Dramaworks mounts an all-time classic of American drama, rescue pups perform amazing feats in Boca Raton, and the Spady Museum weaves jazz and storytelling in an anniversary celebration. Plus, punk legends Buzzcocks and more in your week ahead.
THURSDAY
What: Buzzcocks
Where: Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $43.95
Contact: 954/564-1074, cultureroom.net
In one of those coincidences that symbolized a musical changing of the guard, Manchester punk band Buzzcocks signed with major label United Artists on the very day that Elvis Presley died: Aug. 16, 1977. Besides an ear for melody, the young English lads shared little with the American proto-rocker; instead of exuding sexuality in their music, Buzzcocks critiqued self-destructive sex addiction in sing-alongs like “Orgasm Addict;” Presley played a racecar-driving bachelor in the movie “Spinout,” while Buzzcocks railed against the need for speed in “Fast Cars,” a tune that name-checked Ralph Nader. While Buzzcocks’ initial run of masterpieces lasted only from 1976 to 1981, their caffeinated, funny, accessible pop-punk discordance left a legacy that’s still being mined today. Original singer Peter Shelley died in 2018, but founding guitarist Steve Diggle has ably taken over vocal duties as the band’s linchpin. They make a rare South Florida appearance as part of their 50th anniversary tour, alongside opening acts Redd Kross and Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends.
FRIDAY
What: Opening night of “The Crucible”
Where: Palm Beach Dramaworks, 201 Clematis St., West Palm Beach
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $115, includes reception (other show times $95)
Contact: 561/514-4042, palmbeachdramaworks.org
The phrase “witch hunt” has become a term of art in our politics, but in 17th century Massachusetts, the threat of being adjudicated for witchcraft was quite literal. It led to accusations leveled against more than 200 people, 19 of whom were executed. Arthur Miller took inspiration for the Salem Witch Trials—along with some creative license—for his 1953 masterwork The Crucible, in which the pagan rituals of a group of women in the Puritan colony of Salem come under investigation by a local preacher. Miller, who also wrote Death of a Salesman, considered The Crucible his finest play. It has endured in large part because of the resonance of his themes, which subtextually addressed the McCarthy hearings of his time, and continue to find purchase in eras of governmental targeting of dissident individuals. The cast of 20 includes Kaia Davis, Tom Wahl, Karen Stephens, and Elisabeth Yancey, and the production runs through April 19.
SATURDAY
What: “The Black American Story”
Where: The Vintage Gym at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach
When: 5 p.m.
Cost: $75
Contact: 561/279-8883, spadymuseum.com
The Spady Museum has much to celebrate in 2026: not only the 100th anniversary of its historic building and the 25th anniversary of the museum’s opening, but the second class of graduates of its Black History Studies program. To mark these occasions, the museum has convened an educator and a trio of ace jazz artists for a program that combines music and storytelling, weaving a narrative of Black American history through rhythm and melody. Award-winning speaker, author, writer, and researcher Brian Knowles, who has taught a secondary-level course on “The African American Experience in the 20th Century through Music and Visual Arts” will lead the program alongside the Baltimore-based jazz trio of pianist Lafayette Gilchrist, drummer Bashi Rose, and multi-instrumentalist Emperor King Bishop. And if you love jazz, check out the next item on our week ahead, which starts just an hour after this one concludes!
What: Walter Smith III
Where: Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $65.50-$70.50
Contact: 561/450-6357, artsgarage.org
Saxophonist Walter Smith III’s first gig was evidently at a McDonald’s in his native Houston, offering patrons half notes with their quarter pounders. As Smith has told it, he remembers muddling his way through a solo on “Blue Bossa,” Kenny Dorham’s 1963 bossa nova-inspired standard, and earning claps despite its sloppiness: “I figured if I could get away with that and get applause, how could I fail?” These days, the 45-year-old tenorman has long eclipsed pity claps. Now the chair of Berklee College of Music’s Woodwind Department, Smith has released 11 albums as a leader and 16 more as a sideman for jazz greats such as Terence Blanchard and Christian Scott. His inviting style, rooted in the small-band, adventurous tradition of Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, is on full display with TWIO, his trio project introduced in 2018 with bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Eric Harland, which released its second album earlier this month on Blue Note Records. Of TWIO’s debut, a critic from Downbeat wrote “[Smith’s] tone and melodicism are just killing with a flow of ideas that’s vast and beautiful.” The trio (or “twio”) makes a rare visit to Delray Beach that’s a must-attend for hardcore jazz heads. Read our interview with Walter Smith here.
SUNDAY
What: “Puppy Pals Live!”
Where: Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Suite 10, Boca Raton
When: 3 p.m.
Cost: $38.50-$48.50
Contact: 561/483-9036, bocablackbox.com
One of Boca Raton’s signature theaters goes to the dogs on Sunday afternoon—specifically rescue dogs. “Puppy Pals Live!,” which has appeared on America’s Got Talent, started when the show’s creator and CEO, Wesley Williams, began to teach his two pets tricks worthy of the stage, later adding more rescued canines to his repertory of “actors.” The obedient pups balance on high beams, drive tiny cars, leap through hopes and over obstacles, and roll basketballs along the stage. They’re also fond of giving hugs on command, which has made the audience-interactive portion of “Puppy Pals Live!” a favorite for families in attendance. Moreover, the show is a platform for Williams’ longtime advocacy for rescue organizations and the resiliency of once-abandoned pets.
For more of Boca magazine’s arts and entertainment coverage, click here.
