It's Valentine's Day weekend, when expectations are sky-high and so are restaurant prices. Skip the "romantic" dinner and take your beloved out to hear some music, see a film, or even do something together (gasp!) as a family.
The Louisville Orchestra hosts Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth on Saturday night for a Valentine's concert, and if you're a Broadway fan, you've probably got your ticket already. Chenoweth is known for her work in "Wicked" and on "Glee," although my daughter knows her as the co-host of last year's Tony Awards with Alan Cumming. (What can I say? It's all part of her education.) Chenoweth is a powerhouse performer who can sing everything from opera to show tunes to pop ballads. Expect a glitzy, funny, fun show. (Chenoweth is appearing as part of a program originally scheduled with the late Natalie Cole.)
The Louisville Jewish Film Festival is in progress this weekend, running through March 1. It's always a great opportunity to see films, especially foreign films and documentaries, that don't otherwise get a screening in town. This weekend, you can catch "Apples from the Desert," which was nominated for best foreign film at this year's Golden Globes. It's a coming-of-age story about a young Orthodox Israeli woman who rejects her father's choice of a husband. (7:30 p.m. Saturday at Village 8 Theatres) There's also "Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front," a documentary illustrating the lives of five young Israeli soldiers (10:15 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 14 at Village 8).
Most of our traditional nursery rhymes came from England, but you can look a lot closer to home. Take your little ones to Carmichael's Kids at 11 a.m. on Saturday for a reading and sing-along with Mike Norris, author of "Mommy Goose: Rhymes from the Mountains." This book is a collection of original nursery rhymes that celebrate Appalachian speech and traditions, illustrated with images of original work by Kentucky folk artist Minnie Adkins. (Carmichael's Kids, 1313 Bardstown Rd.)
