WEDNESDAY (TODAY)
What: “The Bridges of Madison County”
Where: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $32–$72
Contact: 561/832-7469, kravis.org
The Bridges of Madison County, James Waller’s 1992 novel, has not aged well. Though it sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, it’s been torpedoed by critics, who decry its sentimental pabulum and bored-housewife erotic fantasies. Ben Brantley, of the New York Times, recently dismissed it as “50 Shades of Vanilla.” But Waller’s tale of a repressed Italian wife in 1960s Iowa who engages in an affair with a hunky National Geographic photographer on assignment has enjoyed an artistically vibrant afterlife, first as a more-nuanced Clint Eastwood film and then as a 2014 Broadway musical that’s now on tour. Romantic longing in a small Midwestern town—without 76 trombones, anyway—doesn’t exactly scream for stage lights and playbills. But composer-lyricist Jason Robert Brown transformed the intimate romance into a splashy big-ticket production on the strength of his score—an eclectic goulash of styles ranging from folk and country to pop and opera—and a plum, demanding role for any leading lady. The show, which went on to win two of its four Tony nominations, concludes the Kravis Center’s 2015-2016 Kravis on Broadway series. It runs through Sunday.
THURSDAY
What: Opening reception of “Lit”
Where: Cornell Museum at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach
When: 7 to 9 p.m.
Cost: $5 suggested donation
Contact: 561/243-7922, oldschool.org
First there was “Bling,” then there was “Wild,” now there is “Lit.” I’m sensing a pattern with the Cornell Museum’s recent exhibitions: collective shows that encompass their themes in the single word of their titles. Such is the case as well with “Lit,” a literally illuminating exhibition in which 16 internationally recognized contemporary artists employ light to convey their messages. Examples range from the fiber-based installations of Miamian Alex Trimino to the found-object sculptures of Sam Tufnell, the neon light art of Olivia Steele and the dynamic art of Meryl Pataky, whose work evokes the periodic table. Additional artists include Tony Abbott, Carol Prusa, Frank Hyder and Claudia Meyer. The show runs through Aug. 28.
What: “Science on Tap”
Where: The Brass Tap, 950 Congress Ave., Boynton Beach
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/832-1988, sfsciencecenter.org
The South Florida Science Center’s “Science on Tap” series has long combined two of our favorite things: scientific insights and brews. In the monthly series set in local bars, an expert in a specific field will speak (in layman’s terms) to an audience of science enthusiasts as they imbibe and immerse in the topic du jour. This week, the topic couldn’t be more appropriate for the setting: Matt Stetson, head cidermaker at West Palm Beach’s Accomplice Brewery and Ciderworks, will speak about “Fermenting Science: The Chemistry Behind Alcohol,” so that we all can really know what we’re drinking.
What: Frank Caliendo
Where: Parker Playhouse, 707 N.E. Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $37.50-$47.50
Contact: 954/462-0222, parkerplayhouse.com
What do Charles Barkley, Barack Obama, Robin Williams and George W. Bush have in common? They all fall under the bottomless purview of master impressionist and our generation’s Man of a Thousand Voices, Frank Caliendo. Celebrity impersonations encompass a busy niche of a standup comedy, but nobody does them better than Caliendo, who not only matches the celeb’s voice but captures his mannerisms, posture and facial expressions—and provides them with an original comic conceit to boot. He’s even known to do the entire cast of “Seinfeld.” But for this tour, in spirit of our demented election season, expect to see copious examples of Caliendo’s latest public target: Donald J. Trump. Stick around for a post-show Q&A.
FRIDAY
What: Opening day of “Green Room”
Where: Cinemark Palace 20, 3200 Airport Road, Boca Raton, and other theaters
When: Various show times
Cost: Varies per theater
Contact: 561/395-4695
This furious, palm-sweating horror film is a throwback in more ways that one. It echoes the early ‘80s in its anarchic grindhouse aesthetic and the culture it depicts: the nascent hardcore punk scene, where bands played in front of dwindling audiences in stifling dives in the middle of nowhere to pay for gas money and not much else. “Green Room” is about one such band, the Ain’t Rights, who, on a tip from a fellow-punk in the Pacific Northwest, accept a matinee gig at a shady venue outside Portland that turns out to be a Neo-Nazi skinhead bar run by—improbably but convincingly—Patrick Stewart. When the band happens to notice a corpse in the green room on their way out the door, the film becomes a brutal standoff, with the left-wing punks fearing for their lives and the fascist owners trying to protect their operation at all costs. “Green Room” is old-fashioned in the sense that its heroes and villains line up in crisp black and white, but shades of grey aren’t necessary when the stakes are this high, the action this full-throttle, the film’s inside-punk sense of humor this remarkably consistent, even when times get really, really bloody. Needless to say it’s not for everyone, but it’s a helluva genre pic.
SATURDAY
What: Chris Isaak
Where: Broward Center, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $45-$75
Contact: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
The last we heard of Chris Isaak, he was touring a holiday show, and prior to that, supporting his 2011 tribute to the Sun Records artists, like Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, who inspired him. It’s been a good six years since he released an album of original music, but the wait ended late last year with “First Comes the Night,” a twangy, classically inflected return to form for this foremost, country-crooning chronicler of love, lust, heartbreak, and doing bad, bad things. He’s in full-on Orbison mode through much of the record, which has earned critical acclaim and wide appeal from his fan base. The triple threat actor/singer/television host will likely provide plenty of funny anecdotes in between “First Night” songs, vintage hits and rollicking covers.
SUNDAY
What: Smashing Pumpkins and Liz Phair
Where: Broward Center, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $49.50-$79.50
Contact: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
Word is Billy Corgan, the Pumpkins’ notoriously crotchety frontman, has been in good spirits on his band’s intimate new “In Plainsong” tour, which sees a tight version of his durable group performing acoustic-driven versions of hits and obscurities dating back three decades. Expect to hear solidly stripped-down renditions of deep cuts from “Siamese Dream,” selections from the Pumpkins’ more-esoteric post-2000 oeuvre, Zwan and Billy Corgan solo material, and even a smattering of well-curated covers from David Bowie to Natalie Imbruglia. And I can’t urge this enough: Show up early for the opening act. This is indie rock legend Liz Phair’s first U.S. tour in six years, and it could always be her last South Florida show. Her set list is appreciably vintage, with material taken largely from her first three masterpieces released in the ‘90s.
MONDAY
What: Jeffrey Morton lecture
Where: FAU’s University Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $25
Contact: Tickets available at student union box office
As an esteemed professor of political science at FAU and a fellow at the Foreign Policy Association, Dr. Jeffrey Morton knows his geopolitics better than just about anyone in our area. He has published 20 books, articles or research papers on topics ranging from laser weapons to depleted uranium to the Arab Spring, ensuring that he is a sober voice on world affairs and military might in an election season that has been anything but sobering. So there’s no better time to cut through the rhetoric and appreciate the analysis of an expert, which is why Morton has been lecturing since March on various topics of international interest. Two lectures remain—on May 2 and 9—with Monday’s talk addressing Belgium as Europe’s potential “New Epicenter of Terrorism” and the May 9 address focusing on the Philippines.
