Jewish films
The Third Annual Jewish Film Festival will get underway on Sunday, February 5 with the showing of a short film, “The Wall” and “Infidel,” beginning at 2 p.m. (starting early to accommodate Superbowl fans). All the other films will be shown, one each Sunday for six weeks, at 3 p.m. at the movie theater at Plaza Bugambilias.
The movie on February 12 will be “Monsieur Batignole,” on February 19, “Secrets,” February 26, “The Black Book,” March 4, “Toyland” (a short film) and “A Matter of Size” and on March 11, “Fugitive pieces.” Admission will be 50 pesos per person and part of the proceeds will benefit Villa Infantil Nuestra Senora Guadalupe y San Jose.
Art Program
Ajijic artist Javier Ramos gave a painting demonstration to a rapt audience of kids in the Lake Chapala Society children’s art program last Saturday. Himself a beneficiary of the Neill James children’s art program that was the forerunner of the currrent program, he not only demonstrated his painting skills but talked to the kids about his experiences. Several other local artists are scheduled to give demonstrations to the children in the program.
CASA
The January meeting of the Culinary Arts Society of Ajijic (CASA) was an interesting one with Jim Hussin and Linda Fossi talking about the history of chili (both the dish and the pepper). Presentation categories were Chilis/Stews Main Dish (Category A) and Savory Breads, Muffins or Biscuits (Category B). The judges were Kenee Campo, Chuck Balnis and Angelique Estrada.
Taking the first place in Category A was Annie Green for her African Chicken Peanut Stew. The second place winner was Diane Pretti for her Arracherra Three-Bean Chili and Monica Molloy grabbed the third place for her Black Roux Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo.
Winners in Category B were Ginger Perkins in first place for her Mozzarella Monkey Bread, Pam Ladd for her Mexican Spoon Bread Bites with Agave Butter and Rick Feldman in third place of his Not Your Mama’s Cornbread. People’s Choice Awards went to Diane Pretti and to Pam Ladd.
The CASA Annual Awards Banquet will be held on Monday, January 20 at Manix Restaurant. For information on attending the banquet or about joining CASA, contact CASA president Pat Carroll at 766-3144 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Visit the CASA website at www.ajijiccasa.org.
MAS presents
The Music Appreciation Society (recently sometimes called MAS Musica) presented Orquesta Sinfonica de San Luis Potosi (The Symphonic Orchestra of San Luis Potosi) conducted by Maestro Jose Miramontes Zapata on January 19. The celebrated orchestra was at the top of its game and the local audience declared the performance a stellar one.
Coming up on Tuesday, February 14 for MAS will be the versatile quartet from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Classical FX performing at Auditorio de la Ribera del Lago at a special time of 5 p.m. Roberto’s Restaurant is working with MAS to provide an opportunity for those attending the concert to meet and dine with the performers with a 15 percent discount on Valentine’s Day (after the concert) by showing their concert tickets.
The vocal Valentine’s feast will offer not only classical opera, but Broadway hits, songs in Spanish, popular romantic music and soul sounds. Tickets are 350 pesos and will be on sale at the Lake Chapala Society Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to noon, beginning on January 30. Tickets may also be purchased at Charter Club Tours in Plaza Montana and the Guadalupe Victoria walkway near the Ajijic plaza. For more information contact Kathleen Phelps at 766-0010.
Guitars
More than 25 artists will participate in an interesting project at the New Ajijic Galeria del Lago located on the lakefront in the Old Posada between the steps to the malecon and Yve’s Restaurant.
A collection of hand painted or decorated Mexican guitars will be opened for exhibition on Friday, January 27, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Participating artists include Antonio Lopez Vega, Dionicio Morales, Efren Gonzalez, Luz Preciado, Javier Zaragoza, Diane Pearl, Victor Alcazar, Xill Fessenden, Guillermo Gonzalez, Jesus Lopez Vega, Antonio Cardenas, Emily M. Allen, Nadinadenada, Manuel Santillan, Alejandra Barba, Jose Duran, Noel Gonzalez, Alfonso Nava, Rosa Maria Iniguez, Julia Garrity, Miguel Aguayo, Francisco Gonzalez, Judy Dykstra-Brown, Robert Murphy and Isidro Xilonxochitl.
Pro-Auditorio
Pro-Auditorio, the group collecting funds for the renovation of Auditorio de la Ribera del Lago is bringing back another lip-sync show on February 9 (4 p.m.), 10th (6 p.m.), 11th (6 p.m.) and 12th (3 p.m.) at Club Exotica at the Jardin Restaurant in Ajijic principle plaza. Tickets for “The Dancing Lip Sync Show” are 150 pesos for general admission and 250 pesos for the VIP balcony (includes a free drink).
The lip-sync show last fall was a huge success and organizers expect this one to have a big turnout during this high season. This year Lady Gaga will be returning, along with Cher, Judy Garland, Carmen Miranda, Janis Joplin, Bobby Darin, The Spice Girls and many, many more from the ‘big time.’ Get your tickets now at the LCS Tickets, Etc. booth, Charter Club Tours and Auditorio de la Ribera del Lago.
Photography
The photography of Galeria Di Paola owner and operator Maria Di Paola Blum will be up for exhibit from Saturday, February 4 until February 29 at Ajijic’s Cultural Center. The reception begins at 5 p.m. on February 4. The theme of the show will be photos taken by Di Paola during Carnaval in Ajijic.
VIVA
VIVA la Musica! will make the ultimate operatic experience possible with a bus trip to Teatro Diana on Saturday, February 11 for the live stream of “Twilight of the Gods” from the New York Metropolitan Opera. The bus will leave Farmacia Guadalajara at 10 a.m. for the 11 a.m. show. Tickets are 300 pesos for VIVA members and 400 pesos for non-members. Call Marshall Krantz at 766-2834.
The first trip of the season to the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra will be Sunday, February 19 for the matinee performance of Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture” Borodin’s “Polovetsian Dance” from Prince Igor, Mozart’s “Piano Concert #8,” Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” and operatic choruses from various Verdi operas.
The bus will leave Farmacia Guadalajara at 10:30 a.m. for the noon performance at Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara. Tickets are 250 for VIVA members and 350 for non-members.
Payment for all bus trips is due two weeks before each performance.
Back at 4
Pianist Galen is back from his bout with a broken arm and will hold forth with the band Four Play in the garden of Restaurant 4 in Ajijic on February 2, 10 and 16. Sets are set for 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets for garden seating are 120 pesos per person and in the upper and lower levels of the restaurant, they are 100 pesos per person. Call 766-1360 for reservations.
Dance
The Sol de Mexico dance troupe of San Juan Cosala, directed by Luis Guzman, will present a program of traditional regional dances of Mexico on February 2, 9 and 16 at Auditorio de la Ribera del Lago in La Floresta. Tickets are 150 pesos and are on sale at the Auditorium.