What: Bastille Day celebration
Where: Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach
When: 5 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/832-5196, norton.org
Our own July fireworks may have passed, but in France this week, revolutionary celebrations are just kicking into gear, with Bastille Day celebrations honoring French independence in cities around the globe. For the Norton Museum’s Art After Dark program, all of the usual weekly activities will be presented with a French twist: a DIY art project modeled off Renoir’s use of pastels; a screening of the documentary film “Paris: The Luminous Years;” a Beginner’s French lesson courtesy of the Multilingual Language and Cultural Society of West Palm Beach; and live music from The French Horn (pictured), a hip local band led by French transplant Vincent Raffard. French cuisine, including fresh crepes and French coffee, will be available for purchase, and the evening also includes a curator’s conversation about European Art with Cheryl Brutvan; live caricature drawings by Dino DiArtist; and tours of “Trois Femmes: Images of Women in French Art” and “Trois Hommes: Images of Men in French Art.”
FRIDAY
What: “The War of the Worlds”
Where: Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $15-$25
Contact: 561/243-7922, oldschool.org
Legend has it that when Orson Welles, the stentorian innovator of radio’s Mercury Theatre, adapted H.G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds” as a Halloween special in 1938, it caused panic in the streets. Listeners who tuned in after the show’s disclaimer thought they were reading genuine reports of a Martian invasion, so convincing was the authenticity of Welles’ approach: pleasant music interrupted by ersatz news bulletins, analysis from “experts” describing the damage, the persistent and unnerving ticking of a clock in the background. History has revealed that the American listening populace wasn’t as gullible as initially reported—mass hysteria was an overstatement—but Welles’ infamous broadcast has long outlived its origins. It’s revived regularly by groups like our own WLRN Radio Theater, which celebrates the then-cutting-edge suspense of generating visual wonder with merely voice, music and sound effects. The troupe’s live staging at the Crest Theatre, part of its “Sci-Fi Summer,” will feature professional actors and include interactive elements, and the production will eventually air on WLRN. The cult classic “Plan 9 From Outer Space,” will conclude the series on Aug. 5.
What: Opening night of “Right Now, Wrong Then”
Where: Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth
When: 4 and 8:15 p.m.
Cost: $9
Contact: 561/296-9382, lakeworthplayhouse.org
One of the most imaginative directors on the world cinema stage, South Korea’s Hong Sang-soo treats narrative like so much Silly Putty, a thing to be reconfigured as he sees fit, even if it means disrupting the shapes he’d just spent an hour forming. For his 17th feature “Right Now, Wrong Then,” this observational chronicler of human behavior follows a revered film director not unlike himself to a minor festival in Seoul, where he receives gushing praise from admirers. On a sabbatical after his talk, he meets an aspiring painter and hits it off with her, only to receive a piece of shocking information that send their relationship—and the movie itself—back to square one. The second half of Hong’s bifurcated feature is called “Wrong Now, Right Then,” and we spend it watching the scenario repeat, only with subtle differences. Challenging, curious, funny and self-reflexive, “Right Now, Wrong Then” is a comment on the small choices that define our lives, and it’s likely to earn the director more comparisons to thoughtful cinematic forbears like Eric Rohmer and Woody Allen. It runs through next Thursday.
What: Opening night of “Buyer and Cellar”
Where: Actors’ Playhouse, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $53
Contact: 305/444-9293, actorsplayhouse.org
Actors’ Playhouse’s latest production is catnip for Barbara Streisand fans. The “Cellar” in the title of Jonathan Tollins’ witty love letter refers to the iconic singer’s lavish Malibu home, and in particular to an underground basement bursting with her countless possessions—a kind of unofficial Babs museum that is rooted in fact. The rest of Tollins’ script is fiction: He imagines a gatekeeper to Streisand’s treasures, a struggling actor named Alex who is hired to maintain the shop-like displays of paraphernalia. “Buyer and Cellar” is a fast-paced romp filled with pop-culture references for Streisand insiders, and moreover it’s an extraordinary acting exercise: One actor, in this case Carbonell winner Chris Crawford, plays all six roles in the show, from Alex’s boyfriend to James Brolin, Streisand’s house manager and, yes, Babs herself. The production runs through Aug. 7.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
What: Frank Caliendo
Where: Palm Beach Improv, 550 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $35
Contact: 561/833-1812, palmbeachimprov.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.
SATURDAY
What: Flight of the Conchords
Where: Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $39.50-$55
Contact: myboca.us/pages/mizneramphi
Like many a punk band before them, the guys in Flight of the Conchords began their music career with a rudimentary knowledge of three chords; their first song, “Foux du Fafa,” needed only two. The group, founded in 1998 by nerdy New Zealand besties Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, has since grown in its sonic ambition, but its cult audience doesn’t listen for intricate musicianship. The Flight of the Conchords, whose act flowered into a two-season run on HBO in the late 2000s, is a deadpan comedy duo whose songs take subversive aim at mainstream music and culture. Parodies of romantic R&B, brash hip-hop, folky earnestness and Beatlesesque pop thrive on the irony of their creators’ calculated lack of rock-star charisma and bedroom acumen. Even McKenzie and Clement’s onstage banter punctures the orgiastic bombast of celebrity life with road stories of utter banality. For Conchords’ first tour since 2013, expect to see plenty of ferocious key-tar solos, elaborate costume changes and bespectacled audience members.
What: Food Truck Safari
Where: Palm Beach Zoo, 1301 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: 4:30 to 9 p.m.
Cost: $6-$10
Contact: 561/547-9453, palmbeachzoo.org
This special event at Palm Beach Zoo is our idea of a safari: one with multiple craft beer and fresh-made food options, no traversing thickets of jungly outgrowth, and no sweaty camouflage required. You will encounter animals, but only ones you’d like to see, from the same confines of the zoo. And you’ll be able to listen to live music courtesy of Steeltown Religion and Steve Chumley. Food trucks on site include CheezeZilla, CrayZlicious, Karate’s Kitchen, Tacos Veracruz, PS 561 and the Waffle Wagon. Visitors 21 and older can purchase wine and beer, the latter featuring a Copperpoint Brewing Company “tap takeover.” Net proceeds for this fundraiser support regular zoo operations; the cover charge does not include on-site food and drink purchases.
What: “Red Eye”
Where: ArtServe, 1350 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
When: 6 p.m.
Cost: $10 online, $15 at door
Contact: 954/462-8190, artserve.org
Summer in South Florida is less a cultural swampland than it used to be, but even during the hottest, swampiest time of the year, “Red Eye” has been there, every July, offering an eclectic reprieve from Netflix binges and skyrocketing electric bills. This fundraiser for ArtServe has emerged as one of the most dynamic parties of the year, offering live music on two stages, independent films from local directors, a spoken-word/poetry stage, interactive video game art in the “Sofa Lounge” and plenty of food and drink, with comedian Michelle Rose Domb hosting from the main stage. The music headliner is Alexander Star & the Golden People, with support from Josh the Man, the Water Street Project, Mike e Flight, Joe Braga, Chris Kay, Fuzion City Dance and more. Visit artserve.org/redeye for complete details.
