A deaf comedian deploys his disability for humor, Margate’s longtime professional theatre goes (even more) west, and Arts Garage opens a shimmery exhibition. Plus, Amy Schumer, The Weepies, a Nirvana tribute and more in your week ahead.
FRIDAY
What: Opening night of “Juliet, Naked”
Where: Living Room Theaters at FAU, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: Show times pending
Cost: $6.50-$9.50
Contact: 561/549-2600, livingroomtheaters.fau.com
Eighteen years ago, the movie adaptation of Nick Hornby’s music-and-misery novel “High Fidelity” became a cult touchstone that, for a certain niche of audiophiles (including yours truly), has become something of a religion. “Juliet, Naked,” the latest adaptation of a Hornby tome, is not at the level of “High Fidelity,” but it treads similar ground, and is 2018’s smartest and most delightful romantic comedy. It centers on Annie and Duncan, a childless English couple whose marriage is on the rocks—in part because Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) is certifiably obsessed with ‘90s-era alternative rocker Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke), whose sudden disappearance from the music scene 25 years earlier continues to elicit speculation and armchair reportage from addicts like Duncan. When Tucker, emerging from seclusion, begins an unlikely email correspondence with Annie, their connection helps change both of their lives. Disarmingly funny, heartfelt and musically astute, it’s a breath of fresh late-summer air amid a lackluster season at the cinemas.
What: Amy Schumer and Friends
Where: Hard Rock Event Center, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $72-$182
Contact: 800/745-3000, myhrl.com
It wasn’t that long ago—2007, to be exact—that young comedian Amy Schumer didn’t even make the semifinals of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” She has, quite literally, had the last laugh, becoming the first female comedian to ever sell out Madison Square Garden. Forging an indomitable standup career with self-deprecating material about sexual promiscuity, Schumer recently married and, if her latest “SNL” hosting monologue is any indication, she’s begun to expand beyond her libidinous niche. Witness the continued evolution of one of the nation’s top comics at this headlining gig, and arrive early to enjoy some of her talented “friends”—Bridget Everett, Rachel Feinstein and Mia Jackson.
SATURDAY
What: Opening day of “Shimmer” exhibition
Where: Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach
When: noon to 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/450-6357, artsgarage.org
As its title indicates, Arts Garage’s September exhibition features a pair of local emerging artists whose work positively gleams. Brenda Smith, of Pompano Beach, began painting as her therapy for PTSD after “losing everything in a hurricane for the second time in my life.” She paints on everything from furniture to countertops to flowerpots; Arts Garage will showcase her colorful, nature-centered acrylics and watercolors. Amanda McMaster, who doubles as Arts Garage’s marketing director and is the proud owner of five rescue pets, describes painting as her yoga. She will feature works from her “Au-Muse” collection, which expresses her love for golf leaf and gold paint. The show runs through Sept. 30.
What: D.J. Demers
Where: Mizner Park Comedy Club, 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $20-$30
Contact: 786/564-2291, comiccure.com
This Canadian comedian has suffered, in his words, “profound hearing loss” since the age of 4, but his preternatural talent for standup helped him get through it. He never recovered the ability, and he continues to wear a hearing aid at his performances, which is the source of both his inspiring backstory and much of his material: His debut standup album, released last year, is titled [Indistinct Chatter],a reference that anyone who has ever watched a closed-captioned movie or TV show will find amusing. Regardless of his disability, he’s an original voice in comedy, and is willing to use awkward silence and protracted punch lines to win over audiences that might first be skeptical. The alumnus of “America’s Got Talent” concludes this summer series at Mizner Park Comedy Club.
What: The Weepies
Where: Broward Center, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $33.75-$45
Contact: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
With a group called the Weepies, it’s safe to assume the amps won’t go anywhere near 11, and that mosh pits are, to understate the obvious, unlikely to break out. Playing gentle, rich, heart-on-sleeve folk-pop songs that will appeal to fans of Kings of Convenience, Sufjan Stevens and some Belle and Sebastian, the Weepies perform proud beta music for audiences that can use a good cry, or at least a hazy melody fit for slow-dancing. Borrowing their moniker from the classic Hollywood subgenre of the same name—in which crying became so expected that audiences brought handkerchiefs to the cinema—singer-songwriters Deb Talan and Steve Tannen were fans of each other’s music when they met in the Cambridge folk scene in 2001. They’ve since married and released five albums of lyrical depth and lovely consistency; along the way, their songs have been used for atmosphere in TV dramas from “Grey’s Anatomy” to “Gossip Girl” to “Sense8.”
What: Nirvanna with Blink-180 Deux
Where: Revolution Live, 100 S.W. Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $15-$20
Contact: 954/449-1025, jointherevolution.net
Those of us unlucky enough to have discovered Nirvana posthumously can experience the next best thing at this bargain-priced tribute concert. Orlando-based Nirvanna goes beyond the call of cover-band duty, re-creating the music, clothes and hairstyles of the grunge pioneers, perfectly imitating Kurt Cobain’s distinctive howls and signature disaffected look. One listen to the music, either in a live setting or recorded, confirms the group’s note-perfect commitment. In this appearance, titled “Grunge Vs. Punk,” they’ll follow a performance by Blink-180 Deux, a tribute to So-Cal pop-punk standard-bearers Blink-182.
What: Opening night of “La Cage Aux Folles”
Where: Stage Door Theater, 3800 N.W. 11th Place, Lauderhill
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $48
Contact: 954/344-7765, stagedoorfl.org
For a quarter century, Stage Door Theatre has been producing respected renditions of Broadway favorites from its off-the-beaten-path home in Margate, in a culturally vacuous strip plaza next to a bowling alley. Now, for its 26th season, the company is going west, to the Lauderhill Performance Arts Center, a sparkling gem in an under-served region, and one of South Florida’s newest and most state-of-the-art prosceniums. Let’s hope the company’s loyal subscriber base follows it to the new digs; its 2018-2019 season is certainly strong enough to woo the masses. It opens Saturday with “La Cage Aux Folles,” Jerry Herman’s classic, ahead-of-its-time gender-bending musical. It runs through Sept. 23, but buy tickets for Saturday to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and live entertainment at the big season-opening festivities.
