8 Days A Week 

Rapper Ludacris will bring his tongue-twisting antics to Davidson College's Belk Arena tonight at 8pm. Tickets are $25, available by calling 704-522-6500.

Authors Josephine Humphreys and Robert Morgan will lecture at 7:30pm in the McGlohon Theatre of Spirit Square as part of the Levine Museum of the New South and the Trust For Public Land's "Writers of the Land" series. Tickets are $15, with a book signing to follow at the Museum of the New South. For more information, call 704-372-1000.

Charlotte Repertory Theatre wraps up its season with Proof, winner of last year's Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The show will continue tonight through May 5 at the Booth Playhouse of the Performing Arts Center. Tonight's performance begins at 7:30pm, and others follow at 8pm throughout the rest of the run. Tickets range from $22-$29.50. For more information, call 704-372-1000 or visit online at www.charlotterep.org.

Charlotte's own BareBones Theatre Group will kick off its annual 15-Minute New Plays Festival with a staged reading of Mary Miller's Next, a play about women and breast cancer. The reading will take place at the Arboretum Barnes & Noble at 7:30pm. For more information, call 704-341-9365.

THURSDAY 2

Theatre Charlotte will present the Neil Simon and Cy Coleman musical Sweet Charity beginning tonight at the theater. The show will run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2:30pm through May 19. Tickets range from $15-$20. For more information, call 704-334-9128.

Comedic legend George Carlin has made a long career out of an ornery, contrarian ---- but eminently logical ---- view of the world. His obsessions about the use and misuse of language endear him to the literati, and louts love him for his great fart jokes. So there you go. He'll perform at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center tonight at 7:30pm. Tickets are $38.50 and $45 reserved, available by calling 704-372-1000.

Novelist Josephine Humphreys will appear tonight at 7pm at the Sharon Road Barnes and Noble for a book signing. In addition, a movie will precede her appearance -- the film adaptation of her novel Rich in Love, starring Albert Finney. For more information, call 704-554-7906.

FRIDAY 3

Funnyman Joe Piscopo, the ex-Saturday Night Live veteran who does the greatest Sinatra impersonation in history, will appear tonight and tomorrow at 8pm and 10:15pm at the Comedy Zone uptown. For ticket prices or more information, call 704-348-HAHA.

Soulsters Frankie Beverly and Maze will make their yearly appearance at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre tonight at 7pm. Tickets are $22.50 and $42.50, available by calling 704-522-6500.

Today through Sunday, uptown Charlotte will be home to the annual Taste of Charlotte event and the first annual Avenue of the Arts. Avenue of the Arts will transform Tryon St. between First and Third streets into an outdoor art gallery. Taste of Charlotte involves local restaurants offering samples of their fare. For more information, call 704-376-3434 or visit tasteofcharlotte.com.

BareBones Theatre Group and Off-Tryon Theatre Company present a concert reading of Gospel of the Messiah Widow by Stan Peal tonight and tomorrow evening at 8pm at the Off-Tryon Theater, 3143 Cullman Ave. Suggested donation for the evening is $5. For more information, call 704-375-2826.

The Corps de Ballet, NC Dance Theatre's volunteer fundraising organization, will host a Black and White Ball to benefit the company tonight in Founders Hall of the Bank of America Corporate Center. The Ball, which will have a French theme this year, is a black-tie event that begins at 6:30pm with cocktails and a silent auction, followed by a seated dinner and a live auction. Dance music will be provided and NC Dance Theatre will perform excerpts from Paul Taylor's Cloven Kingdom. Tickets are steep at $200 per person, but as this promises to be one of the social events of the season, it may be worth forking out the bucks in support of a good cause. For more information, call 704-334-6378.

SATURDAY 4

The Young Affiliates of the Mint Museum host their annual Derby Daze event at the Mint Museum today from 4-8pm. Enjoy an afternoon full of socializing, the 128th Kentucky Derby (televised, of course, unless you're drinking too much and wind up thinking you're really there), food, beer, and live music. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the event. For more information, call 704-337-2093 or visit online at www.youngaffiliates.org.

Johnny Mathis, the singer with an odd catch in his voice who was the premier producer of boomer make-out music in the 60s, is also a milestone in 20th Century pop culture. He makes his debut with the Charlotte Symphony tonight at 8pm in Ovens Auditorium. The concert will feature memorable songs from the singer's 60 gold and platinum records (he's recorded over 100). Tickets are $32-$75. For more information, call 704-972-2000 or visit online at www.charlottesymphony.org.

The metaphysically geared Body, Mind & Spirit Expo takes place today (10am-7pm) and tomorrow (11am-6pm) at the Charlotte Convention Center. Featured will be exhibitors, free lectures, a shopping bazaar, aura readings and more. Admission is $8. For more information, call 541-482-3722 or log onto www.bmse.net.

SUNDAY 5

Today is Cinco De Mayo, a nice holiday for those looking to imbibe a little bit and chill out. In case you're wondering, it means "Fifth of May." However, as Americans, it's not really our holiday -- it belongs to the Mexicans. Not that it stopped us with St. Patrick's Day.

The Mint Museum of Art and the Carolinas Austin-Healey Club are hosting the Marques At The Mint All-British Car Show today at the museum, featuring close to 200 British motorcars. Registration for all you blokes with fine cars fitting the above specifications is 8am-11am on Sunday morning, while the show will run from 9am up until a 3pm awards presentation. For more information, call 704-948-1745.

Holiday Inn Center City and the adjoining Trade Center present the Bartenders' Ball 2002 tonight at 7:30pm, with proceeds going to a number of local charities. Tickets are $75 in advance and $85 at the door. The night's activities include a number of local bands, and ticket price includes all beverages and dinner stations. For more information, call 704-375-4691, or e-mail charlottebartendersball@hotmail.com.

Historic Rosedale, 3427 N. Tryon St., will host a block party today from 1-5pm for free on its grounds. The celebration, a "Salute to America" is in honor of Charlotte's policemen and firemen. Guests will enjoy military bands, firetrucks, music and the beauty of Rosedale. Vendors will be on site with hotdogs, ice cream, face painting and much more. For more information, call 704-335-0325.

TUESDAY 7

The next installment of the Tuesday Noon Concert Series is today at 12:10pm at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 115 W. 7th St. The program features Schumann's Piano Quintet in E-flat Major. The performance is free and open to the public. Optional box lunches are available in the Parish Hall for $6. For more information, call 704-335-0009.

The Charlotte Knights, boasting the muscles of homerun king Jose Canseco, take on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons tonight through Friday at 7:15pm. Tickets are $6-9, available by calling 704-36-HOMER.