Ancient Egypt comes alive in an immersive experience, a Delray wellness center celebrates its anniversary, and “Little Shop of Horrors” returns onstage. Plus, Billy Gardell and more in your week ahead.
FRIDAY
What: Opening day of “Egyptian Pharaohs: From Cheops to Ramses II”
Where: South Florida PBS Studios, 3401 S. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach
When: 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $35-$49
Contact: 561/274-8309, southfloridapbs.org/pharaohs
Ever wonder how the pyramids of Giza were built? This stirring, immersive exhibition may not provide the long-debated definitive answer, but it does offer a compelling visualization of their potential construction, magically coming together, block by block, in all directions. This is but one highlight of “Egyptian Pharaohs,” a 70-minute experience in the style of South Florida PBS Studio’s previous “Da Vinci—An Immersive Experience,” and conceived with input from top Egyptologists. The action covers Egyptian mythology, the appearance of the first humans on Earth, daily life along the Nile River and, of course, the pyramids and the Sphinx. More information is available on the website above, including a fun interactive AI “chat” with pharaoh Hatshepsut. It runs through March 31, 2026.
What: Art After Dark: Jazz Friday
Where: Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach
When: 5 to 10 p.m.
Cost: $15-$18 museum admission ($5 students)
Contact: 561/832-5196, norton.org
It’s all about rhythm, groove and the delicate dance between composition and improvisation at this week’s Art After Dark concert at the Norton. The main attraction, the Arturo Romay and Antulio Mora Quartet, combines the forces of these two Latin jazz powerhouses. Venezuelan-born guitarist/composer Romay has released six albums and shared stages with the likes of Celia Cruz and Marc Anthony, while pianist Mora has performed for such musicals as “On Your Feet” and “Havana Music Hall” and has collaborated with Latin music giants such as Gilberto Santa Rosa and Tito Puente Jr. With fellow first-rate band members backing them up, they’ll perform from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the museum’s Great Hall. Attendees can also enjoy docent tours of the museum’s collection or its current exhibition “Artists Jewelry” (5:30 and 7 p.m.), or join the Open Studio (6 to 9 p.m.) to create their own artwork alongside a teaching artist.
What: Dandelight Studio 2-Year Anniversary
Where: 324 N.E. Third Ave., Delray Beach
When: 6 to 9:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: dandelight.com
More than just a yoga studio, this entrepreneurial venture in downtown Delray celebrates its second year of bringing wellness seminars, teacher training, a spa and coffeehouse to the mindfulness set and beyond. Activities run all night, from an artist talk with Eric Perna, whose portraits in paint and papier-mâché have been exhibited and sold at Arts Garage; live music with Nick & his Band from 6:30 to 8 p.m.; a DJ spinning party tunes from 8 to 9:30 p.m.; and snacks from Peg’s Empanadas and the venue’s bistro while supplies last. Stick around all night, or hit other venues for the city’s First Friday Art Walk: Arts Garage presents “The Artist Spectrum” and “Trash Art,” and Arts Warehouse opens “Overflow” and “What We Carry.”
What: Opening night of “Little Shop of Horrors”
Where: Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $48
Contact: 561/586-6410, lakeworthplayhouse.org
Just because you’ve seen it a half-dozen times doesn’t make “The Little Shop of Horrors” any less gonzo. If anything, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s 1982 cult musical has gained a sharper edge in its four-plus decades of revivals and adaptations. It centers on Seymour Krelborn, a bumbling employee at a dilapidated Skid Row flower shop who pines for his tackily dressed co-worker Audrey, who yearns to leave her sadistic dentist boyfriend. Their business booms when Seymour discovers a plant that thrives—and grows, with its incessant demands to “feed me!”—on human blood. Based on a Roger Corman B-horror flick from 1960, and with a hummable score brimming with protean rock and doo-wop flair, “Little Shop of Horrors” works on multiple levels, as both campy fun and a commentary on the perils of predatory capitalism. Lake Worth Playhouse’s community-theatre production runs through Oct. 19.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
What: Billy Gardell
Where: Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Suite 10, Boca Raton
When: 7 and 9 p.m.
Cost: $48.50-$68.50
Contact: 561/483-9036, bocablackbox.com
Billy Gardell is most famous for his six seasons co-leading the cast, opposite Melissa McCarthy, of the crowd-pleasing sitcom “Mike & Molly.” His resume also includes recurring roles on “Young Sheldon,” “My Name is Earl” and “Yes, Dear” and films such as “Bad Santa” and “Jersey Boys.” But he’s perhaps most at home on a standup stage, commanding the room with material that’s relatable and that touches on current events without obvious partisanship. Gardell began honing his craft for comedy while living in Florida as a teenager. In 1987, he was working as an usher and janitor at a comedy club called Bonkerz when some co-workers dared him to perform at one of its open-mic nights. The rest is history. While Gardell is most known for playing a food addict, he shed 150 pounds following the pandemic, crediting Ozempic and lifestyle changes. As he quipped to an interviewer, “I went from a young Jackie Gleason to an old Paul Newman.”
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