Arts Alerts: Zen and the Art of Sprinkler Maintenance, Nate Craig coming to Jukebox

Jake Mauer

BOOKS

• Writer (and Community Word co-owner) Burt Raabe will be signing his poetry collection “Zen and the Art of Underground Sprinkler Maintenance” and reading selections at I Know You Like A Book on Jan. 11.

• Former U.S. Attorney General and author of “Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote — a History, a Crisis and a Plan” Eric Holder will speak at the 31st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Luncheon at the Peoria Civic Center Jan. 16. For details pm the event, go to
www.mlkluncheon.com.

CINEMA

• Tom Hanks has the title role in “A Man Called Otto,” a “dramedy” about a grouchy widower who’s surrendered to his grief until he meets a lively young neighbor (Mariana Treviño). Premiering Jan. 13, it’s based on Fredrik Backman’s novel. The original Swedish film adaptation was nominated for two Oscars.

COMEDY

• Standup comic Nate Craig has been seen and heard on iTunes, Netflix, Comedy Central, and Peoria (opening for Bill Burr in November), but his appearance Jan. 20-21 is his first at Jukebox Comedy Club.

MUSIC

• The Harry Tonchev Trio will headline the Jan. 15 showcase of the Central Illinois Jazz Society at Trailside Center.

• Country musician Jake Maurer (left) — whose roots are in Metamora — will be live at Five Points Washington on Jan. 28.

• The Peoria Symphony Orchestra is presenting “All That Jazz” the afternoon of Jan. 29 at the Civic Center Theater.

STREAMING

• Set in the 19th century, “The Pale Blue Eye” stars Christian Bale in his first major Netflix Original film, about tired detective named Augustus Landor hired to probe the murder of a West Point cadet. Blocked by students’ “code of silence,” the sleuth recruits cadet Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling) to unravel the mystery. Based on Louis Byard’s novel, it goes online Jan. 6.

THEATER

• On the day of a much-anticipated speech by Civil Rights pioneer Rosa Parks, four activists working in Virginia speculate whether equal justice will include women. Corn Stock Theatre’s “Cadillac Crew” will run Jan. 20-22 and Jan. 27-29.

• “Will Trent” is a drama set to premiere on ABC on Jan. 3. Based on Karin Slaughter’s novels, the show follows Georgia Bureau of Investigations Special Agent Will Trent (Ramón Rodríguez), a former foster kid determined to use his experience to ensure no one’s abandoned. Erika Christensen co-stars.

— compiled by Bill Knight