eral very special Lakeside homes. The remaining tours run through March 2013. Mark the following dates: December 13 (Christmas Home Tour & Party), January 24, February 28 and March 28. Tours, approximately two hours in length, begin at 10:30 a.m. at the foot of Colón in Ajijic. On December 12 at the Early Bird Café in Ajijic, there will be a book signing by author Valerie Siegel of Who Rescued Who? about rescue dogs. The time is scheduled for 11:30 – 1:30 so that attendees may have a meal or a beverage and meet some of the dogs whose stories are in One of the homes on tour the book. 30% of the proceeds will be donated to (1) Ajijic Rotary Dog Assisted Therapy Training which teaches children empathy, respect, and self-confidence as they learn to use dogs in a therapeutic setting; and (2) Animal Buddies Feeding Program that distributes food to shelters and foster settings for dogs and cats waiting for homes. Good stories, good cause. Los Cantantes del Lago Christmas concert ¡Una Navidad Magnifica! with Music Director Timothy G. Ruff Welch is almost upon us. The popular choir will perform the Bach Magnificat as well as Mexican carols. This will be a joint event with CREM (Centro Regional de Estudios Musicales, Music Director Emmanuel Medeles). The concert is a wonderful combination of classical, traditional and folk music all wrapped up in one beautiful concert. Performances are December 14 at 4 p.m., and December 15 at 7 p.m., Plaza de la Ribera, formerly the Sol y Luna. Bar opens one hour prior to concert. Tickets are $250 pesos: Diane Pearl Colecciones, Mia’s Boutique, or by emailing cantantesdellago@gmail.com. Directions to Plaza de la Ribera: head west from Ajijic to Rio Bravo in West Ajijic; head downhill about 1-1/2 blocks. It’s on the left. Most parking is on the street so leave time to walk a short ways. The facilities are pleasant and there is seating for cocktails. The show is well worth it. On December 28, 29 and 30th, The Naked Stage show will perform Private Lives by Noel Coward, directed by Betty Lloyd-Robinson. The cast is Liz White, Fred Koesling, Diana Rowland and Jim Lloyd, some of the best we have. This will be a special reading, dress-up optional, botanas and bubbly to follow the shows. Price $150 pesos. Call Diana at 766 – 6004 or (cell) 331 – 412 – 8286. Mulitple Events: Lake Chapala Society urges members to renew ASAP to avoid being Private Lives, a fun comedy dropped from the catalog. But wait! We can renew online using a credit card or PayPal. Renew prior to December 15 to appear in the new catalog; don’t delay. On December 9 at 10:30 a.m. during Open Circle on the back patio, Janice Kimball, Francisco and Max the Bird will make a presentation introduced by Jim Tipton. The “dramatic reading” will be set by a display of prehispanic-inspired tapestries created at Aztec Studies. The reading will be Chapter 17, “Ponderings of the Soul”, from the newly released book Three in a Cage. In this chapter Max tells of the fear he has of the weavings of snakes, man-eating crocodiles, and sacrificial sites that hang on the studio walls. Discussion will continue over lunch at a nearby restaurant to be announced at Open Circle. There is still time to buy those wonderful Christmas cards drawn by the Children’s Art Program participants. There will be many travelers heading to the border for visits home. Some will carry US and Canadian mail to post north of the Rio Grande. The cards are sometimes talented, other times just darling. Either way they make an appropriate greeting and donation to the kids’ program. Several of the graduates have become successful local artists. Just 20 pesos per card at the office, a good deal. Visit www.lakechapalasociety.com for even more info. Lakeside Little Theatre news: Best Wishes is the December story and the exciting news is that Bill Barker, the play’s author, will be at LLT for opening night. Openings are already special with a red carpet welcome and a free glass of wine with the cast. This play ran 9 months in LA where it was named “Critic’s Choice” by the LA Times. This is the first international production. The play runs December 8 – 16. It is the heartfelt story of grown children returning to pay their final respects to their mother, their family home and the small town they know they will never see again. Tickets are $200 pesos per seat, $250 for the musical. For the full listing of shows,
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El Ojo del Lago / December 2012
box office and ticket information and to get email updates, go to www.lakesidelittletheatre.com. Box office hours are 10 – 1 and one hour prior to each performance. Sunday box office access is just prior to a show. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Singers, Dancers, Actors - LLT’s musical is The Drowsy Chaperone to show February 16 – 26. Auditions are over, but you can still contact Director Dave McIntosh for further details at davewin@shaw.ca. Barbara Clippinger is Choreographer and Judy Hendricks is Musical Director. To volunteer behind the scenes, the LLT is always looking for people to train. Niños Incapacitados del Lago Schedule: So far in 2012, Niños has assisted 127 children and Young people with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, diabetes, cancer and birth defects. In addition to paying for wheelchairs, Best Wishes poster orthopedic braces and other medical equipment, the organization pays for medications, x-rays and diagnostic tests not covered by family insurance. Upcoming events: January 15 – Trivia Quiz Event at Real de Chapala January 25 – Robbie Burns Night March 14 – Major fundraiser “All Aboard the Orient Express” VIVA! La Musica Fall Schedule: The final 2012 concert Opera Gala, organized by Viva La Musica will take place on the December 6 at 7 p.m. at St. Andrews Anglican Church, Riberas del Pilar, located at the corner of Calle St. Luis and Calle St. Lucas. There is a parking lot and street parking. The program will feature areas from operas: Mozart – Don Giovanni; Cilea – L’Arlesiana; Puccini – La Rondina, Manon Lescaut and La Boheme; De Falla – La Vida Breve; Sorozabal – La Taberna del Puerto; Chapi – Las Hijas de Cebedeo; and Penella – El Gato Montes. Soloists coming from Guadalajara are Patricia Perez (soprano) and César Delgado (tenor), accompanied by Andres Sarre. This concert will conclude Viva’s concert programming for the 2012 year in a festive mood appropriately timed at the beginning of the holiday season. Tickets are $200 pesos for Viva members, $300 pesos for non-members except students at $100 pesos. Tickets are available at César Delgado LCS on Thursdays and Fridays 10 – 12, at Diane Pearl’s at the corner of Colon and Ocampo and at the door before the concert. Bus trips to “Live from the Met” Opera continues and they are filling up fast. Call Marshall Krantz at 766 – 2834 or Rosemary Keeling at 766 – 1801 for additional information or to get on the list. You can buy tickets at LCS on Thursday and Friday mornings 10 – 12 at $300 pesos for members, $400 for non-members. Remember: Viva buys the right number of tickets 7 – 10 days before each event. Dec. 1 Mozart – La Clemenza de Tito Dec. 2 Mahler – Symphony No. 4, Grieg Piano Concerto Dec. 8 Verdi – Un Ballo en Maschera Dec. 15 Verdi – Aida Jan. 12 Berlioz – Les Troyennes Jan. 19 Donizetti – Maria Stuarta Feb. 16 Verdi – Rigoletto Mar. 2 Wagner – Parsifal Apr. 27 Handel – Julius Caesar The bus (or buses) departure is 90 minutes prior to performance time (10:30 a.m.) and leaves from the carretera in front of Farmacia Guadalajara. Due to the length of the performance, some departure times are subject to change. For information on performers, please go to the New York Metropolitan Opera website for the season 2012 – 2013.