Finals of "Northwest Idol," Northwest High School's second annual singing competition are set for 7 p.m. Saturday in the school auditorium.

Finalists are Konner Davis, Danielle Jim, Brenda Kay, Shaylie Murphy, Brittney Ore, Megan Pattison, Jeff Rice, Janae Riha, Sam Schneider, Sarah Stoltenberg and Amy Waggerman.

Celebrity judges will include Julia Bradley of KSYZ, Jessica Watson, Northwest alum, professional performer and legislative aide to Sen. Annette Dubas; and Linda Stanislav, executive director of the Grand Island Little Theatre.

Cash prizes will be presented to the top three finishers.

Ben Lansman of Northwest High School will serve as master of ceremonies. Making a special appearance will be last year's winner, Josh Huls. A local bluegrass band will perform during intermission.

Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for K-12 students. T-shirts will be for sale for $10; all proceeds will benefit the Northwest Educational Foundation.

For more information, contact Stephanie King-Witt or Darbie Mazour at info@nwfoundation.org or visit www.nwfoundation.org.

Vocal music concert scheduled at Walnut

Walnut Middle School's sixth-graders will present a vocal music concert at 7 p.m. Friday in the school's auditorium at 1600 N. Custer Ave.

The concert will feature the sixth-grade chorus, sixth-grade select choir and selected small groups, according to vocal music teacher Kay Lyons, who directs the groups.

The program will include songs from the Broadway musical "Annie," the movie "Casper," "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and a variety of other musical selections. Cheryl Twiestmeyer will be the accompanist.

There will also be a 2:30 p.m. performance on Friday for the student body, faculty and family and friends who cannot attend the evening performance.

The public is welcome to attend the concerts, and there is no admission charge.

'Wings Over the Platte' reception set for Friday

The 20th annual Wings Over the Platte Art Show and Sale comes to an end on April 11, and Stuhr Museum is giving the public one last chance to view and purchase artwork and meet the artists during a closing reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday.

This year's "Wings Over the Platte" show set new highs for depictions of life on the Platte River and its tributaries. Sculptures, 3-D work, paintings, photographs and other mixed media created a one-of-a-kind exhibit which draws on the diversity of nature and the beauty of the area. During the reception, refreshments will be served.

The reception will include 2008's Featured Artist, Hal Holoun, talking about his work which currently hangs in Lacy Hall. Haloun, a landscape artist who specializes in vistas from Nebraska and the surrounding area, has more than a dozen pieces in this year's show.

Karine Gil, concert pianist, will provide music for the evening, including several original compositions dedicated to the Platte River. Gil, a population ecologist, is connected to the Platte River in emotional and artistic ways, and her music perfectly complements the evening.

Regular admission fees ($6 for adults, $4 for children) apply, and the reception if free to Stuhr Museum members. For more information on the reception or Wings Over the Platte in general, contact Stuhr Museum's Exhibits Department at 385-5316 ext. 215.

Spring String Fling to feature more than 200 student musicians

More than 200 Grand Island Public School musicians in fifth through 12th grades will perform at the annual Spring String Fling at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Walnut Middle School's gym.

The fifth-grade orchestra comprised of students from all 14 Grand Island Public Schools elementary schools; students from Barr, Walnut and Westridge middle schools; and the Grand Island Senior High School String Orchestra will perform at the concert.

The Grand Island Senior High School Orchestra's performance of the "Concerto for Four Violins" by Antonio Vivaldi will feature senior violinists Suzanne Higgins, Lauren Shoemaker, Laura Steele and Leslie Steele.

The concert will conclude with "Scherzo Dance" performed by the elementary school, middle school, and high school orchestras. Marla Rischling and Christa Speed are the orchestra directors.

The concert is free and is open to the public.

Barbershop chorus to perform in Wood River

WOOD RIVER A perennial favorite throughout Central Nebraska, the 1733 Chorus Kearney Barbershop is set to perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Wood River Rural High School Performing Arts Theater.

Joining the chorus will be several featured quartets. The performance is the final offering of the 2007-08 Performing Arts and Entertainment Series.

There is no charge for this performance; support is provided by the Nebraska Arts Council and the Donna Moyer Performing Arts Gift to the Wood River Foundation. A freewill offering will be accepted at the door.

For more information, call Georgene Smidt at (308) 583-2606.

Robbins to present 'Voices from the Past' program

"The German Press in Grand Island," presented by Edith Robbins, will be the focus of the monthly "Voices from the Past" program sponsored by the Hall County Historical Society.

Robbins will speak at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Plum Street Station, Sixth and Plum streets.

Hall County and the area were settled in 1857 by a group of German immigrants. German newspapers existed side by side with American newspapers until they were cut short during World War I.

A native of Germany, Robbins has done much research and translating through Stuhr Museum as well as personal interests. She will describe the development of the German press from town boosting to interpretation of local and national politics.

Robbins writes a weekly column, "Days Gone By," for The Independent, The column, begun for the 150th celebration of Hall County, compiles news in 10-year period of happenings taken from the Platte Valley or Grand Island Independent.

This will be the last of the season's "Voices from the Past" programs.

There is no admission charge; for more information, call Annette Davis at (308) 226-2465 or e-mail her at davisbrog@nctc.net.

Film festival to feature 'Gone With the Wind'

One of the most critically acclaimed movies of all time, "Gone With the Wind," will be shown on the big screen at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Grand Theatre, 316 W. Third.

The film, a presentation of the Grand Island International Film Festival, is know for its epic storytelling and memorable moments. It remains one of the most popular and commercially successful films ever made. Its main theme, from the Max Steiner score, is recognized throughout the world. In its use of color, scene design and cinematography, it set new standards. The film won eight Academy Awards, more than any film up to that time.

Admission is $5; for more information, contact Paul Warshauer at 384-6816 or paul@grandevenues.com or check the Web site at http://gifilmfest.org.

Stuhr to host Hall County Student Art Exhibit

Hundreds of pieces of artwork from students throughout Hall County will decorate the walls and halls of the Stuhr Building, Lacy Hall and Cronin Hall beginning April 18 at Stuhr Museum.

Participating schools include Northwest High School, Grand Island Central Catholic High School, Grand Island Senior High, Central Catholic Middle School, Walnut Middle School, Barr Middle School, Westridge Middle School, Doniphan-Trumbull High School, Wood River High School and Heartland Lutheran High School

Wonderful colors and enthusiastic creativity are the hallmark of this annual art show which will remain on display through May 16. The pieces, which utilize almost every inch of available wall space in the Stuhr Building, include sculpture, painting and multimedia pieces. For many of the students, the show represents the first time their art has been viewed by the public.

A reception for the student artists is planned for 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 27. The event is open to the public and refreshments will be served.

Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for youth 6-12; children 5 and under admitted free. For more information, call 385-5316 or check the Web site at www.stuhrmuseum.org.

Local singer/songwriter to perform at Blue Moon

Singer/songwriter Scott R. Taylor of Grand Island will appear in concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at the Blue Moon Coffee Co., 313 W. Third St.

Taylor, who started singing at age 3, took up the drums in junior high, but then put his music on hold as adult responsibilities took over. A trip to a music festival in the mid 1990s awakened Taylor's love of folk music and country/western songs.

All of this culminated in the production of his first CD, "Dreamin' I'm A Cowboy" released in 2000. His second CD, "Messengers," was released in 2002 and his second cowboy music CD, "Friends Along The Trail," in 2004. He released "Truck Dog (and other songs of silliness)" in 2006. Taylor's songwriting has received awards from the Walnut Valley Festival and tracks from his CDs have been used for the TV show on RFD-TV, "Best of America By Horseback."

Admission to the show is $3; for more information, call Scott R. Taylor at 382-6738 or e-mail him at revsrtaylor@gmail.com.

Traditional country music show to feature the Green River Band

The Green River Band will headline an evening of traditional country music set for 7 p.m. Monday, April 21 at the Grand Theatre, 316 W. Third St.

Also performing will be Larry Dean and Elton Flodman.

Tickets are $12 and are available at Howard's Jewelry in downtown Grand Island. For more information, contact Flodman at 402) 757-3201 or (308) 940-2625 or e-mail him at musicatflodfest@yahoo.com.

Handbell Choir to perform on tour and in home concert

HASTINGS The Hastings College Handbell Choir will embark on a performing tour in western Nebraska and Colorado on Thursday and return to Hastings for a concert on Tuesday.

Stops on the tour include McCook, Sterling, Colo., Fort Collins, Colo., Loveland, Colo., Kimball and Chappell.

The choir is directed by Byron Jensen, who teaches courses in music history and music education methodologies. Jensen also oversees the string program and is conductor of the Hastings Symphony Orchestra.

The Hastings College Handbell Choir was initiated in 2003. Handbells and chimes were purchased with grant money from Lilly Endowment, Inc., as part of the college's Vocation and Values Program.

The ensemble will perform in a home concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church, 621 N. Lincoln Ave. in Hastings. There is no admission charge.

Jonas Brothers tickets now on sale

OMAHA Tickets are now on sale for the upcoming Jonas Brothers concert in Omaha.

Showtime is 7 p.m. Monday, July 21, at the Qwest Center. Tickets range from $59.50 to $75 and are available through Ticketmaster.

Hastings museum to host Sheldon exhibit

HASTINGS The Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History will be hosting a special art exhibition. "Flow," Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery's 2007-2008 Statewide Exhibition, set to open Friday.

The exhibit, exploring the subject of water, will be on view through May 18.

Artists with an affinity toward nature, especially landscape painters, have chosen water as a primary subject because of its reflective beauty and emotive qualities. Water was a central theme of the Provincetown painters and the San Francisco Bay Area figurative artists. The Impressionists gravitated toward water's abstract, impressionistic qualities.

Approximately 20 pieces from Sheldon's permanent collection including paintings, photographs, prints and sculpture comprise the exhibition. Artists whose work is included in the show are Joel Meyerowitz, William Theo Brown, Wayne Thiebaud, Neil Welliver, Harry Callahan, Nebraska's Alice Cumbow and others.

"Flow" is organized by Sheldon Statewide, an outreach program of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Since its inception in 1987 the program has reached approximately 275,000 people in 24 Nebraska communities. More information is available on the Sheldon Web site, www.sheldon.unl.edu,

Regular museum admission rates apply. For more information contact Visitor Services at (402) 461-4629 or (800) 508-4629 or check the Web site at www.hastingsmuseum.org.

Raptor Recovery Nebraska at Hastings Museum

HASTINGS Learn what can be done to help eagles, owls, hawks and falcons survive in Nebraska in a special program presented by "Raptor Recovery Nebraska" at the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

"Raptor Recovery Nebraska" volunteers will lead the presentation at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 17. Live raptors will be part of the presentation.

These birds of prey are an important link in the intricate food web and help maintain a necessary and desirable balance by feeding on pests that destroy crops and invade homes. Hundreds of raptors are injured or maimed every year by steel traps, collisions with vehicles, buildings, fences and power lines, and thoughtless human activity. Raptor Recovery Nebraska helps injured and orphaned raptors receive medical treatment and care, and ensures they are restored to health, banded and released. Those too severely injured to be released are channeled into breeding programs, recruited as "foster parents" for young orphans, utilized in research, and featured in Raptor Recovery Nebraska's education programs.

Regular museum admission or museum membership covers the cost of this special program. Reservations are requested by Wednesday, April 16. For more information contact Visitor Services at (402) 461-4629 or (800) 508-4629 or check the Web site at www.hastingsmuseum.org.

Goodenberger to perform in Hastings College recital

HASTINGS Hastings College senior Katie Goodenberger of Duluth, Minn., will perform in a horn recital at 3 p.m. Sunday in Perkins Auditorium, Fuhr Hall of Music. The recital is free and open to the public.

Goodenberger, the college's 2007 Presser Scholar, will perform Mozart's "Concerto No. 3 in Eb K. 447," Bernstein's "Elegy for Mippy I, Faith's Movements for Horn and Piano," Strauss' "Horn Concerto No. 1 in Eb op. 11, Ewazen's Sonata for Horn and Piano" and Dukas' "Villanelle."

The Theodore Presser Award was established at Hastings College in 1929 by the Theodore Presser Foundation. The Presser Foundation awards a yearly grant to a student pursuing a degree in music.

Langenberg Organ Recital Series to continue Sunday

HASTINGS Masako Nakamura Bacon of Lincoln will perform in the fourth of four Langenberg Organ Recitals at 5 p.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church, 621 N. Lincoln Ave. in Hastings.

Bacon, associate director of music at Westminster Presbyterian Church, is organist and director of the handbell choirs. She also is an adjunct professor of organ at Nebraska Wesleyan University. She previously taught general music, college entrance music theory, and girls' chorus at Hagoromogakuen Junior Senior High in Japan, and led tours to China, Poland, Australia, Lithuania, Switzerland and Austria.

The Langenberg Organ Recital Series commemorates the 50-year anniversary of First Presbyterian Church's Austin organ. Through the generosity of the Langenberg Music Endowment, a four-year organ enhancement/renovation project began in 2002. his is the second year for the organ recital series.

The organ recital series is co-sponsored by the Hastings College Department of Music, the Hastings College Vocation and Values Program and First Presbyterian Church.

There is no admission charge; following the recital, a light meal will be served in Fellowship Hall.

This week at the Grand ...

"The Bucket List" showing again this weekend at the Grand Theatre, 316 W. Third. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Corporate billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers have nothing in common except for their terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room together, they decide to leave it and do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die according to their bucket list. In the process, both of them heal each other, become unlikely friends, and ultimately find the joy in life. This film stars Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman and is rated PG-13.

Tickets are $3.50 for adults and $2.50 for children under 12. For more information call 381-2667 or check the Web site at grandmovietheatre.com.

'Be Kind Rewind' at the Lied Super Screen Theatre

HASTINGS The Lied Super Screen Theatre in the Hastings Museum will feature the 35 mm film "Be Kind Rewind" on the giant screen at 7:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

A man becomes accidentally magnetized and erases all the tapes in the video store where his best friend works. To save the store, the duo re-enact and re-film every movie that its single loyal customer, an elderly woman, rents. "Be Kind Rewind" stars Jack Black and Dante "Mos Def" Smith and is rated PG-13 for some sexual references.

All 35 mm film admissions are $4.50. There is also a discount available for seeing both a large-format film and 35mm feature the same day. Seating is limited to 211 for each showing, so reservations are recommended. For more information or to purchase tickets, call Visitor Services at (402) 461-4629 or (800) 508-4629, option zero.

Cherryholmes family to bring bluegrass to Lied Center

LINCOLN America's new first family of bluegrass, Cherryholmes, has taken its the bluegrass world by storm with a hard-driving sound and tight vocal harmonies. Their shows feature a mix of original songs written by band members and bluegrass classics. This high-energy, rhythm-driven band will perform at the Lied Center for Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

A Cherryholmes show includes twin fiddles, Irish step-dancing, classic country yodeling and old-time claw hammer in addition to the family's vibrant bluegrass.

Tickets are $26 and $36 with student discounts available; call the ticket office at (402) 472-4747 or (800) 432-3231 or check the Web site at www.liedcenter.org.

Jazz vibraphonist/composer plans Lied Center performance

LINCOLN His energetic stage presence and astonishing skill have propelled Stefon Harris to the forefront of the jazz world. Harris will perform works from his new recording, "African Tarantella Dances with Duke," at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln.

Widely recognized and lauded by both his peers and critics alike, Harris is committed to both exploring the potential of jazz composition and blazing new trails on the vibraphone. Thirty-two years after Duke Ellington's passing, Harris' has released a new album inspired by Ellington. "African Tarantella" is both a tribute to the legacy of Duke Ellington and a showcase for Harris' tremendous talent.

Tickets are $26 and $36 with student discounts available; call the ticket office at (402) 472-4747 or (800) 432-3231 or check the Web site at www.liedcenter.org.