As usual, New Year’s Eve will be hoppin’ and poppin’ throughout South Florida. With so many options to choose from, you can’t go wrong with our countdown of the top 10 ways to celebrate the countdown. It’s only the first of three Top Tens lists on our site this week: Keep checking bocamag.com for our year-end Best Of lists in South Florida theatre and music.
10. Swing Time: Swing-dance to the live music of Missy McArdle and the Glen Rovinelli Orchestra and enjoy the nightlife and atmosphere of downtown Lake Worth. Admission price includes a champagne toast and hors d’oeuvres.
Where: Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $35
Contact: 561/866-6410 or www.lakeworthplayhouse.org
9. Second City: No American comedy team has a more powerful pedigree than Chicago’s Second City. On its current improv tour, every show is different, with the talented troupe building its sketches from audience suggestions.
Where: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: 7:30 and 10 p.m.
Cost: $35 to $50
Contact: 561/832-7469 or www.kravis.org
8. Paul Anka: The onetime teen idol in the 1950s is now 70, still performing hits such as “Diana” and “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” and recording surreal swing versions of songs by Nirvana, Oasis and R.E.M.
Where: Hard Rock Live, 5747 Seminole Way, Hollywood
When: 10:30 p.m.
Cost: $89 to $154
Contact: 800/745-3000 or www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com
7. Deadmau5: Award-winning DJ, producer and dance-music phenomenon Deadmau5 will perform at this upscale New Year’s Eve Party (Rapper Busta Rhymes will take the stage in another quadrant of the Fontainebleu). Opening acts include Stephan Luke, Troy Kurtz and Damaged Goods.
Where: Poolside at Fontainebleu, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
When: 7 p.m. (Deadmau5 may take the stage after midnight)
Cost: $125
Contact: 305/964-8106 or www.fontainebleunye.com
6. New Year’s Eve block party in Downtown West Palm Beach: The Respectable Street lounge hosts this annual New Year’s Eve extravaganza, with local bands – and maybe a surprise national act or two – crowding an outdoor stage as well as inside Respectable’s and other participating venues.
Where: The 500 block of Clematis Street
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/832-9999 or respectablestreet.com
5. The Capitol Steps: Just days before the Iowa Caucuses, hear inspired sketches and songs about the 2012 Republican presidential candidates (such as their timely new tune “How the Gin-Grinch Stole Congress”), the Democrat currently in charge and the past year’s political follies.
Where: Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 W. Indiantown Road, Jupiter
When: 5 and 8 p.m.
Cost: $50 to $85
Contact: 561/575-2223 or www.jupitertheatre.org
4. First Night: This alcohol-free, family-friendly event begins early, with a parade beginning at the 600 block of Atlantic Avenue, and continues through 24 indoor and outdoor venues. There will be music, prizes, arts and crafts, children’s activities and two ball drops.
Where: Downtown Delray Beach
When: 4 p.m. to midnight
Cost: $10 advance, $15 day of event
Contact: 561/279-1380 ext. 17 or www.downtowndelraybeach.com
3. Salute to Vienna: Fresh off sold-out performances in New York, Chicago and Miami, this annual event, patterned after a Vienna gala, includes a cast of 75 musicians, singers and dancers, including the Strauss Symphony of America and the Kiev-Aniko Ballet of Ukraine. Expect to hear Strauss waltzes, polkas and operetta pieces.
Where: Coral Springs Center for the Arts
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $46.64 to $67.84
Contact: 954/344-5990 or www.coralspringscenterforthearts.com
2. Times Square in the Park: Mizner Park Amphitheater will offer a Times Square-like ambience for one night only. A live DJ will spin everything from house to ‘80s pop and funk, and there will be a midnight ball drop. The cheaper of the two ticket levels includes a hat and noise maker, a Champagne toast and an open bar; the higher-end ticket package includes open top-shelf liquor, VIP restaurant access and access to the stage and VIP lounge.
Where: Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
When: 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Cost: $100 or $225
Contact: www.robpresents.com
1. Ludacris and Mike Posner: If you choose to brave the most insane traffic and parking situations of the year, you’ll be rewarded with a free concert by two of the biggest names in the hip-hop/R&B world. If you’re had enough Luda, the venue is located conveniently in the epicenter of Downtown Miami, surrounding by nightclubs hosting their own New Year’s Eve events.
Where: Bayfront Park, 301 N. Biscayne Blvd.
When: 9 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: www.bayfrontpark.com
