The Addison’s Halloween party toasts classic movie monsters, Murder on the Beach hosts a ghoulish shindig, and a film fest opens with a French farce. Plus, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., “La Bohème,” a Streisand-themed solo play and more in your week ahead.
TUESDAY
What: Halloween at Mizner Park
Where: Mizner Park, 327 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
When: 4 to 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/362-0606, miznerpark.com
Parents in the community are invited to bring their little ones for safe trick-or-treating at the city’s nightlife nexus. Children in costume will receive “treats” from participating merchants, along with special activities available on Tuesday only—including crafting with artNEST Delray, “spooky” story time with the Boca Raton Public Library, and cookie decorating at Sur La Table. Visitors can follow the “spider web” theme identifying the participating merchants, but here’s a handy list of them: ALINA Residences Boca Raton, The Dubliner, Edgelook, Francesca’s, Gramercy Hair Salon, IT’SUGAR, J. McLaughlin, Kapow!, Kendra Scott, Le Macaron, Lord & Taylor, Max’s Grille, Mela Artisans, Ouzo Bay, Racks, Sloan’s, Starbucks, Sur La Table and Z Gallerie.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as photographed by Rob Shanahan
What: The Rob Shanahan Experience
Where: Lynn University’s Wold Center, 3601 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $10
Contact: 561/237-9000, lynn.edu/events
Often sporting a signature rock ‘n’ roll look—leather jacket, sunglasses, long hair, a rebellious insouciance—Rob Shanahan has spent a vibrant career straddling the worlds of rock music and visual art. He picked up his first drumsticks at age 10, and currently plays in the respected Rolling Stones tribute band the Hollywood Stones; he acquired his first camera at age 13 and has since become one of the most celebrated photographers in the popular music industry, from concert photography to promotional shoots. His client list includes Edgar Winter, Billy Squier, Questlove, Tommy Lee, Joe Walsh and Ringo Starr, the latter of whom penned the introduction to his debut book of photos, 2017’s Volume 1. At this multimedia presentation, Shanahan will share stories from his career in the shadow of rock giants, along with inspiration and life lessons he’s gleaned along the way.
What: Annual Day Before Halloween Party
Where: Murder on the Beach, 273 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/279-7790, murderonthebeach.com
This annual tradition from Delray Beach’s beloved bookstore is where the ghouls are on the eve of All Hallow’s Eve. It’s a great opportunity for both mystery readers and authors to mingle and enjoy complimentary “creepy cuisine”—think desserts shaped like disgorged eyeballs, and a punch bowl that appears to be spiked with blood. Authors Charles Todd, Robert Watson, Joan Cochran, M.C.V. Egan, Barbara Fox, Wendy Dingwall, Cheryl Hollon, Rose Letson, Sharon Menear, DJ Niko, Lee Ravine, Diane Stuckart, Deborah Shlian and Carol White will appear—though in costumes, you may not recognize them! A fortune teller will be on hand, and books will be signed. The event is free, but if you make a purchase, you’ll receive a treat bag.
WEDNESDAY
What: Halloween at The Addison
Where: The Addison, 2 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton
When: 7:30 p.m. until midnight
Cost: $125
Contact: addisonhalloween.com
You might as well drop all your other plans for Halloween night, prep your freakiest costume, and sidle over to The Addison, because nothing beats this annual fundraiser for sheer Halloween hedonism. It is, after all, produced by an award-winning theatre company, Slow Burn, and each of the event’s various sectors—the main outdoor areas, the dance floors, the food stations, and especially the haunted walk-through—is decorated and directed with professional showmanship and attention to detail. The food options are wonderfully gluttonous, the live music is spooky and tone-setting, and the costumes of your fellow-revelers never fail to disappoint. This year’s theme, “The Silver Scream,” pays homage to 1930s horror icons like Dracula, the Mummy and the Frankenstein monster, all of whom are expected to make a cameo or two.
THURSDAY
Matthew Buffalo
What: Opening night of “Buyer and Cellar”
Where: Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $38
Contact: 954/519-2533, islandcitystage.org
This solo play, which launches Island City Stage’s 2018/2019 season, is catnip for Barbara Streisand fans. The “Cellar” in the title of Jonathan Tollins’ witty love letter refers to the iconic singer’s lavish Malibu home, and in particular to an underground basement bursting with her countless possessions—a kind of unofficial Babs museum that is rooted in fact. The rest of Tollins’ script is fiction: He imagines a gatekeeper to Streisand’s treasures, a struggling actor named Alex who is hired to maintain the shop-like displays of paraphernalia. “Buyer and Cellar” is a fast-paced romp filled with pop-culture references for Streisand insiders, and moreover it’s an extraordinary acting exercise: One actor, in this case Matthew Buffalo, plays all six roles in the show, from Alex’s boyfriend to James Brolin, Streisand’s house manager and, yes, Babs herself. The production runs through Dec. 2.
FRIDAY
What: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where: FAU’s University Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $35
Contact: 561/297-2584, fauevents.com
Unlike his presidential uncle and candidate father, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. chose activism over electoral politics. Kennedy has focused doggedly on environmental sustainability through his legal work with the National Resources Defense Council and his board presidency of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a grassroots organization focused on preserving and protecting natural waterways. I expect these topics—and his criticisms of the Trump Administration’s environmental policies—will dominate this local appearance, but Kennedy passions and opinions are sundry and sometimes-controversial. He’s recently supported the growing evidence that his father was not assassinated by a lone gunman (Sirhan Sirhan), and his skeptical take on the consensus of vaccine safety has been the subject of ridicule among his science-forward peers. Whatever discussions arise from this presentation, it should make for a fascinating evening.
“Return of the Hero”
What: Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival’s opening night film and party
Where: Hard Rock Event Center, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $75-$100
Contact: 954/525-3456, fliff.com
More than 70 feature films and a handful of shorts compilations will be screened at the 33rd edition of this lengthy and generous film festival, which runs through Nov. 18. Special guests and award recipients this year include Connie Frances, filmmaker Gary Ross (“Pleasantville,” which will be screened in retrospective) and 101-year-old dogsledder Rosalee Glass. Most movies will be screened at the festival’s home-base locations, Savor Cinema in Fort Lauderdale and Cinema Paradiso in Hollywood, but the fest kicks off with a lavish screening and party on Friday at Hard Rock Event Center. “Return of the Hero,” an acclaimed French period farce starring Jean Dujardin (of “The Artist” fame) and Melanie Laurent, will premiere at 7 p.m., followed by a reception modeled after a French garden party, complete with French-inspired cuisine and cocktails. Visit fliff.com for the complete festival schedule.
SATURDAY
What: Opening night of “La Bohème”
Where: Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $25-$229
Contact: 305/949-6722, arshtcenter.org
Contrary to popular belief, the word “bohemian” did not derive from Puccini’s opera “La Bohème.” But this endlessly produced work remains the benchmark expression of bohemianism in all of the performing arts. Exploring youthful love in Paris in the mid-19th century, “La Boheme” features a poet, painter, singer, musician, philosopher and seamstress, struggling to find themselves and each other in a period of bustling, libidinous creativity. Contemporary audiences are probably more familiar with “Rent,” Jonathan Larsen’s 1996 theatrical remake of “La Bohème,” than they are the original, so this production by Florida Grand Opera presents a golden opportunity to enjoy those glorious arias for the first time. Ramon Tebar will conduct Adrienn Miksch, Alessandro Scotto di Luzio, Travor Schneunemann and many more in the company’s first show of its 78th season. The production runs through Nov. 11.
