Arts & Entertainment

Une Fête d'été

A musical start to summer

TUE 6/21

It's the first day of summer! Celebrate by participating in a worldwide party, La Fête de la Musique. A tradition begun in France more than two decades ago, the Fête aims to expose the public to an array of music. For the second year, Miami's bash will take place at Mary Brickell Village, where South Miami Avenue and Tenth Street meet.

This year's Fête is a joint production of Rhythm Foundation and Miami Performing Arts Center (MPAC). Together they have gathered a diverse lineup of artists certain to please all music lovers. Suenalo Sound System will be there, as will Adrian Guerra and The Lavoisier X-Perience. MPAC's Urban Disturbance troupe will spontaneously entertain audiences while bands play on two stages.

Highlighting the evening will be a performance by Barcelona's Ojos de Brujo (Wizard's Eyes). Like a musical wizard, the group (pictured below) blends traditional flamenco rhythms with modern beats including funk, hip-hop, and punk, making the listener feel as if all the genres were made to fit together seamlessly.

The festivities begin at 5:00 p.m., although you can catch a preview during your lunch break from noon to 2:00. All concerts are free. Call 305-672-5202, or visit www.rhythmfoundation.com or www.miamipac.org. --Karen R. Figueiredo

Papi Chulo

Laugh with dad, not at him

FRI 6/17

Father's Day honors the typical American father: the family hero who will be rewarded with a new tie, a pair of socks, or a coffee mug that names him "#1 Dad." Well, what about the baby daddies and sugar daddies out there? They will be lampooned in a special weekend show performed by the Laughing Gas improv comedy troupe. During two hilarious skits that pay tribute to paternity -- "Who's Your Daddy?" and "I, Papi" -- audience members can challenge the group's improvisational skills by suggesting bawdy fodder. Cast member Gerald Owens will also bring the laughs as fictional talk-show host Jesse Winfrey Donavera. "Because all those shows -- let's be honest -- most of them are about paternity tests anyway," laughs cast member Todd Rice. The show begins tonight at 11:00 at the Main Street Playhouse, 6766 Main St., Miami Lakes. Tickets cost ten dollars, but women who hug their man at the door and call him "daddy" or "papi" will get in free. Call 305-461-1161, or visit www.laughinggasimprov.com. --Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik

Sitar Rock City

An evening of gourd-geous music

SAT 6/18

If you aren't familiar with the hypnotic twang of the sitar, check out George Harrison's riffs on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," the first rock song to feature the Indian instrument. Tonight you can catch Bharti Chokshi's beautiful sitar music when she kicks off the Deering Summer Ballroom Cabaret. Chokshi has been playing the stringed instrument for 30 years. Her expertise is in classical Indian music, but she can also knock out popular show tunes to inspire a sing-along. Pack a picnic (including wine and beer if you wish) and relax to the soothing sounds beginning at 7:00 at the Deering Estate at Cutler, 16701 SW 72nd Ave., Palmetto Bay. Tickets cost $15. Call 305-235-1668, or visit www.deeringestate.com. --Lyssa Oberkreser

The Moor's Whore

FRI 6/17

"O curse of marriage, that we can call these delicate creatures ours, and not their appetites!" lamented Othello. The poor Moor would have really suffered if Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel was around in Elizabethan times. Her Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief imagines Shakespeare's delicate heroine as a brazen hoochie. See it tonight at 8:00 at the Main Street Playhouse, 6766 Main Street, Miami Lakes. Tickets cost $20. Call 786-317-7580. -- Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik