SONGS BY THE OCEAN SOUNDS NICE
Deerfield Beach Moonlight Melodies Summer Concerts on the Beach: 7 to 9 tonight, near the Main Beach parking lot at Ocean Way between First and Second streets, Deerfield Beach; free; 954-480-4433.
Like the music of Aretha Franklin, Norah Jones, Santana, the Eagles, Bob Seger, Steely Dan, Celine Dion and Natalie Cole? Of course you do. So pack up the family and head for Deerfield Beach, where the dynamic group Encore performs the hits of all these classic acts, with the ocean as a backdrop. Bring a chair and picnic dinner.
DO YOU HAVE THE LOOK?
Chanel's ''Chance'' Model Makeover: 6 to 8:30 tonight, Burdines Dadeland Fashion Store, 7303 SW 88th St., Miami; free; 305-692-3530.
Girls -- think you've got what it takes to strut the catwalks? Here's your chance to find out, as Chanel, Burdines and Teen Vogue are inviting teenage girls to learn how to look like a supermodel. Check out the hottest summer makeup looks from Chanel and tips from Anne Vyalitsyna, the face for the new Chanel ''Chance'' fragrance, which apparently captures Chanel girls' ''sexy, savvy, ambitious, confident, optimistic, passionate, feminine and fun-loving spirit.'' All guests will get the chance to meet Vyalitsyna, the young beauty from Russia who has been named the modeling world's new It Girl. This ''Chance'' encounter includes mini-makeovers, refreshments, a live DJ, palm readings, Teen Vogue gift bags and a fabulous door prize for one lucky winner.
STEAMY SCENES READ TO ALL
Not Your Average Bedtime Story: South Florida's Best Lesbian and Gay Sex Writers: 7:30 tonight, The Pride Factory, 845 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; free; 954-463-6600.
Let's talk about sex. Why? According to The Pride Factory, it's because ''there just isn't enough sex in public places.'' Come listen as South Florida's hottest lesbian and gay writers read their steamiest work, with local musician Ditmara Tomayo warming up the crowd and MC Mary Damiano keeping things hot between scenes. This show guarantees to pull no punches: The sex will range from hardcore to romantic to silly to sleazy, and the juicier the better. Anything goes, and everyone is welcome to read, listen or squirm. This event is sponsored by Lavender Writes, which provides service and support to lesbian and gay writers. Non-gay readers and audience members are also welcome to participate.
A MUSICAL TRIP THROUGH HISTORY
The Big Bang: 8 tonight, running through Aug. 17 with shows at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sundays; Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables; $32 Thursday and Sunday and $35 Friday and Saturday; discounts for groups of 15 or more; 305-444-9293 or www.actorsplayhouse.org.
The 2002-03 season at Actors' Playhouse will end with a bang this summer -- a Big Bang, in fact. The Big Bang, with music by Jed Feuer and lyrics by Boyd Graham, is a delirious, 90-minute run through the history of the world. Two actors sing and clown their way through important roles, recreating Adam and Eve, Attila the Hun, Nefertiti, Julius Caesar, Queen Isabella and Columbus, Napoleon and Josephine, Henry VIII and many others.
DISABLED KIDS SHINE ON STAGE
A Rising Star Talent Showcase for Youth with Disabilities: 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, noon to 6:30 p.m. Sunday; Aventura Mall's Center Court, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-690-9123.
This weekend, take a break from your joyless consumption and unnecessary purchases at the shopping complex and head to Aventura Mall's Center Court, where something truly uplifting is happening. A Rising Star Talent Showcase gives kids with disabilities a chance to shine, while benefiting the Miami-Dade College, North Campus Scholarship Fund for Disabilities. Children ages 10-18 will sing, act and dance before an audience. All disabled participants (there are also nondisabled performers serving as ''filler'' acts between the regular performances) will receive cash prizes, along with the priceless experience and enjoyment of strutting their stuff onstage.
BLUEGRASS AND BROADWALK
Red, White & Bluegrass: noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday; Hollywood Beach and the Broadwalk, north and south of Johnson Street, Hollywood Beach; free; 1-800-231-5562.
The Dixie Chicks and the movie O Brother Where Art Thou? recently helped make true bluegrass hot again. So join in the fun as the first Red, White & Bluegrass festival hits the Hollywood Broadwalk, complete with great music, luscious barbecue and family events. Stroll the Broadwalk for handmade arts and crafts or just take in the sounds of headliners the Shannon Lawson Trio and Honi Deaton & Dream, as well as local groups.
A SLICE OF SPAM IS GOOD FOR YOU
DJ Le Spam and the Spam Allstars on SeaEscape: boarding 6:30 p.m. Saturday, departing at 7:30; returns at 1:30 a.m.; Terminal 1 in Port Everglades; $34.95, plus a $3 federal excise tax and a $3 port security charge; for directions, call 1-877-SEA-ESCAPE (1-877-732-3722) or 954-453-3333 or visit www.seaescape.com.
Wanna get away? Hop on board Saturday's special SeaEscape cruise featuring party animals DJ Le Spam and the Spam Allstars, whose irresistible mix of Latin, funk, hip-hop and reggae made them a legend at the high-energy Fuacata! parties in Little Havana. It's all part of Liquid Vibe, presented by SeaEscape and New Times. Check out the group's three CDs: Pork Scratchings (1999), Pigs in Space (2000) and last year's Fuacata! Live. The fare includes SeaEscape's dinner buffet -- you can upgrade to surf and turf or rack of lamb for an extra $9.95 or a full-service, five-course, á la carte menu in the Waves Dining Room for $19.95. And, of course, there's the full, Las Vegas-style casino featuring more than 300 slot and video-poker machines and casino games including blackjack, roulette, craps, Caribbean stud poker and more. Party on!
ZIGGY CONTINUES HIS OWN JOURNEY
Ziggy Marley: 7 p.m. Saturday, The Venu and Star Bar Patio, 200 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; $25; 954-727-0950.
Don't expect this show to be too similar to the late, great reggae hero Bob Marley. Though son Ziggy's voice recalls his poignant yearning and political statements, he has blazed a trail of his own (with the Grammy-winning Melody Makers, until this year) with an eclectic sound that blends blues, R & B and hip-hop into the reggae that runs through his blood. After two decades as the creative force behind the Melody Makers, Ziggy released Dragonfly, his first solo album, in April. Featuring producers of Metallica, Jewel and R.E.M., as well as special guests Flea and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Incubus' DJ Chris Kilmore, Dragonfly flies all over the musical map while retaining Ziggy's singular vision.
GIVE ME A PIECE OF THAT BEEFCAKE
Mr. Miami International Competition: 8 p.m. Saturday, poolside at the Flamingo South Beach, 1500 Bay Rd., Miami Beach; $20 general admission; 305-206-3562 or www.mistermiami.com.
It's too late to compete if you haven't already submitted an application, but at least you can come ogle the beefcake. Looking for a few good men? You'll find 12 of them at the competition for Mr. Miami International, a title that brings the winner: a stylish wardrobe from Hollywood's ''Designer to the Stars'' Charlie Lapson's new collection; an Italian-made bracelet from the Charlie Lapson Jewelry line; a professional photo session by South Florida photographer Dennis Dean; a cover story interview in Wire Magazine; and the opportunity to represent Miami-Dade County at the ''Mr. Hotlanta Contest'' Aug. 1 in Atlanta. Judges on the panel include: The Herald's Velvet Underground columnist Lesley Abravanel, Denise Sypesteyn of Lincoln Road Magazine, Telemundo producer Carlos Anaya and Rod Stafford Hagwood of the Sun-Sentinel.
BIG SKY SWEEPS INTO CULTURE ROOM
Big Sky: Doors open at 8 p.m. Saturday, Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; $5; 954-564-1074.
After eight years, Gainesville's Big Sky holds onto its title as possibly the best band yet to truly hit it big nationally. So what are you people waiting for? After all, the group's Southern-kissed sound falls somewhere between Dave Matthews and the Black Crowes with a shot of The Alarm's blustery '80s anthems. In addition, Big Sky has had songs featured on MTV, TV commercials and movie soundtracks, while performing more than 200 shows per year with big-name acts like Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Matchbox Twenty and, strangely enough, KC & The Sunshine Band. The group -- consisting of two guitars, multiple percussion, saxophone, organ and bass -- are performing with special guests NeoCon and Stereonine.
TROPICAL NIGHTS, SALSA FLAVORED
Willie Colón: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; $15, $25, $35, $45; 954-462-0222 or www.browardcenter.org.
Our beloved Queen of Salsa has been taken from us, but we can find solace by going to see Willie Colón, South Florida's king of salsa and one of the most important names in Latin music worldwide. Colón's performance is part of the Broward Center's Tropical Nights series of concerts, where audiences enjoy preshow entertainment and a happy hour with cocktails in the Peck Courtyard and Horvitz Grand Lobby. Colón is a musician, composer, arranger, singer, trombonist, producer and director whose compositions are part of almost every salsa artist's repertoire. Over the past four decades, he has sold more than 20 million records worldwide and earned 11 Grammy nominations, 15 gold albums and five platinum records.
BROOKS & DUNN TAKES STAGE
Brooks & Dunn: 3 p.m. Sunday, Sound Advice Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansbury's Way, West Palm Beach; $49.75, $39.75, $22.75; 561-793-0445.
Quick: Who's the biggest-selling duo of all time -- Simon & Garfunkel or Brooks & Dunn? Gotcha! It's Simon & Garfunkel. But Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who floundered as solo artists before catching fire together, are a close second. The Grammy Award-winning kings of the '90s line-dancing craze have churned out more boot-scootin' boogies than you could shake a stick at, balancing them with radio-friendly ballads for an unbeatable combination. (Speaking of unbeatable, check out the title of Brooks & Dunn's 2001 album: Steers and Stripes). The boys are touring to support their July 15 release, Red Dirt Road, said to be one of their best. Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley, Aaron Lines, Jeff Bates and Cledus are also along for the honky-tonk ride.
MENDELSSOHN HIGHLIGHTED
Summerfest 2003: Symphony of the Americas, 4 p.m. Sunday, Second Presbyterian Church, 1400 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; $15; 954-545-0088 or go online to www.SymphonyoftheAmericas.org.
Here's a cultural treat to break up these sultry summer days. July brings Summerfest 2003, giving South Florida audiences the chance to hear great orchestras from all over the world. This time, the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, based in Vesprem, Hungary, will perform under the artistic direction of James Brooks-Bruzzese, with members of Broward's Symphony of the Americas. Though the Hungarian orchestra specializes in the string symphonies and early works of Mendelssohn, their repertoire ranges from Baroque to contemporary. The program Sunday will feature the music of Rossini, Vivaldi, Mozart, Liszt, Brahams, Mendelssohn, of course, and the Hungarian composer Farkas. The orchestra's artistic director Peter Kovats will be featured violin soloist.
EAT, DRINK AND BE CHARITABLE
Taste of the Nation/Miami: 7:30 p.m. Monday; Turnberry Isle Resort, 19999 W. Country Club Dr., Aventura; $75 ($150 including 6:30 p.m. VIP reception); 305-633-9861 ext. 123, or www.miamitaste.com.
The 16th Miami edition of this nationwide benefit series, sponsored by the chefs' hunger-relief initiative Share Our Strength, serves a dual purpose this year: The 60-plus participating chefs will preview their menus for the Miami Spice restaurant-month promotion. (Beginning Aug. 1, you'll be able to lunch for $19.99 and dine for $29.99 at such hot spots as Azul, Pacific Time and Wish; see miamirestaurantmonth.com for details.) Look for longtime local SOS chair Allen Susser on Monday night, and be prepared to bid on auction items including California wine-country trips and a sunset flight aboard a Learjet.
-- KATHY MARTIN
DYLAN WITH A TOUCH OF GARCIA
Bob Dylan and His Band, The Dead, Robert Hunter: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Office Depot Center, 2555 NW 137th Way, Sunrise; $54; 954-835-8000.
Like Bob Dylan? You'll be chillin' like a villain Tuesday night as one of America's greatest songwriters growls out hits from his 40-plus years of creativity, proving that, like Keith Richards, he's still not quite Knockin' on Heaven's Door. The night will be magical no matter what the Artist Formerly Known as Robert Zimmerman decides to play, but casual fans should hope for all-time classics like Tangled Up In Blue, Blowin' In the Wind, Times They Are A-Changing, Lay Lady Lay, Rainy Day Woman, Like A Rolling Stone, If Not For You and I Want You, among dozens more. Expect a few duets with The Dead and Robert Hunter as Bob Weir and company resurrect the mellow spirit of Jerry Garcia.
A SIZZLING SINGLES EVENT
Flirting With Food: 7 p.m. Tuesday; Cookworks/Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour; $50; 305-861-5005.
Few things are more impressive to the opposite sex than knowing how to cook a great meal. Armed with that information, dress to kill and head for Bal Harbour Shops on Tuesday when Andrew Marc Rothschild, executive chef at Miami Beach's venerable Forge restaurant, shares sensual food secrets with culinarily inclined singles in this three-hour class. At evening's end, students will eat their lessons, paired with wines.
-- MICHAEL HAMERSLY
Send items to The Ticket, The Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132; e-mail mhamersly@herald.com or fax to 305-376-5287.
