LOOKING IN ON: ENTERTAINMENT

Monday, Nov. 20, 2006 | 7:34 a.m.

What: "Cavalia"

When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 3 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays

Through: Dec. 30

Where: 2,000-seat white tent at the northeast corner of the Rio property

Tickets: $75 to $195; (866) 999-8111

On the Web: www.cavalia.net

If you walk away from the equestrian show at the Rio thinking "Horse du Soleil," don't be surprised.

The founder of "Cavalia" is Normand Latourelle, who was in on the ground floor of the creation of Cirque du Soleil in Montreal. He worked with the organization from 1985 to 1990.

Latourelle has a lot of horse sense. He's created a show that should appeal to anyone who finds beauty in the movement of a stallion.

Even those not enthralled by the noble steed can't help but be amazed at how many of them do things you would think goes against their very nature.

Combined with the brilliant horsemanship is a cast of acrobats as good as any Cirque performance - aerial artists and tumblers sometimes working in tandem with the horses and sometimes themselves the center of attention.

Man and animal (actually 49 animals) working in concert, in mutual respect, is a beautiful sight, one you need to check out before it's gone.

The most expensive tickets include special parking, hors d'oeuvres in the private tent before the show and a tour of the stables after the show.

Pogo's for safe sax

The jazz scene on Friday nights at Pogo's Tavern, 2103 N. Decatur Blvd., seems to be blowing and going these days. Keyboardist Dick Fazio, who heads up the ad hoc band that plays every Friday from 8 p.m. until midnight, said one recent night 13 musicians performed during the jam session.

"Most of them were sax players," Fazio said, "but we had a great time.