R&B and rock legends pair up in West Palm Beach, and a shocking revenge thriller opens in Lake Worth Beach. Plus, “The Drowsy Chaperone” and more in your week ahead.
FRIDAY

What: Backyard Jam Concert Series
Where: Old Town Pompano, at Northeast First Street and North Flagler Avenue, Pompano Beach
When: 6 to 10 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: pompanobeacharts.org
A summer variation on the city of Pompano Beach’s popular “Untapped” outdoor gathering, the Backyard Jam Concert Series welcomes local bands on the first and third Friday of each month through September, each performing loosely structured, vibe-y concerts alongside southern bites and craft cocktails. This Friday, enjoy the music of Delray Beach’s Big Medizen, a nine-piece acoustic jam band complete with keyboards, fiddle, saxophone and a guitarist who goes by “Zappa.” The group plays its own originals as well as inspired covers of influences including the Band, Van Morrison, the Grateful Dead and Pearl Jam; they may even play a medley from Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, having mastered the LP front to back.
What: After Work Players: “The Drowsy Chaperone”
Where: Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $20
Contact: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
Summer theatre camps for kids have mostly drawn to a close, but this season also has seen adults build a musical from scratch while studying the art and craft of theatre. The Broward Center’s After Work Players constitute one such group, and they’ll be displaying the fruits of their education this weekend for a one-night-only performance of one of the most delectable North American musicals of the past 30 years. Described as a “musical within a comedy,” “The Drowsy Chaperone” plays out as the memory/fever dream of a lonely and asocial musical-theatre aficionado known simply as the Man in the Chair. As he resurrects his favorite 1920s musical—a parody of the period’s whimsical offerings, called “The Drowsy Chaperone”—its actions play out in his cramped apartment, with the Man in the Chair occasionally interjecting to comment on the story and its high jinks. And if the After Work Players flub a line or miss a mark, give them plenty of slack—you’re seeing a great musical for only $20.
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY
What: “Femme”
Where: Lake Worth Playhouse’s Stonzek Theater, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach
When: 6 p.m. Friday; 3, 5 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 3 and 5 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $9
Contact: 561/296-9382, lakeworthplayhouse.com
A critically acclaimed film that is decidedly not for everyone, the British import “Femme” centers on a drag entertainer named Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) who, outside a convenience store after a performance in London, is physically attacked by a homophobic man. Months later, Jules has recovered only to identify the same man, the closeted Preston (George MacKay), in a gay sauna. Thus begins a revenge thriller unlike any other, in which Jules—who, without his drag attire, is unrecognizable to Preston—plots his slow-building vengeance against his attacker, using sex as his currency. Unabashedly erotic and full of unexpected twists, this debut feature from filmmakers Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping has already won four awards, including three British Independent Film Awards.
SATURDAY
What: Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago
Where: iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $30 and up
Contact: 561/795-8883, westpalmbeachamphitheatre.com
One of the longest-running groups in music history (aside from a short ‘80s hiatus), and still featuring founding member Verdine White, foundational funk band Earth, Wind & Fire has been integrating jazz, soul, Afro-pop and disco for a sound all its own since 1969—to the tune of more than 90 million records sold. The collective’s crossover success is more than evident by this tour with rock band Chicago, whose own enduring appeal includes a staggering 38 albums. The tour is a true co-headlining jaunt: As the encore to EWF’s set, the band will bring Chicago onstage for a big, brassy finale that includes each of the outfits’ hits, alongside a shared Beatles cover. Expect a glorious dance party from start to finish.
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