Idea for party entertainment

October 31, 2006 9:49 AM

My wife is turning 40 and is going to have a big party. I am supposed to make some "cultural entertainment" for our 50 guests, mostly family. But I am lacking a great idea. Please help me out.
posted by mitocan to Human Relations (14 answers total)

Can you elaborate a little? "Cultural entertainment," as I would define it, could be anything from belly dancers to a string quartet. Where is this party taking place? Are you looking for ideas for more refined entertainment, or something a little wild? How much do you want to spend?
posted by amro at 9:58 AM on October 31, 2006

If your wife is that sort of person, maybe a small jazz combo or a string quartet.
posted by beaucoupkevin at 9:59 AM on October 31, 2006

Yeah, a little more info would be helpful.

I celebrate my prime-number birthdays. When I turned 37 last March, I invited about 20 good friends for wine, cheese, and poetry. Everyone brought a poem to read aloud. It was great fun. Fifty is more than twenty, of course, so it probably wouldn't make sense to have all of your guests read poetry, but maybe some?
posted by jdroth at 10:12 AM on October 31, 2006

Have you considered performing an interpretive dance for her?
posted by found missing at 10:18 AM on October 31, 2006 [2 favorites]

marachi band.
posted by Stynxno at 10:28 AM on October 31, 2006

Tarot readers and fortune tellers and a seance.
posted by xo at 10:32 AM on October 31, 2006

I second the small jazz combo or a string quartet. That can be really cool in a small setting with just a few friends. It can also be a bit pricey depending on who it is and how many. But that is the price for supporting the arts. At the end of the evening you can pass around the hat and have the guests thrown in a buck or two.
posted by chillmost at 10:59 AM on October 31, 2006

- A dramatic rendition of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
- Instead of singing "Happy Birthday, have everybody sing Jimmy Buffet's "A Pirate Looks at Forty"
- Or maybe just give everybody a 40oz malt liquor and let the drama evolve...
posted by grateful at 11:01 AM on October 31, 2006

Response by poster: Probably they expect me to perform something myself, but I'm not exactly what you would call an entertainer. I guess the game is more or less about making a fool of yourself which I don't mind. I just don't know how.
posted by mitocan at 11:46 AM on October 31, 2006

Okay, I stand by my recommendation. You will be entertaining, believe me. Tights are optional.
posted by found missing at 11:58 AM on October 31, 2006

Karaoke? Or even better, Karaoke with a live band back up?
posted by Sara Anne at 2:07 PM on October 31, 2006

Polynesian dancers!
posted by LoriFLA at 6:57 PM on October 31, 2006

Read her the most romantic sonnet you can find. Or sestina - any romantic poem. Spend time looking for the perfect one for you and her. If you want to bring in a consultant, call up (maybe hire) a poetry professor and have him or her help you choose one.

Then just read it. Practice it about 40 times so you get beyond just what's on the page - a character in a book I read once mentioned his middle school (I think) drama teacher telling the class to practice their monologues "until something happens". You could try that.

She will appreciate your dedication and bravery. Doing that for her is very romantic all on its own.
posted by amtho at 7:17 PM on October 31, 2006

What about contra dancing? A good caller can make it really fun, even if you have two left feet and no dancing experience. And it would also be a great way to include any attending children in the festivities.
posted by tanglewoodtree at 7:42 AM on November 1, 2006