That Holiday Spirit

The Culture Edit, December 9th-22nd

Author

Susan Bannon
December 08, 2024

Miami City Ballet’s annual production of “The Nutcracker” opens at the Arsht Center Dec. 13th.

If you’re reading this, you survived another Art Week. Congratulations! Now it’s time to exhale and enjoy the rest of our tropical holiday season, which is less than three weeks long, but jam-packed with festive events.

The headliner is Miami City Ballet’s annual production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, which transforms the Ziff Ballet Opera House into a Candyland fantasy snowglobe, populated by over 100 dancers draped in acres of velvet and sequins. The sheer spectacle of it would be enough, but then you add Tchaikovsky’s iconic score and Miami City Ballet’s world-class principals and soloists, and you have a holiday treat not to be missed.

But you don’t have to be a ballet lover to get in the holiday spirit this year. On local stages, City Theatre’s social satire Black Santa is running at the Arsht Center, and the Children’s Theatre at Actor’s Playhouse is putting on A Christmas Carol The Musical. We also have a full plate of holiday concerts to choose from, including a jazz Nutcracker, Seraphic Fire’s candlelight Christmas Concert, world-famous tenor Andrea Bocelli singing A Family Christmas, and my personal favorite - Sounds of the Season at New World Symphony.

In restaurant news, L.A. pasta import Jon & Vinny’s is getting good early reviews after its Art Week debut at the Rubell Museum. We may not need any more new Italian restaurants, but it sounds like a good excuse to see the exhibits the Rubell’s put up for Art Week, which you can now leisurely stroll without the hordes. If you’re looking for a sure thing to celebrate the season, however, my top pick would be Sunny’s Steakhouse. It feels like a house party with a great playlist where the food just happens to be amazing. Cheers!

Lastly, the newsletter will be taking a short break for the holidays, but I’ll be back in the new year once things are rolling again. It’s possible I’ll use the time off to write up a “Highlights of the Spring” issue. We’ll see!

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!

Ongoing Theater

Black Santa

City Theatre and the Arsht Center present the Southeastern Premiere of Black Santa, an absurdist comedy about the ways racial assumptions can claim even our most benign cultural figures. After a 3rd grader named Sharifa publicly declares to fellow classmates at her exclusive private school that “Santa Claus is a black man from Detroit,” all hell breaks loose and the school’s sole black teacher is tasked with creating an ad campaign to make Santa white again.

Performances through December 22nd, Carnival Studio Theater at the Arsht Center, $56-$61

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Lincoln Road Hustle

In the depths of the pandemic, Miami New Drama triumphed with The Seven Deadly Sins, an innovative roving theater piece set in shuttered Lincoln Road storefronts. Last year, they brilliantly staged a series of short plays in The Rubell Museum for The Museum Plays. Now, MiND is bringing a similar concept to Lincoln Road Hustle, a new play co-written by Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys). Staged in secret locations - shops, restaurants, public spaces - along Lincoln Road, the audience will be “eavesdropping” on the actors. The plot features a massive casino and real estate deal that could change Miami Beach forever, and all the hustlers in its orbit. How Miami is that?

Performances through February 16th, Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre, $45-$95

Wednesday, December 11th

An Evening with Author Susan Minot

Books & Books welcomes award-winning novelist, poet, and screenwriter Susan Minot, author of the bestselling novel Evening, to discuss her new work, Don’t Be a Stranger, about a woman swept into an all-consuming love affair in mid-life. She will be in conversation with Asha Elias, author of the recent Miami-based novel, Pink Glass Houses.

7pm, Books & Books Coral Gables, $28 includes book and entry for two

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Also on December 11th:

  • Miami Sound Choir, our audition-free, inclusive adult community choir, will be celebrating five years of music making with a special concert at ZeyZey, which is possibly Miami’s most fun outdoor bar and performance space, from 7-9pm.

Thursday, December 12th

PAMM Floating Films: Cajita

Perez Art Museum Miami will be screening Cajita, a new film by artist and filmmaker Luis Gispert, as part of its “Floating Films” series, projected from a barge on the water. The film, which follows the titular Cajita, a Cuban refugee with a murky past who ships himself to America in a crate, took the top prize at this year’s New York Latino Film Festival. A Q&A with Gispert and producer Ryan Murphy will follow the film. You can bring a lawn chair and set up on the “beach” in front of the museum or view from the terraced seating.

7-9pm, Perez Art Museum Miami, Free with RSVP

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Nearby Eats & Drinks: Verde at PAMM is the clear choice here, but you could continue your night with Roman cocktails at ViceVersa.

Friday, December 13th

Miami City Ballet’s The Nutcracker - Opening Night!

The quintessential Christmas spectacular, Miami City Ballet’s The Nutcracker has it all: gorgeous sets, sumptuous costumes, Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, and some thrilling dancing by Miami City Ballet’s precise, energetic dancers. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun, as evidenced by this very “hype” Mouse King vs. Nutcracker promo MCB dancers made with Florida Memorial University’s marching band. If you need to put yourself in the holiday mood, look no further. Performances through December 24th.

7pm, Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Arsht, $40-$250

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Also on December 13th:

  • Both Sides Now at Gablestage (see below) has its preview performance, at 7:30pm.

  • Miami Chamber Music Society presents Winter Dreams, an evening of holiday favorites for strings, from The Nutcracker to White Christmas, at Sanctuary of the Arts at 8pm.

  • Nu Deco Ensemble, our genre-bending contemporary orchestra, returns to the Arsht with a reimagining of Prince’s Purple Rain album and a special collaboration with guest artist Estelle, at 8pm.

  • Seraphic Fire presents another performance of its fan-favorite Christmas Concert, at Church of the Little Flower in Coral Gables, at 8pm.

Saturday, December 14th

Both Sides Now - Opening Night!

An intimate theatrical cabaret, Both Sides Now, weaves together the lives and iconic music of lifetime friends and one-time lovers, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Starring and written by UM Frost School of Music alum Danielle Wertz and rock-folk musician Robbie Schaefer. Performances through January 5th.

7:30pm, Gablestage at the Biltmore, $40-$60

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Also on December 14th:

  • World-renowned violinist Leonidas Kavakos joins the New World Symphony for an evening of Mozart and Brahms, at 7:30pm.

  • New Canon Collective swings into the holidays with A Duke Ellington Jazz Nutcracker, with its 18-piece big band orchestra playing holiday classics arranged by Ellington and legendary collaborator Billy Strayhorn, at 7:30pm.

  • For the first concert in its Starlight Jazz series, the Miami Beach Bandshell presents pianist and composer Jon Cowherd, backed by an all-star jazz ensemble, at 8pm.

  • Books & Books welcomes legendary true-crime author T.J. English to discuss his new book, The Last Kilo: Willy Falcon and the Cocaine Empire that Seduced America, at 6pm.

Sunday, December 15th

Kavakos: Mozart & Brahms

New World Symphony welcomes world-renowned violinist Leonidas Kavakos for his NWS debut, taking center stage in Mozart’s playful Fourth Violin Concerto. Kavakos will then take the baton and lead the New World Fellows in Brahms’ romantic final symphony.

2pm, New World Center, $75-$170

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

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

Also on December 15th:

  • The Opera Atelier presents Haydn’s Arianna a Naxos alongside La Noche y La Luna, a new contemporary dance work by choreographer Leyson Ponce, at Sanctuary of the Arts at 4pm.

  • Your final chance to catch Seraphic Fire’s Christmas Concert at the Moss Center, at 4pm.

  • Florida Chamber Orchestra presents a special Christmas concert, featuring classic Christmas tunes, lively Latin rhythms, and iconic film scores, at the Miami Beach Bandshell, at 7pm.

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.

Friday, December 20th

Syncopate Collective: Winter Solstice

Syncopate Collective, the resident dance company of Sanctuary of the Arts, presents Winter Solstice, a celebration of togetherness, spirituality, and humanity for the holidays. The evening premieres new contemporary work by five visionary choreographers, including Nicole Pedraza's Interwoven Echoes, performed to a live soundscape featuring the dancers' own voices, and Deja Darbonne’s Resolve, a contemporary ballet set to the emotional score of Japanese figure skating anime Yuri on Ice.

8pm, Sanctuary of the Arts, $18-$33

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Saturday, December 21st

Sounds of the Season

My absolute favorite Miami holiday tradition! The New World Symphony is so good, I often forget they are technically students (albeit post-grad students and some of the most talented musicians anywhere). Their youthful energy and playfulness are on full display for this annual holiday concert of Christmas and Hanukkah favorites, where everyone is just having a ton of fun. Tickets sell out fast for this one, but if you miss out, you can enjoy a free WALLCAST of the concert in adjacent Soundscape Park.

7:30pm, New World Center, $45-$100 or free outdoor WALLCAST

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Nearby Eats: Casa Tua, Blue Ribbon Sushi, Barceloneta | Drinks: Brother’s Keeper, Water Lion at the Sagamore

Also on December 21st:

  • O Cinema welcomes filmmakers Pamela Yates and Paco de Onís for a screening and discussion of their film Borderlands, at 1pm.

  • Dance NOW! Miami presents Clara, a “saucy” interpretation of The Nutcracker, following the journey of a young woman, exploring and experiencing the exotic in search of love, at 8pm.

  • Legendary latin rock band Caramelos de Cianuro make a Miami stop at the Miami Beach Bandshell after touring in Europe and Latin America, at 9pm.

Sunday, December 22nd

Andrea Bocelli Holiday Concert

Adrienne Arsht Center presents Andrea Bocelli in concert for the holidays at the Kaseya Center this December. One of the most beloved voices in the world, Bocelli will perform songs from his No. 1 album, A Family Christmas, and his solo album, Believe.

7:30pm, Kaseya Center, $86-$366

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Also on December 22nd:

  • Celebrated pianist Anne-Marie McDermott joins the New World Symphony for a performance of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, composed in a prisoner-of-war camp early in World War II, at 2pm.

  • A screening of art history documentary Perugino: Eternal Renaissance at Coral Gables Art Cinema at 2pm.

Planning Ahead:

Since I skimped on this section over Art Week, I’m giving you three events for planning ahead this week!

December 27th-29th

Peter London Global Dance: AFTER LANDING

In partnership with the Arsht Center, Peter London Global Dance Company presents AFTER LANDING, a contemporary dance program featuring four world premiere collaborations between award-winning composers and choreographers. Also on the program are three new company productions, including Jamar Roberts’ As an Offering, with a commissioned score by Etienne Charles. Guest stars include Leon Cobb and Andrea Murillo, former soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Company.

Various times, Carnival Studio Theater at the Arsht, $50

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Saturday, December 28th 

Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert

A Miami New Year’s tradition for over fifteen years, the Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert is a champagne toast to the music of Johann Strauss. Champion ballroom dancers join the Strauss Symphony of America and celebrated guest vocalists for a sparkling holiday performance of Strauss’ waltzes and festive overtures, bringing Vienna’s Golden Age to life.

8pm, Knight Concert Hall at Arsht Center, $30-$160

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

January 9th

Eddie Palmieri at the Bandshell

Headlining the 9th annual South Beach Jazz Festival is legendary salsa and Latin jazz pianist and bandleader Eddie Palmieri, performing at the Miami Beach Bandshell. Hailed as the “Madman of Latin Jazz,” Palmieri’s performances are known for their intense energy, rhythmic brilliance, and the seamless fusion of Afro-Caribbean sounds with contemporary jazz elements, creating an exhilarating live experience.

8pm, Miami Beach Bandshell, $42-$83

Neighborhood: North Beach

Happy holidays, everyone! I’ll be back in the new year. As always, if you know a friend that would like this newsletter, please forward it. Thank you!

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.