Treat mom and yourself to an “unexpected gift” Sunday evening when the St. Joseph Community Chorus presents its last concert of the season at the Missouri Western State University Fulkerson Center.
“It will be the end of a great Mother’s Day,” says SJCC artistic director, Frank Thomas.
This is the 26th season for Thomas and the 28th season for the 90-member chorus. The concert, “Unexpected Gifts — Songs from the Heart,” should have something for everyone.

One of the most popular ballets in the world, “Romeo and Juliet,” will be taking the stage at the Music Hall in Kansas City this weekend and next.
The lavish production will be the finale of the Kansas City Ballet’s 50th anniversary season.

As of April 15, the last coat of paint was going on Sammy and Casey’s, a new addition to Geneo’s Pizza and Pub in downtown St. Joseph. The addition makes an interesting three-in-one setup: the restaurant in the middle, a quiet bar on the right and Sammy and Casey’s on the left. They are all connected on the inside, but have separate entrances.

Paul Williams and his wife, Janis, opened up P.J.’s Place about five months ago. It’s one of those long-time, dream-come-true stories for Paul, who previously cooked at Cascone’s in Kansas City, the Holiday Inn and Ramada Inn, among others.

For more than two years, an 11-foot-by-10-foot pig has greeted visitors at the DeCordova Museum’s 35-acre sculpture park in Lincoln, Mass., near Boston. And it’s a pig with a hidden agenda, only revealed upon close inspection.
The pink wood-and-steel sculpture is called the Trojan Piggy Bank and is the work of artists Gail Simpson and Aristotle Georgiades. Through their company, Actual Size Artworks, the two have collaborated on many large-scale indoor and outdoor public art projects across the country since 1992.
“It’s been a tremendously popular piece,” says Corey Vronin, DeCordova’s director of marketing and public relations. “People really enjoyed it.”
“Enjoyed” is the key word. A recent windstorm destroyed it so you can no longer see it.

Cordonnier’s Place is one of St. Joseph’s long-standing hangouts for food and drink. It’s located off the Stockyards Expressway along with some other well known watering holes, Hap’s Place and Mackenzie’s Bar & Grill.
As far as the food goes, you can ask a local off the street and they will tell you Cordonnier’s is the place to go for catfish. (Seriously, when I was lost on the other side of town, a kind woman in her yard didn’t know the address, but knew it was the place for catfish.) A News-Press reader also recommended the carp for our Best Bite. In addition, their hand-cut tenderloin is very popular for lunch and dinner.

The World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions will be dancing on air in their 38th anniversary show tonight at Civic Arena.
The show draws equine aficionados from all over, but you don’t need to know anything about horses to enjoy it.
“Once you see it and the wonder of what the horses can do, it’s amazing,” says Kathy Brock, Civic Arena manager.

When True North first performed at Cafe Acoustic three years ago, they were an immediate success, recalls the cafe’s co-owner Lisa Hancock.
“Cafe Acoustic absolutely loves True North,” she says. “It’s been overwhelming since day one. They already had a quite a following, but it just blossomed from there with people in this area getting to know them.”
The good feelings escalated last April when True North picked Cafe Acoustic as the place to record its third CD and first live project, “Live at the Cafe.”

You could call it a one-two punch when Flannigan’s Right Hook plays at O’Malleys Irish Pub in Weston this weekend.
The pub, with the historic limestone cellar built 55 feet below the ground, already sets the scene for a good time. But when you add Flannigan’s Right Hook, a Celtic bluegrass band that plays with the energy and youth of a rock band, it’s going to be a rollicking good time.

You don’t have to be a dance aficionado to enjoy the Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker” Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Missouri Theater.
The “Nutcracker” is a holiday classic that has been a hit with audiences since it was first performed in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre of Russia.