Two Famous Authors Come to Town

The Culture Edit, May 27th-June 9th

Author

Susan Bannon
May 26, 2024

Memorial Day means summer has officially arrived! The weather may be appalling, cultural events are slowing down, and half the population is streaming toward the exits, but it feels pretty nice to have some breathing room in the calendar, doesn’t it?

This week, Books & Books is hosting not one, but two famous, bestselling authors to discuss their new books: Kevin Kwan, of Crazy Rich Asians fame, and Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm.

There’s also a lot of music to enjoy, with two concerts for the final week of ChamberFest Miami, a free Miami Symphony Orchestra performance at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, and world-renowned Brazilian guitarist Yamandu Costa at Sanctuary of the Arts.

Finally, we have two local theater productions running in Coral Gables: Laughs in Spanish at GableStage and A Rock Sails By at Actor’s Playhouse. You’ll notice Coral Gables rules the calendar this week, so I had to recommend a lot of restaurants and bars in the same three-block radius. Fortunately, with all the new spots opening in the Gables lately, there’s plenty to choose from.

Let’s get planning...

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Tuesday, May 28th

An Evening with Author Kevin Kwan

Books & Books presents an evening with Kevin Kwan, internationally bestselling author of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, one of the most successful series in recent publishing history. (In 2018, the trilogy held the #1, #2, and #3 spot on the New York Times bestseller list simultaneously and the movie adaptation was the highest grossing romantic comedy in over a decade.) Kevin will be discussing his new book, Lies and Weddings, along with his publisher, Doubleday’s Todd Doughty. Lies and Weddings will be available for purchase at the event. Rsvp required.

7pm, Coral Gables Congregational Church, Free

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Wednesday May 29th

Masters of Comedy: Jamie Kennedy

New this year, Faena Theater’s Masters of Comedy series brings top notch comics to their intimate cabaret-style theater space on the last Wednesday of each month. For this performance, actor and comedian Jamie Kennedy, best known for his roles in the Scream movie franchise and his show, “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment”, takes the stage with his stand-up hour. Seating at Faena is two by two, and you can upgrade with fancy bottle service and even caviar, so this is definitely a date night booking.

6:30pm and 9:15pm, Faena Theater, $65-$95

Neighborhood: Mid Beach

Nearby Eats: Los Fuegos at Faena, also 27 Restaurant and Cecconi's  | Drinks: Choose from three great bars at the Faena - Tree of Life, Living Room, and The Saxony Bar, or head to WunderBar for a change of scenery.

Also on May 29th: performances of Laughs in Spanish at GableStage and A Rock Sails By at Actor’s Playhouse.

Thursday, May 30th

An Evening with Sebastian Junger

Books & Books presents an evening with best-selling author Sebastian Junger, discussing his new book In My Time of Dying. Best known for The Perfect Storm and his long résumé of war reporting, Junger tackles “the idea of an afterlife” in the wake of his own near death experience. Rsvp required.

7pm, Books & Books Coral Gables, Free

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Also on May 30th: Eight world-class string musicians play Mozart and Chopin at UM, Bradt Guide founder Hilary Bradt talks about 50 years of getting lost at Books & Books Coconut Grove, plus performances of Laughs in Spanish and A Rock Sails By.

Friday, May 31st

Ezra - Opening Night with Q&A

Coral Gables Art Cinema presents an opening night event for the new film Ezra, about a comedian (Bobby Canevale) and his father (Robert De Niro) finding beauty in the struggle to parent his autistic child. The stacked supporting cast includes Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rainn Wilson. Tickets include a reception before the show and Q&A with Emmy winner Eduardo "Gualo" Jaramillo, music editor and score producer of the film.

7pm, Coral Gables Art Cinema, $22

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Also on May 31st: performances of Laughs in Spanish at GableStage and A Rock Sails By at Actor’s Playhouse.

Saturday, June 1st

Laughs in Spanish

GableStage caps off its 2023-24 season with Laughs in Spanish, a cafecito-fueled romp through Miami’s art scene. The plot centers around Mariana, a young woman trying to keep her art gallery ready for Art Basel when it’s suddenly become a crime scene, and her movie-star mother, who tries to save the day but just makes everything more complicado.

7:30pm, GableStage at the Biltmore, $25-$50

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Also on June 1st: an opening reception for Haunted II at Voloshyn Gallery, the first performance of the ChamberFest Miami finale at Sanctuary of the Arts and A Rock Sails By at Actor’s Playhouse.

Sunday, June 2nd

ChamberFest 2024 Closing Concert

For the closing concert of its ChamberFest 2024 series, Miami Chamber Music Society brings together four acclaimed soloists to perform masterworks by Mozart, Brahms, and Mendelssohn. Ukrainian-American pianist Marina Radiushina and young Russian-American violinist Maria Ioudenitch, fresh off the success of Songbird, her first classical album, will lead the ensemble for Mozart’s dark and dramatic Piano Quartet in G Minor.

2pm, New World Center, $10-$35

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Nearby Eats: Lucali, Casa Tua, Tropezón | Drinks: Barceloneta, Water Lion at the Sagamore

Also on June 2nd: Grammy-winning Brazilian guitarist Yamandu Costa at Sanctuary of the Arts, a free Miami Symphony Orchestra concert at Miami Beach Botanical Garden, plus performances of Laughs in Spanish and A Rock Sails By.

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, June 6th

Art Date with Buen Provecho at PAMM

Buen Provecho Collective has a cult following around town for their art-making workshops and events, and now they’re joining forces with the Perez Art Museum Miami for one of the museum’s “Thursday’s at PAMM”. The evening begins with happy hour at Verde on the terrace, followed by art-making inspired by the current Spirit of the Land exhibit and music by DJ Ahamed. The event is free, but if you want to check out Spirit of the Land, the museum’s galleries are open until 9pm with regular admission prices.

5pm Happy Hour, 6pm Art-Making, Free

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Also on June 6th: Opening Night of Summer Shorts at the Arsht Center, plus performances of Laughs in Spanish at GableStage and A Rock Sails By at Actor’s Playhouse.

Friday, June 7th

First Fridays at ICA: Pride Edition

The Institute of Contemporary Art Miami celebrates World Pride Month with a Pride edition of its wildly popular “First Fridays” events. Cocktails and special performances - by Honduran pop sensation Isabella Lovestory and local “legends of drag” Kat Wilderness and Sting Dion - will be outside in the sculpture garden. In the galleries, you can check out the Huguette Caland exhibit and Toward the Celestial, a curated selection of the museum’s impressive permanent collection.

6pm, Institute of Contemporary Art, $10 (includes two beverage tickets!)

Neighborhood: Design District

Also on June 7th: a party on the plaza at the Arsht Center to celebrate the opening weekend of Summer Shorts, a talk on women’s influence on the Harlem Renaissance at the Wolfsonian, plus performances of Laughs in Spanish at GableStage and A Rock Sails By at Actor’s Playhouse.

Saturday, June 8th

Summer Shorts: Flipping the Script

A Miami tradition for 27 years, City Theatre Miami’s Summer Shorts has been dubbed “Miami's equivalent to Saturday Night Live” (Broadway World). This year’s edition, presented in partnership with Adrienne Arsht Center, stages eight provocative and hilarious ten-minute plays, four of which are new plays by local Miami playwrights.

3pm and 7:30pm, Carnival Studio Theater at the Arsht Center, $50 or $75 VIP (includes upfront cabaret-style seating and a free drink!)

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Also on June 8th: a solo show for artist Luis Paredes at Diana Lowenstein Gallery, plus performances of Laughs in Spanish at GableStage and A Rock Sails By at Actor’s Playhouse.

Sunday, June 9th

Eric Andre at the Bandshell

Comedian Eric Andre is the creator and host of Adult Swim’s hit The Eric Andre Show, returning this summer for its sixth season, and an “expert panelist” on ABC’s Prank Panel, alongside fellow esteemed panelist Johnny Knoxville. If you’re a fan of his particular brand of outrageous humor, or just interested in how it will translate into a live show, book your tickets soon because they’re selling out fast. Must be 18+ to attend.

8pm, Miami Beach Bandshell, $50

Neighborhood: North Beach

Also on June 9th: a business futurist speaks at Books & Books about coming breakthroughs, plus performances of Summer Shorts at the Arsht, Laughs in Spanish at GableStage, and A Rock Sails By at Actor’s Playhouse.

Planning Ahead:

Summertime means you don’t really need to plan ahead - events probably won’t sell out and it’s easy to get a table at even the buzziest restaurants. But it’s always nice to have a few good outings on the calendar…

Thursday, June 13th

Bass Art After Hours: Book Club

As part of its “Art After Hours” series, The Bass Museum is hosting a book club to discuss Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, a post-apocalyptic bestseller from 1993 that has since been adapted into an opera and a graphic novel, and deals with the theme of climate change. (Chillingly, the novel’s story begins in 2024.) The book will be discussed after a tour of Anne Duk Hee Jordan’s I will always weather with you, an immersive exhibit that explores the relationship between technology and nature. Rsvp required.

6:30-8pm, The Bass Museum, Free

Neighborhood: Miami Beach

June 21st-23rd

National Theatre Live: Dear England

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. In this sold out performance of Dear England, Joseph Fiennes takes on the role of Gareth Southgate in James Graham’s gripping exploration of nation and game. Showings Friday thru Sunday.

12pm Friday & Saturday, 1pm Sunday, Coral Gables Art Cinema, $15

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

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