Social Miami- February 2-3 2008

The Cleveland Orchestra
Saturday
February 2 at 8 p.m.

This concert led by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst offers a transformative journey across musical history time-zones, beginning with one of Stravinsky's pleasurable modern-day homages to Classical and Baroque traditions. Next, long-time favored guest Radu Lupu returns to perform Mozart's stormy Piano Concerto No. 20 (a work that Beethoven played with great success). After intermission, the program continues with the U.S. premiere of a newly-commissioned suite from Thomas Adès's 1995 opera Powder Her Face, and then concludes with Stravinsky's first international hit, in a suite of music from his great Firebird ballet. This Cleveland Orchestra concert is performed in Knight Concert Hall; tickets range from $39 to $130.



Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Downtown Miami
305-949-6722




Pablo Cano's Musical Marionettes
Saturday
February 2 at 2 p.m.

Famed Cuban artist Pablo Cano's exhibition at The Bakehouse Art Complex, his first ever in Wynwood Art District, concludes this weekend with a delightful performance of his whimsical marionettes on Saturday. Created from found objects, Cano's marionettes portray characters that come to life through music and choreography in his theatrical performances. It's a show to captivate young and old alike! Tickets are $5 for general admission and free for children 5 and under. Become a member of The Bakehouse (annual dues $45) and receive an autographed catalog from the exhibit.



The Bakehouse Art Complex
561 N.W. 32nd Street, Wynwood Art District
305-576-2828






Serkin Plays Stravinsky
Saturday
February 2 at 8 p.m.

Two giants of the international music scene, one formidable concert presented by New World Symphony. Peter Serkin (pictured) and Oliver Knussen bring you 20th-century masters from East to West. Both Webern (Six Pieces for Orchestra and Five Pieces for Orchestra) and Stravinsky (Movements for Piano and Orchestra) wrote music that caused riots at the premieres by creating new aesthetics and confounding expectations. Toru Takemitsu's (Asterism for Piano and Orchestra) mystical portrayal of the stars shows why the Japanese composer was one-of-a-kind, while George Benjamin's nimble Dance Figures offers a series of colorful vignettes commissioned by famed Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. Tickets are $15.



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




A Little Bit Naughty A Little Bit Nice
Saturday & Sunday
February 2 & 3

In true Cabaret style, Arts at St. John's presents this colorful performance featuring a talented troupe who delivers flashy songs and lively dance numbers in a laid-back lounge setting. It's sassy, fun, a bit racy and full of heart with memorable show tunes from "Cabaret," "Chicago" and "Ain't Misbehaving." Performances are Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door, $15 online and for seniors and students.



St. John's on the Lake
4760 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach
305-613-2325




Canada's Brampton Symphony Chamber Orchestra
Sunday
February 3 at 7 p.m.

Couldn't care less about the Patriots and Giants? Here's a perfect solution: an evening of beautiful music to benefit SoBe Music Institute's Scholarship Program that insures quality music education for children regardless of their ability to pay. The Brampton Symphony Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Robert Raines, presents "Musical Postcards from Abroad," a celebration of diverse musical cultures from around the world. BSO's native city of Brampton and the City of Miami Beach are becoming Sister Cities, and special guests at the performance will be Miami Beach Mayor Mattie Bower and Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell. Tickets, available through Ticketmaster, are $20. A VIP reception hosted by "Mr. Miami Beach" Michael Aller will follow at Britto Central with food provided by Quattro and wine by Palandri Winery. Tickets for the concert and reception are $100.



Colony Theater
1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
305-674-9220



Inside SocialMiami.com
@MiaSci: Happy Hour with Substance


More than 150 young professionals, science aficionados and art enthusiasts made their way to dance@MiaSci, the first of a series of professional mixers presented by the Miami Science Museum as a happy hour alternative in a non-traditional setting. Next up in February: art@MiaSci showcasing local Miami artists.





Josephine Baker Reception
Tuesday
February 5 at 7 p.m.

World Erotic Art Museum honors famed entertainer and jazz age icon Josephine Baker during Black History Month. An exhibition of rare paintings, posters, photos and recordings that museum owner Naomi Wilzig has collected will be on view together with a show of African art and works on a variety of interracial subjects. A fascinating performer who became the "Toast of Paris," Baker performed at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees and at the Folies Bergere wearing little else than her famed bananas skirt. WEAM is open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight; admission is $15 for those over 18.



World Erotic Art Museum
1205 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach
305-532-9336




Abracadabra Fundraising Raffle Event
Thursday
February 7 from 6 p.m.

More than 100 donated works of art will be raffled off to lucky ticket holders at the Art & Culture Center of Hollywood. The exhibition, titled "Abracadabra," can be previewed now at the Center. On the evening of the fundraiser, raffle ticket holders are invited to a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. so that they can make their choices. Then when their names are randomly drawn, they select from the remaining works of art. Each ticket holder is guaranteed an artwork valued from $500 to $6,000. Raffle tickets are available now - $375 for one ticket and admission for 2; $700 for 2 tickets and admission for 4; $1,000 for 3 tickets and admission for 6. General admission is $30 to just attend. Pictured: Gean Moreno, Untitled, 2008, Mixed media on paper, Courtesy of the Artist and Fredric Snitzer Gallery.



Hollywood Art & Culture Center of Hollywood
1650 Harrison Street, Hollywood
954-921-3274




"Jazz Reflections"
Thursday
February 7 at 7 p.m.

Gold Coast Jazz Society presents Eric Allison and members of the Gold Coast Jazz Society Band for a free jazz concert.



Northwest Regional Library
3151 N. University Drive, Coral Springs
954-524-0805




LoweDown Happy Hour
Thursday
February 7 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Celebrate the Year of the Rat! Join Lowe Art Museum Director Brian Dursum and bring in the Chinese New Year with a guided tour of the Asian Art Gallery. Enjoy live music and light Chinese fare. Cocktails provided by Bacardi®, and Pomegranate liqueur from PAMA Spirits. Free for Lowe members; $10 for non-members.



Lowe Art Museum at UM
1301 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables
305-2854-3535




Celebrate Chinese New Year
Thursday
February 7 from 7 to 10 p.m.

SocialMiami's subscribers are invited to join avid art enthusiasts and friends of the gallery at a special private celebration at Galerie Bertin-Toublanc. The work of a talented group of Chinese artists will be on exhibit, and Madame Bertin wishes to share her admiration for contemporary expressions of feelings, people and objects influenced by the ancient Chinese culture. Enjoy an authentic Chinese buffet provided by Miss Yip Chinese Café, cocktails, sake and water by Fiji Water, as you enjoy the incredible artwork and welcome the Year of the Rat! RSVP's a must; please confirm your attendance.



Galerie Bertin-Toublanc
2534 N. Miami Avenue, Miami
305-450-1058




Brad Howe
Through February

Opera Gallery in Bal Harbour is featuring Los Angeles-based artist Brad Howe during February. Howe's powerful metal sculptures are both energetic and playful. His mobiles, wall hangings, furniture, and freestanding sculptures combine dramatic angles with strong areas of solid color, a style most often associated with post-cubist modernism. The pieces share an engaging quality that reflects the artistic climate of 21st century Los Angeles and also São Paolo, Brazil where Howe began his professional career. He has exhibited worldwide, and his most recent commissions have been an 80 foot mobile for the Georgia International Convention Center, an 18 foot stainless steel sculpture for a corporate client in Bilberach, Germany, as well as pieces for the City of Los Angeles, and MIT. Pictured: Correnteza, 2004, Stainless Steel, 20 x 8 x 7 inches.



Opera Gallery in the Bal Harbour Shops
9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour
305-868-3337




"Electricidad" by Luis Alfaro
February 7 - 17

FIU Theatre presents a compelling new adaptation of the Greek Tragedy "Electra" from the extraordinary imagination of playwright, performer and MacArthur "Genius" grant recipient, Luis Alfaro. Set on a dead-end street in perilous, gang infested East Los Angeles, and infused with Alfaro's sly humor and dead-on use of the uniquely LA version of "Spanglish", the 2,500 year-old Electra myth is a cautionary tale of violent death and wasted lives that spans 3 generations. Yet, with a characteristically Mexican sneer and chortle at death, the playwright finds a small sliver of hope in the inevitable tragedy of this classic lesson in pride, revenge and filial love. Tickets are $10.00 general admission and $8.00 for seniors, FIU students & alumni. All tickets for the February 7 performance are $8.



Wertheim Performing Arts Center Theatre at FIU
11200 S.W. 8th Street, Miami
305-348-3789




"Levee James"
February 7 – March 2

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 lynchings 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. Opening night tickets are $30 and include a cast party and entertainment.



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




Of Laws and Loss
Friday
February 8 at 8 p.m.

From tragedy comes inspiration. The kidnapping and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 haunted people throughout the world. Minimalist master Steve Reich responded by writing "Daniel Variations," a tribute to the journalist, based on texts from the Book of Daniel alongside Pearl's own words. Breaking the rules of traditional instrumentation, David Lang's "so-called laws of nature" requires percussionists to play instruments they build themselves. Tickets for this New World Symphony presentation are $10.



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




Wilfredo Lam in North America
Beginning February 8

Paintings and works on paper by Cuba's pioneering modern artist Wilfredo Lam will be on view at MAM through May 18. Organized by the Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University, Wilfredo Lam in North America features more than 60 drawings and paintings representing the major phases in Lam's career. Born in Sagua La Grande, Cuba, Lam is known for asserting his heritage through his art by merging Afro-Cuban influences with the Paris School and Surrealism. Personaje con Sombrero (Person with Hat) ca 1942, Gouache on paper, 37 ½ x 30 inches (95.2 X 76.2cm.). Collection Mrs. Tanya Brillembourg. ©2007 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris. Courtesy Haggerty Art Museum.



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




Open Barre Dance Series - "Lounge 2200"
Friday & Saturday
February 8 & 9

Miami City Ballet's Open Barre Dance Series continues with the Premiere of a new jazz work called Lounge 2200. MCB dancers are trading in their ballet shoes for high heels and jazz shoes, letting down their hair and dancing to a different groove. It's a hot new contemporary piece set to the sexy and soulful music of the 50's and 60's. Three performances are scheduled - Friday at 7 p.m. followed by an open bar; and 2 performances on Saturday - the first begins with a reception at 4 p.m. and the performance at 5 and the second at 8 p.m. followed by an open bar at the studios at 9 and an after party at RokBar. Tickets for the performance and open bar are $25; for Saturday's performance, open bar and after party, tickets are $50. Pictured: Rolando Sarabia and Mary Carmen Catoya in Lounge 2200; photo by Joe Gato.



Miami City Ballet Studios
2200 Liberty Avenue, Miami Beach
305-929-7010