The “American Idol” program is famous for cut-throat competition among its singers and cutting criticism from its judges.

A newly formed partnership is expected to provide exciting opportunities for Napa singers of all ages: Jan Lanterman, director of the Napa Valley Chorale, has announced that her group is adding the Napa Valley Youth Chorus “to its family.”

More than 100 Napa High School students, staff and community members are in rehearsal for Meredith Wilson’s hit Broadway production “The Music Man.”

BERKELEY — Fernando Botero’s trademark fleshy figures exchange their voluptuousness and humor for tense, muscled torsos and gritted teeth in an exhibit of the artist’s Abu Ghraib paintings that opened Monday at the University of California.

Lincoln Theater’s stage will be transformed into a mix of high-tech laser magic and traditional vaudeville comedy when “Lazer Vaudeville” appears for one night, Friday at 7 p.m.

Entertainment at Copia continues in February with Community Spotlight concerts, a night of French cabaret, a tribute to the giants of jazz and a lineup of romantic movies.

Just in time for St. Valentine’s Day, Napa’s Dreamweavers Theatre is offering a special treat in its black box space: four performances of the Broadway hit “Love Letters,” by A.R. Gurney.

It's educational. It's a walk down memory lane. It's a piece of Napa's history. And best of all -- it's free.

Napa student on Grace Dean's list

Education

Lamb, long considered a harbinger of spring, too often gets a bad rap.

The promise of a relatively unknown fruit to boost the immune system and add a healthy component to the diet is driving several firms to prepare and market juices and sorbets that carry the unlikely name “açai.”

“Please try our new organic chipotle-mango-cranberry-coconut-lemongrass-sour cherry-ginger-garlic-walnut-pistachio-pomegranate-cilantro-olive-tomato-cumin-cocoa-lime-basil-pineapple dipping sauce. It’s made with sherry vinegar and agave nectar, with a hint of green tea.”

With Valentine’s Day looming, we’re always on the lookout for a romantic angle for the food page and I think we found one that beats them all.

Tom Rinaldi enrolled at UC Davis with the intention of becoming a doctor or veterinarian. He also loved wine, and he said either of those professions would support his wine habit.

The 1989 movie “Field of Dreams” featured a line, “If you build it, they will come,” referring to a baseball field created to lure the ghosts of baseball’s great players. The movie’s character built it, and they came.

A series of winemaker dinners is taking place this month at Cuvée  in Napa.

Members of the wine community and nonprofit organizations are invited to attend an informal meeting on Feb. 9 with representatives of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to discuss the permits required by nonprofits to conduct fundraising events where wine is donated and poured.

Every blossom is welcome this time of year, especially those you can grow indoors. Even houseplants that bloom year-round take periodic breathers, and now is typically when that breather ends. So the season has begun, once again, for colorful blossoms to unfold, one plant after another, around the house.

Plight of the honeybees

It's cold, dreary and you really want it to be spring. You can't do anything about the weather or the calendar, but you can put the colors and scents of spring in your home, say Napa home decor experts Michelle Hawkins of Haven Home Furnishings and Rosemary Ceballos of deKor.

When Hurricane Katrina passed through Louisiana and the southeast region on Aug. 29, 2005, it turned out to be the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. One estimate placed the loss of human lives at more than 1,800. FEMA reported that 950,000 applicants were determined eligible for assistance as a result of the hurricane.

GALLEGOS MARTINEZ-DE JESUS BARRAGAN -- Gonzalo Gallegos Martinez, 38, Jefferson Street, Napa, to Celia De Jesus Barragan, 34, Jefferson Street, Napa.

St. Helena Hospital

Laura Shantel Madison and Brandon Lawrence Bell, both of Napa, announce their engagement to be married on June 7.

Elizabeth Bates and Kevin Rolli, both of Sacramento, were married July 29 at First Presbyterian Church in Napa. A reception followed at Gloria Ferrer in Sonoma.

Nicole Lynn Polsgrove and Oscar Ramirez, both of Napa, announce their engagement to be married on July 7 at St. Apollinaris Catholic Church.

BLANCO-AGNEW -- Ernesto Blanco vs. Katy Agnew, Jan. 24, 2007