Kravis Center Presents Dazzling Performers And Productions In April, May And June

Kravis Center to Offer a Nonstop Series of Dazzling Performers & Productions
During April, May & June 2011

Highlights Include The Beach Boys, Bill Maher,
Frankie Avalon, Fabian & Bobby Rydell,
Smokey Robinson, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Yanni, The Color Purple & 18th Annual Reach for the Stars

APRIL 2011

April 1 & 2 (Friday and Saturday)
Billy Stritch:
Mel Tormé in Words and Music
+ Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m.
+ Saturday at 2 p.m.
Jazz and cabaret star Billy Stritch salutes his personal idol and inspiration, the incomparable Mel Tormé. This swinging toast to the legendary singer, composer, drummer and star of MGM films is an affectionate tribute to the consummate jazz/pop singer of our time. "An eclectic and thrilling set that is guaranteed to send you into orbit," wrote Rex Reed in The Observer.
Helen K. Persson Hall
Tickets $30

April 5 - 7 p.m. (Tuesday)
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Open the Door, Richard - (Starring Stepin Fetchit, 1945)
Host: AnEta Sewell
(ArtSmart / Film Offering)
This represents the sixth season for the African-American Film Festival. Producer James Drayton teams up with the Kravis Center to bring another series of films to audiences this spring. Series concludes on April 12.
Helen K. Persson Hall
Tickets $10

April 6 - 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. (Wednesday)
Steve Lippia
SIMPLY SINATRA
(Adults at Leisure Series)
Sit back and close your eyes: picture yourself in Vegas in the heyday of the Rat Pack ... out comes Ol' Blue Eyes. Are you tripping down memory lane? Nope, you are swinging with Steve Lippia in a celebration of the music of one of our country's greatest music icons - Frank Sinatra. With a hot, driving band behind him, Steve Lippia croons the biggest hits from the Sinatra songbook, from "The Best Is Yet To Come" and "My Way," to "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "New York, New York." (Adults at Leisure Series sponsored by Kay & Jim Morrissey)
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets $25

April 6 - 8 p.m. (Wednesday)
ST. PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC
+ Nikolai Alexeev, Conductor
+ Nikolai Lugansky, Piano
(Regional Arts Concert Series MUSIC "At Eight")
The St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Russia's oldest symphonic ensemble, was founded in 1882 and remains among the greatest and most venerable cultural institutions of the world. Scheduled program:
+ Rachmaninoff / Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
+ Rimsky-Korsakov / Scheherazade, Op. 35
(Regional Arts Concert Series sponsored by Leonard & Sophie Davis)
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $25
Beyond the Stage: A free pre-concert discussion at 6:45 pm led by Sharon McDaniel and a musical presentation by the Palm Beach Academy of Music in the Dreyfoos Hall lobby at 7:15 pm.

April 7 - 2 p.m. (Thursday)
ST. PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC
+ Yuri Temirkanov, Conductor
+ Alisa Weilerstein, Cello
(Regional Arts Concert Series MUSIC "At Two")
The St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Russia's oldest symphonic ensemble, was founded in 1882 and remains among the greatest and most venerable cultural institutions of the world. Scheduled program:
+ Rimsky-Korsakov / RussIan Easter Overture, Op. 36
+ Shostakovich / Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 107
+ Dvo?ák / Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 "From the New World"
(Regional Arts Concert Series sponsored by Leonard & Sophie Davis)
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $25
Beyond the Stage: A free pre-concert discussion at 12:45 pm led by Sharon McDaniel.

April 7 - 6:30 p.m. & 9 p.m. (Thursday)
Dan Hicks & THE HOT LICKS
Although firmly rooted in the American folk music tradition, Dan Hicks and The Hot Licks deftly blend elements of swing, jazz, country and rock to create a sound they call "Folk Jazz." The band's latest release, Tangled Tales, reflects Hicks' delightfully off-center point of view with its quirky and playful melodies that complement his trademark lyrics: a medley of complex rhymes and jive vocabulary that sounds as fresh and witty as it did 40 years ago when the Hot Licks shot to national prominence.
Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. Playhouse
Tickets $38

April 8 - 8 p.m. (Friday)
Dick Fox's GOLDEN BOYS
Starring
Frankie Avalon
FABIAN
BOBBIE RYDELL
The original teen idols that made the music that made the memories that still make us smile grew up within three blocks of each other in South Philadelphia. Today, they are as good as ever and still taking concert stages by storm with their greatest hits, including "Venus" (Avalon), "Volare" (Rydell) and "Turn Me Loose" (Fabian). (Sponsored by Sallie A. & Thomas O. Monroe, Sr.)
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $25

April 8-10 (Friday through Sunday)
YOU SAY TOMATO, I SAY SHUT UP
With Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn
+ Friday, Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
+ Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Adapted from their hilarious and often moving memoir of the same title, comedians and real-life married couple Annabelle Gurwitch (Dinner and a Movie) and Jeff Kahn (Forty Year Old Virgin) take a humorous look back at their 13 years together as a couple. At points, their relationship seemed doomed by their opposing personalities. But after trials and tribulations they learned to navigate the conflicts that come with romance, money, and children by embracing each other's differences, taking on parenting as a competitive sport, and dropping out of couples therapy. People Magazine deemed them "Laugh Out Loud." And Ben Stiller chimed, "So funny because it's so accurate. Kahn and Gurwitch illuminate the insanity of marriage. They make you want to embrace your spouse for the same reason you want to strangle them."
Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. Playhouse
Tickets $34

April 12 - 7 p.m. (Tuesday)
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Brewster's Millions - (Starring Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, 1945)
Host: AnEta Sewell
(ArtSmart / Film Offering)
This represents the sixth season for the African-American Film Festival. Producer James Drayton teams up with the Kravis Center to bring another series of films to audiences this spring.
Helen K. Persson Hall
Tickets $10

April 12 at 7:30 p.m. (Tuesday)
A Florida Debut
MICHAEL MIZRAHI, Piano
(Young Artists Series)
Michael Mizrahi has been dazzling audiences and critics alike with his compelling performances of works ranging from Baroque to 21st Century. Hailed for his "splendid powers of concentration" (The Washington Post) and performances that are "exciting to watch and hear" (The San Diego Union-Tribune), Mizrahi has appeared as concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician across the United States and in Europe. In 2005 he appeared as soloist under Leon Fleisher and the Curtis Chamber Orchestra in a Carnegie Hall performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23. He has also appeared with the Houston Symphony, Sioux City Symphony and Prince George's Philharmonic Orchestra. After he won the National Symphony Orchestra's Young Soloists Competition, The Washington Post wrote that he has "the kind of control needed to protect strength without sounding aggressive." Scheduled Program:
+ Beethoven / Thirty-two Variations in C minor, WoO 80
+ Schumann / Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18
+ Judd Greenstein / First Ballade (2008)
+ Chopin / Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
+ Missy Mazzoli / Isabelle Eberhardt Dreams of Pianos (2007)
+ Schubert / Piano Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959
(With support from the Raymond and Bessie Kravis Foundation)
Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. Playhouse
Tickets $30

April 13 - 8 p.m. (Wednesday)
BOZ SCAGGS
Boz Scaggs, owner of one of the most distinctive voices in popular music is probably best known for his landmark 1976 album Silk Degrees, which spawned several hit singles including "Lowdown," "Lido Shuffle," "Georgia," "We're All Alone" and "It's Over." One special night ... all the classic hits ... all the memories.
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $20

April 14-16 (Thursday through Saturday)
KORESH DANCE COMPANY
+ Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m.
+ Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Under the dynamic wing of Israeli-born choreographer and artistic director Ronen Koresh, Philadelphia's Koresh Dance Company is among the most original forces in contemporary dance. Critically acclaimed for its exuberant, athletic and eclectic repertoire, this high-energy company displays unparalleled versatility and virtuosity in performances that range from explosive and passionate to intimate and restrained. "A vibrant ensemble that offered non-stop dynamism throughout its performance," says The Denver Post.
Scheduled Program:
+Passomezzo choreographed by Ohad Naharin
+ Sense of Human choreographed by Ronen Koresh
(Sponsored by Harriett M. Eckstein New Art Fund)
Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. Playhouse
Tickets $35
Beyond the Stage: A free pre-performance discussion led by Steven Caras on April 14 at 6:15 pm.

April 14 - 8 p.m. (Thursday)
Smokey Robinson
His roster of hits with The Miracles and as a solo performer include "I Second That Emotion," "The Tears Of A Clown," "Cruisin'" and "Being With You." Don't miss this stalwart of the soul genre - Motown in particular - in concert.
(Sponsored by Kochman & Ziska PLC)
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $25

April 15 - 8 p.m. (Friday)
YANNI IN CONCERT
How many artists have had their music played at almost every Summer and Winter Olympics broadcast for the past two decades? Who has sold out 10 consecutive shows at Radio City Music Hall? How many performers have had a TV special seen in 65 countries by half a billion people? Yanni is an artist whose music - an eclectic, cinematic fusion of world, new age and mainstream contemporary pop - crosses all demographics in its universal appeal.
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $30

April 16 - 6 p.m. (Saturday)
Young Friends of the Kravis Center's
REACH FOR THE STARS
Featuring "Dancing for the Stars" Ballroom Dance Competition
and Gourmet Food & Fine Wines
The 18th annual Reach for the Stars benefit featuring favorite local celebrities such as last year's winner, TV station CBS12 NEWS personality Liz Quirantes and instructor Claude Crevier of Park Avenue Dance in West Palm Beach, competing for the coveted "Dancing for the Stars" trophy. Reach for the Stars benefits the Kravis Center's S*T*A*R (Students and Teachers Arts Resource) Series and other arts education programs.
(Platinum Sponsor: Sun-Sentinel; Gold Sponsors: Marcie Gorman-Althof, Jane M. Mitchell, Sydelle and Arthur I. Meyer Foundation; Silver Sponsor: Susan Bloom)
Dreyfoos Hall Lobby & Stage
Tickets start at $75

April 17 - 8 p.m. (Sunday)
The Beach Boys
With special guest John Stamos
Known for rich vocal harmonies and songs about cars, dating and surfing in the California sun, The Beach Boys sound helped define a style known as surf music. Come hear all your favorite Beach Boys songs including "Good Vibrations," "California Girls" and "Kokomo."
(Sponsored by Carolyn and Richard Sloane; with support from WPBT2)
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $20

April 20-24 (Wednesday - Sunday)
CIRQUE DREAMS ILLUMINATION
+ Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m.
+ Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
+ Sunday at 7 p.m.
Climb aboard the all-new Cirque Dreams journey, which blends imagination, theatrical innovation and breathtaking presentation into a story that illuminates a city of everyday people, workers and pedestrians into feats of disbelief. Urban acrobatics, dazzling choreography and brilliant illusions are ignited by 27 world-class artists and special effects performed to a stylish original score of jazz, salsa, ballroom, pop and trendy beats from the streets.
(Sponsored by Lydian Bank and Trust, and CityPlace and CityPlace Tower)
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $25

April 21 - 7:30 p.m. (Thursday)
Mona LiSA SPEAKS
CORE Ensemble
In 1911, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa - arguably the world's most famous work of art - was stolen from the Louvre and stored in a Paris apartment closet, then recovered 27 months later in Florence. Produced by the internationally acclaimed CORE Ensemble, this compelling new work takes place in the apartment where Mona Lisa comes to life. Music by Debussy and Stravinsky are featured along with new compositions.
(Sponsored by Harriett M. Eckstein New Art Fund)
Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. Playhouse
Tickets $30

April 22 & 23 - 7:30 p.m. (Friday and Saturday)
Seth Rudetsky's
BIG FAT BROADWAY SHOW
Prepare for the most hysterical and fascinating "backstage pass" to Broadway's biggest hits, flops and everything in between with Sirius/XM Radio's Seth Rudetsky. Seth is bringing his own private video and audio collection to show you how to differentiate between what's vocally amazing (Patti LuPone in Evita) and what's a vocal travesty (Madonna singing the same material)! Video highlights - and lowlights - include the mercifully short-lived Brady Bunch Variety Hour and Cher singing all the roles in West Side Story. Come see it all in this laugh-out-loud night of backstage glitz and gossip! (Sponsored by Donald & Linda Silpe)
Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. Playhouse
Tickets $32

MAY 2011:

May 10-15 (Tuesday through Sunday)
THE COLOR PURPLE
(Kravis On Broadway)
+ Tuesday, Thursday, Friday at 8 p.m.
+ Wednesday, Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
+ Sunday at 2 p.m.
A soul-stirring musical based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Steven Spielberg, THE COLOR PURPLE is the unforgettable and inspiring story of a woman named Celie, who finds her unique voice in the world. Nominated for eleven Tony Awards®, A landmark theatrical event, this show is a celebration of love, and a Broadway phenomenon. With a joyous Grammy® nominated score featuring jazz, gospel and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is capturing the hearts of young and old, and uniting audiences in a community of joy.
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $25
Beyond the Stage: A free pre-performance discussion led by Beverly Blanchette on May 10 at 6:45 pm.

May 20 - 7 p.m. (Friday)
A Kravis Center Community Outreach Event in
Partnership with The School District of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County Music Educators' Association and the Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County, Inc.
SPOTLIGHT ON YOUNG MUSICIANS
Crossing the threshold from practice to performance is every performer's dream. The Kravis Center's annual Spotlight on Young Musician turns that dream into reality for hundreds of talented local student musicians.
(Sponsored by The Meshberg Family in loving memory of Julia Meshberg.)
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets $10 in Advance and $12 Day of Performance
Tickets go on sale Saturday, April 2, 2011.

May 22 - 1 p.m. & 4 p.m. (Sunday)
MAX & RUBY: BUNNY PARTY
(Family Fare Series)
It's a big day for someone special. Bunny siblings Max & Ruby have a-million-and-one things to do before the very exciting event; they embark on a musical bus ride to find the greatest present in the world before coming home to undergo an unpredictable make-over just for this happy occasion. When will the guest of honor arrive? Who will it be? Join Max & Ruby as their special guest is revealed at the Bunny Party of the year! (Family Fare Series sponsored by SBA Communications Corporation)
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $12

May 28 - 8 p.m. (Saturday)
Bill Maher
For the last 17 years, Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny, political talk can go on American television. First on Politically Incorrect (Comedy Central, ABC, 1992-2002), and for the last seven years on HBO's Real Time, Maher's combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 22 Emmy nominations. In recent years, this same combination was on display in Maher's uproarious and unprecedented swipe at organized religion, Religulous, the 7th highest grossing documentary ever. In addition to his popular TV series, best-selling books, HBO stand-up comedy specials and concert appearances, Maher is a frequent guest on MSNBC, CNN and late night talk shows hosted by Jay Leno and David Letterman.
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $30

JUNE 2011:

June 3-4 (Friday & Saturday)
RAIN
A Tribute to The Beatles
+ Friday at 8 p.m.
+ Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
RAIN, the acclaimed Beatles concert, returns by popular demand! "The next best thing to seeing The Beatles," raves the Denver Post. All the music and vocals are performed totally live! "A thrilling bit of time-warping nostalgia ... Boomer Heaven!" cheers The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Sing along with your family and friends to such favorites as "Let It Be," "Hey Jude," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Come Together" and "Can't Buy Me Love," and relive Beatlemania from Ed Sullivan to Abbey Road.
(Sponsored by Palm Beach Motor Cars Limited, Inc.)
Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall
Tickets start at $20

Tickets are available for purchase at the Kravis Center box office, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in downtown West Palm Beach; online at www.kravis.org; or by phone at (561) 832-7469 or (800) 572-8471.

The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is a not-for-profit performing arts center whose mission is to enhance the quality of life in Palm Beach County by presenting a diverse schedule of national and International Artists and companies of the highest quality; by offering comprehensive arts education programs; by providing a Palm Beach County home in which local and regional arts organizations can showcase their work; and by providing economic catalyst and community leadership in West Palm Beach, supporting efforts to increase travel and tourism to Palm Beach County.

The Kravis Center is located at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach, FL. For more information, please call 561-832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org.

FALL IN LOVE TODAY!  ADOPT A PET FROM YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER