TUESDAY
What: Rita Moreno
Where: Society of the Four Arts, 2 Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach
When: 3 p.m.
Cost: Free for members, $35 nonmembers
Contact: 561/655-7226, fourarts.org
The jewel of Society of the Four Arts’ 2015 Lecture Series, Rita Moreno personifies the American Dream: She’s a farmer’s daughter, birthed from a 17-year-old mother in Humacao, Puerto Rico, and by age 13, two years after she began lending her voice to Spanish translations of American films, she debuted on Broadway. The rest is rich history: a pyramid of parts on stage and screen topped by her role-defining performance as Anita in the film adaptation of “West Side Story.” Future roles helped typecast her as a fiery Latina, but she’s displayed enough range in her 70-year career to portray an Irish teacher, an Italian widow, a proper Englishwoman and a Southern belle. And she hasn’t stopped: At 83, Moreno can be seen in “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks,” currently in theaters. No word whether her “Afternoon With Rita Moreno” at Four Arts will include a musical component, but we can hope.
What: The Gin Blossoms
Where: Revolution Live, 100 S.W. Third St., Fort Lauderdale
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $25
Contact: 954/449-1025, jointherevolution.net
Nobody wears flannel anymore, and simple, affecting, jangly guitar-pop is as absent on the radio these days as polka and F-bombs. But the Gin Blossoms’ clean, heartfelt pop-rock persists into the 21st century, outlasting the commercial peak and subsequent flameouts of many of its early ‘90s peers. Founded in Tempe, Ariz., in 1987, the group achieved widespread success with the 1992 hit “Hey Jealousy,” only to suffer the firing and suicide of bandmate (and writer of that song) Doug Hopkins shortly thereafter. The band released just one more album before dissolving, only to reunite in 2002 with its devoted fan base intact. The new albums are good, but the band generously draws most of its material from its multiplatinum early LPs, including such sing-along head-boppers as “Allison Road” and “Follow You Down.” Krisp will open the show.
THURSDAY
What: “The Sing-Off” live
Where: Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $41.87-$63.07
Contact: 954/344-5990, coralspringscenterforthearts.com
As far as vocal competition shows go, NBC’s “The Voice” is still the ratings titan. But I’m more drawn to its younger sister, “The Sing-Off,” a showcase of the country’s best a cappella groups that is now five seasons strong. Arguably more demanding and dynamic than “The Voice,” “The Sing-Off” requires not just powerful lead vocalists but uncannily talented backup singers able to create immaculate simulations of guitars, bass, percussions, synths and hip-hop beats all with their vocal chords. For the series’ second national tour, three top acts from “Sing-Offs” past will take the Coral Springs stage, including Street Corner Symphony (they performed the entrancing version of Radiohead’s “Creep” in Season Two), Season Four’s “Voiceplay” (they memorably scaled No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak”) and recent finalists The Exchange, known for their smooth renditions of OneRepublic and Ed Sheeran hits. The tour will feature songs from their television appearances along with new group numbers and a few surprises.
FRIDAY
What: Rick Springfield
Where: Jazziz Nightlife, 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $75-$200
Contact: 561/300-0730, jazziz.com/nightlife
When you google Rick Springfield’s name lately, the headlines aren’t too flattering. He was literally the butt of many jokes when a lawsuit commenced this past January, incited by a female concertgoer claiming Springfield landed on her, buttocks-first, during a 2004 concert, causing severe injuries. The Gods of Rock won out: Springfield was found not negligent, and with this legal kerfuffle behind him, he’s primed for another year of music, writing and acting. The hitmaker behind “Jessie’s Girl,” who has scored 17 Top 40 hits, is a far cry from the jazz acts that populate this venue, but this appearance will be a special treat for his fans: It’s a “Stripped Down” tour featuring solo acoustic versions of his songs, storytelling and a Q&A session.
What: Opening night of “Always … Patsy Cline”
Where: Thinking Cap Theatre at the Vanguard, 1501 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $35
Contact: 813/220-1546, thinkingcaptheatre.com
You could fill an iPod with the number of brilliant musicians who died before their time: In fact, an inordinate number of them lost their lives at age 27. Patsy Cline made it another three years, but her death in a multiple-fatality car crash at age 30 remains a tragic loss. But “Always … Patsy Cline,” a much-produced musical off-Broadway and regionally, is more tribute to the iconic country artist than a mourning, focusing on Cline’s correspondence with devoted fan Louise Seger. And there’s music, of course: 27 songs in all, including such oft-covered smashes as “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces” and “Walking After Midnight.” Ann Marie Olson plays Patsy and Sally Bondi portrays Louise in Thinking Cap Theatre’s inaugural production in the Vanguard, a historic church converted into a modish theater. Restaurants like Tap 42 and Red Cow will provide “southern-style fixins” for tonight’s opening reception, and the show runs through March 29.
What: “It’s Hard Being Loved By Jerks”
Where: Cosford Cinema at University of Miami, 5030 Brunson Drive, Coral Gables
When: 8:30 p.m.
Cost: $7-$9
Contact: 305/284-4861, cosfordcinema.com
Back in 2008, French filmmaker Daniel Leconte premiered the documentary “It’s Hard Being Loved By Jerks” at the Cannes Film Festival, introducing cinemagoers of the world to a French satirical magazine called Charlie Hebdo—and the lawsuits brought to its publishers by Islamist groups in reaction to its 12 covers skewering Muslim extremism or otherwise depicting images of the prophet Mohammed. The movie didn’t get much attention or distribution beyond Cannes, but today, in the wake of the ghastly attacks in Paris, Leconte’s movie feels prescient. American distributor Kino has secured the rights for this limited release of the doc, which follows the trial against the magazine in real-time, exploring issues of freedom of the press and religious fundamentalist through the eyes of lawyers, editors, intellectuals, politicians and more, with hopes that it will foster a dialogue. The movie will also screen at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 16.
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY
What: Jon Lovitz
Where: Palm Beach Improv, 550 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach
When: Various show times
Cost: $30 plus two-drink minimum
Contact: 561/833-1812, palmbeachimprov.com
Nobody conquers smarm—and then tramples upon it long after it’s dead—quite like Job Lovitz, the sardonic funnyman best known from his sketch work on the late ‘80s heyday of “Saturday Night Live.” Lovitz, then rescued from near obscurity as a member of the Groundlings comedy troupe, became a sought-after impressionist (Harvey Fierstein, Michael Dukakis) as well as an inventor of characters, such as the Pathological Liar, the Master Thespian and Hanukkah Harry, that have become canonical roles in “SNL” lore. These days he’s an intermittent but usually memorable actor (“Happiness” and “Southland Tales” are among his unctuous supporting parts). Moreover, he tours the country as a standup comic—a profession he didn’t pick up, surprisingly, until 2003.
