Even though “The Great Gatsby” has gotten the movie treatment several times in the past, no film adaptation has ever really stood out as the definitive version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s celebrated novel. Director Baz Luhrmann’s film is certainly the most visually arresting interpretation of “The Great Gatsby” ever produced. Catherine Martin, who previous worked with Luhrmann on “Moulin Rouge,” “Romeo + Juliet,” and “Australia,” deserves multiple Oscar nominations for her hyper sets and eye-popping costumes. As wonderful as Luhrmann’s “Great Gatsby” is to look at, the enchanting visuals are also ironically the movie’s downfall. In the midst of the art direction, costumes, and music, the story and characters that made Fitzgerald’s book a classic become a mere afterthought.

Using their talents for hilarious, family-friendly improvisational comedy, Jef and Shurlin Rawls of Mesa hope to lift spirits while lightening the load for a family in their neighborhood with an event they are calling a “FUN-draiser.”

Even though “The Great Gatsby” has gotten the movie treatment several times in the past, no film adaptation has ever really stood out as the definitive version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s celebrated novel.

The Chandler Children’s Choir is presenting its spring concert, “Dancing Around the World,” a collection of songs representing different nationalities and cultures in different languages.

There are restaurants that slash prices on margaritas or invite a mariachi band for Cinco de Mayo - and then there are restaurants that go a little nuts.

When one thinks of the Holocaust film genre, dramas such as “Schindler’s List” and “The Pianist” instantly come to mind for their harrowing portrayals of victims and survivors who suffered at the hands of Nazis. But what about the German survivors – more specifically, the children of Nazi war criminals forced to come to terms with the atrocities of their parents? This is a question posed by the exceptional new German-language film, “Lore,” Cate Shortland’s follow-up to her acclaimed 2004 feature “Somersault.”

The same local dance company that takes audiences deep into vampire territory each autumn with its acclaimed "A Vampire Tale" is going into uncharted waters.

Revel in days gone by with this high energy musical revue, featuring live musicians and dancers celebrating the music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and The Andrews Sisters, among others.

Desert Vista High School’s dancers invite young dancers to have fun while learning dance techniques at the Spring Dance Clinic on Saturday, March 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. Walk-in registration and pre-registration check-in begins at 12:30 p.m. The dance clinic is open to all students in grades Pre-K through eighth grade.

It’s time to bring out the shamrocks and deck ourselves out in emerald. St. Patrick’s Day is March 17 and the 30th anniversary of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is on March 16. The parade and the Irish Faire are sure to turn downtown Phoenix into one big green party.

The worn boxing gloves and yellowed punching bags tell only part of the story.

Much like recent arthouse films “Weekend” and “Keep The Lights On,” “North Sea Texas” is a realistic portrait of gay life and romance – not the frequent clichés one may find on TV’s “Modern Family” or “The New Normal.” Adapted from the novel “This is Everlasting” by Flemish writer André Sollie, the film follows a young teen growing up along the Belgian coast as he falls in love with a neighborhood boy. Unlike the star-crossed lovers at the heart of “Brokeback Mountain,” this story luckily has a more hopeful ending for its burgeoning protagonist.

Shen Yun: This New York-based dance company resurrects the 5,000-year-old tradition of classical Chinese dance, which has been virtually extinguished in communist China.

By now it's clear that nothing and no one can kill Bruce Willis, whose fifth film in the "Die Hard" franchise, the horribly titled "A Good Day to Die Hard," opened last week.

It's easy to understand why Hollywood loves doing business with author Nicholas Sparks. His books are huge best-sellers, and several of the films adapted from his novels - "Message in a Bottle," ''The Notebook," and "Dear John" - have achieved impressive box office grosses. The latest Sparks adaptation, "Safe Haven," will probably continue his winning streak, especially with its Valentine's Day opening pegged to lure female fans. A thriller element that has not been present in earlier Sparks movies is designed to draw reluctant male viewers to see the picture, but they won't respond with the same enthusiasm as his core audience of woozy romantics.

In a room at the School of Ballet Arizona, this phrase is tacked onto a bulletin board and followed faithfully: “There are three ways to build a costume — good, fast and cheap. Of these three options, only two of the three are possible at a time.”

Jessica Starr was never one to take no as an answer.

Paco Peña: Flamenco Vivo - Spanish dancers, singers and musicians bring a bit of Andalucía to Scottsdale.

The School of Ballet Arizona has a new scholarship for young male dancers, in honor of famed dancer and former pupil of the school, David Hallberg.

Stomp, on stage Wednesday and Thursday in Phoenix, has been making international headlines since it burst onto the music scene in the early ’90s. The renowned street performers continue to wow audiences, using everything from brooms and boots to trash cans and Zippo lighters to create a percussive experience like no other.

Naming herself after the provincial flower of Alberta, Canada, Loca Rosa is a performer with international flair.

To play a mother torn from her husband and sons by the 2004 tsunami, Naomi Watts sure wasn’t going Method.

As the wife of a battalion commander and 20-year veteran of the United States Army, Bianca Caryl knows the kind of sacrifices made by members of the military.