March 19
What happens when a young Jewish musician falls in love with a Miami witch? In the musical-comedy Nightsong, both families disapprove of the match and try to break up the couple. Imagine Jerry Seinfeld's meddling sitcom-parents battling Endora, the mother from Bewitched, and you get the idea. Hilarity supposedly ensues, as do songs with titles like "Sadie's Seder" and "There's a Place in Miami." The book was written by actress-turned-writer D'Jamin Bartlett of Hollywood, a New York City transplant who performed in Broadway tours of Lend Me a Tenor and A Little Night Music. Her collaborator and husband, Mark Bornfield, is a professional pianist and vocalist. While Nightsong is his first foray into writing music and lyrics for theater, he had some help. Academy Award nominee George Barrie (A Touch of Class) cowrote three of the show's sixteen songs. The opening performance begins tonight at 8 p.m. at the Hollywood Boulevard Theatre, 1938 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Nightsong runs through April 12, with shows Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $18. Call 954-926-7979.
Friday
March 20
At Brown Bag in the City, the new lunchtime concert program in West Palm Beach, diners with their brown-bag or take-out lunches will munch to live music performed by a different band each week. They'll also get out of the office to enjoy a beautiful outdoor setting downtown near the fountain in Centennial Square. The free series begins today with the Calypso and reggae of local group Ellis Island and continues every Friday through April 24. Upcoming concerts will feature rock, pop, jazz, big band, Brazilian, and R&B music. Bands play from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., so pick a musical style and take a long lunch. Centennial Square is at the east end of Clematis Street in front of the library. Call 561-659-8007.
Saturday
March 21
A thirteen-year-old boy dreams that he's an eagle soaring through the sky. Suddenly he swoops down and poops on his best friend's head. A Jungian would probably say this: "Feeling inferior to his more extroverted friend, the boy takes a dump on him to get even. He is a bird in the dream because he yearns to be more outgoing." Jungian dream interpretation is examined in The Way of the Dream, a series of twenty half-hour films and accompanying discussions. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (18751961), who believed that dreams provide clues to our waking lives, devised a system for decoding the bizarre scenes and images in dreams. In the films, people (including eagle boy) talk on camera about their dreams, then Jungian expert Marie-Louise von Franz pops onto the screen with her interpretations. The movies will be screened during a twoday seminar at Lynn University, 3601 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton. The first installment happens today from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the second on April 18. Cost is $150 for both days ($90 for students) or $75 per day. Call 954-527-5667.
Sunday
March 22
Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales have always kept kids entertained while teaching them valuable lessons. As complex as the world is these days, that dual approach is just what the folks at Eckerd Theater Company of Clearwater have in mind with their stage adaptation of The Princess and the Pea. Gertrude, a pea-factory worker, gets hit on the head by a can of peas and slips into a dream about the kingdom of Peabody. The king and queen are holding a contest to find a princess for their son, and when Gertie makes it to the finals, she has to sleep on a stack of eighteen mattresses. Beneath the bottom mattress is a pea. Her sensitivity is proven when the pea disturbs her sleep. While its elaborate costumes and sets keep kids enthralled, the play addresses issues of inner beauty, self-worth, honesty, and love. Curtain is today at 2 p.m. at Bailey Concert Hall at Broward Community College, 3501 SW Davie Rd., Davie. Tickets cost $6. Call 954-475-6884.
Monday
March 23
More often than not, the Academy Awards ceremony plays like a popularity contest. Realizing that, why not just vote on the nominees you think will be picked for the Oscar and win some prizes? At The Fort Lauderdale Film Festival Academy Awards Party at Cinema Cafe (1455 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale), five dollars buys a ballot for the "Pick the Winners" contest, which puts players in line for door prizes. But that's just part of the fun. The party will take place in the cafe's two theaters, which are equipped with large tables and cushy swivel chairs. The Barbara Walters Oscar Special will be projected onto the big screens at 8 p.m., and live coverage of the awards ceremony will begin at 9 p.m. One theater will feature a cash bar for partiers, and the other will be for more serious awards watchers. But mingling between theaters is encouraged. A buffet, included in the admission price, is available from 7 to 8:30 p.m. So get there early for a cocktail, cast your ballot, and bitch about the poor Oscar choices with other film lovers. Admission is $5 to $10. Call 954-563-0500 for reservations.
Tuesday
March 24
The Scottish army probably didn't pull off many sneak attacks, what with all of the bagpipes blaring. But somehow the world's most famous bagpipe band, The Black Watch, survived. The pipe players are still on active military duty as part of the elite Scots Guards unit, but these days the Watch is taking it easy on a concert tour. The 50-member band's rousing pipe and band tunes, including "Scotland the Brave" and "Highland Laddie," will have even non-Scots feeling patriotic about plaid. The show takes place tonight at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Ticket prices range from $20 to $40. Call 800-572-8471 or 561-832-7469.
Wednesday
March 25
The New Beetle, as Volkswagen is calling its revamped Bug, retains vestiges of the old model with its bulbous fenders and single, round instrument-gauge on the dash. But that's where the similarities end. The car's sleek, low-slung body looks more like a Porsche than a Bug, and the '90s version is powered by a 2.0-litre, fuel-injected engine under the hood. (The old Bug, you may remember, had just 1600 cc's pushing from behind.) Starting price for the base model is $15,700. With sunroof, leather interior, and all of the other options, the price jumps to just below $20,000. The updated Bug will be on display at the Fort Lauderdale International Auto Show today through March 29, along with the latest offerings from every other major automobile manufacturer. The show takes place at the Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Hours are today and Thursday, March 26, from 2 to 10 p.m., Friday, March 27, from 2 to 11 p.m., Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, March 29, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $2 to $6. Call 954-765-5900.
