CALENDAR JANUARY 2002

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S DRALION Fusing ancient Chinese circus traditions with Cirque du Soleil’s avant-garde approach, Dralion is a celebration of life and the four elements that maintain the natural order: air, water, fire, and earth.Dralion propels these four pillars of the universe into a futuristic dimension. Here, the iridescent colors of the costumes are reflected in the metallic glints of a decor that comes straight out of the cinéma fantastique.

The music borrows from more traditional sources, then bursts into the electro-symphonic realm of a world yet to come. Innovation soars to new heights as it defies the laws of nature. Dralion is Cirque du Soleil at its purest and features more than 55 artists from nine countries, including a house troupe of 37 Chinese acrobats. The multi-talented performers present a variety of high-caliber acts: teeterboard, ballet on lights, hoop diving, bamboo poles, juggling, single-hand balancing, double trapeze, skipping ropes, and more. Dralion’s soundtrack is an inspired fusion of sounds from East and West, acoustic and electric, with rhythmic and lyrical motifs. At the Emmy Awards ceremonies this past September and November, Cirque du Soleil Presents Dralion received three Emmys: "Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special," "Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program," and "Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program." You can now witness it live. What: Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion. When: Begins January 17. Where: Across from the George R. Brown Convention Center. Cost: $37-$60 (children $26-$42; other options available). Tickets: 1-800-678-5440; www.dralion.com; TUTS box office.

Kids Events

Okay, mom & mom or dad & dad, Borders Books has just what the kids need: Borders Explorer Pajama Parties. It’s story and activity time for children of all ages as Borders celebrates "It’s Okay to Be Different Month." Friday, Jan. 11, 7 p.m.: Dr. Seuss’s The Sneetches; Friday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m.: The Zabbit. And on Friday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m., join the kids in celebrating the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. All at Borders Books & Music, 3025 Kirby, 713/524-0200. Other Borders stores are celebrating, too; call your nearest store for dates & times.

Weekly (Tue., Wed., Thu.)

HIV Testing. The Montrose Clinic offers free confidential HIV testing every Tuesday at The Club Houston (2205 Fannin), 8 pm-midnight; every Wednesday at Mary's (1022 Westheimer), 4-8 pm, and at the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center (803 Hawthorne), 6-9 pm; and every Thursday at Toyz Disco (5322 Glenmont), 10 pm-1 am. Call 713/830-3070 for other testing locations. Please note: Free & confidential HIV/AIDS testing is also available from 2-5 pm on the 9th & 23rd in Conroe at Northwoods AIDS Coalition, 1414 South Frazier, Ste. 106. Info: 936/441-1614.

8, 22 (Tue.)

Heal Thyself. Beginning this month, Inner Journey Ministries conducts a Healing Circle with Reiki masters Deidra and Caerlion Arthur every other week at the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center. These circles are open to anyone in the community interested in healing, and other Reiki masters are invited to join in a Reiki share. Love offerings are welcomed, with a portion benefiting the center. 7-9 pm @ the center, 803 Hawthorne. Info: 713/524-3818 (the center) or www.innerjourney ministries.org.

10, 20 (Thu., Sun.)

In the Stars. Inner Journey Ministries now offers two astrology classes for laypeople who want to understand the signs of the zodiac and their influence on human affairs. $25, with a portion of each fee donated to the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center. 5:30-7:30 pm on the 10th and 4:15-6:30 pm on the 20th @ the center, 803 Hawthorne. For more info: 713/524-3818 (the center) or www.innerjourney ministries.org.

11 (Fri.)

Margaret Cho. This past fall, the one and only Cho hit the road with her new comedy concert tour, "The Notorious C.H.O." She describes the material in this show as raw and raunchy. Is that somehow different from her previous show, "I’m the One That I Want"? No matter, we’re gonna be there. The proud recipient of a Lambda Liberty Award, Margaret Cho won the first-ever GLAAD Golden Gate Award for being "an entertainment pioneer who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity." Call Aerial Theater box office or Ticketmaster for tickets ($29-$46.50) or visit www.cc. com. More info on Cho: www. margaretcho.com.

11 (Fri.)

Elvis Lives! Don’t put away that white polyester jumpsuit after celebrating the King’s January 8 birthday, ‘cause you can wear it to ComedySportz (an improvisational comedy troupe), and they’ll knock a hunk-a-hunk burning cash off your admission price. Join them for an evening of Elvis mania, where the King lives and improv is more fun than shooting at televisions. Admission is $10 ($8 for those in that white polyester jumpsuit). 7:30 & 10 pm @ Lambert Hall, 1703 Heights Blvd. at 17th St.. More info/reservations: 713/868-1444.

12 (Sat.)

Twelfth Night is a mask-theme fundraiser presented by the Krewe of Olympus-Texas. Food, dancing, & music by Jerry Atwood. $20 at the door (one free drink). Cash bar. Charities: Uncommon Legacy, Montrose Clinic, Houston Buyers Club, & PFLAG. 7:30-11 pm @ the Italian Cultural & Community Center, 1101 Milford (one block off Montrose Blvd.). Info: 713/721-4590.

12 (Sat.)

Deadline. Today is the deadline for your OutSmart Calendar submissions for our February issue. You can fax them by dialing 713/522-3275 or e-mail them to calendar@outsmartmagazine.com.

12 & 13 (Sat. & Sun.)

Houston Choreographers X6. Six Houston-area choreographers have selected a composer with whom to collaborate to create an original composition of dance and taped or live music that will premiere as part of Dance Month @ the Kaplan Theatre in the Jewish Community Center, 5601 S. Braeswood. 8 pm on Saturday, 3 on Sunday. Tickets $15 (JCC members $12, students/seniors $9). For more info: 713/551-7255.

12 & 13 (Sat. & Sun.)

My Fair Lady is the story of Henry Higgins, a short-tempered, self-centered speech professor, who, on a bet, attempts to turn a sooty ragamuffin, Eliza Doolittle, into a well-bred lady. 8 pm on Saturday, 3 & 7:30 on Sunday @ Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice. Tickets ($16.50-$65) are available by calling 409/765-1894 or by visiting www.thegrand.com.

18 (Fri.)

Positively Artistic. A decade ago, artist and teacher Patrick Palmer established the Positive Art Workshop for adults living with HIV and AIDS. This month, the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center begins offering the popular art classes. Artist Richard Fluhr takes over as the regular instructor, and other Houston artists (including Palmer) will do stints as guest teachers. The Houston chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women provides lunch for the participants. Free. Noon-2 pm every Friday @ the center, 803 Hawthorne, 713/524-3818.

19 (Sat.)

Inbal Dance Theater is Israel’s oldest dance company. Their major accomplishment remains the translation & development of the rich heritage & culture of ethnic minorities–their traditions, songs, stories, & history–into the universal language of modern dance. They will make their first appearance in 25 years in the U.S. at 8 pm @ the Kaplan Theatre in the Jewish Community Center, 5601 S. Braes- wood. Tickets $18 (JCC members $13, students/seniors $10). For more info: 713/551-7255.

19 (Sat.)

David Dorfman Dance. It’s not surprising that David Dorfman is the only modern dance choreographer to receive a profile in Sports Illustrated–his movements tend to be rough-&-tumble, full of surprising lifts, collisions, & breakneck momentum. Vocal, playful, & raw, his performers whirl & roll, bouce off one another, & cling together, dancing with an inner turbulence that packs a powerful dramatic punch. Presented by the Society of Performing Arts at 8 pm @ Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater. Charge tickets ($10-$35) at 713/629-3700 or visit www.spahouston.org.

19 (Sat.)

The Mikado takes you to Japan and to the small town of Titipu, where things aren’t going very well. The tiny town is on the verge of being demoted to a village–by decree of the Mikado–unless the Lord High Executioner beheads someone within one month’s time. 3 & 8 pm @ Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice. Tickets range from $14.50-$55 and are available by calling 409/765-1894 or by visiting www.thegrand.com.

20 (Sun.)

Compaq Houston Marathon. This 26.2-mile course starts at 7:30 am (wheelchairs at 7:15) @ the George R. Brown Convention Center. Two of the many charities include the People With AIDS Coalition and the Houston Area Women’s Center. Info: 713/957-3453 or www.compaqhoustonmarathon.com.

20 (Sun.)

OrchestraX. A selection of musicians from OrchestraX presents a classical mini-performance at 2 pm @ Borders Books, 3025 Kirby Dr., 713/524-0200.

20 (Sun.)

Grand Opening. Creative Life Spiritual Center officially opens their Great Hall with a ceremony encompassing acknowledgment of the volunteers that made it happen & the donors who funded it; a service of dedication; a keynote talk by a special guest; and a look back through their 16-year history. At press time, it was planned that tours would start at 5 pm, the ceremony at 8, & finishing up at 10 @ the Creative Life Spiritual Center, 5326 Spring-Stuebner, Spring, Texas. More info: Jesse Jennings at 281/350-5157.

21 (Mon.)

Falsettos was first presented in August at Ovations to critical and audience raves. Directed by Alley Theatre resident company actor Paul Hope and benefitting The Center for AIDS: Hope and Remembrance Project, Falsettos is back by popular demand. Using a successful recipe that began with last year’s encore presentation of Follies, the Alley Theatre will again host this benefit event, followed by a reception with the cast. Winner of the 1992 Tony Award for Best Book and Best Score, Falsettos is a funny and touching story about a neurotic family searching for family values amidst a chaotic contemporary America. Their exploration for togetherness is set to a pop-flavored contemporary score with "rapid-fire lyrics" that "demand attention," as Everett Evans of the Houston Chronicle wrote. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit The Center for AIDS: Hope and Remembrance Project, founded in 1995. The center acts as a catalyst for the creation and the establishment of innovative HIV/AIDS research in Houston and advocates for the entire affected population, ensuring that Houston’s regional needs are factored into the national and international dialogue about HIV/AIDS. 7:30 p.m.@ the Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Avenue. Tickets ($36.50-$51.50) include admission to post-show reception and can be purchased at the Alley box office or by calling 713/228-8421.

21 (Mon.)

News You Can Use. Rich Arenschieldt, director of education and outreach at the Center for AIDS, brings his knowledge of HIV care and treatment to the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center for Medical Monday, a new public forum on the third Monday of every month. Free. 7 pm @ the center, 803 Hawthorne, 713/524-3818.

23 (Wed.)

Ray Hill functions as a gay rights and a prisoners’ rights activist simultaneously. He will be giving a talk on gay rights history in Houston and Martin Luther King Jr.’s influence on it. 7 pm @ First Unitarian Universalist Church’s Channing Hall, 5200 Fannin. A $10-donation is requested. The talk will be followed by a wine and cheese social. For more info: 713/524-0973.

25 (Fri.)

Ellen Goodman, Pulitizer Prize-winning columnist, is the featured speaker for Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southwest Texas’s annual pro-choice luncheon. Her book, I Know Just What You Mean: The Power of Friendship in Women’s Lives (written with Patricia O’Brien), looks at women’s friendships. The focus of her talk will be equality & women’s issues. Cost is $50. Noon in the Westin Galleria Ballroom, 5060 W. Alabama. Info: 713/831-6519.

25 (Fri.)

Kevin Mahogany. Da Camera of Houston, the acclaimed presenter and producer of ensemble music, continues its 2001/02 jazz series with vocalist Kevin Mahogany. Since his self-titled recording debut in 1996 and subsequent appearance in Robert Altman’s Kansas City, Mahogany has established himself as the quintessential jazz vocalist known for his mastery of many styles including ballads, bop tunes, and blues. 8 pm @ Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater, 500 Texas. Tickets ($25-$40; students/seniors half price) are available by contacting Da Camera Music Center, 1427 Branard, 713/524-5050, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

26 (Sat.)

Chamber X is a romantic repetoire of the 19th century performed by principal brass members of OrchestraX. 2 pm @ Pascal/Robinson Gallery, 2307 W. Alabama. FREE. For more info: 713/225-6729 or www.orchestrax.org.

26 & 27 (Sat. & Sun.)

Our Sinatra is a musical celebration of a lifetime of songs that made Frank Sinatra famous. The production will feature a trio of young Broadway singers backed by a 16-piece orchestra. 2 & 8 pm on Saturday, 2 pm on Sunday @ Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice. Tickets ($14.50-$36) are available by calling 409/765-1894 or by visiting www.thegrand.com.

27 (Sun.)

Powerful Message. Inner Journey Ministries presents Power Within You, a class on taking control of life and attaining goals in 2002. $20, with a portion of each fee donated to the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center. 4-6 pm @ the center, 803 Hawthorne. More info: 713/524-3818 (the center) or www.inner journeyministries.org.

28 (Mon.)

Listen Up. The Margarett Root Brown Houston Reading Series presents Sherman Alexie & Lorrie Moore. Alexie, a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian, is the author of the short story collections The Toughest Indian in the World and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (the basis of the film Smoke Signals) and the novels Reservation Blues and Indian Killer. Moore’s works include the short story collections Birds of America, Like Life, & Self-Help and the novels Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? and Anagrams. 7:30 pm (doors open at 6:45) @ the Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Ave. Tickets are $5 (students/seniors free) and are available only at the door on the evening of the reading. Info: 713/521-2026 or www.inprint-inc.org.

31—Feb. 3 (Thu.-Sun.)

Houston Pan-Cultural Film Festival. This 4th biennial festival considers the theme "Direct Cinema: Independent Voices," focusing on independent American filmmakers who have inspired a whole new cinema consciousness in the U.S. & abroad. This community-based film festival brings to Houston esteemed, socially conscious artists, scholars, & filmmakers to conduct workshops on filmmaking techniques as well as to share their passion for art. The festival is organized by Ancestral Films. More info: www.ancestralfilms.org or 713/527-9548.

PLANNING AHEAD FOR FEBRUARY, MARCH, & NOVEMBER

February 2 (Sat.)

Doug Varone & Dancers: an exquisite lyricism & eloquent musicality melded with a genius for capturing true human emotion. Presented by the Society of Performing Arts at 8 pm @ Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater. Charge tickets ($10-$35) at 713/629-3700 or visit www.spahouston.org.

February 6 & 9 (Wed. & Sat.)

Marian Anderson String Quartet. • On the 6th, the quartet is Da Camera of Houston’s feature for their free lunchtime performance series, "A Little Day Music." Noon in the Wortham Center’s Grand Foyer. • On the 9th, the quartet is Da Camera’s feature for their free family series, "Da Camera Goes to the Zoo!" The concert is free with paid admission to the Houston Zoological Gardens ($2.50 adults, $2 seniors, 50¢ children 3-12; children 2 & under free). An hour prior to the concert, children have the opportunity to see, touch, & play instruments featured in that day’s performance. Concert at 2 pm @ the Houston Zoological Gardens, Hermann Park, 1513 MacGregor Dr. • Program for both: "Center Stage: A Tribute to African-American Composers." For more info: 713/524-7601, ext. 15, or www.dacamera.com.

February 7 (Thu.)

Johnny Mathis. The openly gay crooner is back by popular demand. Don’t miss the velvet tones & elegant style that made him a star. 8 pm @ Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana. For ticket prices/more info: 713/224-7575.

February 8 (Fri.)

Sérgio & Odair Assad. These Brazilian-born brothers, a guitar duo, perform works of Brouwer, Debussy, Piazzolla, & Rodrigo. 8 pm @ Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater. Tickets are $20-$35 (students/seniors half price) and can be purchased by calling Da Camera of Houston at 713/524-5050 or by visiting www.dacamera.com.

February 9 (Sat.)

Heartfelt Living. Learn why your thoughts & feelings shape your life’s experiences; how spiritual mind treatment (affirmative prayer) works; plus connect with a group of other like-hearted people. It’s the "Science of Mind" winter classes, every Saturday from 10 am-1 pm for 13 weeks @ Creative Life Spiritual Center, 5326 Spring-Stuebner, Spring, Texas. Cost is $225, plus books. For more info: Jesse Jennings at 281/350-5157.

February 15-17 (Fri.-Sun.)

Homes & Gardens. With over 1,500 exhibits, the 16th annual Texas Home & Garden Show is one-stop shopping for your home & garden. Includes: art, antique, & accessories showcase; gourmet cooking shows; home & garden theater; home improvement, home building, energy efficiency, and A/C & heating experts; and interior & exterior decorating ideas. Admission $8 (kids under 14 free). More info: 713/529-1616 or visit www.texashomeandgarden.com.

March 2, 2002 (Sat.)

Chocolate Fantasy and Fine Art Auction. Waterloo Counseling Center’s second annual fantasy/auction was a huge success! Almost 1,000 people joined in an elegant, fun-filled evening of friends, champagne, chocolate, coffee, music, & art. Revenue from the benefit helps Waterloo to provide counseling services to the HIV+ community and the gay, lesbian, bisexual, & transgendered communities. This funding also makes it possible to offer a sliding scale fee for those who need counseling but do not have the financial resources. Waterloo is forming committees for next year’s event; they are planning to add a parking shuttle, a live auction, & new trips. To get involved, call Jack at 713/444-9922.

November 2-9, 2002 (Sat.-Sat.)

2002 Sydney Gay Games. The Houston Montrose Athletic Association with Mark Hoyer of American Express Travel will be the resource contact for the Houston contingent that will be going to the games. Hoyer has worked out a travel package that includes discounted hotel & flight rates. Visit the 2002 Sydney Gay Games website at www.sydney2002.org.au for more info about the events & registration. For reservations, call Mark at 713/365-6266 (reservation cost $210).

PERFORMING ARTS

• Call Me Madam. An homage to the great hostess Perle Mesta (whom President Truman appointed ambassador to Luxembourg), this musical starred Ethel Merman as Sally Adams, Madame Ambassadress to Lichtenberg, whose unusual brand of diplomacy might even be considered romance. Jan. 3-19 @ Main Street Theater at Chelsea Market, 4617 Montrose Blvd. Tickets are $20-$30. More info: 713/524-6706 or www.mainstreettheater.com.

• The Desperate Hours. A housewife’s day starts just as any other day–the husband & kids off to work & school, first of the daily chores completed; all is safe & secure with her world. There is a knock on the door. When she answers it, her life & that of her family will never be the same. Tickets $10 (students/seniors $9; matinees $8). Jan. 4-Feb. 2 @ Theatre Suburbia, 1410 W. 43rd St., 713/682-3525, www.theatresuburbia.com.

• Experiment with an Air Pump. In the same room in two different centuries–1979 & 1999–two families grapple with issues of scientific exploration and its effects on human values. In 1979, physicist Joseph Fenwick’s household buzzes with scientific experiments, furtive romance, & farcical amateur dramatics. In 1999, Ellen, a geneticist, and Tom, an English professor whose job has become redundant, discover a dark secret buried in the house for 200 years. Jan. 24-Feb. 24 @ Main Street Theater in Rice Village 42540 Times Blvd. Tickets are $20-$30. More info: 713/524-6706 or www.mainstreettheater.com.

• A Fertle Holiday chronicles the Fertle family’s trouble-ridden reunion as they attempt to entertain their rich relatives from San Diego. It doesn’t help that the Fertle family lives in Dumpster, Texas. Suitable for all ages. Thursdays & Fridays at 8:30 pm, Saturdays at 8 & 10:30 pm, through January 12 @ Radio Music Theatre, 2623 Colquitt. Desserts, munchies, champagnes, wines, beers, cappuccino, & soft drinks are available for purchase throughout the show. Admission is $16, reservations are required, & tickets must be purchased in advance at the theater or by calling the box office at 713/522-7722.

• Houston Grand Opera. Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is the story of love & the difficult choices it requires. Leading the cast is baritone Bo Skovhus as the jaded aristocrat Eugene Onegin adored by shy Tatyana (Bulgarian soprano Zvetelina Vassileva). Jan. 25-Feb. 8 @ Wortham Center’s Brown Theater, Texas at Smith. Tickets ($18-$225) are available by phone at 713/227-ARTS, in person at the Wortham Ticket Center (in the lobby of the Wortham Theater Center), or online at www.houstongrandopera.org.

• Jitney. From August Wilson, the acclaimed author of Seven Guitars and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Jitney is an examination of 1970’s Pittsburgh. Part of Wilson’s decade-by-decade explanation of African-American life, Jitney offers a deep look at one community’s attempts to hold on to its way of life in the face of threats to tear down the taxi dispatch office that has served as the neighborhood’s longtime gathering spot. Jan. 11-Feb. 9 @ the Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Ave. Tickets are $20-$50. Info: www.alleytheatre.org or 713/228-8421.

• The Laramie Project. The brutal murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard–and the onslaught of media attention that followed it–stunned the sleepy prairie town of Laramie, Wyoming. In the aftermath, Moises Kaufman’s Tectonic Theatre Project conducted over 200 interviews with the people of Laramie as they struggled to heal their wounds and face the realization that "it can happen here." The result is a play that chronicles darkness & heroism with equal sensitivity. A co-production between Stages and Unhinged Productions. Jan. 16-Feb. 10 @ Stages Repertory Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway. Tickets ($32-$42) are available at the Stages box office or by calling 713/527-0123 or at www.stagestheatre.com. For related article, click here.

• Lilies of the Field. Homer Smith, an ex-GI, takes a drive through the American Southwest searching for purpose. Meanwhile, a group of German-speaking nuns hope to realize their dream of building a chapel. When their lives collide, they discover rewards far greater than they ever thought possible. Tickets are $12 (students/seniors $10). Through Jan. 12, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm @ The Company Onstage, 536 Westbury Square, 713/726-1216. Reservations recommended.

• Lonely Planet "can be classified as an AIDS drama. It could also be tagged a love story, an existential meditation on human isolation & connection, an absurdist comedy. Each label would fit, but none would convey the scope of this intimate yet expansive work...." (Seattle Times) This two-character play focuses on friendship, fear, & isolation. Jody owns a map store. Carl, depending on what day it is, waters plants for corporations, works for a disreputable tabloid, runs an auto-glass shop, or works as a bartender. Carl wants Jody to get an HIV test. Jody wants to remove himself from a world where death reigns supreme. Through a series of comedic games & poignant stories, the author conveys a very funny, very touching portrait of friendship in trying times. Jan. 4-Feb. 2 @ Unhinged Productions, 3304 LaBranch at Elgin. Tickets are $10 (students/seniors $8). For reservations/more info: 713/529-6606.

• Marriage Can Murder takes place at the wedding of Stephanie & Phil. A scheming lawyer, a hallucinating best man, & a sister fresh from the psycho ward further complicate matters. To say nothing of the dead body on the floor. This Mystery Café production plays @ Prima Pasta restaurant, 2710 Richmond. Reservations are required. For more info: 713/944-CLUE or www.mystery cafehouston.com.

• The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told by Paul Rubnick, who wrote Jeffrey, is a unique comedy. The first act recounts major episodes of the Old Testament, only with a twist: Instead of Adam & Eve, the lead characters are Adam & Steve, who decide to start civilization with a lesbian couple, Jane & Mabel. Act two jumps to modern-day Manhattan. Jane is nine months pregnant, and the two women want to marry and want Adam & Steve to join them in the ceremony. Through Feb. 2 (Fridays & Saturdays only) @ Theatre New West, 1415 California. Tickets are $20. For reservations: 713/394-0464.

• Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck’s story is an American classic, an examination of the true nature of friendship in an unfriendly world. Set in rural 1930’s California, it mythologizes an America struggling to reinvent itself. Jan. 18-Feb. 17 @ the Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Ave. Tickets are $25-$45. For more info: www.alleytheatre.org or 713/228-8421.

• Proof. Set on the back porch of a house in Chicago’s Hyde Park, this 2001 Tony Award-winner for Best Play and Best Director is a compelling drama of love, reconciliation, and a brilliant, mysterious mathematical proof. On the eve of her 25th birthday, Catherine, who has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, must deal not only with his death but with the arrival of her estranged sister, the intentions of her father’s former student, and the question of whether or not she has inherited her father’s madness, his genius, or both. Stars Robert Foxworth. Jan. 2-13 @ Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana. Tickets ($33-$59) can be purchased through Ticketmaster, online at www. ticketmaster.com, or charged at 713/629-3700.

• South Pacific. Winner of nine Tony Awards, South Pacific is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener. Set during World War II, it tells two love stories threatened by the perils of war & prejudice. A spunky nurse from Arkansas falls for a mature, widowed French planter whose children are of mixed race. Concurrently, a young American finds his ingrained prejudice at war with his love for an innocent Tonkinese girl. Stars Michael Nouri (who recently appeared on Broadway in Victor/Victoria). Jan. 22-27 @ Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana. Tickets ($54-$58) can be purchased through Ticketmaster, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or charged by phone at 713/629-3700.

PERFORMING ARTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

• Androcles and the Lion. "Every person must be free to be" is the theme of this prize-winning adaptation of the popular Aesop fable. A cast of strolling players presents us with a miserly Pantalone, a bragging Captain, the friendly slave Androcles, & a very endearing, funny Lion. Tickets $6. Saturdays at 11 am & 1:30 pm, Jan. 19-Mar. 2 @ The Company Onstage, 536 Westbury, 713/726-1216.

• Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is the timeless folk tale about a man named Mufaro who had two daughters–both very beautiful. One daughter, Manyara, is very selfish; the other, Nyasha, is very kind. As the story evolves, they each discover love & adventure. It is referred to as the African Cinderella. $6 ($5 for children under 12). Mon., Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. @ Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice, 409/765-1894, www.thegrand.com.

• Romeo and Juliet. Heralding from feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets, Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers hiding their affections from the world. Pledging to marry they garner the secrecy & trust of a local clergyman. But can love save them from the terrible anger & violence to which the two families have bound themselves? Recommended for 6th-12th grades. Tickets are $10 for adults; $8 for children/students/seniors. Main Street Theater at Chelsea Market, 4617 Montrose Blvd. For more info on family performances (Feb. 15-17): 713/524-6706. Info on school bookings (Jan. 29-Feb. 22): 713/524-7998.

RADIO

• After Hours. Saturdays, midnight to 3 am. Featuring the QMZ (Queer Music Zone) with Jimmy Carper. KPFT 90.1 FM, 713/526-5738.

• Lesbian & Gay Voices. Mondays, 8-10 pm. Features, news, music, interviews, reviews, and commentary. KPFT 90.1 FM, 713/526-4000.

ART/PHOTOGRAPHY

• Art-O-Mat is back. The recycled cigarette machine that dispenses $5 original works of art first premiered at DiverseWorks and then found a temporary home at Whole Foods. The new Art-O-Mat will be displayed through Jan. 20 @ the Betsey Johnson store in the Houston Galleria on Westheimer.

• Raw Abstractions are works on canvas from contemporary abstract painter Michelle Y. Williams. The exhibition will run through January @ La Stada Restaurant, 322 Westheimer.

• The Tourist Project will reach far beyond the confines of the gallery space as New York-based artist Lee Mingwei discovers the city of Houston through its residents’ eyes. Volunteer participants selected by lottery will act as "tour guides" and bring Lee to places that are personally meaningful to them. While some participants might choose to guide Lee to popular tourist attractions, others might elect to visit more private locations, such as an automobile, dormitory room, or café. In this fun, poignant process of telling and listening to stories, the city comes to be defined by the multiplicity of experiences it plays host to. Jan. 17-Feb. 24 @ Rice University Art Gallery. For more info: 713/348-6069 or www.rice.edu/ruag. Mingwei will speak at 6 pm at a free, public opening celebration on Jan. 24 from 5:30-7:30 pm.