TUESDAY
What: “The B/W Affair” exhibition
Where: Rolando Chang Barrero Fine Art Gallery, 711 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth
When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 786/521-1199, rolandochangbarrerofineart.blogspot.com
This past weekend, local artist and impresario Rolando Chang Barrero’s newly opened Lake Worth art gallery hosted the opening reception for Barrero’s annual “B/W: Affair and Exhibition.” If you missed the opening reception, you can still catch the artwork through Jan. 15, at no cost. The exhibition features the colorful, deceptively abstract art of Palm Beach painter James Rabidoux, whose new works feature words hidden in esoteric designs. They will be accompanied by two window installations from German artist and self-described “cultural instigator” Uta Brauser—macabre and surreal works from this public art pioneer (pictured).
WEDNESDAY TO SATURDAY
What: “The Rat Pack is Back”
Where: The Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton
When: Various show times
Cost: $75-$225
Contact: 561/995-2333, thewick.org
It’s become a part of showbiz lore: Back in 1960, when they were filming “Ocean’s Eleven” by day, Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack cronies moonlighted at the posh Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, in a variety show that combined music, comedy and, one presumes, liberal quantities of booze. The longtime Vegas attraction “The Rat Pack is Back” re-creates one of those freewheeling evenings, with a live 12-piece orchestra backing up flawless vocal imitators of Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and the rest of the Pack. The lavish New Year’s Eve ticket (that’s the one for $225) includes a three-course meal, and begins at 10:30 p.m.; visit the Wick’s website for tickets to this and the so-called “hangover shows,” which run Thursday, Friday and Saturday for $75 each.
FRIDAY
What: Howie Mandel
Where: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $25-$100
Contact: 561/832-7469, Kravis.org
For 30 years, Howie Mandel has been one of America’s (by way of Canada) most durable voices in standup comedy and popular culture. The famously germophobic entertainer’s career has spanned just about every medium, including hosting stints on two of the most popular reality/game shows of the 21st century. But he still loves the comedy stage the most, a career he launched, on a dare, in the late 1970s. In a 2013 interview with Boca Raton, he said, “I always [hope to be] taken off the beaten path to make each show different and unique. [My shows] are very interactive; the audience seems to take part in them. I look at it like a giant party, and I’m just trying to be the center of attention. The more improvised, unplanned moments the better it is for me and for the audience.”
What: Don Friedman Trio
Where: Arts Garage, 180 N.E. First St., Delray Beach
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $25-$35
Contact: 561/450-6357, artsgarage.org
You might not know the name Don Friedman, but you should. And you certainly know the music of some of the legends he’s performed with in his illustrious career, which spans half a century. An elder statesman of the jazz piano, Friedman began performing in the 1950s, working with the likes of Ornette Coleman and Chet Baker. At 79, he continues to innovate, attracting the attention of the young turks in modern jazz. He’s “a musician’s musician” known for his lyrical style, mastery of solo performance and his wide range, encompassing classical music and avant-garde jazz. He’ll perform this intimate Arts Garage gig with bassist Chuck Bergeron and drummer John Yarling.
FRIDAY
What: Opening day/night of “Forever Hitchcock” retrospective
Where: Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables
When: Various show times
Cost: $11.50 and under per film; $70 for full festival pass
Contact: 786/385-9689, gablescinema.com
A pass to this mini festival would have made the perfect present for the cinephile on your list. But it’s not too late to gift one to yourself—and kick off 2015 with a series of masterworks from the indefatigable Hollywood innovator and Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, restored in high definition. Four films will be spaced out during the weekend of Jan. 2-4: the thrilling wrong-man adventure “North by Northwest” (1 p.m.), the voyeuristic mystery “Rear Window” (4 p.m.), the dizzying masterpiece and perennial Best-Film-of-All-Time shortlister “Vertigo” (6:15 p.m.), and the revisionist horror staple “Psycho” (8:45 p.m.). Come back Jan. 7-8 for “Rope” and “Shadow of a Doubt.”
SUNDAY
What: Gregg Allman
Where: Hard Rock Live, 5747 Seminole Way, Hollywood
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $50-$80
Contact: 954/797-5531, ticketmaster.com
The subtitle of Gregg Allman’s website is “Where Music Plus Friends Equals Family.” The three elements of this equation have always been central to Allman’s art and life, and it helps to explain the synergy—and the catalog of indelible songs—he created with his brother Duane, circa 1969. Despite the death of Duane in 1971 and another fellow band member a year later, Gregg has kept the Allman Brothers alive, in some form or another, for the past 40-plus years, performing the tried-and-true southern rock formula he helped invent (Gregg is, in fact, credited with coining the genre). Allman Brothers Band songs still dominate the set lists of this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, including “Midnight Rider,” “One Way Out” and “Whipping Post.”
MONDAY, JAN. 5
What: Jetsumina Tenzin Palmo
Where: FAU’s University Theater, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $23.60
Contact: 800/745-3000, fauevents.com
FAU’s remarkable ability to attract some of the very best spiritual gurus worldwide continues with this New Year’s message from Tenzin Palmo, a Buddhist nun who acquired the title Jetsumina, meaning “reverend lady,” in 2008 for her lifelong devotion to spiritual betterment and her efforts in promoting female practitioners in Tibetan Buddhism. Palmo is most certainly the real deal: After 12 years studying Buddhist principles, the English native spent another 12 years in a remote cave in the Himalayas—three of them at a strict meditation retreat. Later, she created a nunnery for young Buddhist girls. In this rare stateside lecture, the influential author of Into the Heart of Life will discuss the universal need for human beings to “realize their full potential.”
