Jazz Fest

Jazz musicians from Mexico, the United States, Costa Rica and France are listed in the line-up for Chapala’s International Jazz Festival, Friday, March 17 through Sunday, March 19 at the open-air stage located on the eastern leg of the city’s waterfront Malecón. 

Friday’s program begins 7 p.m. with a 45-minute set by the hometown’s Big Band de Rafael Terríquez, followed by Las Billies, an all-girl a capella vocal sextet from Guadalajara. The headline act will feature famed Hollywood musician, composer and arranger Gordon Goodwin, appearing at 8:45 p.m. with the Camouflage Big Band. Closing out the evening is contemporary jazz quartet Mx Fusion. 

Saturday, the Adrián Oropeza Trio start the show 7 p.m. with original latin themed compositions. The Waldo Madero Quintet, coming here from the Miami area to take the stage for close to an hour and a half. begin at 8 p.m. Mexico’s internationally acclaimed bass player Pepe Hernández and the Groove Gang will wrap up the final hour.

Sunday’s show kicks off at 6 p.m. with Sherele, a Guadalajara quartet dedicated to Klezmer jazz, a genre derived from traditional eastern European Jewish folk music. The group features French artist Nathalie Braux playing clarinet and accordion.  

Next, renowned Mexican trumpet player Chucho López leads his Big Band in a repertoire of familiar hits from the Great American Songbook. Bosquejo en Riesgo from Costa Rica follows, showcasing a selection of Latino fusion tunes. The Barrami Jazz quintet from Tampico caps off the festival.

The festival is free and open to the public.

Bravo! Theatre comedy 

Bravo! Theatre continues with its run of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha & Spike” March 17-19, with 7:30 p.m. shows Friday and Saturday and a 4 p.m. matinee Sunday. 

The winner of the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Play in 2013, this is a laugh-out-loud comedy that will also stimulate your mind. Directed by Lynn Phelan. Cast members are Tina Dawn Leonard, David Wharff, Diana Rowland, Christian Garcia, Amaranto Santos and Deborah Kloegman.

Tickets, 250 pesos, are available at Mia’s Boutique, Diane Pearl 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..

Painting Guild

The Lake Chapala Painting Guild invites the public to its last seasonal exhibit Friday, March 17 at the Centro Cultural Antigua Presidencia in Chapala. Refreshments will be served from 6 to 8 p.m.

Democrats Abroad

Democrats Abroad is sponsoring movies each Sunday dealing with U.S. politics, racial, economic and humanitarian issues. All the films are shown at Cinema del Lago in the Bugambilias Plaza in Ajijic, 1:30 p.m. 

The March 19 feature, “13th,” explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, in the context of the 13th Amendment, focussing on the fact that the nation’s prisons are disproportionately filled with African Americans. 

Tickets are 60 pesos and proceeds support the Democrats Abroad Lakeside Voter Registration program. For more information, 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..

LCS film buffs

English-language films are shown Thursdays at 2 p.m. to Lake Chapala Society (LCS) members (bring your card). March 23 the featured film is “The Eagle Huntress” (2016, Kazakhstan). Thirteen-year-old Aisholpan trains to become the first female in 12 generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle huntress.

Hollywood Divas

Internationally acclaimed celebrity impressionist Chi Chi Rones brings the best of Hollywood divas to the Auditorio de la Ribera Friday, March 24, 6 p.m. See Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Billie Holiday, Barbara Streisand, Shirley Bassey, Bette Davis, Eartha Kitt and more.

LLT romantic comedy

“Second Summer” by Gary Richards, directed by Paul Kloegman, is next up at the Lakeside Little Theatre Friday, March 24 to Sunday, April 2. 

“Second Summer” is about the rebirth of an older man who finds the long dormant teenager in himself still exists. After all, “it’s not how old you are, it’s how you are old.”

Cast members are Judy Long, Greg Clarke, Mary J. Hunt, Richard Miller and Florette Schuelle.

Tickets are now on sale at the box office, open Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to noon and every day except Sunday during the show. Also 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..

Live from the Met

Viva La Musica sponsors Saturday bus trips to the Teatro Diana in Guadalajara to view productions of Live from the Met. Opera screenings are March 25, “Idomeneo” by Mozart; April 22, “Eugene Onegin” by Tchaikovsky; and May 13, “Der Rosencavalier” by R. Strauss.

Bus tickets, 400 pesos (500 for non-Viva members), are available at LCS on Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon.

Artist collective

Jaime Barbiery will host the work of local artists at Parroquia 9 at the corner of Marcos Castellanos, across from San Andres Church and San Andres School, Saturday, March 25, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Patrons will see Jaime Barbiery’s designer photography, Shannon Kilkenny’s decorative color design, Victor Alcazar’s whimsical paintings and multimedia, Heber Barajas’ artisan jewelry, Asuni Soto’s multi media art, Cesar Alfonso Gonzalez’ Bonsai, work by clay artist Rafael Pineda and embroidered clothing by Maria Elena Mendoza.

JPO bus trips

Viva la Musica hosts bus trips to Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra concerts. Sunday, March 26: Old Testament themes including Bernstein’s “10 Commandments,” “Nabucco Overture” and “Samson and Delilah.”

Bus tickets, 450 pesos (550 for non-Viva members), are available at the Lake Chapala Society on Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon.

Cantantes del Lago

Los Cantantes del Lago community choir will put on their fun Spring Fever concert, Tuesday, and Wednesday, March 28 and 29, 4 p.m. at the Auditorio de la Ribera. The concert features music by the Beach Boys, disco, jazz standards and gospel, and more.  Guest musicians include Jimmy Barto, Vox Ens4mble and Esteban & Justin – the wonderful boy sopranos from ​Los Cantantes’ last holiday concert and this spring’s Showstoppers concert.  

These fabulous musicians, along with collaborative pianist Eleanor Stromberg and music director Timothy G. Ruff Welch, will make for ​an exciting and enjoyable event. Tickets are 250 pesos at Diane Pearl, Mia’s Boutique or at loscantantesdellago.com.

The Naked Stage

The next production of The Naked Stage readers’ theater is the riveting and timely play “Dry Powder” by Sarah Burgess, which deals with the heartless acquisition of big money by private equity firms. 

This show is directed by Phyllis Silverman and the cast includes Don Chaloner, Jon DeYoung, Alfred Kirkland, Geoffrey Long, and Jacinta Stringer. A razor sharp play about the price of success and the real cost of getting a deal done – no matter the consequences – provides a raw and riveting peek into the underbelly of private equity firms and the people who inhabit them. As all successful profiteers very well know it’s not about right or wrong or even business ethics. It’s all about the art of the deal.

The Naked Stage is located at Hidalgo 261 on the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar.

Performances are Friday, March 31 through Sunday, April 2, 4 p.m. Donation: 100 pesos. Box office and bar open at 3 p.m. Reservations recommended 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..