Mexicans are spontaneous people, as any foreigner who lives here can tell you. They do things at the last minute. Making plans beyond tomorrow does not seem to enter their way of thinking. That’s why it’s so hard sometimes to wrest any information out of them regarding what arts events will be coming up for next month — any next month. The press office at the Municipal Institute of Culture, Tourism and Art (CULTURA) often can’t tell us what’s going on next week, let alone next month.
But despite all that rant, we have managed by our mid-April deadline to eke out the most noteworthy happenings for you to circle on your May calendar. If we can’t give you exact dates, it is because at this writing they had not been set. All we can do is give you our best guess, and a way to check for last-minute details. The last Artwalk of the season, a jazz festival, an ice show, a Russian ballet company, a light opera called “The Merry Widow,” the continuation of Danzon Thursdays public dances (with one additional Saturday night session in honor of Mother’s Day), some art expositions, and possibly the seventh annual Day of Music look to be among the offerings, positively set or not, for the month of May. Can you imagine ice skating in the Angela Peralta Theater? It’s going to happen on the 5th, when the technicians with the traveling company of “Aladdin on Ice” turn the stage into a rink for this Broadway-style family show that was mounted in Paris and imported to Mexico. Also arriving from abroad is the Russian National Ballet, which on May 7 will perform vignettes (so-called “jewels”) from various of its most successful productions.
For the second year in a row, a weekend Mazatlán Jazz Festival will bring musicians from Guadalajara, Mexico City, Jalapa and Veracruz — including sensational jazz pianist Edgar Dorantes — to Mazatlán, says organizer Hector Mendieta of the cafe Ars Altazor on the Plazuela Machado. As manager of Sazon, the false Cuban salsa band, he has the connections among the musicians. But it all depends on how many gigs he can score at local restaurants as to how many jazz musicians he can entice into coming here for the festival. The website: www.oxigenial.com
The Ballet Folklorico Sina-loense has a new production called “Mazatleco,” which company director Rebeca Llamas promises “will show some of the ideocyncracies of the pata salada (a nickname for the people of Mazatlán).” It goes onstage May 12.
Another big event that is happening for sure is a performance of the Franz Lehar operetta “The Merry Widow,” with the Sinaloa Symphony Orchestra of the Arts, the Sinaloa Opera Chorus and soloists. This was scheduled to take place May 23 or 31, in Spanish, at the Angela Peralta Theater. Info: www.culturamazatlan.com
A prominent Northamerican artist, Erin Goodwin, lives here in the Centro Historico when she is not teaching art history at San Jose (California) State University. An exhibition of 30 of her drawings, photographs and serigraphs is slated to open May 8 at the Mazatlán Art Museum. Incidentally, the museum’s patio seems to be the location for several May events connected with the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS) Cultural Festival (see calendar below).

And then there’s the matter of the Day of Music when five sites on the streets of Old Mazatlan offer as many or more styles of music: classical, rock, guitar-strumming ballads, oldies but goodies and salsa/banda. This musical freebie fiesta has been going for six years in a row, and we have unconfirmed word that it will take place on May 30 this year. Best way to find out for sure is by asking at Pedro y Lola restaurant in the Machado, since the owner, Alfredo Gomez Rubio, is the organizer.
As for Danzon Thursdays, they continue from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on May 7, 14, 21 and 28 at Parque Zaragoza, with instruction available for those who want to learn this elegant Latin ballroom dance step. A special edition of Danzon also occurs on the eve of Mexican Mother’s Day (May 10) at the Mazatlán Art Museum, where a door charge will be collected to benefit needy mothers in the community. Also, spokesman Cesar Ruiz says Danzon will be part of this year’s Day of Music.

MAY
1 — Last of the season’s Artwalk’s touris into artist/artisan studios, 4:00-8:00 p.m., at flagged sites throughout Old Mazatlán

1 — “Primer Solo,” an exposition of art by painter Andy Garcia, 8:00 p.m., Carlos Bueno Gallery, Mazatlán Art Museum

5 — “Aladdin on Ice” 4:00, 6:00 and 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater, Tickets: 300, 250, 200 & 120 pesos

6 — UAS Cultural Festival: From Jazz to Tango, 7:00 p.m., Patio of Mazatlán Art Museum

6 — Mazatlán Jazz Festival opening concert (TB confirmed), 8:00 p.m. Angela Peralta Theater

7 — Jewels of the Russian National Ballet, 7:00 & 9:30 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater, Admission: 500, 450, 400 & 300 pesos

8 — “Reciclaje,” graphics by artist Erin Goodwin, inaugural, 8:00 p.m., Roberto Perez Rubio Gallery, Mazatlán Art Museum

9 — Dance the Danzon, in honor of Mother’s Day, 8:00 p.m., Patio of Mazatlán Art Museum, Admission required; tickets at any Thursday Danzon

11 — Flute and piano recital (TB confirmed) 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Gallery, Admission: Free

12 — UAS Cultural Festival: Danzon, “Orchestra of Memories”, 7:00 p.m., Patio of Mazatlán Art Museum

12 — Ballet Folklorico Sinaloense: “Mazatleco”, 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater, Admission: TB announced

15 — Chamber dance, 8:00 p.m., Patio of Mazatlán Art Museum

30 — Seventh Annual Day of Music (TB confirmed), 7:00 p.m. to midnight, 5 sites on streets of Centro Historico

31— Operetta: “The Merry Widow” by Sinaloa Symphony & Opera, 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater, Admission: TBA