A blues legend embarks on his final tour, a magician “conspires” to bend your mind, and the Norton brings worldwide games to West Palm Beach. Plus, a folk-punk musical in Coral Gables and more in your week ahead.
THURSDAY
What: Summer Sips & Sounds
Where: Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum, 71 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton
When: 6 p.m.
Cost: $40-$45
Contact: 561/395-6766, bocahistory.org
Further evidence that the off-season in Boca no longer follows the quiet cultural calendar of yore, the three-part “Summer Sips & Sounds” series features live music at the city’s newest museum, each concert centered on a theme or era. Presented in conjunction with Festival of the Arts Boca, the series begins Thursday with “Music From the 1990s,” in which pianist/vocalist Rick Krive, saxophone player Scott Klarman and vocalist Dawn Marie will perform hits from this influential era in Gen-X music; artists in their set include Bonnie Raitt, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Extreme, Celine Dion and Hootie & the Blowfish. Enjoy refreshments prior to the concert, and appetizers following the performance.
FRIDAY
What: Buddy Guy
Where: Pompano Beach Amphitheater, 1806 N.E. Sixth St., Pompano Beach
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $47-$130
Contact: 561/223-7231, pompanobeacharts.org
Buddy Guy, who turns 88 later this month, is a blues guitarist of almost matchless quality and legend, mastering traditional Chicago blues and expanding his repertoire and style to encompass electric blues and rock as well. He’s a National Medal of Arts winner, a Kennedy Center honoree and the recipient of eight Grammy Awards, and who in 2023 ranked 27th in Rolling Stone’s tally of the greatest guitarists of all time. But if the respect from one’s peers is the highest compliment, consider that Eric Clapton once described him as “the best guitar player alive.” Typically playing 130 dates a year, Guy is an indefatigable road warrior, but the lifestyle takes its toll, and as they say, all good things must come to an end. This tour, titled “Damn Right Farewell,” is expected to be his last, with his performance calendar limited, in the future, to festivals only. Arrive early for opening act Tom Hambridge.
What: Justin Willman
Where: The Parker, 707 N.E. Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $35 (and going fast!)
Contact: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
When St. Louis native Justin Willman broke both of his arms, at age 12, he couldn’t have imagined the positive effect this devastating accident would have on his life. Recommended by his orthopedic surgeon to learn card tricks as part of his occupational therapy, Willman brought dexterity back to his hands—and seeded the idea for a life in magic. More than 30 years later, Willman is one of the most charismatic and sought-after magician-comedians in the business, launching two successful Netflix series (“Magic for Humans” and “The Magic Prank Show,” in which he creates bespoke illusions for select individuals), playing all the top talk shows, and touring the nation; this performance, for instance, is nearly sold out as of this writing. In keeping with Willman’s playful sense of subversion, he’s titled this tour “The Illusionati,” with themes inspired by America’s lurch into conspiratorial thinking.
What: Opening night of “Hundred Days”
Where: Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $125, includes reception ($75 for future performances)
Contact: 305/444-9293, actorsplayhouse.org
Real-life couple Shaun and Abigail Bengson, a fixture in the New York theatre world, created this critically acclaimed musical that is at once inspired by their tumultuous love and haunted by the inevitably of death. Though they met in a diner and fell in love so instantly that they each abandoned their prior commitments and married within three weeks, Abigail was stirred by a vision in which one of them would die 100 days later. Hence the show’s motto, “to live and love as if you only had 100 days left on Earth.” The Bengsons’ rousing folk-punk score, performed by a full band live onstage, will help propel an expectedly minimalist plot and design, which is presented on Actors’ Playhouse’s intimate upstairs Balcony Theatre through Aug. 4.
SATURDAY
What: Games Around the World Community Day
Where: Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach
When: Noon to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/832-5196, norton.org
Geared toward kids and adults alike, this free day of activities and art at the Norton is chock-full of international games stressing mental and physical acuity. Visitors can learn to play chess, with instruction from coaches at Palm Beach Chess (noon to 2 p.m.); or discover the French lawn-bowling game known as pétanque, in the museum’s Goergen Garden (noon to 12:30 p.m.); or enjoy the opportunity to win prizes at lotería, a Mexican game of chance similar to bingo (12:30 to 1 p.m.); or participate in an immersive family performance of Afro-Brazilian martial arts with members from Capoeira Karkara Cultural Arts Center (3 to 4 p.m.). Other activities abound throughout the day, including docent tours of the museum’s collections, art workshops, screenings of animated short films, and the ability to play chess against a state champion, all in an effort to celebrate fun and diversity.
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