One of the amazing byproducts of Haiti’s devastating earthquake was to remind most of us just how impotent we are when it comes to helping people in desperate times. We’re not orthopedic surgeons, disaster-area relief helicopter pilots, or concrete-sawing, collapsed-building search teams. Most of us write checks to aid organizations…
Some of the greatest writers in modern history were gay: Oscar Wilde, Langston Hughes, and Allen Ginsberg. When students study Ginsberg’s work, most are unaware of the subtle homoeroticism that’s woven into their schoolbooks. Also, rumor has it Herman Melville had a preference for the Dark Side, and, if it’s…
A gift of extravagant jewels has always been the best way for one man to tell another how he feels. So when Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria presented Hanley Ramirez with a commemorative “.342” (the All Star shortstop’s 2009 league-leading batting average) pendant encrusted with nearly 400 diamonds, the boss…
One night last April, a couple of thousand people roamed throughout the 43-room historic boutique hotel in West Palm Beach. For that night, more than 20 artists had taken over the rooms — including the swimming pool — at the Biba and transformed those spaces into site-specific art. Organized by…
Do you remember your first kiss? You know, the fairly clumsy mix of clicking teeth and tongues in limbo. And then the post-embrace silence that left you probably wishing you’d been swallowed by the Earth instead of that awkward boy/girl from fourth period. Stop Kiss, a 1998 play written by…
Bobby Slayton is ass-nasty — and nicknamed the “Pitbull of Comedy.” He’s a Jewish guy in his 50s who self-admits he’s always been cranky. So at his shows in SoFla, Slayton might not use his Haitian cabdriver routine, but he’s bound to mortally offend someone. For instance, he doesn’t like…
The Eastern Conference has pretty much been all about the Cavaliers and Magic this season. But no team is entering the post-season hotter than the Miami Heat. Sure, it’s been able to benefit from a cakewalk schedule down the stretch. But that doesn’t mean it can’t dent a few asses…
It’s understood that menopause and the songs it inspires won’t appeal to everyone. Menopause the Musical, written by Jeanie Linders, will have a niche target audience. That’s right: There’s a truly original musical out there covering the funny side of hot flashes, night sweats, chocolate binges, wrinkles, and mood swings…
Straight out of Springboro, Ohio, via the virtual reality of the internet, Mitchell Davis is a 20-something-year-old kid who’s cornered a certain kind of pseudo-celeb status with the Gen Z set. That’s a convoluted way to say: He’s a YouTube star with almost 72 million video views to his credit…
Something happened between Gen X and Millennial. Gen Xers got labeled as apathetic slackers who couldn’t accomplish anything due to lack of personal motivation. Doctor’s prescription? Suck it up. Get a job. Wear less black. Stop watching reruns of Ren and Stimpy. And for Christ’s sake, quit dying your hair…
The folks who grew up on the west side of Broward County knew there was only one destination to visit if they were trying to locate a rare toy to complete the Mos Eisley Cantina scene for their bookshelf. Tate’s Comics was and still is the mecca of South Florida…
The background for one of the several fine shows now at the Norton Museum is the remarkable story of a world-class Dutch art dealer whose huge collection was looted by Nazis in World War II. If you like a little history mixed in with your art, not to mention international…
A contemporary crime drama edged with Greek tragedy, Ajami is an untidy, despairing, oddly exhilarating joint venture by writer/directors Scandar Copti, an Israeli Arab, and Yaron Shani, an Israeli Jew. Though its unwieldy cast and multiple story lines might better lend themselves to a television series, the movie teems with…
The original Reefer Madness served as an antipot propaganda flick, produced in 1936 by moralists. It’s a sobering flick, considering that the forces of disinformation are still at it. Reefer Madness the musical, meanwhile, now enjoying a lovingly over-the-top production at Wilton Manors’ Rising Action Theatre, is really, really funny…
A decade too old to convincingly be called “boy,” Sam “Mr. Greenscreen” Worthington is poorly cast as reluctant-demigod Perseus — as was Harry Hamlin in the ’81 Clash of the Titans — but the appeal of sumptuous blockbuster Hellenism remains with the Gods (Liam Neeson as Zeus, Ralph Fiennes as…
Tyler Perry follows up his best film, 2007’s Why Did I Get Married?, with his worst. This time, the four couples in various states of marital discord vacation not in Colorado but in the Bahamas — mainly so that Michael Jai White’s Marcus can remain shirtless — before resuming their…
A model bodypainted in Liquid Latex poses in an uncompromising position with some not-yet-revealed props. Every 15 to 30 minutes, the crowd at MI-VI nightclub rips the paint off her body. Then she is repainted by bodypainter Troy (bodyartbytroy.com). This erogenous performance will take place at 10 p.m. Friday at…
There’s a renewed interest in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, and as a result, the rightful tea partiers are back: the Mad Hatter ones. The Miramar Cultural Center took notice, and on display until September at Ansin Family Art Gallery is a travelling Salvador Dali exhibit called “Down the Rabbit…
All right, if you’re reading this and you have no brunch plans for Easter already, we’re guessing you don’t have a special Easter bonnet all picked out. But since it is Easter, hell, brunch sounds nice. Here are two last-minute eateries you can hop to: Rosie’s Bar & Grill (2449…
Remember when punk used to be about slamming your bedroom door, cranking the stereo to 11, and being pissed at your parents for not letting you go to the Rancid show downtown? Some venues are still well aware of what punk was like before people like Pete Wentz and Avril…
If you’re in the market for a new apron, no better time than today to head on over to South Florida’s vintage staple Jezebel (1980 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale). From noon to 4 p.m., the place will host a Yummy Cupcake & Fancy Apron Party. Cupcakes and refreshments will…
Saturday, Cinema Paradiso will be all about the kids. The annual Easter EGGtacular event will start out with a 10 a.m. screening of Fantastic Mr. Fox, an adult- and kid-approved film. Afterward, there will be an Easter egg hunt, magicians, and farm animals. Children want their faces painted. They want…
