Duke Ellington (1899-1974).Music: After conquering the world of popular music, bandleader Duke Ellington began branching out in more ambitious directions for the concert hall. In 1943, his suite Black, Brown and Beige had its premiere at Carnegie Hall, and in subsequent years there would be a landmark recording of the work with the great gospel singer Mahalia Jackson performing Come Sunday. And come this Sunday, Aaron Kula’s Klezmer Company Orchestra will present the work in what it believes to be its Florida premiere as part of an all-American concert at Florida Atlantic University’s Kaye Auditorium. Spirit of America, as the concert is called, also will feature Candy, a ballad by Glenn Miller (also in a premiere), and Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring suite. Singers Lisanne Lyons and Daniel Cochran join Kula and the KCO for the event, which begins at 3 p.m. Tickets are $17-$38. Call 800-564-9539 or visit www.fauevents.com.
U2.We last saw Paul Hewson and David Evans – aka Bono and The Edge – on the Tony Awards broadcast as they introduced a ballad from their musical Spider-Man. Next Wednesday night, we’ll see them again in their more familiar roles as the engines of the seminal rock quartet U2, which plays the Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens as part of its hugely successful 360° Tour. English up-and-comers Florence and the Machine open for the boys from Dublin. Tickets for the 7 p.m. concert: $30-$250, through www.livenation.com.
Brad Pitt and Cole Cockburn in The Tree of Life. Film: Fans of filmmaker Terrence Malick know that he works on a different time schedule than other writer-directors and the results are completely outside the demands of commercial movies. His previous feature release, The New World, was six years ago, and frankly it was so ethereal that it tested the audience’s patience. Now in theaters is the remarkable The Tree of Life, also more of a tone poem than a conventional narrative, but compelling on its own terms. It is the story of a Texas couple (Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain) and their three sons, seen in the 1950s, through the memory of their oldest boy, now grown (Sean Penn). Through a series of minor events, we see the sons grow up, come of age and learn about life. Ultimately, the film encompasses the very essence of life, exquisitely photographed, a Malick signature. Likely to challenge moviegoers who cannot adjust to its glacial pace, it contains some impressive performances and images and could well end up vying for Oscars early next year. In area theaters. – H. Erstein
Christina Caperna, Nicky Wood, Jessica Pereira,Lanardo Davis, Alyssa Berger and Taylor Joseph Rivera
in Footloose, at the Maltz tonight and Saturday.
Theater: Most youth training showcases are aimed squarely at the parents and neighbors of the cast members, but the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s Conservatory of the Performing Arts (COPA) often presents productions ever non-relatives can enjoy. This summer, the company of budding thespians in grades 6 through 12 is tackling Footloose, the stage musical based on the 1984 Kevin Bacon flick about an urban teen who tries to fit in when he and his mother love to a reactionary Midwest town where – yikes! – dancing is forbidden. The score by Dean Pitchford and Kenny Loggins (as well as several other composers) includes such breakout songs as Let’s Hear It for the Boy, Almost Paradise and the title tune. For the cast’s weeks of rehearsals, it performs only twice, today and Saturday, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for kids. Call (561) 515-2672 for reservations. – H. Erstein