THUR 4/28
Gustav Mahler was a crotchety young man. In his twenties he agonized for five long years over his Symphony No. 1 in D Major (Titan), which was, for its day, a schizophrenic tour de force, rocking back and forth between calm and fury, classic and modern elements. The critics and public beat him up for it. Then they fell in love with it. The emotional storminess plus the tremendous instrumentation required to present it make this symphony perfect for a celebrity death match threatening to develop at 8:00 tonight at the Lincoln Theater (541 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach.) Twenty New World Symphony alumni have come home to perform alongside current members and renowned artistic director Michael Tilson Thomas. Also featured are a number of chamber works that will spotlight the visiting performers. If they get that far, that is. Inspired by a print of famous woodland creatures and reeking of irony and mischief, the third movement might just be enough to incite a cartoonish battle of wills among any prima donnas in the pit. (Just don't expect any wascally wabbits to demolish their snooty opera singer rivals though -- that happens only in Hollywood.) Tickets cost $26 to $68. Call 305-673-3331, or visit www.nws.edu. --Margaret Griffis
Party in a Truck
Tailgating with Peggy Shaw
FRI 4/29
Inspiration for Peggy Shaw and Vivian Stoll's To My Chagrin came from an interaction between the white, butch lesbian grandmother and her biracial grandson. The boy came home from a day spent with a neighbor and told Shaw: "I want to marry Eric; I love his truck." That in turn became a funny, thoughtful, and musical piece set in a rusty pickup truck, on how racism, sexism, and gender identity issues travel down the generations. "There's rock and roll, there's singing, there's dancing on the truck," says Shaw. During the "talk back" after the show, ask and Shaw will tell you about her childhood: "I was a missionary in Costa Rica, teaching perfectly happy Protestants to be Catholic," or her last trip to Florida in the 1970s: "They kicked us out of the hotel for being queer and having a kid." See Shaw tonight and Saturday at 8:00 at the Byron Carlyle Theater, 500 N. 71st St., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $5 to $24. Call 305-237-3010, or visit www.culture.mdc.edu. --Karen Dale Wolman
Conversation on Pointe
Getting chatty with the dancers
FRI 4/29
For those who find the ballet a bit intimidating, you may find yourself quite surprised at this weekend's performance of "Our Show" at the Miami City Ballet (2200 Liberty Ave., Miami Beach). "Our Show" is a unique production created by the dancers themselves and is staged in the intimate setting of their studio. The dancers not only perform their personal favorites but also share with the audience insights about each piece. Saturday night's performance includes a reception party with the dancers providing a perfect mix of cocktails and pirouettes. The show runs through May 1, with performances at 8:00 tonight and Saturday; 2:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets cost $25 to $50. Call 305-929-7010, or visit www.miamicityballet.org. --Becky Randel
Pico de Guffaw
SAT 4/30
If you're craving burritos and laughs, visit the Tex Mex Café (20537 Old Cutler Rd., Miami), where you can get salsa with a side of stand-up. Yuk junkies will enjoy Dexter Angry, a three-time BET Comic View jokester; ventriloquist The Amazing Mr. A; and Tomahawk, from the movie 6 Comics from Miami. "We start around 8:00 p.m., Latin standard time," Tomahawk jokes. Admission is ten dollars. Call 305-979-1345, or visit www.tomahawkprod.com. -- Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik