An orchestral yoga program stretches the Kravis Center’s audience, bacon and bourbon converge in Wellington, and a beloved ‘90s sitcom receives a musical send-up. Plus, “Die Fledermaus,” Dennis Miller, a Neil Simon dramedy and more in your week ahead.
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY
What: “Friends! The Musical Parody”
Where: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 6 and 9 p.m. Wednesday
Cost: $42
Contact: 561/832-7469, kravis.org
Cast with a talented sextet of 20- and 30-something triple-threats that sound and look, to varying degrees, like the stars of NBC’s ubiquitous ‘90s phenomenon, “Friends! The Musical Parody” is a cheeky, self-referential hoot for the show’s hardcore fans and casual watchers alike. It sportingly mocks the series’ inherent absurdities (the characters’ codependent inseparability, their impossibly affordable Manhattan apartment), lampooning its storylines and even its one-off guest stars with songs that straddle Broadway and pop-rock styles. The show’s creators, by the way, have experience at this sort of thing: They’ve penned similar parodies about “Full House,” “Baywatch” and “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”
FRIDAY
What: Opening night of “Gloria Bell”
Where: Living Room Theaters at FAU, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: Show times pending
Cost: $7.50-$10.50
Contact: 561/549-2600, fau.livingroomtheaters.com
Following in the footsteps of directors who remake their own work—Hitchcock, Ford, et al—Chile’s Sebastián Lelio’s critically acclaimed new film “Gloria Bell” is an American re-imagining of his equally lauded 2013 picture “Gloria.” Julianne Moore plays the title character, a divorcee who escapes the daily grind of a suffocating office job by hitting the dance floor every night. One of those evenings, she meets Arnold (John Turturro), and love blossoms, though complications ensue. Warm and comedic, with jolts of conflict, “Gloria Bell” is driven by character, not plot, and Moore is already receiving early Oscar buzz for her performance. The rest of the cast is a knockout, including Michael Cera, Brad Garrett, Holland Taylor, Sean Astin, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Rita Wilson.
What: Opening night of “The Gingerbread Lady”
Where: Sol Theatre, 3333 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $30-$35
Contact: 866/811-4111, primalforces.com
The late Neil Simon is not a playwright starved for regional-theatre attention, but most companies that stage him gravitate toward the sunnier material—durable comedies like “The Odd Couple” and “Plaza Suite.” Boca’s Primal Forces, ever a company to go against the grain, is producing one of the playwright’s rare dramas. Purportedly inspired by the later years of Judy Garland, “The Gingerbread Lady” centers on an actress (Patti Gardner) returning home from a stint in rehab for alcohol addiction, only to find that her supportive friends, family and colleagues have their own agendas. “The Gingerbread Lady” is not without its humor, but director Genie Croft told me, “it’s a show I’ve been wanting to do, because it’s his darkest piece. It deals with falling off the wagon, and a person who can’t keep her head on straight. It’s such a good piece of dynamic writing for this main character. The fact that it was written by Neil Simon is almost coincidental.” It runs through April 14.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
What: Wellington Bacon & Bourbon Festival
Where: Village of Wellington Community Center and Amphitheater, 12100 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington
When: 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: baconbourbonfest.com
It goes without saying that the only thing tastier then bacon is chocolate-dipped bacon. You can try this delectable fusion of the sweet and savory this weekend—along with bacon-garlic fries, bacon-wrapped corn dogs, bacon-topped sausage and other indulgences—at this fifth-annual gathering of pork-loving epicures. Participating chefs accomplish equally imaginative feats with bourbon too, which is not just for drinking: Attendees can try bourbon-glazed chicken (on a stick, naturally), and Ben & Jerry’s Bourbon Brown Ice Cream, among others. Loosen that belt—in fact, fast for a couple days if you have to—and enjoy two days and nights of unique culinary pairings, vendors, lawn games and live music from six local bands. Deep-pocketed bourbon connoisseurs will not want to miss Friday night’s Pappy Van Winkle Tasting Experience, a $200 sampling of five aged varieties of the uber-rare brand.
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY
What: “Die Fledermaus”
Where: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $20-$155
Contact: 561/832-7469, kravis.org
Palm Beach Opera concludes a season of otherwise heavy productions with a considerably lighter send-off, though one not without its own mysteries, intrigues and intricacies. Composed by Johan Strauss II, this operetta is based on a mid-19th century German farce, and it follows a prison-dodging man-about-town, his adulterous wife, his deceitful maid, a scheming notary, a Russian prince and a lawyer named, tellingly, Dr. Blind. Much of the action converges—where else?—in a grand society ball, where masks assist in the story’s madcap shuffling of identities. Palm Beach Opera has amassed another stellar cast for this production, some making their regional debuts; it also marks the return of mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, a world-renowned singer with credits including the Metropolitan Opera, to the Palm Beach stage for the first time in two years.
SATURDAY
What: Tranquility Yoga with Chamber Ensemble
Where: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Cost: $20
Contact: 561/832-7469, kravis.org
If you’ve ever wanted to leave your chair mid-concert for a session of downward dogs and warrior poses, this event is for you. Catering equally to the music lover and yoga enthusiast, this one-of-a-kind program features chamber music written specifically for an hour-long yoga routine, as performed by Washington D.C.’s American Pops Orchestra and taught by certified yoga instructor Michael Peterson, also from the nation’s capital. Peterson believes music, movement and spirituality are all connected; he dates his earliest experience of meditation to his childhood as an aspiring drummer, losing himself in the percussive flow.
What: Live From the Broward Center: An Evening of “SNL” All-Stars
Where: Broward Center, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $55-$150
Contact: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
“Saturday Night Live” may be one of President Trump’s favorite television targets, but the pioneering sketch show has produced a great deal of Republican-leaning talents: Dennis Miller, the headliner of this night of “SNL” stars from the series’ glory days, is the most vocal partisan, currently hosting a conservative podcast. Unafraid to dip into controversial political waters in his standup set, Miller’s set will likely feature as much unifying as polarizing material. Expect much the same from the Hollywood conservatives opening this show: Rob Schneider and Jon Lovitz. Darrell Hammond, whose politics are less publicly defined, and who played Trump before he was replaced by Alec Baldwin, rounds out this fundraiser, with proceeds from ticket sales benefiting the Broward Center’s education and enrichment programs.
