AVENTURA – Audiences will enjoy a month of fabulous shows including an evening with George Winston; the kick-off performances of the Miami International Piano Festival, the Aventura Foreign Film Series and the Aventura Comedy Series; the Sixth Annual Young Stars Showcase; and a variety of dance from flamenco to ballet.
November begins with a thrilling performance by The New World School of the Arts Repertory Dance Ensemble, one of the country’s leading conservatories, as the company’s advanced students and recent alumni perform eclectic works featuring dance styles including ballet, modern and jazz.
- Presented as a Smart Stage Matinee on Wednesday, November 4 at 10 a.m. Tickets are $10 with $3 lap seats for infants 12 months or younger.
- Presented as a full program of dance on Wednesday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m., the performance will include the contemporary ballet choreography of Lara Murphy and Gerard Ebitz; the modern work Battlefield, by Robert Battle; Eduardo Vilaro’s Asuka, set to the music of Cuban artist Celia Cruz; and Follies, a humorous collection of vignettes, featuring the music and text recordings of British actor Stephen Frey and excerpts from the BBC films “Donnie Brasco” and “Sir Clement Freud.” Tickets are $12.
Next up the Cultural Arts Exchange and Nu Flamenco present Avalon: Suite for Flamenco Guitar and Orchestra on Friday, November 6 at 8 p.m., a vibrant set compiled from some of the best compositions by Venezuelan singer Jose Luis Rodriguez and orchestrated by Alex Conde of Spain, which tells the story of a voyager who leaves home to find fortune in “Avalon,” only to discover that Avalon is not a place, but the spirit of the heart and soul that leads to happiness. Tickets are $35 and $40.
The 2015-16 Aventura Foreign Film Series begins on Tuesday, November 10 at 7 p.m. with Tangerines, a 2015 Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Film that portrays life for an older Estonian man who, after the 1990s-era war in Georgia, remains behind in his nearly deserted village to help his neighbor harvest his tangerine crop. There, he becomes the unlikely host of two soldiers who fought on opposite sides of the war and shows them that compassion is the ultimate weapon to combat centuries of political, cultural and ethnic conflict. Hosted by Shelly Isaacs, the film is presented in Estonian, Russian and Georgian with English subtitles. Tickets are $11.
The Developing Dreams Foundation presents The Choreographers Ball on Saturday, November 14 at 7 p.m. Filled with riveting entertainment, the annual dance showcase features some of South Florida’s hottest choreographers, dancers and arts companies performing various forms of modern dance, contemporary ballet and more. Tickets are $20, $35, $50. Free lap seats are available only at the box office for infants 12 months and under.
The Aventura Marketing Council presents the 6th Annual AT&T Young Stars Showcase on Sunday, November 15 at 5 p.m., featuring gifted young singers from South Florida performing the best of Broadway. Proceeds from the concert benefit the AMC Education Foundation. Tickets are $25 and $50. Free lap seats are available at the box office only, for children 12 months and younger.
An Evening with George Winston on Wednesday, November 18 at 8 p.m. features an intimate concert showcasing a variety of the piano soloist’s styles, including melodic folk piano, New Orleans R&B and stride piano, as he performs favorites inspired by the seasons, such as “Autumn,” “Winter” and “Spring into Summer,” as well as hits from his acclaimed solo albums. Tickets are $60 and $75.
The Florida Grand Ballet returns to Aventura this season with unique, contemporary dance theater under artistic director and choreographer Tomas Mazuch. The first of the company’s three-program season beings with Three Dances on Thursday, November 19 at 8 p.m., featuring Carmina Burana, a collection of medieval poems and songs first collected by Carl Orff for a theatrical piece; Paganini, a rhapsody by Sergei Rachmaninoff, which chronicles the story of a famous violinist struggling between his art and his health issues, including an opium addiction; and Mozart, an original work by Mazuch that brings the famous composer’s music to life via the dancers’ feelings and interactions. Tickets are $20, $40 and $60. Not recommended for children under three years of age.
The Birmingham Children’s Theatre puts a new spin on the beloved tale The Little Red Hen on Saturday, November 21 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Little Red Hen is well known as a hard worker who cannot get lazy pup Useless nor pampered feline Priss to help her plant wheat or do other chores on the farm. When Clyde the Coyote comes to the farm, it will take everyone to protect Little Red Hen’s chicks in this interactive stage performance that illustrates the power of teamwork through colorful puppetry, catchy tunes and fun games. As part of the Family Fun Series, this performance provides the ultimate family theater-going experience with free pre-show face painting, art activities provided by Young At Art Museum and complimentary post-show snacks. The Family Fun Series at Aventura is presented by the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $16 for individual seats in advance and $18 the day of the show, with $3 lap seats for infants 12 months or younger.
Get ready for side-splitting comedy as Bobby Collins returns the Aventura stage to kick off the Aventura Comedy Series on Saturday, November 21 at 8 p.m. Heralded by The New York Times as “The most natural comedian working today,” Collins engages audiences with heartfelt, witty humor and a clever blend of characterizations and hilarious observations to which everyone can relate, such as, “Always take your own car” and “Never get out of the shower to pee.” The Grammy-nominated comedian is famous for his live stage performances, cable TV specials, numerous talk show appearances, feature film roles, six comedy CDs and three DVDs, including the latest, “Telling It Like It Is.” Tickets are $39.50 and $44.50. Presented by Singer Productions and Entertainment, this show contains material that may not be appropriate for children under 13 years of age.
The winner of 10 international competitions, Russian pianist Zlata Chochieva will perform the first of five concerts scheduled for the Miami International Piano Festival on Sunday, November 22 at 5 p.m. The Miami Herald stated after her 2015 recital at the Broward Center, “She coaxes a thunderous sonority from the instrument and can roll octaves and draw out inner voicings from the music with striking clarity . . . what really distinguished her playing was an extraordinary richness of tone, a sensitivity to the musical phrase and the way she used her first-class technical skills to serve the music.” Tickets are $30.
Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center, Aventura Arts & Cultural Center and affiliated venues. Buy tickets online at aventuracenter.org; by phone at 877-311-7469; in person at Ticketmaster outlets or at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center box office Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and 90 minutes prior to each performance. Know who you are buying from when you purchase tickets. We CANNOT PROVIDE REFUNDS OR CUSTOMER SERVICE for tickets purchased from unauthorized sites, brokers or secondary ticket sellers. For Group Sales, please call 954-660-6307.
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts manages the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, a 14,864-square-foot, 330-seat waterfront complex that hosts performing arts, cultural and educational programming for all ages. The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center is located at 3385 N.E. 188 Street in Aventura. Join the conversation on Twitter at #aventuracenter.