Watch this week’s super fabulous of Hotspots Live! with hosts Shawn Palacious and C.A. Lopez. This week’s episode features Men of Style Fundraiser, Dov Davidoff Live, Green Festival Expo, The Great Xscape Tour, World AIDS Day, Annual Holiday Car Show and the Top 3 of the week highlighting one of South Florida’s hottest tickets!
Also, subscribe to our brand new Hotspots Live YouTube Channel!
Back by popular demand, The Book Of Mormon, makes two stops in Central Florida: the Straz Center for the Performing Arts from December 5-10 and then to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts from Dec 12-17.
The Book Of Mormon features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the four-time Emmy Award-winning creators of the landmark animated series, South Park. Tony Award-winner Lopez is co-creator of the long-running hit musical comedy, Avenue Q. The musical is choreographed by Tony Award-winner Casey Nicholaw (Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone) and is directed by Nicholaw and Parker.
The Book Of Mormon is the winner of nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, Best Direction, Best Featured Actress, Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design and Best Orchestrations; the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical; five Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album; four Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Best Musical, and the Drama League Award for Best Musical.
The Book Of Mormon features set design by Scott Pask, costume design by Ann Roth, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt and sound design by Brian Ronan. Orchestrations are by Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus. Music direction and vocal arrangements are by Stephen Oremus.
This outrageous musical comedy follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. Now with standing room only productions in London, on Broadway, and across North America, The Book Of Mormon has truly become an international sensation. Show contains explicit language.
It was a pleasure to sit down with PJ Adzima who plays Elder McKinley for this exclusive Hotspots interview:
At what age did you begin singing/acting?
I began acting when I was 8 years old when my parents signed me up for a summer theater camp for kids with The Hampshire Shakespeare Company. I took to it immediately and became obsessed with my time there. I was a handful as a kid, and to see something resonate so deeply with me was the answer to my parent’s prayers. From then on I only had one fix, and that was theater.
What was your first professional gig?
My first professional gig came because of that same camp funny enough. The Hampshire Shakespeare Company was producing Richard III the next summer, and asked me to come in and audition because of my time in their camp. I think that’s where the bug really bit. I spent an entire summer surrounded by adults playing pretend, and it absolutely blew my mind. Suddenly this wasn’t something I just did with other kids, it was something that people took seriously and I couldn’t believe I was a part of it.
Other than this show, what role has been your favorite to play and why?
This is reading like a love letter to my Shakespeare roots, but I really wouldn’t be here without them. I grew up performing Shakespeare every summer in very small supporting roles, and I branched out to other types of theater because of the love of acting it gave me. I didn’t even start singing and dancing until high school, where musicals ruled the theater scene. My favorite roll came right before I left for college, when the same Shakespeare Company that introduced me to theater cast me as Hamlet in their 2010 season. I’m still amazed and humbled by that experience. That full-circle moment is something that will stay with me forever.
What’s your fantasy role?
Elder McKinley is and continues to be my fantasy role. I have dreamed of being in The Book of Mormon from the moment it hit Broadway, but even in those dreams I never thought I’d be asked to play such an incredible part. I love every minute I get to spend in his signature blue tie, and my head still spins thinking about this wonderful opportunity.
Is there a lot of pressure stepping in to the character of Elder McKinley?
All of the pressure came from myself. The Mormon team is made up of the most talented, warm, and patient people I’ve ever met. It’s everyone’s objective to make you as prepared and confident as possible in taking over the role, and I was in the absolute best of hands. The pressures came from being hard on myself during the process, and the physical burden of dancing so hard your feet bleed. (That’s pressure enough.)
What should the Central Florida audiences expect out of this touring company of Book of Mormon?
The Book of Mormon won 9 Tony Awards including Best Musical when it first debuted in 2011, and the show is just as fresh and fiercely funny as ever. I don’t think you can find a more hilarious night at the theater, and an abundant amount of heart. It really is a one of a kind experience, and even better than I hoped it would be when I first dreamed of being in it.
Tickets to The Book Of Mormon, start at $63.75 at SrtrazCenter.org, and $39.25 at DrPhillipsCenter.org.
For more information on The Book of Mormon visit: BookofMormonBroadway.com/tour
What began as a simple roll of rainbow ribbon and a box of pins has grown into an international movement.
When the events of the Pulse Nightclub Massacre unfolded, Ben Johansen woke up startled by his husband Tim Vargas, who was the President of the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida’s Board of Directors at the time. They rushed immediately to the Center, as many did that day, and Tim sprang into action, leaving Ben to handle the incoming community and media. Johansen could never imagine what he did next would turn into an amazing movement that has helped many people cope with the Pulse aftermath and other acts of hate towards various communities.
“I just felt kind of empty inside,” Johansen says. “I felt like I needed to do something. Since my husband was the president of the board, I had to do something that brings awareness to everything that was going on. So I ran to the craft store and bought one roll of rainbow ribbon, one roll of black ribbon, and a box of pins. I was making them for people who were volunteering at The Center or people who worked at The Center, and as people came in, they would say, ‘Hey, where’d you get your ribbon?’ I said, ‘I’m making them.’”
In the blink of an eye, the Orlando Ribbon Project was born to always help remember the 49 victims that were lost on June 12th, 2016. Almost eighteen months later, Johansen is celebrating a milestone: 500,000 ribbons have been created and sent all over the world.
Since he started the Orlando Ribbon Project, Johansen has received requests for ribbons from all around the world where they have been photographed and seen all over various media outlets. Notable people who have worn the ribbons include HRC President Chad Griffin, Gabby Giffords, Lance Bass, Alec Mapa, Belinda Carlisle, Ernie Hudson, Steve Grand, Sharon Gless, Alice Cooper, Jamie Lee Curtis, Alan Cummings, members of the Clinton family and various contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
In addition to the ribbons, The Orlando Ribbon Project also offers t-shirts, bumper stickers and other various items that are sold at Johansen’s costume store in Orlando. While some money received is used for supplies, all other money has been given directly to The GLBT Community Center in Orlando. Johansen has always stated that the ribbons are available to anybody that requests them and has credited the hundreds of people who have showed up throughout the past eighteen months at his business or at The GLBT Community Center in Orlando, wanting to volunteer their time to help create the ribbons. Without them, many efforts of the Orlando Ribbon Project wouldn’t be possible.
For more information about The Orlando Ribbon Project or to request a ribbon, please visit their website at orlandoribbonproject.com or visit their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. You may also donate to their cause through their website. Johansen asks that everybody who requests a ribbon to wear them on June 12th of every year to remember and honor the victims of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy.
What was the first drag show you saw and tell me about the experience?
The first drag show I went to was at Club Chambers in Tampa in the early 2000‘s. I didn’t know that kind of entertainment existed, and I’ve always been in entertainment my whole life. Growing up in New York I was a backup dancer for *NSYNC city high and did a few TV appearances for nickelodeon. When I moved to Florida and I saw that you can do drag and make money it made me really excited.
When did you decide you wanted to do drag and when did you realize it would be a profession?
After seeing the show at Club Chambers in Tampa in the early 2000‘s that’s when I decided I wanted to do drag and wanted to make it my profession. I realized that you could make it a profession by watching these girls seven days a week on the stage, in a cast, in a real show.
Who is your drag mother and who is your favorite queen other than your drag mother and why?
I have a lot of drag mothers that I look up to so I won’t name a specific one. I tend to grab my inspiration from all of them including Jocelyn Summers, Tandi Andrews, Tanisha Cassidine (may she rest in peace) and many others.
What’s your favorite number to perform and why?
My favorite number to perform would have to be “Como La Flor” from Selena. She is my ultimate idol and I feel my best when I’m performing her music.
What’s the best thing that has happened to you in drag?
The best thing that’s happened me in drag was being told that my performance and persona was the reason why someone didn’t go through with committing suicide. I inspired them to not go through with taking their own life. I have an amazing fan base that follow me religiously and I’m happy that I could inspire and project positivity to my fans.
What differentiates you from other Queens (Makes you Unique)?
What makes me different from other queens is I can be booked for anything. I am a chameleon and if you need someone for a certain party it’s me! I’m not even Spanish and I perform Spanish music at Latin nights. Also, I am a gymnast and not many queens know how to tumble on the stage in high heels, so I feel like that sets me apart as well.
What does the future hold?
The future for Nicky Monet is very simple: I am going to continue what I’m doing, and let my business grow. I am hoping to open a store within the next five years with all of my goods. I sew and rhinestone every single costume you see me in, so my future includes having a costume business.
For more information on Nicky Monet, or to book her, go to Facebook.com/NickyMonet.
Friday December 1
Grammy and Golden Globe winner and Academy Award-nominated Lady Gaga is a one-of-a kind artist and performer. She has amassed an outstanding 30 million global album sales and 150 million single sales, making her one of the best-selling musicians of all time. Catch her in her Joanne World Tour at the Amalie Arena at 7:30 pm with tickets starting at $46 at AmalieArena.com.
NeiBEARhood Takeover presents “Hung By The Chimney With Care” at Southern Nights Tampa. The night will star DJ JB Burgos, and feature a 1 a.m. Santa Toss and since this is a Jocks and Socks event a clothing check will be provided. They also invite you to bring an unwrapped toy and you will receive a free drink.
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall presents “Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story,” which tells the true story of Buddy’s meteoric rise to fame, from the moment in 1957 when ‘That’ll be the Day’ hit the airwaves until his tragic death less than two years later on “The Day the Music Died”. The show continues the incredible legacy of the young man with glasses, whose musical career spanned an all-too-brief period during the golden days of rock & roll. Featuring over 20 of Buddy Holly’s greatest hits, Buddy is sure to “send you out of the theater on an unstoppable high” (The Boston Globe). Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story plays to day and December 5 at 8p.m. with tickets starting at $36 at VanWezel.org.
Saturday, December 2
The Parliament House presents their annual “Light Up The Courtyard,” which is a free courtyard event featuring Central Florida Sounds of Freedom and the arrival of Santa Claus.
The Flamingo Resort presents “Light Up Flamingo, a Dr. Seuss Christmas,” with special performance by The Mistletones at 9:30 and 10:30p.m. at the Cabana Bar Stage. There will also be a drag show at 11:30 p.m.with hostess Iman and featuring the Flamingo Blu Theater Players.
Sunday, December 3
China Soul: The Martial Artists and Acrobats of Tianjin, People’s Republic of China takes place at the Straz Center at 2 p.m. Get ready for jaw-dropping Shaolin Kung Fu. Prepare for breathtaking feats of gravity-defying acrobatics. Expect a magic stunt or two. In this dreamy, fantastical recreation of the soul of China, The Martial Artists and Acrobats of Tianjin transport audiences to another world – where everyone juggles, plates and carpets spin on sticks and we catch a glimpse of the rarely seen great Icarian acrobatic performance. Tickets start at $35 at StrazCenter.org.
Grammy Award®-winning LeAnn Rimes makes her Van Wezel debut with her Today is Christmas Tour 2017 at 7p.m. Rimes is an internationally-acclaimed singer and award-winning songwriter bringing us wildly popular hits such as “How Do I Live,” “Can’t Fight the Moonlight,” and “You Light Up My Life.” The Tour will include a mix of holiday classics, Rimes’ greatest hits and songs from her new critically-acclaimed album, Remnants. Tickets start at $51 at VanWezel.org.
Monday, December 4
The Flamingo Resort presents Miss Rainbow 411 Continental Elite hosted by Esme Russel and Jocelyn Summers. Doors open at 6 p.m. with pageant starting promptly at 7 p.m. The categories include Interview, swimwear, evening gown, talent and Q&A, and the night will be honoring Fontasia L’amour, the current reigning Miss Continental Elite. For more information, email Jon Jusino at: Jon@FlamingoFLA.com
The Parliament House presents Miss Gay Orlando honoring Kennedy Davenport. The categories include Presentation (Tis The Season), Talent (7 minute max) and Evening Gown. The $100 contestant entry fee (registration is 2 p.m.) includes a free hotel room (night of pageant). Pageant starts promptly at 9 p.m. and admission is $12.
Tuesday, December 5
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts presents Paramore, who were formed in Nashville in 2003. Since then, Paramore has grown up inside the brutal beast of the music industry, surviving media storms, industry sexism, and soap-opera worthy drama for nearly 15 years. Still calling Nashville their home, the band mates spend most their days and nights sitting on the porch together laughing or crying… reminiscing, daydreaming, or trying desperately to just stay present. The concert is at 8 p.m. and tickets start at $38.50 at DrPhillips.org.
The Book of Mormon comes to the Straz Center for the performing Arts from today until December 10 with tickets starting at $63.75 at Straz Center.org. It then travels about an hour to the east coast of Central Florida and will be featured at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts from December 12-17 with tickets starting at $39.25 at DrPhillips.org. This outrageous musical comedy follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. The New York Times calls it “the best musical of this century.” The Washington Post says, “It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals.” And Entertainment Weekly says, “Grade A: the funniest musical of all time.” Jimmy Fallon of “The Tonight Show” calls it “Genius. Brilliant. Phenomenal.” It’s The Book of Mormon, the nine-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical.
Thursday, December 7
Join G2H2, Beadle Media and sarasotaOUT.com as they celebrate the Holiday Season in STYLE at Sophie’s at Saks Fifth Ave.Sophie’s at Saks Fifth Ave. Located on the 2nd floor of Saks Fifth Avenue in The Mall at University Town Center, Sophie’s features a delightful bar with views into the kitchen and a luxuriously intimate dining room. Its outdoor terrace bar and lounge offer a relaxing atmosphere in the shade or in the sun! Tevent takes place from 5:30-8:30 p.m., and the $10 cover includes Passed hors-d’oeuvres, door prizes, a 50/50 raffle, and a Toy Drive.
Friday December 8
The worldwide icons synonymous with one-of-a-kind family entertainment – the Harlem Globetrotters, will bring their show to Amalie Arena in Tampa at 7p.m.as part of their 2017 World Tour. With star-studded roster featuring Big Easy Lofton, Ant Atkinson, Hi-Lite Bruton, Thunder Law, Bull Bullard and Cheese Chisholm – plus female stars TNT Lister, Ace Jackson and Hoops Green – the Globetrotters’ show is unrivaled in the world of family entertainment. Saturday, December 9Tickets start at $23 at AmalieArena.com.
Saturday, December 9
Murray & Peter presents A Drag Queen Christmas – The Naughty Tour, starring contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race on VH-1, performing live on stage and rocking the catwalk at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. It’s an evening of holiday songs and outstanding drag performances with your favorite queens. All ages welcome. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. There will be a 20-minute intermission. Get tour info or tickets which start at $41.20 at DragFans.com.
ASAP presents the 14th annual Tampa Bay AIDS Walk + 5k Run at Vinoy Park in downtown St Petersburg. Registration is at 8 a.m., with the 5k run starting at 9:15 a.m, and the walk starting at 9:30 a.m. For more information or to register, go to: events.empathhealth.org.
The Parliament House presents “The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Ultimate Blacklight Party.
Monday, December 12
98° is bringing the Van Wezel a little extra warmth this holiday season at 8p.m.! The quartet, Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre, who have sold a staggering 10 million records, present thier “98° at Christmas” tour, supporting their first full-length holiday album in 18 years. Tickets start at $56 at VanWezel.org.
Tuesday, December 12
The ultimate love story continues in Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s spellbinding sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. The year is 1907. It is 10 years after his disappearance from the Paris Opera House and the Phantom has escaped to a new life in New York. In this new, electrically charged world, he has finally found a place for his music to soar, but he has never stopped yearning for his one true love. Love Never Dies is a dazzling new production, which takes audiences on a thrilling rollercoaster ride of intrigue, obsession and romance. Be seduced by the beautiful, sometimes magical and poetic, sometimes joyful, and occasionally melancholic score. Don’t miss this magnificent continuation of one of the world’s greatest love stories as it makes its premiere in Tampa. Love Never Dies plays at the Straz Center through December 17 with tickets starting at $40 at StrazCenter.org.
Thursday, December 14
The Tampa Bay Diversity Chamber of Commerce presents their annual Holiday Party at Quench Lounge starting at 6:30p.m. Attendees will receive 1 drink ticket and there will appetizers. Admission is free for members (please RSVP) and $10 for guests of members and $15 for all other guests. They will also be collecting unwrapped toys (not mandatory) that will be donated to John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
The Tampa Museum of Art invites everyone to join them for the Pride & Passion 2018 Kickoff Party between 6-8p.m.Please RSVP to Bernadette.Casey@tampamuseum.org or call 813-421-8368.
Friday, December 15
Katy Perry Witness World Tour hits Amalie Arena at 7:30p.m. With Witness, Katy reflects on the changes in her own life and in the world around her, delivering songs that both challenge and inspire. The singles released thus far – the Platinum-certified “Chained to the Rhythm” featuring Skip Marley and the follow-up single, “Bon Appétit” featuring Migos – hint at the breadth of the musical and thematic elements found on Witness. Each ticket purchase for “Witness: The Tour” also includes a pre-order for “Witness: The Album.” Tickets start at $45.75 at AmalieArena.com.
Saturday, December 16
The Parliament house will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of “Saturday Night Fever” with beats by DJ Brianna, Joanie and Rob Devoit. They will also be giving a way a NYE VIP package to the best disco attire.
Thursday, December 21
Cirque Dreams Holidaze lights up the 2017 season with its 10th Anniversary National Tour, a critically-acclaimed holiday stage extravaganza that is a cirque spectacle, Broadway musical and family show all in one taking place at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall at 7p.m. Filled with over 300 imaginative costumes, 20 world-class astonishing acts, soaring acrobatics, gravity-defying feats, elaborate production numbers and illusions that will leave you mesmerized. Experience this 2-hour theatrical phenomenon BroadwayWorld hails “The Perfect Holiday Gift…a show that everyone will enjoy…colorful, festive, imaginative, inventive, and thoroughly entertaining.” Tickets start at $51 at VanWezel.org.
Friday, December 22
Amalie Arena is thrilled to announce that Cirque Musica Holiday presents “Believe” at 7:30 p.m. This all-new show will be performed with a live symphony orchestra. This is a fun-filled family holiday event featuring the cast of Cirque Musica together with all-time favorite holiday songs performed by a live orchestra. Cirque Musica is a concert and visual experience where audiences journey into a world of high-flying adventure with amazing acrobats, aerialists, hilarious hijinks and holiday cheer, too! The show blends the spellbinding grace and daredevil athleticism of today’s greatest circus performers with the sensory majesty of the greatest holiday music of all time. Tickets start at $25 at AmalieArena.com.
A true Van Wezel favorite, A Christmas Carol, produced by Nebraska Theatre Caravan, returns with their lavish, full-scale Broadway-style production at 7 p.m. A spirited ensemble of 23 performers bring the enduring tale of redemption to life on a magical set. Timeless carols such as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Away in a Manger” are interwoven within the story of a tight-fisted, middle-class merchant Ebenezer Scrooge and all the beloved characters from Dickens’ 1843 novel. Bring the whole family to this holiday classic! Tickets start at $16 at VanWezel.org.
Saturday, December 23
Orlando Ballet’s holiday classic The Nutcracker returns for a one-hour performance for a young audience, with activities for children in the lobby before the show. Combine this experience with the Nutcracker Tea! The show takes place at the Dr. Phillips Center at 11 a.m. with tickets starting $15.
Tuesday, December 26
Fairwinds Broadway in Orlando presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock at the Dr. Phillips Center form today until December 31. Based on the hit film, this hilarious new musical follows Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock star posing as a substitute teacher who turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. “I laughed. I cried. I rocked! They’ve taken the movie to a whole new level!” – Jack Black. This high-octane smash features 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber, all the original songs from the movie and musical theater’s first-ever kids rock band playing their instruments live on stage. Vanity Fair raves, “Fists of all ages shall be pumping!” Tickets: start at $34.25 at DrPhillips.org.
A Well-Strung Christmas brings the singing string quartet back to the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, December 9 at 8 p.m.
The seasonal concert directed by Richard Jay-Alexander features the ensembles own unique pop-classical spin on some of the most beautiful and traditional holiday favorites such as “Silent Night” and “Sleighride,” all the way to the modern classic “Hard Candy Christmas” and everything in between.
Well-Strung performs at the Broward Center prior to returning to Feinstein’s/54 Below in New York. The New York Daily News reported, “They’re the hottest things with a bow since Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games. The fetching fiddlers of Well-Strung aren’t out to draw blood though, just melt hearts.”
Conceived by producer Mark Cortale and Chris Marchant, Well-Strung derives its unique blend of vocals and strings by fusing classical music with the pop music of today. Members Edmund Bagnell (1st violin), Chris Marchant (2nd violin), Daniel Shevlin (cello), and Trevor Wadleigh (viola) spend their time making new music and touring internationally.
WATCH:
Well-Strung’s second studio album, POPssical, is a celebratory blend of pop hits sung by the group accompanied by respected classical music. The group has performed with artists such as Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris, Audra McDonald and Deborah Voigt.
Tickets are $35–$45 with $75 VIP tickets that include a post-show meet and greet with the artists. Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center, Parker Playhouse and affiliated venues. Buy tickets online at BrowardCenter.org or Ticketmaster.com; by phone at 954.462.0222 or the Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office. Know who you are buying from when you purchase tickets.
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District at 201 SW Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.
For more information visit BrowardCenter.org, like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BrowardCenter, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BrowardCenter, subscribe to our channel at Youtube.com/user/BrowardCenter and join the conversation with #BrowardCenter.
Spa Cabanas, who always gets top honors in our annual “Spa Reviews” edition, is going into their 10th year of operations, and they are still going as strong as ever. “Customer Appreciation is the focus of this year’s anniversary celebration. Our repeat customers are what makes us strong, whether that customer is from the area or travelers staying at the Guesthouse,” said Norman Lachance (owner the Spa).
Starting out with only himself taking care of the Spa, his business has become very popular and Norman now has 7 employees. As owner of the Spa, Norman has selected the services and treatments for the Spa, which are intended to focus on the client’s wellbeing and rejuvenation. Normans experience with owning and operating Spas in the Quebec area has formed the background for Spa Cabanas. His knowledge of skincare and use of products has made him well known in the Fort Lauderdale area and beyond.
The menu for Spa Cabanas includes new treatments that have been implemented for the Spa this year. The Spas skincare team is well known for their facials such as the Anti-Aging Facial and Facial Repair Treatment. They have also brought in their new Bio-Lift Facial as well as the Beard Facial for those guys with facial hair. The Bio-Lift Facial uses the NRG Machine technology to heat and cool the skin so that it reacts better to products and treatment. The Beard Facial will give a thorough check of your skin under your beard. Mani-Pedi’s are also on the menu as well as waxing and trimming. There has always been a big clientele for waxing, and with this in mind they brought in Sugaring as an alternative to waxing. Sugaring is an all-natural hair removal process that uses an all-natural Carmel made from ingredients of sugar, water and lemon juice.
The staff at the Spa Cabana’s consist of:
Oscar Gomez has been with Spa Cabanas since February of 2016. He is a member of a training group called Humanistic Cybernetics (psychology for change) at the University Of Miami. He has been trained by the Educating Hands School of Massage in Miami and cross–trained in multiple services including Stone Massage, Craniosacral, Shiatsu, Aromatherapy and Reflexology.
Mario Martinez received his license in 2009 and is highly recognized for his outstanding holistic abilities and considered by many as a gifted holistic massage therapist. Mario is certified in many areas including Reiki, Reflexology, Neuro Muscular Massage and Hot and Cold Stone Massage
Dene Decandio has been with the Spa since the first of the year. Dene has become a popular massage therapist specializing in Oncology Massage, Trigger Point Therapy, Swedish and Deep Tissue Massage. He is also a Usui Reiki Master. Dene graduated Keiser Career College in 2010 and is also a Registered Chiropractic Assistant.
Gabriel Rodriquez is the newest addition to the massage area of the spa. With his training origins in Puerto Rico, he maintains that the traditional relaxation massage techniques work best. He is also known for his deep tissue massage.
Jimmy Nichols is a Paramedical Aesthetician, trained to work for Medical Spas, Dermatologists and Plastic Surgeons. Since 2014, Jimmy has continued to have a positive impact on his clients introducing a variety of additional treatments with his facials. He has built a very solid clientele that continues to return and request his services all across the board.
Joey Zinn was recently added to the Skin Technician team. Joey is bringing Sugaring to the Spa and is responsible for the Bio-lift Facial. Joey is formally from New York City where he began his career in skin care after graduating from Christine Valmay School of Aesthetics. He furthered his education by recently obtaining a master barbers license to add to his cosmetology license.
Clint Bridges has been part of the Spa Cabanas team since 2013 and is responsible for the overall operations of the Spa. The responsibility of the connection of the client with the therapist is very important and it is his goal to make sure the client/therapist relationship is always a positive one. “Making the client feel comfortable and ensuring the experience is one of health and revitalization is our main goal as a team. A great team is always a pleasure to work with” said Clint.
Look for specials in the month of December: a package of three sixty minute massages $174, a package of three PCA Facials for $275, The Bio-Lift Facial is $89 and the Facial Repair Treatment plus Babyfoot $110
They also carry a full line of Babor and PCA (Physicians Care Alliance) products.
For more information on the Spa Cabanas go to: (thecabanasguesthouse.com/Mens-Spa)
During her 15-year career as your friendly pop spirit-lifter, Kelly Clarkson has prescribed a cheap alternative to therapy: anthemic pick-me-ups like “Since U Been Gone” and “People Like Us,” songs that impel a transcendental, fist-raised state.
Late-night Facebook Live sessions are also her thing, and recently, the American Idol alum geeked out like she’d just won “Idol” all over again about her soulful rebirth, Meaning of Life, released on her new label, Atlantic Records. It was just Clarkson chillin’ on the couch with a glass of red wine that was much deserved, considering the artistic sacrifices she had to make post-“Idol,” when she felt creatively stagnate as a Top 40 machine for RCA Records. But aside from a fat glass of red, Clarkson has other strong urges too.
Due, in part, to her simply being so damn cool, Clarkson – who drowned the world in their own tears right along with her own as she was crowned the inaugural “Idol” winner in 2002 – tells me she feels so compelled to stick up for her LGBT besties she literally wants to go door-to-door and talk some sense into her friends’ homophobic parents.
Because her friends ask her not to, she doesn’t. But here, with the ever-outspoken and now-artistically-liberated Clarkson leaving almost no opinion unturned, the Texas native makes that point loud and clear. Before getting back to being a mom to River Rose, 3, and Remington Alexander, 1, as well as husband Brandon Blackstock’s kids Seth and Savannah from a previous relationship, Clarkson spoke like one. Even her simple “diva” request – a “pretty dress to sing in” – is enough to make you wish you were on that couch with her and a bottle of Pinot.
Mariah, P!NK, Kesha – so many female artists have gone through the creative struggles you have.
Oh, every artist. It’s so not unique in any way.
How good does it feel to finally be yourself artistically?
It just feels freeing to make an entire project and, in its entirety, I’m 100 percent excited about it. There wasn’t any compromise. It’s how I feel the creative industry should feel. There’s nothing like working on something you’re so proud of.
Please tell me you at least got a little sloppy at a gay club to celebrate the end of your contract with RCA.
(Laughs) Brother, I got four kids and a career, I ain’t got time to go to clubs! I’m rockin’ a 1-, 3-, 10- and 16 year-old, man. You know what club I go to? The club of playing board games with my family…which, actually, I love.
Plus, you have your farm just outside Nashville. You’ve got chickens to raise!
We’ve got our chickens, our honeybees, and our orchard. We love our farm.
Have you sent RCA Records head Clive Davis a copy of the album?
(Laughs) Be like, “This is what I was wanting to do this whole time!” Yeah, no. (Laughs) You know what’s so sad: I was so excited to work with him. You have no idea. He worked with so many of my favorites: Janis (Joplin), and he worked with Bruce Springsteen way back in the day. All these artists who were very innovative in their time, and I was so excited. That’s been one of the saddest points for me in this industry – just figuring out that someone I really look up to just was not what they seemed. That was a pretty big blow. I was pretty sad about that. Like, we don’t always need to meet our heroes.
In some ways, your story of artistic suppression is relatable to the LGBT community. As an ally, do you recognize that affinity?
Talking with my gay or lesbian friends over the years, I can’t imagine. I’ve always said I can’t imagine not being able to be myself in and out. And, yes, while I can relate a bit musically to feeling like you’re going over massive hurdles to try and get to a compromise that you’re happy with, that’s nothing in comparison to hearing my friends talk about (being gay), especially in the South where I grew up, and then the faith thing comes into play.
I had one friend wait, and this is the saddest thing ever: I don’t think she ever felt comfortable in her skin because her parents were older. So, they passed away and then she finally felt free. I thought, “What a horrible feeling to have to wait until people aren’t around to be yourself.” I could never ever relate to that. I feel horrible that anybody has to go through that. It’s almost like when people ask me about other artists who have all these shticks about them and I’m like, “Oh God that would weigh on me if I had to keep that up, if I had to keep doing shit to make everyone happy.”
Walking onto the stage in, like, a pretty dress to sing, that’s really the extent of my diva, or just my experience on the stage. I’ve always just been very simple. Even in situations, musically, where I really had to fight or jump through hoops, I still was able to be myself, which I think people didn’t like because I was very open. But I have to do that. I have to express myself. Literally, I would go in such a downward spiral of depression if I weren’t able to, and that’s why, honestly, a lot of friends, especially who are gay and lesbian, felt that way. I pray to God my children never have to feel that, that people around me don’t have to feel that. I always hope that I’m always the one person going, “If they’re upset about it, screw it. It’s your life. You can’t “not” be you. You can’t suffer just because you’re trying to make somebody else happy. That’s not a life.”
That sounds exactly like something Kelly Clarkson would say. And I wonder, as someone who has this large, far-reaching platform, what does it mean to you to be an LGBT ally, and when did you know you had the power to be one?
I always laugh at the concept that people are like, “We just love what you say; that’s why we love you,” and I’m like, “Why is everyone not like that?” That’s what boggles my mind. Why would you not say what you want to say?
(In our last interview you) asked me if my daughter or son, or any of the four, ended up being gay, how would I take that, and I’d be like, “Awesome!” Honestly, in a world that is so hateful sometimes, I don’t care where my kids find love. Hopefully with a loving and respectful and kind person, but I don’t care if they’re a boy or a girl. It just doesn’t make a damn bit of difference to me.
I do want my children to fall in love with people who are loving, but I feel like our priorities are silly-ass backwards. Like, I want to go to my friends’ parents who just don’t want to talk about it. They know, but are like, “We just can’t talk about it,” which is so demeaning to their (children’s) existence. And I want to knock on their door – I don’t, because (my friends) ask me not to (laughs) – and be like, “Do you know you’re missing out on an exceptional human because you can’t get past your own ignorance? It’s just silly to me that you want to miss out.” I want to tell them, “I didn’t have a dad and it had nothing to do with me being gay – it had to do with, he was a shitty guy. And you have the opportunity now to not be that parent and embrace your child. That’s your DNA. You love your children. What’s wrong with you?” It just makes me so mad, more so than anything.
This past June, you helped two gay fans get engaged during one of your meet-and-greets.
Oh my gosh, it was exciting. But I was nervous! Like, what if he was gonna say no?! (Laughs)
How would you live that down?
Literally, before I was like, “Wait. I do not want to be put in this situation where this guy might say no. Are you sure he’s gonna say yes?” And he goes, “Well, I hope so!” He was nervous. I probably didn’t help any. (Laughs)
Do you hope gay couples just start routinely getting engaged in front of you?
I was like, “I need to get ordained!”
For the sake of gay couples everywhere, why are you not?
I don’t know if that would be authenticated! I don’t know if people would question that! One of our friends – my husband also manages Blake Shelton – was like, “I wanna marry y’all” and I was like, “I want it to be, like, credible. You don’t actually have a following, or a church!
I have a feeling people would go to the Church of KC.
Oh, Lord, that would be a funny church.
So, as much as I love talking about music, it’s hard not to acknowledge the screwy state of the world during interviews these days.
Yeah, everything is obviously impacted by it.
How are you? I know you’ve always stood up for what you believe in, but in this politically divisive climate, do you feel an even greater responsibility to stand up for the things that are important to you?
The hard thing for me, specifically: I always hate when people bring up, “Oh, you’re a celebrity, you shouldn’t have an opinion.” The hard thing in that for me is, I’m not just that. I’m a mother, I’m a daughter, I’m a woman. And it took a long time and a lot of women to pioneer that way for me, to even have a voice. So, for me to not use that is so disrespectful to those before me who worked so hard for it. For me to not take advantage of that seems like a cruel irony.
Why would I not voice my opinion as a mother? Why can’t I say this is a really hard time to have a 10- and 16-year-old, guys? Because I don’t know what to tell them when they hear certain things on TV. They’re smart enough to know what’s going on. I can’t hide them from that. So, it’s a very hard time to explain things away. It’s a very hard time to have the discussion about any kind of bigotry or racism or elitism. It’s a very hard time because a lot of things are happening that are making crazy, insane, irrational moments normal, and it’s a very hard time to raise kids in that environment. Forget me even being a celebrity. As a mother – just as a mother – it’s a very hard time.
I’m glad, at least, that everything is all coming to the forefront because it’s now pointing out – like, I had no idea we had white supremacists. I have never come across people like that. Not even as a child in a small town in the South, and even then, that town has blossomed and they’re more progressive now.
It’s 2017 – why are we still having these conversations? But we’re having them because they do exist, and it’s insane. It’s insane that somebody just doesn’t go, “Oh, I’m sorry, but yeah, we don’t want that here. You should go somewhere else. This is a country of many cultures, many faiths, and open-mindedness. That is why people came here.” It’s amazing to me that we just don’t have grown-ass men and women in the public eye of politics going, “Absolutely not. I’m not even having this conversation because that’s not even OK. There’s no way to validate what just happened.”
Reflecting on all your work for RCA: Which album are you most and least proud of?
The album I’m most proud of in that whole section is the Christmas album (2013’s Wrapped in Red), and that’s just because it was 100 percent me. It was Christmas and it was OK for me to make decisions (laughs). They let (producer) Greg (Kurstin) and I do whatever we wanted, so it was a lot easier to accomplish my goal with that album.
My least favorite? Man, I mean, maybe my least favorite was my first one (2003’s Thankful). I just say that because of the experience. I was very young and very excited about making a record. It was my first time doing all of that, and it was also my first time realizing, “This is gonna be really hard because there are so many cooks in the kitchen and they don’t care that you’re not allowed to be one.” It was my first experience in the industry going, “Oh, wait, this isn’t what I thought it was gonna be like.” So my ignorance led to that and me being young and excited, I guess. Not that I don’t love the album – it’s just that I didn’t love finding that out.
Do you ever get tired of singing your first single, 2002’s “A Moment Like This”?
I never sing it! Because the song wasn’t meant for me – it was meant for the winner. I never would’ve been like, “This is a great record” (laughs). I get the moment it was for. That was the perfect song for that moment. I totally address that, but that song doesn’t fit in my tour setlist.
It still takes me back every time I hear it.
Totally. The nostalgia. For me too. It was a beautiful moment. I’m very thankful and blessed for it. But it wasn’t a song that was meant for me. They just wrote it for whomever was gonna win, so that doesn’t make me feel special. (Laughs)
With Meaning of Life, your hair on the album cover is giving me some serious Mariah vibes.
That Drew Barrymore-to-the-side-’90s vibe, yeah – it’s completely calculated. (Laughs) I literally was like, “I want the hair for this album to be talking to God.” It fits with the record. It’s so sassy and confident and diva in the best sense, and so I really wanted that ’90s hair. All my inspiration photos were of ’90s hair. Whether it’s the artwork or the music, everything on this album is influenced by the ’90s, which was my favorite time in music.
From “Since U Been Gone” on through “People Like Us” and “I Have a Dream,” your anthems have been empowering to LGBT people. What song on this album do you hope becomes the next big gay anthem?
It’s always my gay boys who come up and go, “Oh my god, I love ‘Whole Lotta Woman.’” And it’s so funny, because I’m like, that is so ironic and amazing! (Laughs)
Based solely on the track’s name, not even the fact that it’s a celebratory anthem, you can’t possibly be that surprised.
(Laughs) Honestly, I didn’t think about it! But then we performed it impromptu at the “Today” show just for the audience there in New York – not for the televised show, just for the audience – and it was so funny because all the gay boys were dancing more than anyone, even more than the women! It was so fun. It’s such a fun audience that just loves sass and confidence, and I just love being surrounded by an audience with that kind of energy.
That song definitely shut downs, once and for all, your social-media shamers. What advice do you have for LGBT people who experience the bullying that you’ve experienced?
We have a 16-year-old girl and a grown-ass woman was being horrible to her. She was just being hateful and passive-aggressive online and I had to be real with (my daughter). I said, “This is gonna happen so often, so this would be a good time to learn to take the high road. Block them or whatever you want to do to not see it, if you don’t want to see it.”
Bullying is gonna happen, so we tell our kids, “That’s gonna happen. I can’t protect you from that. There’s nothing we can do about that. There are no bullying cops.” It’s an epidemic that’s horrible and it needs to be addressed, but at the same time, when you have kids coming to you, I just have to teach her to rise above it.
It’s one of those things I always describe to fans, too, in meet-and-greets because they always ask, “How are you so confident?” It’s because, at the end of the day, I really don’t care about anyone’s opinion but mine and the people I know who love me and really do want the best for me. You can’t base your entire existence and every decision off how people are gonna feel about it. That’s a giant check list; there’s a lot of us. (Laughs) So, just be happy with your decisions, and sometimes know you’re gonna be successful and sometimes you’re gonna fail. And whatever. At least you were steering your ship.
City Theatre (@citytheatremia) and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) are proud to present WINTER SHORTS, America’s Short Play Winter Festival. Playing December 7-23 in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater (Ziff Ballet Opera House) and led by City Theatre Artistic Director Margaret M. Ledford, WINTER SHORTS is the brand new festive version of City Theatre’s renowned Summer Shorts: America’s Short Play Festival and will include a jolly program of short plays – each a complete work totaling 8-10 minutes long.
Tickets to WINTER SHORTS are $39-$54*. Tickets are available now and may be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center Box Office by calling (305) 949-6722, or online at arshtcenter.org.
Penned by the country’s leading playwrights and performed by a company of South Florida theater all-stars, WINTER SHORTS offers theatergoers an evening filled with hilarity, both naughty and nice.
WINTER SHORTS features the following plays:
this movie by Amanda Keating
On a lonely Thanksgiving Day at the movies, two strangers discover an unlikely bond including family dysfunction, burgers, and a love of film.
The Miracle of Chanukah by Sheri Wilner
Marilyn has an annoying Chanukah ritual to acknowledge the holiday’s true meaning; each person must talk about a miracle that happened to them during the year. When her son’s new girlfriend describes a miracle that’s too fantastic for the others to believe, everyone suddenly confronts the hilarious limits of their faith.
Becky’s Christmas Wish by Ashley Lauren Rogers
Little Becky is visited by the Christmas Elf, who promises to grant her one special holiday wish – until he hears what she wants!
Santa Doesn’t Live Here Anymore by Patrick Gabridge
Mom and Dad have never gotten around to telling Jeffrey that there’s no Santa. He’s 30, and he still believes. This Christmas the truth comes out about Santa and it isn’t the only family secret that threatens to ruin the holiday season.
Oy Vey Maria by Mark Harvey Levine
It’s the very first Christmas, and Mary forgot to invite her mother to the birth of Baby Jesus. When Mom arrives, she’s armed with a brisket, a healthy dose of guilt, and some advice for Mary on Jewish motherhood.
Feliz Navidad by Staci Swedeen
A harried holiday shopper is frantically seeking a specific doll for her niece, while cursing and bemoaning the stresses of the season. The only clerk in the store can only speak Spanish, but with patience and humor, assists the shopper. Upon finding the right gift, the shopper realizes what she was looking for all along.
Fly, Baby by Gina Femia
It’s New Year’s Eve and Ariel wants to watch the fireworks on her rooftop, while Miranda wants to fly. Their resolutions turn serious and dangerous when Ariel steps to the ledge. Santa and the Toothfairy, at wits ends over the state of the world, watch from the North Pole hoping they can still be of help.
Occupy Hallmark by Cassie M. Seinuk
Moose and Salty – nurse grudges, broken hearts and share a disdain for Corporate America – camp out in front of a greeting card store to scare off the Valentine’s Day shoppers. Over beers the insults fly, and as they share a hatred of all things heart-shaped, they discover maybe there is someone out there for everyone.
About The Cast:
ALEX ALVAREZ was last seen in City Theatre’s Summer Shorts 2016 at the Arsht Center. Other South Florida theatre credits include: The Humans, Dry Powder, Stalking the Bogeyman, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, and Superior Donuts (Gablestage), The Goldberg Variations, and Daniel’s Husband (Island City Stage), Domestic Animals (Palm Beach Dramaworks), Mud, A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay on the Death of Walt Disney, Or, and A Map of Virtue (Thinking Cap Theatre), Trust (Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center), Visiting Hours (New Theatre), The Unseen (Promethean Theatre) and Melisma (Arca Images). Alex studied acting at California Institute of the Arts and the Larry Moss Studio. Alex is a Carbonell Award winner and a five-time nominee, a Silver Palm Award winner, and a New Times Best Supporting Actor.
DAVE COREY was part of the 2004 cast of City Theatre’s Summer Shorts. Dave retired from 50 years of broadcasting this past April, but has kept busy working part-time for Insight for the Blind, and was seen in The Legend of Georgia McBride at GableStage this past June. On TV and films, Dave has appeared in Burn Notice, Walker, Texas Ranger, Analyze This, and productions going way back to Miami Vice.
DIANA GARLE’s recent City Theatre appearances include: Short Cuts Tour 2016 and 2017. Other theatre credits: The Humans (GableStage), Juliet Among The Changelings (Lost Girls Theater); Sound Bite: South Beach and Hip Hop Won’t Save You (The Project [theatre]); Hedda Gabler and Three Sisters (Miami Theater Center); and The Plough and The Starsat O’Reilly Theatre Company in Dublin. Recent film credits include: Band of Brothers, Scenes from Our Young Marriage, For Family’s Sake (Best Narrative Short Film at New York City International Film Festival). Diana was featured in the January 2016 edition of American Theatre Magazine as one of the “7 Theatre Workers You Should Know.” She is a teaching artist at Miami Theater Center, Broward Center for the Performing Arts and Arts for Learning.
JOVON JACOBS holds a B.F.A in acting and is a proud participant in the South Florida theater community. He was recently seen in The Good Girl with Primal Forces. Some of his recent credits include: Informed Consent (Gablestage), All The Way (Actors’ Playhouse), Motherland at Theatre Lab, The Mystery of Love & Sex (Arts Garage), Fences & Five Guys Named Moe (M Ensemble Theatre), Them Beaux (Miami Theater Center), The Violet Hour (Broward Center), Map of Virtue (Thinking Cap Theater) Broadwayworld.com Award, Hip Hop Won’t Save You (The Project [theatre]), S4K & Summer Shorts 2013 (Adrienne Arsht Center), A Man Puts On A Play (Naked Stage) and Home Sweet Funeral Home (The Alliance Theatre).
RITA JOE is fresh off her performance in The Mighty Gents at the Wendell A. Narcisse Performing Arts Theatre. With a B.F.A. in theatre from the University of Central Florida, Rita has had the opportunity to work as a performer at Walt Disney World and has enjoyed performing on stages around the world. A few of Rita Joe’s performance credits include: Island City Stage’s The Submission, for which she was nominated for a Carbonell Award for Best Actress, Terror and Brothers of the Dust, for which she won a Sliver Palm Award for her performance, Shorts Gone Wild 5, Shorts Gone Wild 4, Flyin West, The Piano Lesson, Hustlers, Sisters, For Colored Girls, The Good Woman of Setzuan, Romeo and Juliet, S/HE, Once on this Island, and Home. For more information, please visit iamritajoe.com.
MARGOT MORELAND is an original company member of Summer Shorts and Winter Shorts. Margot was last seen in It Shoulda Been You (Actors’ Playhouse), Sunday in the Park with George (Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center), Sister Act (Wick), and Mamma Mia (Theatre Aspen). She is a four-time Carbonell recipient for Ruthless!, Heartbeats, Tomfoolery, and Annie. Other favorites include: I Love You….Now Change, Zombie Prom, many years of Shear Madness (Kennedy Center and US), Sondheim on Sondheim, Les Miserables, She Loves Me, Fiddler on the Roof, Gypsy, Fat Pig, and the world premieres of Stripped (Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center), Dr. Radio, Bombshells, Unlikely Heroes, and Motherhood.
In a special contemporary holiday event filled with Christmas music and hit songs, soft jazz and pop music stars Peabo Bryson, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr, Ruben Studdard and Jody Watley deliver a magical evening with The Colors of Christmas on Wednesday, December 6 at 8 p.m. in the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. This concert has been generously underwritten by Linda Gill.
Possessing a beautifully rich, almost operatic voice, Bryson has the distinction of being the first artist in music history to have separate records topping four different charts. With 20 albums to his credit, he received Grammy® Awards for “Beauty and the Beast,” a duet with Celine Dion, and “A Whole New World (Aladdin’s Theme),” which he performed with Regina Belle. Both songs also won Academy Awards® for “Best Song.”
Former lead singers of the internationally renowned 5th Dimension and later a Grammy-winning duo, McCoo and Davis have received seven Grammy Awards, numerous gold and platinum records and induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. With The 5th Dimension they recorded such classics as “Up, Up & Away,” “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” “One Less Bell to Answer,” “Stoned Soul Picnic,” “Last Night (I Didn’t Get To Sleep At All)” and other chart toppers. Married for more than four decades, their hits as a duo include “You Don’t Have to be a Star (To Be In My Show),” which earned them a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group.
A winner of Fox Television’s American Idol with 24 million votes, Studdard has been nicknamed the Velvet Teddy Bear by Gladys Knight for his soothing vocal style. He has produced a string of gold and platinum albums, toured as Fats Waller in a national stage tour of Ain’t Misbehavin’ and appeared on various television shows. Studdard received Grammy and American Music Award nominations and turned out now classic urban radio hits like “Sorry 2004,” “Superstar,” “Make Ya Feel Beautiful” and “Change Me” as well as scoring a no.1 gospel hit with “I Need An Angel.”
Grammy-winning artist Jody Watley was ranked by Billboard magazine in 2016 as one of the Greatest Dance Club Acts of All Time. Since her days as the original female lead vocalist of the R&B trio Shalamar, she has produced six Top 10 pop singles; 13 no. 1 dance singles; seven Top 5 R&B Singles; two Top 20 pop albums; two Top 10 R&B albums; and a Top 5 R&B album. Having charted singles in each of the past four decades, Watley’s hits include “Looking For A New Love,” “Real Love” and “Everything.”
Capturing the magic of Christmas in one spectacular night, the concert celebrates the joy of the season with such beloved favorites as “Oh Holy Night,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
Tickets are $55–$75 with $135 LATAM AIRLINES CLUB LEVEL tickets and $125 VIP Tickets that include a meet and greet with the artists. Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center, Parker Playhouse and affiliated venues. Buy tickets online at BrowardCenter.org or Ticketmaster.com; by phone at 954.462.0222 or the Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office. Know who you are buying from when you purchase tickets.
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District at 201 SW Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.
Love will shine on Fort Lauderdale Beach this Valentine’s weekend. Pride Fort Lauderdale, Sunday, Feb. 11, 12 noon – 8 p.m., is expected to draw more than 60,000 people to Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, 1100 Seabreeze Blvd., to celebrate the nation’s only “Love Pride.”
“Love always wins,” said Pride Fort Lauderdale president Miik Martorell, “and what better place to celebrate both our past and our future than Fort Lauderdale Beach?”
Pride Fort Lauderdale celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2017. The first Pride festival in the state of Florida, Pride South Florida (now Pride Fort Lauderdale) was originally organized as a political protest after voters in Miami-Dade County overwhelmingly supported a referendum to rescind a historic gay rights ordinance in 1977.
“Today, Pride Fort Lauderdale is not only a reminder of how far we have come, but also a celebration of the vibrant and diverse community we have become,” said Pride executive director Natalie Tyler, who noted Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors have among the highest concentrations of LGBTQ households in the country, according to the U.S. Census.
In addition to internationally-acclaimed mainstage DJs and entertainers, Pride Fort Lauderdale will also offer a new community stage featuring local talent and areas for LGBTQ families, seniors, women, youth and people in recovery.
This year, South Florida’s first Trans Pride will also be held during Pride Fort Lauderdale.
The evening will conclude with dazzling fireworks over the beach.
Guests from across the country and several different countries visited Fort Lauderdale this year for the first festival on the beach. A number of sanctioned dance and pool parties are planned both on the beach and in nearby Wilton Manors so visitors and residents alike can make it a weekend event.
More information about the festival can be found at PrideFortLauderdale.org and Facebook.com/PrideFortLauderdale.
