Art About Town with The Soul of Gershwin‏

"Living in a Glass House"
Thursday
February 28 at 7 p.m.

Wolfsonian-F.I.U. presents a Public Talk featuring architectural historian Robert Rubin on the subject of "Living in a Glass House: The Maison de Verre in the Twenty-First Century." Rubin addresses the restoration of and family life in the Maison de verre, a private residence designed by modernist Pierre Chareau in Paris in the interwar period that has been described as a poetic, exquisite machine. The talk is free to members and students; $10 for all others.



Wolfsonian-F.I.U.
1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach
305-531-1001




The Platters and The Coasters in Concert
Thursday
February 28 at 8 p.m.

You and your date will want to jump into your '57 Chevy and take a spin after your hear The Platters and The Coasters in Concert at Alper JCC. Take a trip down memory lane as you remember the tunes that got The Platters into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame - "Only You," "Twilight Time," "The Great Pretender," "Yakety Yak" and "Charlie Brown." The group starred in more than 20 hit movies, including "Rock Around The Clock" and "The Girl Can't Help it." The Coasters created a string of songs that have become classics, beginning with their first Top 10 single "Searchin'," followed by "Poison Ivy" and "Along Came Jones" and lots more. Preferred seating is $50; general admission $35; and JCC Members $30.



Alper JCC on The Jay Morton-Levinthal Campus
11155 S.W. 112th Avenue, Miami
305-271-9000, Ext. 268





Concert Association of Florida’s Gala - March 15

“Aurora’s Wedding,” the Concert Association of Florida’s Annual Gala, begins
as the curtain closes on American Ballet Theatre’s “The Sleeping Beauty,”
at the Arsht Center’s Ziff Ballet Opera House. You’ll be whisked away to
Miami’s Freedom Tower for the fairy tale wedding of Aurora and
an evening of dining and dancing. Click for more info...




"The Earth, The Sky and The Sea"
Friday
February 29 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

An exhibition of recent work by renowned artists Kim Rody, Deborah Carfagno and Rhea Gary will open at Coconut Grove Gallery & Interiors in Coconut Grove. The landscapes of Rhea Gary show her passion for the environment and her particular interest in the fast-disappearing coastal wetlands. Debbie Carfagno, a painter since 1975, has developed a new medium. Her work converts precise drawings to the clean lines of laser-cut aluminum to create unique sculptural and "multiple originals." Kim Rody first picked up a paintbrush as a high school student and has taken classes ever since. When she painted her first fish, it appeared on the canvas seemingly with no effort. Now bringing life to these sea creatures is her passion. Join the artists at the opening reception. There's plenty of free parking at the Mary Street entrance.



Coconut Grove Gallery & Interiors
2884 Bird Avenue, Coconut Grove
305-445-7401, Ext. 217 (Michelle Morillo)




Viernes Culturales at Zu Galeria
Friday
February 29 at 7 p.m.

Celebrate Viernes Culturales at Zu Galeria Fine Arts, meet the artists, pick up some pointers on collecting art or simply have a glass of wine and enjoy the art around you. See the Mayra Abo exhibition "El Lenguaje del Abanico" and other exhibiting artists. Pictured: Mayra Abo, "La Chaperona."



Zu Galeria Fine Arts
2248 S.W. 8th Street, Little Havana
786-443-5872




Jazz at MOCA
Friday
February 29 at 8 p.m.

Vocalist Debbie Orta performs favorites from the Great American Songbook and other jazz styles made popular by other singers such as Diane Reeves, Natalie Cole and Diana Krall. Orta's performances are infused with passion and emotion that comes from a lifelong love of great melodies and lyrics. She has toured extensively with Jose Luis Rodriguez "El Puma" and the Latin heartthrob Chayanne, and she appears regularly with the 16-piece Dana Paul's Real Deal Band and the well-known New York society orchestra, The Bob Hardwick Sound. Jazz at MOCA, sponsored by Starbucks Coffee Company and the City of North Miami, is Miami's longest running free jazz concert series, held the last Friday of the month, rain or shine. The MOCA galleries will be open by donation from 7 to 10 p.m. so visitors may tour Jorge Pardo: House, featuring over 60 works, including photo murals, sculpture and paintings presented as actual rooms of a house. The exhibition closes on March 3.



Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
770 N.E. 125th Street, North Miami
305-893-6211








Jose Gonzalez in Concert
Friday
February 29 at 8 p.m.

José González's low-voiced, serious and introverted music has been embraced across Europe and in the US by indie fans. Now the sensational young artist from Sweden makes his Florida debut in concert with special guest, Mia Doi Todd. The concert, co-presented by Poplife and the Rhythm Foundation, launches the 6th annual Heineken Festival. Reverb will assist Gonzalez in calculating and cancelling out the carbon emissions this Green tour produces, and a portion of the cost of each ticket goes to support Reverb's mission. Tickets are $16 purchased in advance and $21 at the door.



Manuel Artime Theatre
900 S.W. 1st Street, Miami
305-672-5202




16th Annual "Art of Table Decorating"
Friday – Sunday
February 29 – March 2

A preview cocktail party on Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. will kick off this year's Beaux Arts exhibition, "Art of Table Decorating." Be inspired by more than 25 uniquely designed tables created by Beaux Arts members and South Florida's top designers and event planners. Tickets for the cocktail preview party are $60 and include an open bar, hors d'oeuvres, and live music and you view one gorgeous table after another. The exhibition continues on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and tickets are available for $7 per person. All proceeds go to community outreach and acquisition of new works for the Lowe's permanent collection.



Lowe Art Museum at UM
1301 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables
305-282-6592




Miami City Ballet Program III
Friday - Sunday
February 29 – March 2

Featured in Program III is the Miami City Ballet Premiere of Balanchine's "Bourrée Fantasque," - French to the max and pure pleasure - set to the music of Emmanuel Chabrier, staged by NYC Ballet soloist Susan Pilarre with costumes courtesy of American Ballet Theatre. Also shown on this program is "Serenade," performed by 28 dancers to the music of Tchaikovsky. The mostly female cast is dressed in long flowing neoclassical romantic tutus, set against a dreamy blue background. This ballet, choreographed in 1934 by George Balanchine, is based very simply on an evening ballet class and its moving choreography has stood the test of time. Also featured is "Pas de Dix," a set of dances in the grand manner dominated by a brilliant ballerina role yet inflected with Hungarian folk style. Tickets range from $19 to $125, and performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Pictured: Patricia Delgado and Carlos Guerra in "Bourrée Fantasque;" photo by Joe Gato.



Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami
1-877-929-7010




"Mad Forest" and "The America Play"
Final Weekend

Jerry Herman Ring Theatre presents two powerful theatre pieces in repertory through March 2. Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks' comic-drama "The America Play" is a provocative play that focuses on race, history, aspiration and their role in shaping contemporary American identity. Caryl Churchill, a British playwright, took a group of students from the London School of Drama to Bucharest on the heels of the Romanian Revolution in 1989. "Mad Forest" was the result; a drama that combines the non-fictional insights of Romanian citizens with the fictional stories of 2 families connected by the wedding engagements of their children. Performances alternate Thurs - Sat at 8 p.m. and Sat and Sun at 2 p.m.



Jerry Herman Ring Theatre at UM
1312 Miller Drive, Coral Gables
305-284-3355 (Box Office)




"Levee James"
Final Weekend

"Levee James," directed by New York's Jerry Maple, Jr., is a powerful love story set in Georgia in 1923. Just in time for African-American History Month, M Ensemble Company's production portrays a hard working man's attempt to have and hold onto the American dream. Written by S.M. Shephard-Massat, the play explores love in a world and at a time when random cruelty and lynching are commonplace. When an Atlanta ladies' maid returns home to Senoia, Georgia for a visit, she finds more than she bargained for. Showtimes are Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 general admission and $20 for students and seniors.



M Ensemble Actors Studio
12320 West Dixie Highway, North Miami
305-895-0335




Bach and the Baroque
Friday - Sunday
February 29 – March 2

He's Bach, ahem, back. And this time he's brought one of his sons with him. From Bach Senior's beloved "Air" to the more Classical-leaning symphonies of C.P.E., this program proves that genius runs in the family. Performed in authentic period style under the baton of Dutch master Ton Koopman, the intricate beauties of the Baroque style will enchant you. Performances by the New World Symphony are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets range from $78 to $27.



Lincoln Theatre
541 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
305-673-3331




"Viagara Falls"
Final Weekend

The newly renovated Hollywood Playhouse presents the new hit comedy "Viagara Falls" as the opening production for its revival season. The show revolves around Charley Millhouse (Lou Cutell), who is about to celebrate his 77th birthday, with his Korean War buddy Moe Crubbs (Don Jacob). Wanting one last fling, Charley finds an internet call girl service run by Jacqueline Tempest (Janice Hamilton), and plans to further spice up the evening with the help of a "little blue pill," leading to multiple surprises and a twist ending. Carol Burnett remarked after seeing the show, "On a scale of one to ten, this show's a 12!" Performances are Thurs matinees at 2 p.m., Fri at 8 p.m., Sat at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sun at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $29 to $39 with reduced prices available to groups of 10 or more.



Hollywood Playhouse
2640 Washington Street, Hollywood
954-922-0404




Mo's Loft Jazz
Saturday
March 1 from 8 p.m. to midnight

Mo Morgen's Loft Jazz, at a great new spot in North Miami, switches to Saturday nights. Relax, take in some fabulous jazz, enjoy snacks, wine, soft drinks, and coffee, check out the art, mix and mingle - all in one incredible art space. It's jazz with Mo and Madofa, sit-in guests and jams. $12 gets you everything - plenty of parking. Just a little tricky to find - go South on N.E. 6th Avenue from 125th Street and turn right on 124th Street. Parking is across the street on West Dixie Highway. Use the side rear door on 124th Street (not front door).



SUYU Galleries
12399 W. Dixie Highway, North Miami
305-456-6460 (night of performance only)




Arts Ballet Theatre's "Doctor Ouch"
Saturday & Sunday
March 1 & 2

This performance is part of Arts Ballet Theatre's Family Series for the enjoyment of young audiences. "Doctor Ouch!" is a ballet in two acts based on children poems about a doctor who cures animals and goes to Africa to save monkeys who are ill. If there are hospitals for people, then why not have hospitals for animals? And in every hospital there must be a doctor. Who will prescribe eyeglasses for an owl or sew a new wing on a Flamingo? Good old Doctor Ouch, of course! To help his animal friends, Doctor Ouch sets out for faraway Africa and, together with his patients, fights with the devious pirate Barmalei and experiences many unbelievable adventures. It's a mischievous, hilarious ballet packed with pirates and chases, flying birds and dances. Performances are Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., and tickets are $25.



Broward Center for the Performing Arts
201 S.W. Fifth Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
954-462-0222




The Vanaver Caravan
Saturday & Sunday
March 1 & 2

The St. Martha-Yamaha Concert Series presents The Vanaver Caravan, a group that specializes in American and international folk music. "Pastures of Plenty," their special tribute to Woody Guthrie, will bring music, singing and head-over-heels dancing to The Atrium at St. Martha's, enhanced with a specially built stage and new sound system just in time for this performance. Meet the artists at a special post-performance reception included with your tickets. General admission is $10, and Blue Circle (preferred seating) is $20.



St. Martha Church
9301 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami Shores
1-800-595-4849




Tom Wesselman
Throughout March

Noted art historian Lucy Lippard called Tom Wesselmann one of the five "hard-core" New York pop artists, joining Warhol, Lichtenstein, Rosenquist and Oldenburg. The phrase defines the brazen quality of Wesselmann's painted images of still lifes, nudes, and abstract landscapes. As a young art student, Wesselmann was strongly influenced by the work Willem de Kooning, and from this great abstract expressionist he gained a sense of filling a canvas and pushing images to the outer edges. Wesselmann explored collage and assemblages, and these designs were to be precursors to his famous 100-piece Great American Nude series of the 1960s. Flat, bright, billboard colors set against a clean white background - a style that hints at techniques used in advertising posters - have defined the artist's work. In addition to his paintings, Wesselmann created 3-dimensional pieces in aluminum, steel and enamel. The work of Tom Wesselmann is on exhibit the month of March at Opera Gallery Miami. Pictured: "Bedroom face with orange," 1987, #81/100, silkscreen, 58.7 x 65 in.



Opera Gallery Miami at Bal Harbour Shops #218
9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour
305-868-3337




Happy 104th Birthday Dr. Seuss!
Sunday
March 2 from noon to 6 p.m.

Meet your favorite Suess characters, enjoy Seuss performances, Seussical arts and crafts, ice cream and birthday cake, and play in "Oh Seuss! Off to Great Places." Admission is free for Miami Children's Museum members; $10 for non-members.



Miami Children's Museum
980 MacArthur Causeway, Miami
305-373-5437




Vintage South Florida
Sunday
March 2 from Noon to 6 p.m.

Enjoy a fun-filled day celebrating history & architecture in historic Downtown Hollywood. Outdoor museum exhibits, book signings, live music and entertainment, vintage car show, antique & collectible market, children's activities & lots more! Free admission!



Downtown Hollywood in the ArtsPark at Young Circle and on
Hollywood Boulevard between Young Circle and 21st Avenue
954-921-3016




Sheba, a Jewish Chamber Music Ensemble
Sunday
March 2 at 3 p.m.

Sheba is a chamber ensemble comprised of 5 young music students from the Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music in New York City. The members - Gabrielle Fink, violin; Talya Smilowitz, voice; Leat Sabbah, cello; Alicia Kravitz, flute; and Yoni Levyatov, piano - will perform a program of popular Jewish songs with an individual and modern twist. Joining the ensemble as guest artist is pianist Dr. Alan Mason, Director of Music at Temple Israel. Tickets are $15 for Temple members and $20 for all others.



Temple Israel of Greater Miami
137 N.E. 19th Street, Miami
305-573-5900




Trees Have AIDS - The Anti-Stigma Project
Through March

Take note of those bristling red puffs infecting trees on Biscayne Boulevard near the Design District. They are inspired by artist John DeFaro in response to a misinformed individual he met who fears living in southwest Miami because mosquitoes might transport the deadly HIV virus from infected farm workers. This unsettling connection of stigma and ignorance moved DeFaro to create a batch of bright red, viral puffs, much like the ones in his Art Basel 2003 installation, and tag trees to provoke curiosity and comment on the absurdity of many of the notions that persist about HIV and AIDS. It's his guerilla warfare campaign against ignorance. The project hits NYC next month to coincide with the Whitney Biennial and the Armory Show. See more of DeFaro's work at the current ArtSoBay Juried Art Show at the Deering Estate through March 31.



Biscayne Boulevard exit off Julia Tuttle Causeway
And Random Trees in the Design District, Miami




Rhythms of Modernity
Sunday
March 2 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Just as Wilfredo Lam integrated the concepts of modernism and Afro-Cuban culture into his art, the composers whose work will be presented by the NODUS Ensemble at MAM also draw on their Cuban heritage in contemporary compositions. The concert will include Nengón Transformation 1 (2004) by Keyla Orozco; Momentum (1984) by Tania Leon; Tablao (2004 by Sergio Barroso; Flor invernal (2002) by Ileana Pérez Velázquez; Mistica (2003) by Tania Leon; and silencios imaginados (2001) by Orlando Jacinto Garcia. The NODUS Ensemble, the professional contemporary chamber music ensemble in residence at Florida International University's School of Music, was inititated by composer Orlando Jacinto Garcia. This MAM concert is sponsored in honor of Carl Randolph. Tickets are $5 for MAM members and students with ID; $10 for nonmembers.



Miami Art Museum Auditorium
101 West Flagler Street, Downtown Miami
305-375-3000




"The Soul of Gershwin"
March 4 – 9

"The Soul of Gershwin," The Musical Journey of an American Klezmer, opens its exclusive South Florida engagement on Tuesday, March 4, with 8 shows only. Come see why this fascinating 23-song theatrical concert packed the house for four weeks running at Miami's Coconut Grove Playhouse. The original virtuoso-class cast of vocalists returns, backed by an incomparable klezmer band with George Gershwin himself acting as narrator. Together they demonstrate the musical and ethnic influences that stoked the Gershwin genius - popular songs and opera, the intrinsic rhythms of blues and jazz, Yiddish theater. Show business legend Jack Klugman opens every performance with onstage, pre-curtain remarks. Tickets are $30 to $65. Performances are Tuesday - Saturday at 8 p.m., and matinees at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Visit the website for more information and musical sound bites. Presented by American Theater Festival and National Jewish Theater, Arnold Mittelman, Producing Artistic Director.



Parker Playhouse
707 N.E. 8th Street, Fort Lauderdale
954-462-0222




Russian National Orchestra
Thursday
March 6 at 8 p.m.

Prokofiev's Suite from the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 "Pathetique" will be the highlights of the program when the Russian National Orchestra, conducted by Claus Peter Flor, is presented by the Concert Association of Florida. The Grammy Award-winning orchestra has been in demand throughout the music world since its 1990 Moscow premier and was the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Vatican and in Israel. Accolades from around the world have paid the orchestra the highest tributes, including Gramophone magazine's listing of their recording of Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" as the best in history. Tickets are $120, $81, $48 and $18 with a number of good seating locations offered in a special promotion at $20 and $10.



Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami
1-877-311-7469




Opening Reception for "Eclipse of the Mind"
Friday
March 7 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Experience the diversity of light at Avant Gallery's "Eclipse of the Mind" exhibition featuring works by Amir Aziz, Arno Elias, Janne Kyttanen for Freedom of Creation, and Verner Panton. The mesmerizing designs on display range from new licensed re-issues of iconic lighting by Verner Panton, to advanced technology prototypes by Janne Kyttanen and his award-winning firm Freedom of Creation. Up and coming artists Amir Aziz and Arno Elias explore the realms of light and time with their cutting-edge multi-sensual pieces. Light and the interplay of installations take on new dimensions in this exhibition. At the opening reception enjoy music by DJ Danny Stern along with Arno Elias of Buddha Bar. RSVP via email or phone, please.



Avant Gallery
1680 Michigan Avenue, Miami Beach
305-535-9935 (Carolina Márquez)




Gables Gallery Night
Friday
March 7 from 7 to 10 p.m.

Join the fun every first Friday when Gables Gallery Night attracts collectors and young professionals to the art galleries, sidewalk tapas bars, fine restaurants and clubs in safe, comfortable downtown Coral Gables. Whisked between galleries aboard free air-conditioned minibus limousines or the city's quaint trolleys, thousands of visitors join local residents at Greater Miami's liveliest monthly event. Enjoy complementary refreshments, stroll through exhibitions of contemporary and modern Latin American, North American, and European art, including paintings, sculptures, textiles, works on paper and photography, along with art books, in a downtown area chock full of fascinating boutiques. Top off your evening in one of Coral Gables' celebrated dining spots - all within easy walking distance! Click to view participating member galleries.



Throughout the Coral Gables Business District
305-444-4493