‘Chapter Two’
Lakeside Little Theatre finishes its run of Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical play “Chapter Two” with performances Friday, December 9 through Sunday, December 11. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased one hour before show time at the box office, and from 10 a.m. to noon on all show days, except Sunday. The price is 200 pesos. Call 766-0954 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Auditions
Lakeside Little Theatre holds auditions for “Chicago The Musical” Friday and Saturday, December 9 and 10, 10 a.m. at the theater. Show dates are February 17-28, 2017.
Wanted are four women and two men who sing, dance and act (principal roles) plus dancers and singers for the ensemble and smaller roles. LLT welcomes and encourages everyone
interested in acting, new and experienced, to attend auditions for any of this season’s plays.
Contact Sandy Topazio for scripts at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and Barbara Clippinger for information at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Winner
Karen Richardson won the People’s Choice prize at Paint Out Ajijic 2016 hosted by the Lake Chapala Painting Guild December 3. She painted an acrylic scene of a willow by the lake. Several participants painted along the shores of Ajijic and lots of viewers dropped by to enjoy the art.
Pottery
Master potter Frank Howell holds a pre-Christmas sale of his and his associates’ work Friday, December 9 and Saturday, December 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Lirios 40 in Mirasol.
Art exhibit
Claudia Nery opens an exhibit of her new works Friday, December 9, 4-6 p.m. at Sol Mexicano Galeria del Arte, Colon 13 in Ajijic. Wine and botanas will be served. For information, call 766-0734.
Choral music
Mark your calendar and arrive early to your chosen venue to be sure you don’t miss the brand new 17-voice Lake Chapala Chorale concerts featuring some of the best-loved Christmas music from the middle ages to the present day.
The concerts are free of charge (donations are welcome). Saturday, December 10, 4 p.m., at Lakeside Presbyterian Church (one-hour concert); Tuesday, December 13, 5:30 p.m., at the Lake Chapala Baptist Church (15-minute show as part of the church’s variety show); and Friday, December 23, 7:30 p.m., at La Bodega restaurant (30 minutes of a cappella concert and 30 minutes of audience carol sing-along).
Holiday theatrics
A modern version of a traditional Christmas season Pastorela (Shepherd’s Play) will be staged by students of the Universidad Autónima de Guadalajara Sunday, December 11, 7 p.m., at the Centro Cultural Antigua Presidencia, housed at Chapala’s former townhall. Admission is free of charge.
The Pastorela dates back to Mexico’s Colonial period, when Spanish missionaries presented dramatizations of the Christmas story to teach Christian doctrine to the natives.
The plot revolves around the shepherds’ trek to Bethlehem to adore the new born baby Jesus. It opens with the Archangel Michael announcing the birth of the Messiah. But along the way the Devil and his entourage of demons pop in, intent on interrupting the journey by baiting the travelers with earthly temptations.
Scripts for contemporary audiences are usually loaded with humorous antics and dialogue tying in to current social and political themes.
Holiday music
Pianist Galen will perform his “Music for The Holidays” concert on three consecutive Tuesdays: December 13, 20 and 27. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served before the 90-minute show that also features some of the best musicians lakeside has to offer.
A true entertainer, Galen takes his audience on a journey of seasonal holiday music with unique arrangements. These unforgettable candlelight concerts are intimate groups held in his home. Tickets, 400 pesos, must be purchased in advance. For more information and tickets, contact Wendy Hamblin, 766-4835, or see www.concertsbycandlelight.com.
Crooner
Twenty-three-year-old singing sensation Paul Fracassi presents his all-new 20th Century Crooners show — a nostalgic look at the best loved hits of some of music’s most iconic stars: Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Harry Connick Jr. and Nat King Cole, among others. The show is Wednesday, December 14, 6 p.m. at the Auditorio de la Ribera.
In this trip down memory lane, Fracassi effortlessly reaches soaring high notes and demonstrates the fabulous dance moves and choreography of the 1950’s and 60’s.
Tickets are available from Diane Pearl, Jose Melendrez, or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Big Band
Viva la Musica presents a concert by the popular Rafael Terriquez Big Band at the Auditorio de la Ribera, Thursday, December 15, 6 p.m. The band will play an eclectic program, including classics from the likes of Glen Miller and the Beatles, as well as a few surprises. Tickets (300 pesos) are available at the Auditorio, the LCS box office, Mia’s Boutique, and Diane Pearl. For further information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Rock fest
Punto Cero Nueve Fest will bring together rock, reggae, Ska and hip-hop groups from lakeside and metro Guadalajara Saturday, December 17, noon to midnight at Chapala’s Coliseo Benito Juarez, at the north end of Avenida Madero next to the municipal soccer field. Pre-sale tickets are 50 pesos, with admission paid at the gate costing a few pesos more.
JPO bus trip
Viva la Musica is sponsoring a bus trip from Lakeside to the Degollado Theater in Guadalajara to see the Jalisco Ballet perform The Nutcracker (500 and 600 pesos), Sunday, December 18. Bus departs 10.30 a.m. Bus trip tickets are available at the Lake Chapala Society, Thursdays and Fridays, from 10 a.m. to noon. Call Rosemary Keeling, 766-1801, for more information.
Art on the beach
The Lake Chapala Painting Guild is holding a three-month exhibition/sale of their paintings at upscale boutique hotel/restaurant Chantli Mare by the Sea in Boca de Iguana, Jalisco, just a few kilometers north of La Manzanilla. Plan to go for lunch or dinner. The food is exceptionally fine (as are the paintings).