Light. As far as modifiers go, it’s far from our favorite: light Miracle Whip, light rock and — heaven help us — light beer. But as a plural noun, light can be rather nice, especially around holiday time. In fact, the season’s lights displays set our hearts glowing with the…

Until the Brazilian dance instructors featured on an episode of The Simpsons unveil their promised “la Penetrada,” the tango will remain the world’s sexiest dance. Argentina’s native dance is enjoying a stirring surge in popularity, thanks in large part to Tango Pasión. The spirited musical has been igniting audiences worldwide…

Two years ago, Wayne Brady and I shared a moment. During a Friday-night gig at the Tempe Improv, he pulled me onstage, asked me a handful of questions and performed an impromptu song about my so-called life. As viewers of ABC’s Whose Line Is It Anyway? know, Brady can sing…

So every dog really does have his day — we had no idea the expression would prove so literal. On the local level, that day is Saturday, October 12, when some of the Valley’s most enthusiastic party animals are unleashed in Mesa’s Cooley Park for Barktoberfest 2002. A celebration of…

Movie buffs are about to get the silent treatment — and it’s all the buzz among Valley cinephiles. The Silent Sundays film series returns for its fourth season this Sunday, September 22, with a screening of The Phantom of the Opera, the 1925 classic starring Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin…

So the boss refused your vacation request for September 10-17, and you have to cram your celebration of Mexico’s Independence Week into a single evening? Well, Saturday night’s your night, as the Fourth Annual Chandler Mariachi Festival gets loco at the Chandler Center for the Arts. The maracas will shake…

Even though he’s reached the rung of success where he could call all the shots, Jay Mohr still gives the people what they want. What the people want, of course, is Christopher Walken. “He has to come out,” the comedian says of his most illustrious impersonation, sure to hit the…

The Valley’s newest movie theater is coming out swinging. It’s cocked and loaded. Starting the weekend off with a bang. Last week, Chandler’s Madstone Theaters celebrated its grand opening with three days of free screenings. This weekend, that spirit of generosity and, ahem, sharing continues. On Friday, the theater hosts…

What Latin phenomenon combines sex appeal with cultural tradition, gets parties grooving, and makes your thighs burn? No, not Ricky Martin. It’s the salsa, and it’s spicing up Sunday nights in Tempe — and proving that the Valley’s club scene isn’t as segregated as is commonly thought. Hundreds of young…

When 17 life-size fiber-glass horses clopped into downtown Scottsdale in late 2000, lovers of animals and art took to the streets to admire the stallions. This summer, another curious collection of creatures has made its way into the city’s gallery district, and though it lacks the noise of the Scottsdale…