Thursday 5.3
Shiver Me Timbers Why argue with your kids over which Disney flick to watch when you can view three-in-one at Jungle Adventures on Ice? This 7:30 p.m. program at the Ice Palace stars all of your kids' favorite characters from The Jungle Book, Tarzan and The Lion King swingin' and dancin' around a lush, tropical setting. On ice skates. Now that's talent. Tickets range from $11.75 to $18.75. The Palace is at 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. Call Ticketmaster at 813-287-8844.
A Brel-liant Encore The Center Theater Company of Tampa Bay, whose Summer 2000 production of The World of Jacques Brel received much praise, offers a repeat performance at 8 p.m. in the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Brel, a major cabaret artist of the '60s and '70s, eschewed grand sets and huge casts in favor of poetic, reflective and stirring songs, each of which create a virtual one-act play describing Brel's life in unflinching detail. Tickets cost $21.50, and TBPAC's at 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa. Call 813-229-STAR.
Friday 5.4
Four in the Door Screw this one-show-at-a-time business; the Arts Center's 5:30 p.m. reception introduces four new shows at once. The vivid displays include Places in the Heart (landscapes and more by Luis Vega, Gustavo Acosta, Andrea Carreno and Angel Hurtado); El Cinco de Mayo (paintings and sculpture by Dodie O'Keefe, Felipe Packard and Ricardo de la Vega); The Daily to the Divine (surreal paintings by Alekxey Sabido); and Colors of the Sun (paintings by Ludner Confident). The Center's at 719 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Call 727-822-7872.
Another weekend, another film festThis time it's the UNO Latin Film Festival, part of St. Petersburg's Fiesta del Sol al Sol. About 15 flicks from filmmakers throughout Central and South America and the U.S. are showcased throughout the weekend, starting with a 7 p.m. opener at Main Street Cinema. Tonight's films, Ilha das Flores (Island of Flowers) and Ultima Llamada (Last Call), are followed by a reception. Tickets cost $10, and the Cinema's at 27928 U.S. 19, Clearwater. Call 727-453-3318.
Jungle Boogie Don your safari duds — SilverSpoons & Sandcastles X begins at 7:30 p.m. at the A La Carte Pavilion. This tropical cocktail party, a benefit for the Mayor's Beautification Program, treats party-goers to dining, dancing and good times, along with the requisite auction. Items on the block include a fly fishing expedition and a private jet to an island off Key West for some four-star dining. Tickets cost $75 ($100 for patrons), and the Pavilion's at 4050 Dana Shores Drive, Tampa. Call 813-221-TREE.
Saturday 5.5
Handmade Hootenanny If you've no plans this afternoon, take a drive to John's Pass, Madeira's cozy oasis by the ocean, and nose around the inaugural John's Pass Village Craft Festival. More than 100 crafters hit the boardwalk, hawking sculpture, jewelry, clothing, paintings, even food and spices. A food court provides lunchables; fireworks blast off at nightfall; and sitarist Steve Mikes provides the ambiance. The free fest runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow. The Pass is on Gulf Boulevard in Madeira Beach. Call 954-472-3755.
Fiesta Uno Admit it; you have no idea what Cinco de Mayo commemorates; you just wanna party. Fine — our first choice is Skipper's Smokehouse, where the Rainbow Funshine Kid's Show begins at 1 p.m. This interactive kids' event features Brian Funshine, joined by Puppetrix, Lamount the Human Volcano, magic, juggling, games and plenty more fun. At 8 p.m., the Tommy Castro and Jimmy Griswold bands offer smooth blues for the grown-ups. Tickets cost $5 (afternoon) and $15 (evening), and Skipper's is at 910 Skipper Road, Tampa. Call 813-971-0666.
Fiesta Dos For the sexier senor and senorita, the Gulf Coast Museum of Art's Les Fauves group offers a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. This saucy social features spicy foods, exotic drinks and the sizzling sounds of The Latino Projekt featuring Gumbi Ortiz and Freddie Montes. Sunset tours of the museum's current exhibits — Miriam Schapiro: Works on Paper; A 30 Year Retrospective and Another Country: New Works by Roger Chamieh — are also available. Tickets cost $40, and GCMA's at 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo. Call 727-518-6833.
Sunday 5.6
Baking & Bonding Moms, if you expect your children to make you breakfast in bed on Mother's Day, bring 'em to Barnes & Noble-Carrollwood's Mom & Kid Cook-Off for a practice run. Mom/kid teams bring in culinary creations from Kids Cook or the Kid's Multicultural Cookbook, and a panel of judges critique their efforts. Winners of the 2 p.m. contest take home gift certificates, kitchen appliances and more. The contest is free to enter, and B&N is at 11802 N. Dale Mabry, Tampa. Call 813-962-6446.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Toes I could have been a member of the Chamber Ballet Company. If I weren't always tripping over my fat feet and running into walls with alarming regularity. Alas, I'll have to settle for watching the chamber's annual Spring Show with the rest of the clumsy masses. This 3 p.m. production at The Palladium offers graceful excerpts from Don Quixote and La Paquita, choreographed by Laurel Renfroe. Tickets cost $6, and The Palladium's at 253 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg. Call 727-520-0520.
Monday 5.7
Worth a Sick Day If you're tired of Tampa, MOSI's current IMAX films, Amazon and Ocean Oasis, offer whole new worlds. On the mightiest river in the world, science meets myth and magic as an Indian shaman and an American ethnobotonist search for medicinal qualities in the native plants. Meanwhile, Ocean Oasis provides an underwater exploration of those life forms that call the Baja, Calif., peninsula home. Admission costs $13, and movies show throughout the day. The museum's at 4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa. Call 813-987-6300.
Tuesday 5.8
No Hippies Here The Orpheum hosts the Pittsburgh band Creation is Crucifixion tonight and we're telling you now: These hard-rockin' heavies ain't the warm and fuzzy types. The death-metal mavens are joined by Kalibas, a mean, fast and gnarly grindcore group outta Rochester, N.Y. This show's not for the faint of heart (or anyone without at least one spiked dog collar in the closet). The show starts at 9 p.m. and admission costs $5. The Orpheum's at 1902 Republica de Cuba, Ybor City. Call 813-248-9500.
Wednesday 5.9
Wheelin' and Dealin' If it's a slow morning for you, the VSA (Vision, Strength, Arts) Conference offers a free 10:30 a.m. lecture and performance at The Palladium. The Infinity Dance Theater, which breaks the performance mold by including disabled and not-so-young performers in its programs, shows off its wheelchair-dance techniques during a nontraditional performance. Guests also learn more about the company and its goals during an interactive lecture. The Palladium's at 253 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg. Call 727-822-3590.
This article appears in May 3-9, 2001.