SAT 1/15
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, throw down your underwear? A fractured version of the classic fairy tale (Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox) has the long-haired beauty unable to hear the prince, which adds a hilarious twist to the story. "No, Rapunzel, your curly locks," he yells, but the dear tosses down some dirty socks.
This silly adaptation is nothing like the gritty Rapunzel that Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm crafted for their collection of German folktales, Children's and Household Tales. (The original version, in which Rapunzel is known as Petrosinella, was published in 1634 as part of a collection of stories written in Neapolitan dialect by Giambattista Basile.) The Grimms' version tells of a couple with an affinity for rampion salads who willingly swap their firstborn for full access to their wicked neighbor's herb garden. The girl is locked in a tower with no stairs by the evil enchantress over some lousy greens.
Modern adaptations also skip the part where Rapunzel hoists the prince up to her tower, they quickly get it on, and she's impregnated. The enchantress banishes her to the desert, blinds the prince, and he wanders for years until he finally bumps into Rapunzel and her twins. Her tears heal his eyes and they can have their happy ending.
But don't expect those naughty bits to seep into the Main Street Playhouse (6766 Main St., Miami Lakes) modernized version, Rapunzel Uncut, directed by Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School senior Stephanie Del Rosario. The play runs through the end of January with performances on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 11:00. Tickets cost five dollars. Call 1-866-782-4399 or visit www.mainstreetplayers.com. -- Lyssa Oberkreser
Mood Elevator
FRI 1/14
Aside from laughing gas, nitrous oxide has another street-friendly name. Those who use it for its psychological effects sometimes refer to it as hippie crack. When abused outside the constraints of a dental office, the gas causes a euphoric, habit-forming high complete with uncontrollable laughter and a myriad of exhilarating effects. It's no wonder that 2004's "Best Short Form Improv Troupe" chose this as their moniker. Celebrating their thirteenth season, the Miami Lakes-based comedic entourage performs a spoof of Tinseltown's Golden Globes at 11:00 tonight and Saturday at the Main Street Playhouse, 6766 Main St., Miami Lakes. Admission is $10. For reservations call 305-461-1161 or visit www.laughinggasimprov.com. -- Kris Conesa
Middle Eastern Motion
This ain't no hoochie dance
SUN 1/16
In Arabic it's known as raqs sharqi. Here in America, we cut right to the chase and call it belly dancing. The dance of the East stands among the oldest forms, having enraptured audiences since pre-Islamic times. Western eyes interpreted it as an erotic spectacle intended for men's pleasure, but the exotic undulations of Middle Eastern dance began by women, for women, as a visual lesson about female bodies and fertility. The members of the Harmonic Motion Middle Eastern Ensemble are here to present the dance respectfully, with all its refinement and subtlety, in an afternoon of music and dance. Many dancers in the group are also percussionists, who will accompany themselves with traditional instruments. Enjoy the show this afternoon at 3:00 at the Performing Arts Network, 13126 W. Dixie Hwy., North Miami. Admission costs $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Call 305-899-7730. -- Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik
It's Millie Time
A totally modern twist
TUE 1/18
Remember the odd story of a Kansas girl who travels to a large magical city, meets a gaggle of campy characters, and goes on a quest to bust a white slavery ring? Although inspired by the cloying 1967 Julie Andrews movie, the stage version of Thoroughly Modern Millie presents a more contemporary, less politically incorrect version of the classic flapper story by Richard Morris, who wrote the book for this production with Dick Scanlan. Only two songs from the film are used. New music is by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Dick Scanlan. The refashioned Millie netted six Tony Awards and a national tour, which runs through January 23 at the Jackie Gleason Theater, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Showtimes are 8:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; 2:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday; and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $55. Call 305-673-7300 or visit www.gleasontheater.com. -- Margaret Griffis
Musical Therapy
THU 1/13
There are some things that are too painful to communicate through words. Some things are so excruciatingly awful that even artists, whose job it is to articulate emotion through their creative works, cannot fully convey. Some things are so appalling that they are difficult to express -- except, perhaps, through music. Tonight's New World Symphony performance, Through Roses, pays homage to the composers who lost their lives in the Holocaust and honors the others who were forever changed by the atrocities of the Third Reich. The concert begins at 8:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre, 541 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Tickets range from $15 to $35. Call 305-673-3331 or visit www.nws.edu. -- Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik
