O Amour Natural

(FILM) After the popular Brazilian Poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade died in 1987, a collection of his erotic poetry was found and published. This documentary by Dutch filmmaker Heddy Honigmann approaches the poet's contemporaries (who are now in their 70s and 80s), and has them read de Andrade's graphic poems aloud, then discuss their own feelings about the poems and sex. The result is beautiful and sad. One octogenarian boasts that he had a "wild life," and slept with many woman; another tells how she always wanted a man to take her violently, and didn't really care for the "soft stuff"; another old woman starts to cry when she recalls how she and her husband used to fuck in the backyard. Please do not miss this film! And if you go on opening night, instead of the 7:30 screening there is a reading of erotic prose and poetry (and a mustache contest!) organized by Rendezvous Reading Series. CHARLES MUDEDE

The Little Theatre, 610 19th Ave, 675-2055, Thurs-Sun Feb 10-13, 5:45, 7:30, 9:15 pm, $5.

Virtual Solitaire

(THEATER) Though one-man shows frequently have trouble justifying their format -- either because the material isn't good enough or the actor isn't -- the "plays-for-one-person" that have been spinning from the mind of Dawson Nichols for the past few years have won him national accolades, and made him an intriguing presence on the fringe circuit. He's a fine actor on any terms -- a multi-character turn in Intiman's Fires in the Mirror ensemble last year had him convincingly playing one of Louis Farrakhan's inner circle -- and Virtual Solitaire showcases him on solo home turf. This piece about a man submerged in virtual entertainment is Nichols' shot at selling us all on his gifts before he leaves to tour Australia. We should probably take him up on the challenge. STEVE WIECKING

ACT, 700 Union Street, 523-8933, Thurs-Fri Feb 10-11 only, at 8, $12 in advance, $15 at the door.

Gay Rabbi

(LECTURE) Rabbi J. B. Sacks-Rosen, the first and only openly gay man to be ordained by the Jewish conservative movement, will discuss "Striving to Live a Gay and Traditional Jewish Life: Reflections of a Gay Conservative Rabbi," in a speech that most likely will not begin with any Milton Berle-esque icebreakers about the time that he, the Pope, and three German hookers walked into a bar. JASON PAGANO

Temple DeHirsch Sinai, 1511 E Pike, 365-3956, 7:30 pm, free.

Total Fictional Lie

(THEATER) Can you really see yourself turning down a theatre troupe that commingles Paul Anka with serial killer Aileen Wuornos? You could gain a whole new understanding of "Puppy Love." Elevator Repair Service, a hyped, funky bunch of experimental players from New York, are in town with this mixed-media, pop-culture brain candy inspired by, among other things, the notorious Ms. Wuornos and the equally guilty culprit behind You're Having My Baby. Music, movement, and visual flair go into creating what the company calls "avant-garde, postmodern, Dadaist, deconstructivist comedies," but I think they'll be good anyway. STEVE WIECKING

On the Boards, 100 West Roy St, 217-9888, Thurs-Sun Feb 10-13 at 8, $18-$20.

Chuck D

(LECTURE) "Accelerate the race from the chase/Looka my face/'t ain't hate but they don't wanta debate.... Can I live my life without 'em treatin'/Every brother like me we're holdin'/ a knife alright time to smack Uncle Sam/Don't give a damn, look at the flag/My blood's a flood/without credit/Black and close to the edit/I fed it, you read it, just remember who said it." When Chuck D puts all his lyrics in the liner notes, you should read them; ten years later he'll be lecturing on such topics as "Rap, Race, and New Music Technology." BRIAN GOEDDE

Shoreline Community College, 16101 Greenwood Ave N, 7:30 pm, $12 general, $10 students, $7 Shoreline students and those 13 and younger.

Toshi Reagon

(LIVE MUSIC) The first time I saw Toshi Reagon perform, I was almost too busy to notice. I was distractedly weaving around the maze of tables in my section, a full tray of cosmopolitans above my head. But then Reagon started singing. And my jaw hit the floor. With her strong, silky alto, and a range that covers all territories -- sexy growls, torchy croons, infectious wails -- she seduced me on the spot with her slightly folky, heavily bluesy, guitar-intense rock. Since I couldn't take my eyes off her, I stumbled clumsily and my tray of watery drinks ended up on a couple from New Jersey. But that is another story. MIN LIAO

Broadway Performance Hall, Broadway and Pine (SCCC), 325-3113, 8 pm, $15 at Fred Meyer FASTIXX (800-992-8499).

A City of Sadness

(FILM) The Hou Hsiao-hsien retrospective at the Grand Illusion has been a smashing success so far, with all of the series passes sold out. That means if you want to attend any of the weekend shows (and trust me, you want to attend), you'll have to show up early to buy tickets. Hou is a poet-historian of Taiwanese culture, and his A City of Sadness covers the tumultuous years from 1945 to 1949 by following a family of four sons. The (acknowledged) influence of The Godfather on the story is palpable. Slow-moving and straightforward, Hou injects a feeling and knowledge of the era almost without you noticing. ANDY SPLETZER

Grand Illusion, 1403 NE 50th (at University Way), 523-3935, Sat-Sun Feb 12-13 at noon, $7.50.

Britt Daniel

(LIVE MUSIC) Spoon singer Britt Daniel is a man with every right to be bitter. After recording for Matador, Spoon jumped ship to sign with Elektra and released the beautifully jagged A Series of Sneaks, an amazingly good major label debut that bought the band about three months of security until their A&R decided to change careers. Showing the usual misguided major-label forethought, Elektra promptly threw out the baby with the bathwater, and now Daniels has released a "concept single" called "The Agony of Laffitte," with "Laffitte Don't Fail Me Now" on the flip side (Saddle Creek Records). Laffitte just happens to be the name of that bastard A&R guy who got himself fired. Should be fun to watch. KATHLEEN WILSON

Breakroom, 1325 East Madison, 860-5155, 10 pm, $7.

Einstein's Dreams

(THEATER) Alan Lightman's novel Einstein's Dreams applied theories of space/time to a fictional village. Now, Annex Theatre applies Lightman's work to the stage, using multi-media and the talents of choreographer Amii LeGendre to explore the fourth dimension. Director Mark Gallagher employs video, original music, and freaky lighting -- it should be a long, strange trip. TRACI VOGEL

Annex Theatre, 1916 Fourth Ave, 728-0933, Thurs-Sat at 8, Sun at 7, through March 11, $12.

(THEATER) I was out of town during the Seattle Rep run of Mary Zimmerman's The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci a while back, and all I heard when I returned, of course, was how great the damn thing was. I don't intend to make the same mistake twice. Zimmerman is back with an adaptation of Roman poet Ovid's Metamorphoses, and if that sounds as thuddingly ancient to you as it does to me, you'll probably make other plans. Take in a cheaper preview performance knowing that Zimmerman has a revered creative reputation, and that her show also promises some Rilke and passionate imagery and sweeping theatrical flourishes about the transforming power of love. STEVE WIECKING

Intiman Theatre, Second Ave and Mercer at Seattle Center, 443-2222, opens today, then plays through March 26, Tues-Sun at 7:30 pm, matinees on Sat and Sun at 2 pm, $10-$42.

Stranger Personals Valentine's Bash

(PARTY) Valentine's Day is one of those either/or holidays: Either you're in love, and the holiday is sorta sweet; or you're single, and the holiday is the stupidest, most twisted invention of unholy capitalism ever to come down the cash-lined pike. If you are of the latter persuasion, you'll find others of your kind at The Stranger's Personals Valentine's Bash, a party for the bitter-hearted that's hosted by Dan Savage. Every year, Savage urges people to bring mementos of past, unhappily-ended relationships and smash and burn these mementos in a display of sweet, sweet closure. And it's free! TRACI VOGEL

Re-bar, 1114 Howell St, 233-9873, 8 pm, free.

Bad Girls

(VISUAL ART) As readers of Vanity Fair and The New York Times Magazine know, 'tis the season for bad-girl art -- though L.A. bad girl artist Kim Dingle asserted in her Seattle talk last week that the trumped-up category had died five years ago in her city. At Greg Kucera this month, Peregrine Honig and Angela Anderson show Edmund Gorey-style illustrated and captioned alphabets. Honig's Alphabets for Good and Bad Girls commemorate the trials of adolescence, while Honig's book Belles-Lettres: An Alpha-Erotic Amusement depicts women in Victorian undergarments who form letter-shapes in the course of their kinky sex-play. ERIC FREDERICKSEN

Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave S, 624-0770, through Feb 26; Tues-Sat 10:30-5:30 pm, closed Sun-Mon.

Gay Dad (LIVE MUSIC) When I rule the world, people will have to petition to start a band -- and naming the band will be included in the application process. I'm only saying this because Gay Dad is a great band name. In fact, it's a name that deserves a better band than this. As for the Pretenders, they could probably be convicted of continuing on after their expiration date -- if I'd even known they were still around. By the way, both these bands are fronted by former rock critics, a circumstance that would generally mandate dire consequences in my new world order.... BARBARA MITCHELL

The Paramount, 911 Pine St, 628-0888, 8 pm, $39.50-$27.50.