Modern dance goes down the rabbit hole, the Wick opens a Jazz Age farce, and a blues-rock underdog tours Arts Garage. Plus, Boca’s State of the City event and more in your week ahead.
THURSDAY
What: Opening night of “No, No Nanette”
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton
Cost: $119
Contact: 561/995-2333, thewick.org
The musical comedy “No, No Nanette” isn’t produced often, but the year of its Broadway premiere, 1925, makes it an ideal fit for the city of Boca Raton’s centennial celebrations. The Jazz Age farce centers on Jimmy Smith, millionaire bible publisher whose relationship to his frugal wife is threatened when the three beautiful women whom he supports with his bottomless largesse threaten to reveal the arrangement. Jimmy’s ward, Nanette, a wild youth resisting efforts to transform her into an elegant lady, figures into the action as well, as all the characters descend, unbeknownst to each other, on the same Atlantic City beach house in the raucous second act. Among the musical’s 15 songs, “Tea For Two” and “I Want to Be Happy” became hits. The Wick’s production, starring Jeremy Benton and Kaitlyn Davidson, runs through April 6.
FRIDAY
What: State of the City & Community Celebration Event
When: 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
Cost: Free
Contact: myboca.us/2434/State-of-the-City-Community-Celebration
Now this is the way to update residents on the progress and priorities of their home city: Not in a dry PowerPoint in a room in city hall, but in an outdoor, family-friendly celebration, complete with live music. The latter will be provided by Remix, one of the area’s top party bands, whose lively list of songs, performed by no fewer than four vocalists, numbers nearly 600. There also will be yard games to enjoy, giveaways, booths touting city departments, and food and drinks available for purchase; vendors such as 681 Seafood, Heavenly Churros, Mistah Lee’s Smokin’ Good BBQ and Uptown Deli will be onsite.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
What: MOMIX: “Alice”
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Parker, 707 N.E. Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale
Cost: $45-$90
Contact: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
The title character disappearing down a white column; a crawling figure adopting the eight giant legs of a Nightmare Spider; enormous rose petals descending from the ceiling to cover dancers’ faces. These are just a few of the curiouser and curiouser set pieces constituting “Alice,” the latest full-length acrobatic dance spectacle from MOMIX. The Emmy-winning dance company, which has performed at the Golden Globes and was the subject of one of the world’s first 3D IMAX films, aims not to retell the entire “Alice in Wonderland” story but to capture its gonzo surrealist essence in modern, inventive ways. Down the rabbit hole, indeed.
SATURDAY
What: MindTravel Live-to-Headphones Silent Piano Journey
When: 6 p.m.
Where: On Deerfield Beach, at 240 N. Ocean Drive
Cost: $25-$50
You’ve probably heard of silent discos, where participants listen to a DJ’s selections through private headphones. But MindTravel, an experiential concert created by composer Murray Hidary (pictured), is perhaps the next level up: a live improvised piano performance beamed directly into the earphones of, in this case, beachgoers. This weekend, on one of South Florida’s best beaches, Hidary will perform a solo piano concert, with attendees receiving wireless headphones to immerse themselves in the contours of his compositions. While watching the ocean is its own reward, many listeners prefer to close their eyes and meditate to the music, leaving the concert in a state of beatific harmony.
SUNDAY
What: Kelli Baker Band with Noé Socha
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach
Cost: $40-$45
Contact: 561/450-6357, artsgarage.org
Kelli Baker represents a classic American underdog story. Moving to New York in 2012 with $500 to her name, the Phoenix native toured everywhere that would host her, from tiny clubs to amphitheater stages. Combining the guitar chops of a Susan Tedeschi with the charisma of a Robert Plant, Baker rose quickly from emerging star to marquee act, headlining blues festivals in New Mexico and Kansas. A child of polyglot musicality, she cut her first chops singing in her church choir, then fronted a hard rock band and a folk duo before finding her most definitive voice in the searing howl of the blues, penning both originals and successful covers; her rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Dr. Feelgood” hit No. 1 on the Blues Rock charts. She visits Arts Garage with another ace guitarist, Noé Socha, in tow. The Italian-born axeman is a disciple of Jimi Hendrix and Muddy Waters; both are resurrected in his soulful improvisations.
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