Five Live Celebrations of Desire

You know the way desire calls. Whether it's the carnal come-hither of sexual attraction or a heartfelt ache for simpatico companionship, desire's relentless pull is the gravity that affects all bodies, celestial or otherwise. It's no wonder so much art is inspired by the sensation – or built to evoke such feelings in an audience. Here are just five examples in our own community right now.

The Dating Project

Max Langert's relatable new modern farce, starring Summer Break Theatre's Maggie Meador, is for anyone who's been through the "joys" of online dating. "Organized and proficient in her professional life, Tara is messy and lonely in her personal one. So she does what any good project manager would. She creates a detailed project plan to launch a stable relationship. When there's a problem, she logs a bug. When there's something missing, she creates a feature request. What could possibly go wrong?"

The Jigglewatts: Tease! A Burlesque Homage to Baz Luhrmann

The legendary ecdysiast troupe's residency at the Ballroom sparks all kinds of desire, with live music, comedy, drag, variety, and world-class burlesque performances in a swanky cabaret setting, this time erupting in a dazzling tribute to the cinematic worlds of filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. "From the star-crossed romance of Romeo + Juliet to the wild bohemian revolution of Moulin Rouge and the gilded soirées of Gatsby."

Austin Chamber Music Festival: The Book of Longing

Austin Chamber Music Center's annual festival continues, stoking the engines of desire with Philip Glass' 2007 song cycle based on the poetry and artwork of Leonard Cohen. Conductor Andreas Mitisek leads eight world-class instrumentalists, accompanied by singers from Austin's own LOLA.

Co-Lab Projects: I Want to Listen

A weeklong residency in which artistic and personal feedback become the raw material for an immersive IRL performance and party. You're invited to "drop in and out, observe, participate, and get drunk with poolboy" (artist Sam Mayer's online alter ego) while he works toward Saturday's wild and watery performance with his longtime collaborator, momgrab.

The Full Monty

Yes, it's the Americanized musical stage version of the 1997 British film, offered as part of TexARTS' professional production series – and, mirabile dictu, we've got a full review of it in these very pages.