By Robert Croan Mozart’s Don Giovanni was special from the time of its premiere in Prague in 1787: a great drama told in great music, with the combination amounting to something more than either would be on its own. Balancing comic and tragic elements in equal proportions, Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte called the opera a dramma giocoso (playful drama), … [Read more...]
‘Fantastique’ swaggers at Lynn, while Nakamatsu plays it cool
By Dennis D. Rooney Although unmentioned by him in his prefatory remarks, Guillermo Figueroa’s scheduling of Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique with the Lynn Philharmonia on the weekend before Halloween was a happy accident if not a deliberate choice. The stupendous innovation of the work, composed only three years after the death of Beethoven, embraces a … [Read more...]
Delray resident helps charities with weekend art show at Convention Center
By Dale King Ingrid Robinson has an adage that directs her life: “Go big – or go home.” Barely a year ago, the recently resettled resident of Kings Point in Delray Beach launched Artists and Charities Hand in Hand, an effort to link fine artisans with collectors and connoisseurs to raise money for charities. She’s already held two shows – and they were such successes … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2019-20: O’Keeffe, Rembrandt shows highlights of PB County’s season
By Sandra Schulman Women in the arts is the season’s theme in Palm Beach County. The stylish life of Georgia O’Keeffe gets the museum treatment at the Norton, and women’s undergarments are the focus of the Flagler Museum’s new Season of Style exhibit. Meanwhile, tattoo art bares all in Tequesta and FAU shows off political embroidery. The Norton Museum of Art A … [Read more...]
Lighthouse ArtCenter takes a close look at the ink
By Myles Ludwig Deep in the heart of Tequesta, in the land of Lettuce Ware lovers and the birthplace of B-list movie star Burt Reynolds, I came upon an attractive tribe of tattooed ladies. These were not the circus sideshow freaks of my childhood or the longhouse Dyaks with whom I bunked deep in the tropical jungles of Borneo, fierce former headhunters whose multiple … [Read more...]
Area arts organizations breathe easier as state ups cultural funding
By Christina Wood When Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state budget earlier this year, nonprofit arts and cultural organizations across Florida breathed a sigh of relief. Making sure the arts receive their fair share of the pie is always an uphill battle. The moneys provided in the budget for fiscal year 2019-2020 weren’t particularly generous, but it was a big improvement … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2019-20: In Broward, art venues explore the lighthearted
By Sandra Schulman The art season in Broward County looks to be heavy with lighthearted art, from the big name laden Happy! show at NSU to the merry visual mischief of Mr. Brainwash. Artist studios get the artists point of view treatment at Art and Culture Center, while Fort Lauderdale’s ArtServe celebrates 30 years. NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale Get your upside on … [Read more...]
Community theater: Delray Playhouse’s ‘Calendar Girls’ uncovers a heart of sweetness
By Dale King Here’s the skinny on Calendar Girls, the sexy, comic stage production with a tender and heartwarming backstory that opens the 2019-2020 season at Delray Beach Playhouse. The more mature may think the show has something to do with singer Neil Sedaka, who had a hit song of a similar name around 1959. No, in truth, Calendar Girls is based on actual events that … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2019-20: Solo woman shows standouts in Miami-Dade art season
By Sandra Schulman In Miami-Dade County, the return of Art Basel Miami Beach and dozens of satellite fairs dominates December, but strong shows by female artists Teresita Fernandez and Mickalene Thomas are star attractions at the museums. Art After Stonewall brings major names to the theme, while regional art stars shine at MOCA. Art Basel Miami Beach: The biggest art … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2019-20: Literary events show South Florida’s culture isn’t written just in the sand
By Christina Wood The annual Ernest Hemingway look-alike contest held in Key West isn’t exactly what you could call a literary event. (But, if you’re interested, Sloppy Joe’s Bar will host the 40th annual contest July 23-26, 2020.) It is, however, a reminder of South Florida’s long literary legacy. First came intrepid individuals like Hemingway (A Farewell to Arms, in … [Read more...]