What: “African Art: Highlights of the Permanent Collection”
Where: NSU Art Museum, 1 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $5-$12
Contact: 954/525-5500, nsuartmuseum.org
The art of sub-Saharan Africa is immeasurably rich, with unearthed objects dating back to 400 to 600 AD—most of them culturally specific and strikingly different from the ancient art of Europe. The NSU Art Museum has been gifted with one of the premier collections of African art in all of South Florida, a with special emphasis on the art of West Africa, and its latest exhibition showcases approximately 60 pieces from it. The show includes monumental carved wooden doors, abstract masks from Burkina Faso, shrine pieces and ritual objects, along with plenty of beadwork, textiles and more. It runs through Oct. 23.
THURSDAY TO SUNDAY
What: The Capitol Steps
Where: Broward Center, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $39
Contact: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
How do you mock an election season when the punch lines write themselves day in and day out? That’s the challenge for these durable political satirists, who have been spinning the news from Washington into song parodies and comedy sketches for the past 35 years. Between Trump and Bernie, Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz, the troupe should have plenty of ripe material in its new show, which is titled “What to Expect When You’re Electing.”
FRIDAY
What: Opening night of “Zero Days”
Where: Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth
When: Show times pending
Cost: $9
Contact: 561/296-9382, lakeworthplayhouse.org
If you’re a geopolitics wonk, you may remember Stuxnet, the malicious computer virus some 20 times more harmful than any virus heretofore developed, which was identified in 2010 and which is believed to be a joint American-Israeli cyberweapon aimed at sabotaging Iran’s nuclear program. It all sounds like the stuff of Ludlum and Le Carre novels, but it’s quite real and, as this chilling documentary reveals, potentially devastating to the way of life of any country, including ours. Filmmaker Alex Gibney, no stranger to looking beyond the headlines for the bigger picture, probes not only Stuxnet but the architecture of American and Israeli secret operations, collusion with the major banks, and the shocking possibility of a United States without its electric power grid. Forget the latest horror flick: This is your best choice for a mid-summer scare. It runs through Aug. 4.
SATURDAY
What: Opening night of “TJ Ahearn: Jukebox Collages”
Where: Girls’ Club Collection, 117 N.E. Second St., Fort Lauderdale
When: 6 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 954/828-9151, girlsclubcollection.org
With the transition from physical to digital music, one art form risks obsolescence: the LP album cover, which has been enticing artists and marketers for nearly 70 years, and is kept alive in 2016 thanks to vinyl purists like yours truly. And like Jane Hart, former director of the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, who creates work under the anagrammatic nom de plume TJ Ahearn. Her “Jukebox Collages” is a series of mixed-media mélanges constructed atop album covers, each inspired by the sounds and themes contained in the music—Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Donovan and the Sex Pistols provided just a few of her inspired canvases. The free opening reception includes a performance by the excellent Miami No Wave group Pocket of Lollipops, which used a cover designed by Hart for its 2012 LP “Broken Balloon.” The exhibition runs through September.
What: Opening night of “Stalking the Bogeyman”
Where: GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $60 ($45-$60 for the rest of the run)
Contact: 305/445-1119, gablestage.org
Rife with discomfort on multiple levels, this play by Markus Potter and David Holthouse is inspired by the latter’s real-life childhood rape and subsequent quest for revenge. As chronicled in a newspaper article Holthouse penned for the Denver alternative weekly Westword, which he later adapted into a thrilling episode of the radio program “This American Life,” “Stalking the Bogeyman” chronicles the author’s recollection of the rape at the hands of a 17-year-old family friend, and his search for, and ultimate encounter with, his attacker. GableStage, never an organization to shirk taboo material, is arguably the best company in South Florida to do a show like this right, hopefully conveying the powers of vengeance and forgiveness in just the right tones. A stellar cast, including Alex Alvarez, Patti Gardner, David Kwiat, Taylor Miller, Bill Schwartz and Barbara Sloan, will bring Holthouse’s harrowing true story to life.
SUNDAY
What: Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash
Where: Guanabanas, 960 N. Highway A1A, Jupiter
When: 1 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/747-8878, guanabanas.com
Jerry Garcia, the unimpeachable godfather of psychedelic rock, was born on Aug. 1, 1942, and while math was never my strong suit, it appears that he’d be celebrating his 74th birthday this year. And if he was still kicking around his mortal coil, he’d likely still be releasing records and touring like a madman. His music, of course, never died, and it still attracts new fans. This daylong celebration at Jupiter’s favorite waterfront bar and restaurant will celebrate Garcia’s life and music, with seven bands re-creating some of the Dead’s greatest hits and meandering deep cuts: Uproot Hootenanny, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Guavatron, Unlimited Devotion, The Southern Belles and Funkin’ Grateful. New Belgium Brewery and Sailor Jerry are sponsoring the event, so if you attend, show them some love.
