Witnessing the complete meltdown and failure of a live entertainer is one of life's simple pleasures. American Idol is proof positive of such a sentiment. Don't believe us? Why do you watch, then? Improvisational comedy consistently teeters between embarrassing breakdown and genuine inspiration, and this off-the-cuff unpredictability satisfies the need for a bit of suspense with our laughter. Fort Worth's Four Day Weekend--a quintet of seasoned performers--won't deliver on the crash-and-burn allure of improv, but the members will provide sharp, professional entertainment. The troupe has acquired its own venue, and this Saturday marks both the sixth anniversary of the group and the theater's grand opening. With their goal of becoming "The Second City (based on Chicago's renowned improv group) of the Southwest," the troupe members have been performing for and interacting with sold-out audiences for years. The best part: This Four Day Weekend requires only one evening of yours. The Four Day Weekend Theater is located at 312 Houston St. in Fort Worth, and tickets are $15 each. Call 817-226-4DAY. --Matt Hursh
4/14
Good Ole Boy
In his mid-'70s and in the midst of his first world tour, Cuban musical maestro Ibrahim Ferrer doesn't have much use for rowdy bra- and panty-throwing crowds. That's why he performs at Fort Worth's Bass Hall rather than somewhere like the Bronco Bowl this week. But that's not to say he isn't worth the finest of undergarments, so give snail mail a try. Ferrer, leader of the Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon that hit the world in the late 1990s, has been a professional singer since age 13. After a lengthy career, he had retired from music and was living on a government pension in a tiny Havana apartment by the time U.S. music producer Ry Cooder rediscovered him while filming the 1999 documentary The Buena Vista Social Club. Ferrer had been working part time shining shoes for a number of years to supplement his small pension. At 72, Ferrer was awarded a Latin Grammy for best new artist in 2000. He released Buenos Hermanos, his second solo album, last month. Now he'll perform 8 p.m. April 14 at Bass Hall, 525 Commerce St., Fort Worth. Ticket prices start at $25. Call 817-212-4280. --Cheryl Smith
4/10
You Know Prancer
What can audiences at Nova Dancing Company's spring performance series expect? Lots o' prancing and skinny, barefoot people, we suspect, but then we're a rhythmically challenged cynic. The troupe promises works that "show different states of individual expression." In other words...well, you know. Among them will be guest artists F.K. Chidi, Anthony Giddines and the Lisbon Elementary School Dance Company. "New Expectations" will be performed 7 p.m. April 10 and 8 p.m. April 11 through April 12 at the South Dallas Cultural Center, 3400 S. Fitzhugh Ave. Tickets are $10. Call 214-559-3993. --Patrick Williams
4/12
Spring in Their Step
Primavera y Semana Santa en Sevilla isn't pasta with tasty vegetable sauce. Now don't get us wrong; a glass of Chianti would go well with it, but Saturday's Daniel de Córdoba Bailes Españoles production is far from an Atkins Diet nightmare. The company presents a spring and Holy Week celebration combo with songs, Christian and pagan customs, and flamenco dance at the Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N. Harwood St. at both 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 to $15. Call 214-528-3492. --Merritt Martin
4/15
Are You Ready for the Tapdown?
Savion Glover brings the noise, the funk
For a time, exceeding the fabled 15 minutes of fame that even his noncommercial art form--tap--might earn him, Savion Glover was everywhere. He was right there, accepting a Tony award for choreographing Bring In 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk in 1996, one of nine nominations for the riot of dancing, singing and boisterous big fun only a Broadway musical can incite. Glover clung to the spotlight after Noise/Funk started and ended its first national tour and moved into a sort of mainstream peripheral vision. If you didn't blink, you'd still see him tapping through the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, on PBS's Sesame Street, in a wireless phone commercial. The young, baby-faced, dreadlocked hoofer snatched the tap shoes right out from under Gregory Hines, who'd elevated the art form to "tap interpretography," and even gotten a successful movie deal--White Nights--out of it. Fort Worth's Casa Manana Theater is hoping you'll remember Glover and want to see for yourself why he's the top name among the few who are keeping tap and Broadway musicals alive. Glover and his choreography are starring in a new touring production of Noise/Funk, opening April 15 for a five-day run at Fort Worth's Bass Performance Hall. The show's loud, rollicking premise venerates the historical tradition of tap, which was passed through generations of dancers who taught routines to one another in much the same way folk songs and stories were handed down. Glover learned from the "old-timers" and reinvented classic steps to appeal to a younger crowd. Glover's innovative dancing, Reg E. Gaines' poetry and original music by Ann Duquesnay, Zane Mark and Daryl Waters aren't the least bit overworked. Noise/Funk has been restaged for this run, which reunites Glover with fellow Tony winner director George C. Wolfe and the show's original creative team, including set designer Riccardo Hernandez, lighting designers Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer and costume designer Paul Tazewell. Show time is 8 p.m. April 15 through April 20 with tickets ranging from $27 to $75. Call 817-212-4280. --Annabelle Massey Helber
4/11
Can They Kick It?
A new tribe tries
For a moment, we put everything on hold: The University of Texas at Dallas was bringing in A Tribe Called Quest for its first outdoor music festival. They would play alongside Cowboy Mouth, Mest and a handful of local bands, including Centro-Matic, Slobberbone and Zac Maloy. A. Tribe. Called. Quest. Our favorite hip-hop group ever. One of the best ever. And then we found out that, instead of A Tribe Called Quest, it was a band that could be more accurately named A Tribe Called Question Mark: Phife Dawg and Jarobi, the latter of which was barely a member of the group. No Q-Tip. No Ali Shaheed Muhammad. So, oh well. It's still free, and there are still some good local acts on the bill. The festival begins at 3 p.m. on the UTD campus, 2601 N. Floyd Road in Richardson, next to the McDermott Library. Call 972-883-6438. --Zac Crain
4/10
BabyLove
We like bad movies. And bad movies about music/dancing are even better. Footloose, Staying Alive and Eddie and the Cruisers are just a few we'll own up to. The tunes suck us in every time. That's why Theatre Quorum's Be My Baby caught our attention. The play revolves around "naïve girls who want to go to the 'Chapel of Love' but who end up pregnant and alone." Their stories are sad, but their songs (courtesy of the 1960s girl groups) are far from it. So even if Be My Baby turns out to be bad, it's still pretty good. April 10 through April 26, Mesquite Arts Center, 1527 N. Galloway. Call 972-216-8131. --Rhonda Reinhart
4/15
Light the Fire
First things first...can we all agree that the world is a bit darker without the full-time artistic commitment of Michael "Feet of Flames" Flatley? The graceful consummation of both Siegfried and Roy has left a void in the glam/folk line dancing department. But those who still love to see a professional rug being cut would be well served to note Burn the Floor, the latest of the Broadway in Dallas Contemporary Series. Burn the Floor brings together internationally renowned performers who combine the precision and class of ballroom dancing with the energy of rock and roll. Remember, oh cultured one, "dance" doesn't always include a pole, gyrating G-strings and Def Leppard. It's also represented by the waltz, mambo and tango, and the 32-plus pros involved intend to showcase each and then some during the multimedia event. After numerous sold-out shows worldwide, are you actually going to miss your cha-cha-chance? It's a one-week stint and can be experienced at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Tickets range from $19 to $51. Call 214-373-8000. --Matt Hursh
