Nineties hip-hop headliners tour a nostalgic mini-fest, an all-male revue brings a bit of “Magic” to Lake Park, and the solar eclipse is viewable right here in Boca. Plus, Andrew Dice Clay, author Robert Watson, “Shorts Gone Wild” and more in your week ahead.
WEDNESDAY
What: Screenings of “The Trip” and “The Trip to Italy”
Where: Savor Cinema, 503 S.E. Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale
When: 1 and 3:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 954/525-3456, fliff.com
“The Trip to Spain,” the third installment in director Michael Winterbottom’s cultiest of recent franchises, will premiere in South Florida theaters August 25. Prepare yourself for the new film by feasting in its pair of hilarious forbears on the big screen: “The Trip,” in which fictionalized versions of comic actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon embarked on a culinary tour of northern England; and “The Trip to Italy,” which repeated the formula in the scrumptious Italian footsteps of the great Romantic poets. Gut-bustingly funny, the “Trip” series thrives off the brotherly chemistry of its stars, whose improvised zingers, uncanny celebrity impersonations and love-hate relationship form both the comic backbone and emotional nexus of the series. These modern classics are worth seeing more than once.
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY
What: “The Ben Hecht Show”
Where: Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $30
Contact: 561/450-6357, artsgarage.org
For audiences under 30, Ben Hecht was kind of like the Aaron Sorkin of Hollywood’s Golden Age: a multitalented screenwriter who captured the pulse of fast-talking urban life in scripts like “The Front Page,” “His Girl Friday” and the original “Scarface,” working for everyone from Hitchcock to Ford to Howard Hawks and Otto Preminger. He was also an accomplished journalist, one of the first American newspapermen to write about the atrocities of World War II. Clad in the classic reporter’s fedora and three-piece suit, actor-writer James Sherman constructed this solo theatre piece exploring the writer’s legacy. “The Ben Hecht Show” combines history, humor and biography into a format that Hecht himself would no doubt appreciate.
THURSDAY
What: Opening night of “Shorts Gone Wild 5”
Where: Island City Stage, 2308 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $35
Contact: 954/519-2533, islandcitystage.org
With settings changing from space stations to roller rinks, and themes ranging from superheroes to religion, Island City Stage’s fifth-annual short-play festival will once again highlight accomplished 10-minute works from local and national playwrights, usually integrating LGBTQ themes. As with previous years, the audience will select the order of the plays, a conceit that will challenge and surprise the actors nightly. This year, the company is throwing another high concept into the mix: The evening will be structured like an episode of the classic game show “Concentration,” complete with vintage commercials and “words from our sponsors.” The production runs through Sept. 10.
What: Robert Watson
Where: Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 305/442-4408, booksandbooks.com
Prolific writer and Lynn University history professor Robert Watson, whose nonfiction books total more than three dozen, will read from his latest tome, the paranormally titled Ghost Ship of Brooklyn. But the horrors contained in its spine are all too real: The title ship, the HMS Jersey, held thousands of American POWs captured by the British during World War II, from its mooring off the coast of Brooklyn. The conditions were inhumane to say the least. Scarcely provided food or water, and crammed like sardines in the bowels in the ship, more Americans died onboard than on all of the war’s battlefields. This alarming statistic is one of many in Watson’s engrossing narrative, which is culled from newspapers, diaries and military reports.
THURSDAY TO SATURDAY
What: Andrew Dice Clay
Where: Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Suite 10
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $75-$105
Contact: 561/483-9036, bocablackbox.com
In a quainter time for American politics and policy, a comedian’s standup persona could still top headlines across the country. Back in the ‘80s, Andrew Dice Clay was a controversy magnet, generating a torrent of press for his misogynistic material, which struck a chord with audiences nationwide. He even became the first comedian to sell out Madison Square Garden. The Boca Black Box isn’t MSG, but the fact that the Diceman is still selling out venues decades after his peak is a testament to the durability of his act. Offstage, Clay is reportedly a sweet guy, and his acting range transcends his macho mien: He received acclaim for performances in “Blue Jasmine” and HBO’s “Vinyl,” and, believe it or not, he’s set to star as Lady Gaga’s father in Hollywood’s latest remake of “A Star is Born.” That said, expect this three-night stint in Boca to be bluer than a cobalt sky.
SATURDAY
What: “I Love the ‘90s” Tour
Where: Pompano Beach Amphitheatre, 1801 N.E. Sixth St., Pompano Beach
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $48-$128
Contact: 954/519-5500, ticketmaster.com
This gathering of hip-hop, rap and R&B chart-toppers from two decades past arrives at an opportune time, cresting an indelible wave of ‘90s nostalgia that has permeated movies, television and, of course, music festivals. A national tour making its inaugural South Florida stop, “I Love the ‘90s” features an enviable lineup for listeners tuned into Y-100 circa 1995: Wellington’s own Vanilla Ice, Salt N Pepa, Coolio and Young MC. This will never win our vote for the most sophisticated mini music fest, but it’s the one most likely to cause you to dance yourself stupid, which in times like these is a necessary escape.
What: Rock Hard Revue: “The Magic Mike Experience”
Where: The Kelsey Theater, 700 Park Ave., Lake Park
When: 9 p.m.
Cost: $18 (or $50 for front two rows and meet-and-greet)
Contact: 561/328-7481, thekelseytheater.com
“Magic Mike,” the movie franchise that, more than any other, has catered to the female sexual gaze, has inspired a new wave of all-male dance revues capitalizing on its risqué market. The Rock Hard Revue is one such troupe; based in Orlando and Tampa, the company claims to be the only all-male strip act on the east coast, and it has some impressive, um, attributes: performances on the ninth season of “America’s Got Talent,” and choreography from a former director of Chippendale’s. Men are invited to attend this touring production of the group’s “Magic Mike Experience,” but the Rock Hard Revue’s website states the obvious when it says “[The show] is designed for the woman audience member in mind.”
MONDAY (AUG. 21)
What: Solar Eclipse Event and Expedition
Where: FAU Observatory, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: cescos.fau.edu
As you know, next Monday marks the first total solar eclipse in 38 years, and it’s viewable—at least in part—coast to coast. There’s no better venue locally to experience this once-in-a-lifetime phenomena than FAU’s Observatory, which will host an Open Dome Event and Sidewalk Solar Eclipse Expedition. If you haven’t bought official solar eclipse glasses, don’t sweat it: FAU will provide them free of charge, and visitors will have the opportunity to view the event through the university’s telescope. You’ll even get to see live feeds of the eclipse from across the country. I can’t think of a better reason to blow off work, but do arrive early: Next Monday also marks the first day of classes for the fall semester, so parking will be at a premium.
