Mary Zaller's guests will be doing a lot of double takes at Friday's Blue Moon Over the Garden of Good & Evil.
While patrons feast on a gourmet dinner, a cast of Cleveland Public Theatre actors will throw a spooky twist into everyone's martini. "Our guests will have to be careful, [because] some of the statues in our garden will be real, living people," says Zaller, the interim co-executive director of the Lesbian-Gay Community Center of Greater Cleveland. "The scene will shift as the night goes, from naughty to nice or good to evil, as the case may be."
Give Randy Rollison credit for the flesh-and-blood fantasy. "We're basically going to riff on the visual and dramatic themes, with some of the cemetery statuary coming to life," says Rollison, CPT's artistic director. "I particularly want that girl with the bird and the bowl to have a presence." The party, which also features performances by the swing-band team of Katherine Harvey and George Foley and rockers the David Loy Band, starts at 7:30 p.m. at Signature, 3900 Signature Drive in Solon. Tickets are $50; call 216-651-5428. -- Cris Glaser
Double Whammy
July's second full moon is reason to celebrate.
SAT 7/31
Two full moons in one month is rare. Cleveland Metroparks is so pumped up for the infrequent "blue moon" that it's holding a special program, Nature at Night . . . Once in a Blue Moon, for it at the North Chagrin Nature Center on Saturday. There'll be appearances by real live nocturnal animals, campfire music and storytelling, night hikes and pond walks, a bat maze, a search for nighttime bugs, and live music by Blue Lunch. Plus, telescopes will be set up so folks can get a closer view of the night sky, and experts will be on hand to show 'em exactly where to point them and what to look for. It happens from 5 to 11 p.m. at the North Chagrin Nature Center (off the Sunset Lane entrance on North Chagrin Reservation, off SOM Center Road/Route 91 in Mayfield Village). Admission is free. Call 440-473-3370 for more info. -- Michael Gallucci
Stuff Happens
Pizza-packing opponents battle for honors.
THU 7/29
On a good night, "Rosie" Rozmarynowicz can wolf down a large pizza with the works in the time it takes to watch an episode of Law & Order. So Thursday's Pizza-Eating Contest should be a piece of, um, cake. "You're kidding! No toppings?" exclaims the 32-year-old custodian, after being told the competition will feature medium-sized cheese pizzas. "It's going to be a time limit to see who can eat it the fastest," explains spokesman Jim Andrews. "But we're going to let it cool for a little bit, so it doesn't burn their mouths." Competitive gorging starts at 7 p.m. at LaGrange Lions Park, 240 Glendale Street in LaGrange. Entry fee is $5 (it's free to watch); call 440-355-5466. -- Cris Glaser
Top Guns
SAT 7/31
Saturday's Leopard Challenge pits teams of law-enforcement officials against each other in a series of obstacle courses filled with staircases, shooting ranges, and threatening mannequins. Handcuffs, pistols, and bulletproof vests are involved. It's kinda like Spike TV's Most Extreme Challenge, without the double entendres. It happens from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Lorain County Community College, 1005 Abbe Road in Elyria. Admission is free. Visit www.theleopard.org for more info. -- Michael Gallucci
