In an effort to acknowledge their origins, it has become increasingly customary for dance companies that have been around for a long time to continue to present repertory that spans the years since their founding. On Feb. 17, Ailey II made its first appearance as part of the popular Modern Dance Series at the Duncan Theatre in Lake Worth, presenting something a little old, … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2023
Miró Quartet, clarinetist Shifrin mix genres, pleasures winningly at Four Arts
By Ava Figliuzzi Since its formation in 1995, the Austin-based Miró Quartet has been committed to education and innovative, international performances at the world's finest venues. They hold residencies at Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Ore., Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival in Washington state, and the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas. The Miró … [Read more...]
Seraphic Fire does right by cantatas of Bach
By Robert Croan Seraphic Fire’s third annual Enlightenment Festival – two weekend programs each performed in four South Florida venues – is devoted to the church cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, some of the most sublime music in the Western civilization canon. It’s also some of the most difficult music for present-day performers, technically and stylistically, but with … [Read more...]
Violinist Porter brilliant, stylish in wide-ranging Flagler recital
By Ava Figliuzzi By the close of violinist Simone Porter's Feb. 14 debut at the Flagler Museum, she had developed a warm rapport with the audience. Alongside pianist Rohan De Silva, well known for over two decades as Itzhak Perlman's accompanist, the duo presented a delightful blend that spanned all corners of the repertoire. A sparkling rendition of Beethoven's first … [Read more...]
All the presidents’ man: Harry Benson at the Norton Sculpture Garden
A distraught Ethel Kennedy has just seen her fatally wounded husband lying on the floor of a hotel kitchen. With a ferocious scream, she pushes back the crowd demanding they grant him some space. One daring camera stays and catches the prelude to Bobby Kennedy’s death. Six years later, Pat Nixon stands near her husband as he struggles to address his staff one last time. … [Read more...]
Jussen Brothers show off technical wizardry at Four Arts
By Márcio Bezerra From the Mozarts to the Mendelssohns, from the Kontarskys to the Labèques, there have been many famous sibling piano duos throughout music history. The reigning fraternal team of the moment, Dutch brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen, were in recital Feb. 6 at The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach. Despite their somewhat cutesy and over-choreographed … [Read more...]
‘Alice’ shows Momix’s creativity undiminished
Published almost 160 years ago, Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has captured a special place in nearly everyone’s heart. Its tale, which is brimming with delightful characters and entertaining imagery, plays with our sense of logic. The book, which is loved the world over by children and adults alike, served as the perfect fodder to ignite the inventiveness … [Read more...]
‘Good People’ speaks its truth in searing Maltz production
“Write what you know” goes the clichéd but all-too-true route to theatrical success, and playwright David Lindsay-Abaire knows about escaping poverty. Born and raised in a blue-collar neighborhood of South Boston, he became a Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist (Rabbit Hole) as well as the adapter of his play Kimberly Akimbo into a much-acclaimed musical on Broadway this season. … [Read more...]
Viano String Quartet opens Flagler series scrupulously — maybe too much so
By Ava Figliuzzi An impeccable attention to detail by the members of the Viano String Quartet was complemented well Feb. 7 by the pin-drop acoustics of the Flagler Museum's West Room as the group opened the museum's 2023 music series. The young Philadelphia-based ensemble holds a residency at the Curtis Institute of Music and won first prize in the 2019 Banff … [Read more...]
Slow Burn offers hugely entertaining ‘Honeymoon in Vegas’
Slow Burn Theatre Company was established in 2009 with the express intent of producing contemporary, challenging musicals that few troupes in South Florida would attempt. Sure enough, it went out on a limb with its inaugural show, Bat Boy, earning the admiration of the critical community for its artistic and financial risk-taking, and audiences soon followed. When the … [Read more...]