Jonathan Borofsky's dad used to tell him the story of a giant who lived in the clouds, and he used to dream about visiting him. This giant had more to offer than a goose that lays golden eggs; he knew how to help everyone down on Earth with their problems. One day Borofsky built a walkway to the sky, 100 feet long at a 75-degree angle--not because he's a kook looking for the giant; he's an artist now. (Yeah, we know, sometimes there's a fine line between the two.) Now Walking to the Sky, featuring Borofsky's giant walkway with seven sculptures of people making their way to the top and three more contemplating a journey, is grounded in Dallas at the Nasher Sculpture Center for the next year, where it will extend 75 feet above the building and trees. The center, 2001 Flora St., is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, plus 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays. Admission is $5 for students, $7 for seniors and $10 for adults. Kids under 12 and members get in free. Call 214-242-5100.
Friday, March 25
Our childhood chums used to wish for their stuffed animals to come alive. We used to pray they didn't. Teddy Ruxpin was sinister enough without waking up to find him watching us sleep and able to say more than what was programmed into his microchip. A.A. Milne had a good compromise: Make Pooh Bear, Tigger, Eeyore and the rest of the gang come alive...but make them go live in the Hundred Acre Woods where you can visit whenever you want (which would be never, in our case). Almost as scary as stuffed animals coming alive? Adults dressed as stuffed animals singing and dancing onstage. Sorry, Casa Mañana. Your name may mean the House of Tomorrow, but to us you're the House of Nightmares. Kids, however, will likely love the theater's Children's Playhouse production of Winnie-the-Pooh in which the residents of the Hundred Acre Woods will shuffle around in furry costumes with human faces poking through and sing their way through five of Milne's classic stories. But we may never sleep again. The play runs March 25 through April 10 with shows at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays at 3101 W. Lancaster Ave. in Fort Worth. Tickets are $11 to $15. Call 817-332-2272.
Saturday, March 26
Austin's Fastball never got famous enough to warrant a real Where Are They Now? on VH1. (Seriously, how? Did no one outside Texas hear the tango-rocker "The Way"?) But we can fill you in. Fastball's released two albums since 1998's platinum-selling All the Pain Money Can Buy, which featured "The Way," including last year's Keep Your Wig On, which has been called the group's best album yet. And they're still not famous. Take advantage of the lack of ticket price-increasing buzz and check out Fastball's singer-guitarist Tony Scalzo when he performs as part of Bend Studio's intimate concert series. Dallas singer-guitarist Salim Nourallah opens. Doors are at 7 p.m. The concert starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door or with PayPal. Bend Studio is located at 5014 McKinney Ave. Call 214-841-9642.
Sunday, March 27
True Colors: Meditations on the American Spirit should be approached with caution. If, like us, you cry at Sylvan Learning Center commercials in which overly sincere kids and parents rejoice at good grades on report cards, you might ruin your mascara after seeing these paint, ink and other media reactions and remembrances of September 11. If you possess Toby Keith's love for the Red, White and Blue, you might clinch your fists at the liberties taken in these modern art interpretations of American spirit. And, if you like good art, you might turn up your nose at some of the sappy artwork. This exhibit, organized by the Meridian International Center, includes works created as responses to 9-11 and ones that artists found new meaning in because of it, with the creators ranging from Robert Rauschenberg, Red Grooms and Herb Alpert to lesser or unknown names. The exhibit runs through May 30 at the Sixth Floor Museum, 411 Elm St. Call 214-747-6660.
Monday, March 28
What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. And sometimes it inspires a great masterpiece, too. Rogers, Texas (just off Interstate 35 halfway between Waco and Austin) inspired ballet dancer Alvin Ailey to choreograph Revelations using his childhood memories of Rogers in the 1930s to 1950s and the music he associated with that time--blues, gospel and spirituals. And its themes struck a chord; according to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Revelations has been seen more times around the world in the last 40 years than any other dance work. To counter this reflective piece, the company will perform a new work, Shining Star, a suite of dances that add movement to the popular songs of Earth, Wind & Fire, and Episodes, a ballet battle of the sexes choreographed by Ulysses Dove to music by Robert Ruggieri. The Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre performs at 8 p.m. Monday at Bass Performance Hall, 525 Commerce St., Fort Worth. Tickets are $39.50 to $69.50. Call 817-212-4280.
Tuesday, March 29
It's hard to love Dallas when you're parked on Central Expressway in onlooker traffic, walking the piss-scented streets of downtown or watching McMansions being squeezed into tiny lots between Tudor- and Craftsman-style homes. But you can in the art of Byrd Williams, who makes everyday scenes into vivid three-paned works of art. The documentary photographer has focused his lens on Fort Worth and Germany in the past but recently started pointing his large-format camera at Dallas scenes such as the Farmers Market at night. Check out his eerily serene views of Dallas during his first solo show at Afterimage Photography Gallery, 2800 Routh St., from March 26 through May 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Call 214-871-9140.
Wednesday, March 30
You don't have to race for a cure or even walk for one. These days you can do almost anything for it: get a haircut, eat some yogurt, buy one of those weird ribbon-shaped magnets for your car. You don't even have to drive your own car. During BMW's Ninth Annual Ultimate Drive Program, people can test-drive a specially designed and painted BMW, and for each mile driven, one dollar is donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Participants can also sign the car to show their support. The Ultimate Drive visits Fort Worth at Autobahn Motorcars, 2828 White Settlement Road, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday; Dallas at BMW of Dallas, 2536 Forest Lane, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday; and Richardson at Classic BMW, 300 N. Central Expressway, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday. Call 1-877-4-A-DRIVE.
