The Best Things to Do in Broward and Palm Beach This Weekend

Friday
How does one fight war without weapons? Ask the villagers of Nafune, Japan. Centuries ago in medieval Japan, villagers were about to be attacked by samurai warlord Uesugi Kenshin and his army. The townspeople had no weapons; instead, they beat gojinjo-daiko — a drum played by several people banging hard and fast — and wore ferocious-looking devil masks draped with seaweed in an attempt to scare their invaders. The low drone of the drums produced a sound that resembled the rumbling of the Earth, and the army retreated. Today the village of Nafune is the only place to find authentic gojinjo-daiko, but the style was adapted by the South Florida-based group Fushu Daiko into a performance that includes musical elements such as jazz and blues. Fushu Daiko will perform at 8 p.m. Friday at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center (3385 NE 188th St., Aventura). Tickets cost $35 each. Call 305-466-8002 or visit aventuracenter.org.

As we all work through postelection stress, it’s the artist who has the most potential to help interpret and express what the rest of us can fail to capture on our own. In surrealist artist Jacques de Beaufort’s performance piece this Friday, we can experience his interpretation as he presents Macroagression in Red and Blue. De Beaufort says, “The project is a meditation on and visualization of political and cultural tribal identities and the interpsychic violence that accompanies the democratic process.” In his work, participants will disrobe and then be covered in red or blue body paint before interacting with gallery guests. It’s a piece displayed in conjunction with a ten-year retrospective of de Beaufort’s work at the gallery that includes several paintings and film. De Beaufort says we've never lived in a more politically polarized time, and if we are going to do something to address this, it's the job of artists first to actualize and make concrete this abstract condition. It’s also a job that he hasn’t taken lightly over the past decade. “It's been a wild ride as an artist... More than anything, I'm amazed I'm still standing and fighting.” Friday’s free event runs from 8:30 to 11 p.m. at the Box Gallery (811 Belvedere Rd., West Palm Beach). Call 786-521-1199.


Saturday
In 2003, Canadian musician Craig Martin began an ambitious concert series in Toronto that has since blossomed and spread across North America. Classic Albums Live (CAL) is precisely what it sounds like — a collective of rotating musicians performing some of rock 'n' roll’s most iconic records. The group’s motto is simple and straightforward: “Note for note. Cut for cut.” In other words, no reimaginings or personalized interpretations. CAL plays the songs the way they were meant to be heard, going as far as re-creating specific sounds and hiring choirs and orchestras when necessary, all to remain faithful to the original work. This Saturday, Martin and his band of loyalists will head to Fort Lauderdale to perform an album that’s surely been on many playlists this year, Prince's Purple Rain. Released in 1984, Purple Rain was not only Prince’s great leap forward as an international superstar, but it was also an innovative and truly influential album that forever changed rock music. Equal parts dance, funk, psychedelia, R&B, and soul, Purple Rain is, at the very least, worth a weekly spin. Additionally, it’s guaranteed that CAL will honor the late artist with a powerful and loving rendition of his greatest musical achievement. The performance begins at 8 p.m. Saturday at Parker Playhouse (707 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale). Tickets cost $28 to $38 via ticketmaster.com. Visit parkerplayhouse.com.

This weekend, you have a perfect opportunity to get out and have some fun for a great cause. The 21st Annual Florida Classic, sponsored by Ford, AT&T, BB&T, and Breakthru Beverage, has raised nearly $8 million for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and their amazing efforts continue this year with a weekend full of exciting activities. The Florida Classic is meant to raise funds for cutting-edge research and top-quality care for cystic fibrosis patients. The two-day event takes place Friday and Saturday and includes an amazing BeachBash party that will include an open bar, live music, and lots of hors d’oeuvres. Tickets to the event range from a general admission ticket all the way to sponsorships for those looking to donate and make a huge difference in the cause. Also taking place at the Classic will be a 65 Roses Gala, a Golf Tournament, and a Fishing Tournament. The Florida Classic is the largest fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s South Florida office. The BeachBash on Friday will take place at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The Golf Tournament will be held at the Fort Lauderdale Country Club, also on Friday, and the Fishing Tournament will be held on Saturday along with the 65 Roses Gala, which will take place at the Westin Fort Lauderdale. To purchase tickets to any of the Florida Classic events, receive additional information, or make a donation, please visit flclassic.org. You can also contact the South Florida Office of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at 954-739-5006.

Bobby Collins is a proud New Yorker who doesn't shy away from the NYC stereotype when mining material for his self-deprecating observations. Working the comedy circuit since 1980 with his heartfelt and relatable jokes, Collins is a Grammy nominee with six comedy CDs and three DVDs as well as numerous TV talk-show appearances and cable specials. His live act has seen him open for diverse entertainers including Cher, Frank Sinatra, Julio Iglesias, and Dolly Parton, among others. Collins can be a little foul-mouthed, but his curses pepper his speech in the way that gifted storytellers sneak things past you, then quickly move on to something else. It could be his idea of what a dog’s turds are like or what happens to his arms after any modicum of exercise; his stories are funny, and coming from a substitute-teacher-turned Calvin Klein VP, they’re grounded in reality. Bobby Collins’ You’re Not Coming With Us starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 19, at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188 St., Aventura. Tickets cost $39.50 to $44.50. Call 305-466-8002 or visit aventuracenter.org.

Sunday
Although still relatively young, Fabio Martino is an exciting and experienced pianist regarded as both technically and spiritually superior to most. The Brazilian virtuoso made his Miami debut in 2012 as part of the Miami International Piano Festival’s Discovery Series. Later this month he returns, this time as one of the festival’s headliners. The program includes pieces from Beethoven and Chopin as well as two of South America’s most important composers, Alberto Ginastera of Argentina and fellow Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos. Martino’s charm and passion onstage, along with his signature bowtie, have won him thousands in prizes, dozens upon dozens of first place finishes around the world, and rave reviews from classical music critics and fans alike. In fact, a German reviewer had this to say of his 2016 album, Passion: “He’s operating at the dramatic pulse of the music, concentrat[ing] the atmosphere with phenomenal emphasis... achieving the miracle of hearing even well-known works from a completely new perspective.” Without question, Fabio Martino is an exceptional talent and a brilliant, must-see concert. He performs Sunday at 5 p.m. at Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St., Aventura. Call 305-466-8002 or visit miamipianofest.com for more information. Tickets cost $35 via ticketmaster.com.