WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO GO

>>Diaz, BlueWoman This week's theatre

¦ I Love You - Off Broadway's longest running musical - I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change! - is playing at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. This hilarious musical comedy delves into dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws. The four person cast will perform over twenty characters in the tricky tango known as the modernday mating dance. The universal themes of the frustrations and pleasures of dating, marriage and love have gained the show lasting popularity and have made it a hit across the country. 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.

¦ Romeo and Juliet - The Classical Theatre of Harlem performs Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" at the Florida Repertory Theatre in an abridged, 90-minute version. The production, which features a multi-racial, multi-cultural cast, runs through Oct. 6 at the Arcade Theatre. Set in New York's Harlem in the near future, the play incorporates hip-hop beats and modern dress. And instead of sword fights, there'll be guns and knives. Shows are at 8 p.m. Friday and 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Arcade Theatre on Bay Street between Hendry and Jackson in downtown Fort Myers. Tickets are $34 -$38, $17 for selected seats. Pay what you can performances at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 17 and Monday, Sept. 24. For information call 332-4488.

¦ Greater Tuna - The Off Broadway Palm Theatre and Theatre Conspiracy present the laugh-a-minute comedy "Greater Tuna" playing through Sept. 29. "Greater Tuna" is a hilarious comic satire that launches into side-splitting fun when the residents of the fictional south Texas town of Tuna come hysterically to life. Portraying virtually the entire population of Tuna is Theatre Conspiracy's Artistic Director, Bill Taylor and Pete Alexsy. Between these two gifted actors, they portray 20 men and women, and a dog, in a tour de farce of quick-change artistry. Ticket prices range from $19-$39. Performances are Thursday through Saturday evenings and selected matinees on Saturday, Sept. 15 and Sunday, Sept., 23. Call 278-4422 for information and reservations, visit the box office at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers or order online at www.Broadway- Palm.com.

¦ The Vast Difference - "The Vast Difference" a new comedy by actor and playwright Jeff Daniels opens Thursday, Sept. 27 at the Stage 88 Theatre in Bonita Springs. It's the summer of 1993 in Detroit. George Noonan needs a vasectomy. As a flight attendant and the father of five girls, George turns a routine visit to his urologist into a psychotherapy session about life, the insignificance of the modern-day man and the vast difference between "stewards" and "stewardesses." The show runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday Nights at 8 p.m. through Oct. 13. For tickets call (239)513- 8600 or send your reservation request to Stage88@stage88.com.

Friday Sept. 28

¦ Art - The opening reception for the 2D & 3D Fall Exhibition hosted by the Art League of Bonita Springs at the Center for the Arts in Bonita Springs is at 8 p.m. Southwest Florida artists offer gallery visitors a variety of both 2D and 3D artworks. Paintings, photography, sculpture, clay, glass, and textiles.The show runs through Oct. 25. Center for the Arts is located at 26100 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs. For information call 495-8989 or on the Web at www. artcenterbonita.org.

¦ Photo art - Visions of Florida: The Photographic Art of Clyde Butcher opens at the Center for the Arts in Bonita Springs and runs through Oct. 27. Butcher is often called the "Ansel Adams of Florida". His photography records the undisturbed paradise that is fast disappearing here in Southwest Florida. An opening reception will be held at 8 p.m.. Center for the Arts is located at 26100 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs. For information call 495-8989 or on the Web at www.artcenterbonita.org.

Ongoing events

¦ Art - The Art Gallery at Florida Gulf Coast University is hosting inAppropriations: Contemporary Artists that Copy, Sample, Beg, Borrow and Steal through Oct. 13. It features works by regional artist Vyd, Chicago-based video performance group Paul Harvey Oswald and internationally acclaimed artists, Negativland. The exhibition features video, audio and sculptural works by these thought-provoking artists. The artists represented in inAppropriations have the common bond of borrowing news clips, television, music and movie samples and reconfiguring the imagery and sound to achieve their own artistic vision. Many works in the exhibition have socio-political themes, commenting upon our information-bloated culture. Each work in the show has a very biting satire that will

definitely grab the attention of the viewer.

¦ Art- Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the Harborside Event Center with a visit to "A Latin Art Affair", the Community Art Showcase fine art exhibition. This cutting edge show features five local Latino artists whose works are as diverse and electrifying as their countries of origin: Doris Ramos, Ernesto Masis, Juan Diaz, Amarillis Veliz and Lidia Dick. This unparalleled exhibition will showcase the rich and varied talents of our own Latino art community. The exhibit runs through Nov. 28 and is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information email info@ArtFestFortMyers. com or call 768-3602.

¦ Art- The Watson Gallery in The von Leibig Art Center in Naples features Awarding Pictures: The Art of Children's Book Illustration through Oct. 28,. Focusing on award winning artists working in the field of children's literature, this exhibition will showcase historic and contemporary artwork in media ranging from painting to video. The exhibition will highlight the significant impact that children's illustrations have had on the art world and the field of children's literature both nationally and internationally. For information call (239) 262-6517 or on the Web at www.naplesart.org.

¦ Artists call - As one of the top-rated outdoor fine art and fine craft shows in the country, the Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is officially calling all artists to apply for its prestigious 2008 show being held March 1-2. To apply, visit the festival's Web site at www.gasparilla-arts. com; or for more information, email gasparillaarts@ yahoo.com.

¦ Art - The photographs of Jane Calvin are on display through Oct. 20 at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery on the campus of Edison College in Fort Myers. The exhibit is called "Discontinuum:" Photographs by Jane Calvin. Since the early 1980s, Jane Calvin has been developing a personal artistic style that is undeniably her own. The photographs she creates are made by building large installations, often roomsized, where she combines slide projections and physical objects, text found in pulp romance and mystery novels or children's books, and words and letters written out in Calvin's own hand.

¦ Art - Arts for ACT Gallery in downtown Fort Myers features the compelling and mood evoking paintings of local artist

Stephen Gray-Blancett. Gray-Blancett's work has been featured in numerous publications and is exhibited across the country. His 2005 and 2006 ACT exhibits were huge successes. Also on exhibit is Paul Rodino in the photography gallery and Los Angeles artist, Dover Abrams off the main gallery. Arts for ACT Gallery benefits Abuse Counseling and Treatment Inc., and is located at 2265 First Street, in the historic River District in downtown Fort Myers. Hours are: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday hours vary. The show runs through Sept. 28. A reception will be held Friday, Sept. 7, from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. The public is invited to attend the free event and meet the artists. For more information, call 939-2553.

¦ Art - "Renditions," the next art exhibit at the Alliance for the Arts, is on display through Sept. 29. "Renditions" is a show by three artists from three different parts of the world whose work compliments each other in a powerful and revealing way. Independently, their interpretations breathe life into a broad range of subject matter and emotion, and each artist is making efforts to communicate universal understanding to various ideas with every stroke of the paintbrush. The artists are Ernesto Masis, Kellen Beck Mills, and Lily Hatchett. The galleries are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The Alliance is located at 10091 McGregor Boulevard just south of Colonial Boulevard. Visit www.artinlee. org for more details.

Upcoming events

¦ Art - The annual "Walk Through the Arts" (this year on Saturday Oct. 20, from 10 to 2 p.m.), will put the galleries, and other creative people and arts organizations on display. This free family event includes artist demonstrations throughout the campus of the Alliance for the Arts - plus theatrical, musical, and dance troupe mini-performances in the Margaret Morrow Frizzel amphitheatre. There will be a kid's tent for art activities, and food and beverages will be available for purchase. All arts and culture organizations in Lee County are invited to attend and distribute information, tickets, memberships, and more. The Alliance is located at 10091 McGregor Boulevard just south of Colonial Boulevard. Visit www.artinlee.org for more details.

¦ Art - The next exhibit rising at the Alliance for the Arts is exactly what the title implies. The "pots" on pedestals…the "prints and paintings" hung across the gallery walls. But it's the creators behind the pieces that will really grab the viewers' attention. "Pots, Prints, and Paintings" opens Friday Oct. 5 with a special opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Both featured artists, Tim Lienhardt and Barbara Yeomans, share a passion for printmaking, an art form similar in method to silkscreen printing, which with more people may be familiar. The Alliance is located at 10091 McGregor Boulevard just south of Colonial Boulevard. Visit www.artinlee.org for more details. ¦ Life x 3 - Gulfshore Playhouse presents "Life x 3" by Yasmina Reza, author of the Tony Award-winning hit comedy "Art" beginning Thursday Oct. 4 and running through Oct. 13 at the Alliance for the Arts as part of the first "Season of the Foulds." As witty and acerbic as "Art", the delightful "Life x 3" contrasts man's deft ability to analyze the far reaches of the universe, with his total inability to respond rationally to a trivial domestic mishap. For more information and to order tickets, go to www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org, or call toll free 866-811-4111.

¦ Theater - Florida Gulf Coast University presents Diana Son's "Stop Kiss" in the Theatre Lab on campus. The performance runs from Oct. 17 through Oct. 28. "Stop Kiss" was a New York Times Best of 1999 pick, described as a "sweet, sad and enchantingly sincere play." Tickets for the Obie Awardwinning play go on sale Monday, Oct. 1 at the Theatre Lab Box Office: 590-7268. General Admission is $10, FGCU students, faculty and staff $5. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

¦ 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.