Friday, November 5, 2021

‘Black Violin’ returns to The Florida Theatre

The Florida Theatre is pleased to announce the return of "Black Violin - Give Thanks Tour" on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

For 16 years, Black Violin members Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste have been merging string arrangements with modern beats and vocals. The two met in orchestra class at Dillard High School in Ft. Lauderdale, becoming classically trained on the violin and viola through their high school and college careers. Post-college, they reconvened to produce beats for South Florida rappers, and began building an audience in local clubs. They later went on to win Showtime at the Apollo in 2005, and eventually sold-out headline performances at venues across the country, including a sold out two-night headline run at The Kennedy Center in 2018. Their unique brand of merging the genre they were listening to (hip hop) with the world they were studying (classical) was celebrated with collaborations with Alicia Keys, Wu Tang Clan, 2 Chainz and others. NPR took note and declared “their music will keep classical music alive for the next generation.” UPROXX also featured Black Violin in a mini-documentary as part of their “Uncharted” series, watch the video HERE.

The duo plays over 200 shows a year (many of these are performances for young low-income students in urban communities - with the goal of challenging stereotypes and preconceived notions of what a “classical musician” looks and sounds like. “The stereotypes are always there, embedded so deep in our culture,” says Wil. “Just by nature of our existence we challenge those ideas. It’s a unique thing that brings people together who aren’t usually in the same room, and in the current climate, it’s good to bring people together.”

Recently, the group launched the Black Violin Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth by providing access to quality music programs in their community. BVF believes that music and access to music programs should not be determined by race, gender, or socio-economic status. Black Violin Foundation’s inaugural program the Musical Innovation Grant for Continuing Education will provide scholarships to young music students to attend a program of their liking that fosters musical creativity and innovation. Programs can range from private lessons, to summer music camps, to college courses. Scholarships will be awarded bi-annually to up to 20 applicants per scholarship cycle. For more information click HERE!

The historic, nonprofit Florida Theatre is sponsored by Community First Credit Union. For a complete list of upcoming events or to buy tickets visit the Theatre’s official website, floridatheatre.com.

Black Violin


DATE:
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
TIME: 8 p.m.
TICKETS:
$39.50 $49.50

LOCATION:The Florida Theatre
       128 East Forsyth Street.
       Jacksonville, FL 32202
       (904) 355 -
ARTS (2787)

All new ‘A Christmas Carol’ is coming to town


There will be a new twist on an old classic when the Artist Series presents an all-new production of “A Christmas Carol” on November 28 at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, in Jacksonville, FL. You won’t want to miss this performance.

A powerful story of redemption, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, has enchanted audiences the world over with its simple message of Holiday joy. Ebenezer Scrooge, that most unrepentant and miserly of fellows, is made to see the light as he survives a merciless battery of revelations by the ghosts of his own life: Jacob Marley and the Christmas Spirits of Past, Present, and Future.

With script adaptation, direction, and a flawless performance as Scrooge, by award-winning 40-year theater veteran Scott H Severance, this new adaptation of Dickens’ ever popular classic fills the stage with first class professional actors, lush costumes, stunning sets and puppetry, song and dance, a heavy dose of humor, and a timeless message. With the music of 26 beloved traditional carols of the season woven throughout this classic tale, A Christmas Carol is the perfect way to begin the holiday festivities in your community.

Celebrate the true Spirit of Christmas with this brand new, original production filled with haunting special effects and heartfelt sentiment. A Christmas Carol is delightful and thoroughly entertaining! Filled with beloved music of the season, superb staging, and tremendous artistry, it is the perfect family holiday event.

A Christmas Carol

DATE: Nov. 28, 2021
TIME: 7 p.m.

TICKETS: range from $23.16 $6.50, plus applicable fees and may be purchased online 24/7. Group discounts for 10+ are also available. Please contact (904) 632-5050 or email for more information.

LOCATION: Times Union Center Performing Arts
      Moran Theater
      300 West Water St.
      
Jacksonville, FL 32202
      (904) 632-5000

Thursday, November 4, 2021

‘Gipsy Kings', Nicolas Reyes and Mikaela Davis in JAX


The Florida Theatre is pleased to welcome "The Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes with special guest Mikaela Davis" on Tuesday, November 16, 2021.

It has been twenty-five years since the Gipsy Kings captured the world’s imagination with their self-titled debut album—a record that became a genuine phenomenon, certified gold and platinum around the globe, introducing millions of listeners to a unique, irresistible blend of traditional flamenco styles with Western pop and Latin rhythms. Since then, the band has toured virtually non-stop, to the farthest-flung corners of the planet, and sold almost twenty million albums, all the while retaining the same line-up of virtuoso musicians.

“Music has always been a passion,” says lead guitarist Tonino Baliardo. “Even after all this time, after all these years of touring and working. It has given us so much. We have matured, we have developed in music, and it has been so good for us.”

“World Music” is often a meaningless catch-all phrase, a marketing shortcut, but as one of the acts that first helped define the phrase, the Gipsy Kings create music that really does cross all borders. From the beginning all the way through their ninth studio album SAVOR FLAMENCO, their sound has reflected the constant travel and diverse influences of the gypsy heritage. Their 1987 debut album, which spent forty weeks on the US album charts, introduced the world to “Rumba Gitano”—South America’s rumba rhythm married to the fleet attack of flamenco guitars. That record’s “Bamboleo” became a huge, break-out worldwide hit (more than twenty years later, it even turned up on an episode of the TV series Glee).

The band’s music has also remained visible over the years throughout popular culture. They recently performed their version of “Volare,” which was an international hit in 1989, on an episode of Dancing with the Stars. Their rendition of “Hotel California” was included in the film The Big Lebowski and on the HBO series Entourage. The 2010 film Toy Story 3 featured a Gipsy Kings version of the movie’s popular, Randy Newman-penned theme, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”

The Gipsy Kings have spent a remarkable two-and-a-half decades at the top, in a category that’s all their own. Yet in those occasional periods when they aren’t touring, the band members still live with their families in the south of France, the area that defined their identities and their sound. Each time, they return to their isolated enclave, and then recreate the experience of immigrants coming to a new land. Certainly, their lives are different from those of their ancestors, but something fundamental still remains; as they continue to travel the world, absorbing new cultures and styles, this mobility, curiosity, and adaptation drives their music ever forward.

The historic, nonprofit Florida Theatre is sponsored by Community First Credit Union. For a complete list of upcoming events or to buy tickets visit the Theatre’s official website.

   “The Gipsy Kings
 featuring Nicolas Reyes &
special guest Mikaela Davis


DATE: Tues., Nov. 16, 2021
TIME: 8 p.m.
TICKETS: $42.50 – $87.50

LOCATION: The Florida Theatre
       128 East Forsyth Street.
       Jacksonville, FL 32202
       (904) 355 - ARTS (2787)

Cummer Museum celebrates 60 Years in JAX

Despite hurricanes and a pandemic, the "Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens" kicks off its 60th anniversary celebration this Veterans Day weekend with free admission, live music, arts activities and more. Admission is free thanks to support from VyStar Credit Union and PNC Bank.

Since its founding on November 11, 1961, the Museum has served as a dynamic cultural resource bringing the community of Northeast Florida together through the arts, education and its beautiful riverfront gardens. The Cummer Museum’s 60th Anniversary Kick-Off Celebration begins on Thursday, November 11 and continues through Sunday, November 14, 2021; the Museum will also offer programming throughout the year in honor of this special occasion.

“For 60 years, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens has served as a vital source of inspiration and a place of reflection for our community — a role that has taken on even greater significance during the pandemic,” said Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D., George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs Director and CEO of the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. “We are excited to celebrate this important moment and welcome everyone to the Museum for a vibrant weekend of art, music and fun.”

Ninah Cummer, the Museum’s namesake, bequeathed her collection of works to create “a center of beauty and culture” for the benefit of all the people of Northeast Florida. Today, the Museum holds over 5,000 works of art in its collection, spanning from 2100 B.C. through the 21st century, and includes 2.5 acres of historic gardens overlooking the St. Johns River. Its robust educational programming provides multigenerational learning through classes, lectures and camps, as well as a series of impactful programs focused on accessibility and inclusivity, including Women of Vision, a unique initiative that brings visual arts to women with blindness or low vision; the Arts4All Festival, an arts festival at the Museum for students with differing abilities living in Northeast Florida; and initiatives like Cummer in the Community, which serves students, staff and families in high priority areas through strategic partnerships with schools and community-based program providers.

The Museum recently launched 60 & 60 in 60, a year-end campaign to welcome 60 new and renewing members to its core membership, and 60 new and renewing donors to the Ponce de León Society (donors who give $1,250 or more per year) by December 31, 2021. This year-end initiative invites the entire community to support ongoing efforts to ensure that the Museum is an inspiring and accessible place for art, beauty and reflection. To join, visit their website.

Over the course of the next year, the Museum will honor its 60th anniversary with a variety of programs and events designed to celebrate its legacy of community impact and signal its future growth.

60th Anniversary Kick-Off Weekend activities will include:

Thurs., Nov. 11 | Veterans Day | Museum Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | FREE. Admission sponsored by VyStar Credit Union.
Let’s Ride Brass Band: Sets every hour at 12 p.m., 1 p.m. & 2 p.m.; Permanent Collection Highlight Tours: 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; “Ninah Cummer’s Museum: On Women and Art in American Society”: A virtual lecture with Scott Brown, Ph.D., Ninah Cummer’s Museum: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
All day: Lawn games in the Gardens; Drop-in papermaking activity; 60th anniversary scavenger hunt.

Fri., Nov. 12 | Museum Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | FREE. Admission sponsored by PNC Bank
Streams of Sound: Playing on the Upper Tier Colonnade from 1 to 4 p.m.; Groov Band: Playing in the Cummer Café from 5:30 to 8 p.m.; Jeremy Prince Jazz Trio: Playing on the Upper Tier Colonnade from 5:30 to 8 p.m.; Permanent Collection Highlight Tours: 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Food & Fun: 5 to 8 p.m.; Food station with gourmet hot dogs, homemade gelato and bar in the Upper Tier; Balloon animals; Face painting in the Gardens by Debra Heuskin-Adloff.
All day: Lawn games in the Gardens; Drop-in papermaking activity; 60th anniversary scavenger hunt.

Sat., Nov. 13 | Museum Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | FREE. Let’s Ride Brass Band: Playing sets every hour at 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.; Permanent Collection Highlight Tours: 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Food & Fun: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Food station with gourmet hot dogs, homemade gelato and bar in the Upper Tier; Face painting in the Gardens with Debra Heuskin-Adloff; Balloon animals.
All day: Lawn games in the Gardens; Drop-in papermaking activity; 60th anniversary scavenger hunt.

Sun., Nov. 14 | Museum Hours: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. | FREE. The Band Be Easy: Playing sets from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., and 1:45 to 2:45 p.m.; Permanent Collection Highlight Tours: 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Food & Fun: 12 to 3 p.m.; Food station with gourmet hot dogs, homemade gelato and bar in the Upper Tier; Face painting in the Gardens with Debra Heuskin-Adloff.
All day: Lawn games in the Gardens; Drop-in papermaking activity; 60th anniversary scavenger hunt.

**All events are rain or shine and moved indoors if inclement weather arises.

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
   829 Riverside Avenue
   Jacksonville, Florida 32204
   (904) 356-6857
   Hours of Operation & Admission


Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Trans – Siberian Orchestra discount tickets


Merry Christmas! $25 Tickets for 25 Hours ONLY!

Offer valid Thurs., Nov. 4 at 9 a.m. through Fri., Nov. 5 at 10 a.m.

SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER IN CELEBRATION OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF TSO’S MULTI-PLATINUM ‘CHRISTMAS EVE AND OTHER STORIES’ ALBUM.

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
December 16th – 7:30 pm

Tickets are $25 plus applicable fees. No password needed. Offer valid while supplies last. Not valid on previously purchased tickets.

Multi-platinum, progressive rock group Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) will be bringing its highly-anticipated Winter Tour back for 2021 to Jacksonville on December 16th. This year’s long-awaited tour celebrates the 25th anniversary of the group’s landmark album, Christmas Eve and Other Stories, which launched the group to superstardom and spawned the bring-the-whole-family rock holiday concert tradition that has played to more than 17 million fans nationwide.

In commemoration of the 3x platinum album’s anniversary, TSO will offer concert tickets for $25 for 25 hours only on Thurs., Nov. 4 at 9 a.m. through Fri., Nov. 5 at 10 a.m.

Tickets are available through www.Ticketmaster.com and the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena box office.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO)
Christmas Eve and Other Stories
   $25 tickets for 25 hours

DATES & TIMES
:
Thurs., Nov. 4 at 9 a.m. through Fri., Nov. 5 at 10 a.m.

 

EVENT DATE: Thurs. Dec. 16, 2021
EVENT TIME
: 7:30 p.m.
REGULAR TICKETS: Vary $36 – $86

LOCATION: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
      
300 A Philip Randolph Blvd., Downtown
      Jacksonville, FL 32202
      (904) 630-3900

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is a must see for JAX

On Nov. 2-7 the sun rose on a new production of Fiddler On The Roofin Jacksonville, at the Times Union Center for the Arts. Stunning movement and dance from acclaimed Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins. A wonderful cast and a lavish orchestra tell this heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family.

“As an avid theatre-goer, Fiddler on the Roof was a show that I had missed, and adding this show to my list, did NOT disappoint. The music, dancing and storyline are curiously entertaining; and great for the entire family. Culturally, this musical reminds me of the movie ‘Yentl’.” Ms. “V”, Around Town With Ms. “V”

Following an 18-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Israeli theatre and film star Yehezkel Lazarov, will lead the show’s triumphant return as Tevye in the Fiddler on the Roof North American Tour. Fiddle On the Roof brings its fresh take on the beloved masterpiece to Jacksonville on November 7-12, 2021. Quality tickets still on sale right HERE.

“Fiddler On The Roof”

DATES & TIMES: (Update)
Thursday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 5 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 6 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, November 6 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 7 at 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m.

TICKETS: can be purchased online 24/7. Groups of 10 or more are eligible to a discount on tickets to most shows.  To receive the best pricing, reserve your group tickets today. Groups may begin placing reservation requests by calling (904) 632-5050 or emailing.

LOCATION: Times Union Center Performing Arts
      Moran Theater
      300 West Water St.
      Jacksonville, FL 32202
      (904) 632-5000