David Rainey in Topdog/Underdog Suzan-Lori Parks's Pulitzer Prize-winning Topdog/Underdog revolves around two brothers who bear the unlikely names of Lincoln and Booth: their father's "idea of a joke." But the names carry hefty metaphorical weight in this play about violent sibling rivalry. And the play's interfamily feud burned especially bright when actor David Rainey stepped on stage in the Alley Theatre's production of the dark drama last winter. Rainey's Lincoln was the most richly textured character of the year. One minute, Rainey's character would brag big-time about his success -- playing an Abe Lincoln who gets assassinated all day long in an arcade exhibit. But the next, he'd fall into a spiral of self-disapproval. Raging against a world that held him down, Rainey's performance was subtle yet forceful and astonishingly empathetic. He filled the stage with an unwavering intellectual and emotional intensity that no other Houston actor could touch this past year.

TUTS's Thoroughly Modern Millie Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan's Tony Award-winning Thoroughly Modern Millie is the sort of charming musical that comes along too rarely. And Theatre Under the Stars' summer production at the Hobby Center offered Houston audiences an especially electrifying theater experience. Combining romance, intrigue and some unexpected humor, the tale bubbled over with the flair and charisma of a big Broadway smash. The story followed Millie (Darcie Roberts), who had to save her new friend Miss Dorothy Brown (Diana Kaarina) from an evil trader in white slavery. Hysterical intrigue followed our heroine through all sorts of dangerous fixes before everything turned out just fine in the end, thank you very much.

TUTS's Thoroughly Modern Millie Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan's Tony Award-winning Thoroughly Modern Millie is the sort of charming musical that comes along too rarely. And Theatre Under the Stars' summer production at the Hobby Center offered Houston audiences an especially electrifying theater experience. Combining romance, intrigue and some unexpected humor, the tale bubbled over with the flair and charisma of a big Broadway smash. The story followed Millie (Darcie Roberts), who had to save her new friend Miss Dorothy Brown (Diana Kaarina) from an evil trader in white slavery. Hysterical intrigue followed our heroine through all sorts of dangerous fixes before everything turned out just fine in the end, thank you very much.

Harry Bishop Bars invariably take on the personalities of their owners, and Noche Cocina is blessed to have Harry Bishop at the helm. Bishop arrived late in the restaurant-and-bar trade; he's a veteran of the oil business who took over Noche a few years ago. Quiet, competent and always ready with a quick smile, Harry could double for a slim Saint Nick. And he obviously loves the hard work as much as the heady friendships -- nobody is a stranger for long at Noche. Under his guidance, this restaurant and bar is mellowing with a dignified grace. Harry wouldn't have it any other way.

Harry Bishop Bars invariably take on the personalities of their owners, and Noche Cocina is blessed to have Harry Bishop at the helm. Bishop arrived late in the restaurant-and-bar trade; he's a veteran of the oil business who took over Noche a few years ago. Quiet, competent and always ready with a quick smile, Harry could double for a slim Saint Nick. And he obviously loves the hard work as much as the heady friendships -- nobody is a stranger for long at Noche. Under his guidance, this restaurant and bar is mellowing with a dignified grace. Harry wouldn't have it any other way.

KPFT/90.1 FM Car crashes and warehouse fires are dramatic on TV, but they're way boring to listen to on the radio. So why do so many of the conservative news affiliates on the AM dial waste their time on them? They're scared to tackle issues that might offend those who line their dirty pockets, that's why. You, the listener, line the pockets of community-funded KPFT radio, and they sure aren't afraid to stick it to those who deserve it. KPFT's youthful staff digs deep into the issues that affect us all -- layoffs, chemical plant infractions, water supply concerns, activism, minority issues and police brutality -- and they're covered thoroughly and honestly by anchors Renee Feltz, Ernesto Aguilar and the rest of the dedicated staff. Tune in every weekday at 5:30 p.m. for a real alternative.

KPFT/90.1 FM Car crashes and warehouse fires are dramatic on TV, but they're way boring to listen to on the radio. So why do so many of the conservative news affiliates on the AM dial waste their time on them? They're scared to tackle issues that might offend those who line their dirty pockets, that's why. You, the listener, line the pockets of community-funded KPFT radio, and they sure aren't afraid to stick it to those who deserve it. KPFT's youthful staff digs deep into the issues that affect us all -- layoffs, chemical plant infractions, water supply concerns, activism, minority issues and police brutality -- and they're covered thoroughly and honestly by anchors Renee Feltz, Ernesto Aguilar and the rest of the dedicated staff. Tune in every weekday at 5:30 p.m. for a real alternative.

Aurora Picture Show The Aurora Picture Show is a holy trinity of art, media and fun. Located in a former church (the audience still sits in pews), the tiny Aurora Picture Show has presented film, video and installations by locally and nationally known artists since 1998. A desperately needed alternative to your standard cineplexes, the Aurora is a place where executive director Andrea Grover's gentle greyhounds might rest their heads in your lap, and local musicians sometimes accompany screenings. Upcoming highlights include a performance by Reverend Bill and the Church of Stop Shopping in observance of "Buy Nothing Day," an appearance by Laura Harrison and a screening of her documentary Voting in America, and a Found Magazine event with a juried show of found-footage pieces.

Aurora Picture Show The Aurora Picture Show is a holy trinity of art, media and fun. Located in a former church (the audience still sits in pews), the tiny Aurora Picture Show has presented film, video and installations by locally and nationally known artists since 1998. A desperately needed alternative to your standard cineplexes, the Aurora is a place where executive director Andrea Grover's gentle greyhounds might rest their heads in your lap, and local musicians sometimes accompany screenings. Upcoming highlights include a performance by Reverend Bill and the Church of Stop Shopping in observance of "Buy Nothing Day," an appearance by Laura Harrison and a screening of her documentary Voting in America, and a Found Magazine event with a juried show of found-footage pieces.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston When the original Museum of Fine Arts in Houston opened its doors in 1924, it was the first art-museum building in Texas. Eighty years later, the MFAH is the grande dame of the local scene, holding court over a burgeoning contemporary shift in the district. It might be all that great impressionist and expressionist art, including the second-largest collection of Jackson Pollocks in the country. It might be all those pieces from Central America and Africa, which gave visitors exposure to multiculti objets d'art before it was cool. Include the variety of lectures and film series the MFAH hosts weekly, and you've got Houston's high-culture epicenter pegged. And with 54 new pieces added this winter -- many of them important 20th-century paintings from the bequest of benefactor Caroline Wiess Law -- the MFAH seems to be just entering its prime.