company presents the one-act play Push Back by MaryBeth Jarvis Clark; dance companies Repertory Dance Theatre (pictured) , RirieWoodbury Dance Company and SB Dance present choreography by Marilyn Barrett, Daniel Charon and Stephen Brown, respectively. Providing short interstitials between those four companies is a work written for Pygmalion Productions written by Barb Gandy. And for all performances, piano accompaniment will be provided by Koji Attwood, representing the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation.

The Rose Exposed takes place one night only at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (138 W. 300 South) on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 8 p.m., featuring ASL interpretation. Tickets are $15; well-fitting N95 or KN95 are required for all attendees, and will be provided for those who do not have them.

Visit roseexposed.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

It’s been a challenging year for the LGBTQIA+ community in America, with everything from transgender athletes to drag queen storytelling coming under fire by conservative organizations. But as this year’s hugely successful Utah Pride parade and festival showed, the local queer community isn’t going anywhere, and is still fighting. One of the most determined pugilists in that fight is Equality Utah, which has spent more than 20 years on the battle to secure a future of fairness and equality for LGBTQIA+ Utahns and their families.

The annual Equality Utah Allies Gala remains one of the most crucial sources of fundraising for the organization, and the 2022 installment promises an evening of fabulousness under the thematic umbrella of “Gorgeous Planet,” with “cosmic vogue” attire recommended. In addition to a variety of local speakers, the program gets an amazing headliner in legendary actor/comedian Eddie Izzard, whose gender-bending, multilingual, thought-provoking performances have been delighting audiences for 35 years, including the Emmy Award-winning breakout 2000 comedy special Dress to Kill. The genderfluid

Izzard has taken on many personae over the years, but most recently has opted to describe herself as in “girl mode” going forward—and she continues to be as bracingly funny as ever.

The Equality Utah Allies Gala takes place at the George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) at 7 p.m., with check-in beginning at 6 p.m. Individual tickets are $295, with dinner and drinks included in the standard ticket price; there’s a $100 optional VIP add-on for access to the after-party. Visit equalityutah.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

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When you’ve been covering popular music for more than 40 years, you get to know a few things. For 26 years, G. Brown covered the local music scene for the Denver Post. Most recently, he’s created an internet archive called the Colorado Music Experience dedicated to the history and ephemera of that scene. That sense of music history permeates Brown’s latest project, On Record, a three-volume set drawing from photos, personal insights and more than 2,500 artist interviews to describe three very distinct eras in American pop music.

Volume 1, “1978,” explores the “classic rock” era that gave rise to artists ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Journey, but also the nascent punk and new wave scenes. Volume 2, “1984,” dives into the era that was defined by the rise of MTV and its popular acts like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and “Weird Al” Yankovic, in addition to superstars like Prince and Van Halen. Volume 3, “1991,” includes the Seattle “grunge” scene, as “hair metal” gave way to Nirvana and Pearl Jam, and the monoculture of hit music began to shift with the rise of rap and hip-hop pioneers like Public Enemy. Brown’s archive of rare promotional photos, and his access to the words and perspectives of the eras’ music-makers, provides an amazingly comprehensive portrait of the soundtrack that was part of three generations.

This week, Brown visits Sound & Vision Vinyl (3444 S. Main St.) on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 4 p.m. to discuss On Record. The in-store event is free and open to the public. Visit soundandvisionvinyl.com for more information. (SR)

COLORADO MUSIC EXPERIENCE