Theater
• Lakeside Little Theatre (LLT) will open its 61st season with the hilarious production “Menopause: The Musical,” Friday, October 3. Runs until Sunday, October 12. Matinees (Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays) at 4 p.m.; evening shows at 7:30 p.m.
The play features four women singing about “The Change” through parodies of baby-boomer classics and a four-woman chorus. The cast includes Deborah Lithander, Margaret Stricklett, Pauline Proulx, Kathleen Spaulding, Rebecca Gigante, Lynn Gutstadt, Su Elliot and Debbie Lichtenberg.
Says “Menopause” Director Robert Fineman, “Rehearsals remind me of the parties we went to in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s; although sex and drugs may only be fond memories, we still dance to the rhythm of rock n’ roll.”
Tickets, 500 pesos, are available at lakesidelittletheatre.com and before the shows at the box office.
• “Pastrana,” a celebration of friendship, joy and femininity, will be staged on Sunday, October 5, at 1 p.m. at the Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera. The work is presented by the company Desde Mi Ventana Veo and directed by Genesis Velasco. Admission is free.
Lake Chapala Orchestra
At press time, only 25 tickets remained for the Lake Chapala Orchestra’s penultimate concert of the year, set for Saturday, October 25, 2 p.m., at the Robert Kleffel Auditorium, Instituto Tecnológico de Chapala (Libramiento 200). The program features Beethoven’s monumental Third Symphony and Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, performed by more than 60 musicians under guest conductor Joan Landry.
Landry has served with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., the Oregon Symphony, and the Honolulu Symphony, and was Assistant Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony for three years. Tickets (400 pesos) can be reserved by email 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...">.
Casa Joco festival
Casa Joco hosts an art festival on Saturday, October 11, 2–10 p.m., with live music from Anagrama, Blanko y Negro and local bands, including What The Funk and Tito González, along with an afternoon jam session. Other attractions include live painting, artist exhibits, aerial and tightrope performances, fire dancing and a special appearance by Daniela Grace, Miss World Jalisco 2025. Food, beer and tequila will be available for purchase. Tickets, 200 pesos, may be reserved at 331-461-7617. Casa Joco is at Calle El Chante 5, near the Libramiento Jocotepec-Guadalajara.
Live Music
FRIDAY
• Mariachi Real Axixic celebrates its 9th anniversary with a concert featuring Mariachi Juevenil Axixic and musicians Chris Cuevas, Chuko Soto, Juanita Ulloa and Tim Johnson. 7 p.m. at the Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera. Tickets, 400 pesos, are available at the box office.
• What the Funk plays at 4to Sentido 4:30 p.m. Cover: 50 pesos.
SATURDAY
• Divas Divinas, Kristine Leigh and Christy Caldwell perform boleros, bosa nova and jazz with pianist Robertyo Mora, 6 to 8 p.m. at La Estacion Pizza. Cover: 150 pesos.
• A didactic traditional mariachi concert will be held at the Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera, noon. Performers include the Colectivo Mariachero de Polanco, Mariachi Tradicional Los de Occidente, Son del Coamil and Mariachi Tradicional Los Choznos. The groups will interpret sones, jarabes, rancheras and other genres and will explain to the public the origin, cultural context and the instruments that are used in this music.
SUNDAY
• Enjoy the vocal talent of mezzosoprano Mireya Ruvalcaba, soprano Lourdes Escutia, and tenor Jesús Miguel Frausto, accompanied by pianist César Castro, at the “Lyric Love: Opera Arias and Song” concert, 12:30 p.m. at the Centro Cultural Gonzalez Gallo in Chapala. Free entrance.
• Blue Jay Slim and the Blues Machine perform Sunday, October 5, 4 p.m. at Jorge’s Place, Carretera Pte 36 in Ajijic. Cover is 100 pesos.
• Flamenco Tablao with Chilean dancer Felipe Clivio and Venezuelan guitarist Luis Hernandez will team up with singer Solea Gollas, dancer Rodrigo Robles and Emilia Galvez on cajon, at La Cochera Cultural, 7 p.m. Tickets, 400 pesos with reservation, and 500 pesos available at the door (Javier Mina 49, in Ajijijc). Reserve 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..
COMING SOON
• A tribute to Chicago blues legends by the Escarabajo Blues Band will combine with a gourmet dinner on Friday, October 17, at Casa del Sol Inn. Dinner is at 5:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m. Don’t miss this event with Eric Miller on guitar and vocals, Omar Ramirez on keyboard, Alfonso Fuentes on bass, Archie Salcedo on drums and Chuco Soto on sax. Reservations: 376-766-0050.
• The Ajijic Cabaret Troupe (ACT) presents “Bewitched” on Thursday, October 23, with shows at 2 and 7 p.m. at El Bar Co. as a benefit for Niños Incapacitados. Doors open at 12:30 and 5:30 p.m.
Tickets, 500 pesos, are available by emailing 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.. Ticket pickup and payment dates are October 9 and 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. at El Bar Co. Seats are limited for each show. Please specify your choice of afternoon or evening show. Dinner selection will be available at that time.
The cabaret theme features songs of seduction, mystery, drama and enchantment. It’s a mix of music styles, from rock to Broadway to girl bands.
Many of the performers were seen earlier this year in the cast of “Man of La Mancha” at Lakeside Little Theatre. Others have performed at The BRAVO! and Bare Stage theatres. ACT will also be introducing new members Lynn Gutstadt, Kristine Leigh and Kathleen Spaulding, as well as special guest performers and welcoming back bassist Evaristo Leytte.
Art options
• Art in the Plaza, an arts and crafts shopping bazaar, will be held Saturday, October 4, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the main plaza in San Antonio Tlayacapan.
• The Lake Chapala Society will hold its monthly Art in the Garden event, Friday and Saturday, October 10 and 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find art from local artists, including the Neill James legacy artists, handicrafts, artisan creations, art cards and art from the LCS Children’s Art Program.
• The Efrén González Children’s Art Program is holding a Children’s Art Sale Friday, October 10, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Friday Art Market, held in La Huerta in West Ajijic, featuring a large collection of art cards – reproductions of original works created by the talented kids in the program. This sale includes brand-new art and a limited selection of original artwork will also be available. Fifty percent of all proceeds go directly to the young artists.
Phone Photography Class
What is the best camera to use? The one you have with you, says professional photographer Jill Flyer, who can teach you to get beautiful photos once you understand what you can do and what you cannot during a five-week class beginning Wednesday, October 15 at the CCA on the Ajijic Plaza. She will teach cell composition, portraiture and edits, while Robert Ashin will teach landscape and general rules of good photography.
The class will watch a slide show of iconic photography and discuss if they could have been shot with a cell camera. The last class will be a critique of student work. The cost is 650 pesos. Register 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..
Sing gospel
The Day 4 Life Ministries International presents Chapala Gospel, Sunday, October 19 and every third Sunday, 3 p.m. at Saint Andrew’s Anglican Church, San Lucas 19 in Riberas del Pilar. Join in joyful worship through music and fellowship. All voices welcome, no musical training required. 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..