Stepping out
Los Traficantes del Ritmo plays Adelita’s Bar & Grill in San Antonio Tlayacapan with Jonathan Guzman on vocals and guitar, Sergio Casas on bass and Chelo Gonzlez on drums, Friday April 1. Call 766-0097 for times and reservations.
Also Friday, Noe Raygoza and the Men in Black will be at The Iron Horse, in Riberas del Pilar starting 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 2, beginning 7:30 p.m., Tim Tracey and friends from groups La Cantrina, Blue Velvet and The Jayks will share many different styles of music in a jam night at the Bistro, Ocampo 71, Ajijic.
Also Saturday, jazz, Latin folk, bossa nova and world beat music of Yanin Saavedra is on at El Bar-Co. 100 pesos cover
Sunday, April 3, Blue Jay Slim & Blue Velvet will be playing together at El BarCo, beginning 4:30 p.m. Reserve your table at 766-0452.
Naked Stage
In the Naked Stage reader’s theater production of “Broadway Bound,” written by Neil Simon, once again we meet up with the Jerome family with whom we laughed and cried with a few years ago in Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” It is now about ten years later and the brothers are grown and trying to establish careers as comedy writers. The show runs Friday, April 1 to Sunday, April 3 at the new theater location at Hidalgo 261 in Riberas del Pilar, across from the Catholic Church and in front of the Baptist Church.
The Dog House bar and box office open at 3 p.m. and the show begins 4 p.m. Reservations recommended: 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..">.
Young artist
Erika Morales was among the advanced students in the Lake Chapala Society’s Children’s Art program who enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their talents at the revived LCS Arts and Crafts Fair held March 11 and 12.
Easter photo
This dramatic image of Jesus carrying his cross – later digitally enhanced – was taken by professional photographer Maureen Clark during the Ajijic Passion Play on Good Friday.
LLT Season Continues
Don’t miss the last three shows of the Lakeside Little Theatre production of “Other Desert Cities,” Friday to Sunday, April 1-3. The play was written by Jon Robin Baitz and is directed by Russell Mack. Cast members are Collette Clavadetscher, Peter Luciano, Candace Luciano, Debra Bowers and Damyn Young. (See the review on page 21.)
Tickets are on sale at the LLT box office through the run of show, 10 a.m. to noon, except Sunday. For more information, 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..
Youth Orchestra
The final in a series of four concerts to raise funds for the Lakeside Youth Philharmonic Orchestra will be held Saturday, April 2, 7 p.m. at the Hotel Real de Chapala, Ajijic.
A chamber orchestra consisting of youth orchestra teachers will present Edward Elgar’s “Serenade for Strings” as the principal piece. The musicians will be under the baton of Brazilian cellist Thiago Maximo Bezerra, the current director of the Youth Chamber Orchestra of Costa Rica.
A cash bar is open from 6 p.m. Tickets, 150 pesos, are available from Diane Pearl, Mia’s Boutique, Jose Melendrez Boutique and the Ajijic Cultural Center (on the plaza). They can also be purchased through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling (045) 333-128-3400. If requested, tickets totaling more than 500 pesos will be eligible for tax receipts.
ASA meets
Painter Stephany Long Andrews will be the speaker at the next meeting of the Ajijic Society of the Arts, Monday, April 4 at La Bodega. Andrews retired to Ajijic after spending the majority of her life in Silicon Valley. Her work and studies took her out of the country for six years, creating a love and fascination with other cultures and peoples. Since retiring she has devoted her time to painting and she uses many of the ideas she gleaned in her travels in her paintings.
Andrews began brush painting 40 years ago after being diagnosed with a severe illness and being given six months to live. An astute doctor felt that pursuing some creative outlet would be beneficial to helping her cope so she enrolled in a Chinese brush painting course at a nearby school. Needless to say, it worked on several levels. She survived and discovered a passion for the medium.
Andrews has studied with Yet Por Cheng, former director of the Art Institute of Taiwan, master calligrapher Shentien “Tom” Chow, and other esteemed professors in the United States and Singapore. She also studied at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China.
Andrews continues to study whenever she can. She also teaches brush painting and silk painting, another passion she developed about 12 years ago.
Andrews fell in love with Mexico and its people in 1957 when she came to Mexico City to study and it kept tugging at her heart until she answered the call a couple of years ago. She says she is happy to be back.
Piano Recitals
The Centro Cultural Gonzalez Gallo in Chapala continues its musical program with four piano recitals each Thursday at 7 p.m. in April.
April 7: Andrea Castañeda presents a program of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 9, a Chopin piece from the romantic period, one from Zacatecas composer Manuel Ponce, a bit of impressionism from Debussy and, with accompaniment from violin and violoncello, a rendition of Beethoven’s Trio Op. 1, No. 1.
April 14: Pianists S. Morales and Antonio Quiroz present first as soloists and then as a duo.
April 21: Pablo Haro Legaspi interprets music by Robert Schumann, Rachmaninoff and Chopin.
April 28: Juan Pablo Garcìa performs music by Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Prokofiev and Mexican composer Manuel Ponce.
Free admittance.
Art exhibits
Sol Mexicano Galeria de Arte will host a reception for whimsical painter Pat Apt and an end-of-the-season pottery sale by Robert Miller Friday, April 8, 4-7 p.m. The gallery is located at Colon 13, Ajijic.
“Fantastic Images” is the theme of an art show by Jesus Lopez Vega that opens at Studio 18 Art Gallery Friday, April 8, 4-7 p.m. Lopez Vega will be showing watercolors, artistic engraving and mixed media. Refreshments will be served. Studio 18 is located at Colon 18, Ajijic.
Jaime Barbiery and Karen Spenser offer up their photographs in “Inspirations Mexicana” at Gecko Art Gallery Studio, Saturday, April 9, with a reception from 5-7 p.m. Refreshments and entertainment will be offered. Gecko Gallery is located at Ocampo 61 (next to Manix) in Ajijic. The show will be up through April 22.
Bravo! Theatre
“Visiting Mr. Green” is next up at The Bravo! Theatre. Starring Roger Larson and Ken Yakiwchuk, this show is directed by Jayme Littlejohn.
“Visiting Mr. Green” is one of those “odd-couple” pieces in which two dissimilar characters are brought together, bicker entertainingly, and then discover that they have a stronger bond than they realized. Mr. Green is an 80-something Jewish man who lives alone. His beloved wife of 59 years has recently died, he isn’t eating properly and is at a dangerously low ebb. His visitor is Ross Gardiner, an American Express executive who almost ran over the old man. He is convicted of reckless driving, and his community service is to visit his near-victim weekly.
Shows run at The Bravo! Theatre (Rio Bravo 10) Friday, April 8 through Sunday, April 10 and Thursday, April 14 through Sunday, April 17. All shows are at 7:30 p.m., except the two Sundays at 4 p.m. Tickets, at 200 pesos, are available at Diane Pearl, Mia’s Boutique or 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..
ASA judged show
The Ajijic Society of the Arts 2016 judged show was held March 12. At the reception more than 250 people judged the Peoples Choice Award. Five professional judges were allowed in after the show was hung that afternoon.
Best of Show was taken by Enrique Velazaquez. Janice Meloche won the People’s Choice prize.
Winners in are listed below by category.
Watercolors. 1st: Enrique Velazaquez 2nd: Sonia Mocnik 3rd: (tie) Linda Dunn and Inak Gieysztor.
Sculpture. 1st: Melody Peterson 2nd: Dennis Meloche 3rd: Jan Steinbright.
Pottery. 1st: Frank Howell 2nd: Dennis Meloche 3rd: Deborah Elder.
Textiles. 1st: Winnie Hunt 2nd: Francisco Urzua/Janice Kimbell.
Oils. 1st: Jennifer Miller 2nd: Johan Dirkes 3rd: Betty Peterson.
Photography. 1st: Karen Spencer 2nd: Ardelle Holden 3rd: Patrick Holden.
Acrylics. 1st: Autry Fuller 2nd: Celina Haramis 3rd: Lois Schroff.
Jewelry. 1st: Linda Olson 2nd: Kate Schomp 3rd: Darlene Dehlin.
Mixed Media. 1st: Richard Warmowski 2nd: Marcia Lavender 3rd: Maryanne Linhart.
Viva bus trips
Throughout April, Viva la Musica continues to offer bus trips to Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra concerts at the Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara. Tickets are 350 pesos, (450 for non-members), available at the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) box office Thursdays and Fridays 10 a.m.- noon. Buses depart from the Carretera, just east of Farmacia Guadalajara in Ajijic.
Thursday, April 7: “Jalisco Talents” – Schubert, Symphony No. 8, Ponce, Mexican ballad with piano soloist Santiago Lomelin; conductor Jose Kamuel Zepeda. Bus departs at 4 p.m. with a stop at a fine restaurant – concert starts at 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 17: “The Art of Mendelsohn” – Mendelsohn, Violin Concerto with violin soloist Leticia Moreno; and Symphony No. 5. Bus departs at 10:30 a.m. – concert starts 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 21: Liszt and Mozart – featuring Guadalajara tenor Cesar Delgado singing Mozart arias and Liszt Faust Symphony – Marco Parisotto, conductor. Bus departs 4 p.m. for a restaurant – concert starts 8.30 p.m.
For more information about Viva bus trips, call Rosemary, (376)766-1801.
LLT Playhouse series
As part of the National Theatre Live/LLT Playhouse Series, Lakeside Little Theatre presents “Hamlet,” Saturday, April 16, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 17, 3 p.m.
Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the title role in Shakespeare’s great tragedy. As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart.
Reserved seat tickets for each performance are 200 pesos each. Choose and reserve your seat at the time you purchase and pick up your tickets at the LLT box office on a first-come, first-served basis. LLT box office hours are every Wednesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. to noon and one hour before curtain.