WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO GO
This week's theatre
¦ Technicolor Dreamcoat Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat plays at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre through Aug. 18. The age-old Biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to life on stage as a colorful musical for all ages. Andrew Lloyd Webber teams up with collaborator Tim Rice to tell this compelling story from the Old Testament. The story, told through a kaleidoscope of song and dance, is set in the desert of the Middle East many centuries ago. Ticket prices range from $25 to $50. During the summer, children 18 and under are just $18 for dinner and the show. For tickets call the box office at 278-4422. Visit www.broadwaypalm. com for information.
¦ Get Down Tonight Get Down Tonight is playing at the Schoolhouse Theater on Sanibel. Performances are Tuesdays and Saturdays. The cast has familiar faces Victor Legarreta, Bobby Logue, and Samantha Rotella. You've seen her on the island in the past, but it'll be Tammy Truitt's first time at the new location of The Schoolhouse Theater. Yurief Rodriguez will also be joining the cast. During the summer, the Box Office is only open the day of performances - from 2 to 7 p.m. All shows begin at 7 p.m. with ticket prices of $20 for adults and $10 for children. The summer seasons ends on August 25th. For tickets and information, call The Schoolhouse Theater Box Office at 472-6862 or at www.theschoolhousetheater. com.
¦ Shakespeare
The Theater Conspiracy new show "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" blends 191 of the Bard's works (37 plays and 154 sonnets) into two acts. They are to be blended into each other in a manner intended to provoke hilarity. The play is performed at the Off Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre through Aug. 18. Shows are Thursday through Saturday evenings and selected matinees. Tickets are $19-$39. The Off Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is located at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers. For information call 936-3239 or on the Web at www.theatreconspiracy.org
Thursday, Aug. 16
¦ Music - American Idol's Clay Aiken, along with a 42-piece orchestra, will perform at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at 7:30 p.m.. Tickets are $43 to $73 and are on sale at the box office, by calling 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com. Groups of twenty or more, please call (239) 489-3033 extension 3122.
Saturday, Aug. 18
¦ Art - The Arts for ACT annual auction to benefit Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc. will be held at the Coconut Point Hyatt in Bonita Springs. Artworks are from featured artists such as Romero Britto and Robert Rauschenberg. More than 115 pieces of art, ranging from paintings, sculpture and jewelry, will be included in the auction. Tickets are $125. For more information call Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc. at 939-2553 or email cgoode@actabuse.com.
¦ Jazz - Palm City Jazz perform on Center Stage at Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda from 5 p.m. until 8. The band features Dixie- land to Swing to Singalongs, all the favorites you remember. Palm City Jazz has been together for five years, and features Pat O'Brien, the leader on banjo and vocals, Bob Schroeder on clarinet, and Jim Syoen on tuba.
¦ Musical - A Cracker at the Ritz, an orignial play about the foibles and absurdities of life in Southwest Florida is performed by local players Rick Compton and Betsy Bennett at the English Pub, Linwood Avenue, Naples. The alloriginal satire features songs such as "Red Tide In The Sunset" and "Barron Collier High." Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8. Tickets are $25. For information call (239) 774-2408 or go to www. comptonandbennett.com.
¦ Concert - Gulf Coast Town Center holds a free Summer Concert Series every Saturday night from 8-10 p.m., through Aug. 25 at the stage in Market Plaza located in front of Borders. Attendees of all ages will enjoy dance acts and musical entertainment that will include an array of entertainment from Rock, Pop, Jazz, Blues, and Country throughout the summer, offering fun for the entire family. For information call 267-0783 or on the Web at www.gulfcoasttowncenter. com
Sunday, Aug. 19
¦ Comedy- Comedian Kathy Griffin, star of the Bravo series "My Life on the D-List," returns to the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall Sunday, Aug. 19 in an all new show. Tickets are on sale at the Box Office, by calling 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com. Griffin is a Chicago native who began building her resume with guest starring roles on such series as "Mad About You," "ER," and also appeared as the recurring character Sally Weaver, on "Seinfeld." A multi-faceted performer she is probably best known for her fouryear stint on the NBC sitcom "Suddenly Susan" as Vickie Groener, Brooke Shields' acerbic colleague.
Tuesday, Aug. 21
¦ Tribute - The Fort Myers Miracle baseball team will host Military Appreciation Night in honor of all our soldiers. The Miracle play the Dunedin Bluejays at 7:05 p.m. Service men and women get in free. A a tribute song titled "Our Hearts Are With You" composed by Michelle Piccolo will be performed live in honor of all of our soldiers.
Ongoing events
¦ Art - The 2007 Alliance Member show- "One Foot Square" - runs through Sept. 1 at the The Alliance for the Arts. Each framed piece shown will measure "one-foot square," the rest is up to the artist.
The Alliance for the Arts galleries are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 to 3 on Saturdays. It's located at 10091 McGregor Boulevard just south of Colonial Boulevard. Visit www.artinlee.org for more details.
¦ Art - Visitors and residents are welcome to see paintings by members of the Sanibel-Captiva Art League at the Sanibel Public Library and in BIG ARTS Phillips Gallery. In addition to tropical scenes and local wildlife there is a large variety of still life and other subjects in oil, acrylic, pastel, collage and watercolor. The different interpretations of large and small colorful artworks range from representational to expressionistic and abstract. Many of the artists have won awards in juried exhibitions. Both buildings are on Dunlop Road near City Hall. Call the library, 472-2483, or BIG ARTS, 395-0900, for hours.
¦ Art - The Friends of the Cape Coral Library have a new exhibit which runs through September 13. The Gallery, located at the Cape Coral Library, 921 SW 39th Terrace, off Mohawk Boulevard, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Featured artists are Kathy Logan and Paul David Adamick. Logan is an art instructor at Cape Elementary School and is a nationally accredited teacher. Adamick, an art instruction at Caloosa Elementary, is proficient in art forms including clay, airbrush and wire sculpture. He combines airbrushed canvases and bent wire to create tropical onland and below-the-sea scenes.
¦ Art - What fun! Exaggerated and fictional images that first appeared on postcards in the early 1900s. Storytelling through the Mail at the Art League of Bonita Springs features the masters of the "golden age" of the American postcard in the early twentieth century through to the present. Enjoy the humor and delight in the imagination of these marvelous little artworks. A great exhibition for all ages. It is open and free to the public through Sept. 22. The Center for the Arts is located at 26100 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs. For information call 239-495-8989 or on the Web at www.artcenterbonita.org
¦ Art - 3 Women of Merit: 45th Founders Award Winners features the work of Bettina Edwards, Pat Kumicich and Doris Ramos. The trio all won top awards in last fall's Founders show. They will exhibit new works in photography, paintings and contemporary quilts. At the von Liebig Art Center, Naples. For information call (239) 262-6517 or on the Web at www. naplesart.org.
Upcoming events
¦ Theater - Off Broadway's longest running musical - I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change! - comes to Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre beginning Thursday, Aug. 23. This hilarious musical comedy delves into dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws. As a "season opener special" all tickets are just $35 for dinner and show. For tickets call the box office at 278-4422. Visit www.broadwaypalm. com for information.
¦ Comedy - Comedian Ron White will perform at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall Thursday, Sept. 22. Tickets are available at the box office, by calling (239) 481-4849 or online at www. bbmannpah.com. Groups of twenty or more, please call (239) 489-3033 extension 3122. ¦ Tori Amos - One of the most outspoken, creative singer/songwriters of our time, Tori Amos, will return to Fort Myers on Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Amos' first appearance was in 1996. Tickets are on sale at the box office, by calling 481-4849 or online at www. bbmannpah.com. Groups of twenty or more, please call (239) 489-3033 extension 3122. The Fort Myers engagement is sponsored by Chico's Charities.
¦ Star gazing - The Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium in Fort Myers will let star gazers peer though and learn about telescopes. The event will be held on Friday, Aug. 24 at the center. Admission is free but reservations are required. The Nature Center is located at 3450 Ortiz Ave. Call 275-3435.
