RELATED EVENTS

• The French Connection

"Visual Shock" author Michael Kammen will speak at Butler University March 20.

Kenoth Shane Patton & Liberty Harris in Dance Kaleidoscope's "Au Moulin Rouge: La Goulue" from The French Connection. (Photo by Drew Endicott)

A discussion panel will address the influx of Latino immingrants in Indianapolis during "Immigration: The Present" at the Indiana Historical Society. (Star file photo)

1. Michael Kammen: Visual Shock

7:30 p.m. March 20, free, Butler University, Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., (317) 940-9656.

From the Lincoln Memorial -- to which citizens of the former Confederacy vigorously objected -- to the "Sensation" exhibit that then-New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani tried to have removed from the Brooklyn Museum of Art, art has sparked countless American controversies. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Kammen details the scandalizing effects of different works of art and architecture on American culture over the years in his newest book, "Visual Shock." Kammen, who is the Newton C. Farr Professor of American History and Culture at Cornell University, will visit Butler University this week to talk about why what is art to some is appalling to others.

2. 'The French Connection'

8 p.m. March 21-22, 2:30 p.m. March 23, $15-$36, Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington St., (317) 940-6555, www.dancekal.org.

Dance Kaleidoscope's "The French Connection" boasts two world premieres: David Hochoy's "Afternoon of a Faun," a dreamy sequence set to Debussy, and choreographer Cynthia Pratt's "Tangled Web," a "tale of secret lives and relationships" set to the music of Yann Tiersen. Also on the program is "Au Moulin Rouge: La Gouloue" (also choreographed by Hochoy) and "Wien," set to Ravel's "La Valse." The production is recommended for mature audiences, but a family-friendly matinee will be performed at noon, March 20, for $6. See a discounted dress rehearsal later that night for $20 ($15 for students).

3. Immigration: The Present

7 p.m. March 20, free, Indiana Historical Society, 450 W. Ohio St., (317) 232-1882.

With immigration to Central Indiana at an all-time high, the issue is a frequent topic of debate. The Indiana Historical Society is tackling the topic this spring during three (past, present, future) panel discussions. This "present" discussion deals primarily with the recent influx of Latino immigrants to the area. Panelists including the Sagamore Institute's John Clark (a Culture Club voter) and Notre Dame's Allert Brown-Gort will address the "myths, realities, common concerns and current efforts to firmly yet humanely enforce America's immigration laws."

4. An Evening of Lieder

7:30 March 25, free, DeHaan Fine Arts Center, 1400 E. Hannah Ave., (317) 788-3255.

Literally translated into English, the German word "lieder" means songs. But the word most commonly refers to German art songs. In this performance, Mitzi Westra, a mezzo-soprano who teaches voice and voice theory at the University of Indianapolis, will direct the university's student singers in a celebration of the vocal German tradition.

5. Classics to Moderns

7:30 p.m. March 24, free, DeHaan Fine Arts Center, Ruth Lilly Performance Hall, 1400 E. Hannah Ave., (317) 788-3255.

The University of Indianapolis welcomes violinist David Brooks, who will contribute to a diverse faculty performance that will include both classics (Haydn's C-Major Trio and Bohuslav Martinu's 1927 duo for violin and cello) and newer selections (including Michael Hunt's haunting composition "Space: Inner, Outer"). Faculty players will include Richard Ratliff on piano, Dennis McCafferty on cello and Marko Petricic (pictured) on bayan (a type of Russian accordion). Petricic will close out the evening with a bayan number that U of Indy's Web site describes as "show-stopping."