Our Own Little Slice of Sundance

The Culture Edit, April 8th-21st

Author

Susan Bannon
April 07, 2024

With Spring Break and Ultra safely behind us, Miamians can now settle in to enjoy the last stretch of our arts season. Whew!

This week, the 41st Annual Miami Film Festival continues with screenings all around town. Our own little slice of Sundance, the festival brings directors and actors to town to present their work and receive awards, and gives us a first look at over 180 new films. I’m including the Closing Night screening of a new Robert De Niro film at the Arsht Center in this newsletter, but really you could spend the whole week going to the movies. You can check out the full schedule here.

Also this week, we have two great local theater productions running - The Lehman Trilogy at GableStage and Dangerous Days at Miami New Drama - and Miami Light Project brings us another very interesting show.

Let's get planning...

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, please share it! If it was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here.

Tuesday, April 9th

Florida Grand Opera: La Bohème Final Performance

This is your last chance to see Florida Grand Opera’s season finale production of the beloved La Bohème. The story of six young lovers and starving artists living the bohemian life in 19th century Paris has captivated audiences since its premiere 130 years ago. Giacomo Puccini's ravishing score delivers many of opera's greatest hits (even if you've never heard of "Quando m'en vo", I guarantee you can hum the entire thing), and the talented young cast for this production promises to give some great performances.

8pm, Ziff Ballet Opera House at Adrienne Arsht Center, $26-$234

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Nearby Eats: Bunbury, Klaw, Mignonette | Drinks: Jaguar Sun, Night Swim

Also on April 9th: an experiential poetry dinner for the O, Miami Poetry Festival, and a performance of The Lehman Trilogy at GableStage, chronicling the rise and spectacular fall of Lehman Brothers.

Wednesday, April 10th

Opening Reception: MOCA Spring Exhibitions

The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami invites you to come out and celebrate the opening of its spring exhibitions: Light Play, a curated show of work from the permanent collection, and two separate shows of the work of Haitian artist Manuel Mathieu. Mathieu works across media, using painting, ceramics, photography, and video to represent Haiti’s struggle for self-determination and peace. Refreshments will be provided by Tripping Animals Brewing Co. and Barbancourt Rhum, with music by DJ Pressure Point.

7pm-9pm, MOCA North Miami, $10

Nearby(ish) Eats: Edan Bistro, EntreNos, Rosie's | Drinks: head to The Citadel rooftop or Bar Kaiju on the 2nd Floor

Also on April 10th: Jazz at Faena welcomes legendary percussionist and multiple Grammy-nominee Sammy Figueroa, performing with Grammy-winning singer Aymée Nuviola.

Thursday, April 11th

Dangerous Days

Miami New Drama presents Dangerous Days, a new play by Nicholas Griffin, based on his acclaimed nonfiction book, The Year of Dangerous Days: Riots, Refugees, and Cocaine in Miami 1980. The story tracks the investigative work of Miami Herald reporter Edna Buchanan, who follows a tip in 1980 that leads her on a trail ending in murder, riots, and the city on fire.

8pm, Colony Theater, $46-$76

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Also on April 11th: the uniquely Miami sound of Gold Dust Lounge on the plaza at the Arsht Center, author Marina Harss and Miami City Ballet artistic director Lourdes Lopez discussing Marina’s biography of choreographer Alexei Ratmansky at Books & Books, plus a performance of The Lehman Trilogy at GableStage.

Friday, April 12th

Sol Ruiz: Positive Vibration Nation

The last performance I saw by Miami Light Project was an unhinged Soviet puppet show rock opera that turned out to be… absolutely fantastic. If possible, this “evening-length rock guaguanco opera” by Grammy-nominated recording artist, producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist Sol Ruiz looks to be even stranger, but I’m betting it’s worth seeing. The story is something about musicians from the year 3050 traveling back in time to discover the “origins of their Miami-licious swagger and unified superpowers in the Positive Vibration Nation”. Sounds like a blast. For this performance, VIP ticket holders have access to the after party with the artists next door.

8pm, Miami Theater Center, $20-$100

Neighborhood: Miami Shores

Nearby Eats: EntreNos, Phuc Yea, Blue Collar | Drinks: ZeyZey, Rooftop at The Citadel

Also on April 12th: the launch of Dear Human, a poetry activation in Coral Gables for the O, Miami Poetry Festival, plus performances of Dangerous Days at the Colony Theater and The Lehman Trilogy at GableStage.

Saturday, April 13th

41st Annual Miami Film Festival - Closing Night

The Miami Film Festival has been showcasing the work of the world’s best emerging and established filmmakers since 1984. For it’s official closing night celebration, the festival presents a screening of Ezra, starring Robert De Niro and a stacked supporting cast: Bobby Cannavale, Whoopi Goldberg, Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, and Rainn Wilson. Director Tony Goldwyn will be given the Art of Light Award in a ceremony before the screening (and you never know who might show up for that).

7pm, Knight Concert Hall at the Arsht Center, $34

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Also on April 13th: Sol Ruiz’s Positive Vibration Nation gets a second performance and the winners of New World Symphony’s concerto competition show off, plus performances of Dangerous Days and The Lehman Trilogy.

Food Event of the Week: Deering Seafood Festival

The Deering Estate welcomes Miami for its 18th annual Seafood Festival on the Bay. This wildly popular food fest offers seafood from pretty much every local vendor, plus chef demonstrations, live entertainment, and kids activities.

Sunday, April 14th, 10am-6pm

The Deering Estate, $25 with advance ticket purchase

Sunday, April 14th

New World Fellows: Concerto Showcase

In this popular all-concerto program, select New World Symphony Fellows take the coveted spotlight as winners of this season’s concerto competition, an intense contest where the pre-professional Fellows compete head-to-head, armed with their favorite solo work. Maestra Lina González-Granados of the Los Angeles Opera will be conducting this performance of concertos for strings, harp, and trumpet, showing off the immeasurable talent and accomplishments of the young musicians who call the New World Symphony home.

2pm, New World Center, $40-$100

Nearby Eats: Casa Tua, Zaytinya, Joliet | Drinks: Water Lion at the Sagamore, Barceloneta

Also on April 14th: the last screenings of the 41st annual Miami Film Fest, plus performances of Dangerous Days and The Lehman Trilogy.

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, April 18th

The Lehman Trilogy - Final Weekend!

GableStage presents The Lehman Trilogy, an epic piece of storytelling that tracks three members of the Lehman family through 163 years of history, right up to the devastating collapse of their family firm, Lehman Brothers. Beginning in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1844, a Bavarian immigrant dreams of a better life. In 2008, his descendants unleash an unprecedented financial disaster. The story in between is both an intimate family saga and a colossal exposé of unquenchable capitalism.

7:30pm, GableStage, $55-$60

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Also on April 18th: opening night of Miami City Ballet’s Swan Lake, a poetry happening at The Bass Museum, a new exhibit of work by multimedia artist Moira Holohan at Emerson Dorsch, and a performance of Dangerous Days at the Colony Theater.

Friday, April 19th

Miami City Ballet: Swan Lake

Miami City Ballet caps off its 2023-2024 season with this blockbuster production of Swan Lake, featuring more than fifty dancers, gorgeous costumes, and MCB’s fantastic orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s glorious score. The company premiered this production, with crisp new choreography by Alexei Ratmansky, in their 2021-22 season to rave reviews both here and in New York. If you can only get to one dance performance this year, this is the one!

7:30pm, Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Arsht Center, $44-$253

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Also on April 19th: Dangerous Days at the Colony Theater and The Lehman Trilogy at GableStage.

Saturday, April 20th

Late Night: Drake X Tchaikovsky

Late Night with New World Symphony is back, turning the concert hall into a club with a thrilling mashup of two hopeless romantics separated by almost a century: Drake and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. For one night only, NWS—along with conductor-creator Steve Hackman, vocalists and a rapper—weaves 22 Drake songs, from “Started from the Bottom” to “Marvin’s Room,” into Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony in every way imaginable. Roam the dance floor to be up close to the performers or immerse your senses in the lounge vibe from a seat upstairs. According to the program notes, Drake himself will not be in attendance, but you never know with that guy.

9pm, New World Center, $30

Neighborhood: Miami Beach

Nearby Eats: Zaytinya, Tropezón, Casa Tua | Drinks: Medium Cool, Water Lion at the Sagamore

Also on April 20th: Miami City Ballet’s Swan Lake, a book talk with bestselling author Anne Lamott, a poetry scavenger hunt in Coconut Grove, plus performances of Dangerous Days and The Lehman Trilogy.

Sunday, April 21st

Miami Symphony Orchestra Season Finale

The Miami Symphony Orchestra has been bringing orchestral music to Miami in parks and smaller venues throughout the spring and now finishes out its season in grand style at the Arsht Center. For the performance, Itzhak Perlman star student KJ Macdonald joins MISO for Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, a showcase for his sparkling technique. Also on the program, Maestro Eduardo Marturet will be conducting his own arrangement of a piece by Anton Webern and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7.

6pm, Knight Concert Hall at the Arsht Center, $39-$139

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Also on April 21st: final performances for Swan Lake and The Lehman Trilogy, a guided hike and poetry workshop in Homestead, and a performance of Dangerous Days at the Colony Theater.

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 you need to lock down now...

Saturday, May 4th

MTT and Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Hailed as a “master colorist,” “titanic force,” and “a complete triumph,” pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet joins New World Symphony for a highly anticipated performance of Ravel’s Piano Concerto. Also on the program, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15. Beloved conductor and co-founder of New World Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas will be at the podium, so this is sure to be a hot ticket.

8pm, New World Center, $40-$175

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Nearby Eats: Joliet, Barceloneta, Zaytinya | Drinks:  MILA, Water Lion at the Sagamore

May 18th-19th

Andrew Scott: Vanya

Coral Gables Art Cinema is proud to present National Theatre Live, a groundbreaking project to broadcast the best of British theater, live from the London stage to cinemas around the world. Andrew Scott (Fleabag) brings multiple characters to life in Simon Stephens’ (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) radical new version of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Filmed and broadcast live during its sold-out run in London’s West End.

12pm Saturday, 1pm Sunday, Coral Gables Art Cinema, $20

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

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.