On the Town

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Theater Camp  6/10 – 7/3
Miami Theater Center’s first summer camp of the season starts June 10th and runs through the 21st in Miami Shores. It’s a real, hands-on, theater day camp where the kids get real experience putting on a show. Plus their main stage production of Inanna and the Huluppu Tree runs through June 2nd. mtcmiami.org

Patriotic Pops  5/24 - 5/25
This Friday and Saturday the 24 and 25 the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonic Center Chorale present Patriotic Pops!  Conductor Stu Chafetz will lead the orchestra in a celebration of America with rousing classics like as  Irving Berlin’s God Bless America, a salute to the Armed Forces, and favorite marches by John Philip Sousa. Music starts at 8 p.m. both nights in Hayes Hall at Artis Naples, formerly the Philharmonic Center for the Arts. thephil.org

Gotta Dance Ballet Camp  6/10 - 6/21
Starting June 10th, South Florida Ballet Theater starts its summer program for kids, dedicated the development of classical ballet…but in the pursuit of perfect form, kids get something else.  Higher self-esteem enhanced social skills, etiquette, and the pride of attaining goals. June 10th through the 21st at South Florida Ballet Theater in Hollywood. southfloridaballettheater.com

American in Paris  6/16, 6/19
The Bue Door String Quartet celebrates Pride Month with a concert they called American in Paris. They’ll open the concert with a rare gem, Aaron Copland’s Movement for String Quartet. Plus they’ll play string quartets by Reynaldo Hahn and Maurice Ravel. Sunday June 16th at the Josephine S. Leiser Opera Center in Fort Lauderdale, and Wednesday the 19th at Tennessee Williams Theater in Key West. Both concerts start at 7. southfloridasymphony.org

Great American Beach Party  5/25
Monday is Memorial Day, the start to the summer season, and the long weekend will be kicked off by the City of Fort Lauderdale’s 4th Annual Great American Beach Party on Saturday, May 25 on Fort Lauderdale Beach at A1A and Las Olas Boulevard, featuring music, live performances, a car show and more. 10am to 10pm. fortlauderdale.gov/gabp

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Oceanophony   May 26
Next Sunday the 26th Orchestra Miami wraps its season with a kid’s concert with music by Bruce Adolpe. It’s called Oceanophony, and kids will learn about coral reefs, sea life, and biodiversity through poetry and music. Plus there’s some impressive video as well. 3 performances on Sunday the 26th at the Miami Science Museum. 4:15 and 5pm shows are included with museum admission, the concert at 5:45 is free and open to the public. orchestramiami.org

War Horse   Now - May 19
This is the last weekend to catch War Horse at the Broward Center in Ft. Lauderdale. It’s about Albert, and his half-thoroughbred horse, Joey. Albert’s family is poor, and his father raises cash by selling Joey to the cavalry as the war begins in 1914. The story unfolds as the horse is shipped to battlefields in  France, while Albert (who is too young to enlist) waits desperately for 3 years for news about his horse. Now through Sunday the 19th at the Broward Center. browardcenter.org

Beth Wininger and Friends   May 18
This Saturday Beth Wininger, lead soprano for the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers, and Ron Bowman, well-known Naples baritone, sing a recital with music from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, some German Lieder, a few sacred selections, and duets from the Merry Widow. Dr. Jeffrey Peterson will accompany the duo on piano. This is a free concert and music starts at 4:30 Saturday the 18th at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Ft. Myers. covpcfm.com

Gold Coast Youth Orchestra  May 25
Do you have an ambitious young string player in the family? The Gold Coast Youth Orchestra Summer Program starts next month. Kids will get chamber orchestra and small ensemble experience theory, and technique over the course of 8 weeks. It starts Tuesday, June 11th and concludes with a concert on Saturday August 3rd. The orchestra will play a concert next Saturday the 25th at 8pm at First Presbyterian Church, “The Pink Church”. There’s details on the concert and the String Orchestra Summer Program online at gcyo-fl.org.

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Dranoff 2 Piano Competition 5/11 - 5/14
25 years ago, a native New Yorker and artistic powerhouse started an organization that began a renaissance of two piano music. Her name was Loretta Dranoff, founder of the Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation. The Dranoff International 2 Piano Competition semifinals are this weekend, Clarke Recital Hall, University of Miami, Coral Gables. You can get tickets at dranoff2piano.org. You can also stream the
competition online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/dranoff-international-2-piano-foundation.

The Movement Project  5/10, 5/11
Friedrich Nietzsche said “those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” Well consider this an invitation from Body and Soul Dance Theatre to come and hear the music and see what insanity develops! This season’s production of The Movement Project explores the point where sound becomes music and movement becomes dance. Friday and Saturday the 10th and 11th, 8 pm at Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center. bodyandsouldancetheatre.org

Celtic Woman  5/10
Friday the 10th a singing sensation called Celtic Woman brings their North American tour to Coral Springs. Along with musical direction of Emmy-nominated music producer, David Downes, this group will take you through traditional Irish tunes to timeless pop anthems with Chloe Agnew, Lisa Lambe, Susan McFadden, and Mairead Nesbitt. Celtic
Woman, Friday the 10th at 8pm at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts.
coralspringscenterforthearts.com

Arts Naples World Festival 5/10 - 5/14
One of the biggest arts events in South Florida starts this weekend in Naples. It’s the Arts Naples World Festival, a week-long, multi-discipline festival created to celebrate the cultural arts from around the world. There’s big name music acts every single day, starting with an opening night black-tie gala at Naples Sailing and Yacht Club on Friday, May 10th. The festival also features Antonio Madruga, Rene Gonzalez, Paul Posnak and the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra! artsnaplesworldfestival.org

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Atris-Naples

The Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples made several big announcements over the last few weeks, including a venue name change,  the appointment of Andrey Boreyko as their new Music Director, and the announcement of a free Community Day on Sunday May 19th from noon-4pm.  artisnaples.com 

Cypress String Quartet

A group that embodies the word ‘elegance’ performs this Sunday the 5th in Coral Gables. It’s the final performance with Sunday Afternoons of Music, The Cypress String Quartet! Music starts at 4pm at Gusman Concert Hall, Frost School of Music, University of Miami, Coral Gables. sundaymusicals.org

New World Symphony

This will be a busy weekend for the New World Symphony, this Friday the 3rd they welcome brilliant young pianist Orion Weiss for Richard Strauss’ powerful Burleske. They’ll also play Don Juan and the Suite from Der Rosenkavalier. Plus it’s the final WALLCAST™ concert of the season. You can hear the same program the next night with just one change, they’ll swap out the Suite for Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5! Marek Janowski conducts. Both concerts start at 8 on Saturday the 4th. nws.edu

Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida

Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida concludes its 15th Anniversary Season with an award-winning piece called El Encuentro, two classical and neo classical pieces, plus the Divertissements of  Le Corsaire with its most famous Pas de Deux. Saturday May 11th, 7pm at the Broward Center, Sunday the 12th at 5pm, Aventura Arts and Cultural Center.  artsballettheatre.org

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Inanna and the Huluppu Tree   5/1 - 6/2

Stephanie Ansin has a lot to be proud of this week, as the Miami Theater Center readies the opening of a play she co-wrote and directed.  Inanna and the Huluppu Tree is about the victory of a young goddess who restores harmony to a city ravaged by ceaseless storms and displaced deities. Opening night is next Wednesday, May 1st and runs through June 2nd. mtcmiami.org

Starry Night All In White   5/5

The Josephine S. Leiser Opera Center will provide white tables and chairs, the guests (only white attire allowed) will provide the decorations. Only white! Sounds elegant, doesn’t it? Starry Night All in White is a special event with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra with music provided by the Blue Door String Quartet.Sunday May 5th at 7pm. southfloridasymphony.org

Educating Rita   Now - 5/5

Rita is a brash young hairdresser with a free spirit. Frank is a disillusioned English professor who hides behind booze and books. The two meet when Rita enrolls in classes at the local university, and even though they seem like an unlikely couple, sparks fly. Educating Rita runs now through May 5th at the Historic Arcade Theater in Fort Myers, presented by Florida Rep. floridarep.org

Slow Art Day Coconut Creek   4/27

There seems to be a national day for everything now, doesn’t there? Well, here’s one that encourages you to slow down a bit. Slow Art Day is an international day to take your time looking at works of art and discuss what you have seen with others. Slow Art Day Coconut Creek is this Saturday, the 27th, at the Broward North Regional Library, 1-4pm. More details are online at artscalendar.com.

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La Traviata 4/20 - 5/2
The Florida Grand Opera closes its 72nd season with an early celebration of the 200th anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi’s birth with what many consider to be his best opera; La Traviata! La Traviata opens this weekend, Saturday the 20th and runs through Saturday the 27th at the Arsht Center, and from May 2nd through the 5th at the Broward Center. fgo.org

The Mousetrap  Now - 5/11
The Naples Players opens The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie this weekend at Blackburn Hall. This is a classic who-dun-it where eight people, each with eccentric characteristics, are trapped in a blizzard at an isolated guesthouse. It’s not long before a murder takes place and suspicion falls on each one of them. The Mousetrap runs now through May 11th. naplesplayers.org

Sunday Afternoons of Music 4/21
Sunday evening, Sunday afternoons of Music presents a group committed to presenting a mix of traditional, contemporary and cutting-edge music, Pulse Chamber Music. Their program includes works by Khachaturian, Mozart, and Kreisler among others. 7:30 on Sunday the 21st at Gusman Concert hall, Frost School
of Music, University of Miami, Coral Gables.  sundaymusicals.org

Living Artist Concert Series  4/21
The Living Artist Concert Series as Deering Estate at Cutler wraps up this Sunday with the premiere of a multimedia song cycle by Artist in Residence, Juraj Kojs. Franz Schubert’s Trout Quintet is on the program as well. Music starts at 7:15, there’s an artist meet and greet session at 6:30.  deeringestate.com

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David Russell
The Miami Classical Guitar Society presents the finale in their 25th anniversary with internationally renown guitarist David Russell! David will play a diverse program of Spanish and Scottish music to close out the Miami Classica Guitar Society’s 25th Anniversary season. Saturday April 20th at 8pm at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Coral Gables. miamiguitar.org

Symphony of the Americas with Conrad Tao
The Symphony of the America will also put the finishing touches on their 25th anniversary season with a series of unprecedented concerts. They’ll perform all 5 of Beethoven’s piano concertos over three concerts, with a pianist Conrad Tao! There’s a matinee concert at 2pm on Sunday the 14th with concertos 1-3, they’ll play that same concert again at 8pm on Monday the 15th, and numbers 4 and 5 at 8pm on
Tuesday the 16th. All performances are at the Broward Center in Ft. Lauderdale.  symphonyoftheamericas.org

Master Chorale of South Florida
The Master Chorale of South Florida closes its 10th anniversary season with three concerts that will bring back every former Master Chorale. Jo-Michael Scheibe, Josh Habermann, Karen Kennedy, and Alec Schumacker, the group’s interim conductor. Friday the 19th, 8pm at First Presbyterian Church in Pompano Beach, Saturday the 20th at Pine Crest School in Boca Raton, 8pm, and a 4pm matinee on Sunday the 21st at First United Methodist Church in Coral Gables. masterchoraleofsouthflorida.com

Philharmonic Center for the Arts
The Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples will be buzzing this weekend, on Sunday the 14th The Phil will host the 55th anniversary celebration of the Monterey Jazz Festival at 8pm. Monday the 15th they shift from Jazz to rock as the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra presents music of The Who with full orchestra and rock band, that concert also starts at 8pm. Back to Jazz on Wednesday the 17th with bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding, the 2011 Grammy Award winner for Best New Artist, making her the first – and only – jazz artist to win the award.  That’s also an 8pm show. thephil.org

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Arts Garage Summer Camp

The Arts Garage in Delray Beach continues to grow; offering music, theatre, dance and art all under one roof. They also offer great ways to keep kids busy during holiday and summer breaks. A 3-week Musical Drama Camp is Mon-Fri from June 10th up until 28^th, Arts Garage Summer Camp is June 10^th through August 2^nd. artsgarage.org

Yamaha Concert Series benefit

The Yamaha Concert Series at St. Martha’s Church in Miami Shores wraps up its season later this month, but this weekend you can be part of a special event. A Convergence of Cultures, a benefit event for the Yamaha Concert Series at St Martha’s Church with Dean Shelly Berg and Grammy-nominated artists Tierney Sutton, and Carmen Bradford. An artist reception follows. Saturday the 6^th at St. Martha Church in Miami Shores. Music starts at 8pm, tickets are available at saintmartha.tix.com.

Cabaret at the Plaza

The next Cabaret at the Plaza production is Night and Day, the Music of Cole Porter, with Leah Sessa and Mike Westrich. Next Monday the 8^th and again on Monday the 22^nd. The show starts at 7:30 both nights. For tickets and more details, visit theplazatheatre.net.

The Canadian Brass

The Canadian Brass is much more than a virtuosic brass ensemble, they’re more of a concept; new members join the ensemble yet they still maintain their signature sound. You can check out the new line up of the Canadian Brass and enjoy that one of a kind sound, Sunday the 7^th at Hayes Hall, at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples. thephil.org

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Career Transition for Dancers

Next Thursday is a special night for “Career Transition for Dancers”, it’s their 4^th Annual Heart and Soul Celebration, a benefit to help dancers transition to new careers when their dance careers end due to injury. This year’s benefit will honor a three-time Tony award nominee, Sandy Duncan, with a Special Dance Award. Students from the Dreyfoos High School of the Arts will re-create famous dance scenes from films. Thursday April 4^th at Club Colette in Palm Beach. Cocktails at 6:30, dancing starts at 7:30. careertranstion.org

Program IV

Miami City Ballet opens Program IV next week with a four stops throughout South Florida. This program has two longer ballets, Dances at a Gathering by Jerome Robbins, and George Balanchine’s Slaughter on 10^th Avenue. Tuesday and Wednesday, April 2^nd and 3^rd at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples, then Friday through Sunday, the 5^th through the 7^th at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. For more information on dates in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami later in April, visit miamicityballet.org.

From Darkness Comes the Light

The South Florida Symphony closes its 15^th anniversary season with a program called From Darkness Comes the Light. Cellist Zuill Bailey will join the Symphony for Elgar’s cello concerto, next Friday the 5^th at the  Tennessee Williams Theatre, Friday, April 5, the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center on Saturday the 6^th,  Monday the 8^th at the Broward Center, and Tuesday the 9^th at Delray Center for the Arts.  Show times vary, details are online at southfloridasymphony.org.

Gülsin Onay

The Deering Estate at Cutler, in collaboration with the American Liszt Society - South Florida Chapter, hosts an international pianist Gülsin Onay in recital next Thursday, April 4th.  There’s a meet-n-greet session with the artist before the concert at 6:30, the music starts at 7:15. Plus you can also catch a tour of the house and grounds earlier in the day. deeringestate.com

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Palm Beach Rhapsody
Palm Beach Rhapsody, the season fundraising gala for the Palm Beach Symphony is coming up next week. This year the symphony welcomes back guest conductor Jahja Ling and pianist Lola Astinova, plus tenor Thiago Arancam. Next Thursday the 28th, 6:30pm, at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. For tickets, visit palmbeachsymphony.org

Beethoven on the Beach
Orchestra Miami’s mission includes giving more people the opportunity to hear quality, live classical music. One of the ways they reach that goal is by offering free concerts several times a year. The next free concert is called Beethoven on the Beach,Elaine Rinaldi will conduct Beethoven’s symphony no. 7 and Soprano Elizabeth Caballero will join them for Ah Perfido.  Sunday the 24th at 6:30 at Heritage Park in Sunny Isles Beach.  orchestramiami.org

Turandot
Set in Ancient China, Giacomo Puccini’s powerful three-act opera tells the story of the beautiful but rather icey princess, Turandot. Men travel the world hoping to win her heart by solving three riddles. If they answer correctly they win her eternal love; answer incorrectly and they lose their head. The Sarasota Opera and Sarasota Opera Orchestra bring their production of Turandot to the Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples. 8pm on Wednesday the 27th. thephil.org

Bare
Starting next week the Broward Center opens a show that has often been compared to both Rent and Spring Awakening, a high energy new rock musical called Bare. The show centers on five Catholic High School seniors struggling with issues of personal and sexual identity as they get ready to graduate. Bare is a classic coming of age story set to a new, and electrifying, rock music score. Wednesday the 27th through Saturday the 30th at the Broward Center. browardcenter.org