TUESDAY
What: Carl Hiaasen
Where: Temple Judea, 5500 Granada Blvd., Coral Gables
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 305/442-4408, booksandbooks.com
Fort Lauderdale’s native son and a Miami Herald columnist since 1976, Carl Hiaasen holds fort in his original stomping ground for this reading and signing in support of his latest young-adult novel, Skink: No Surrender. The book, which was recently long-listed for this year’s National Book Award for Young People in Literature, will likely cross over to adult readers as well; after all, its popular title character Skink, a hermetic and one-eyed ex-governor of Florida, was introduced back in Double Whammy, Hiaasen’s adult novel from 1987. This time around, the erratic Skink leads a search for a missing girl that results in “blinding storms, crazed pigs, flying bullets and giant gators.” As always with Hiaasen’s YA work, a passionate environmental message undergirds the adventure.
WEDNESDAY
What: Reading of “The Maids”
Where: Books and Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: Free, but donations welcome
Contact: 305/442-4408, madcattheatre.org
Few theater companies in this region would be willing to stage a play by Jean Genet (pictured), the French surrealist known for his controversial explorations of race, politics, prison life and sexual deviance. Miami’s Mad Cat Theatre is one of those companies, and while its version of “The Maids” is a reading and not a full production, it is most certainly better than nothing. The 1947 play, which premiered the year before Genet was famously imprisoned on his 10thburglary charge, is based on the real-life account of two French maids whose sadomasochistic rituals eventually lead to a plot to murder their mistress, the sinister Madame. Carey Brianna Hart, Makeba Henry and Jade Wheeler will perform in this stylized classic, under the direction of Jessica Farr.
FRIDAY
What: Taj Weekes & Adowa
Where: The Funky Biscuit, 303 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton
When: 9 p.m.
Cost: $15-$30
Contact: 561/395-3946, funkybiscuit.com
Bob Marley’s “One Love” aside, reggae music has long had an unsavory association with homophobia, thanks to gay-bashing references in tunes by Buju Banton, Beanie Man and a number of other high-profile artists. Taj Weekes, a reggae star from the island of St. Lucia, is hoping to change that perception through his music and activism. The talented Rastafarian is currently touring behind his fourth album “Love Herb & Reggae,” which is something of a mission statement for his worldview: Love is inclusive, herbs are not limited to marijuana, and reggae music can and should encapsulate the best of what life has to offer. The music, which he performs with his band Adowa, is filled with lush arrangements and an eclectic style that marries a number of Pan-Caribbean influences. South Florida’s own reggae stalwarts, Spred the Dub, will open this weekend’s Boca Raton performance.
What: Opening night of “Frank”
Where: Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth
When: 5 and 9 p.m.
Cost: $6-$9
Contact: 561/296-9382, lakeworthplayhouse.org
For an aspiring singer-songwriter in the U.K. (Domhnall Gleeson), a chance meeting on a beach leads to an opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to play keyboards in an eccentric avant-garde pop band called Soronprfbs, whose lead singer, Frank, dons a giant cartoon head which he never removes, even offstage. That’s the premise behind this strange and beautiful dramedy about loneliness, fame, social media and social anxiety, directed by Dublin’s Lenny Abraham and based loosely on the real-life cult musician Frank Sidebottom. The movie, which charts a tumultuous recording session in a remote Irish cabin on through to the band’s volatile booking at Austin’s South by Southwest festival, is deftly amusing for a while, until the dramatic reality of its characters’ damaged lives hits you like a sucker punch. One of the year’s finest films, this surprising and one-of-a-kind movie also includes top-notch performances from Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Fassbender.
What: Opening night of “Jamaica Farewell”
Where: Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $35
Contact: 954/678-1496, empirestage.com
Empire Stage, a communal black box-style theater space in east Fort Lauderdale, scored a coup as when it secured the South Florida tour of this acclaimed one-woman show, which won a number of awards in 2007 and has provided a national platform for its writer-performer, Debra Ehrhardt. A storyteller, in one form or another, since the age of 5, Ehrhardt grew up in Kingston, Jamaica with dreams of moving to America and pursuing an acting career. At 18 she did so, but, refusing to adapt her strong Jamaican accent and identity to obtain more “American” roles, she decided to write plays for herself—and only herself. “Jamaica Farewell” is an autobiographical work tracing her escape from revolution-toward 1970s Jamaica to her adventures in the States, and she plays more than 20 parts in all, from her father to a prostitute—all without a scenic design, and with the barest of props. Don’t wait to order your tickets; they are selling fast. The show runs through Oct. 19.
SUNDAY
What: Deborah Silver
Where: Amarnick-Goldstein Concert Hall at Lynn University, 3601 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton
When: 2 p.m.
Cost: $45
Contact: 561/237-9000, events.lynn.edu
Cabaret singer Deborah Silver comes to Boca Raton by way of Mississippi, where she grew up in an environment saturated by the blues. It’s a sound that continues to infuse her sultry vocals, but so does the pop and punch of Broadway grandeur. She’ll bring a bit of both to this local cabaret engagement, a selection of ballads and toe-tappers that will serve as both a preview to her high-profile New York shows in October and as a benefit for Jan McArt’s Theatre Arts Guild at Lynn University. A ticket purchase includes complimentary valet parking and a glass of Champagne. Better yet, if you buy Silver’s CD, which includes unique takes on classics like “At Last” and “Cheek to Cheek,” all proceeds will benefit research into a cure for ALS.
What: Fourth Annual West Palm Beach Pup Crawl
Where: 200 block of Clematis Street, West Palm Beach
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: pupcrawlwpb.com
No, that’s not a misprint: This downtown “crawl” isn’t about trying different brewskis but about enjoying a dog day afternoon with your four-legged friends. Activities at the “Pup Crawl” include a noon pet parade judged by celebrity guests, a doggie fashion show at 2 p.m., and a “dog bone stacking contest”—think Jenga with dog biscuits—at 3 p.m. There also will be raffles all day long, face painting, pet adoptions and vaccinations, and food and drink specials from local restaurants. While the event is free, on-site charities such as Kibblez of Love and Dogs 4 Disabled Veterans would love your support.
What: Belle and Sebastian
Where: Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $44.50
Contact: 305/673-7300, livenation.com
For fans of indie rock who are drawn, in many cases, to dissonant music and atonal warbling, Belle and Sebastian has always been the band to bring home to Mom: A Scottish sextet with a reputation for unabashed sensitivity and a sonic canvas rooted in neo-classical baroque pop. And despite minimal mainstream support, they’re also one of the successful bands to emerge from Glasgow, claiming the mantle of Scotland’s greatest band in a 2005 poll. If you’ve never heard B&S, start with its sophomore release, 1996’s “If You’re Feeling Sinister,” a landmark LP that defines the band’s soft-tinted cynicism, hooky melodies and colorful instrumental palette. The group’s most recent albums have embraced a vintage ‘70s ambience that suits them just as well, though expect the group’s live set to dig deep into its copious back catalog in a supremely rare South Florida appearance.
