Nineties rockers unplug at the Parker, and Owen Wilson paints a cinematic picture. Plus, two world-premiere theatrical experiences and more in your week ahead.
THURSDAY
What: Opening night of “Paint”
Where: Cinemark Palace 20, 3200 Airport Road, Boca Raton
When: 5, 7:35 and 10:10 p.m.
Cost: $12
Contact: 561/395-4695, cinemark.com
The buzzy new comedy “Paint” is not a biopic of the posthumous cult icon Bob Ross, but it bears more than a passing resemblance to his look and persona. With signature white-guy Afro and whispered cadence intact, Owen Wilson plays a Rossian figure on the brink. The host of a beloved painting instructional series on Vermont public television, Wilson’s Carl Nargle lords over his niche of ardent fans, both on and off-screen … until an upstart, and more talented, artist is hired by the network, and the vitriol hidden under Carl’s placid exterior rises to the surface. If it’s a good enough standalone movie, you can probably enjoy “Paint” without even knowing who Bob Ross is. But we recommend queuing up a few of the late legend’s YouTube clips first to set the mood.
FRIDAY
What: Opening night of “One More Yesterday”
Where: Plays of Wilton at The Foundry, 2306 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $35-$50
Contact: playsofwilton.com
Judging by the premise of its world-premiere musical “One More Yesterday,” Plays of Wilton seems to be inhabiting, once again, the Venn diagram between offbeat and commercial, and between caustic and sweet. Angie Radosh plays legendary Broadway actress Lydia Taylor, who, at 83 and craving the spotlight—any spotlight—agrees to star in a schlocky horror picture called “Vigalanny Granny,” about, you guess it, a vigilante grandmother. The experience ends up changing her life in ways she could never have expected. Avi Hoffman costars in the musical, which is written by the same team that produced previous Plays of Wilton hits “Now & Then” and “Come Out! Come Out!” Dennis Manning wrote the music and lyrics, with Ronnie Larsen behind the book and direction; Carbonell winner Oren Korenblum choreographs. The production runs through May 14.
What: An Evening With Live—Unplugged
Where: The Parker, 707 N.E. Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale
When: 8:30 p.m.
Cost: $128 and up resale tickets
Contact: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
A true underground band that toiled in sweat equity for years before breaking into the mainstream—the rockers even cycled through five band names in the ‘80s before settling on the one that stuck—Live was everywhere on rock radio in the halcyon days of the mid-to-late ‘90s. “I Alone” and “Lightning Crashes,” from Live’s eight-times Platinum 1994 opus Throwing Copper, remain in play today. Both anthemic and brittle, these communal sing-alongs could caress the soul of even the most jaded rock critic. Live’s reunion circa 2012 didn’t end well for most of the original band members; owing to internal discord, only singer-songwriter Ed Kowalczyk remains, but let’s face it—his voice is the group’s most important asset. New players will interpret Live’s catalog with Kowalczyk front-and-center on this stripped-down acoustic tour, which is sold out at present—but some tickets are likely still available via resale.
SATURDAY
What: Opening night of “Refuge”
Where: Theatre Lab at FAU, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $35-$45
Contact: 561/297-6124, fauevents.com
Though it’s celebrating its world premiere as a full production, this unique theatrical experience is already riding coattails of anticipation. Even when presented in embryonic form, as a play reading, in 2019, Satya Jnani Chávez and Andrew Rosendorf’s “Refuge” was heralded as a transcendent play for our times. It’s set on the southern Texas border, where the lives of an American rancher, a desperate Honduran teenager seeking a better life, and a Latina border patrol agent on the job all converge alongside the animals of the vast desert, presented in the form of puppets. This bilingual show, which includes original music, captures the nuances of the border crisis with empathy, compassion and a bit of magical realism. Theatre Lab’s production runs through April 23.
What: Demetrius Klein Dance Company
Where: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $35
Contact: 561/832-7469, kravis.org
Purportedly South Florida’s oldest modern dance company, the Demetrius Klein Dance Company (DKDC) has been performing in the region since 1986, its impressive longevity bolstered by a Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Guggenheim Fellowship and multiple grants from the MacArthur Foundation. A showcase for the dynamic work of its namesake choreographer, the DKDC will present two of its most vital and sacred works in a program called “The Infinite and Everlasting.” Separated by an intermission, the evening will include “Prayer Cycle,” which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, and Klein’s iconic “Messiah,” now in its 37th year of performance.
For more of Boca magazine’s arts and entertainment coverage, click here.
