Home » Review: “Clue” at the Kravis Center I grew up playing Clue and have seen the 1985 movie but I did not realize there was such a fandom around the classic until I arrived at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts for opening night of “Clue.” A gaggle of women wore matching dresses with lines from the movie and a Miss Scarlet in a red gown took a selfie with two friends dressed as Mrs People were really looking forward to the on-stage version of the game and I was eager to see how they managed to pull it off in a 90-minute it’s a dark and stormy night in 1954 New England she listens to the news about the Red Scare the board game characters arrive at the estate all having received an anonymous invitation and told to use aliases: Col shares that they all have something in common: they’ve been blackmailed by Mr who has dirt on each of them that will be turned into the House Un-American Activities Committee they can play a little game that involves murder and each is presented with a murder weapon (you know what they are) all hell breaks loose as the house intermittently loses power and one character after another is offed The house itself is a character in the play with walls opening to reveal new rooms and doors leading to secret passageways (A guest asks “Who designed this house?” and Wadsworth answers dryly “The Parker Brothers.”) In a running style not unlike the gang from “Scooby Doo,” the guests comically jog in place as sets are changed from one place to another the characters split off into pairs to explore the different rooms of the manse from the library and the billiards room to the lounge and the kitchen More clues are discovered—as well as bodies Each of the characters are funny in their own way Green’s neuroticism and physical comedy (dragging himself across the floor or playing a dangerous game of limbo with a falling chandelier) or hiding dead bodies from the police “Weekend at Bernie’s” style In the end when the killer (or killers?) is revealed it’s through the typical murder-mystery explanation that the play goes south While the play is filled with quippy punch lines physical comedy and vintage movie exaggeration it’s the last 10 minutes that it goes from funny to cheesy You almost want to tell the cast to quit while they’re ahead the last few minutes wouldn’t deter me from recommending “Clue,” a play that kept the audience laughing out loud and eager to find out who did it (and where and with what).  After the full cast (all very alive, thankfully) came out for a round of applause, they made a plea for the audience to support Broadway Cares, a nonprofit that provides funds for theatre crews for groceries, medication and healthcare. If you’d like to help, visit broadwaycares.org or go to the show where you’ll receive swag with your donation “Clue” runs at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts through April 19. Visit kravis.org/events/clue Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Christiana Lilly is the editor in chief at Boca magazine where she enjoys putting a spotlight on the Boca Raton and Palm Beach County community through both print and digital she is the past president of the Society of Professional Journalists Florida chapter and a proud graduate of the University of Florida She is also the author of "100 Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale Before You Die." Boca Raton magazine is on the front lines of local issues and events in South Florida covering the lighter side of life like dining news and fashion Privacy PolicyAboutAdvertise With UsContact Us Was it Professor Plum with the lead pipe in the study Or maybe it was Colonel Mustard with the revolver in the library That’s the question behind the board game Clue — six suspects The board game was the basis for a 1985 movie that had the gimmick of three different endings all the better to get viewers to pay to see the movie several times and now it’s a stage show — two stage shows “Clue Live on Stage!” was not originally part of the Kravis Broadway Series but when that show’s national tour was canceled there are two shows out there based on the Parker Brothers’ board game — one is a musical called “Clue the Musical,” an interactive experience in which the audience helps choose the ending; and “Clue Live on Stage” a comedy without songs the premise is this: Six guests have received cryptic letters inviting them to attend a dinner party at Boddy Mansion They are given colorful pseudonyms to protect their identities — Miss Scarlet They have several things in common — they each harbor a secret and they’re all being blackmailed by someone they don’t know who has already conferred with the cook and the maid to set the stage for the game that the host all played broadly and in less than 90 minutes The ensemble cast is excellent and works as a well-oiled machine and he’s especially impressive in a scene in which he acts out everything that has happened up to that point in the story Shartzer exhibits his physical prowess from the moment he makes his entrance and the final part of the play becomes his showcase as he twists and turns his body with remarkable physicality Christina Anthony plays the alluring Miss Scarlet with welcome notes of subtlety and nuance The other stars of the show are the technical elements Lee Savage’s scenic design goes all in on the handsomely appointed with inventive ways to present the rooms found in the board game Ryan O’Gara’s lighting design adds to the comically foreboding atmosphere with moody flickering lights and works in conjunction with Jeff Human’s sound design to create thunder and lightning Jen Caprio’s costumes are period perfect and help identify each character Head over to Kravis to see “Clue Live on Stage!” and watch the merry “Clue Live on Stage!” runs through April 19 — An iconic board game comes to life on stage at the Kravis Center with the uproariously funny production of "Clue Live On Stage," now thrilling audiences in West Palm Beach Based on the beloved (my favorite movie from the 1980s) 1985 film that featured a star-studded cast including Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn this dynamic adaptation is an experience unlike any other who portrays the endearing yet neurotic Mr Shartzer draws from the charm of the original character while infusing his energetic flair shares that the production allows her to explore layers within her character "It's easy to stay fresh because I tap into my grandmother from the '50s who was very put together and had strong values," Allen said "I discover something fresh and new every time I perform her." Audiences can expect to enjoy favorites like "It was Colonel Mustard in the study with the wrench!” alongside new surprises "I love to say that everybody does a little something at the end," Shartzer teased while keeping the true identity of the murderer under wraps The 80-minute production runs without an intermission encouraging viewers to dive right into the exhilarating mayhem of the evening "You don't have to worry about intermission; you can sit in your seats With stirring energy that echoes through the large venue Shartzer emphasized the challenge of captivating the entire audience "Some of these houses we perform in are quite large — like 2,200 seats — so I need to deliver in a way that engages everyone," Shartzer said The cast is well aware of the legacy they are part of and they embrace the spirit of the original movie Allen reflected on the film's playful nature but in a more reality-based way," Allen said "The characters are very believable; they could be real people." the ensemble’s chemistry delights with every twist and turn audiences may witness amusing mishaps that are characteristic of live theater "There have been times where we open the boxes to reveal our weapons You kind of have to open a box and be like offering additional moments of laughter from the cast humor and exuberance makes "Clue Live On Stage" a must-see experience the audience is uproariously laughing," Shartzer concluded "This show has been a highlight of my career." Whether you are a lifelong fan of the game or a newcomer to the "Clue" universe this production promises to be a riotous good time Grab your friends and prepare to solve the mystery Don't miss your chance to be part of the laughter unfolding on the Kravis Center stage Tickets start at $41. Make sure you purchase authentic tickets. It is highly recommended to buy tickets directly by visiting the Kravis Center website. "Clue Live On Stage" runs through April 19 at the Kravis Center Ready to start planning your care? Call us at 800-525-2225 to make an appointment Our scientists pursue every aspect of cancer research—from exploring the biology of genes and cells Our highly-specialized educational programs shape leaders to be at the forefront of cancer care and research Adults: 800-525-2225 Children & Teens: 833-MSK-KIDS our experts provide the care and support you need Refer a patient Memorial Sloan Kettering was founded in 1884 and today is a world leader in patient care Each year, the Marie-Josée Kravis Women in Science Endeavor (WiSE) awards fellowships to women in science both graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to support their research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) This year’s winners are postdoctoral fellows Almudena Chaves-Pérez, PhD, and Adriana Mujal, PhD, and graduate students Hina Shah and Lydia Paraskevi Tsamouri Read about these exceptional scientists and their research below has always been intrigued by things she can’t see ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And I would say ‘I want to look through a microscope.’ ” Her fascination with the unseen world began with her mother telling her about the immune system “My mom always wanted to become a nurse, but back then she never lost her passion and kept learning,” Dr and she would tell me about what she had learned that day She eventually decided that the best way to look through microscopes for a living was to become a scientist — so she did She pursued an undergraduate degree in biotechnology In February 2020, Dr. Chaves-Pérez started her post-doctoral training in the lab of Scott Lowe, PhD, Chair of the Cancer Biology and Genetics Program at the Sloan Kettering Institute she is transfixed by cells with stem cell-like properties and all the intricate mechanisms of this process.  “Did you know we have a new intestine every seven days?” she asks me “Your entire intestine is renewed every seven days by stem cells in the gut.” “We know a lot about the basic facts of this turnover but not about how metabolism controls regeneration during homeostasis and after injury,” she adds Dr. Chaves-Pérez’s current research is focused on identifying the metabolites in the gut that trigger and guide this renewal, as well as what goes awry in ulcerative colitis and colon cancer She has learned, for example, that ulcers heal faster if a particular metabolite is given as a supplement to mice with ulcerative colitis. She and her colleagues, in partnership with the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute (Tri-I TDI), are now trying to modify and encapsulate that compound into a pill she’s learned that there are several metabolites in the gut that can alter the aggressiveness of colon cancer cells and modulate the tumor microenvironment Her hope is to eventually be able to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapies for colon cancer by shifting the metabolic environment in the gut “I’m extremely grateful to Marie-Josée Kravis and to MSK for standing behind this initiative,” she says “Their efforts are really important in breaking down barriers and opening up opportunities for women in science they set an example and help empower us to push boundaries all in the hope of making a real impact on society.” “Don’t let anyone tell you what to do or that you can’t do it You are capable enough — you can achieve whatever you set your mind to If you are passionate about science and love what you are doing Don’t let anything hold you back.” Many readers of science news have likely heard of T cells. These are the cells of our immune system that many current types of immunotherapy seek to empower to fight cancer spent several years studying T cells for her graduate work But when it came time to pursue postdoctoral training she decided to focus on another immune actor: the natural killer (NK) cell I had overlooked NK cells prior to my postdoc,” Dr “so it felt like a good opportunity to dive into a new topic.” She explains that NK cells are particularly interesting because they are complementary to T cells They can perform some of the same killing functions but they’re able to respond in some settings that T cells cannot And that makes them attractive candidates for immunotherapy Her project is trying to understand what allows these NK cells to do their best work “I’m asking whether the responsiveness of these NK cells might differ depending on where in the body the NK cells are encountering their target whether that’s a virus or a cancer cell,” she says Mujal credits past and current mentors who have encouraged her I had a chemistry teacher who really sparked my love of science,” she says I ended up doing a high school summer program where I got to work in an immunology lab at Stanford That was my introduction to research.” Now, as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of immunologist Joseph Sun, PhD, at the Sloan Kettering Institute she is effusive about the support she gets from her current mentor “Joe’s awesome,” she says “I feel like everyone loves him.” Given her positive experience with mentoring “Having seen and experienced how impactful good mentorship can be it makes me want to take these lessons and do the same for others.” “Seek out good mentors who are going to keep you excited about the science that you’re doing and who you can go to for advice along the way If you can surround yourself with people who care about you then that’s going to make a huge difference in your personal growth and scientific journey.” Fourth-year graduate student Hina Shah is fascinated by DNA repair — the process by which cells in our body identify and fix breaks in the genome there are multiple ways that cells can fix those breaks since incorrectly or unrepaired breaks in DNA can lead to cancer For her dissertation, which she is pursuing in the lab of molecular biologist Agnel Sfeir, PhD Shah is looking at a potentially new kind of DNA repair pathway that hasn’t previously been observed in human cells “It’s called RNA-templated repair,” she says “When you have a double-strand break in DNA if there’s no complementary DNA sequence to copy and repair it can the mRNA that’s already present be used as the template?” She says that there’s some evidence the process happens in yeast cells but her work would be the first time that scientists have seen it happening in human cells Shah came to this project from a background in genetics “I liked genetics because a lot of science classes were just memorization and spitting out facts After college at Cornell University in Ithaca she spent a few years working with the genome-editing tool CRISPR at Mass General Hospital in Boston the focus of the work was on gene editing — making changes to DNA in order to intervene in diseases “My previous work was how can we manipulate systems and edit the genome But here I’m asking: How are the cells doing it themselves?” Shah acknowledges that pursuing science can be a difficult path That’s one reason why she is so grateful to receive the Kravis WiSE graduate fellowship “Hearing that I got it was really exciting,” says Shah “It was nice to see that other people are also excited about this work that they think it’s interesting and has potential Shah wants to have a career in the biotech field “doing cool new CRISPR technologies or gene therapies.” The Kravis WiSE fellowship will help her achieve that goal “One of the things people really need to learn is not to take it personally when things don’t work Even if someone gives a presentation and it sounds really polished remember that they’re only showing you some of the work that went into it They’re not showing you the failures.” When Lydia Paraskevi Tsamouri was an undergraduate at the University of Surrey in England she spent a year in New York City at Weil Cornell Graduate School and made a profound discovery about herself I want to do this every day for the rest of my life,’ ” she recalls Now, as a fourth-year graduate student working in the lab of chemical biologist Dan Bachovchin, PhD, in the Sloan Kettering Institute she is studying an enigmatic complex in cells called the NLRP1 inflammasome the inflammasome triggers a fiery type of programmed cell death The inflammasome is considered part of the innate immune system responsible for protecting us against harmful invaders and cancer But which pathogens or cancer signals the inflammasome responds to is still a mystery “The major question that we’re trying to ask is ‘What is the evolutionary conserved signal that these inflammasomes have evolved to sense?’ Because despite these inflammasomes being in many cells of our body the signal that activates them is unknown,” Tsamouri says the only thing she and her colleagues know for sure triggers the inflammasome is a synthetic chemical called Val-boroPro But since this chemical doesn’t exist in nature They know that Val-boroPro binds to and inhibits DPP9 and that DPP9 also binds to the inflammasome So now their hypothesis is that DPP9 inhibition activates the inflammasome ‘What inhibits DPP9?’ This is what I’m working on — to find the endogenous inhibitor of DPP9.” she’s employing biochemical approaches and CRISPR gene-editing technology Tsamouri says she first got interested in science as an undergrad She was a biochemistry major and had mentors who introduced her to the research process “We would talk about science,” she says “and I discovered I really loved the process of generating hypotheses and being able to test them.” Some of the proudest moments in her career so far have come from small victories as when “a high-risk or technically challenging experiment works or when you find the answer to a question you set out to ask.” a place “where we can talk about science every day and study interesting phenomena and hypothesize and then answer questions with experiments “Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new things Even if a technique is not established in your lab and Kate Soper will write new works for the New York Philharmonic as part of the Marie-Josée Kravis Prize for New Music The Marie-Josée Kravis Prize for New Music at the New York Philharmonic—which recognizes extraordinary artistic endeavors in the field of new music—has been awarded to American composers David Lang and Missy Mazzoli the Kravis Prize includes $200,000 and a commission for a work that the New York Philharmonic will premiere Lang’s new work will be premiered in the 2025–26 season and Mazzoli’s will be premiered in 2026–27 the NY Phil has named Kate Soper the Kravis Emerging Composer also part of the Marie-Josée Kravis Prize for New Music including a commission to compose a work that the Philharmonic will premiere in May 2025 Funding for both honors comes from a $10 million gift to the Philharmonic in 2009 by Henry R Previous Kravis Prize and commission recipients include Henri Dutilleux (he shared the proceeds of his award with Anthony Cheung and Peter Eötvös); Per Nørgård (he shared the proceeds of his award with Bent Sørensen); Louis Andriessen; and Unsuk Chin Previous Kravis Emerging Composers include Sean Shepherd and Anna Thorvaldsdottir , the award-winning publication of the League of American Orchestras discusses issues critical to the orchestra community and communicates to the American public the value and importance of orchestras and the music they perform WEST PALM BEACH — Former Vice President Mike Pence will appear at the Kravis Center for Performing Arts on Friday to discuss his life experiences and time in office Pence will address a crowd of nearly 700 people during a one-hour luncheon and Q&A moderated by WPTV anchor Hollani Davis. Audience members can submit questions of their own at the event, which begins at noon and is hosted by the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches Tickets to attend in person ranged from $55 to $80 and sold out within three days Tickets to watch online are still available and cost $25 for Forum Club members and $30 for non-members a nonpartisan political and public affairs organization has drawn high-caliber speakers to Palm Beach County for nearly 50 years Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com Palm Beach ArtsPaper News and reviews of the arts in and around Palm Beach County March 12, 2025 By Hap Erstein Kaufman once observed that “satire is what closes on Saturday night.” But then he never met Matt Stone and Trey Parker the two wags behind the comic boundary-pushing cable television show they brought their satirical and scatological sensibilities to Broadway with the latter a brash send-up of the loopy contemporary religion and its army of globe-trotting young missionaries Many industry watchers doubted the show would find a receptive audience on Broadway but it is still playing in New York almost 15 years later and is about to claim a spot among the 10 longest-running shows in Broadway history And as the current booking at the Kravis Center’s Dreyfoos Hall proves it would be R-rated for its potty-mouthed dialogue and lyrics Yet there is an underlying sweetness to its story of faith and friendship the Church of Latter Day Saints is a little crazy The Mormon church girded itself for the skewering it expected when the show premiered but by now it uses the musical as a recruiting tool but self-centered Kevin Price (Dylan Weaver) and pudgy prevaricating Arnold Cunningham (Diego Enrico) with hardly any similarity to The Lion King Aiding Stone and Parker in their first foray onto Broadway are veterans Robert Lopez (composer of Avenue Q and Frozen) and Casey Nicholaw (director of The Drowsy Chaperone and Disney’s Aladdin) they demonstrate their musical theater acumen with their version of the saga of Mormon founder Joseph Smith as a parody of The King and I’s “Small House of Uncle Thomas” and an anthem of faith (“I Believe”) that is pure Rodgers and Hammerstein They also tip their hats to The Lion King’s “Hakune Matata” with a similarly bouncy “Hasa Diga Eebowai,” which seems benign enough until we learn its profane translation The Ugandans are understandably uninterested in becoming Mormons but Arnold ultimately closes the deal with his truth-stretching interpretation of the title book And since any good musical comedy needs a love interest Arnold becomes smitten with Nabulungi (Keke Nesbitt) a comely Ugandan local who is eager to convert and visit the Mormon promised land The Book of Mormon is that rare musical comedy that is laugh-out-loud funny And such is Stone and Parker’s willingness to go to great lengths for comic effect that they insert an elaborate tangent Elder Price’s “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream,” populated with such icons of evil as Adolf Hitler Tour director and choreographer Jennifer Werner replicates the original staging by Nicholaw and Parker delivering a surprisingly fresh production worth its weight in giggles led by the endearingly unkempt Enrico and the full-voiced The very appealing Nesbitt — a Dreyfoos School graduate — has laser-sharp comic timing and Craig Franke is an ensemble standout as a gay tap dancer doing what he can to deny his sexual orientation This is the third visit of The Book of Mormon to the Kravis Center and since comedy is so dependent on the element of surprise the show should be wearing out its welcome by now Maybe the show has lost a little of its ability to outrage us but it remains as hysterically funny as ever Copyright © 2025 · Palm Beach ArtsPaper The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts has released its 17th Kravis on Broadway lineup for the coming season Its highly anticipated lineup includes multiple Tony Award-winning shows The season rounds out with "A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical" from April 7-12 Current subscribers will have first access to season passes beginning at noon today at kravis.org New subscribers will be able to buy season tickets starting April 21 Subscriptions include an eight-show series that has "'Twas the Night Before .. by Cirque du Soleil," or a seven-show series that does not Tickets for the eight-show series package prices are from $391 to $1,048 Tickets for individual shows will be available at a later date Here is a look at each of the performances included in the coming season's Kravis on Broadway series: 21-26: This award-winning musical from 1974 puts a twist on "The Wizard of Oz" and made history for its use of soul gospel and funk to tell the story of Dorothy and her journey down the yellow brick road 11-16: This 2021 Jeanine Tesori musical won five Tony Awards including best musical a teenager with a rapid-aging condition who is navigating young adulthood — and possibly felony charges "'Twas the Night Before … by Cirque du Soleil," Nov 20-30: The Cirque du Soleil acrobatic troupe will bring its first holiday show which is inspired by the classic poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," to the Kravis Center this season 22-28: Described by the Kravis Center as "the ultimate feel-good show," this 2017 British musical brings the best pub energy to West Palm Beach with a working bar on stage and sing-along-ready pop and rock favorites 6-11: This 2022 Marc Shaiman musical about two musicians running from gangsters during Prohibition based on the classic 1959 film starring Marilyn Monroe 10-15: "MJ" goes beyond the headlines of the groundbreaking musical artist Michael Jackson to look behind the scenes of the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour "A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical," April 7-12 2026: Learn about the life of the iconic musician Neil Diamond in this 2022 jukebox musical that will have its West Palm Beach premiere at the Kravis Center 2026: Based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks "The Notebook" is the story of a lifetime of love and strife for the main characters The 2024 musical features a score by songwriter Ingrid Michaelson For more information, go to kravis.org January 31, 2025 By Hap Erstein at the tail end of the musical theater’s so-called golden age it took the Fanny Brice biographical show Funny Girl almost 60 years to be revived on Broadway that is because it has been under the shadow of its original star But it was revived — and revised — three years ago successfully enough that it spawned a subsequent national tour which plays this week at the Kravis Center While the production does not live up to whatever memories you may have of Babs’ performance — still much in evidence in her Oscar-winning movie debut — there is enough to like here including a remarkable star turn by Hannah Shankman as Ziegfeld Follies headliner Brice belting out her many vocals and clowning when required The show takes Brice from her humble Brooklyn roots where she meets smooth-talking lothario and gambler Nick Arnstein he falls in love with this self-described “bagel on a plate full of onion rolls.” She is willingly seduced by him and they marry but his easily bruised male ego cannot stand the fame and wealth she earns from the Follies while he loses fortunes on gambling and bad investments while the second chronicles Arnstein’s downward spiral (and imprisonment for embezzling) which puts fatal stress on their relationship The two halves of the show were always lopsided so for this revival Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles Kinky Boots) was brought in to bolster the original book by Isobel Lennart but his changes are rarely significant improvements A musical number for Arnstein cut from the show initially “Temporary Arrangement,” has been added back in the stage show imports the rueful title tune and inserts it late in the second act saved only by an incongruous reprise of the rousing “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” though it does contain two of the Jule Styne-Bob Merrill score’s best numbers “The Music That Makes Me Dance,” and the wistful “Who Are You Now?,” retrofitted as a duet for Fanny and Nick Among her standout solos in the first act are Fanny’s opening anthem “I’m The Greatest Star,” persuasively delivered by Shankman “People.” Add in a couple of Follies production numbers — “His Love Makes Me Beautiful” and “Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat” — and you have a memorable score like they rarely write anymore If only the script were up to the level of the songs Shankman does not stray far from Streisand’s line deliveries and vocal phrasing Stephen Mark Lukas elbows his way into a couple of Shankman’s numbers though his acting is often on the stiff side Izaiah Montaque Harris gets some standout time showing off his considerable tap skill Perhaps the biggest name in the cast is Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester though she is largely wasted as Fanny’s mother While the original production of Funny Girl was quite lavish the revival bows to today’s belt-tightened economics The ensemble is noticeably smaller and the scenic design by David Zinn relies chiefly on two-dimensional backdrops Shankman is reason enough to see this Funny Girl a flawed but entertaining musical with plenty of hummable songs FUNNY GIRL, Kravis Center, Dreyfoos Hall, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Through Sun., Feb. 2. $55-$181. Call 561-832-7469 or visit kravis.org From live music to cinema and history, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts will celebrate Black History Month with a packed lineup that includes the 19th annual African American Film Festival and a discussion on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre “We aim to amplify powerful perspectives on civil rights history and cultural experiences sparking meaningful conversations through performances presentations and discussions,” the Kravis Center said of its Black History Month programming our diverse community is represented by voices that inspire challenge and illuminate shared experiences.” The West Palm Beach venue opens the month with musician Leyla McCalla at 7:30 p.m McCalla’s music blends New Orleans and Haitian influences to create music that is “at once eathy soulful and witty,” the Kravis Center said That will be followed by two performances by award-winning pop-jazz vocalist Darius de Haas as part of the Kravis Center's popular 54 Below at the Rinker series One of the highlights of the Kravis Center’s Black History Month schedule is the African American Film Festival its theme is “Jazz Legends and Cinematic Icons.” associate professor of cinematic arts in the University of Miami’s School of Communication she tapped into the Library of Congress’ Jazz in the Movies database “These films explore both the wounds and creative powers of African Americans and their place at the heart of American identity offering a feast for the eyes and a listening session for the soul,” the Kravis Center said The opening night showing of the 1927 silent film “Sirens of the Tropics” will be at 6:30 p.m It will include a live accompaniment of an original score by award-winning jazz composer and performer Etienne Charles That is followed by the 1961 film “Paris Blues” at 1 p.m 14; the 2020 animated feature “Soul” at 1 p.m 15; the 1990 Spike Lee hit “Mo’ Better Blues” at 6:30 p.m 15; and the 1959 concert film “Jazz on a Summer’s Day” at 1 p.m the Kravis Center will host “National Geographic Live: Alicia Odewale — Black Wall Street,” where the archaeologist and Tulsa native Odewale will reveal some of the powerful stories behind the Black community savaged by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Black Wall Street was a hub of African American culture and business where Black entrepreneurs included attorneys The once-thriving area of Tulsa was decimated by the massacre in which 35 square blocks were burned and scores of people died the Kravis believes that many lessons can be gleaned from this tragedy including the success of Black Wall Street was built on strong community ties and support for one another's businesses,” the Kravis Center said “The thriving Black-owned businesses in the Greenwood district showcased the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of African Americans.” Learning about the events can help inspire people today to promote economic empowerment and community development in marginalized communities Odewale is a great-grandniece of Robert Ware and she attended a historically Black high school that was created during Oklahoma's Jim Crow era according to her National Geographic Explorer profile The month culminates in the Kravis’ annual Gospel Gala this year featuring Grammy-winning singer and evangelist Kierra Sheard-Kelly performing at 7 p.m As the daughter of gospel singer Karen Clark-Sheard of the Clark Sisters and the granddaughter of gospel pioneer Mattie Moss Clark She also has four Grammy nominations under her belt along with six wins at the Stellar Gospel Music Awards an NAACP Image Award and three Dove Awards For more information or to buy tickets for the Kravis Center’s Black History Month events, go to kravis.org or call 561-832-7469 Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism An exhibition featuring work from award-winning photographer Pari Dukovic has opened at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts "Pari Dukovic: En Pointe — Dance & Fashion" is open to the public from 1 to 5 p.m Monday through Saturday through July 1 in the Khoury Family Dance Rehearsal Hall at the Kravis Center Admission is free and appointments also may be scheduled to view the exhibition includes 25 images that showcase a decade's worth of high-fashion costumes created for the New York City Ballet's annual Fall Fashion Gala Dukovic's photographs are part of a larger project with 11 of the company's dancers for the Rizzoli-published 200-page book "New York City Ballet: Choreography & Couture" by New York City Ballet director of costumes Marc Happel "The images capture the ethereal beauty and strength of the dancers juxtaposed with the handmade detail and sophistication of haute couture," the Kravis Center said The exhibition is accompanied by an audio guide that Dukovic recorded for the Kravis Center The photographs feature couture designed by Thom Browne and dance can help people lead healthier lives Palm Beach residents have an opportunity to attend the NeuroArts Conference which is billed as "Bridging the Gap Between Scientific Theory and Artistic Application” on Saturday at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts' Persson Hall the conference will feature panel discussions and workshops with leading experts centered on how arts-based activities can help improve mental health and physical health “If you engage in the arts every few months say you go to the theater or to an art museum you will cumulatively have a 31% lower risk of premature death compared to those folks who don’t,” Kravis Center Senior Director of Education Tracy Butler said That statistic came from the work of Susan Magsamen executive director of the John Hopkins School of Medicine’s International Arts + Mind Lab Though Magsamen is unable to attend the conference Butler there will be a pre-recorded message from the academic “One of the important pieces of information that she’ll discuss during her opening remarks is that we’re in a position where we can soon see insurers prescribe some of these art-based treatments,” Butler said “That’s something that’s on the horizon.”  associate professor of psychology at the University of California San Francisco Viskontas has published more than 50 academic works on the neural basis of memory “She works with folks recovering from traumatic brain injury as well as rehabilitating those that have been incarcerated by using the arts to help with rehab and recovery,” Butler said A collaborative effort between the Kravis Center’s ArtSmart Series and the Arts & Health program at Tampa’s David A the conference lineup was curated by the Straz Center’s Community Engagement Specialist Frederick Johnson Johnson had previously led a Straz Center program that used the arts to aid military veterans suffering from PTSD will feature on the conference’s Voices in Service panel former division chief of integrative health and wellness at Maryland’s Walter Reed National Military Medical Center the conference breaks into the various workshops including a music workshop led by New York University doctoral fellow Jasmine Edwards a percussion workshop led by community organizer and West African drummer Abasi Hanif and a visual art workshop headed by Jody Sypher exhibitions curator at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood and include a boxed lunch provided by the Kravis Center There is also a $25 virtual webinar ticket which includes coverage of the event’s keynote address and panel discussion The Kravis Center is at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@pbdailynews.com Harry Connick Jr. put on a great show at the Kravis Center gala Connick's high-energy performance included tap dancing atop a Steinway grand piano — and believe us when we tell you we winced with every strike of those cleats on that glorious instrument — and a sizzling New Orleans jazz band He regaled the audience with anecdotes like "I grew up in New Orleans with an Irish Catholic father and a Jewish mother My house was the only place in town where you could have corned beef and cabbage The show was the hot topic of conversation at the post-performance dinner dance .. Until gala co-chairman Bill Meyer on the dance floor with his squeeze Renay Wasserstein More Palm Beach society news here Kristen and David Lambert “Kristen and I are delighted to be chairs of tonight’s gala along with our great friends Renay and Bill," said David Lambert “Not only did we get to enjoy a phenomenal performance by Harry Connick but we get to experience a fun evening while raising important funds for the Kravis Center’s mission." “education and community engagement are at the heart of the Kravis Center’s mission and the generosity of our gala guests help makes it all possible “More than 3 million students have experienced the power of the performing arts since our doors opened in 1992 Proceeds from tonight’s gala will help fuel these transformative programs ensuring that we continue to inspire young minds foster creativity and make the arts accessible to all the evening ― which had a Klub Kravis '40s supper club theme ― included a clever silent movie introduction starring the gala chairs and West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James; dinner; lots of men who gamely abided by the "white dinner jacket" directive; and dancing to the Marcia Mitchell Band Kathryn C. Vecellio and Monika E. Preston were honorary chairwomen Proceeds from the night benefit the Kravis Center's programs including its comprehensive arts education initiative which enables students to participate in a variety of workshops as well as providing free and reduced-price tickets to those who might not otherwise have the chance to experience live performances Mark your calendars: Tickets for the 2024-25 Kravis Center for the Performing Arts season go on sale this week The public will be able to buy tickets for more than 300 performances and events during the center's "Live Amplified" season starting at 10 a.m the Kravis Center announced in a news release Tickets can be purchased online at kravis.org by phone at 561-832-7469 or in person at the Kravis Center's box office at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. The lineup includes a mix of Broadway shows Among the big names coming to the Kravis Center this season are singers Bonnie Raitt and Richard Marx & Rick Springfield; and comedians Jay Mohr The Kravis on Broadway 16th season lineup begins with "Mrs 12-16; "The Book of Mormon" from March 11-16; "Moulin Rouge The Musical" from March 25-30; "Les Misérables" from April 22-27; and "Mystic Pizza" from May 13-18 Read More: Broadway hits, music stars, comedians highlight Kravis Center's 2024-25 lineup For more information, go to kravis.org/performance-calendar offering a book he says will change your life Multiply that by about a dozen and you’ve got the iconic opening number of “The Book of Mormon,” a hilarious now on stage at Kravis Center in West Palm Beach Anyone familiar with the animated show “South Park” will not be surprised by the type of humor in “The Book of Mormon.” Matt Stone and Trey Parker created the TV show Stone and Parker spoofed Mormonism on a 2003 episode of “South Park,” titled “The Book of Mormon” premiered on Broadway in 2011 and won seven Tony Awards Read more: Dreyfoos grad comes home: From Kravis camp to taking the stage in 'Book of Mormon' He’s about to undertake the two-year mission required of every unmarried Mormon and he dreams of being assigned to his dream location in Orlando compulsive liar and pop culture expert who gloms onto Elder Price the villagers aren’t interested in what the missionaries have to say They are more concerned by the reality of their lives — poverty and the warlord general who demands that every girl and woman in the village undergo female genital mutilation abandoning his mission and dumping Elder Cunningham comes to Elder Cunningham and asks to learn more about the religion and the paradise it promises he sees his chance to become the Mormon he’s always wanted to be So what if he’s never actually read the book Elder Cunningham wields his pop culture knowledge to convert the villagers “The Book of Mormon” boasts some impressive production numbers including “Turn It Off,” a tap number by the Mormon missionaries in Uganda; “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream,” which Elder Price experiences after leaving his mission; and “I Am Africa,” performed by the very white missionaries Sam McLellan imbues Elder Price with the right mix of narcissism and affability including “I Believe.” Diego Enrico plays Elder Cunningham as the ultimate nerd and deftly portrays his arc from hopeless to hero His “Man Up” is one of the highlights of the show graduated from Dreyfoos School of the Arts and attended theater camp at Kravis Center delivers a terrific performance as Nabulungi and her Nabulungi is engaging and admirable pulling off an impressive mix of wisdom and wide-eyed innocence Her solo of “Sa Tlay Ka Siti” and her duet with Enrico on “Baptize Me” are both poignant and funny the humor in “The Book of Mormon” is mildly crude and kind of sacrilegious and at its core has a lot to say about friendship and faith It’s also one of the funniest musicals ever “The Book of Mormon” runs through March 16 Kravis Center announces lineup for 2025-2026 Classical Concert SeriesPalm Beach Daily NewsThe Kravis Center’s 2025-2026 Classical Concert Series will include a return visit from the Vienna Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra leading soloists including pianists Lang Lang and Marc-André Hamelin and a performance of Handel's "Messiah" by the country's oldest performing arts organization the Handel and Haydn Society also has been running the longest U.S series of annual performances at Christmastime of Handel's oratorio This year marks the 172nd consecutive year of "Messiah" concerts for "H+H," as well as its debut at the Kravis Center H+H will present "Messiah" in Kravis' Dreyfoos Hall on the night of Dec The center announced its upcoming season Wednesday as it began subscription renewals a name change from Regional Arts to the Classical Concert Series The concerts constitute the largest classical music series in Florida there will be prominent orchestras paying a visit to West Palm Beach one of Europe's most prestigious orchestras for a Sunday afternoon and Monday evening concert Chinese pianist Lang Lang solos with conductor Andris Nelsons in the Third Piano Concerto of Bartók on March 9; Mahler's Symphony No The March 8 concert includes symphonies by Mozart (No London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performs a matinee concert on Jan 17 with conductor Vasily Petrenko and the Australian violinist Ray Chen who will play Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony also is on the program 1 matinee under conductor Franz Welser-Möst for the "Jupiter" Symphony of Mozart and Shostakovich's Eleventh Symphony Concertgoers also will be treated to a performance Jan 16 by Mexico’s Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería in a return Kravis engagement Conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto leads the group in the popular "Sensemayá" of the Mexican modernist Silvestre Revueltas plus three works by the major Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera Trumpeter Pacho Flores solos in two trumpet concertos: the familiar one by Haydn and "Concerto Venezolano," by the Cuban jazz saxophonist Paquito d'Rivera the Kravis hosts a celebration of African American opera singers with the acclaimed tenor Limmie Pulliam performing with the Jacksonville Symphony Lauded for his Metropolitan Opera debut in Verdi's "Aida," Pulliam will sing operatic arias with the Jacksonville orchestra Pulliam will follow that concert two days later with an afternoon song recital of Black spirituals Pulliam and Markham have recorded an album of these remarkable songs including “Great Day,” “Give Me Jesus,” and “You Can Tell The World.” The New World Symphony will make its annual pilgrimage north from Miami Beach on March 13 with its artistic director The fine German violinist Augustin Hadelich will perform; details have not been announced The great Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin joins New York's conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra on March 4 for an early Mozart piano concerto (No Also planned are arrangements of music by Chopin (by Michi Wiancko) and Schubert (by Heribert Breuer) The Buffalo Philharmonic and its conductor Jo Ann Falletta return to the Kravis on March 23 with the young American violinist Simone Porter (who appeared in recital on the 2023 Flagler Museum Music Series) Porter will play Bruch's "Scottish Fantasy" on a program that also includes the Brahms Second Symphony And it wouldn't be a Kravis classical season without the legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman 21 in an afternoon recital with longtime pianist Rohan de Silva The concert also will include a multimedia presentation about Perlman's life and career and Heribert Breuer's chamber symphony arrangement of Schubert's Piano Sonata in B-flat Witness: An Afternoon of Spirituals with Limmie Pulliam2 p.m. Season tickets for new subscribers will go on sale on March 10 The images conjured by that mononym have been cemented in pop culture history: Her mane of long black hair Her long and storied career is illustrated in “The Cher Show," a dazzling jukebox musical Cher’s life is a true rags to riches to rags to riches and more riches journey a roller-coaster ride of the highest highs and lowest lows Cher is portrayed by three women who represent different eras of her life offering advice and belting out songs together The three actresses who portray Cher each embody the superstar in her various eras Perez does a wonderful job portraying the wide-eyed innocence of teenaged Cher Ariale channels Cher’s signature look and throaty voice the most and deftly brings out Cher’s desperation to save her marriage to Sonny Bono (Lorenzo Pugliese) and transition to a life without him and a solo career while still bringing out her vulnerability All three are powerhouse singers on their own but it is electrifying when the three of them sing together “The Cher Show” turns back time to Cher’s beginnings as a little girl so entranced by Hollywood that her fondest desire is to be famous The show chronicles the ups and downs of Cher’s life — meeting Bono her marriage to Gregg Allman (Mike Bindeman,) her transition to becoming an Oscar-winning actress; her eulogy at Sonny’s funeral; and comeback after comeback throughout her life Cher’s songs are showcased throughout the show but to illustrate key moments and milestones and not always sung by the Cher characters “You Better Sit Down Kids” is sung by Cher’s mother Georgia Holt (Kristin Rose Kelleher) to explain a divorce to Babe and “Dark Lady” is sung by Gregg Allman and Sonny In a show full of spectacular musical numbers one of the best is set to “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” and features designer Bob Mackie (Tyler Pirrung,) Babe and Star in an eye-popping fashion parade of Cher’s glitzy The legendary Mackie also designed the costumes for “The Cher Show.” The three leads have a great supporting cast Pirrung’s each appearance as Bob Mackie is a delight Kelleher is a comic ray of sunshine as Cher’s mom Georgia Bindeman delivers an exceptional performance as Gregg Allman “The Cher Show” is one of the best of the jukebox bio-musicals exposing the audience to aspects of Cher’s life that they might not know about On opening night when Star sang “Believe” in the finale the audience was either on their feet singing along or at least dancing in their seats February 13, 2025 By Hap Erstein Barrie gave the world one of its most endearing “the boy who wouldn’t grow old.” Fifty years later composer Moose Charlap and lyricist Carolyn Leigh (with additional music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green) adapted the story into a stage musical issues of ethnic authenticity and political correctness have dogged the show leading to revisions to the material every time it is revived led by Native American playwright and activist Larissa FastHorse and director Lonny Price addressing most of the quibbles without damaging the charm at the heart of the fairy tale The results are on view at the Kravis Center’s Dreyfoos Hall this week through Sunday Surely you know the storyline that Barrie devised the musical or the many movie versions of the tale It concerns the perennially young soul who flies into the home of the three Darling siblings and transports them to his fairy tale headquarters in Neverland where his orphaned Lost Boys co-exist uneasily with pirates and Indigenous people Pirates apparently do not have an anti-defamation league So gone is the offensive depiction of Peter’s red-skinned foes and their song “Ugg-A-Wugg.” Not only are they painted with admirable pride but they do not remain enemies of our hero for long Typical of the tribe is comely Tiger Lily (Bailey Frankenberg) an empowered female with a dance style that is far more Broadway than Blackfoot Even the casting of Peter is non-traditional the legendary Mary Martin starred as Peter and the role has gone to such boyish performers as Sandy Duncan and Cathy Rigby Jonah Barricklo flies his way into our hearts in the title role handling some eight musical numbers with his creamy vocal styling Flying sequence choreography is credited to Paul Rubin the flying remains on the stage side of the proscenium In one of the great Freudian double casting coups of the musical theater “the swine-iest swine in the book,” are both played by the same actor Here those chores are handled by Cody Garcia particularly enjoyable as the malevolent one-handed victim of a hungry crocodile Tinker Bell is again played by a twinkling light so convincingly that you will clap for her to save her life when Peter asks you to do so Hawa Kamara has a lovely singing voice as the maternal Wendy Also strong vocally is the ensemble of Lost Boys and Pirates this new version of the story eliminates Nana replaced by a human character who puts in a couple of token appearances Did PETA object to depictions of canine employment the show’s score is chock full of beautiful ballads (“Tender Shepherd,” “Distant Melody”) and comic numbers for Captain Hook (in dance tempos of tango The casting of a male Peter has meant the deletion of “Oh My Mysterious Lady,” written for Martin’s soprano range “Friends Forever,” which co-opts Styne’s melody from the Subways Are for Sleeping song “Once In a Lifetime,” with new lyrics by Amanda Green PETER PAN, Kravis Center Dreyfoos Hall, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Through Sunday, Feb. 16. Tickets: $50-$145. Call 561-832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org Home » “Funny Girl” Opens at Kravis Center “Funny Girl” opened at the Kravis Center Tuesday night a part of the performing arts center’s Broadway series Of course I was familiar with the movie and the musical—hello Barbra Streisand—but I walked in without knowing much about the details and I entered the theater without a clue of the plot and could appreciate it for what it was The musical is based on the real Fanny Brice singer and actress who performed from the 1910s until her death in 1951 While the musical simplifies her journey to the top and her rollercoaster marriage where funny girls aren’t gorgeous and gorgeous girls aren’t funny Frustrated that she doesn’t seem to fit into the line of chorus girls “I’m a bagel on a plate full of onion rolls!” “If a girl isn’t pretty she should go get a job.” But a job is just what Fanny is looking for—a job on stage anyway—and the Jewish girl from Henry Street manages to impress Mr Keeney and then even Florenz Ziegfeld of Ziegfeld Follies fame using her singing and comedic chops to become a national sensation whom she eventually marries and has a child with it becomes a production within a production with the Follies performing their own song and dance numbers in between the trials and tribulations of life backstage the play begins and ends with Fanny in her dressing room anxiously waiting news of her husband’s arrival at the theater—he never misses an opening night and he can’t seem to live in the shadow of his wife’s success Fanny is told “You should have loved him less and respected him more.” The starring role goes to Hannah Shankman in the traveling Broadway show (in New York Fanny was played by Lea Michele of “Glee” fame) who absolutely floored the audience with her piping vocals and emotional range from spunky to heartbroken It’s uncanny how she even resembles the actual Fanny Brice I questioned a misstep during “Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat,” where Shankman wrestles with an uncooperative stick-on mustache it appears to have happened in other productions another standout member of the cast was Izaiah Montaque Harris The crowd was mesmerized by his tap dancing in particular in between scenes as Harris riles up the crowd while performing seemingly impossible tasks on tap Even though the musical has been on Broadway since the ‘60s But it’s a tale as old as time—women struggling to find that balance between success “Funny Girl” is at the Kravis Center’s Dreyfoos Concert Hall through Feb. 2. For more information, visit kravis.org/events/funny-girl A water main break Thursday morning has forced lane closures along westbound Okeechobee Boulevard near the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach Only two westbound lanes may be open for approximately one to two weeks, Palm Beach said in an alert to residents The town is urging motorists avoid to this area and find alternative travel routes Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today December 19, 2024 By Palm Beach Arts Paper Among the benefits of the immigration waves of late 19th through early 20th centuries in this country was the building of classical music institutions that still benefit our society Despite her younger age and lack of governmental support none has a more hallowed history than the Curtis Institute which is celebrating its centennial this year the Institute’s list of alumni is a veritable “who’s who” in classical music: From Bernstein to Lang Lang the tuition-free program at Curtis is a reliable maker of musical careers to have heard the Curtis Symphony Orchestra which played for the first time at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on a rainy Make no mistake; this is no regular student orchestra That was clear from the all-American program which made no concessions for crowd pleasers and was performed with the finesse and attention to detail only the top orchestras can produce the pensive score was inspired by a German Expressionist painting and it is built as an arch that intensifies by midpoint until it retreats to a fading end Conducted by graduate student conductor Yoann Combémorel which impressed by the strings’ dynamic control guest conductor Teddy Abrams and violinist Ray Chen joined the orchestra for Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto (Op composed his concerto in 1939 for a patron who (like many others) was not satisfied with the final product and did not premiere it It has nevertheless found favor with violinists thanks to its devilishly difficult last movement a moto perpetuo in which the soloist flies through 110 measures without pause But what really captivates the audiences is its sunny first movement a piece that is almost too gorgeous for its own sake Ray Chen gave the work a virtuosic reading tackling the finale without any reservations The orchestra performed as an equal partner playing the technically difficult passages with gusto and bringing a refined tone to the more lyrical ones the audience erupted as a single body in a well-deserved ovation who mentioned the fact that he had to audition twice for Curtis obliged with one of his “audition” pieces for the institute The second half of the program was even more ambitious it resembles in rhetoric and scale some Soviet works written in the same period But Copland’s melodic and harmonic simplicity and his self-quotation of his Fanfare for the Common Man make the symphony sound quintessentially American Apart from a few rough interventions by the brass section the Curtis Symphony Orchestra performed the monumental symphony as an excellent professional ensemble Abrams brought up the best from each orchestral section and allowed the performers to work as chamber players in the more intimate passages similarly to what happened at the Vienna Philharmonic last season the audience was noticeably more literate than in other events and refrained from clapping between movements a glorious afternoon of music making that brought some hope (and hope we need!) for the future of classical music in this country Packed with international and award-winning hits the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts' lineup for the coming season is out dubbed "Live Amplified," includes a mix of Broadway shows the West Palm Beach venue announced in a news release Among the big names coming to the Kravis Center this season: Singers Bonnie Raitt the family-favorite YouTube star-turned-entertainment empire Kravis on Broadway returns this year with a ticket price that starts at $341 for all seven shows "Les Miserables" from April 22-27 and "Mystic Pizza" from May 13-18 More: Kravis on Broadway for 2024-25 has 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' 'Funny Girl,' 'Book of Mormon' In addition to the Kravis on Broadway series the venue has four other Broadway hits on its schedule: "Shrek the Musical" from Sept "The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays" from Nov "Riverdance 30: The New Generation" from Feb 7-9 and "Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations" from Jun 24-29 Doubtfire," "The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays" and "Riverdance 30: The New Generation" go on sale Sept Patti LaBelle brings more than six decades of chart-toppers to the Kravis on Dec and Richard Marx & Rick Springfield co-headline an acoustic show on Feb Grammy Award-winning musician Bonnie Raitt Comedians Siddiq and Spade feature early in the season with Siddiq's "I Got a Story to Tell" on Sept "The Rocky Horror Picture Show 49th Anniversary Spectacular Tour" featuring Barry Bostwick the actor who portrayed Brad Majors in the original cult classic film The Kravis' PEAK Series also returns with contemporary performances that showcase cultural diversity and powerful themes The lineup includes the Ndlovu Youth Choir a high-energy performance group known for its record-setting run on "America's Got Talent," on Oct 12; and three installments of "National Geographic LIVE" on Dec The annual Classical Concert Series features 11 performances with subscriptions starting at $165 for matinee and $255 for evening shows Performers include the Chicago Symphony on Jan London Symphony Orchestra on March 20 and "An Evening with Itzhak Perlman and Rohan De Silva" on March 10 The Young Artists Classical Series includes four performances by emerging classical artists with a subscription price of $120 This year's performers are harpist Parker Ramsay on Dec 12; and Curtis on Tour Erinys String Quartet on March 12 The Kravis' family-oriented offerings this season include "Disney Jr "Encanto: The Sing-Along Film Concert" on Nov 26 and "Blippi: Join the Band Tour" on Feb Palm Beach Improv at The Kravis Center continues with comedians Ian Bagg on Sept The 19th annual African American Film Festival is Feb 13-16 and includes "Sirens of the Tropics," "Paris Blues," Disney and Pixar's "Soul," "Mo' Better Blues" and "Jazz on a Summer's Day." For a complete lineup, ticket prices and more details, go to kravis.org; call 561-832-7469; or go to the Kravis Center Box Office at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. and it marks 30 years since we got married Our wedding day is tied with the births of my three children as the best days of my life But our relationship deepened in 1993 when fate reunited us at the Bilderberg Meeting in Vouliagmeni a seaside suburb south of Athens in Greece It was a part of the annual series of private meetings of political leaders and experts from industry Providing right opportunities, skills or education can change lives and I'm deeply aware that much of my success stems from having access to a good education -- a privilege not everyone has I would likely not be writing this series for Nikkei if I had been born into a different family and didn't have access to a good education Education is the cornerstone of unlocking human potential and it's something I believe should be available to every individual I have a great respect for the teaching profession but lament the fact that our education system in the U.S does not do a great job supporting teachers or education Groove to Reggae-fusion legends Third World or check out the myriad activities on tap for the Kravis Center’s second annual Block Party The nine-time Grammy nominated band's performance will close out the free Saturday event that runs from 1 to 8 p.m at the West Palm Beach performing arts venue the Block Party offers activities for the whole family Those include performances by members of the Palm Beach Opera Haitian-American singer and songwriter Inez Barlatier; Japanese Taiko drumming troupe Fushu Daiko and Ballet Palm Beach Hungry guests will have a variety of vendors to purchase from like the gourmet Latin American street food of Cholo Soy Southern soul food from Georgia Mae's and Uncle Louie G's Italian Ice the hundreds and hundreds of visitors to our inaugural block party highlighted the profound impact of the arts on our community," Kravis Center CEO Diane Quinn said "We are excited to welcome everyone back to sing along with their friends Join us for an unforgettable day filled with entertainment and community spirit!” For more information on the Block Party and the schedule of events, visit www.kravis.org. For tickets to Third World's free concert, visit https://www.kravis.org/events/third-world/ or call 561-832-7469 A new face recently joined the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts team to guide the center's fundraising and planning efforts Churé Gladwell is the new vice president of development for the nonprofit performing arts venue cultural and human services leadership roles with her an organization that truly embodies the transformative power of the arts," Gladwell said in the news release "I look forward to working alongside the dedicated team at the center nurturing our community of supporters and building new partnerships that will fuel our vision for the future." Gladwell's experience includes several organizations in South Florida where she was campaign administrative director then director of development and then senior director of advancement at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami She also served as vice president and chief development officer at Miami Jewish Health and was chief development officer for Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens in Coral Gables "South Florida is a vibrant and diverse region and I am excited to contribute to the continued success of this cultural cornerstone," she said Gladwell will lead the development team and spearhead fundraising efforts to further the Kravis Center's mission "Churé’s deep expertise in the performing arts and nonprofit sectors combined with her commitment to principle-centered leadership and priority-based management make her a valuable addition to our leadership team," said Diane Quinn "Her proven track record of managing high-performing teams and cultivating significant donor relationships will be instrumental as we strive to expand our impact We are thrilled to welcome her to the Kravis Center." The Kravis Center is heading into its 2024-25 "Live Amplified" season, which includes more than 300 events and performances. For more information, go to kravis.org Right or wrong, labels are sticky and quotable so I won't dwell much more on that one deal in these vignettes other than to say that there was an unpleasant by-product of that story We were labeled "barbarians." The stigma mostly came from the title of the 1989 book "Barbarians at the Gate," which depicted the inside story of the buyout of RJR Nabisco and became a worldwide bestseller we had to start by explaining to the board of directors that we actually had ideas resources and were there to help them achieve their vision and potential Reputation and trust are crucial in business -- whether you are raising capital or trying to invest in a business -- and while most corporate executives quickly realized our true intentions of partnership that perception lingers more than it should fall has arrived and hopefully the cool fronts and lower humidity have helped usher in much happiness and joy in South Florida Now get out and celebrate with a mountain bike race at Jonathan Dickinson State Park the health and wellness event CocoFest in Boca Raton a free block party at the Kravis Center and more This event will feature both individual and team races and is an excellent way to test riders' skills on the Camp Murphy MTB trails this fundraising event is always a great time The event is 7 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 27. 16450 SE Federal Highway, Hobe Sound. Members $65, nonmembers $75. Registration required. Closed race day. Information: raceroster.com Kravis Center Block PartyThis second annual event will feature live performances interactive workshops and engaging activities for all ages Guests are invited to immerse themselves in a day of creativity The event is 1 to 8 p.m. (concert in Dreyfoos Hall from 6:30 to 8 p.m.) Saturday, Oct. 26. 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Free. Information: kravis.org This family-friendly event promotes healing and fosters connections with local wellness-focused businesses CocoFest will feature a variety of activities aimed at enhancing wellness including yoga and movement classes live music and a vendor market showcasing over a hundred small businesses offering health and wellness products The event is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. 5000 T-Rex Ave., Boca Raton. Free. Information: cocomarket.org/event Canoe Cruise at Grassy Waters PreserveGo on an aquatic adventure through through the shallow waters of the Everglades and learn about the history and ecology of Grassy Waters on this guided tour This annual event once again is calling all pirates mermaids and even landlubbers to put on their best costumes and enjoy live music The event will be held noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27. 120 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach. Free. Information: boynton-beach.org/657/Pirate-Fest Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today — A South African youth choir is kicking off its second world tour Thursday night in West Palm Beach at the Kravis Center You may have seen them on a few seasons of "America's Got Talent," season 14 This Ndlovu Youth Choir was formed in 2009 to bring the performing arts to rural and poor communities in South Africa They got noticed when they covered Ed Sheran's song "Shape of You," arnering them 100s of millions of views Their run on "America's Got Talent"made them the first choir in the history of the show to reach the final — The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts announced its 2024/25 season Daniel Hope and the Polish ChamberOrchestra of Sinfonia Varsovia Feb London Symphony OrchestraSir Antonio Pappano An Evening with Itzhak Perlman& Rohan De Silva March 10 at 7:30 p.m National Symphony OrchestraGianandrea Noseda Family FareSpider-Man™: Across the Spider-Verse Live In Concert September 5 Carving out noncore units from Japanese companies resistant to change we eventually established a foothold in Tokyo co-founder) and I discussed was that establishing ourselves in Japan would require significant patience and a long-term view I had a feeling that it would take a longer time for us to build a presence in Japan than in China I firmly believed that unless we were prepared to spend a decade before doing our first deal in Japan Management diversity will be crucial if Japan is to make a lasting comeback "If I were 30 years old today and I could speak Japanese I'd go to Japan." I think I would too "an island unto itself," and historically lacking in diversity Some of the first investors in our private equity funds were the state pension funds of Oregon Those public funds support the retirement benefits and livelihoods of millions of individuals caring for us and our communities The world has changed a lot since the early 1980s One of the biggest changes has been the shift in retirement responsibility from employers to employees With my cousin George Roberts as a close companion Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of KKR transforming how private companies are managed and how corporate value can be unlocked Alongside George Roberts and Jerome Kohlberg KKR is one of the world's largest investment firms with over $600 billion in assets across private equity The firm invests on behalf of public pensions foundations and millions of individuals all over the world Before assuming his current position in 2021 Kravis was Co-Chief Executive Officer of KKR This is the first of 30 parts and the latest installment of Nikkei's series of autobiographies My Personal History (Watashi no Rirekisho) most of which I have shared with my cousin he is my best friend and longtime business partner My life would not be the same without George My personal history is really "our" history With the exception of some personal matters in many instances in the following installments you can replace "I" with "we" because we have done most everything together And a lot of the story we will tell here is about building an institution together because we hope that this work has contributed in a small way to how business is conducted today and the options companies have when looking for partners to help them achieve their goals along with Jerome "Jerry" Kohlberg an experienced financier in the buyout business we founded the investment firm KKR in the United States KKR stands for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co George and I have made all decisions together until we gradually handed over the reins to the next generation we talk regularly about anything and everything a system in which the free flow of capital brings prosperity to companies and people alike We also believe business can be a force for good and that investing in companies can play a role in addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges KKR was the pioneer of the buyout fund industry What was novel in the 1970s and 1980s in the U.S we are investing in companies and their employees The capital for these investments comes from public pension funds We also personally invest in everything we do and we invest from the firm's balance sheet so that we are very well aligned with those who have entrusted us with their capital We wouldn't ask anyone to invest in something we didn't put our own money into This is part of our core philosophy around sharing ownership and acting like owners Almost everyone who works at KKR is a shareholder in the company We have made many investments in our history As entrepreneurs willing to take some risk we leave the company better than we found it We like to say we look for good companies that we can help make great companies -- with capital we are also supporting all of our newer companies in creating ownership cultures by introducing broad-based equity ownership programs so the employees can share in the outcome of the investment we were even labeled "barbarians" based on a book about one of the 750 private equity transactions we have undertaken our business has grown dramatically over the years We are providing capital for infrastructure The Kravis and Roberts families were very close and in particular George and I have remained close our entire lives George was born in 1943 and I was born in 1944 I'm often asked if George and I disagree a lot I peg our last real fight to an incident that happened when we were 7 years old George was visiting me at my home in Tulsa and George wanted to be the first to ride it I wanted to be the first one to ride it and was not keen to share my new toy Our housekeeper chased me into the house where I ran into a wall and ended up needing 26 stitches on my head That's the last major disagreement we have had Any subsequent disagreements that George and I had we've always been able to work them out face-to-face We have an understanding that if one of us doesn't agree George encouraged me to attend the same college he attended We spent a lot of time together in college and even went on a double date where he met the woman who later became his wife We discussed the meaning of the price-earnings ratio during long car drives cross country to New York City to spend our summers working on Wall Street George had a summer internship at Bear Stearns and I interned at Goldman Sachs We went to different graduate schools -- I went to Columbia Business School to get my MBA and George received his law degree at the University of California saw each other over summers and holidays and compared notes We spent both joyous and sad times together When I lost my son Harrison in a car accident when he was just 19 George reached the same milestone a few months prior I intend to share some of the learnings we have accumulated over half a century since our company's founding including the importance of having a culture of collaboration and the belief that companies and their leaders must evolve to survive I have visited the country every year since 1978 traveling around Tokyo and the countryside I witnessed the 1980s when Japan was poised to own the world and the 2000s when it refused to change despite clear signs of decline Today's Japan reminds me of the United States in the 1980s when companies transformed and shifted to growth I am honored to have been asked to share my story or at the very least be entertaining for readers Henry Kravis is a co-founder and a co-executive chairman of KKR Click here to read Henry Kravis' "My Personal History" series George Roberts and I -- left Bear Stearns without a job or a business but we had what we believed to be a good idea George and I each scraped together $10,000 who was 19 years older and on much better financial footing put down $100,000 to start the firm we named after ourselves The first conversation we had was about what kind of business we wanted to have We were so appalled by the "eat what you kill" culture at Bear Stearns We wanted a place where everyone would participate and be owners; a place where people worked together and didn't compete against one another; a place that had a culture of inclusion Related Ross is helping craft a deal between Live Nation and Palm Beach County to build an indoor entertainment venue in West Palm Beach Himmel would not discuss specifics except to say Related is helping work a deal between the company and the county to build an enclosed 3,000-seat venue on county-owned land next to a courthouse parking garage on Banyan Boulevard in West Palm Beach The concert venue would be larger than the Raymond F Kravis Center for the Performing Arts' Dreyfoos Hall A formal submission to the county will be submitted in about 30 days a music festival known as the Palm Tree Festival is slated to make an appearance in West Palm Beach in the coming year The outdoor music event rotates venues and just finished a performance in Aspen four years after setting up our Tokyo office a recruitment and employment services firm This was KKR's first acquisition in Japan and was significant for two reasons we were able to buy a subsidiary from a Japanese company Japanese executives were reluctant to sell their subsidiaries we proved that KKR could help reform and grow companies as we sold the company for nearly double the purchase price three years later Kravis Center for the Performing Arts hosted 45 Palm Beach County educators for the ninth annual Educator Night The celebratory evening opened with a pre-performance reception catered by Lessing’s and continued with remarks delivered by Director of Education Tracy C thanking the educators for their dedication to the success of their students Butler then presented the inaugural Educator of the Year Award to Alex Kovalsky an outstanding music educator at Spanish River High School who has a long history of collaborating with the center’s education staff to provide life-changing opportunities for local students The participating educators were then invited to enjoy Mamma Mia “Educator Night at the Kravis Center is a cherished tradition as it gives us a chance to thank these teachers for all of their hard work throughout the school year,” Butler said “It was especially exciting to present the first annual Kravis Center Educator of the Year this year to Alex Kovalsky Aside from his impactful work in the classroom he is an extraordinarily dedicated music educator who served in many different capacities over the last several years and we were honored to present him with this award.” Kovalsky is the chorus director and fine arts department chair at Spanish River keyboard and Advanced Placement music theory Kovalsky is a teaching artist for the De George Academy for Performing Arts and is involved with the Palm Beach County District Honor Choir Spotlight on Young Musicians and the American Choral Directors Association honor choirs He resides with his wife and their sons in Greenacres Teachers from Binks Forest Elementary School Yesteryear Village and others were in attendance The event is open to all Palm Beach County educators and is free of charge For more information about Kravis Center education programs, visit www.kravis.org/education-community co-founder) and I were "promoted" to co-executive chairmen of KKR While it is absolutely the most pragmatic thing to do this is not the most natural step for a founder George loves to quote Wayne Gretzky and how we should all be skating to where the puck is going This applied as much to innovating as staying ahead of the curve on the macro or the investment theme (or trying to do so) as it did to keeping our house at KKR in order