NDMOA gala
-- About the Feb. 6 event: The annual Gala Benefit Dinner and Silent Art Auction in North Dakota Museum of Art on Feb. 6 raised about $40,000 for the museum's general operating expenses, museum officials said, and had 282 guests, its highest attendance ever. The event was created to raise money and to develop a buying audience for regional artists, and since the first gala in 1992, nearly 1,500 pieces have been sold. This year, 56 works were sold for gross sales of $30,000, with $12,000 going to the artists and $18,000 going to the museum. Some artists donate their work to the auction, but the museum doesn't ask them to. Each piece of art starts at a minimum bid of $100. The artist receives the first $100, the museum receives the next $100 and anything more than $200 is split 50/50.
'Anne Frank'
-- Thursday through Saturday in Devils Lake: The Lake Region State College Playmakers will present "The Diary of Anne Frank" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and will run through Saturday in the Robert Fawcett Auditorium at Lake Region State College, Devils Lake. Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis in an attic for two years, and Anne, just 13, kept a diary. She wrote of the difficulty of living in a small space with seven people but also showed her courage and optimism. Eventually, Anne and her family were discovered and, like many other Jewish families, died in a Nazi concentration camp. Cast: Hannah Steffan plays Anne. She is joined by Mary Chattin, Netlie Christofferson, Zac Cyrus, Kelcee Ewert, Chris Hodgson, Hesse Hunter, Kristen Knutson, Joe Pederson and Jace Riggin, Director: Jeanette Kenner. Tickets: Sold at the door.
John McKay
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-- Monday in Crookston: Pianist John McKay will play a recital at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Evergreen Hall, University of Minnesota-Crookston, as part of the dedication of a grand piano. Refreshments will be served after the free performance. Program: Sonata in C Major, Haydn; Sonata in E flat major, Beethoven; Barcarolle in F sharp major, Chopin; Le Tombeau de Couperin Ravel. About McKay: Retired professor of piano from Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn., he now performs frequently throughout Midwest and beyond and often solos with the Mankato (Minn.)- Symphony Orchestra. McKay is the second in the UMC Mentor in Residence series.
Singing contest
-- Application deadline is Feb. 26 for singing contest: The call is out for contestants for a Minnesota singer competition, "Step up to the Mic," in March at the Maplewood (Minn.) Performing Arts Theatre. Applications are due Feb. 26. The registration fee is $20. Singers will compete in two categories -- youth, 15 and younger, and adult, 16 and older -- for a grand prize package in each category. Preliminary judging: March 13-14, Maplewood Performing Arts Theatre. Finals: The Final 15 Live Finale Performances will be March 26 in the youth category; March 27 for adults. Info: www.maplewoodarts.com/ .
International dinners
-- Kickoff on March 1 in Crookston: The University of Minnesota-Crookston International Dinner Series brings flavors of food and culture from countries across the world to Crookston beginning March 1. Students from Korea, Dubai and Panama will share their favorite dishes and a presentation related to their home country. March 1: Korea. March 8: Dubai. March 22: Panama. March 31: The International. Tickets: Available in advance for $12 one evening or $40 for the series. Children tickets, $10 and $35. Contact Rae French, coordinator of study abroad, (218) 281-8339, rfrench@umn.edu , for tickets or more details.
Seeking singers, dancers
-- Moorhead summer theater auditions March 6: Straw Hat Players, the summer stock theater program at Minnesota State University Moorhead, will audition singers and dancers March 6 for "All Shook Up" and "The Music Man," two of the five shows in its 47th season. Audition check-in time is from 9:30 to 10 a.m. in the lobby of the Roland Dille Center for the Arts on the MSUM campus. Singing auditions begin at 10 a.m., dance auditions at 11 a.m. Callbacks run from noon to 1 p.m. You must be between the ages of 9 and 18. Performance dates: "All Shook Up," June 15-18; "The Music Man," July 22 to 30. Rehearsals are most afternoons and nights during the three weeks leading to the performances. Info: Craig Ellingson, (218) 477-4617; e-mail ellngson@mnstate.edu . Info: www.mnstate.edu/ strawhat.
Sturgis concerts
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-- Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top: The Doobie Brothers are set to return to the Sturgis motorcycle rally, performing Aug. 14 at the Buffalo Chip Campground. The Doobie Brothers last performed at the rally in 1990, The Associated Press reported. Also back for rally week is ZZ Top, which has played there several times, most recently in 2008. Dave Mason, Jason Aldean and Disturbed also are scheduled to perform. Info: http://buffalochip.com/ .
