Cultural Preview: Visiting Artists

Festival of the Arts Boca

Bill Murray (right) and Mira Wang (above) will perform March 2.
Photo Credits: Mat Hennek
Photo Credits: Peggy Sirota/GQ

Festival of the Arts Boca takes residence in Mizner Park February 23 to March 4. Now in its twelfth year, the festival will serve up a few of its signature showings, as well as a surprise or two. Highlights include a performance by violinist Itzhak Perlman February 24 and a screening of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial accompanied live by The Symphonia Boca Raton March 4. In his fourth appearance at the festival, Perlman returns for In the Fiddler’s House, a celebration of klezmer instrumentation. A 10-piece ensemble will join Perlman for this journey through Jewish musical traditions, with stops in Manhattan’s Lower East Side and Krakow, Poland. Perhaps the most peculiar production on the Festival of the Arts Boca schedule comes courtesy of comedian Bill Murray. Best known for his stint on Saturday Night Live and roles in hit movies like Ghostbusters and Lost in Translation, Murray has added successful singer and orator to his list of accomplishments. This year, he joined forces with cellist Jan Vogler, violinist Mira Wang, and pianist Vanessa Perez to create a stage show and album entitled New Worlds. A mix of literature and song, New Worlds had its U.S. premiere at Festival Napa Valley in July before embarking on a national tour. The quartet will arrive at the Mizner Park Amphitheater March 2 for unparalleled pairings of music and prose—think readings from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn carried on the notes of “Moon River.” (561-368-8445)

Click Here for Our Full Guide to Palm Beach County’s Best Festivals


Kravis Center

Each year, the Kravis Center‘s Dreyfoos Hall hosts hudereds of legendary performers and rising stars on their way through West Palm Beach. These artists top our can’t-miss list. (561-8332-7469)

  • Renée Fleming, January 13
  • Chris Mann in a Date with the Phantom, January 29
  • Paul Anka, January 30
  • The Beach Boys, February 16
  • Howie Mandel, February 27
  • Bill Maher, March 4
  • Audra Mcdonald, March 17
  • The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma, April 21

Crest Theatre

Semi-Toned

It’s hard to define Crest Theatre, a circa-1925 high school building turned performance venue at the heart of Delray Beach’s Old School Square. The flexible space seats an audience of more than 300 and is used for everything from lectures to Broadway tours, concerts to comedy acts. Get in the holiday spirit December 6, when singing siblings Will and Anthony Nunziata present Broadway Holiday. In the mood for a touch more soul? Return March 12 or 13 for Mandy Gonzalez, a former Hamilton star who will appear at Crest Theatre for a cabaret-style showcase. If you’re looking for an energetic evening of rock hits with a twist, then attend the jukebox musical Million Dollar Quartet March 17 or 18, or opt for something sans instrumentation with Semi-Toned, the award-wining British a cappella group, April 5. Finally, visual learners should mark their calendars for March 16 when Catapult, a dance troupe made famous on America’s Got Talent, will form captivating silhouettes using only a screen, shadows, and the human body. (561-243-7922)

Facebook Comments