Events are listed by date, like a calendar: past events, then those planned for the future. Some organizations offer multiple events, and these items appear toward the end of the column.
February 25 Sol y Luna showed artwork of photography, terracotta painted items, paintings, and a variety of other creative endeavors. Ajijic writer Bonnie Phillips exhibited her photography for the first time, along with Juan Ramon Soto, Jaime Barbiery, Ken Brown, and Chris Wren. Dilia, the Latina jazz singer, entertained along with a young man named Victor who plays violin. Jaime gave a salsa demonstration and there was a raffle of art. This was a creative opening for its variety of food and entertainment.
Mother’s Favorite Drinking Glass (Bonnie Phillips)
On February 27 in Ajijic, the 32nd annual Chili Cook Off parade featured the Lake Chapala Shrine Club Legion of Honor (military veterans) as flag bearers. Shrine Club members led the kick off parade with the Mexican beauty Queen riding in Noble Jim Powers 1930 Model A Roadster driven by Shrine Club President, Perry King.
Chili Cook Off Queen rides with Shriner President, Perry King
Throughout March the winning photos of the contest La Vida en Chapala were displayed at Galeria Quattro on Colon in Ajijic. The three judges, well known photographers here, were Maria di Paola Blum, Xill Fessenden and Rebecca Ford. The winners are:
Professional
#1 Sheree Harris Young girl with confetti
#2 Barbara Grist Man with mask at a fiesta
#3 Janice Kimball View of the malecon
Amateur
#1 Cathy Chalvignac Pier and lake
#2 Catherine Guyomarch Musician carrying bass
#3 Schomp, Kate Car dashboard with cows outside
(b/w)#1 Myrna Gabriela Ramos Three Children
#2 Jaime Barbiery Graffiti
#3 Ricardo Hinojosa Zamora View of the lake
Honorable Mention
Catherine Guyomarch Girl asleep
Alberto Rojas Serrano Cart peddler on malecon
Bruce Lloyd Accordion
Guillermo Gaona Peddler with baskets
On March 4, Katie B. Goode, representing the Lake Chapala Writers Conference, met with Padre Beto Macías of Niños y Jόvenes in San Juan Cosalá. There are 80 children who live there under his care. Padre Macías accepted a donation of $5,000 pesos in the name of the Hotel Real de Chapala of La Floresta.
Padre Beto Macías of Niños y Jόvenes
Across the lake at Villa Infantil de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y San José, an orphanage for 28 small children, water problems have become an issue for Todd Stong and his volunteers. They have learned that a 2” pipe services a 10 HP pump at the well and that a 3 HP pump would serve better and cost less. Todd will speak about infrastructure matters like this one at Open Circle at the Lake Chapala Society on April 18. See more on page two of Lakeside Living.
March 5 at Opus Boutique featured an art show with photography by Jill Flyer, artwork by Victor Alcazar and jewelry by Susy Wright. Botanas were offered to the guests.
La Feria en Mezcala
Diana Kennedy has written nine books on cooking, not the ordinary but special foods. CASA members and other invited guests attended the presentation on her work, honoring her latest effort on cooking the foods of Oaxaca. It is a beautiful tabletop book in Spanish with photos and recipes. The author is an International celebrity in the culinary world, who has received awards in Mexico and other countries. Check her out in Wikipedia.
Diana Kennedy, Maru Kent
 On March 15 over two hundred people attended One Thousand and One Nights for the benefit of Lakeside School for the Deaf and Children with Special Needs (Centro de Atenciόn Múltiple de Gallaudet). Two exotic belly dancers, Kristine Moily and Kristina Barker, entertained during cocktails. Lakeside School for the Deaf and Children with Special Needs is a non-profit organization supporting education for deaf children. For more information on the group and volunteer opportunities, check the School for the Deaf website at lakesideschoolforthedeaf.org.
In March Los Cantantes del Lago put on their Spring Concert. Their Magnificent Movies & Opulent Operas program provided musical numbers, costuming, dance and comedy ranging from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado to others like Carmen, Funny Girl, Phantom of the Opera, The Mission and more. Special mention to Fernando F. Alvarez and Eleanor Stromberg for their piano duo and to Ballet Folklόrico del Ayuntamiento de Chapala: Zayda Zarmudio (director), Karen Palma, Román Esquival y Antonio de la Torre. Part of the stage decoration were three mariachi sculptures. Auctioned off with a bit of comedy, the mariachis brought $10,000 pesos for the Ballet Folklόrico group. This show was terrific and received a well earned standing ovation.
Phantom of the Opera sung by Los Cantantes
On April 4 – 6, 7:30 p.m. on Sunday and Monday and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, My, My, How Nice! Productions presents Murder at the Howard Johnson’s, a comedy love-murder triangle. The show is at Sol y Luna, Rio Bravo #10. It stars Peter Palmer, owner of Pedro’s Gourmet and GO Le Club restaurants. Michael Warren and Jayme Littlejohn costar, direction by John Ward. Ticket prices are $200 pesos, on sale at Diane Pearl Colecciones and Suzy’s Consignments or by email at mymynownice@gmail.com. A portion of all My, My How Nice Productions goes to CREM, the children’s symphony.
Murder at the Howard Johnson’s
EVENTS TO COME:
On April 16 – 18 Naked Stage will do a play reading of Over the River and Through the Woods, directed by Ann Swinton. This will be at 3A Calle de Zaragoza, just off Colon in Ajijc. The theater will then move to Sol y Luna, just south of the carretera on Rio Bravo. The first performance at Sol y Luna, the May reading, will be The Seafarers, directed by Don Chaloner, and will be presented May 14 – 16. Readings will include provocative works which you may not see elsewhere Lakeside. Also, Naked Stage does readings all year long, giving Lakeside residents something new and spicy each month all year long. Ticket donations, starting in May, are only 70 pesos each. Reservations are a must. Performance times are 3 – 5 p.m. For more information, please call 766 – 2044.
On April 16 at the Lakeside Mall, the radio play The Scam will be presented as a fundraiser on behalf of Los Niños de Chapala y Ajijic. Watch the antics of Dugan and Paddy in their pursuit of financial rewards. The cast stars Liz White, Fred Koesling and Michael Warren. The Heist, the second in the set of three plays about Dugan and Paddy will be presented September 17, and The Snatch, the third play, will appear on November 5. Each will be held in a Dinner Theater atmosphere along with a silent auction. Dinner, catered by Panino’s, will be served at 6 p.m. and the play will begin at 7:00 p.m. The three plays were written by Larry Reeves who, before turning to play writing, had a career in children’s book publishing in New York City.
All proceeds go to Los Niños de Chapala y Ajijic, a 40 year old non-profit organization working to improve the lives of Lakeside children through education. For more information, please visit their website at www.LakesideNinos.org.
Tickets are $250 pesos, available at LCS, the Los Niños office at Chacaltita 20A, Chapala, or the Los Niños table in front of Salvador’s Restaurant each Wednesday morning. If you would like to make seating reservations for a large group, please call Ruth Davis, 766-2988.
The American Legion post #7 schedule for April:
Sundays: 12 – 3 p.m. Legion grill burgers
Apr 7 – 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.: US Consulate (no Social Security)
Apr 8 – 5 p.m. Auxiliary dinner: hasta la pasta
Apr 17 – 5 p.m. Legion dinner: surf ‘n turf
Apr 22 – 5 p.m. Facility dinner: mango chicken
Lakeside Little Theatre news:
On stage now is LLT’s sixth and final show for the present season, Cash on Delivery. Bob Coull is directing Michael Cooney’s rollicking farce about a con artist, welfare fraud, and a whole lot of mistaken identity. Performances are April 3 through 11, 2010.
– LLT’s Cash on Delivery
LLT invites all members who volunteered in any capacity during the 2009 – 2010 Season to our annual Applause Party on Saturday, April 17 from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Theatre. Lakeside Little Theatre thanks all of its enthusiastic and generous volunteers, members and patrons for another successful season.
LLT’s Annual General Meeting on March 17 elected Larry King, Secretary, and Bob Coull, Treasurer. Pat Carroll remains as President by acclamation. All three positions will serve two year terms.
Season 46 plays and directors (2010 – 2011) in order of production:
1. Our Lady of the Tortilla by Luís Santeir, directed by Sally Jo Barlett, scheduled to run October 2 – 10, 2010
2. Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward, directed by Shirley Appelbaum, scheduled for November 6 – 14, 2010
3. Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig, directed by Roger Tredway, running December 11 – 19, 2010
4. Tribute by Bernard Slade, directed by Allen McGill, playing January 15 – 23, 2011
5. The Pajama Game by Richard & Eleanor Stromberg, choreography by Alexis Hoff, scheduled for February 26 – March 8, 2011
6. The Foreigner by Larry Shue, directed by Robert Coull will show April 2 – 10, 2011
Season tickets are $800 pesos per reserved seat for six plays from October 2010 through April 2011, including LLT Membership. Individual tickets are $150 pesos.
Open Circle at LCS on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m.:
Apr 4 Joanne Fleming Valin
Apr 11 Lynda Cole
Apr 18 Todd Stong – infrastructure update
Apr 25 Bill Frayer – poetry
May 2 Graham Miller
Todd Stong
Says Todd Stong, Open Circle speaker for April 18, the 20-year future of north shore development begins with growth from 350,000 people living around the edge of the lake to as much as 600,000, representing 2 – 3% growth. Of the total currently there are 20,000 gringos on the north shore. In addition, Guadalajara will continue to grow, perhaps to 7 million, with an influx of the “Guad Squad” every weekend and holiday, encouraging home purchases by those who can afford a place on a beautiful, recreational lake set in the mountains and cooled by breezes year round. The 2011 games will encourage more people to settle here, and gringo Baby Boomers will reach their peak within the next 10 years. We can estimate growth at 3500 foreigners (that’s us) per year. What’s happening to accommodate traffic and parking? Come to Open Circle and hear the full story.
VIVA! La Musica:
The Appreciation Gala at St. Andrews February 2 was a great success. The recital by four young violinists playing the pieces they would play in a competition the next day was excellent. If you missed the party, call Ann Barry at 766-2942 to renew your membership for 2010.
Zacatecas Catedral, begun in 1612 and completed about 150 years later
There are still seats available for the fabulous trip to Zacatecas, featuring the opera, Armida, with Rene Fleming, simulcast from the Met, as well as other events including a one day trip to Jerez. Four-star hotel accommodations with breakfast and museum entry fee plus side trips are included for a cost of $4,350 pesos for Viva members, and $4,550 pesos for non-members. A reduced single supplement fee of only $1,000 pesos is available.
Don’t miss this wonderful trip which also features a visit to the archaeological site, “La Quemada.” An English speaking guide will be available for the entire trip. The complete itinerary is available from Grupo Turquesa. Reservations can be made at 766 – 5435. Deposit of $2,000 pesos is due by March 24 with the remaining balance due March 31.
Mark your calendars for the up-coming events:
June 17 Piano Trio with Chris Wilshere
July 15 Jalisco State Chorus
Aug. 19 Issac Ramirez, Cello, and Andres Sarre, Piano
Sept. 14 Ensemble Filarmonica with Luciano Perez and soprano, Dolores Moreno
Oct. 21 Rigoletto, a fully staged opera
Tickets go on sale at LCS June 1 – June 17. Season tickets will be: members $1,100 pesos and non-members $1,250 pesos. Single tickets are $250 pesos for members and $300 pesos for non-members. The Opera will cost $300 pesos for members, and $350 pesos for non-members.
The installation of railings has been completed and the next project, the acoustics, involving a stage and ceiling sound reflector, will begin soon. An architect who sings with Los Cantantes will be conferring with Viva on these improvements. Funds raised from “Lip Synch” are ear-marked for this project.
If you would like to help with the up-coming Concert Series including ticket sales, hospitality, setting up, programs, and ushering, please call Rosemary Keeling at 766 – 1801. Thanks to all of you for your continued support. |
