When Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” opened in 1904, it flopped. After a few months of careful revisions and intense rehearsals, Puccini nailed it. “Madama Butterfly” has since turned into one of the most performed operas in the world, and its impact on culture is almost incalculable. Madama Butterfly. Photo by Rod Millington On Saturday, November 15th, […]
Article · November 13, 2014 by Neil de la Flor
Suddenly, I’m jerked back to life and I’m out of my funk. It’s like witnessing the first night launch of the space shuttle as a child. As it ascends like a reverse meteor headed for the blackened sky, everyone around you is crying and you don’t know why, but your bones tell you it’s right. […]
Article · November 10, 2014 by Neil de la Flor
Now that Halloween is over, the election is around the corner and the first winter blast of the season has hit, it’s time to get serious. Dig out those scarves, wool mittens and Uggs and brace for what’s to come. First up, the all-important Knight Arts Challenge People’s Choice Awards. The governor’s race is important, […]
Article · November 3, 2014 by Neil de la Flor
Once upon a time, in a decade not too long ago, Wynwood was a gritty working-class neighborhood that housed Miami’s fashion district. It’s where I would go once a month to buy spools of thread, invisible zippers, muslin and needles from Scott Notions to restock a small sewing factory that I started in the mid-’90s. […]
Article · October 30, 2014 by Neil de la Flor
Kristen Stewart stars as a Guantanamo Bay guard in “Camp X-Ray,” an official selection for the Sundance Film Festival. “Camp X-Ray.” “Camp X-Ray” is a drama that takes the viewer inside the mysterious labyrinthine world of Gitmo through the eyes of a female guard. Originally written for a man to play, Stewart, best known for her […]
Article · October 28, 2014 by Neil de la Flor
The Rhythm Foundation’s 27th Season opens with Italian superstar Luciano Ligabue, one of Italy’s most popular contemporary musicians (and filmmakers) who broke a European concert attendance record when 165,264 diehard fans showed up. Ligabue comes to Grand Central on Sunday, October 26th to celebrate the release of his 10th studio album, Monodovisione. Ligabue. Photo: Chico […]
Article · October 23, 2014 by Neil de la Flor
This weekend I headed to the Design District to see a series of roving, site-specific, 30-minute performances. I didn’t want to go out, but I did, and it was (more or less) worth the 10-minute drive. “Daydreaming with Jean” by Marissa Alma Nick. Photo by Neil de la Flor The evening began on the gorgeous […]
Article · October 20, 2014 by Neil de la Flor
When I was a boy, my grandmother would take me the the Hialeah Park Race Track—a.k.a., the “Jewel of Hialeah.” She’d bet on the horses, and I would, too. I’d eat hot dogs and sip on Coke while she hooted and hollered for X or Y horse to cross the finish line. I had no […]
Article · October 16, 2014 by Neil de la Flor
The Carbonell Award, named after Cuban sculptor Manuel Carbonell, annually recognizes excellence in South Florida theater. On Saturday, October 25th at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center (SMDCAC) will present an evening of Broadway songs with performances by past Carbonell winners as part of its Cabaret Series. The Carbonell Awards. […]
Article · October 13, 2014 by Neil de la Flor
The Daniel Lewis Dance Sampler returns to the Little Haiti Cultural Center for two days: Saturday, October 18th at 8 p.m. and Sunday, October 19th at 3 p.m. The Sampler provides local talent a platform to share excerpts of full-length work with the community. Daniel Lewis Sampler 2013. Photo by Neil de la Flor Next […]
Article · October 10, 2014 by Neil de la Flor
Join artist Juan Carlos Zaldivar, Bas Fisher International and Miss Information for the October installment of the Weird Miami Bus Tour on Sunday, October 12th from 5 – 8:30 p.m. (Arrive no later than 4:15 p.m. for a prompt departure.) Weird Miami Bus Tour. The “top-secret” tour curated by Zaldivar and guided by Miss Information […]
Article · October 6, 2014 by Neil de la Flor