Two Minutes with Act II Entertainment: Two of Act II Entertainment's founding members, Elizabeth Ensor and Danny Mininni, stopped by our offices to let us know what they have been up to, and their plans for the near future, hoping to attract even more locals to become involved with their upcoming productions.

Performing Arts Blossom in Puerto Vallarta: Learn about Puerto Vallarta's increasing performing arts options, from new and renovated venues to the latest proponents to join forces as our destination becomes so much more than simply a vacation beach town.

Self Promoting to Succeed: Local Musicians Tell Their Stories: Thinking outside the box, the following Puerto Vallarta musicians have taken matters into their own hands when it comes to self-promotion, achieving notoriety and a steady following among visitors and locals. They are but a handful of performers attempting to make a living in Banderas Bay.

Great Finds: Jai: While many musicians around town do a good job entertaining, we couldn’t dismiss the way this quintet captivated its audience at a recent fundraising event. Little did we know; they have been performing their unique take on pop and rock songs from Mexico and the USA on a nightly basis at the Marriott CasaMagna for almost a year!

The Local Hangouts: Well-informed travel websites and books often provide accurate information about “must-see” spots and landmarks but can fall short on providing insight about the places where locals like to hang out.

Looking Ahead: Five Trends to Follow: What are some of the interesting trends, people or places to watch closely in the next few months? Nobody knows for sure. That said, here are some that have caught our attention.

An Endless Disco Night: Once you’ve put on your best disco duds and styled your hair, you just need a final check in the mirror before the fun begins.

Música Mexicana: Seven Artists to Consider: Just as Mexico is turning heads on the silver screen, thanks to young performers such as Salma Hayek and Gael García Bernal, Mexican musicians are crossing the border and finding success and popularity all over the world.

Live Music Options in Puerto Vallarta: From colorful and lively performers bouncing from one city bus to another all day long, to sassy vocalists crooning jazz standards into the microphone at a local lounge, live music abounds in Puerto Vallarta.

Behind the Scenes at Rhythms of the Night: An accomplished pianist plays Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 as if it were the melody line of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and a gifted chef prepares a perfect Grand Marnier soufflé as easily as you or I would take the lid off a container of ice cream and scoop some into a dish.

Jazz in Puerto Vallarta: A number of professional jazz musicians have found their way to our destination, some as tourists, others to work for a season or two, and then there are those who have chosen Puerto Vallarta as their permanent residence.

Lenny: Music a la Carte: About four years ago, while I was having dinner at Daiquiri Dick’s, Lenny appeared with his guitar, offering music table to table. At the request of my companions, I ended up singing Sabor a Mi in harmony with this talented artist. I recently  had the opportunity to interview him in the very same restaurant.

39 Vallarta Essentials: You cannot visit Paris, no matter how brief a stay, and miss the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre, or spend any time in San Francisco without succumbing to the temptation of crossing its majestic Golden Gate Bridge. Each popular world destination has its very own list of must-see/must-do items and Puerto Vallarta is no exception.

Music: Movers and Shakers: We cannot possibly do justice to the increasingly vast and varied live music scene here in Puerto Vallarta in a single installment. Like waves on the sand, every year seems to come and go, leaving behind new and memorable performances by talented performers from all walks of life.

Mexican Pyrotechnics: From Gunpowder to the Marigalante: Spend enough evenings around downtown Puerto Vallarta and you'll find you no longer need a watch, especially around 9 pm, when the daily Marigalante pirate ship fireworks light up the night sky. Here in Mexico we need practically no excuse to set off fireworks.

South Side Hot Spot: We dare you, double dare you, to say the name Basilio Badillo to the person next to you without hesitating — or peeking at its syllabic pronunciation below. Because this happening north-south street, also coined “Restaurant Row” and “Calle de los Cafés,” is one you will definitely want to discover again and again.

Best Place for Free Entertainment: Around the Main Square: Vallarta offers an abundance of free concerts, plays, movies, dance performances and much more all around the bay. But when it comes to consistently conveying Vallarta’s vibrant cultural manifestations, nothing beats our Main Plaza beside City Hall and the oceanfront Malecon right across from it at the Los Arcos outdoor amphitheater. And here’s what our senior photographer, Eduardo Solorzano, saw when he wandered there awhile.

Best Looking Female Impersonator: Ida Slapter: We met because of a tin-foil tiara. I was wearing it while celebrating something or other at the Red Cabbage five years ago, when in sauntered Shane Clabaugh with his entourage. As beautiful as any woman, eyes startlingly blue and the longest legs I’d ever seen, he took my breath away.

Best After Hours Club: The Zoo: If you are a night owl, the Zoo is the place for you. With a 4 to 6 am curfew and an unbelievable atmosphere, the party just never seems to end. The Zoo is Puerto Vallarta’s favorite after-hours club, and on Saturday nights it is packed with both tourists and locals. Located at Paseo Díaz Ordaz 630, on the Malecon, it is the first choice for late-night dancing, socializing and partying. Prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is great, the security is good, and access to taxis in the wee hours is no problem.

Best New Dance Craze: Tango: Whether you speak English, Spanish, Swahili or all three is irrelevant when it comes to learning tango, the hot, sensuous dance that originated in 19th-century Buenos Aires and has taken PV by storm since tango instructors Barbara and Al Garvey moved to town two years ago.

Best La Cruz Connection: Philo’s: On a typical Thursday evening at Philo’s Music Bar on Calle Delfin in the heart of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, the musicians are tuning up while, in one corner of the palapa-covered space, a group of grinning Mexican children are playing “Simon Says” – in English.

Best Place to Beat the Munchies After Midnight: Pizza Metro: Think of it as a late-night outlet for La Dolce Vita, its successful Malecon sibling. Open until 4 am, Pizza Metro is a tiny, but extremely popular, stop among the downtown nightclub crowd. Nothing beats a slice of pizza after a night of gallivanting around town. And with over half a dozen varieties to choose from, including vegetarian – a comforting spinach and mushroom combo – Pizza Metro hits the late-night spot.

Best Musical Makeover: Los Bambinos: From travelling troubadours to overnight sensation, one of Puerto Vallarta's favorite musical groups, goes through a makeover. Check out one of their songs! (Audio)

Best Nightclub: Carlos O’brian’s: Having just celebrated 34 years in Puerto Vallarta, Carlos O’Brian’s, of the Anderson’s chain of restaurants, is without a doubt the best nightclub in town.

Five Musical Moods: When it comes to live music in Puerto Vallarta, there is something for just about every live-music lover to enjoy. Here are five musical options you won’t want to miss.

Fashionable New Wine Bars: Stylishly enhancing the options Puerto Vallarta offers, a fresh new trio of atmospheric wine bars is shaping the way people approach dining out and getting together with friends.

Jefferson Starship Rocks Vallarta: 10/11/05: The Marriott Casa Magna was the place to be October 8 and 9 when Jefferson Starship sparked lots of great memories during two concerts

PV’s Evolving Nightlife: In the past few years, the nightlife here has really diversified, its many moods now catering to all ages and lifestyles.

A Bay Full of Music: It has happened almost without notice: Vallarta is emerging as a major destination for music lovers.

All the World's a Stage: While Vallarta has certainly known its share of drama, we didn't have much of an English-language theater scene until recently.