Ribera Arts Review - January 20, 2018

Ballet Photography

Jill Flyer will show the results of various sessions with the dance companies Joven Ballet Hernandez and the Jalisco Ballet, as well as a children’s ballet class, at an exhibit of 19 photos at Galeria Sol Mexicano on Friday, January 19.

The candid photos of dancers taking classes, relaxing and rehearsing were taken with natural light augmented with some added fluorescent light. Also showing at Sol Mexicano are fabric artists Gethyn Sodermann, Andrea Steell and Betsy Maier. And Nancy Gray will be signing her new poster “Viva Ajjic” from 3-6 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Galeria Sol Mexicano is located at Colon 13 in Ajijic.

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Other Worldly

Rising visionary artist Eos Otherre is the guest exhibitor at Efren González Studio-Gallery, Calle Marcos Castellanos 7, a half-block south of Ajijic’s San Andrés church.  Eos is a multidisciplinary artist who explores spiritual and mystical themes through diverse techniques in oil, watercolor, drawing, xylography and digital graphics.  He is currently studying for a degree in digital graphic design at the Universidad Interamericana para el Desarrollo in Guadalupe, Zacatecas.

More exhibitions

The Centro Cultural Ajijic is holding its annual Body Painting contest and exhibition Saturday, January 20, 5 p.m. Also on display at the center are oils, watercolors, sculpture and etchings, as part of the fifth Expo Collective “Grandes Talentos.” Music and a cocktail reception are planned for both exhibits.

The Centro Cultural Antigua Presidencia de Chapala will host an exhibition of ceramics by Guadalupe Torres entitled “The Before and the Now,” with an inauguration Friday, January 19, 6 p.m.

Lip Sync

See your Lakeside friends and neighbors perform top musical numbers at this year’s Ajijic Lip Sync show at the Auitorio de la Ribera, Friday, January 19, 4 p.m., Saturday, January 20, 7 p.m. and Sunday, January 21, 2 p.m. This is a benefit show to upgrade the Auditorium.

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Naked Stage

“The Lyons,” written by Nicky Silver and directed by Pierre Blackburn, is the next production of The Naked Stage Readers Theatre. The show runs from Friday, January 26 to Sunday, January 28.

The play is a black comedy about a standard-issue dysfunctional, middle-class, Jewish, suburban family. The basic joke of Silver’s savage comedy is that the characters are given license to speak their private thoughts out loud. The characters in Silver’s plays tend to be laugh-out-loud funny but also not very likeable people. Ever fond of dysfunctional families, Silver dreamed up a doozy here.

While the head of the family lies dying in hospital, family members humorously come and go, purging themselves of all thoughts and ideas that they would never have said otherwise to their father, husband and employer, causing havoc and humor.

Due to illness, there are two cast changes. Pam Pettus has replaced Linda Freeman and Grahame Lech has replaced Bob Jones. Thee other cast members are Deanne Barber, Johan Dirkes, Chris L’Ecluse and Clay McAdam.

Cost is 100 pesos. The box office and bar open 3 p.m.; all shows are at 4 p.m. Reservations 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..

The Naked Stage is on the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar, across from the Catholic church and in front of the Baptist church.  Parking is available in the parking lot of the Baptist church.

Viva Classical concert

Viva La Musica presents a harpsichord and piano concert Thursday, January 25 at the Haus der Musik in Ajijic, featuring Dutch-Israeli pianist Michael Tsalka playing Baroque and Romantic music. A champagne and canape reception begins 6 p.m. followed by the concert at 7 p.m.  The concert will be a musical tour of Europe with harpsichord interpretations of works by Rameau, J.S. Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Antonio Soler, W.F. Bach and Gyorgy Ligeti, followed by more modern piano pieces by Ferdinand Ries, Frederic Chopin, Pauline Viardot-Garcia, Isaac Albeniz and Franz Liszt.

Tsalka has recorded 20 CDs for a variety of labels and has been the artistic director of festivals in China, Sweden and Finland. Since 2014 he has been artistic director of the Geelvinck Fortepiano Festival in the Netherlands, in addition to the Across Bridges International Piano Festival in Shanghai.

Tickets, 500 pesos, are available at the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to noon or by calling Rosemary Keeling, 766-1801.

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Angels

Lakeside Little Theatre presents a National Theatre telecast of the two-part theatrical production of Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes.”

Set in the United States during the 1980s, “Angels in America” is presented in two parts.  Part I: “Millennium Approaches” and Part II: “Perestroika” combine to present a complex, compelling look at AIDS and homosexuality in America in the midst of the epidemic.

This Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning epic contains a stellar cast, including Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge), Denise Gough (People, Places and Things), Nathan Lane (The Producers) and James McArdle (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens).

Proceeds from both performances will benefit Ajijic Cares, an organization dedicated to generating a culture of respect and inclusion against the social reality of HIV.

Part I: “Millennium Approaches” will be presented Saturday, January 27, 3 p.m. Part II: “Perestroika” will be shown Sunday, January 28, 3 p.m. Tickets are 300 pesos per performance, or 500 pesos for both performances when purchased together. Tickets area available at the LLT box office Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to noon.

For more information, call Christopher Wessel, (332) 212-7080, 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..

Trips to the opera

Viva La Musica continues bus trips to see live opera telecasts from the New York Met at the Teatro Diana in Guadalajara.

Trips to the opera are 450 pesos (550 for non-members), available at LCS ticket booth Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to noon, or by calling Rosemary Keeling 766-1801.

Saturday, January 27: “Tosca” by Puccini. A story of tragic love with Sonya Yoncheva as Tosca, Vittorio Griogolo as Cavaradossi and Bryn Terfel as Scarpia. The show runs three hours. The bus departs at 10:30 a.m. for the noon show.

Saturday, February 10: “Elixir of Love” by Donizetti. A comedy of love with Pretty Yende as Adina, Matthew Polenzani as Nemorino, and Devide Luciano as Belcore. The show runs three hours. The bus departs at 9:30 a.m. for the 11 a.m. show

Saturday, February 24: “La Boheme” by Puccini: this popular opera features some of the most ravishing opera arias and stars Sonya Yoncheva as Mimi and Michael Fabiano as Rodolfo. The show runs three hours. The bus departs at 10 a.m. for the 11:30 a.m. show

Saturday, March 10: “Semiramide” by Rossini. This masterpiece of dazzling vocal fireworks stars Angela Meade as Semiramide, Elizabeth DeShong as Arsace, and acclaimed Mexican tenor Javier Camarena. The show runs four hours. The bus departs at 10:30 a.m. for the noon show.

Bravisimo!

As part of the Bravissimo! concert series, featuring singers from Guadalajara, Mexico City and Lakeside, tenor David de la Mora will present “Canciones del Mundo” – “Songs of the World” on Monday, February 5.

On Sunday, March 18, tenor Ricardo Calderon, winner of several national awards, showcases a selection of composers from Spain.

Timothy G. Ruff Welch is the collaborative pianist for all the concerts.

Welch is the director of the Zapopan Municipal Choir, Los Cantantes del Lago and the Minister of Music at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church. He has performed around the world as a pianist, chorister and director.

Tickets for these concerts may be purchased individually for 300 pesos, or as a series at 1,000 pesos for four concerts, at Diane Pearl, Mia’s Boutique or 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..

All the concerts will be presented at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church.

Ballet de jalisco at auditorio

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Viva La Musica presents a Ballet Gala featuring solo pieces, pas-de-deux and ensemble pieces with the acclaimed Ballet de Jalisco under the direction of Dariusz Blajer, Friday, February 2, 6 p.m., at the Auditorio de la Ribera in La Floresta. Tickets, 300 pesos, are available at Diane Pearl, Mia’s Boutique and LCS, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to noon. The Ballet de Jalisco is this state’s only full-time professional classical dance troupe.  Although not highly paid, the dancers are very talented and dedicated.