A Blood, Sweat & Tears vocalist plays the Wick, Boca’s free amphitheater concerts begin, and the Norton’s Art After Dark gets jazzy. Plus, an art opening in Hollywood, and more in your week ahead.
FRIDAY
What: Art After Dark
When: 5 to 10 p.m.
Where: Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach
Cost: $15-$18 museum admission
Contact: 561/832-5196, norton.org
As events in general begin to slow down for the summer, there’s no better opportunity to partake in one of the Palm Beaches’ year-round cultural gems. Every Friday night, the Norton stays open late, offering tours and live music, the latter usually commencing in the Edenic setting of the museum’s sculpture garden. The first Friday of each month is our favorite Art After Dark, because that means it’s Jazz Friday, where the Norton welcomes expert interpreters of this quintessentially American art form. This week, beginning at 7 p.m., the Swing All Stars, a South Florida institution since 1999, will feature top-notch vocalists and musicians from its big band collective; dancing is encouraged, and indeed difficult to resist. The evening also includes an “Open Studio” with teaching artist Pamela Solares and a Swing Dance Class at 6:30 p.m.
What: The Elvis Presley Experience with Matt Stone
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/393-7890, mizneramp.com
This weekend marks the beginning of the city of Boca Raton’s beloved “Summer in the City” programming, in which note-perfect tribute acts take the stage most Fridays and a bevy of blankets, folding chairs and good vibes fill the open space in front of the amphitheater. The series opens with a barn-burner, as Matt Stone—not the “South Park” Matt Stone, it should be noted—will endeavor to show the audience why he is ranked as one of Graceland’s Top 10 Elvis tribute artists worldwide. Possessing the irrepressible verve and vocal panache of the young Presley, the 19-year-old Florida native also dresses the part, and he’s backed by a full band. Even Presley’s own step-brother has praised Stone’s interpretation, offering, “the only person I ever heard sing like that was my brother.”
What: Opening night of “Monica”
When: 7 and 9:15 p.m.
Where: O Cinema, 1130 Washington Ave., Miami Beach
Cost: $9.50-$11
Contact: o-cinema.org
This reportedly searing new English-language feature from Italian director Andrea Pallaoro stars Trace Lysette as the title character, a trans woman who attempts to reconnect with her ailing, long-estranged mother (Patricia Clarkson) in the latter’s final days. It’s a seemingly simple story rife with layered complexity, and the role likely hit close to home for Lysette, who came out as transgender during her role on Amazon’s “Transparent,” and whose own gender transition led to her estrangement from her biological family. Both Lysette’s and Clarkson’s performances have earned widespread praise from critics. “Monica” runs through Thursday, June 8.
SATURDAY
What: Opening night of “Abstracted” and “Love the Everglades Movement”
When: 5 to 8 p.m.
Where: Art and Culture Center, 1650 Harrison St., Hollywood
Cost: $10 ($7 admission on non-opening nights)
Contact: 954/921-3274, artandculturecenter.org
Abstract art from then and now and a focus on Florida’s environmental centerpiece are the subjects of Art and Culture Center’s dynamic summer exhibitions. Three working South Florida artists—Francie Bishop Good, Karen Snouffer and Sara Sites—are the subjects of “Abstracted;” whether through painting or sculpture, each artist approaches non-representational art through an appreciation of the physicality of their medium. Their work connects to the center’s third gallery, which features historical antecedents from such art styles as Abstract Expressionism, Orphism, Lyrical Abstraction and Japanese Nihonga. Saturday also marks the opening night for “Love the Everglades Movement,” featuring contributions that support the environmental nonprofit of the same name, and will include spaces for learning and engagement. The exhibitions run through Aug. 6.
What: The Tommy Mitchell Band
When: 8 p.m.
Where: The Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton
Cost: $75-$85
Contact: 561/995-2333, thewick.org
Multi-instrumentalist Tommy Mitchell was born into a life of music. His parents met as students at Juilliard—Tommy Mitchell Sr. played jazz bass trombone, and Simi was an operatic soprano—and the 11-month-old Tommy Jr. was part of the duo’s tour cargo. He would follow in his parents’ footsteps beginning at age 4, learning piano, drums and trumpet and developing a keen ear for songwriting that transcended genre. Across a career that has now spanned 45 years, Mitchell has performed with such eclectic artists as Phoebe Snow, Ben E. King, Paul Shaffer and most prominently Blood, Sweat & Tears, where he served as the legendary band’s lead singer on a 2007 tour of Asia. Now living in Jupiter, Mitchell will play this close-to-home concert honoring the music of his former band and more, supplemented by members of BS&T’s horn section. Expect to hear favorites like “Spinning Wheel,” “You Made Me So Happy” and “God Bless the Child,” complete with a visual experience projected behind him.
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