Byrne, lang join Fox’s winter lineup

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, pop-country chanteuse k.d. lang and the acclaimed modern dance troupe Ailey II have all been booked into the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox for its Winter Concert Series.

Here are the details:

• David Byrne, Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m. – The name of the tour is “Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno” (although Eno will not be in attendance). Byrne will be performing songs from the new Byrne-Eno CD “Everything That Happens Will Happen Today” as well as songs from their earlier collaborations from the glory days of the Talking Heads and beyond. Byrne tours with a five-piece band, three backup singers and three dancers. Tickets $35 to $62.

• Ailey II, Feb. 22, 3 p.m. – This is one of the performing arms of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, consisting of some of the best young dancers in the Ailey School. Tickets $16 to $30.

• k.d. lang, March 21, 8 p.m. – She’s been a diverse diva for two decades, covering territory from pop to country to torch to soul. Now, she has a new album of original songs, “Watershed.” Tickets $36 to $69.

Tickets for the above shows go on sale Tuesday at the Fox box office, 1001 W. Sprague Ave., (509) 624-1200, or through TicketsWest outlets (325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).

The return of Mr. Gooding

Cuba Gooding Jr. will return to Spokane in January to film “Wrong Turn at Tahoe,” another North by Northwest production.

Gooding has been a familiar sight in Spokane. He was here in 2005 to film “End Game” with Burt Reynolds and James Woods, and in March of this year to film “Lies & Illusions” (formerly titled “Alicia’s Book”) with Christian Slater.

Filming on “Tahoe” will begin Jan. 13. Johnny Martin directs.

By the way, “Lies & Illusions” has a release date of March 2009, but there is no word on whether it will have a theatrical release. As a rule, our locally filmed movies go straight to TV and DVD.

Spokane’s ‘Prayer’ answered

Here’s an exception to the above rule: The Spokane-filmed Wayne Wang movie, “A Thousand Years of Good Prayer,” opened Friday in Spokane at the AMC theaters at River Park Square.

It opened in bigger markets about two months ago and has been getting decent reviews and respectable audiences – for an art house movie.

You’ll see plenty of local actors and local scenes.

A Sprague ‘Big Redneck Wedding’

CMT’s “My Big Redneck Wedding” series features a Sprague, Wash., couple named Shawna and Vince who get married at a local off-road vehicle park. Expect to see plenty of four-wheeling and dirt-biking along with the “I do’s.”

It airs Saturday, 9 p.m. on CMT.

Mariners radio news

A new agreement ensures that the Seattle Mariners radio broadcasts will remain on KXLY-AM (920) in Spokane and KVNI-AM (1080) in Coeur d’Alene through the 2011 season, according to Roger Nelson of the KXLY Radio Group.

Both stations have carried the Mariners since the team’s inception in 1977. Sister station KXLX-AM (700 ESPN The Ticket) will still carry most of the Mariners’ day games, as it has in the past.

In addition, KXLX-AM will now carry the University of Washington men’s basketball season.

Prime Broadway time

Between now and Christmas, three major Broadway touring musicals are booked into Spokane. Here’s a quick reminder:

• “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Nov. 29, 8 p.m., and Nov. 30, 1 and 5 p.m., INB Performing Arts Center. The national tour of the most unlikely, yet lovable, Tony-winning musical of the last few years. It’s about kids competing in a spelling contest and it features a lot of improv-inspired humor and audience participation.

• “The Color Purple,” Dec. 10-14, INB Performing Arts Center. The “Oprah Winfrey Presents” musical version of the powerful Oscar-nominated movie about a Southern family’s fight for survival.

• “Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” Dec. 14 and 15, 7:30 p.m., Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. This touring version is based on the acclaimed Broadway revival in which all of the characters play their own instruments on stage.

A historic Allegro concert

Allegro, Baroque and Beyond has come up with a historically minded concert on Wednesday, 8 p.m., at the Bing Crosby Theater.

Allegro will perform classical and popular pieces that were found in the programs of some of Spokane’s earliest concerts and recitals, from the 1880s and 1890s. They’ll also perform songs from the “Washington Centennial Songbook.”

Performers include cellist Cheryl Carney, pianist Yi-Chun Chen, oboist David Dutton and soprano Ann Fennessy. For tickets, call (509) 455-6865 or go to www.allegrobaroque.org.

Chinese acrobats

Here’s a world-class event for those of you in striking distance of Sandpoint: The Golden Dragon Chinese Acrobats, today, 7:30 p.m. at the Panida Theater in Sandpoint.

This is one of the premier touring Chinese acrobat troupes. Their shows combine Chinese dance, music, costumes and athleticism.

Tickets are $22, $18 for Pend Oreille Arts Council members, or $8 for youths 18 and under. Call (208) 263-6139 for tickets and info.