On the Town

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Beethoven’s 9th

The Cleveland Orchestra’s Miami residency closes next weekend, and with an average temperatures in the 30’s this time of year in Cleveland, they’re probably not too homesick. They have a really powerful program lined up say farewell, a full production of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with two South Florida Chorale ensembles backing up the orchestra!  Thursday the 14^th through Sunday the 16^th at the Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall. VERY limited availability. clevelandorchestramiami.com

Salome

The Palm Beach Opera closes it’s season next weekend with a 90 minute opera by Richard Strauss. This is a racy one…adults only. If you haven’t seen Salome before, you’re probably familiar with one of the dances, the Dance of the Seven Veils.Salome with the Palm Beach Opera, Friday the 15^th through Sunday the 17^th at the Kravis Center. pbopera.org

CSMART

For the next three months, the Coral Springs Museum of Art presents a unique opportunity to see a private collection of classical art. This collection includes works from the mid to late 1800’s. Details on this special exhibition of classical art from a private collection is on the museum’s website, csmart.org. 

Old Florida Festival

The Collier County Museum’s signature event, the 24rdAnnual Old Florida Festival is this weekend, the 9^th and 10^th. This is more than a festival, really…it’s a trip into Florida’s rich and colorful past, with over 90 historical reenactors, folk musicians, and storytellers depicting everyday life on the Southwest Florida frontier. colliermuseum.com

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Barry Douglas and the Russian National Orchestra

Pianist Barry Douglas and the Russian National Orchestra are on tour in the US this month with stops in South Florida. Vasily Patrenko conducts a program full of music by Russian composers Friday the 1^st at Community Church in Vero Beach, and Sunday the 3^rd at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Center in Ft. Myers. Both concerts start at 7:30. irsavero.org and fortmyerscommunitycenter.org

Waist Watchers

Waist Watchers is expanding its run at the Plaza Theatre. Waist Watchers by Alan Jacobson is a four woman musical comedy revue, it all takes place in a gym with parody lyrics set to familiar songs.The Waist Watchers run has been extended through May 12^th at the Plaza Theatre in Manalapan. theplazatheatre.net

Carmen

The Miami Lyric Opera presents a production that’s not only one of George Bizet’s most loved compositions, it’s a cornerstone in the operatic repertoire. Carmen opens on Saturday, March 9^th at the Colony Theater, then again on April 6^th and 7^th at the Olympia Theater. For tickets go to miamilyricopera.org

Sunday Afternoons of Music

Sunday Afternoons of Music continues it’s 32^nd season with a phenomenal violin and piano duo. ViolinistLara St. John and pianist Martin Kennedy, next Sunday March 10^th at 4pm, Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami, Coral Gables. sundaymusicals.org

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The Boston Pops

The Boston Pops with conductor Keith Lockhart starts its southeast US tour next week with stops in South Florida.  For the first half of the program the focus will be on music by Julie Stein, Jerry Herman, Stephen Sondheim, and a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch. Vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway joins the Pops for The Barbara Streisand Songbook after intermission. Two concerts in West Palm Beach on Sunday, March 3, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center. There’s also a performance in Miami at 7:30 p.m. at the Arsht Center on Tuesday, March 5. kravis.org and arshtcenter.org

Midsummer Night’s Dream

This year marks the centennial of British composer Benjamin Britten’s birth, and to help celebrate Opera Naples presents Britten’s take on Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Saturday and Sunday the 23rd and 24th, at the Miramar Design Center. operanaples.org

Wicked workshop

On March 10th, kids and teens have the opportunity to take part in a Wicked workshop. The workshop features performers working on Broadway today to give participants an idea of what it’s like to work in show business, as well as help with their performance skills.The Wicked workshop takes place at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach.  Register online at jtipalmbeach.org.

Basketball and Ballet

The Miami City Ballet and the Miami Heat celebrate 25 years of mutual artistry and athleticism together with a series of photographs featuring Miami City Ballet principal dancers Jeanette and Patricia Delgado with Miami Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. You can see the photos online at miamiballetandbasketball.com. For a video of the process, click here. 

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La Sonnambula   Feb 15, 17
The Florida Grand Opera presents an opera in the bel canto tradition by Vincenzo Bellini, La Sonnambula. La Sonnambula means “The Sleepwalker”, about a woman who does some scandalous things throughout the story, and is later vindicated by proving she was asleep at the time. Friday the 15th at 8pm, Sunday the 17th at 4pm, both performances at Arsht Center. Plus you can still catch The Magic Flute at the Broward Center now through the 23rd.  fgo.org

Delray String Quartet   Feb 15, 17
The Delray String Quartet’s third concert of the season is this week, with music by Hoffmeister, Sarasate, and a transcription of the Adagio from Mahler’s 5th Symphony, written specifically for the DSQ. They’ll record the world premiere of the piece next month. Friday the 15th at All Saints Episcopal Church in Ft. Lauderdale at 7:30, and Sunday the 17th at the Colony Hotel in Delray Beach, 4pm.  delraystringquartet.com

La Cenerentola  Feb 15 - 17
The Palm Beach Opera mounts it’s second production for the season, a story about a beautiful, mistreated young woman, her jealous step sisters, and a Prince. This version of the story by Rossini is different than the one we know through Disnery’s popular version of Cinderella. La Cenerentola by Rossini with the Palm Beach Opera, Friday the 15th through Sunday the 17th at the Kravis Center. There are matinee and evening performances on Saturday and Sunday, get tickets for the time that works best for you at pbopera.org.

Monheit and O’Connor  Feb 15, 16
Jane Monheit and Mark O’Connor got a great response for their treatment of Christmas favorites during the holiday season last year, and they’re continuing to tour with an all new repertoire of jazz and cabaret. You may hear Misty, Honeysuckle Rose, or Fascinatin’ Rhythm, and a sneak peak at music from Jane’s new recording set to come out in April. Jane Monheit and Mark O’Connor, Friday and Saturday night at 8:30 at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts, Naples.  thephil.org

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Hilary Hahn  Feb 14

Grammy winning violinist Hilary Hahn will play next Thursday, Valentines Day, at the Arsht Center. She’ll play familiar favorites by Bach, Corelli, and Faure, plus several newly commissioned encores. Hilary’s 27 Encores project is a collection of new music written with only two rules: it must be under 5 minutes, and written for acoustic violin and piano. Music starts at 8pm at the Arsht Center. arshtcenter.org

Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach presents Carol Wincenc   Feb 12

The inaugural performance with the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach is coming up next Tuesday, the 12th. For their first concert, the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach welcomes flutistCarol Wincenc accompanied by pianist Tao Lin, Tuesday the 12th at the Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach. Cocktails at 6, music at 7, and an informal meet-and-greet session with the artists after the show.  For tickets, call 914-656-6125.

Nathan Gunn

Since 2005 Opera Naples has continued it’s mission of staging first-rate opera productions with world-class singers in leading roles and local talent in supporting roles, but once a year they host an opera superstar for an intimate recital. Baritone Nathan Gunn with pianist Julie Jordon Gunn, perform Friday the 8th at 7:30 pm at Moorings Presbyterian Church in Naples. operanaples.org

Bandini & Chiacchiaretta Duo  Feb 16

In Miami, the Florida Guitar Foundation presents an energetic guitar/accordion pairing. The Bandini & Chiacchiaretta Duo play Argentine music, including tangos by Astor Piazzolla, at Clarke Recital Hall, University of Miami, Coral Gables. For tickets, and a video of the duo, go to floridaguitarfoundation.org.

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The Love of Three Oranges   Now - March 10
The Miami Theater Center opens The Love of Three Oranges this week, a substantially re-worked version of one of their core repertoire plays. In Love of Three Oranges laughter may save a prince’s life, but as soon as the prince laughs, an evil witch curses him, making him wander the world feverishly searching for three mysterious oranges. The Love of Three Oranges opens this week at the Miami Theater Center in Miami Shores, now through March 10th. mtcmiami.org.

Elaine Rinaldi/Elaine Alvarez  Feb 8 - 9
Each year Orchestra Miami presents a recital series that puts the spot light on local and regional opera singers accompanied on piano by Artistic Director Elaine Rinaldi. Next Friday the 8th, they welcome soprano Elaine Alvarez in a performance at the Pinecrest Gardens’ Banyan Bowl, 8pm. Then on Saturday the 9th they’ll play a free concert for kids, “Classic Tales told with Classical Music”, 4pm at the Coral Gables Museum.  orchestramiami.org.

Equus   Feb 15 - 24
Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Theater and Dance offer up  a suspenseful drama that tells the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man convicted of blinding six horses. Equus, by Peter Shaffer, was inspired by actual events. Shaffer’s play is something of a detective story as he set out to construct a fictional account of what might have caused the incident, without knowing any of the details of the crime. Equus opens Friday the 15th and runs through the 24th at Studio One Theater, FAU’s Boca Raton campus. fau.edu/theatre.

Art Walk   Feb 1 - 2
The Fort Myers art walks is held the first Friday of every month from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from noon - 4 p.m. Art Walk features local and national artwork in the downtown art galleries and art stops in the Fort Myers River District. Friday evening culminates with an after party at 10 p.m. Free trolley service is available for stops outside the downtown core area. For list of participating galleries and shops, maps and more, go to fortmyersartwalk.com.

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Tombola 2013

Belen Jesuit Preparatory School’s annual Tombola festival is coming up in just a few weeks! This is a big fundraising opportunity for the school, and a primary goal of this year’s campaign is to buy a Steinway piano.Tombola 2013 kicks off Friday, February 8^th and runs through the 10^th. For tickets and additional information on how you can help Belen raise funds for a Steinway piano, visit belenjesuit.org.

CSMART Water Tower Mural

The Coral Springs Museum of Art has focused on artists working in Traditional, Modern and Postmodern art, but they have a new project outside the museum walls. Its all about community involvement. Kids and adults, amateurs and professional artists, all working together to create public art. The Coral Spring Museum of Art’s water tower mural project starts Saturday, February 16^th from 10 to 4pm at Mullins Park. The project continues at the same times the following two Saturdays. For details and to sign up for a time slot to help paint the water tower mural, visit csmart.org.

The 5 Browns    Jan 28

Next Monday the 28^th the Fort Myers Community Concert Association presents The 5 Browns. The N.Y. Post describes them as “One family, five pianos and 50 fingers add up to the biggest classical music sensation in years.” The 5 Browns range in age from 33 to 16, all started piano lessons when they were just 3 years old. Music starts at 7:30pm at the Barbara B. Mann Performance Hall at Edison State College. fortmyerscommunityconcerts.org

Viennese Artistry   Jan 26 - 27

This is an exciting weekend for the New World Symphony as they welcome musicians from the esteemed Vienna Philharmonic. The guests will be the featured soloists in concertos by Berg and Schoenberg. Michael Tilson Thomas will conduct. They call the program Viennese Artistry. Saturday’s performance is a WallCast concert, projected on the New World Center’s 7,000 square foot projection wall, that one starts at 7:30, music starts at 2pm on Sunday the 27^th. nws.edu

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The Magic Flute

The Florida Grand Opera continues it’s 72nd season with one of Mozart’s last masterpieces, The Magic Flute. The Magic Flute opens Saturday the 26th at the Arsht Center and runs through February 16th, then two performances at the Broward Center in Ft. Lauderdale on February 21st and 23rd.  fgo.org 

Cleveland Orchestra/Joshua Bell

Next Friday and Saturday nights the Cleveland Orchestra’s Miami residency presents two amazing pieces and one stunning soloist; Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with violinist Joshua Bell, and Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony. The Cleveland Orchestra and violinist Joshua Bell play at 8pm Friday and Saturday night, January 25th and 26th.  clevelandorchestramiami.org

Living Artists Concert Series

The Deering Estate Chamber Ensemble and violinist Charles Castleman play a concert they call “Temperate Zones”, as part of the Living Artists Concert Series at Deering Estate at Cutler.  Music starts at 7:15 on Sunday the 20th. If you show up at 6:30, you can meet the artists before hand at an informal reception. deeringestate.org

The Little Foxes

Now on stage at the historic Arcade Theater in Ft. Myers, Florida Rep presents The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman. The Little Foxes is an electrifying story of one family’s greed and reckless deception that’s as timely today as it was in 1940. Florida Rep’s The Little Foxes at the Arcade Theater, now through January 26th.  Showtimes vary, visit floridarep.org for details.

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Simone Dinnerstein

Since 2007, the music world has been abuzz over pianist Simone Dinnerstein. Her self-financed release of JS Bach’s Goldberg Variations quickly reached number one on the Billboard classical charts, and was number four on Amazon.com…not just in classical music, but all music sales. You can hear Simone play JS Bach’s complete Goldberg Variations live this Sunday the 13^th, 5pm at the Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall.  arshtcenter.com

La Traviata

The Palm Beach Opera opens their first of their four main productions for this season next Friday, the 18^th, Giuseppi Verdi’s landmark La Traviata. It’s the story of a famous courtesan that falls in love with a man from a good, upstanding family. You’d think all’s well that ends well when they move into the country, but that wouldn’t be opera. La Traviata runs Friday the 18^th through Sunday the 20^th at the Kravis Center.  pbopera.org

Program II

This is a very busy month for the Miami City Ballet; two different productions in four different venues over three weeks. It starts this weekend at the Arsht Center with Program II this Friday through Sunday at the Arsht Center, next weekend the 18^th - 20^th at the Broward Center, and the 25^th through the 27^th at the Kravis Center.  Plus you can catch Program I at the Naples Philharmonic Center on the 22^nd and 23^rd. miamicityballet.org

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

This weekend the Laboratory Theater of Florida starts it’s celebration of the 100^th anniversary of Tennessee Williams’ birth with the Pulitzer Prize winning play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  The show runs this weekend through Sunday the 27^th at the Laboratory Theatre of Florida in Ft. Myers.  For tickets, surf over to laboratorytheaterflorida.com

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Epic Heroes and their Goddesses

The South Florida Symphony Orchestra’s 15^th anniversary season continues with a program called Epic Heroes and their Goddesses with pianist Natasha Paremski January 11^th at the Tennessee Williams Theatre in Key West, the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center on the 12^th, the Broward Center on the 14^th, and Delray Beach Center for the Arts on the 15^th.  Show times vary, visit southfloridasymphony.org for details.

Hamlet

The Gable Stage at the Biltmore opens the the American Premiere of a high energy version of the most powerful and important tragedy in the English language, Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  This 90 minute version by Miami’s own Award-Winning playwright, Tarell Alvin McCraney, opens at the Gable Stage at the Biltmore on Saturday the 12^th and runs through February 10^th. gablestage.org.

25 Days of Music

To celebrate their 25^th anniversary, the Symphony of the Americas presents 25 days of Music; something musical scheduled every day with trio, quartets, and the full Symphony of the Americas.  The celebration culminates on the 25^th with a gala concert.  For the complete listing of performances and tickets, visit symphonyoftheamericas.org.

Ars Nova String Trio

This Sunday the 6^th in Sanibel, The Ars Nova String Trio performs at the BIG ARTS center. The Ars Nove String Trio is Jennifer Kozbial, violin; John T. Posadas, viola; and Adam Satinsky, cello. They have a lively program planned, Beethoven’s String Trio in D, Mark O’Connor’s Appalachia Waltz, and the String Trio in C by Francaix. Music starts at 3:30 Sunday the 6^th at BIG ARTS center in Sanibel. www.bigarts.org.