Westbank Story is set in the fast-paced, fast-food world of competing falafel stands on the West Bank. David, an Israeli soldier, falls in love with the beautiful Palestinian cashier, Fatima, despite the animosity between their families’ dueling restaurants.

Can the couple’s love withstand a 2,000-year-old conflict and their families’ desire to control the future of the chick pea in the Middle East? Find out in the 21-minute musical/comedy directed by Ari Sandel. This film is not rated.

Offside tells the story of six Iranian girls who disguise themselves as boys in order to enter Tehran’s Azadi Stadium to watch the 2006 World Cup Asian zone qualifier between Iran and Bahrain. The disguises are necessary as Iran bans all women from men’s sporting events. However, the six girls are discovered and arrested one by one. Offside was shot in Iran but its screening was banned in the Islamic Republic. The 93-minute comedy/drama, directed by Jafar Panahi, is rated PG.

The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats perform sensational acrobatics, balancing feats, martial arts displays and more. They have been called "incredible," "breathtaking," "stunning" and "quite unbelievable." The grace and precision shown by the acrobats comes from years of dedicated training and discipline. In sold out theatres everywhere, The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats astound audiences with their incredible talents.

Singing songs that celebrate life, Ricardo Lemvo inspires his audience to let loose and dance away their worries. Lemvo's mix of Cuban salsa and pan-African styles has established him as an innovative music pioneer. Born in Congo-Kinshasa of Angolan ancestry, Lemvo formed his Los Angeles-based band, Makina Loca, in 1990. Lemvo is truly multi-cultural and equally at home singing in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Lingala and Kikongo. Ricardo Lemvo leaves an indelible impression with all who hear his music or see him perform.

A high-octane fiddle-fest that features an international multi-talented cast, Barrage performs an eclectic mix of music, song and dance. This Canadian group's new show, High Strung, offers up a diverse fusion of cultures, musical styles and incredible performance vitality. The music of Barrage continues to evolve — combining contemporary world music influences, layered vocal arrangements and pulsating modern beats and rhythms. The cast delivers the new show with amazing energy and musical virtuosity that will take your breath away.

Inspired and wildly imaginative, Beethoven's Wig is one of the best introductions to classical music you could give to your children. The brainchild of lyricist and lead vocalist Richard Perlmutter, Beethoven's Wig uses sing-alongs with zany lyrics full of fact and fancy about the world's greatest composers and their compositions. This fun-filled creation has been nominated for three Grammy Awards and provides a delightful foundation for classical music that will last a lifetime.

Ailey II, the junior company of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, is known for performing a fast-paced, sophisticated, crowd-pleasing show. The company is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country's best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today's most outstanding emerging choreographers.

Tyrell V. Rolle
Photo by Eduardo Patino

In Eric Bibb's hands, the blues becomes sustaining, moving closer to the spiritual uplift of gospel — it's about healing, song after song. Eric Bibb has an ability to meld traditional blues styles with more contemporary sounds. As one critic put it, "Eric's singing and versatile guitar playing fuses a variety of genres to become a New World Blues."

. . .The Campbell Brothers present Sacred Steel: African-American gospel music with electric steel guitar and vocal. This tradition emerges from the House of God Church, Keith Dominion, where it has been an integral part of worship and an American tradition for more than 60 years. As the music moves from sanctuary to concert hall — secular audiences are now able to appreciate a performance both devoted and rocking.

Claudia Gonzalez's voice communicates a strong-willed feminine energy that is simultaneously sultry and maternal. Claudia has reemerged with CAVA, a project that continues the evolution of Latin music in Los Angeles. CAVA creates a jazzy blend of traditional song, cumbia, ska and salsa with a combination of sounds unique to a Mexican-American upbringing. Featured in local L.A. Magazine, Tú Ciudad, Claudia has been tagged as the next up-and-coming artist to look for.

Deep from within the mountains of Japan comes Shidara, a troupe of brilliant young men and women, presenting the art of Taiko drumming like it's never before been seen! Blending top-notch skill, blinding energy and breakneck speed, their performances carry a deeper spiritual purpose rooted in ancient times. The Shidara ensemble explodes with masterful stick work, then ushers the audience softly away with soulful harmonies of shinobue bamboo flutes. Shidara's stage resonates in the minds and hearts of the audience long after the last beat is played.

As a member of Sólas for four and a half years, Karan Casey has been critically acclaimed from Japan to America as one of Ireland's greatest singers. The Wall Street Journal describes Casey as "one of the true glories of Irish music today." The Silhouette Series performance combines Karen with the Irish group Buille. Creating one of the most potent new sounds to emerge from Ireland in many years, Buille is concertina virtuoso Naill Vallely, guitar powerhouse Paul Meehan and Caoimhin Vallely on piano.