Superheroes at South Florida Fair, poetry in motion at Old School Square, and a “Funny” classic at The Wick. Plus, Miwa Matreyek, the Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival, Paul Winter Consort and more in your week ahead.
THURSDAY
What: Opening night of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”
Where: Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $50
Contact: 305/949-6722, arshtcenter.org
Never a theatre to shirk a challenge, Miami’s Zoetic Stage mounts the regional premiere of this Tony-winning adaptation of an acclaimed novel. Razzle-dazzle special effects and an immersive scenic design place viewers inside the quantum brain of a 15-year-old mathematical genius who resides on the autism spectrum. When he’s accused of killing his neighbor’s dog, he sets out to discover the real culprit, facing opposition every step of the way. The elaborately choreographed play culminates in a shocking climax. It runs through Feb. 3.
FRIDAY
What: Opening day of South Florida Fair
Where: South Florida Fairgrounds, 9067 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: Opening ceremonies begin at 11 a.m.
Cost: $8-$20
Contact: 561/793-0333, southfloridafair.com
This year, the venerable South Florida Fair will be toasting superheroes—both the ones in capes and spandex and the heroes in our everyday lives. Marvel icons like Thor, Black Panther, Captain America and Spider-Man will make appearances and host meet-and-greets with fairgoers from Jan. 18-25; then, from Jan. 26-Feb. 3, their DC counterparts like Super-Man, Wonder Woman, Batman and Green Lantern will take over. Parades honoring “Heroes of the Environment,” “Heroes of Education” and other real-life heroes will continue throughout the festivities. As always, an eclectic slate of entertainment will keep visitors of all ages busy throughout the fair, including stilt walkers, racing pigs, Chinese acrobats, extreme pogo (yes, that’s a thing, apparently), stage hypnotists, magicians and live bands including the Outlaws, Frankie Ballard, Pat Travers Band and Spred the Dub.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
What: Miwa Matreyek: “The World Made Itself” and “Myth and Infrastructure”
Where: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $35
Contact: 561/832-7469, kravis.org
Los Angeles-based performance artist Miwa Matreyek operates, quite literally, in the shadows. Cloaked on a darkened stage, she appears in her productions in silhouette form only—her whole body, or her head, or sometimes just her hands interacting with animated backdrops of her own design. Her wordless one-woman shows exist on the nexus of the analog and the digital, the fantastical and the corporeal. In “Myth and Infrastructure,” she’s a stringless marionette towering over a metropolitan skyline and kneeling in a natural wonderland, where her palms spawn schools of fish, trees take root from her spinal column, and bow-and-arrow-clad hunters take aim at gazelles from atop her back. In “The World Made Itself,” she emerges from a river of molten lava, and finds refuge in the depths of an ocean teeming with creatures worthy of “Avatar.” She’ll present both performances in this evening-long appearance at the Kravis.
SATURDAY
What: Opening night of “Funny Girl”
Where: The Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $75-$95
Contact: 561/995-2333, thewick.org
For a show this iconic, “Funny Girl” is staged surprisingly seldom in South Florida, which may be why Wick subscribers voted the 1964 musical as their most-desired choice for the new season. It charts the tumultuous biography of comedian, singer and Broadway star Fanny Brice, a stage-struck vaudeville ingénue who became a star of the Ziegfeld Follies in 1910. Her choice of partners, never as elevated as her talent, led to much toil and trouble—and inspired classic numbers “People,” “You Are Woman” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” which later evolved into crossover hits for the show’s original star, Barbra Streisand. The Wick’s production runs through Feb. 24.
SUNDAY
“Papa”
What: Opening day of Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival
Where: AMC CityPlace 20, 545 Hibiscus St., West Palm Beach
When: 2 p.m.
Cost: $18
Contact: palmbeachjewishfilm.org
Returning for its 29th year, the Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival will offer 33 world, U.S. or Florida premieres of films that illuminate aspects of the Jewish experience, from historical dramas to contemporary comedies to eye-opening documentaries and everything in between. The fest opens Sunday at 2 p.m. with “Papa,” a heartwarming narrative about an adopted son searching for his biological parents; it stars Daryl Hannah, Paul Sorvino and Ann-Margret. Other highlights include “Golda’s Balcony: The Film,” with star Tovah Feldshuh appearing live to discuss the movie; “The Catcher Was a Spy,” starring Paul Rudd as a baseball star hired by the U.S. government to spy on Werner Heisenberg’s experiments in nuclear fission; and “Budapest Noir,” a Jewish-Hungarian revision of classic film-noir tropes. Check the website for the full schedule; the festival runs through Feb. 12.
What: Paul Winter Consort
Where: St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 100 N.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton
When: 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $50-$75
Contact: 866/571-2787, festivalboca.org
There’s world music, and then there’s what Paul Winter Consort creates: an intoxicating blend of classical, jazz and New Age that Winter calls “Earth music” and that some proponents dub “ecological jazz.” Leading from his saxophone, Winter is a consummate musician and aural collagist, supported by up to eight musicians and integrating choirs of ethereal voices, along with nature and animal sounds. In 1985, he recorded his legendary Canyonalbum in the inlets and side canyons of Grand Canyon, playing off the acoustics of this World Wonder. This concert of Winter’s meditative music is sponsored by Festival of the Arts Boca, marking the year’s only “pre-Festival” special event.
MONDAY, JAN. 21
Sharon Olds
What: Opening day of 15th-annual Palm Beach Poetry Festival
Where: Crest Theatre, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach
When: Welcome reception starts at 6 p.m.
Cost: $10-$15 per event, some free
Contact: 561/243-7922, palmbeachpoetryfestival.org
There’s perhaps no better respite from the noise of everyday life than the contemplative balm of great poetry—and Delray Beach’s annual celebration of poetic verse always attracts some of the best names in the field. Among this year’s diverse prime-time headliners: Sharon Olds, who has earned comparisons to Walt Whitman for her daring, confessional poetry; Tyehimba Jess, a slam poet and 2017 Pulitzer Prize winner; Campbell McGrath, a MacArthur Genius Fellow and the author of 10 poetry collections; and Ellen Bass, a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. These eclectic talents will read their work to rapt audiences of enthusiasts, but during the daytime programming, they’ll also discuss their craft at workshops ranging from “Invoking the Muse” to “Powers of the Strange + Particular.” Spend an hour with these geniuses, or even the whole week, and let them massage your brain, heart and soul.
