This is the time of year when Miami (the effects reach us all) is overwhelmed by another horde of pop-culture “stars” (psst: we haven’t heard of most of them either), with their big-city ways (that may be how they do it in London, but …), incomprehensible language (can they just use plain English?), exotic stimulants (what’s even in oolong?) and provocative fashion (the ambivalence is shocking).
Of course, we’re used to handling eight-day gaggles of globally gaga-ed DJs, F1 drivers, bold-faced chefs and supermodels. But authors? I mean, what kind of celebrity would rather be heard and not seen? It’s diabolical.
The Miami Book Fair kicks off on Sunday at Miami Dade College’s downtown Wolfson Campus for a run through Nov. 23, culminating in the signature three-day street fair beginning Nov. 21. Perhaps even more so this year, the depth and diversity of writers and voices coming in to take part are a distinctive achievement for the organizers and should be a point of pride for South Florida residents.
Among the highlights this weekend is an appearance by songwriter Kenny Chesney, the country-music star of stadium-filling renown, who will talk about his memoir “Heart Life Music” with co-author Holly Gleason at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, a gathering long sold out.
Also at the top of my list for MBF 2025: photographer and culture warrior Sally Mann (7 p.m. Nov. 19); newly appointed U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze (8 p.m. Nov. 20); and, for grins, local pals Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen (4 p.m. Nov. 22).
Note that many author appearances can be accessed with a free ticket, others with tickets for purchase. For more information, visit MiamiBookFair.com.
THURSDAY
Pictures of Auschwitz: Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach and the Tectonic Theater Project on Thursday begin performances of 2024 Pulitzer Prize finalist “Here There Are Blueberries.” The play tells the true story of a mysterious photo album sent to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2007, filled with images of Nazi officers and staff during moments of leisure at Auschwitz — a chilling example of Hannah Arendt’s “banality of evil.” Co-written by Moisés Kaufman (son of a Holocaust survivor) and Amanda Gronich, this “disturbingly resonant” (Los Angeles Times) play follows the detective work that went into verifying the pictures, along the way asking audiences to bear witness to the conspiracy of lies that corrupted everyday citizens. Showtimes this weekend will be 7 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Performances continue through Dec. 7. Tickets start at $35+ at MiamiNewDrama.org.
Kim possible: This is opening weekend at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach for the Broadway tour of Tony Award-winning musical “Kimberly Akimbo,” about a plucky teen’s against-the-odds pursuit of happiness in suburban New Jersey (with a cast that includes Jupiter-raised Skye Alyssa Friedman). Weekend performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $46 at Kravis.org.
Trunk show: Another young dreamer in search of more meaning in life finds it after jumping a train and finding himself in a traveling circus in the visually spectacular Broadway musical, “Water for Elephants,” on a tour that arrived this week at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. Weekend performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $48.68. Performances continue through Nov. 23. Visit BrowardCenter.org.
Weekend laughs: Comedian and actor Tim Dillon (yet another example of where a Nassau Community College education can take you) said this: “Cruises are for garbage people. … They are for monsters. … Everything about a cruise can happen in a Denny’s. Why are there passports?” And so he is on his way to the Fort Lauderdale Improv for shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 (sold out) and 10 p.m. Friday, and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday (both sold out). Tickets cost $46.90+. Visit ImprovFTL.com. … Rocker and comedian Shayne Smith, once described as “the nicest, most tattooed guy you’ll ever meet,” brings his national I’m Your Huckleberry tour to the intimate Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $29.50. Visit BrowardCenter.org.
Silver screen golden era: The Historical Society of Palm Beach County will unveil its new exhibit, “Sunshine Cinema: Florida in Film,” with a red-carpet reception from 6-8 p.m. Thursday in West Palm Beach. The show takes a retrospective look at movie-making history in Florida with a display of iconic props, movie costumes and other artifacts, including a 1910s Thomas Edison kinetoscope, Tony Montana’s tropical shirt in “Scarface” and the flight suit Tom Hanks wore in “Apollo 13.” The exhibit will be up at the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum from Friday through May 30, with $12 tickets and free entry for guests age 18 and younger. Opening reception tickets start at $125 (including beer, wine, light bites). Visit PBCHistory.org.
FRIDAY
Laugh riot: The WWE-style comedy tour Hasan Hates Ronny/Ronny Hates Hasan, starring Hasan Minhaj and Ronny Chieng (probably no chairs being thrown), hits the Arsht Center in Miami for performances on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets for Friday’s show are all but gone (single digits), while a few more are available on Saturday, starting at $50.01. Visit ArshtCenter.org.
Future laughs: Is Matt Rife the most popular touring comedian working today? Discuss. Rife just announced he’s bringing his Stay Golden World Tour to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on June 26, with tickets (starting at $79) going on sale at noon Friday. Visit MyHRL.com.
Peru + Venezuela: Peruvian restaurant Jarana in Aventura on Friday will host a one-night-only Chef Collab Series dinner featuring Venezuelan celebrity chef Lorena García (Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,” Food Network’s “Tournament of Champions”) and Jarana’s chef Martha Palacios. The four-course dinner will include a Tuna Tartare appetizer, Tamales Criollos, Mole Churrasco Steak and Coconut Tres Leches dessert. Cost: $70 per person. For reservations, visit JaranaRestaurant.com.
Friday night live: Performing in South Florida for the first time since the death of Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys will bring The Sounds of Summer Tour to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $69.55 at MyHRL.com. … Alt-rock veterans All Time Low will share music from new album “Everyone’s Talking” at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Openers are Mayday Parade, Four Year Strong and The Paradox. Tickets start at $62 at Seatgeek.com. … Guitar phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer (as seen at Coachella and with Jon Batiste) will bring his tour to Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton on Friday at 8:30 p.m. Tickets start at $36.22. Visit CrazyUncleMikes.com.
You scream: Lily’s Handmade Ice Cream, the family owned scoopery with locations in Delray Beach and North Miami that was voted best ice cream in South Florida by South Florida Sun Sentinel readers last year, will open a new Boynton Beach shop at 3837 W. Woolbright Road on Friday at noon. Visit Facebook.com/icecreamlilys.
Heart to art: The Art Prevails Project presents “The Happening: A Theatrical Mixtape Volume VII” in the Abdo New River Room at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Expressed via drama, music and poetry, this chapter is subtitled “Love & Hate,” promising to “make you smile, move and reflect on everything in between.” Each performance will be followed by a post-show discussion with the artists. Tickets cost $35.40. The production is part of the Broward Center’s Amplify Arts initiative designed to elevate local artists and emerging arts organizations. Visit BrowardCenter.org or ArtPrevailsProject.org.
Buckle up: Davie’s cowboy culture comes together in a big way this weekend as Weekley Brothers Davie Pro Rodeo will host the Southeastern Circuit Finals Rodeo at Bergeron Rodeo Grounds. The ropin’ and ridin’ thrills begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $35, or $15 for guests age 3-12. Visit DavieProRodeo.com.
Kravis thriller: The hit Michael Jackson musical “MJ” is on its way to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Feb. 10-15, with tickets on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at Kravis.org and at noon Friday at the box office and by calling 561-832-7469.
Friday tributes: Nationally touring, Florida-based Pink Floyd tribute band Floyd Nation will bring their Wish We Were There Tour to The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $34.22. Visit ParkerPlayhouse.com. … Popular homage Rock of ABBA returns to Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach on Friday at 7:30 p.m. General-admission standing room costs $10, with table seating available by reservation. Visit Galuppis.com. … Chicago/Earth, Wind & Fire tribute Hot Brass will play the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets start at $52.54. Visit AventuraCenter.org.
SATURDAY
When war stopped: Just a few days after Veterans Day, Florida Grand Opera’s “Silent Night” is an evocative operatic retelling of the 1914 Christmas Truce — when soldiers on either side of the World War I battlefield paused to sing, pray and play soccer together on an extraordinary Christmas Eve. Performed in three languages (with English and Spanish translations projected), “Silent Night” marks the return of FGO’s orchestra, providing accompaniment for the first time in 18 years. The Pulitzer Prize-winning opera also coincides with the official launch of FGO’s Voices of Wellness program, which supports the well-being of veterans, first responders and nurses. Performances of “Silent Night” will take place at Miami’s Arsht Center at 7 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday and 8 p.m. Tuesday. The opera will next be seen at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 4 and Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $22-$25. Visit FGO.org.
Walk this way: Saturday brings the return of the quarterly Oakland Park Art Walk, which should offer a fine, family friendly stroll on what we’re expecting to be a beautiful evening. But it also may be a reminder of what an underrated destination this eight-block stretch of Northeast 12th Avenue and Dixie Highway is for drinks (Rebel Wine Bar, ChainBridge Distillery, Funky Buddha Brewery, Tripping Animals Brewing, to name a few spots) and dining (Red Sea Eritrean and Ethiopian Cuisine, Nour Thai Kitchen, Moon Pizza Pie, Black Flamingo Brews & Kitchen, The Butcher’s Barrel, BMC Smash Burgers and FMS Creamery). They’re all an easy walk from each other — and parking is free. Visit OaklandParkFL.gov/OPAW.
Going coastal: The Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach will open the exhibition “Anastasia Samoylova: Atlantic Coast,” a meditative exploration of the American mood in pictures taken from Key West to Maine by the Russian-born American photographer, inspired by Berenice Abbott’s famed 1954 journey along U.S. 1. The exhibit will be up through March. Museum admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $5 for students and free for guests age 12 and younger. Visit Norton.org.
Saturday night live: Puerto Rican icon Olga Tañón comes to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood at 8 p.m. Saturday on her “Hay Ke Ser Feliz” tour. Scattered tickets remain, starting at $185.55. Visit MyHRL.com. … Alt-metal quartet Seether and rockers Daughtry bring their tour to the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $78 at Seatgeek.com. … Indie-pop stylist I Don’t Know How But They Found Me alights at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, with doors opening at 7:30 p.m. General-admission tickets cost $39.80. Visit CultureRoom.net.
More laughs: Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy, one of the highest-grossing comedians on tour in recent years (says Pollstar), will bring his Just Being Koy Tour to the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $64.25 at Ticketmaster.com. … Writer and comedian Gabriel Rutledge comes to the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theater on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $23.60. Visit BrowardCenter.org.
Saturday tributes: Mathews Brewing Co. in Lake Worth Beach will host a free concert by Ramones tribute band the Morones on Saturday, with openers Maximum Friction going on at 7:30 p.m. Visit Facebook.com/mathewsbrewing. … The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton will have Elton Dan and The Rocket Band on Saturday at 7 p.m. General-admission standing room tickets cost $50.09 at FunkyBiscuit.com.
SUNDAY
Brittany Brave / Courtesy
Comedian Brittany Brave will rally her funniest friends at the Miami Improv on Sunday to raise money for her documentary about the local comedy scene, “Muchacha.” (Brittany Brave/Courtesy)
Sunday laughs: South Florida comedian Brittany Brave and other favorite joke tellers will gather on Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Miami Improv for the Best of Miami comedy showcase, with proceeds going to “Muchacha,” her documentary project about the local comedy scene. Other performers will include Ricky Cruz, Gene Harding, Cisco Duran, Carlos Hernandez, Eli Rodriguez, Julie Baez and others. The evening also will offer a sneak peek at “Muchacha.” Tickets cost $31.90+; reserved VIP seats are $51.90+. Visit MiamiImprov.com.
Pure energy: The Kaytranada x Justice Tour — pairing Haitian-born, Montreal-based DJ and producer Kaytranada with French electronica duo Justice — may blow the top off Miami’s Kaseya Center on Sunday. Tickets for the 7 p.m. concert, with special guest Sam Gellaitry, start at $46.30 at Ticketmaster.com.
Carti time: Rapper Playboy Carti brings his long-awaited Antagonist Tour, featuring music from No. 1 album “MUSIC,” to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise at 7 p.m. Sunday. The cheapest seats are running in the $50s at Seatgeek.com.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell.