august 15
Dawn to Dusk: Director Larry Miller and choreographer Grace Campbell present France Luce Benson's play about affirmation through culture and knowledge, Dawn to Dusk. The protagonist Aduska explores her personal history, as well as the history of her African and American ancestors, in order to improve her life. Dawn to Dusk opens tonight and runs through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the New World School of the Arts's Louise O. Gerrits Theater (25 NE Second Ave., rm. 5807). Tickets cost five dollars. Call 372-9833. (GC)
History of the Future: The Louis Wolfson II Media History Center continues its ongoing "Video Rewind" series with a number of archival television programs from the Fifties to the Eighties that highlight predictions of the future for Florida and the world. Today's program features the 1960 documentary about downtown Miami's development, The Crying City. Also scheduled are The Day Miami Died, a 1961 Cold War-inspired news show that explores what would happen if the city were invaded by communists, and 1961's The Lunar Boom, about Florida's role in the space race. Future presentations look at the city's population explosion, the growth of its highways and airport, and changes in local education, among other topics. Admission is free. Screenings take place at 1:00 every Thursday and Tuesday at the Main Library Auditorium (101 W. Flagler St.). Call 375-1505. (GC)
friday
august 16
Spring Heeled Jack: Connecticut-based skasters Spring Heeled Jack boast a stick-to-your brain, high-energy, ska-core sound that bounces around somewhere between the original ska bands of the Sixties and contemporaries the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Fast-paced, punk-influenced rhythms meet juicy melodies, humorous lyrics, and strange sound bites, all of which can be heard on their debut disc Static World View (on Moon Ska Records). Spring Heeled Jack skanks about tonight at 8:00 at the Edge (200 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale), with Tallahassee band Baccone Dolce performing on the patio stage. Tickets cost six dollars. Call 954-525-9333. (GC)
Yo Creo en Dios: Cuban-born artist Oroc creates a dialogue about religious iconography, spirituality, and intolerance, and also voices his response to the religious right's views on the issues of religion, family values, AIDS, and art, in a series of vivid, politically charged paintings currently on view at the South Florida Art Center's Art 800 gallery (800 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach). Juxtaposing traditional Christian symbols with contemporary images such as condoms, playing cards, dolls, and dollars, Oroc celebrates faith while protesting prejudice and drawing parallels between the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the AIDS crisis. Admission is free. Gallery hours are 6:00 to 9:00 from Thursday through Saturday. The exhibition, "Yo Creo en Dios (I Still Believe)," is on view through September 7. Call 674-8278. (GC)
saturday
august 17
Israel Vibration: Since the mid-Seventies, this Jamaican trio has waxed some of the most gorgeous, moving, and tight-knit harmony records in the reggae canon, from 1976's "The Same Song" to last year's brilliant longplayer On the Rock. The intimate vocal work of Cecil Spence, Albert Craig, and Lascelle Bulgin may stem in part from coping with the disease that unites them: The trio met as children at a polio rehab center and matured into a musical unit devoted to the teachings and preachings of Haile Selassie. The group is performing tonight, the birthday of the late Jamaican leader Marcus Garvey, at Rezurrection Hall at Club Nu (245 22nd St, Miami Beach). Opening acts include Selector Daps and Miami's X-High and the Higher Vibes. Doors open at 8:00 and tickets are $18. Call 247-1105. (JF)
Pets in the Park: Find the cute, cuddly, furry little pal you've been looking for at Peacock Park (2820 McFarlane Rd., Coconut Grove) as Metro-Dade Animal Care and Control hosts the second annual Pets in the Park event. Today from 10:00 to 6:00, more than twenty animal and pet groups will be on hand with exhibitions, information, demonstrations, and games for current or prospective pet owners. You can bring your four-legged friends for free rabies shots and Frisbee frolics; those looking for a pet can adopt one of the many homeless pets on the spot. Admission is free. Call 884-1101. (GC)
Coffees of the Globe: Wine tastings and cigar smokes may be all the rage, but those who thrive on the vice of caffeine can get their fix at this free coffee tasting tonight from 8:00 to midnight at Java Centrale (2334 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables). The European-style gourmet coffee bar will offer a variety of coffees made from arabica beans grown worldwide; some selections include Sulawesi Toraja (a light roast from Asia's Toraja region), Kona Extra Fancy (a rich roast from Hawaii's Kona Mountains), and a light roast from Ethiopia's Harrar region. And the atmosphere is bound to be much more aromatic than at a cigar smoke. Call 569-3083. (GC)
Coast for Kids Show: Coast (WFLC-FM 97.3) hosts its third convention for kids and parents today and tomorrow at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center (1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale). This interactive show features a "safe streets" driving course, a bicycle safety rodeo, a mini DJ booth, a baby diaper derby and expo, a roller hockey arena, free kid photo IDs, inflatable bounce houses, and hundreds of information booths and displays. And everyone who attends gets a free Marlins game ticket (good for August 23, 24, or 25). Admission is five dollars for adults, one dollar for kids (all proceeds benefit the Children's Home Society). The show runs today from 10:00 to 5:00 and tomorrow from 11:00 to 5:00. Call 954-522-9808. (GC)
Ugetsu/Throne of Blood: Cinema Vortex looks at the best of vintage Japanese cinema this weekend with two presentations. Ugetsu (1953), which screens today at noon at the Alliance Cinema (927 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach), is a mysterious, haunting drama that centers around two friends who go separate ways to seek their fortunes in sixteenth-century Japan. Throne of Blood -- Akira Kurosawa's 1957 masterful adaption of Macbeth, starring Toshiro Mifune -- is so steeped in Japanese feudal culture that it bears little resemblance to its story source. The film screens tomorrow at noon at the Alliance. (Both films are in Japanese with English subtitles). Admission to each film is four dollars. Call 531-8504. (GC)
sunday
august 18
Premios Rock Latino: Over the past couple of years, Miami has become a regular stop for rock groups from Latin America touring the U.S. At the same time, more local bands are singing in Spanish. In spite of this rock en espanol trend, you still might be wondering what exactly is rock Latino? Get the big picture today at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater (301 Biscayne Blvd.), where more than 30 bands will play at the Premios Rock Latino Festival, all of them competing for the title of "King of Rock Latino Miami '96." Among those taking the stage from noon to 10:00: Argentines Enanitos Verdes and Miguel Mateos, Victimas del Doctor Cerebro from Mexico, Puerto Ricans Nueve Vidas, Brazilians Wander Taffo, and Arranca (from, of all places, Ohio). Or come and root for the home team: Miami bands Pepe Alva y Alma Raymi, Orgasmic Bliss, El Duende, Estacion Local, Rockmantika, and others. Dade County Commissioner and major Latin rock aficionado (we're sure) el senor Bruce Kaplan will hand out awards and proclaim today Official Rock Latino Day. APadrisimo! Tickets are $15. For more information, call 264-2641. (JC)
KC & the Sunshine Band Tribute: The Beast and Baker continue their barrage of live local rock known as the second annual Miami Rock Festival tonight at Churchill's Hideaway (5501 NE Second Ave.) with a tribute to one of the artists that helped put Miami on the musical map. Members of the Goods, I Don't Know, Crease, and several other bands will re-create the heyday of polyester and platforms as they salute famed Hialeah boy Harry Wayne Casey and his illustrious Sunshine Band. So come do a little dance, make a little love, shake your booty, that's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh... Oh, yeah, showtime is 9:00. The Rock Festival continues through September 2. Admission varies each night from no cover to about three dollars. Call 757-1807. (LM)
D Generation: Over the past five years, glam-rock band D Generation has become just about the biggest band in New York. Hailed as this generation's New York Dolls (but don't tell it to lead singer Jesse Malin -- the comparison makes him spit), the band pumps out fast, furious, and hedonistic rock and roll that draws from punk, glam, and pop-metal. This mix can be heard on their major-label debut album No Lunch (produced by former Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, on Columbia Records). But to really experience D Gen, you gotta see them live, working themselves into a theatrical frenzy they've been perfecting since the individual members formed bands in their early teens. D Generation takes the stage tonight at Respectable Street Cafe (518 Clematis St., West Palm Beach) with openers Faye Wray. Admission is eight dollars. Doors to this eighteen-and-over show open at 8:00. Call 407-832-9999. (GC)
monday
august 19
Dead Can Dance: Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, the Australian duo known as Dead Can Dance, return with another foray into the tribal-Gothic genre they originated, their first since 1993's hit album Into the Labyrinth. Organic sound sources from across the globe, mainly South America, provide the inspiration for this latest disc, Spiritchaser, a collection of spare arrangements combining haunting spoken-word and chanted vocals with lone guitars, jungle drums, and sampled percussion instruments. Dead Can Dance makes its South Florida debut tonight at 7:30 at the Gusman Theater for the Performing Arts (174 E. Flagler St.). Tickets cost $22.75. Call 372-0925. (GC)
Paula Sharp: Family life -- particularly the preservation of strong family bonds -- is often the focus of Paula Sharp's work, from her debut novel The Woman Who Was Not All There to The Imposter and Lost in Jersey City. Her latest book, Crows Over a Wheatfield, explores the ways in which domestic violence shapes women's lives; her protagonist, a judge who is the daughter of an abusive father, must examine her life when she meets an activist working on behalf of women trapped in destructive relationships. The novel also conveys Columbia Law School graduate Sharp's own insights into the legal system. Tonight at 8:00 at Books & Books (296 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables), Sharp reads from and discusses Crows. Admission is free. Call 442-4408. (GC)
tuesday
august 20
Tami McIntyre: Author Tami McIntyre was born Tamara Rublev to Russian parents living in Tiensin, China, in 1921. When the Japanese invaded Beijing in 1937, her parents were suspected of being communist sympathizers and arrested; Tamara and her brother Ivan were placed under house arrest. After a few months, the family was deported, and her father accepted a post at Harvard, thus beginning yet another adventure for the Rublev family. Tonight at 8:00 at Books & Books (296 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables), McIntyre discusses her autobiography, Wait for Me: The Americanization of Tamara. Admission is free. Call 442-4408. (GC)
wednesday
august 21
Awakenings: Four Miami-Dade Community College students from diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds have united their talents to "open the eyes of a world gone blind" at the South Florida Art Center's Ground Level (1035 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach). "Awakenings" features paintings, photography, drawings, and mixed-media installation works by Carol Kruize, Thier Peraza, Rossana Pinero Weksler, and Elvis Santana, which broach subjects such as the plight of the children of Chernobyl and Ethiopia, being black in America, and the immigrant experience. The works are on view through August 24. Admission is free. Gallery hours are 1:00 to 8:00 from Tuesday through Friday. Call 534-3334.
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