On Saturday, April 13, Celebrating the Art of Healing: Treatment and Beyond will take place at the Mary K. Chapman Plaza at St. John Medical Center. The annual event is a free educational symposium allowing cancer survivors and medical professionals to share their inspiring stories and learn more about the current state of cancer research. One of the speakers at this year’s event will be renowned physician Neil Caporaso, MD, Chief of the Genetic Epidemiology Branch at the National Cancer Institute. Caporaso specializes in genetic and environmental causes of cancer, particularly lung cancer and leukemia.

Since observing the poor results of existing cancer treatments as a young physician at the National Cancer Institute in the 1980s, Caporaso has led his field in research to better understand what could be done to craft more effective interventions.

Despite his knowledge and experience, his passion for cancer prevention transcends mere professional advancement. For Caporaso, the terrible plight of cancer hits home directly.

Both of Caporaso’s parents and both of his wife’s parents suffered from smoking-related cancers. This personal relevance sparked Caporaso to go beyond the surface in research, and his passion for first-hand knowledge of the disease has not relented since.

He consistently meets with families across the country in order to investigate cases where there is a rare genetic form of cancer.

“In some cases, collections of families with cancer can be signposts that point to specific genes,” says Caporaso.

He was first introduced to Celebrate the Art of Healing a little over a year ago through a family whose son had been diagnosed with cancer. Since then, Caporaso has been inspired by the hope and promise exemplified by the individuals within the organization and is excited about the opportunity to share ideas and research during the symposium.

In his lecture, Caporaso will speak on the various ways genetics and lifestyle work together to cause or block lung cancer and leukemia’s development.

Since President Richard Nixon first declared war on the vastly mysterious disease in the ‘70s, cancer research has come a long way. Currently, physicians and scientists gain new insight and advances on the disease every year. It’s clear, however, that the race to a cure and complete prevention is not over.

For this reason, “cancer research is both exciting and frustrating,” says Caporaso.

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2013 alone, an estimated 228,190 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed. Still, Caporaso and officials associated with Celebrating the Art of Healing firmly believe that no amount of research or statistics could fully depict the scope of the human will when faced with cancer.

Caporaso recalls a patient of his who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer that had spread throughout her body. At the time, Caporaso was young and didn’t realize just how hopeless her case was.

“She looked me in the eyes and said, ‘Look, I’m gonna beat this thing.’ And she did just that,” says Caporaso. “I’m convinced that it was her desire to fight that kept her alive.”

Although much of cancer still remains a mystery, healing continues to spring around, and that certainly is a reason to celebrate.

The Master of Space and Time turns 71 this month, and there’s no place on Earth Leon Russell would rather celebrate than in Tulsa – at least we hope so. The fact that the Tulsa-raised music legend has played his party in T-Town for nearly three decades says something, and we look forward to “Delta Lady” from the maestro himself every chance we get. A highly sought session artist in the 1960s, Russell came to prominence as a music arranger, songwriter and then as a solo act. Such songs as “A Song for You” and “This Masquerade” have been covered by dozens of singers, and Russell’s extensive collaborations include working with George Harrison, Joe Cocker and, most recently, Elton John for the album Union. No wonder Oklahoma is proud to call Russell its own. Here’s to many more! The bash will be 8 p.m. Saturday, April 6, at Brady Theater, 105 W. Brady St. Tickets ($35-$40) are available at www.bradytheater.com.

Saturday, April 6, at 7 p.m.

It’s the showdown of the year – bartenders from some of Tulsa’s hottest venues and establishments bring their signature tonics for the MIX at Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N. Main St. At 7 p.m. Saturday, April 6, the Vesper, Blood & Glory, Bananarama and other libations get shaken, stirred and concocted into a glass of chemical excellence, but only one will be worthy of the top prize. Throw in a pulsing beat, sizzling art and the right crowd, and you have MIX, benefiting Philbrook Museum of Art. Tickets are $75-$100. Go to philbrook.org for more.

Saturday, April 6, at 7 p.m.

Living Arts of Tulsa continues to go boldly into diverse artistic genres with the eMerge Dance Festival, 7 p.m. Saturday, April 6, at Living Arts, 307 E. Brady St. Local and regional dance companies present pieces expanding notions of what art can do. In this case, dance reconnects art with community spaces. Look for these groups and collaborations at the festival: Living Water Dance Company, Portico Dans Theatre, Tulsa Modern Movement, Grid Dance Theatre with Christie Nelson, the Bell House and Perpetual Motion Dance, Jessica Voukoun and Rachel Bruce Johnson, and Rachel Schemenaur. They dance their way to choreography suited to specific locations. Admission is $5-$7. Visit www.livingarts.org for more.

Sunday, April 7, at 7 p.m.

Internationally-renowned dance company MOMIX brings an eclectic performance of dance, sound and visuals to the Chapman Music Hall stage at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, 101 E. Third St. At 7 p.m. Sunday, April 7, Botanica blends bird songs with Vivaldi, uses stupendous props and puppetry and brings out the beauty of nature through costumes and projections in this performance created by company founder Moses Pendleton. Fantasy brings out an exceptional performance from these dancer-illusionists. Tickets are $15-$52 each. Buy them at www.myticketoffice.com.

Sunday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m.

If you want fiddling done right, you go to an expert, and Armstrong Auditorium is bringing one to its stage this weekend for some bluegrass fire. The Byron Berline Band plays at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 7, at the auditorium, 14400-B S. Bryant Road, Edmond. Led by the three-time National Fiddle Champion Berline, the band never fails to rouse anyone within hearing distance of these virtuosos of traditional country and Western music. Tickets are $20-$45. Get them fast at www.armstrongauditorium.org, because this show is sure to sell out.

Saturday, April 6-Sunday, April 7

It’s time to get moving, Oklahoma, with a weekend promoting fitness that is also fun and informational. The annual Red Bud Classic features two days of running, cycling and walking activities for all ages at Nichols Hills Plaza, 6421 Avondale Drive, in Oklahoma City. Celebrating its 31st year, the classic encourages community to become engaged philanthropist, too – the event benefits Oklahoma Lawyers for Children. Read more about individual events, the celebration party and how to participate at www.redbud.org.

Thursday, April 4-Sunday, April 7

For more than 40 years, Sesame Street has beamed into family living rooms across the nation so children can enjoy singing along with puppets and cartoons while learning to count and read. Now the characters go an extra step with Sesame Street Live: Can’t Stop Singing, the latest live traveling musical and dance show scheduled to stop at the BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. Join the conga line with Elmo, Bert and Ernie, the Cookie Monster and friends with eight shows scheduled beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 4. Final performance is at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 7. Tickets run $17-$57 each. Go online to see all show times and to learn more about Play Zone, a fun theme playground open an hour before the show for ticket holders. Check it all out at www.bokcenter.com.

Opens Friday, April 5

Let’s travel down the famous Route 66 once more with The Mother Road Revisited: Route Sixty-Six Then and Now, an exhibit of photographs taken along the historic highway stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles by way of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and the southwest. Photos from the 1950s are paired with photos taken along the route last year by Natalie Slater. Slater shot her images from the same vantage points (or as close as possible) as the originals. The result is a time-jump study of one of America’s most significant byways of culture and society. The exhibit opens with a reception from 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 5, and features a book signing and lecture by author and Route 66 historian Michael Wallis. Exhibit runs through April 25. Learn more at www.livingarts.org.

Thursday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m.

In the opening lines of A Primate’s Memoir: A Neuroscientist’s Unconventional Life Among the Baboons, Robert Sapolsky makes a confession. “I had never planned to become a savanna baboon when I grew up; instead, I had always assumed I could become a mountain gorilla.” Sapolsky is at the top of his field, however, as a researcher into primate behavior and the impact of stress among the troupe’s individual members and the band at large. This has provided great insight into how all primate societies behave, including human kind. The good doctor and author is the invited guest of the University of Tulsa Presidential Lecture Series. He will speak at TU’s Allen Chapman Activity Center (on Fifth Place west of Gary Place) about his life’s work and what it means to us. Admission is free. For more, visit www.utulsa.edu.