A Young Cello Star Lands at New World

The Culture Edit, April 14th-27th

Author

Susan Bannon
April 13, 2025

While still a teenager, British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason played for the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (for a television audience of two billion - no pressure) and released a chart-topping debut classical album. Now at the ripe old age of 26, Kanneh-Mason has released two more albums and tours the globe as an in-demand soloist. He’ll be gracing the stage at New World Center this Saturday for a one-night-only performance of Shostakovich’s most challenging cello concerto.

I still had a tough time deciding what to feature for Saturday, though, because - also on Saturday - the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami is celebrating the opening of Miriam Shapiro: 1967-1972, a major new exhibit of monumental paintings by the legendary feminist artist, with a free reception (and free drinks!) in their uber-pleasant sculpture garden, with guided curator tours of the exhibit.

The good news for my culture-dedicated readers is that while I had to choose, you do not. You could easily enjoy ICA’s reception (4-6pm) and still make it to New World Center by 8pm - with a quick stop at MIA Market for top notch sushi or ceviche. Good luck!

Let’s get planning...

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Ongoing Theater

Gablestage: Summer, 1976 - Final Week!

Gablestage presents the Florida premiere of David Auburn’s Summer, 1976, after its twice-extended run on Broadway in 2023. Set at a university during our nation’s centennial, the story follows an unlikely friendship between two women who followed different paths - a rule-breaking artist and a faculty wife - that find they both have growing disquiet about the compromises they had to make.

Performances through April 20th, Gablestage, $40-$50

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Nearby Eats: Babette, Vinya Table, MIKA | Drinks: Bulla, Sospiro Wine Bar

Actors’ Playhouse: Waitress - Final Week!

Actors’ Playhouse continues its “Iconic Season” with Waitress, a heartwarming Broadway hit that makes its Florida regional premiere. The musical revolves around Jenna, a talented piemaker trapped in a loveless marriage, who finds solace and strength through her extraordinary baking skills. With a soulful score by Sara Bareilles, Waitress is a delectable treat that explores the empowering journey of a woman finding her own recipe for happiness.

Performances through April 20th, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theater, $65-$100

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Miami New Drama: Birthright

Miami New Drama presents Birthright, the world premiere of a new play by renowned playwright Jonathan Spector (whose play Eureka Day was a hit on Broadway this past fall). The play begins in 2006, as a group of young American Jews meet on a Birthright Israel trip, and become fast friends. The next twenty years, right up through the Oct. 7th attack and beyond, tear them apart and bring them together, as they wrestle with the question of how to live as a Jew in America.

Performances through April 27th, Colony Theatre, $47-$77

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Nearby Eats: Uchiko, Lucali, Paya | Drinks: Brother’s Keeper, Barceloneta

Monday, April 14th

Never Drop the Ball Screening and Q&A

A team photo of the Miami Giants, featured in WLRN’s documentary, “Never Drop the Ball.”

In honor of Jackie Robinson Day, Coral Gables Art Cinema presents a special screening of WLRN’s one-hour documentary, Never Drop The Ball. The film tells the story of black baseball players who built a league and a dynamic playing style of their own during segregation. Emmy Award-winning director Michael Anderson and Miami historian Abel Sanchez will be on hand for a Q&A after the showing, hosted by CBS News' Hank Tester.

5:30pm, Coral Gables Art Cinema, Pay What You Can

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Also on April 14th:

Wednesday, April 16th

Faena Jazz Series: Lucía

Faena Theatre’s 7th Annual Jazz Series welcomes 23-year-old jazz sensation Lucía for her Miami debut. The only Latina ever to win the prestigious Sarah Vaughan Vocal Jazz Competition, Lucía is taking the jazz world by storm. After beginning her career in her parents’ son jarocho band, Son de Madera, Lucía transitioned to jazz and has since performed on stages all over the world, including Jazz at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Seating at the Faena is two-by-two, and tables can be upgraded with fancy bottle service, so this is definitely a date-night booking.

8pm, Faena Theater, $65-$300

Neighborhood: Miami Beach

Nearby Eats & Drinks: Make it an all-Faena night, with dinner at Pao or Los Fuegos and drinks at Living Room or The Saxony Bar.

Also on April 16th:

  • NODUS Ensemble and renowned contemporary composer Nina Young close out the New Music Miami Festival with a concert of her latest innovative work, at the Jewish Museum, at 7pm.

  • Jamaican singer Protoje and his band The Indiggnation bring their mix of reggae, soul, and hip top to the Miami Beach Bandshell, at 7pm.

Thursday, April 17th

New Media Block Party at PAMM

Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) hosts a block party for South Florida’s contemporary media art scene, with the premiere of video art biennial Intertidal 2025 on the floating screen and activations by Locust Projects, Miami Film Festival, FilmGate, Club Sinema, and more. DJ sets and an AI figure-drawing session with Raw Figs round out the night.

6-10pm, PAMM, Free (doesn’t include admission to the galleries)

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Also on April 17th:

  • Poet and musician Marnino Toussaint hosts Where Mangos Drop, an old-school variety show highlighting the year round educational work of the O, Miami Poetry Festival, at the Miami Beach Bandshell at 7:30pm.

  • Sanctuary of the Arts welcomes jazz drummer Ari Hoenig, backed by Tivon Pennicott on sax and Gadi Lehavi on piano, for an evening of straight ahead jazz, at 7:30pm.

Saturday, April 19th

Symphonie Fantastique

Photo credit: Jake Turney

Stéphane Denève conducts the New World Symphony for Berlioz’s intense, groundbreaking Symphonie Fantastique (which you might recognize from The Shining or Sleeping with the Enemy), a piece that follows a narrative of obsession, seduction, and drug-fueled hallucination. Then, the NWS welcomes young cello star Sheku Kanneh-Mason for a performance of Shostakovich’s most challenging cello concerto.

8pm, New World Center, $25-$150

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Nearby Eats: Mimi Chinese, Paya, Tropezón | Drinks: Abbey Brewing Co., Water Lion at the Sagamore

Also on April 19th:

  • Miami Zine Fair, our annual celebration of independent publishing, returns to Paradise Plaza in the Design District with hundreds of zines and interactive artworks, as part of the O, Miami Poetry Festival, from 12-5pm.

  • ICA Miami celebrates the opening of a major new exhibition, Miriam Shapiro: 1967-1972, with a free opening reception from 4 to 6pm, including a curator-led tour of the exhibit at 5pm.

  • Rescheduled date: Indie electro band STRFKR, known for spacey, breezy hooks, plays the Miami Beach Bandshell, at 7pm.

Sunday, April 20th

Dance NOW! in the Garden

Dance NOW! Miami and the South Beach Chamber Ensemble join forces for Blossoms of Peace, a special Easter celebration set in the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. The two ensembles will alternate short performances for this annual collaboration.

Performances at 4:30pm & 6pm, Miami Beach Botanical Garden, Free

Neighborhood: South Beach

Happening NEXT Week:

Because maybe your friends are busy this week. Or you're busy this week. Or this week just seems too soon to pull your act together and make a plan.

Wednesday, April 23rd

O, Miami “ZipOdes” Finale at Vizcaya

For 10 years now, our annual O, Miami Poetry Festival and WLRN have invited Miami residents to submit a poem about their zip code, using the numbers as the structure (meaning if your zip code is 33133, your poem has 3 words on the first line, 3 on the second, 1 on the third… you get the picture). This year’s special 10th anniversary of the ZipOdes Finale, hosted by Vizcaya, will feature poetry readings, interactive activations, and the chance to craft your own ZipOde - plus complimentary light bites and wine.

6-9pm, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, Free

Neighborhood: Coconut Grove / Brickell

Nearby(ish) Eats: head north to Edge Brasserie or LPM, or south to Bayshore Club or Regatta Grove (those places should have you covered for drinks, as well).

Also on April 23rd:

  • Dranoff 2 Piano and the Arsht Center present Piano Slam, a fast-paced spoken word poetry competition, accompanied by piano duo Jeroen van Veen and Mike Del Ferro, plus DJ and synth player Anthony "Smurfio" Laurencio, at 7:30pm.

Thursday, April 24th

Laughing at Injustice

Books & Books hosts the legendary Dave Barry, along with fellow Miami satirists Andrew Boryga (Victim), Asha Elias (Pink Glass Houses), and Andrew Otazo (The Miami Creation Myth) for Laughing at Injustice: The Art and Power of Miami Satire, a roundtable discussion about the easy job of making fun of life in South Florida. Award-winning journalist and longtime chronicler of Florida absurdities Bill Kearney, of the Sun Sentinel, will moderate the panel.

7pm, Books & Books Coral Gables, Free with Rsvp

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Friday, April 25th

Miami City Ballet: Carmen

Miami City Ballet closes out its 2024-25 season with the world premiere of a new incarnation of the Carmen story by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, one of today’s leading ballet makers. Set to a fresh reworking of Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite by Colombian composer Juan Carlos Acosta, this version was inspired by the movie Molly’s Game (which bodes well for our heroine, since Molly wasn’t murdered by her ex). With bold costume design by Mark Eric and some giant 3D props, this Carmen is shaping up to be one you don’t want to miss.

7:30pm, Ziff Ballet Opera House at Arsht, $60-$287

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Also on April 25th:

  • Pioneer Winter Collective, in partnership with Miami Light Project and FUNDarte, presents Apollo, a dance meditation on confrontation and shared history between different generations of queer experience, at Miami Theater Center at 8pm.

Saturday, April 26th

Nu Deco Ensemble: 10th Anniversary Concert

It’s been ten years since Sam Hyken and Jacomo Bairos brought their dream of a contemporary orchestra to life. Since then, Nu Deco Ensemble has changed the way Miami experiences orchestral music with its genre-bending arrangements of popular music (think Daft Punk, 90’s Hip Hop) and artist collaborations. To celebrate it’s tenth anniversary, Nu Deco welcomes global superstar Luis Fonsi (of Despacito fame), alongside collaborators Kishi Bashi and PJ Morton.

8pm, Knight Concert Hall at Arsht Center, $75-$250

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Also on April 26th:

  • Miami City Ballet’s world-premiere production of Carmen, by in-demand ballet maker Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, gets two performances Saturday at Arsht, at 2pm and 7:30pm.

  • ICA Miami welcomes renowned artist Rick Lowe to speak on the pivotal moments that changed his approach to making art, at 4pm.

  • Pioneer Winter Collective’s Apollo, a dance meditation on confrontation and shared history between different generations of queer experience, gets a second performance at Miami Theater Center, at 8pm.

  • The Moss Center presents Complexions Contemporary Ballet, an exciting New York-based troupe that brings ballet into the here and now with music by the likes of U2 and Drake, at 8pm.

Sunday, April 27th

Gold Dust Lounge x Miami Color Theory

The Miami Beach Bandshell presents Hearing Differently / Seeing Differently, an immersive, multi-sensory experience, featuring guitarist Russell Mofsky of Gold Dust Lounge with the vibrant visuals of Laura Paresky Gould’s Miami Color Theory. Joining the party will be DJ Erick Paredes, with a mix of soul, funk, and electronic beats.

8pm, Miami Beach Bandshell, Free

Neighborhood: North Beach

Also on April 27th:

  • Gospel Fest Miami and the Arsht Center present Gospel on the Road, a celebration of gospel singing at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, from 5-7pm.

  • Miami City Ballet’s brand new production of Carmen gets a final performance at the Arsht Center, at 2pm.

Planning Ahead:

Miami's most anticipated events sell out and those new restaurants you want to try book up. Here are a couple of upcoming events to get on your calendar now…

May 3rd-4th

NWS Season Finale with Gil Shaham

World-renowned violinist Gil Shaham and London Philharmonic Principal Conductor Edward Gardner join forces for New World Symphony’s season finale. Shaham will take on Dvořák’s fiery Violin Concerto, one of his most performed works and a staple of the international violin repertoire. Also on the program will be Musgrave’s Song of the Enchanter and Bartók’s masterpiece Concerto for Orchestra, written shortly before his death.

7:30pm Saturday, 2pm Sunday, New World Center, $80-$150

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Nearby Eats: Casa Tua, Blue Ribbon Sushi, Mimi Chinese | Drinks: Water Lion at the Sagamore, Medium Cool

May 8th-25th

Zoetic Stage: The Comeuppance

Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is having quite a Miami year, with Zoetic Stage’s production of his award-winning play, The Comeuppance, following a great run of his Broadway hit Appropriate at Gablestage earlier this season. The Comeuppance follows a self-proclaimed "Multi-Ethnic Reject Group" that reconvenes for their 20th high school reunion. Over alcohol and other substances, they try to reconnect who they once were with whom they've become.

Performances May 8th-25th, Carnival Studio Theater, $56-$61

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

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