WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO GO

>> Guys and Dolls at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater through Feb. 16. This week's theatre

Guys and Dolls - The musical fable of Nathan Detroit, Guys and Dolls runs through Feb. 16 at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater. The consummate gambling man, Detroit operates "The World's Largest Floating Crap Game". Songs include Luck Be a Lady, I've Never Been in Love Before, Sue Me and A Bushel and a Peck. This song and dance extravaganza is fantastic entertainment for all ages. It embraces the season with Broadway style dancing, stunning costumes and the traditional holiday favorites you know and love. Tickets are now on sale and can be reserved by calling 278-4422, by visiting www.BroadwayPalm.com, or by stopping by the box office at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

The Last Five Years - Synergy Productions, Southwest Florida's professional musical theater company, in association with the Theater Guild of Southwest Florida, presents the award-winning musical, "The Last Five Years," at the Fould's Theater on the campus of The Alliance for the Arts. The play runs through Jan. 27. A fresh and contemporary musical, "The Last Five Years" chronicles a young couple's romance in a new and exciting way. Critics have praised the music as creative and groundbreaking. The lyrics evoke Stephen Sondheim. The musical style draws from pop, jazz, folk, Rock and classical. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 2 p.m. For tickets call (239) 236-1645, visit the Foulds Theater Box Office or online at www.synergyproductions.org

>>Sidney Poitier at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts Monday, Jan. 21. Doubt - Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play, "Doubt, A Parable" is on stage at the Florida Repertory Theatre through Feb. 3. Doubt is a mesmerizing piece that wrestles with conscience and uncertainty in a 1964 parochial school. John Patrick Shanley, an Academy Award-winning author and playwright, constructs a thrilling and dangerous play that dramatizes issues straight from today's headlines. Performances are Tues. - Sat. at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on Wed., Sun. and selected Saturdays. Florida Repertory Theatre is located on Bay Street between Jackson and Hendry in the Historic Arcade Theatre in the Fort Myers River District. Subscriptions and single tickets are available through the Box Office (239) 332-4488, or visit Florida Rep online at www.floridarep.org.

>>The Drowsy Chaperone opens at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts on Tuesday, Jan. 28

A Perfect Wedding - Robin Hawdon's "A Perfect Wedding" is on stage at the Sugden Community Theatre in Naples through Feb. 9. It's a bedroom farce. It's a wedding-day fiasco. It's uninterrupted confusion, comedy and mistaken identity. The script is witty; utterly nonsensical and absolutely charming, and answers the question "Who love who?" For information and tickets go to www. naplesplayers.com or call (239) 263-7990.

Caught in the Net - Ray Cooney's "Caught in the Net" runs at The Schoolhouse Theater on Sanibel Island through Feb. 2. The sequel to "Run for Your Wife." 18 years later, modern technology is about to lead John Smith's two families into a head-on collision. His son Gavin (with his mum Barbara) and daughter Vicki (with her mum Mary) are discussing having met in an Internet chat room. They are amazed that they both have fathers named John Leonard Smith who are London taxi drivers, and since romance has blossomed, they are determined to meet in person. And chaos ensues. For tickets and information, call the Box Office at 472-6862 or check out www.theschoolhousetheater.com

>>The Capitol Steps performs at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall Monday, Jan. 28 Cash: Ring of Fire - The Music of the Man in Black ignites the stage of the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall Jan. 22 through 27 in the new Broadway musical Ring of Fire, featuring 38 signature songs from the legendary Johnny Cash. Stories of passion, redemption, humor, and salvation set the stage ablaze in this musical celebration of the world's most famous rebel. Hits include; "Walk the Line," "Hurt," "Jackson," "I've Been Everywhere," "Folsom Prison Blues," "A Boy Named Sue," and the title track "Ring of Fire". With smashing medleys and a hearty bounce in its guitar-driven step, this shindig will have you stompin' your feet and shoutin' for more. Tickets are on sale at the box office, by calling 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com.

Monky Business - The musical comedy "Monky Business" opens at the Off Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on Thursday, Jan. 17. The show features some fun-loving monks who hold a fundraiser to save their monastery. The Monks have a divine plan with plenty of singing, dancing and vaudeville routines. For information and tickets call (239) 278-4422 or online at www.broadwaypalm.com.

This week's symphony

Three Cantors - The Gulf Coast Symphony presents Cantors: A Faith in Song on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Conceived as a PBS special, this show has toured the world. This is its first appearance in Southwest Florida and the American Premiere of the full orchestra version of the show, which has only been heard in Europe. The concert features three of the worlds greatest living Cantors, including Benzion Miller from New York, Alberto Mizrahi from Chicago, and Naftali Herstik, from Israel, where he is the Cantor at the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem. The concert is a joyous mixture of Jewish, Yiddish, Cantorial and secular music set to soaring new orchestra scores by the great Jewish composer and arranger Benedict Weisser. Gulf Coast Symphony Maestro Andrew Kurtz has been the tour conductor for the show since 2004, and he will accompany them to Brazil, Spain and Israel later this year. For tickets and information call 481- 4849, online at www.gulfcoastsymphony. org . Tickets may also be purchased at the Barbara B. Mann Theater box office.

Broadway Today - Audiences of all ages will enjoy Conductor Erich Kunzel's selection of Broadway favorites and the Southwest Florida Symphony on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. The program features selections from great musicals such as Wicked, Mamma Mia, Rent, Hairspray, Movin' Out, Chicago, Jersey Boys and more. Featuring the Symphony orchestra and special guest vocalists Kirsten Bracken, Mark Willett and Stephen Rosenberg. Tickets are $15 - $50. Call the box office at 418-1500.

Thursday, Jan. 17

Jazz - The Preservation Hall Jazz Band plays at Shell Point Retirement Community at 7:30 p.m. The group got its name from Preservation Hall, the venerable music venue located in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter. It was founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe. The band has traveled worldwide spreading their mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans Jazz. Whether performing at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center, for British Royalty or the King of Thailand, this music embodies a joyful, timeless spirit. For information or tickets call (239) 454-2067 or online at www.shellpoint. org/concert2007/concertseries2007.htm.

Friday, Jan. 18

Art - A juried art show opens at the Art league of Fort Myers runs through Feb. 23. The Art League is located in the City of Palms parking garage building at 1451 Monroe Street, between Bay and First Street in the downtown River District. For information call 275-3970 or online at www. artleagueoffortmyers.org.

Saturday, Jan. 19

Bike Night - The downtown Fort Myers River District will host Bike Night on Saturday, Jan. 19 from 6 p.m. until 10. The event features live entertainment from Deb and the Dynamics. For information call 229-8526.

ZAP! - A play by Eric Coble is presented in partnership with LCEC by the Florida Repertory Theatre at 11 a.m. at the Brick Bar in downtown Fort Myers. "ZAP!" is a world premiere play commissioned specially by Florida Rep. This fun and inventive play educates children of all ages about the many wonders of electricity, and teaches us all how to Get Smart, Get Safe and Get Saving. Tickets to Lunchbox Theatre are $12, and admission includes the performance, a boxed lunch provided by McAllister's Deli, and an interactive workshop with the cast. For tickets and more information, contact Florida Rep's box office at 239-332-4488. Please do not call the Brick Bar for ticket information.

Lecture - Join the Friends of the Cape Coral Library at 10 a.m. in the Cape Coral Library Children's Library Meeting Room as they host speaker Marian Borneman who will discuss the bond between art and literature. Continental breakfast will be served at 9:30 a.m. prior to the meeting. Borneman compares lighthouses with libraries. One is a beacon for nautical safety and the other a beacon for intel- lectual knowledge. While the library primarily houses written texts, as eras bring in new methods such as the computer, libraries have expanded into other media, including art. The Friends Gallery at the Cape Coral Library presents visual knowledge to patrons who may not be exposed to art in any other location. Because artists gain inspiration from literature and project it back in visual format, the artist becomes an extended library beacon.

The Heat is On! - The Heat is On! celebrates the life, loves and career of Hollywood's most electrifying redhead, Rita Hayworth. It's performed at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Starring Quinn Lemley in a critically acclaimed tour-de-force performance, with a swingin' big band playing hit songs from Hayworth and her co-stars Sinatra, Astaire and Gene Kelly, such as Bewitched, Steppin' Out, Put the Blame on Mame, The Lady is a Tramp and many others. Raved the New York Post, "You don't even have to squint your eyes to think that Rita's in the room." For information or tickets call (239) 597-1900 or online at www.thephil.org .

Sunday, Jan. 20

La Boheme - Europe's most successful touring opera company, Teatro Lirico D'Europa, returns to perform the Puccini masterpiece La Bohéme speak at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. La Bohéme tells the tale of four friends who share a garret apartment in the Latin Quarter of Paris and of the women who affect their lives. Puccini's intoxicating melodies shine throughout this romantic, tragic opera, which was based on an 18th-century French novel (and which later became the basis for the Broadway musical Rent). For information or tickets call (239) 597-1900 or online at www.thephil.org .

Monday, Jan. 21

Sidney Poitier - Sir Sidney Poitier will speak at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Poitier is an Academy Award-winning actor, director, producer and best-selling author. The first black actor nominated for an Academy Award, Poitier starred in such films as Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, To Sir With Love, In the Heat of the Night and many others. He won the Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field. His critically acclaimed book Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography was chosen by Oprah's Book Club. Rich with stories and hard-earned wisdom, the book recounts Poitier's remarkable life. For information or tickets call (239) 597-1900 or online at www.thephil.org .

Ongoing events

Art - "I Am in It: Contemporary Chinese Calligraphic Expressions" on display at Florida Gulf Coast University at the Arts Complex Gallery through Feb. 16. Guest curator Yiguo Zhang, Director of Nankai University's Art History Center, brings an exhibition of work by five contemporary Chinese artists who have broken from their classical training as calligraphers and applied the discipline to their personal creations. The artists will be conducting talks and demonstrations during the exhibition. For information go to artgallery. fgcu.edu or call (239) 590-7199.

Rauschenberg - Work by world renowned artist and gallery name sake Robert Rauschenberg will be featured through Feb. 9 at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery on the campus of Edison College. Often cited as the most important artist of his generation, Rauschenberg did more than any other artist to reach beyond contemporary thinking by challenging limits, perceptions, materials and every other boundary in sight. Among those shattered boundaries is an erased de Kooning drawing, one of the most notorious art objects of the century. There will be a closing ceremony Feb. 1 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Art- Harborside Event Center and ArtFest Fort Myers' current exhibit is the "Fabric of Life", a display of 30 spectacular contemporary art quilts created by the members of Art Quilters Unlimited. This juried show runs through Jan. 28 and represents a broad array of fiber wall art from a group of artists who compete nationally in their medium and bring the excitement of color and design to this fine craft. Everyone is welcome to explore the artistic and cultural vibrancy of fiber art. The exhibit is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information email info@ArtFest- FortMyers.com or call 768-3602.

Art - A juried art show at the Art league of Fort Myers runs through Feb. 23. The Art League is located in the City of Palms parking garage building at 1451 Monroe Street, between Bay and First Street in the downtown River District. For information call 275-3970 or online at www. artleagueoffortmyers.org.

Upcoming events

Chamber Music - The Chamber Music Society of Southwest Florida launches its inaugural season at the Foulds Theatre in the Alliance for the Arts on Jan. 28. Led by mezzo-soprano and Artistic Director Janelle McCoy, the chamber music society will present four concerts that will include international chamber groups, Grammywinning composers and several regional premieres. The concerts, themed "Journeys," are designed to promote and make accessible chamber music of the last 100 years through lectures, composer appearances and performances in intimate spaces. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by visiting www.chambersociety.

The Drowsy Chaperone - "The Drowsy Chaperone" opens at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts on Tuesday, Jan. 28 and runs through Sunday, Feb. 3. Get ready to be transported to a magical, wonderful world. A world where the critics are in awe, the audiences are in heaven and the neighborhood is buzzing with excitement. Welcome to "The Drowsy Chaperone," the new musical comedy that is swooping into town with tons of laughs and the most 2006 Tony Awards of any musical on Broadway. It all begins when a die-hard musical fan plays his favorite cast album, a 1928 smash hit called "The Drowsy Chaperone," and the show magically bursts to life. With thrills and surprises that take both the cast (literally) and the audience (metaphorically) soaring into the rafters. For information or tickets call (239) 597-1900 or online at www. thephil.org.

Art - The Fourth Annual Temple Beth El Invitational Art Show runs Jan. 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dubin Social hall at Temple Beth El, 16225 Winkler Road in Fort Myers. The show features more than 30 local artists representing media such as painting, ceramics, photography, sculpture and jewelry. For further information call 433-0018.

Capitol Steps - The Capitol Steps are the only people in Washington who attempt to be funnier than the politicians. The troupe performs at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall Monday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. This troupe of former (but not disgruntled) Congressional Staffers travels the country satirizing the very people and places that once employed them. Over the years, the Capitol Steps have been featured on three national PBS specials, "Good Morning America," "Entertainment Tonight," "NBC Nightly News," and CNN's "Inside Politics." Tickets are on sale at the box office, by calling 481- 4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com.

Cirque Dreams - A magical jungle will unfold on the stage at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall when "Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy" comes to town beginning Tuesday, Feb. 5. The critically acclaimed theatrical sensation runs through Feb. 10. Because of ticket demand, an additional performance has been added on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 10:30 a.m. Artistic Director Neil Goldberg and his Florida based Cirque Productions have created "Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy," an all new, world class, acrobatic, musical and imaginative adventure that is wowing audiences of all ages throughout the country. Tickets are on sale now and available at the box office, by calling (239) 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah. com

Art - Rising Stars Art Studio in Cape Harbour in Cape Coral is presenting awarding winning guest artist Pam Brodersen whose medium is Digital Imaging. The exhibition is "Island Impressions" and runs from Jan. 25 thru Feb. 11. On Saturday, Jan. 26 there is a meet the artist reception at the Studio from 6 to 8 p.m. Regular Studio hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Sunday.

Defending the Caveman - The longest running solo play in Broadway history comes to the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall on Friday and Saturday Feb. 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. respectively. The wildly popular comedy, written by Rob Becker, has become a peacemaker in the ongoing misunderstandings between men and women. With hilarious insights on contemporary feminism, masculine sensitivity and the erogenous zone, Defending the Caveman mines the common themes in relationships that go straight to the funny bone. It has won the hearts of millions in more than thirty countries and is performed in over fifteen different languages. Tickets are on sale at the box office, by calling 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com.

Trisha Yearwood - Talent, dreams and determination are an intoxicating little cocktail. It's a recipe that has served to propel a lithesome Georgia blonde from local honky tonks to the world's most prestigious stages. Trisha Yearwood hits the stage at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall on Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Sitting in a Nashville studio listening to mixes of her Big Machine Records debut, "Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love," it is obvious Yearwood is living the dream and loving every minute of it. With three Grammys, three Country Music Association honors, and 19 top ten singles to her credit, including such career-defining hits as "She's in Love With the Boy," "Perfect Love," and "How Do I Live," it might be tempting to rest on her considerable laurels, but that's not in Yearwood's nature. Tickets are on sale at the box office, by calling 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com.