Arts and culture season preview: What to expect in exhibitions and performances
Palm Beach may be a small town, but it’s big on culture.
The coming season’s arts offerings reflect the abundance of opportunities on and within a short driving distance of the island, with exciting lineups of exhibitions, performances and more.
Here’s a look at what patrons of the arts can expect for the coming year.
More: Norton’s ‘Artists in Motion’ brings rare masterpieces to Florida for the first time
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
The Kravis Center has a packed schedule for its 31st season — to the tune of about 400 events — including its popular Kravis on Broadway series, which is in its 16th year of bringing New York City-caliber performances to the Palm Beaches.
Noted stage productions of “Mamma Mia” and “Bluey’s Big Play” are booked for dates later in the season.
Kravis on Broadway opens with “Chicago” from Nov. 7 to 12. This Broadway revival version of the 1975 Kander and Ebb show-stopper is in its 26th year of production, having earned six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and a Grammy.
More: Palm Beach Symphony gets two regional Emmy Award nominations for children's concert
This season also marks the return of Lin-Manuel Miranda's super-popular, award-winning musical “Hamilton,” which will bring its fast-talking hip-hop retelling of the tale of Alexander Hamilton to the Kravis stage from April 10 to 21.
Also on this year’s Kravis on Broadway schedule are:
“Mean Girls” from Dec. 5-10. Catch the musical live just before it hits theaters in January. This reimagining of the popular Tina Fey 2004 movie — which was based on the book “Queen Bees and Wannabes” by Rosalind Wiseman — tells a classic story of high school longing for belonging, and revenge.
“Beetlejuice” from Dec. 19-24. This haunting musical is based on the 1988 Tim Burton movie of the same name.
“Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird” from Jan. 2-7. This 2018 play by Aaron Sorkin is the latest adaptation of the classic Harper Lee novel about racial injustice in 1930s small-town Alabama.
“Jagged Little Pill” from Feb. 20-24. Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morrisette’s music comes to life in this production, with the book written by Diablo Cody of “Juno” and “Young Adult” fame.
“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” from March 12-17. This jukebox musical features the recently deceased singer's hits, while telling the story of her difficult rise to fame.
“Six: The Musical” from March 26-31. This musical comedy is a modern retelling of the story of the six wives of Henry VIII in the form of a pop concert; it won creators Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss the 2020 Tony Award for Best Original Score.
The season at the Kravis officially kicked off Sept. 30 with a performance by the Motown and R&B group The Commodores.
The Kravis’ 18th annual African American Film Festival features six shows from Feb. 15-18, including the feature films “Black Barbie: A Documentary,” “Losing Ground,” “Bright Road,” “Island in the Sun,” “Ruby Bridges” and “Daughters of the Dust.” Short films included in the festival are “An Ecstatic Experience,” “Seventh Grade” and “When Angels Speak of Love.”
The Classical Concert Series at the Kravis begins Oct. 30 with Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, with conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto and Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero. That is followed by the New World Symphony on Dec. 11, and violinist Itzhak Perlman on Dec. 17. The Jacksonville Symphony performs Jan. 9, followed by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra on Jan. 20 and the Cleveland Orchestra on Jan. 29. February brings performances from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on Feb. 17-18. March brings more of an international flavor with the Rotterdam Philharmonic on March 4, and the Vienna Philharmonic March 8-9. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, led by music director and violinist Joshua Bell, will perform March 18.
More live performances include, by month:
October: “Stomp,” from Oct. 27-29, is a high-energy, percussive stage show that transforms everyday objects into instruments.
November: “Piaf! The Show,” with two showings on Nov. 1, is a tribute to the French singer and cultural icon. “David Brighton’s Space Oddity: The Quintessential David Bowie Experience,” on Nov. 16, brings the career and music of David Bowie to life. “Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis,” Nov. 18, celebrates the 35th anniversary of the group’s first Christmas album. On Nov. 21, Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance brings groundbreaking choreography to the Kravis as part of the show's 25th anniversary tour. “Disney Pixar’s Coco Live-to-Film Concert,” Nov. 22, features a screening of the film with its original score performed live by a 20-member Latin ensemble. “Cirque Dreams Holidaze,” Nov. 24-25, is a colorful holiday spectacular featuring contemporary circus arts.
December: “The Rainbow Fish,” Dec. 2, uncovers a colorful world for children in a sensory-friendly environment. “Wheel of Fortune Live!” on Dec. 15 brings the popular live stage show back version of the hit TV show, with a full-sized replica of the Wheel itself.
January: “Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert,” Jan. 1, rings in 2024 with singers, dancers and a full orchestra. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Jan. 8, will host an evening of conversation and music moderated by Jeffrey Brown of PBS NewsHour. Singer and entertainer Johnny Mathis, who has spent nearly seven decades as a performer, will be at the Kravis on Jan. 13. “The Four Phantoms in Concert,” Jan. 19, brings together the four Phantoms from the musical “The Phantom of the Opera.” “Sex and the City” creator Candace Bushnell brings her one-woman show — “True Tales of Sex, Success and Sex and the City” — from Jan. 26-28.
February: “50th Anniversary of Prairie Home Companion,” Feb. 10, honors the long-running radio show with host Garrison Keillor and plenty of news from Lake Wobegon. David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Feb. 16, provide an evening of storytelling and songs with a special appearance from singer-songwriter LeAnn Rimes.
March: The Righteous Brothers, March 7, perform some of their biggest hits, including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’” and “Unchained Melody.”
April: “Shrek the Musical,” April 26-29, brings the hit animated movie to life on the stage.
May: “The Kite Runner,” May 17-19, is the new play based on the powerful novel by Khaled Hosseini.
June: “Bluey’s Big Play,” June 22-23, is the theatrical adaptation of the beloved children’s TV series, which follows a playful family of dogs and their adventures. “Mamma Mia,” June 25-30, is the international hit that was turned into not one but two feature films. “Mamma Mia,” with music by the Swedish pop group ABBA that has audiences dancing in the aisles, rounds out the Kravis’ season.
For more information, go to www.kravis.org or call 561-832-7469.
Norton Museum of Art
The Norton's offerings for this season include a collection that is making its first trip to Florida, and a collection of 20th century photography from a noted artist and collector.
Now at the Norton through Feb. 18 is "Artists in Motion: Impressionist and Modern Masterpieces from the Pearlman Collection." This impressive gathering of nearly 40 works of art includes pieces by Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Édouard Manet, Amedeo Modigliani, Camille Pissarro, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Chaïm Soutine.
The collection — from the late Henry Pearlman, who loaned the entire collection to the Princeton University Art Museum — is making its first appearance in Florida. Subjects include portraits, landscapes and architecture. Sculptures are displayed alongside fragile works on paper.
"Presence: The Photography Collection of Judy Glickman Lauder" opens Dec. 2 and run through March 10 at the Norton. Glickman Lauder — a noted photographer herself — amassed a striking collection by artists including Richard Avedon, Dorothea Lange, Sally Mann, Inge Morath, Gordon Parks and James Van Der Zee.
The exhibition includes nearly 110 photos from 56 artists, yet represents only a fifth of Glickman Lauder's collection, the Norton said.
Among the photographs included in the collection is Gordon Parks' famed "American Gothic (Portrait of Ella Watson)," which Parks shot in 1942 during his fellowship with the Information Division of the Farm Security Administration.
Another photography exhibition, "Personal Space: On Photography and Being," from Dec. 2 to Feb. 18 features photographs from the Norton's permanent collection with a focus on snapshots of uniquely human moments. The show includes images by Valérie Belin, Larry Clark, Awol Erizku, Donna Ferrato, Eric Fischl, Sarah Jones, Annie Leibovitz, Ryan McGinley and and Jack Pierson.
Beginning Dec. 23 and running through April 28 is "Nora Maité Nieves: Clouds in the Expanded Field." Nieves is the Norton's current Mary Lucille Dauray Artist in Residence. Her abstract paintings and sculptures draw on her Caribbean roots with inspiration from architecture in New York City and Puerto Rico.
For more information, go to www.norton.org or call 561-832-5196.
Palm Beach Dramaworks
The theater’s 24th season includes five plays, with two world premieres and the classic 1949 tragedy “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. The pair of premieres will be “The Messenger” by Jenny Connell Davis, and “The Cancellation of Lauren Fein” by Christopher Demos-Brown. Rounding out the season are “Lobby Hero” by Kenneth Lonergan and "Trying," a play by the Canadian writer Joanna McClelland Glass.
The season began Oct. 13 with “Lobby Hero,” a 2001 play about a murder investigation in a New York City apartment building that catches its four characters in an ethical quagmire. “Lobby Hero” runs through Oct. 29.
More: Review: Splendid cast launches Dramaworks season with compelling 'Lobby Hero'
“The Messenger” runs Dec. 8 to 24. It is inspired by the life of a Hungarian Holocaust survivor, weaving her tale with that of a young woman facing racial discrimination in the U.S. in 2020. Jenny Connell Davis is Dramaworks' first resident playwright.
In "The Cancellation of Lauren Fein,” which runs Feb. 2 to 18, a professor raising a 16-year-old Black foster child with her wife sees her career threatened when she violates her university’s diversity and inclusion policies.
Theater fans will be familiar with “Death of a Salesman,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning story of Willy Loman and his search for the American Dream, which runs March 29 to April 14.
Closing out the season from May 24 to June 9 is “Trying.” Set in 1967, it concerns the relationship between a young Canadian secretary, Sarah Schorr, and former U.S. Attorney General Francis Biddle, who was then 81.
For more information, go to www.palmbeachdramaworks.org or call 561-514-4042.
Society of the Four Arts
The Four Arts, at 100 Four Arts Plaza in Palm Beach, offers a lineup each year of cultural programming that includes speakers and exhibitions, along with films, documentaries and other screenings.
This year’s exhibits in the Esther B. O’Keeffe Gallery include:
"Scenes of New York City: The Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld Collection," with snapshots of some of the famed city’s most iconic locations and featuring work from artists including Marc Chagall, Willem de Kooning, David Hockney, Edward Hopper, Fernand Leger, Georgia O’Keeffe, Norman Rockwell and Andy Warhol. The exhibit runs from Nov. 18 to Jan. 28. Wendy Nalani E. Ikemoto, the senior curator of American art for the New York Historical Society, will present a lecture on the exhibition at 10:10 a.m. Jan. 19.
"Guild Hall: An Adventure in the Arts," featuring highlights from the collection of Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York, including works by noted 20th and 21st century artists. This exhibition is on display from Feb. 10 to April 28. Helen A. Harrison of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center in East Hampton will present a lecture on the collection at 11 a.m.
Coming later this year in the Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden is the exhibition "Flora Imaginaria: The Flower in Contemporary Photography," featuring 71 photographs by 49 artists — including Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, Valérie Belin, Daniel Gordon, Abelardo Morell, Vik Muniz, Viviane Sassen and Martin Schoeller — who examine floral motifs. This will be on display from Dec. 2 to April 28.
Live performances begin in the Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium Dec. 3 with “Big Band Holidays” by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with internationally renowned trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and featuring vocalist Ashley Pezzotti. This will be followed by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s performance of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos on Dec. 6.
The Beethoven Festival takes place Jan. 7, 10 and 14, performed by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The first date of Jan. 7 features cello sonatas with Wu Han and David Finckel, following by Haydn and Beethoven piano trios on Jan. 10. The festival wraps up Jan. 14 with the Septet, the Clarinet Trio and one of the string trios.
More live musical performances include pianist Jeremy Denk on Jan. 24, the Calidore String Quartet on Feb. 4, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Wind Ensemble on Feb. 7, the Schumann Quartet on Feb. 11, the Escher String Quartet on March 6, pianist Michael Stephen Brown on March 13, the Jerusalem Quartet on April 3, the Larry Stephenson Band on April 7, Time for Three on April 17 and pianist Anna Geniushene on April 24.
Fans of the Metropolitan Opera can enjoy an evening of performances from up-and-coming artists who are part of the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, in a performance on Feb. 9. The Met's general director, Peter Gelb, will provide an accompanying lecture, “The Future of Opera,” on Feb. 8.
In addition to live music, the Four Arts also presents a slate of live dance performances, beginning this season on Jan. 17 with “Flamenco Intimo,” a contemporary look at traditional flamenco styles performed by the Suidy Garrido Flamenco Co. The Fred Astaire West Palm Beach dancers return to the Four Arts with “Dance Fantasy” on March 27. Finally, Beyer Artist in Residence Claudia Hilda will perform her contemporary dance show “Las Repúblicas” on April 14.
This year’s high-definition screenings of previously performed operas, plays and films begin in November and run through the end of April.
Popular screenings of The Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning performances begin Nov. 18 with “X: The Life and Time of Malcolm X.” That is followed by “Florencia en la Amazonas” on Dec. 9, and Mozart's “The Magic Flute” on Dec. 16. Verdi’s “Nabucco” will be shown on Jan. 6, with “Carmen” on Jan. 27 and Terence Blanchard’s “Champion” on March 2. Another Verdi opera, “La Forza del Destino,” is on March 9, and Charles Gounod’s take on Shakespeare, “Roméo et Juliette,” is March 23. Finally, patrons can enjoy Puccini’s “La Rondine” on April 20 and Jake Heggie's “Dead Man Walking” on April 27.
Previously recorded screenings of National Theatre live performances begin with Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull” on Dec. 2. That will be followed by “The Crucible,” the parable of power and abuse during the Salem witch trials written by Arthur Miller, on Feb. 10. Shakespeare’s “Othello” will be shown March 10, and “Best of Enemies” by James Graham rounds out the season on April 6.
The Exhibition on Screen program, which features works of art by acclaimed artists accompanied by presentations about their lives and work, begins Jan. 20 with “Hopper: An American Love Story,” a look at the groundbreaking work of Edward Hopper. “Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition” on Feb. 3 presents works by Johannes Vermeer that are included in largest Vermeer exhibition in history, which opened last spring in Amsterdam.
Camille Pissarro’s impression on Impressionism is examined in “Pissarro: Father of Impressionism,” on March 16. The final show of this season’s series will be “Canaletto and the Art of Venice” on April 13.
This season’s Friday Film Series features six films with discussions that will be led by noted speakers on each film’s topic:
“Chasing the Thunder,” Dec. 8. A documentary about two marine conservation captains who chase an illegal poacher. A question-and-answer session with the film’s producer Katie Carpenter will follow the film.
“Dark Waters,” Jan. 19. In this movie, a corporate defense attorney fights a chemical company for its legacy of pollution. Oceanographer and marine biologist Edie Widder will lead a discussion following the screening.
“Fire of Love,” Feb. 2. This documentary follows the work of scientists Katia and Maruice Krafft, who died in a volcanic explosion after years of studying volcanoes. A Q&A with producer Jessica Harrop will follow the film.
“The Swimmers,” March 15. This documentary follows two sisters, refugees from Syria, who competed in the 2016 Olympics. Mais Katt, a fellow with the International Center for Journalists who has covered the Syrian war for a decade, will lead a discussion following the film.
“Ophelia,” March 29. This contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s “Othello” stars Daisy Ridley. A Q&A with professor Charles E. Pierce Jr. will follow the screening.
“Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry,” April 5. This documentary follows the work of activist-artist Ai Weiwei, with a Q&A after the film with Orville Schell, the director of the Center on US-China Relations at the Asia Society.
Lovers of Florida’s natural resources will want to attend the Project Paradise documentaries and panel discussion on April 26. Several short films will be shown that focus on Florida’s wildlife and ecosystems, including the Everglades. Panelists include the filmmakers, and there will be a wine reception.
Another 11 films will be screened at the Four Arts this season, including “King Richard,” starring Will Smith, on Jan. 5, the story of how tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams were shaped by their father’s coaching.
While specific dates and more speakers will be announced in November, the Four Arts has released some of the outstanding speakers included in the lineup for this year’s Esther B. O’Keeffe Speakers series, including:
Journalist and Fox News anchor Bret Baier will speak about “The White House, Congress, and a Non-partisan Look at Politics in America.”
Gen. David Petraeus and co-author Andrew Roberts will discuss their book “Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine.”
Harvard Business School professor Karim Lakhani will discuss artificial intelligence.
Former Secretary of Defense and CIA director Robert Gates will discuss his experience in the presentation, “Is War Inevitable?”
The children of famed artist Mark Rothko, Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko, will review their father’s life and body of work and influence on abstract expressionism.
Karl Rove, senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush, will discuss current events in the presidential election year.
Steve Wynn, famed art collector and noted businessman, will discuss the roots of creativity.
Robert Ballard, the retired U.S. Navy officer and oceanographer known for his deep-sea exploration and discovery of the wreck of the Titanic, will discuss underwater archaeology.
Peter Zeihan will provide updates on some of the most important developments of the year.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Thomas Friedman will discuss his work.
For more information, go to www.fourarts.org or call 561-655-7227.
Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens
This year's season at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, tucked away on Barcelona Road in West Palm Beach, kicked off with an exhibition of Florida landscape paintings in the Ann Norton House.
"Paul Gervais: An Endangered Landscape: Recent Paintings of the Hypoluxo Scrub," on display through Jan. 7, provides a look through Gervais' eyes at the unspoiled paradise of the Hypoluxo Scrub, a natural area south of Boynton Beach.
Working from iPhone photos of the scrub, Gervais spent about two years producing the series of paintings.
The first exhibition of sculptures this season is "The Divine Feminine: Contemporary Women Sculptors," from Dec. 1 to June 30. This collection explores and celebrates the contributions of women sculptors, with works from Judy Chicago, Ruth Duckworth, Rachel Hovanian, Arlene Shechet, Kiki Smith and Niki de Saint Phalle.
From Jan. 10 to March 17, the exhibition "Discovering Creativity" will bring work from masters of American art to the Norton House. Artists included in the exhibition include Georgia O’Keeffe, Andrew and N.C. Wyeth, Thomas Hart Benton, Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, plus a special selection of works by Ann Norton.
In addition to exhibitions, the Sculpture Gardens host educational events throughout the season.
The popular Master Gardener in Residence tours and talks with CJ McCartney resumed this month and continue the second Friday of each month at 11 a.m. through June.
The seventh annual Sculpture in Motion, which benefits Gold Star families and veterans, returns Nov. 18. One-of-a-kind classic vehicles are features alongside the sculptures in the garden, with a Grand Tour Parade of Cars that leaves from the gardens and tours Palm Beach at the end of the event.
This year's Conservation Conversations Speaker Series begins Nov. 2 with Stacey Matrazzo, executive director of the Florida Wildflower Foundation, discussing ways to reconnect Florida for pollinators, wildflowers and people. Presentations also will be on Jan. 4, Feb. 1, March 7 and April 4, each with a focus on topics related to conservation.
On Dec. 2, guests can celebrate the 102nd birthday of fashion icon Iris Apfel with an afternoon of holiday shopping and tea. Apfel will join the celebration.
The Jazz and Gospel in the Gardens Series marks its fifth anniversary with performances on Dec. 10, Jan. 14, Feb. 11 and March 10.
Jordi Mollà will be the gardens' Artist in Residence from January through June, with an exhibition of his work, "Savage Garden | Jardín Salvaje," from March 20 to June 30.
For more information, go to www.ansg.org or call 561-832-5328.
Palm Beach Symphony
The symphony marks its 50th anniversary this year with six concerts from soloists, four world premieres, and a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
Led by conductor Gerard Schwarz, the six-concert series begins Nov. 19 with pianist Yefim Bronfman, playing Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2. Also on the program is "Triumph of Humanity," a world premiere work by the eminent Chinese-American composer Bright Sheng.
Next will be two violinists: Akiko Suwanai on Dec. 13, and Pinchas Zukerman on Jan. 15. Suwanai will play the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto on a concert featuring Schwarz's own Sinfonietta, a world premiere, while Zukerman will play Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3 and two short works by Tchaikovsky. Also on the program is the Sibelius Symphony No. 2 and "Four Hymns Without Words," by the African American composer Adolphus Hailstork.
Pianist Vladimir Feltsman will perform the Piano Concerto of Edvard Grieg on Feb. 5; the program also includes "Orchestral Expeditions," a world premiere by South Floridian Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, a Pulitzer Prize winner. Pianist Emanuel Ax is the soloist March 6 in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25; that concert also features an as yet-untitled world premiere by the American composer Aaron Jay Kernis, who teaches at Yale.
Beethoven is the focus for the final concert of the season on April 25, with a performance of his Ninth Symphony to mark the 200th anniversary of this epic work's premiere in May 1824. Joining the orchestra will be choral groups from the University of Miami and four soloists not yet named. Also on the program is Beethoven's early Piano Concerto No. 2, played by the Russian-American pianist Ignat Solzhenitsyn (whose father was the famed Soviet dissident Alexander Solzehnitsyn).
All of the performances are in Dreyfoos Hall at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.
For more information, go to www.palmbeachsymphony.org or call 561-281-0145.
Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach
Heading into its 11th season, the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach has set a lineup of seven concerts.
The season begins Nov. 15 with cellist Gary Hoffman performing Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata, accompanied by Jon Kimura Parker on piano. Society artistic director Arnaud Sussmann will join them on violin to perform the Piano Trio No. 1 of Bedřich Smetana.
Violinist Tessa Lark and pianist Peter Dugan headline the Dec. 7 concert with an exploration of the intersection of tradition of innovation. The trio of violin, viola and cello is celebrated Jan. 11 with a performance from violinist Benjamin Beilman, cellist Edward Arron and Sussmann on violin and viola, presenting a selection of works by Dvořák, Halvorsen, Leclair and the young American composer Jessie Montgomery.
Finnish pianist Juho Pohjonen and Chinese pianist Wu Qian perform at one piano on Feb. 22, and the fine American mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke will be the guest artist March 7 in a recital with pianist Kirill Kuzmin.
The woodwind quartet of oboist James Austin Smith, clarinetist Jose-Franch Ballester, hornist Jennifer Montone and bassoonist Gina Cuffari will perform with pianist Orion Weiss on April 4. The final show of the season will be April 25, featuring French harpist Emmanuel Ceysson with a string quartet of violinists Kristin Lee and Jennifer Frautschi, violist Paul Neubauer and cellist Clive Greensmith.
The concerts on Nov. 15, Dec. 7, Feb. 22 and April 4 will be at the Norton Museum. Performances on Jan. 11, March 7 and April 25 will be at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea.
For more information, go to www.cmspb.org or call 561-379-6773.
Miami City Ballet
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the death of the great choreographer George Balanchine. The Miami City Ballet is celebrating his work throughout the season, with a selection of performances highlighting his groundbreaking accomplishments in dance.
The season begins with the "Fall Mix," including Balanchine's "Serenade" and the world premiere of Miami native Jamar Roberts' "Sea Change," Nov. 4-5 at the Kravis Center.
The company's annual performance of "The Nutcracker" will be Dec. 28-30 at the Kravis Center. More than 100 dancers bring Tchaikovsky and Balanchine's winter world to life.
The "Winter Mix," Feb. 3-4 at the Kravis Center, includes the Balanchine-choreographed "Firebird," a fairy tale about magic, love and liberation with a score by Igor Stravinsky. The show also features two world premieres from choreographers Margarita Armas and Durante Verzola.
The "Spring Mix," March 23-25 at the Kravis Center, continues the Balanchine celebration with his "Agon," also with a score by Stravinsky. The show also includes the company premiere of "Following the Subtle Current Upstream," choreographed by Alonzo King, and the world premiere of "Delight," choreographed by Ricardo Amarante.
The season wraps up with Alexei Ratmansky's setting of "Swan Lake" from May 10-12 at the Kravis Center. Tchaikovsky's deathless score is played live by the Opus One Orchestra, and more than 50 dancers will take part in the ballet.
For more information, go to www.miamicityballet.org or call 305-929-7010.
Ballet Palm Beach
The four-ballet season for Ballet Palm Beach includes an original work from company founder Colleen Smith, as well as a holiday season favorite.
The season begins with "Don Quixote" on Oct. 28-29 at the Kravis Center's Rinker Playhouse. The ballet depicts scenes from the classic 17th-century novel by Miguel de Cervantes.
The company will perform the classic ballet "The Nutcracker" Dec. 2-3 in Dreyfoos Hall at the Kravis Center. This Christmas season staple features the classic score by Tchaikovsky with a story about a nutcracker who comes to life to battle the Mouse King.
The ballet interpretation of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is Feb. 24-25 at the Rinker Playhouse. The score is by Sergei Prokofiev, with original choreography by Smith. The final ballet of the season is "Peter Pan and Tinker Bell," set by Smith to music from the Renaissance and Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, on April 20-21 at the Rinker Playhouse.
For more information, go to www.balletpalmbeach.org or call 561-630-8235.
Flagler Museum
The palatial estate known as Whitehall that Henry Morrison Flagler built as a gift for his wife, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler, in 1902 now hosts exhibitions each season that have a distinct connection to the mansion's roots.
This year's Fall Exhibition is "Bicycles: Technology that Changed the World," on display through Dec. 17. Featuring early examples of bicycles alongside representations of the bicycle in art, the exhibition highlights the bicycle's evolution and impact on American culture.
Bicycles exploded in use during the Gilded Age, the same era Whitehall was built. The museum's exhibition provides a close look at early bicycle prototypes and the invention's impact on the Gilded Age.
The Flagler Museum's Winter Exhibition will be "Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau," on view from Jan. 16 to April 14. In turn-of-the-century Paris, Mucha emerged as a shining example of the Art Nouveau movement, with this exhibition paying homage to both Mucha's work and the vibrant atmosphere that nurtured his art.
Christmas at Whitehall returns this season with a lecture on Dec. 3 from author Les Standiford, author of "The Man Who Invented Christmas," speaking about Christmas traditions and their connections to Charles Dickens and the Gilded Age.
Also on Dec. 3, the museum will have its annual Christmas tree lighting, which includes music played on the original 1,249-pipe organ and the 1902 Steinway grand piano, along with choir performances and a visit from Santa Claus.
Holiday evening tours will take place from Dec. 19-23 and include a reception with refreshments, carol singers and holiday activities.
The music series returns to Whitehall Feb. 6 with the Ulysses Quartet, followed by violinist Elissa Lee Koljonen with Sheng-Yuan on Feb. 13. The Beo String Quartet will perform Feb. 20, with the Aznavoorian Sisters on piano and cello on Feb. 27, rounding out February's performances. The final performance of the season's music series will be from the Black Oak Ensemble on March 5.
This season's Whitehall Lecture Series focuses on "Unlikely Titans of Industry and Commerce," beginning with a look at George Westinghouse, one of the most prolific inventors of the Industrial Revolution, on Feb. 4 with biographer William R. Huber.
Paul Israel, author of "Edison: A Life of Invention," will lead a discussion about the life and work of Thomas Alva Edison on Feb. 11. Steven Watts will present on Henry Ford on Feb. 18, with David Delbert Kruger discussing the little-known agrarian roots of J. C. Penney on Feb. 25. The final two lectures of the series will be Nicole C. Kirk on John Wanamaker on March 3, and George W. Nelson on Frank Winfield Woolworth on March 10.
For more information, go to www.flaglermuseum.us or call 561-655-2833.
Cultural Council for Palm Beach County
The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County will host 14 exhibitions at its Lake Worth Beach headquarters this season.
The exhibitions will be displayed across the council’s three galleries: the Main Gallery, Solo Gallery and Donald M. Ephraim Family Gallery.
In addition to the 14 exhibitions, there will be discussions and special events, including kinetic sculpture performances from artist Dave Blair from 1 to 4 p.m. on some Saturdays from Nov. 17 to Jan. 13.
The council’s ArtsPaper Culture Talks return for another season, with discussions between South Florida arts journalists and key members of the arts community. First is a discussion with Admad Mayes, executive director of the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach, and Greg Stepanich, founder and editor-in-chief of Palm Beach ArtsPaper, at 2 p.m. Jan. 13.
Other ArtsPaper Culture Talks include:
Jan. 20: Marilynn Wick of the Wick Theatre and Costume Museum with arts journalist Hap Erstein
Feb. 3: Lourdes Lopez of Miami City Ballet with journalist and choreographer Tara Mitton Catao
Feb. 24: Ghislain d’Humières of the Norton Museum of Art with journalist Gretel Sarmiento
Exhibitions and programs are free and open to the public.
Veterans of Palm Beach County: From Nov. 3 to Dec. 9, see works from seven artists who served in the military or have family members who are veterans. Media include ceramics and print-making.
Whimsy & Wonder: This exhibition from Nov. 17 to Jan. 13, highlighting quirky and colorful visual representations of Florida’s flamingos. Installations will change throughout the exhibition.
Lauren Bertelson: "Like Mother, Like Daughter": Self-portraits combined with domestic crafts in a visual representation of feminism, from Oct. 6 to Dec. 2.
Kristin Miller: Mixed-media “habitats” that create a sense of living walls in 2-D and 3-D and explore identity and adaptation to environment, from Dec. 8 to Jan. 20.
Palm Beach County Photographers: iPhone Photography: This exhibition done with the Palm Beach Photographic Centre includes images captured in Palm Beach County through the digital lens of an iPhone, from Dec. 15 to Jan. 27.
Sonya Sanchez-Arias: The artist will display a selection of her work that uses discarded and recycled material and touches on concepts of beauty and nostalgia, while honoring her ancestors and the challenges they faced, from Jan. 26 to March 9. She pairs the physical with the digital to connect past and future.
She. Her. Hers.: An exhibition focused exclusively on works by women artists, including themes of feminism and domestic work, from Jan. 26 to April 6. It is curated by Veronique Chagnon-Burke, Women Art Dealers Digital Archives co-founder.
Suzi K. Edwards: Chinese Zodiac: From Feb. 2-8, the artist displays a series of 12 gold glass mosaics with elements that include pearls and jewels. The mosaics represent the animals of the Chinese zodiac.
Nicole Doran: 2023 South Florida Cultural Consortium Grantee from Palm Beach County: This exhibition from this year’s grantee looks at a range of spiritual practices from Celtic to science fiction.
Diana Garcia: This exhibition explores concepts conveyed through the medium of paper, considering color, detail, shape and texture, from March 15 to April 27.
2024 Dina Baker Award for Mature Female Recipient: This exhibition will display the work of the award’s recipient, who has yet to be announced, from April 12 to May 24. The award is given to a female artist age 60 or older who lives and works in Palm Beach County, has “recognizable artistic merit” and is deserving of financial assistance.
Beyond Blossoms: The Power of Pollinators: An exhibition of work from Palm Beach County artists looking at the many flowering plants that provide food for pollinators in our area, from April 19 to June 21. The show will include a mural of mandalas made out of wheat paste and based on the colors and patterns of pollinators.
Autumn Kioti: This artist mixes nature and art with media including garbage, poetry, fibers, cooking and food, sound and video to take on climate change, food justice, identity and more, from May 3 to June 15.
Sarah Knouse: The sculptor, educator and designer displays mixed-media sculptures that examine domestic visions through a surreal lens, from June 15 through Aug. 3.
For more information go to www.palmbeachculture.com or call 561-471-2901.
Palm Beach Opera
The Palm Beach Opera's 2024 season, which begins in January, will open with Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" Jan. 26-28, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the famed composer's death. The opera is a tragic and passionate Italian opera that revolves around love, jealousy and political turmoil in 19th century Rome.
Jacques Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann” will be March 1-3. Offenbach's French opera weaves a fantastical narrative as it follows the poet E.T.A. Hoffmann through a series of tales based on his love affairs, with each act presenting a unique story and exploring themes of love, creativity and the blurred line between reality and fantasy.
The final opera of the season will be Vincenzo Bellini's "Norma" on April 5-7, which Palm Beach Opera is performing for the first time in 15 years. This Italian opera is known for its intensity and beautiful bel canto arias, telling the story of Norma, a Druid high priestess who faces a dilemma when she falls in love with a Roman while leading her people in a struggle against Roman oppression.
All performances will be at the Kravis Center. "Tosca" and "Norma" will be sung in Italian and "The Tales of Hoffmann" will be sung in French. English subtitles will be projected above the stage for each performance.
For more information, go to www.pbopera.org or call 561-833-7888.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach arts and culture season preview: A look ahead
