December 10
A hang glider has to haul one of those big nylon sets of wings to a cliff. And a parasailor's rig includes boat, parachute, and of course a large body of water. Making use of a flying inflatable boat sounds not nearly as complicated. The two-seat pontoon skiff is outfitted with an outboard motor that has a propeller above water. The boat is pushed along with a blast of air until it's going fast enough for takeoff. At that point, wind under the hang glider-style wings attached to the boat keep it airborne, and the pilot "steers" by tilting the wings. If you're interested you can check out a radio-controlled miniature of the craft at The Outdoor Show in Fort Lauderdale. The trade show -- which includes demonstrations of paintball, rock-climbing, and other adventure sports -- runs today through Sunday at the Broward Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd. Admission is $6 per day. Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. today and Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call 800-404-7469.
Friday
December 11
Among actors "break a leg" means "good luck," but dancers aren't in the habit of saying the same just before they go on stage. For Lisa Giobbi, however, breaking a bone was a bit of a godsend. While performing during a televised dress rehearsal with the modern dance company Momix, she broke a bone in her foot. Because she knew the recovery process would take a while, she called on her previous experience as a circus aerialist and began choreographing routines for herself and a partner that combined trapeze stunts and dance theater. In Falling Angel, for example, she and associate choreographer Timothy Harling, another Momix veteran, hang high above the stage and perform an erotic ballet of caressing and cradling. The Lisa Giobbi Movement Theater, created in 1991 as a result of that broken foot, will perform excerpts from Angel and other works (some of which contain partial nudity) during 8 p.m. shows today and Saturday at the Kravis Center For the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Tickets cost $25. Call 561-832-7469 or 800-572-8471.
Saturday
December 12
As Jews, Alisa Lebow and Cynthia Madansky were already members of an often disparaged minority group. As lesbians, the two filmmakers were facing a double whammy of potential discrimination. And regardless of what others might feel about them, the pair, who met and fell in love at a Passover Seder, had to balance their strong religious beliefs with their sexual orientation. In their autobiographical documentary, Treyf, which takes its name from the Yiddish term for "not kosher," they explore those issues in a witty, personal style, with camera operators following them on a trip from New York City to Israel and back. Following a screening of the film December 17 at the Ninth Annual Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival, the codirectors will talk about their work and how they've come to terms with their beliefs. The festival, which begins today and runs through December 20, features 19 movies from 11 countries. Films ($5 for matinees, $7 for evening showings) screen at the Carefree Theatre, 2000 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach. Call 561-833-7305. See "Film" listings for the schedule.
Sunday
December 13
It's tough to imagine Ebenezer Scrooge singing at all, but in American Family Theater's musical production of A Christmas Carol, he does just that, and his debut, "Bah Humbug," is an appropriate one. Later on -- after the ghosts have spooked him with flashbacks of his miserable life and possible future -- he belts out the uplifting "Imagination." In this version of the classic Dickens tale, long-suffering Bob Cratchit, his kids Ellie and Tiny Tim, and the Christmas spirits -- past, present, and future -- all take vocal turns. The show will be presented at 2:30 p.m. today at the Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center (1770 Monroe St., Hollywood) as part of the Broadway For Kids program. Tickets cost $8. Call 954-921-3404.
In his instrumental version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," jazz saxophonist Dave Koz replaces the lyrics with breathy musical notes. A piano softly chimes out the church-bell introduction, and lush background orchestration lends an air of grandeur to the song. Then, halfway into the song, Koz ditches the languid, legato phrasing for spunky sax runs, adding a jazz flair. Soon enough, though, he's back on track, musically wishing listeners happy holidays. And during tonight's Smooth Jazz Christmas concert at the Pompano Beach Amphitheatre (18th Avenue and NE Sixth Street, Pompano Beach) he'll be joined by fellow musicians David Benoit, Brenda Russell, and Peter White. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $21 and $27.50. Call 954-946-2402.
Monday
December 14
He ain't Pavarotti -- yet. But tenor Richard Leech is already highly regarded, and he was tapped to fill in for the 63-year-old opera sensation after Pavarotti pulled out of gigs with the New York Metropolitan Opera last summer. Leech stood in as painter Cavaradossi for three performances of Puccini's Tosca. This week he's singing the lead role as another artist in another Puccini opera as the Palm Beach Opera opens its 36th season with La Boheme. Leech plays Rodolfo, a poet in the tragic tale about a group of struggling bohemian artists in 1830s Paris. Performances continue through Tuesday at the Kravis Center For the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Today's performance takes place at 1:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $10 to $130. Call 561-832-7469. See "Stage" listings for details on other performances.
Tuesday
December 15
Cole Porter swing tunes don't usually come to mind as holiday fare. But when Santa and Mrs. Claus take up vocal duties on "Let's Misbehave/Let's Do It" as part of Christmas Cavalcade, the song suddenly takes on a seasonal air. The high-energy, song-and-dance revue also features pop novelty tunes linked directly to Christmas, including "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" and "The Christmas Blues." Act One is dedicated to songs popularized on '40s radio shows, and Act Two is a countdown of the Top 10 holiday hits of the '50s, including "Santa Baby" and "Jingle Bell Rock." Between songs, the company stages advertisement spoofs for products such as Howdy hair tonic and Mister Dogg dog food. The show opens today and runs through December 27 at the Broward Center For the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Curtain is 8 pm. Ticket prices range from $19 to $32. Call 954-462-0222. See "Concert" listings for details on other performances.
Wednesday
December 16
It's called The World's Great Nations: Volumes I and II, and it consists of two huge books sitting on separate pedestals. Their covers have been removed, and some of their pages have been folded over, accordionlike, and held in place by a thin strand of twine. Printed on the pages are what appear to be columns of scientific notations, which, to the lay reader, make no sense at all. But that just may be the point. The rows of letters and numbers look like something important and complex, but are they really? Miami artists Joe Nicastri, a sculptor and painter, and Sherri Tan, who works in collage and assemblage, joined forces on the work, which they claim represents the complex and mysterious nature of the human psyche. Anyone compelled to read into that statement can take a close look at the piece in "Views and Tolerance", an exhibit on view through January 31 at the Coral Springs Museum of Art (2855 Coral Springs Dr., Coral Springs). The works of Laura Tan, Michael Joseph, Stephen Salzman, Zaydee Martinez, and Renee Collins are also on view. Admission is $3. Call 954-340-4200.
