By Myles Ludwig What does one do when reality isn’t enough? To paraphrase Socrates, is the unaugmented life worth living? These are troubling times in the kingdom, sayeth both Shakespeare and the Progressive Insurance lady, a fast-moving time of delusions and illusions for even the smarmiest among us, not to mention trivia fans and popular culture pundits. The snowy pixels … [Read more...]
Sundays: My naughty madeleine, on the auction block
By Myles Ludwig Yesterday’s auction of ephemera from Studio 54 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions on Bunker Road was a Proustian picture of my past refracted through a disco mirror ball. I walked into the auction house and was immediately confronted with a rogue’s gallery of black-and-white happy-snaps of ghosts fixed to the wall. There was a laughing ex-girlfriend who had … [Read more...]
Calendar of events: January 2013
(Note: Events are listed through Jan. 31 and were current as of Dec. 26. Please check with the presenting agency for any changes. Ticket prices are single sales. Most of the presenting organizations offer subscription plans. Events will be updated for changes, additions and to correct errors as needed. Email themailbox@pbartspaper.com) Art Exhibits Ann Norton … [Read more...]
Arts Garage wins Knight grants; Rudin prizewinner named
The Arts Garage has won two grants from the Knight Foundation of Miami totaling $50,000, including the foundation’s first-ever People’s Choice Award, which was won on the basis of texts. In a ceremony last month at the New World Center in Miami Beach, the Delray Beach arts engine, which has become a notable South Florida venue for jazz concerts, received a Knight Arts … [Read more...]
West Palm library exhibit explores censorship and the Holocaust
By Tara Farquhar James Bachner can attest to the destructive and redemptive power of books. Born and raised in Berlin, Bachner remembers the book burnings in the German capital in May 1933 vividly. “I was only 11 years old at the time, but I was very aware of what was going on,” he said. “Even though I didn’t go down there to see the book burning at the time, we were only … [Read more...]
Broadway standout McDonald to headline 7th Boca arts fest
BOCA RATON – Broadway star Audra McDonald and an appearance by Miami Beach’s New World Symphony are among the concerts scheduled for the seventh incarnation of the Festival of the Arts Boca, officials said today. The festival, which marries the worlds of literature and music each year at venues in and around Mizner Park, is set for March 7-16. A partial schedule of writers was … [Read more...]
Palm Beach Opera’s Aprea leaves company; Fleisher gives Lynn master class
WEST PALM BEACH – The artistic director of the Palm Beach Opera has left the company, officials said Tuesday. Bruno Aprea, who has led musical aspects of the company’s productions and orchestral concerts since 2005, rejected the contract he was offered for the new season, said the company’s general director, Daniel Biaggi. The company has been restructuring to a more … [Read more...]
FGO names Sarasota Opera’s Danis as its new CEO
MIAMI ― A new general director and chief executive officer will lead the Florida Grand Opera in the 2012-13 season. Susan T. Danis joins the Florida Grand Opera on Oct. 9. Danis is the fourth general director and CEO in the opera’s 72-year-history. Robert Heuer, the company’s CEO for 32 years, retired in May. A self-proclaimed “opera geek,” Danis spent almost 14 years … [Read more...]
News in brief: JAMS ends the music; Collins to headline poetry fest; more
WEST PALM BEACH ― The Jazz Arts Music Society of Palm Beach, which has presented more than 250 concerts in its 13 years of existence, is suspending operations for the season, the society said in a news release. “Due to lack of available resources and community support, it has become too difficult to continue to present performances at the level that is expected from JAMS … [Read more...]
Sunday Comment: Why I’ll be following the Sandusky trial
As a longtime music journalist who needed extra income in 2006, I turned toward another passion -- sports. Since then, I’ve covered high school football, basketball, volleyball, tennis and soccer – as well as music -- for area print and online outlets. Yet most of my sports writing has involved stories about youth athletes of high school age or younger. Since many of my … [Read more...]