By Steven J. Smith
BOCA RATON — The 10th annual Festival of the Arts Boca promises a compelling line-up of international superstars, thinkers, authors and performers, according to festival chairman and co-executive producer Charlie Siemon, who unveiled the season Friday at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center.
“The 10th Annual Festival of the Arts Boca will be our most celebrated and memorable yet,” Siemon told a gathering of several hundred supporters at the kickoff event. “We have much to be proud of throughout our decade of bringing the best and brightest in dance, classical music, performing arts and literature to Boca Raton.”
Violin superstar and conductor Joshua Bell will headline the festival, which runs from March 4-16, splitting time between the Mizner Park Ampitheater at 590 Plaza Real and the Cultural Arts Center at 201 Plaza Real. Bell will serve as both soloist and conductor in a performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the Lynn Philharmonia on March 16. The festival will open with a showing of the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark on March 4, presented with a live orchestra. The film, which introduced the character of Indiana Jones (as portrayed by Harrison Ford), features a stirring score by Academy Award-winning composer John Williams and will be performed live to picture by the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, which is based at the University of Miami.
Other musical highlights will include jazz trumpet legend Herb Alpert and his wife, Grammy Award-winning singer Lani Hall (March 6); Cirque de la Symphonie (March 12); a night of symphonic jazz with the Joey Alexander Trio, the Symphonia and conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos (March 11); and a new family-friendly production in English of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute (March 5).
Siemon attributed the festival’s decade of success primarily to the hard work put in to organize and present it to enthusiastic audiences.
“Also, we really have emphasized bringing in great artists,” he said. “We’ve had the best of the best, and that’s what brings people in — supporters, sponsors and attendees.”
In addition, the Festival of the Arts Boca will continue its “Authors and Ideas” program, featuring CNN host and well-known columnist Fareed Zakaria, who will discuss “Global Hot Spots and Trends: The Next Security Crisis” (March 7). Also contributing to the program will be author and professor Dr. Robert Sapolsky, who will present “The Biology of Good and Evil” (March 8). Rounding out the program, author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Laila Lalami will discuss her novel “The Moor’s Account” (March 9) and Dr. Jay Winter, former history professor at Yale University, will explore World War I and its impact on the 21st century.
New this season is a free, official Festival of the Arts Boca app — a digital pocket guide featuring GPS directions, schedule of events, ticket purchasing, contests, links to social media channels, videos, sneak previews of upcoming performances and more. Users will be able to access up-to-the-minute schedule changes, emergency information and traffic updates. To download, visit the app store on your mobile device and search for Festival of the Arts Boca.
When asked what will make the festival’s upcoming season unique, Siemon just smiled.
“I think every one we’ve done has been unique,” he said. “Our speaking program is wonderful, our artists are fantastic and we’re really happy and excited about the movie, which has been digitally remastered. And the score from John Williams is just spectacular. We hope everyone will come on out. It’s going to be a great festival.”
Ticket prices for the Festival of the Arts Boca range from $15-$225 per person and are available online, along with venues and start times, at www.festivalboca.com. Multi-event and full festival packages are also available. For more information, call 866-571-ARTS (2787).