Mary Damiano Photo by David Vance

Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

This issue of MiamiArtzine.com will not only give you the lowdown on all the great stuff happening on the South Florida arts and entertainment scene, it will also give you the chance to get into some events for free. We’re giving away tickets to New Theatre’s world premiere of The Mission, as well as the new comedy Smart People, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Dennis Quaid. Both contests are on the front page, so be sure to enter. Of course, ticket giveaways are nothing new to MiamiARTzine.com subscribers, who know that for nearly a year, we’ve been giving away tickets to lots of theatre, dance and music events all over South Florida. That’s because everyone who subscribes to MiamiARTzine.com gets an e-mail when each new issue is published with a special subscriber-only giveaway. If you’re not a subscriber, go ahead and sign up. It’s free, and you might just win some tickets in the future.

Theater Openings

Gina Kreiezmar as Annie in Forbidden Broadway, which runs through May 4 at the Arsht Center in Miami Photo: Carol Rosegg

If you love Broadway, but also love to get a little snarky about it, then Forbidden Broadway is tailor-made for your tastes. The revue, which spoofs some of Broadway’s most popular shows, including Annie, Phantom of the Opera, and Mary Poppins, is packing them in at the Studio Theatre at the Arsht Center in Miami, so much so that the run has been extended for three weeks, until May 4. This edition of Forbidden Broadway has been specially designed for Miami audiences, because it features spoofs of Monty Python’s Spamalot, Avenue Q, The Lion King, Wicked, Les Misérables, and Hairspray—all shows that have either played in South Florida or are coming this season. For tickets and more information, call 305-949-6722 or visit www.arshtcenter.org. New Theatre has something unique in store for the world premiere of Jules Tasca’s The Mission, which runs April 4 through May 4. Actors William Gressman and Ricky Waugh will exchange roles each night. This two person play takes place in a prison, where a young priest visits and inmate. Ricky J. Martinez found the play at last year’s Lavender Footlights Festival, which presents staged readings of gay and lesbian-themed plays. Martinez directed the reading of The Mission, which I attended. I remember at the talk-balk after the reading he was already toying with the idea of staging it so that the two actors switch roles each night. For a chance to win a pair of tickets to The Mission, see the font page of this week's issue. www.new-theatre.org. Up in Fort Lauderdale, Sol Theatre is now in previews of Beirut by Alan Bownes; the official opening night is April 4. Beirut is a futuristic play where people with a certain virus and kept in quarantine, and the lengths two lovers go to in order to be together. Beirut runs through May 2 www.soltheatre.com. The Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton will open Tuesdays with Morrie next month. It’s Mitch Albom’s true story of the days he spent learning about life and death from his dying professor, Morrie Schwartz. Tuesdays with Morrie made its South Florida debut at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in 2005, as the opening show of the theatre’s doomed final season. Tuesdays with Morrie runs April 6 through May 11. www.caldwelltheatre.com.

Made in the Shade

Danny Masterson and Sunglass Hut on Lincoln Road Photo: Mary Damiano

Danny Masterson, who played Steven Hyde on “That ‘70s Show”, is not just an actor, he’s a DJ. Masterson was spinning away at the grand opening of Sunglass Hut on Lincoln Road Tuesday, March 18. The party, which was presented by GenArt, featured a runway show—quite a feat in the tiny space—of the latest sunglass fashions. The oh-so young and hip crowd grooved to Masterson’s beat while munching on appetizers and some pretty potent cocktails, including a Chocolate Covered Cherry that was more vodka than chocolate or cherry. Another TV celebrity also made the scene: designer Uli Herzner, one of the finalists from last season’s “Project Runway”.

Ride the Bus to Paradise

Board the bus for a tour of mid-century homes by one of Florida's best known architects and a major figure in the landmark exhibition “Promises of Paradise: Staging Mid-Century Miami—Alfred Browning Parker”. Presented by the Bass Museum, the tour will be guided by Parker, providing a rare opportunity for insight into the creation of many of Coconut Grove's distinctive mid-century homes. Tickets are $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Reservations required. Call 305-673-7530 ext. 1015 for details or e-mail info@bassmuseum.org.

The Poet of the Piano Makes Miami Debut

Yundi Li, dubbed the Poet of the Piano, will make his Miami debut April 1 at the Knight Concert Hall at the Arsht Center

Critically acclaimed, 25 year-old Chopin International award-winning pianist, Yundi Li, celebrated for his intense virtuosity and musical dedication, will make his Miami debut Tuesday, April 1, 8 p.m. at the Knight Concert Hall, at the Arsht Center. The program will include compositions by Mozart, Chopin, Liszt and Mussorgsky. Born and raised in China to a family of non-musicians, Li was enthralled by music at age three when he was introduced to the accordion, mastering it and winning awards a year later. He began studying the piano at age seven and received top awards at various competitions. His celebrity catapulted him into the elite of the international music scene after winning the 2000 Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw. At age 18, he was the youngest ever to win the Gold Medal and the distinction of being awarded the coveted first prize. Li is one of the most sought-after pianists in the world today. He has performed with top orchestras and conductors across the globe, including highly acclaimed recitals in Berlin’s Philharmonie, Vienna’s Konzerthaus and New York’s Carnegie Hall. Li’s highly sensitive interpretations have dubbed him the Poet of the Piano. An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist, he has released four solo albums including two featuring works of Chopin as well as a recital recording at the Vienna Musikverein. His 2003 Liszt album won highest critical acclaim and was awarded the German Echo Award and New York Times’ Best Classical CD 2003. Known for his selective dedication to repertoire, Mr. Li has immersed himself into the orchestral works of Chopin and Liszt and has released an orchestral recording featuring their concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London and Sir Andrew Davis. Tickets are $15-$90. Call 1-877- 311-SHOW (7469) or visit www.concertfla.org.

MTV Meets Miami

Noel Gladstone of MTV Networks

Students from the New World School of the Arts will exhibit pieces in a variety of media in the show, “MTV Teen Age Clicks,” an exhibition that reflects MTV’s research findings and insights on youth culture at the Richard Shack Gallery at the ArtCenter/South Florida April 3-9. New World students Farhana Hoque, Juan Camilo Rojas, Victor Vázquez, Jordan Service, Patricia Hernández, Samantha Kocking, Monica de Miguel, Sophia Londono, Lisa Torske, Kelly Williams, Michelle Mancriffe, and Raquel Ortiz explored many topics for the show, including Stressed for Success, Fear Factor, Teenage Bedroom, Sex, and Communication Explosion. In an effort to further understand the diversity of kids and young people throughout the world, MTV Networks International spoke to 24,000 teens in more than 20 countries via different research methodologies. “MTV’s Teen Age Clicks” exhibition is a visual recap and interpretation of MTV Latin America’s findings and will showcase a developing world where young people are optimistic and hopeful despite facing great challenges. “We met and spoke with an amazing set of young people in conducting this research and we felt inspired by their natural creativity and exuberance for life,” said Noel Gladstone, Vice President of Research for MTV Networks Latin America. “As experts in television and entertainment, we have an ongoing interest in better understanding youth’s core concerns and perspectives on the world and this exhibit is a true reflection of that.” Art Center/South Florida is located at 800 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. For more info, visit www.artcentersf.org.

Master Chorale Performs Carmina Burana

The critically acclaimed Master Chorale of South Florida returns to the Knight Concert Hall stage on Friday, April 11, 8 p.m., with over 200 singers and musicians to perform one of the most popular choral works of all time: Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Hailed by the New York Times as “a choral masterpiece,” Carmina Burana’s primal rhythms and bawdy secular text has crossed over from the concert stage to hundreds of television commercials, video games and movies, including The Doors, Excalibur, and Natural Born Killers. For this one-night-only performance, the Master Chorale of South Florida will be joined on stage by the Boca Raton Symphonia, Miami Children’s Chorus and guest soloists soprano Suzan Hanson, tenor John Duykers and baritone Donnie Ray Albert. Tickets for the Master Chorale of South Florida performance of Carmina Burana are $15-$55. Call 305-949-6722 or visit www.arshtcenter.org.

Water Works

A water-themed piece by Roberta Shine, part of the “Aqueous: Works in Water Media” at Art Expressions in Wilton Manors

A new exhibition, “Aqueous: Works in Water Media” will grace the walls of Art Expressions Gallery in Wilton Manors. Six South Florida water media artists—Ric Benda, Sandi Fein, Timothy Leistner, Lois Ostrov, Dick Sauer and Roberta Shine— were chosen and invited by Francisco Sheuat, owner and curator of Art Expressions Gallery to exhibit their work. The exhibition will run from April 5-30, with a special opening night reception 7-9 p.m. The exhibition and reception are open to the public and will offer the opportunity to speak to the artists, as well as purchase original works of art. Art Expressions is located at 1438 NE 26th Street in Wilton Manors. For more information, call 954-537-9000 or visit www.artexpressions.tk.

Seraphic Fire Hits the Road

Seraphic Fire, Miami’s acclaimed professional choir

Miami’s Seraphic Fire, one of the nation’s top professional choirs, will present a community appreciation concert as a send-off for its first northeast tour, Thursday, April 3, 8 p.m. at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Allapatah. Seraphic Fire will depart on their first domestic tour the following day, with concerts given in Manhattan, New Haven, and Syracuse. The featured program, “Sway: Music of Miami!” will feature early and contemporary choral music from Haiti, Colombia, Spain, Peru and the United States. The tour marks the choir’s first concert appearance outside of Florida. Seraphic Fire’s tour program will feature what has become a hallmark of the group—contemporary and early music from American, Caribbean and Latin American composers. “Sway: Music of Miami” will highlight three works commissioned by the ensemble by living composers. Haitian-born Sydney Guillaume’s “Dominus Vobiscum” interweaves Gregorian melodies with Creole texts and rhythms. “Padre Nuestro” by Colombian-American composer Alvaro Bermudez re-envisions the pasillo (a traditional Colombian dance form) through a modern lens. The transcription of an acoustic version of Ingram Marshall’s “Hymnodic Delays” was commissioned from Suzanne Hatcher, longtime singer with Seraphic Fire and Professor of Vocal Studies at William Jewel College in Kansas. The Corpus Christi Church is located at 3220 NW 7th Street, Miami, and tickets for the Miami community appreciation concert are $10. Call 305-635-1331 or visit www.seraphicfire.org.

FLIFF Features Brazilian Cinema

The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) and Florida Atlantic University (FAU) team up, for the 5th year, to present a film retrospective as part of FAU’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies program. The retrospective includes film screenings, seminars, and guest speakers. Many of the films are accompanied by post-screening discussions with special guests, and either receptions or parties to encourage casual conversation will take place at Cinema Paradiso, April 5 -12. Seminars and several of the films will also be presented at Florida Atlantic University's Boca Raton campus, Broward County Main Library, Palm Beach County Main Library, Palm Beach Garden North County Regional Library, and Delray Beach West Atlantic Branch Library. For additional information on these events: www.fau.edu/artsandlettersnews. For tickets and more information, call 954-525-3456 or visit www.FLIFF.com

Gold-Diggers Dig the Red Carpet

The Gold-Diggers rehearse for their upcoming musical revue, “And the Winner Is…” Photo: Henry Perez

The Gold-Diggers,
will present their annual spring musical revue, “And The Winner Is …” April 11-13 at the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Miami. This fast-paced, Broadway-style production is described as a trip down the red carpet through a compilation of exciting musical numbers and stunning costumes. The Gold-Diggers, Inc. was founded by seven women in the Miami area whose love of theater inspired them to put on a show, a la the Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland musicals of the past. They recruited members, and in May of 1976 presented their first production. Since that time, the shows have extended to four performances and to date the Gold-Diggers have raised over $1 million for charities. The primary charity is the Leukemia Society with other charities also the beneficiary of funds, including Food for Life Network and Care Resource. For more information, ticket prices and group rates, please call Marcie Diehl at 305-310-8086, or visit www.gold-diggers.org.