(PRESS RELEASE)_Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Webber’s high-octane Broadway and West End hit School of Rock – The Musical is coming to West Palm Beach’s Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts from March 27 – March 31. Celebrating its rocking arrival, the Kravis Center will host Kids’ Night On Broadway for the Wednesday, March 27 8 pm performance by offering buy one adult ticket, get a free kids’ ticket (limit two free tickets per household). Kids also eat free with the purchase of an adult meal in the Bistro Teatro. The fun-filled night also includes interactive performances from the Palm Beach County-based School of Rock at 6:45 pm.

School of Rock – The Musical is based on the smash hit 2003 film of the same, featuring music from the movie, as well as an original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, a book by Julian Fellowes, choreography byJoAnn M. Hunter and direction by Laurence Connor.

School of Rock – The Musical opened on Broadway to rave reviews on Sunday, December 6, 2015. This Ben BrantleyNew York Times ‘Critics’ Pick’ “is an inspiring jolt of energy and mad skillz,” raves Jesse Oxfeld of Entertainment Weekly. And in his four-star Critics’ Pick review, Time Out’s David Cote proclaimed, “School’s IN – forever!” School of Rock – The Musical was nominated for four 2016 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score (Lloyd Webber and Slater), Best Book (Fellowes), and Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Alex Brightman). School of Rock – The Musical also won the 2017 Oliver award for Outstanding Achievement in Music.

Based on the hit film, School of Rock – The Musical is a hilarious new musical that follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. While teaching these pintsized prodigies what it means to truly rock, Dewey falls for the school’s beautiful, but uptight headmistress, helping her rediscover the wild child within.

(PRESS RELEASE)_Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. – If what they say is true – that music is a doorway to the soul – then maybe you should listen. On Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m., local South Florida music wunderkind Jason Cardinal returns to the stage at Burger Bar in Palm Beach Gardens, where he kicked off a soaring rock career in 2010.

“An Evening with Jason Cardinal” is a free event and will feature current and fan-favorite hits from his 2018 debut album, Soulmate. A one-man band hit wonder with a natural-born guitar and drums talent, Cardinal, who has opened for music legends like Sheryl Crow and Barenaked Ladies draws encores for his harmonica riffs and booming vocals.

Feeling quaff-y? Enjoy Ladies Night Thursday drink specials, including 50% off select wines, $5 Smirnoff vodka martinis, as well as $4 ciders and White Claw seltzers from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

For more information or to make a reservation, call (561) 630-4545 or visit opentable.com/r/burgerbar-palm-beach-gardens. Burger Bar is located in Donald Ross Village at 4650 Donald Ross Rd., Palm Beach Gardens.

CODE WORKSHOP_ Residents were invited to a Code Workshop Wednesday night at the North Palm Beach Community Center, where consultants outlined potential changes for future development at the Twin Cities Mall site, at the corner of US 1 and Northlake, and other key areas, including the Marina across from the Country Club. City officials from both North Palm Beach and Lake Park attended. For more information and future workshops scheduled, GO HERE.

Spring has officially sprung when flowers bloom and cosmic cosplayers take over the 40th annual Hatsume Fair on Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach.

The museum’s largest annual festival, the Hatsume Fair will transform tranquil Morikami Park into a breathtaking Japanese spectacle of sights, sounds, and style. Guests will enjoy three stages of exciting entertainment, as well as artisan, craft and plant vendors, specialty sake and beer selections, and Japanese street fare food. The weekend’s activities include martial arts demonstrations, taiko performances, live art painting, cosplay costume contests, and a high-octane, Japanese streetwear fashion show.

Hatsume Fair hot spots include:

Taiko Stage

Experience the roar of taiko at performances by South Florida’s premier taiko drumming groups: Ronin Taiko and Fushu Daiko. Catch Ronin Taiko on Saturday, and Fushu Daiko on Sunday. Also, don’t miss the costume contest (Saturday) and fashion show (Sunday) on the Taiko stage.

Martial Arts Stage

The Martial Arts Stage (located in the Morikami Theater) will feature martial arts demonstrations from a wide variety of ancient disciplines. These demonstrations are an introduction to a variety of karate styles and showcase local students of all ages.

Kimata Stage

See art come to life before your eyes as up-and-coming artist Yasunori Kimata paints live on Saturday and Sunday.

Anime Arena

Enjoy a variety of anime offerings, shop an array of anime vendors and dealers, and take pictures with your favorite anime characters and superheroes. Strut your stuff on the Taiko Stage during the cosplay costume contest on Saturday or fashion show contest on Sunday for a chance to win exciting prizes from Morikami, Tate’s Comics, and the 3000 Brigade.

Festival Marketplace

Shop dozens of artisan, craft and plant vendors on festival grounds and Morikami’s distinctive Museum Store (including the Sweet Shop) located inside the museum building.

Kids’ Zone @ Hatsume

Check out our festival activities area for games, Japanese crafts, and more for the whole family.

Hatsume T-shirts

Hatsume t-shirts designed by local artist Brian Reedy are available from the Fine Print Shoppe in the Anime Arena. Bring a shirt and the first screen print is free.

Ticket prices:

Morikami members and children ages 3 and under – Free (must show proof of membership at festival entrance)

Adult One Day Pass (ages 11+) – $12
Adult Weekend Pass (ages 11+) – $20
Child One Day Pass (ages 4-10) – $7
Child Weekend Pass (ages 4-10) – $15
At-Gate Adult One Day Pass (ages 11+) – $15
At-Gate Child One Day Pass (ages 4-10) – $10

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit morikami.org/event/hatsume-fair/.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is located at 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach, FL 33446.  

(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI (March 11, 2019) - South Florida commuters have spoken; and they have grown weary of everyday traffic congestion. According to a recent survey*, commuters would give up alcohol (48%), Netflix (29%), even sex (22%), if it meant never having to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic again. The survey also revealed they are ready for change, with more than 8 in 10 saying that commuters need more options to avoid traffic, and 7 in 10 saying they’ve considered moving in order to ease their daily commute. What would they do with the extra time? More than 6 in 10 said they would spend more time with family, while 56% and 54% of respondents would spend the time exercising or relaxing, respectively.

In an effort to ease traffic pain points and give South Florida commuters some time back to engage in the things and activities they enjoy most, Brightline and Lyft have announced an expanded partnership, offering riders $5 off a Lyft ride to/from a Brightline station with the purchase of a Brightline ticket beginning March 11, 2019. 

“The survey underscores our belief that transit congestion is so much bigger than sitting in I-95 gridlock traffic,” said Ali Soule, Director of Public Affairs and Media Relations, Brightline. “It’s about productivity and the precious minutes, even hours, that we are kept from the things that matter most. With the expanded Lyft partnership, it is our hope to incentivize more stressed drivers to not only consider Brightline but also change the overall sentiment around commuting. Getting around should be just as enjoyable as getting there!”

The survey also revealed:

• Instead of sitting an additional hour in traffic, 4 in 10 would rather sit in the middle seat of an airplane, while nearly 30% would prefer to clean their office bathroom
• Of the 88.2% of respondents who drive to work, 44.3% say their commute makes them feel annoyed, while 35.9% say it makes them feel anxious
• A majority of respondents (59.7%) agreed that, if they could, they would rather commute to work by train than drive themselves

“Lyft is committed to helping improve congestion by providing convenient first-last mile service to Brightline’s regional rail line,” said Bakari Brock, Senior Director of City Partnerships. “By helping commuters connect with Brightline, we are working to provide local residents a fast and reliable alternative to commuting alone.”

In order to take advantage of the $5 off offer**, riders must purchase a Brightline train ticket via www.gobrightline.com in order to receive the Lyft credit, which will be issued via emailed code.

* Brightline engaged DKC Analytics, a division of DKC Public Affairs and Government Relations, to conduct and compile this survey using the online survey platform Pollfish. The regional sample of 500 adults in South Florida was surveyed between February 26 - 28, 2019 in the United States. The margin of error is ± 4.47 and no additional weighting was done to the initial sample.

**Limit one Credit per online transaction, regardless of number of Brightline tickets purchased in that transaction. Credit may only be applied to standard Lyft rides beginning or ending at a Brightline station. Credit only available for Brightline tickets purchased online; tickets purchased at stations or kiosks not eligible. Credit cannot be used for Shared rides, Luxury rides or any other ride type other than standard Lyft rides. Credit cannot be accrued or combined with other discounts or credits. Each Credit code will expire on a quarterly basis based on the calendar quarter in which the code is obtained.  For example, all codes obtained on or before March 31, 2019 need to be used by March 31, 2019. All codes obtained on or after April 1 need to be used by June 30, 2019. Subject to Lyft’s Terms of Service (linked).

(PRESS RELEASE)_(Palm Beach Gardens, FL – March 11, 2019) Colleen Smith, Artistic Director of Ballet Palm Beach today announced that the highly acclaimed professional ballet company will present a dynamic selection of new repertoire by choreographers George Balanchine (répétiteur, Zippora Karz), Christopher Huggins, Donna Murray, and Gina Patterson.

March 25-27
+ Monday at 7:30 pm
+ Tuesday at 7:30 pm
+ Wednesday at 7:30 pm

PREMIERES

Ballet Palm Beach presents a festival of new repertoire featuring diverse and neoclassical works from locally and nationally recognized choreographers including George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey’s Christopher Huggins, and more. Underwritten in part by Rob & Amy Swan, the mixed bill will include:

+ George Balanchine’s Sonatine

Based on music by Maurice Ravel and staged by Balanchine répétiteur Zippora Karz, a former New York City Ballet soloist, who performed for 16 years on stage and in televised performances. She was featured in a variety of roles choreographed by Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins and Lynne Taylor Corbett. Today, as a répétiteur for the George Balanchine Trust, she stages Balanchine ballets for schools and companies around the globe. Sonatine is an elegantly fluid pas de deux set to live piano music by Cassie Makeeff. The ballet is rarely performed, and is generously underwritten by the Chastain Charitable Foundation.

+ Into the Woods, a World Premiere by Christopher Huggins

A protege of the internally acclaimed choreographer Alvin Ailey, Huggins returns to Ballet Palm Beach to set this impressive piece. A 2002 and 2008 recipient of the Alvin Ailey Award for Best Choreography from the Black Theater Alliance in Chicago, Huggins has also worked on several projects for Disney in Orlando. He was a silver medalist for the 4th International Contemporary Dance Competition in Seoul, Korea. In addition to commissions for Ailey II and The Ailey School, he has also set works on other dance companies, universities. and high schools throughout the U.S.