Thursday, December 11
Ancient Greece was a haven for intellectuals, hedonists, warmongers and mystics.
But perhaps your high school-era exposure to the Greeks’ literature and mythology
made them seem remote, even boring. Rest assured, they were nothing of the sort.
In his new book, Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter, Thomas
Cahill breathes new life into bygone Greek society with his exhaustively
researched tales of the lives and enduring contributions of those ancient thinkers,
warriors and party people. He’s in town today to read from his book, the fourth
in his Hinges of History series. And he’ll stick around afterward to
answer any questions you might have about nymphs, nudity and the Oedipus complex.
7 p.m. University of St. Thomas, Jones Hall, 3910 Yoakum. For information, call
713-523-0701 or visit www.brazosbookstore.com.
Free.
Friday, December 12
With all the spotlight-hogging, ego-driven entertainers out there, it’s nice
to know at least one legendary performer prefers to spread the attention around.
Sure, you have to leave the secular arena in order to find him, but gospel superstar
Bill Gaither makes the trip worthwhile. Today he’ll welcome a wide range
of singers, musicians and comedians (billed collectively as the Homecoming Friends)
to share the stage, including bluegrass/gospel quintet the Isaacs, who made
their name backing up country greats Dolly Parton and Vince Gill before they
embraced Christian music. Also on the bill: the Hoppers, “America’s Favorite
Family of Gospel Music,” who have been in the business of touring around and
sharing inspirational music for 45 years and two generations. That’s a lotta
Ramada. 7 p.m. Toyota Center, 1510 Polk. For information and tickets, call 1-866-4HOUTIX
or visit www.houstontoyotacenter.com.
$19.75 to $34.75.
From the front lines of the most un-Norman Rockwell Christmas imaginable come
The Santaland Diaries and Season’s Greetings.
The original tales were written by noted wag David Sedaris and have been adapted
for the stage by Joe Mantello. Santaland, starring Trey Huguley, explores
the trials of a Macy’s elf as he attempts to maintain his dignity through the
holiday crush of sticky children and weary shoppers. Greetings, starring
Tek Wilson, tells the story of a prodigal daughter’s return home — sort of.
The daughter in question is the product of a suburban dad’s Vietnam-era dalliance,
and her penchant for micro-minis and seductive behavior sets Mom’s Christmas
plans on their ear. 8 p.m. today; Friday, December 12; Friday, December 19;
and Saturday, December 20. Theater LaB Houston, 1706 Alamo. For information
and tickets, call 713-868-7516 or visit www.theaterlabhouston.com.
$23.
Sunday, December 14
If you find Martha Stewart’s holiday ideas too fussy and white-bread, the Museum
of Cultural Arts Houston offers a multiculti solution. MOCAH’s Artwares Festival invites visitors to take part in free workshops on the hour, including piñata
making, woodcut carving, Nigerian fabric printing and Argentine papier-mâché.
Local artists will show you how it’s done, and you’ll get to take home the products
of your leisure-time labor. Today’s festival will be held at David Adickes’s
warehouse studio, so you’ll also have the opportunity to marvel at his giant
molded concrete replicas of the U.S. presidents’ heads. A smaller, life-sized
presidential head will be raffled off at the event, which also includes barbecue,
a live demonstration by spray-can artists Aerosol Warfare and a performance
by hip-hop jazz-funk outfit Free Radicals. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sculptureworx,
2500 Summer. For information, call 713-864-2780 or visit www.mocah.org.
$5; $3 for seniors; $15 for families of four.
Monday, December 15
An evening at the theater can be enjoyable, but racing through dinner before
the show — or staying hungry through two acts and an intermission — can put
a bit of a damper on the experience. You can stay comfortable and well fed throughout
your klieg-lighted evening at today’s all-inclusive dinner and murder mystery
show The Riddle. Famed fictional detectives Sherlock Holmes, Lieutenant
Columbo and international man of mystery Austin Powers will attempt to solve
a crime with wit and a clever mix of their standard formulas. As Columbo would
say, “Just one more thing”: Suspects will include a fascinating array of celebrities
both living and dead, real and fictional: Marilyn Monroe, Rocky Balboa, Fran
Drescher, Bette Davis, The Drew Carey Show‘s Mimi, Will and Grace‘s
Karen, Elvis Presley, Captain Kirk, Dudley Moore and Cher will all be interrogated
for your amusement. 6:30 p.m. Old San Francisco Steakhouse, 8611 Westheimer.
For information and tickets, call 713-305-8117 or visit www.mysterydinnertexas.com.
$41 to $55.
Tuesday, December 16
Have you ever uncovered a bone-shaped rock or fossil and wondered if you’ve
just made the archeological find of the century? It can happen — just ask the
Jarkovs of Siberia, who discovered the tusks of a 20,000-year-old woolly mammoth
sticking up out of the permafrost in their own backyard. At “Dig It! The
Hunt for Lost Dinosaurs” you can learn about how scientists on an October
1999 expedition to Siberia chiseled out a 23-ton block of ice containing the
mammoth and transported it by helicopter to an ice cave, where it’s been slowly
thawing and being studied ever since. You also can make your own fossil find
in the world’s largest indoor dig, reliving your dreams of a serendipitous discovery
that’ll lead to fame, fortune and adventure — and a career that allows you
to wear khakis and a pith helmet. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays;
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, through January 11. Closed Thursday,
December 25. Space Center Houston, 1601 NASA Road 1. For information, call 281-244-2100
or visit www.spacecenter.org. $17.95;
$16.95 for seniors; $13.95 for kids.
Wednesday, December 17
Fictional snob Niles Crane once said that the food in museums is on par with
the paintings in restaurants. One of Houston’s local outposts for high-end Vietnamese
cuisine is proving old Niles wrong with its exhibition of paintings by Wendy
Wagner. This month, Mo Mong is showing Wagner’s whimsical pastel- and candy-colored
abstracts. Her paintings are evocative of childhood entertainments: circuses,
carnival rides, sugary treats and making animals out of the trace of your hand.
We suggest you pop over for a look and stick around for drinks and dinner. The
banh xeo chay appetizer is worth the trip all by itself. 11 a.m. to 11
p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays and Mondays. Artist’s
reception: 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday, December 14. 1201 Westheimer. For information,
call 713-524-5664. Free.
This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2003.