ChinatownConnection.com

2008 Chinese New Year Festivals in Houston

Houston Ballet - Serenade, Gershwin Premiere, and Swan Song. Glamorous gals with legs that never stop, giddy sailors on leave, gangsters, reporters, tourists galore. It’s Stanton Welch’s fun-filled, tongue-in-cheek tribute to the mythical New York of the 1940s, choreographed to the ever-popular melodies of George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F. Houston events at the Wortham Center, 501 Texas. Call 713-522-5538 for more info. Event ID: 3/2

Masquerade Theatre - The Scarlet Pimpernel. Houston events at the Hobby Center, 800 Bagby. The Scarlet Pimpernel is a musical by composer Frank Wildhorn and lyricist Nan Knighton, based on the novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy. The show is set in England and France during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution. The story is a precursor to the spy fiction and the superhero genres, where a hero hides under a mild-mannered alias. Call 713-861-7045 for tickets. Event ID: 2/24

Alley Theatre - The Lieutenant of Inishmore. The Lieutenant of Inishmore revolves around a group of terrorists in a radical IRA splinter group and their ruthless (and cat-loving) leader “Mad Padraic.” When Padraic’s beloved cat is found dead, the death must be concealed before Padraic returns from a stint of violence. What follows are a series of savagely funny events that are both shocking and surprising. Houston events at Alley Theatre, 615 Texas. Call 713-228-8421 for more info. Event ID:2/24

Miwa Yanagi—Deutsche Bank Collection. Over her relatively short, but impressive career, Japanese artist Miwa Yanagi has fabricated three distinct series that confront and disrupt traditional perceptions of women. Houston events at Museum of Fine Arts, 1001 Bissonnet. Call 713-639-7300 for more info. Event ID:5/4

Where Clouds Disperse: Ink Paintings by Suh Se-ok.  Over his 40-year career, Suh Se-ok has incorporated his traditional training with his Modernist sensibility to create dynamic works that embody his artistic vision. He has been especially transfixed by the figurative form and has continually explored and perfected it until it evolved into powerful formal gestures of simple lines that comprise his definitive pictorial vocabulary. Location: Museum of Fine Arts, 1001 Bissonnet. Call 713-639-7300 for more info.

Genome: The Secret of How Life Works. Have you ever wondered what you have in common with a potato? How genes affect growth and aging, or what your future children might look like? Stop wondering and start exploring! Scientists have mapped the human genome – a person’s entire set of genes. Genes are the secret codes, or recipes that make us who we are and that influence who we might become. Houston events at Health Museum, 1515 Hermann Drive. Call 713-521-1515 for more info. Event ID:5/4

CSI: The Experience. This completely immersive exhibit invites visitors to enter one of three mock crime scenes, where they identify and record the evidence. It then takes them inside forensic laboratories for scientific testing and to autopsy rooms for pathology analysis. Houston events at Museum of Natural Science, 1 Hermann Circle Drive. Call 713.639.IMAX for more info. Event ID:4/30

Pompeo Batoni: Prince of Painters in Eighteenth Century Rome Exhibition. Houston events at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

Sesame Street Presents: The Body. Get to know what’s under your skin at Sesame Street Presents: The Body, an amazing new educational exhibition featuring Elmo, Oscar, Grover and the rest of your Sesame Street friends! Run, jump and play your way through a new interactive exhibition all about the human body. This exhibit will cover everything from fingers and toes to your ishy-squishy insides. Houston events at Health Museum, 1515 Hermann Drive. Call 713-521-1515 for more info.

Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia. Discover five million years of Ethipia's diverse history and culture. The exhibition will include the original fossilized remains of the 3.2 million-year-old hominid known as Lucy. With 40 percent of her skeleton intact, Lucy remains the oldest and most complete adult human ancestor fully retrieved from African soil. Location: Museum of Natural Science, 1 Hermann Circle Drive. Event ID:4/20/08.