Bring It On

The Culture Edit, September 16th - 29th

Author

Susan Bannon
September 15, 2024

Three Miami gems announced their 2024-2025 seasons this week and there’s so much to look forward to!

First up, Miami New Drama (MiND) will open their season with Lincoln Road Hustle, an immersive, very “Miami” story, staged in public spaces along Lincoln Road and written by Billy Corben, of Cocaine Cowboys fame. If you caught their pandemic-era Seven Deadly Sins, which was set in shuttered storefronts, or last year’s Museum Plays at the Rubell Museum, you know they’re good at this kind of thing.

The Miami Book Fair announced the complete lineup for it’s “Evenings with…” author talks, headlined by novelists Amy Tan and Erik Larson, and journalists Don Lemon and Connie Chung, both of whom have new memoirs out. To reserve seats now, you’ll need to join the Friends of the Fair, which also gets you tickets for the duration of the fair, free entrance to the rooftop Lost Chapter Lounge, and the knowledge that you’re supporting a key argument for Miami being an intellectual city. (Well, we can be.)

Lastly, Nu Deco Ensemble, our genre-smashing contemporary orchestra, announced the lineup for its 10th season, including new reworkings of Prince’s Purple Rain and the music of Chaka Khan.

So when can you see this stuff? Not yet! It all starts later this fall. But I just wanted you to know…

Big news on the restaurant front: Tâm Tâm, the Vietnamese place downtown that was awarded a Bib Gourmand by Michelin this spring, was just picked as one of the 20 Best New Restaurants in the U.S. by Bon Appétit. And I finally scored a table! (Okay, so that second part is really just big news for me. But I’ll let you know how it is.)

Let’s get planning...

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, please share it! If it was forwarded to you, you can subscribe by email or by text - or both!

Tuesday, September 17th

Bakehouse Open Studios Night

Bakehouse Art Complex hosts an end-of-the-summer open studios night, showcasing the work of resident artists, plus a newly-commissioned installation, Tropical Storm, by Bakehouse artist Alain Castoriano for the atrium. AV Club will be taking over one gallery for a 16mm screening of films from Miami-Dade Public Library’s Special Collections. As if all that wasn’t enough, there will be complimentary beverages from Off Site Nano Brewery and Liquid Death.

6-9pm, Bakehouse Art Complex, Free

Neighborhood: North Wynwood

Nearby Eats: Maty’s, Pastis, KYU | Drinks: The Sylvester, Lagniappe

Thursday, September 19th

Mel Davis and Judd Schiffman at Emerson Dorsch

Oil on canvas by Mel Davis, showing at Emerson Dorsch Sept. 19th - Nov. 2nd.

Emerson Dorsch celebrates the opening of two new solo exhibits with a reception in their Little Haiti space. California-based painter Mel Davis is known for her stark, solid fields of color that interplay with fluid, natural settings. Rhode Island-based ceramicist Judd Schiffman makes ceramic objects derived from family heirlooms, personal mementos, and historic artifacts to explore the how these freighted items compose an individual’s life experience.

6-9pm Opening Reception, Emerson Dorsch, Free

Neighborhood: Little Haiti

Nearby Eats: Ogawa Omakase (6pm or 9pm seatings), Blue Collar, Phuc Yea | Drinks: Bar Kaiju, ZeyZey

Also on September 19th: 

Friday, September 20th

Here & Now: 2024

Way back in 1999, Miami Light Project launched its Here & Now program to commission new work from local performing and multi-media artists. Since then, they’ve sponsored work from more than 100 artists, helping to make Miami the global arts hub it is today. Here & Now: 2024 features a dance/puppet performance by Haitian-American artist Arielle Francois, a capoeira/samba mash-up by Junior Domingos, a dance duet about relationships from Lisa Kusanagi and Osmani Tellez, and a music video by Our Human Years. Performances are Thursday-Sunday.

8pm, The Light Box at Miami Theater Center, $20-$30

Neighborhood: Miami Shores

Saturday, September 21st

Women At Large

Nathalie Alfonso with her work, part of the upcoming “Women At Large” group show at Piero Atchugarry Gallery.

Piero Atchugarry Gallery presents a group show of nine Miami-based female artists, curated by local art champion Dainy Tapia. (If you want to keep up with South Florida’s art scene, follow Dainy on Instagram @art.seen.365.) Opening the same night in the gallery’s Survey space will be a show of large-scale wood panel pieces by artist Amanda Linares, entitled Yo vengo de todas partes, y hacia todas partes voy (“I come from everywhere and everywhere I shall go”).

7-9pm Opening Reception, Piero Atchugarry Gallery, Free

Neighborhood: Little Haiti

Nearby Eats: Mandolin, Branja, Yoso Sushi | Drinks: ZeyZey, Phuc Yea

Also on September 21st: 

  • The Opera Atelier performs a new version of Don Pasquale, with virtual scenery, at Sanctuary of the Arts.

  • New World Percussion Fellows give a pre-season concert at New World Center.

  • La Cometa gallery celebrates the opening of Adam Goldstein: Spēlaion with a reception from 5-8pm.

  • Spinello Projects opens two shows - Damien Cifelli: Dream Animals and I’m Gonna Getcha, a two-person show by artists Thomas Bils and Alejandra Moros - with a reception from 6-9pm.

  • Here & Now: 2024 has its final performance at Miami Light Project.

Sunday, September 22nd

Sing for FREADOM with Joanie Leeds

Books & Books kicks off National Banned Books Week with a free concert by Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Joanie Leeds. Her album FREADOM is made up of songs inspired by children’s books banned in the state of Florida. (That’s currently over 1,000 books. Honestly, where do they find the time?) After the music, you can enjoy live readings from said literary contraband and buy some banned books!

3pm, Coral Gables Congregational Church, Free

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Also on September 22nd: Catch a Q&A with director Bernardo Britto at Coral Gables Art Cinema after a screening of his new film Omni Loop, starring Mary-Louise Parker and filmed on location in Miami.

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.

Thursday, September 26th

Rachel Feinstein: The Miami Years

“Mirrored Ball”, 1998, Rachel Feinstein

Following last year’s “Miami Years” exhibit of Nam June Paik, The Bass Museum opens a three-decade retrospective of New York-based artist Rachel Feinstein, the first in Miami, which happens to be her hometown. (Well, technically, she grew up in Coral Gables.) Feinstein’s multidisciplinary approach to sculpture includes painting, video, and performance, and is known for its Baroque influences and fairy tale themes. This exhibit will include a massive Bass-commissioned installation of painted mirrored panels spanning thirty feet.

Opening Reception 7-9pm (6-9pm for Members), The Bass Museum, Free

Neighborhood: Miami Beach

Also on September 26th:

  • A launch party at Books & Books for Sally Rooney’s new novel, Intermezzo.

  • A screening of the final cut of Apocalypse Now at Coral Gables Art Cinema.

Friday, September 27th

Carmen: Genesis of Fire

The Faena Theater premieres Carmen: Genesis of Fire, an original cabaret production based on the (unfortunately) timeless tale of love, jealousy, and murder. Spanish singer-songwriter Mimi Barber leads the evening as Master of Ceremonies, with performances that blend flamenco, cabaret, cirque nouveau, illusion, and percussive live music. 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, $100-$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 (or head to Broken Shaker for a change of scenery).

Saturday, September 28th

New World Pre-Season Symphony Debut

In their debut outing as a full orchestra, the 2024-2025 New World Fellows bring us a final “pay what you wish” concert before the official season begins, featuring rising star Stella Chen as a guest soloist on Barber’s Violin Concerto. Also on the program are Beethoven’s Leonore Overture and Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Fourth Symphony.

7:30pm, New World Center, “Pay What You Wish”

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Also on September 28th:

  • Tango Lovers’ VOLVER 2 brings award-winning tango singer Guillermo Fernandez and electrifying tango dancers to the Moss Center.

  • The annual Miami Beach Salsa Fest returns to the Miami Beach Bandshell for a full day of music, food, and free salsa classes.

  • The Alhambra Orchestra celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with the first of two concerts at Sanctuary of the Arts.

  • Pan American Art Projects celebrates the opening of The Future of America at their Little River gallery from 6-9pm.

Sunday, September 29th

Alhambra Orchestra with Koh Kazama

Stellar classical guitarist Koh Kazama joins the Alhambra Orchestra for a celebration of Hispanic Heritage, featuring the music of Hispanic composers. Also on the program, guest flutist Carol Naveira-Nicholson performs a work by Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo, while violinists Steffen Zeichner and Daniel Andai take on a duet by Pablo de Sarasate.

3pm, Sanctuary of the Arts, $10

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Planning Ahead:

Miami's most anticipated events sell out and those new restaurants you want to try book up. For the ultimate plan-ahead guide, you have my complete Highlights of the Fall Season, but if that’s too much trouble, you can just plan for these two…

October 10th-11th

A Brief History of Western Music

Seraphic Fire has titled its 2024-2025 season “Music History 101,” and plans to bring us the “fun and enlightening music appreciation course you always wished you had taken.” Sign me up! The season starts with A Brief History of Western Music, exploring the progression of western musical styles from Medieval chant, through the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods, right up to Contemporary works.

October 10th at 7:30pm, St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, $45-$65

Neighborhood: The Roads

October 11th at 8pm, Church of the Little Flower, $45-$65

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

October 24th - November 10th

The Pillowman

To open the Arsht Center’s Theater Up Close series, Zoetic Stage presents The Pillowman, a truly scary play by Martin McDonagh, the award-winning writer-director of The Banshees of Inisherin and In Bruges. The plot centers on a writer in an unnamed totalitarian state, who is being interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories - stories that just happen to echo a series of actual child murders in his town. This Olivier- and Tony-award winning play is NOT for children and designated 18+.

7:30 evenings, 2:30 matinees, Carnival Studio Theater at the Arsht, $56-$61

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Thanks for reading! If you know a friend that would like this newsletter, please forward it.

If someone forwarded it to you, you can subscribe here.

Any feedback? Or tips on events or restaurants? I'd love to hear from you! Hit reply and it will come directly to me.

Reply

or to participate.