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Best Group Art Exhibition

"Reality and Figuration: The Contemporary Latin American Presence"

As a rule, group exhibitions are a mixed bag, as likely to include misses as hits. The Boca Raton Museum of Art's "Reality and Figuration" was one of the rare exceptions. The show featured works by ten living artists, all but two in their 40s, representing half a dozen Latin American countries: three each from Cuba and Argentina, one each from Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay. Other than their ethnic origins, however, these artists have little in common except the idea of exile -- most have studied and worked abroad, and most are now expatriates. But their work, executed in dramatically different styles, touches on a variety of themes, and most amazingly, almost every piece in the show clicks. Credit Executive Director George S. Bolge, formerly of Fort Lauderdale's Museum of Art, who has taken the Boca museum to new heights during his tenure. This exhibition was one of them.

Best Self-Promoting Author

E. Robert Dunn

Known to his friends as Eston, this local sci-fi novelist is the queen of publicity. He somehow manages to get himself booked into every reading in town, then shoots off a press release before the hosting organization even jots the event in its calendar. Dunn founded ArtsUnited as a way to showcase local gay artists, including himself. If a book festival doesn't invite him to perform, he rents a booth. Dunn even found a way to put a positive spin on his rejected work: While his ideas for episodes of Space: 1999, Battlestar Galactica, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century were turned down, his press releases boast the show titles by saying he submitted story lines. At readings, he claims none of the shows were progressive enough to even consider them. His novel, Echelon's End, twists gender and sexual orientation on a series of planets where same-sex relationships are the norm and heterosexuality a necessary evil that exists only to propagate the species. His work seems to resonate with a lot of people. While he doesn't have his own personal Trekkies, he does have a loyal following that shows up at Borders, the Pride Factory, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center -- wherever Dunn has booked himself an event.

Best Self-Promoting Author

E. Robert Dunn

Known to his friends as Eston, this local sci-fi novelist is the queen of publicity. He somehow manages to get himself booked into every reading in town, then shoots off a press release before the hosting organization even jots the event in its calendar. Dunn founded ArtsUnited as a way to showcase local gay artists, including himself. If a book festival doesn't invite him to perform, he rents a booth. Dunn even found a way to put a positive spin on his rejected work: While his ideas for episodes of Space: 1999, Battlestar Galactica, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century were turned down, his press releases boast the show titles by saying he submitted story lines. At readings, he claims none of the shows were progressive enough to even consider them. His novel, Echelon's End, twists gender and sexual orientation on a series of planets where same-sex relationships are the norm and heterosexuality a necessary evil that exists only to propagate the species. His work seems to resonate with a lot of people. While he doesn't have his own personal Trekkies, he does have a loyal following that shows up at Borders, the Pride Factory, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center -- wherever Dunn has booked himself an event.

Best Dinner and a Movie

Carefree Theater and Gemini Cafe

It's rare to get a gourmet dinner in the same place you can catch a show, but the addition of Gemini Cafe inside the building that houses the Carefree Theater in West Palm Beach provides a one-stop spot for dinner and a movie. The Carefree, Palm Beach County's only moviehouse dedicated to foreign and alternative films, is a well-suited match for Gemini, which moved into an adjoining spot in the building that houses the theater. Gemini's menu, which changes every week, is as different as the movies playing next door. A recent menu ranged from the $22 New York strip glazed with balsamic vinegar and gorgonzola to the vegetarian black bean flautas covered in three sauces, for $8. Since its opening earlier this year, Gemini has already received a rave review from the Palm Beach Post and a mention as a hot spot in none other than the New York Times. Be sure to get comfy at the eclectic Gemini before spending a couple of hours on the hard, old-school seats inside the Carefree.

Best Dinner and a Movie

Carefree Theater and Gemini Cafe

It's rare to get a gourmet dinner in the same place you can catch a show, but the addition of Gemini Cafe inside the building that houses the Carefree Theater in West Palm Beach provides a one-stop spot for dinner and a movie. The Carefree, Palm Beach County's only moviehouse dedicated to foreign and alternative films, is a well-suited match for Gemini, which moved into an adjoining spot in the building that houses the theater. Gemini's menu, which changes every week, is as different as the movies playing next door. A recent menu ranged from the $22 New York strip glazed with balsamic vinegar and gorgonzola to the vegetarian black bean flautas covered in three sauces, for $8. Since its opening earlier this year, Gemini has already received a rave review from the Palm Beach Post and a mention as a hot spot in none other than the New York Times. Be sure to get comfy at the eclectic Gemini before spending a couple of hours on the hard, old-school seats inside the Carefree.

Best Movie Theater

Premier Theaters Bistro & Bar at Muvico Palace 20

A meal and a movie -- how much more basic can you get? That's what distinguishes the Premier, which brings these two quintessential American experiences together for maximum convenience and enjoyment. Granted, it'll cost you more -- admission is $13 before 4 p.m., $17 thereafter -- but you'll definitely feel pampered. First, there's no scouring the parking lot for a good space. Just pull up to the entrance and a valet will take it from there. Once inside, you can select your seats, if you haven't already called to do so in advance. Then, when you step off the gleaming escalator that takes you up one level, you can wonder, like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, if you've taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. This is no ordinary theater lobby -- it's a full-service restaurant and bar. At a concierge-like counter, there's someone to help you work out the logistics: lunch or dinner before or after the movie? Either way, you'll be able to choose from Chef Adam Lamb's extensive menu. On your way into the theater area, you can pick up your complimentary popcorn (including refills) at a concession stand that offers a few out-of-the-ordinary items such as beer, wine, champagne, pizza, and sushi. Then an usher will take you to your plush, oversize seat (or a loveseat, if you like) in one of six small balcony auditoriums that give you a view far superior to what the riffraff below have. After all this pampering, the state-of-the-art sound and projection will seem almost anticlimactic. And if you've suffered through one too many movies with screaming kids in the audience, a Premier bonus is that it caters to ages 21 and older.

Best Movie Theater

A meal and a movie -- how much more basic can you get? That's what distinguishes the Premier, which brings these two quintessential American experiences together for maximum convenience and enjoyment. Granted, it'll cost you more -- admission is $13 before 4 p.m., $17 thereafter -- but you'll definitely feel pampered. First, there's no scouring the parking lot for a good space. Just pull up to the entrance and a valet will take it from there. Once inside, you can select your seats, if you haven't already called to do so in advance. Then, when you step off the gleaming escalator that takes you up one level, you can wonder, like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, if you've taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. This is no ordinary theater lobby -- it's a full-service restaurant and bar. At a concierge-like counter, there's someone to help you work out the logistics: lunch or dinner before or after the movie? Either way, you'll be able to choose from Chef Adam Lamb's extensive menu. On your way into the theater area, you can pick up your complimentary popcorn (including refills) at a concession stand that offers a few out-of-the-ordinary items such as beer, wine, champagne, pizza, and sushi. Then an usher will take you to your plush, oversize seat (or a loveseat, if you like) in one of six small balcony auditoriums that give you a view far superior to what the riffraff below have. After all this pampering, the state-of-the-art sound and projection will seem almost anticlimactic. And if you've suffered through one too many movies with screaming kids in the audience, a Premier bonus is that it caters to ages 21 and older.

Best Theater for Plays

Florida Stage

Artistic Director Louis Tyrrell's company takes the prize for the third year in a row for its admirable, well-produced, well-acted shows and its commitment to developing new writing talent. This season has yet to deliver a huge smash, but the lineup of plays -- The Last Schwartz, Bach at Leipzig, The Cavalcaders, Constant Star, and the upcoming The Last Five Years -- is a good indicator of what Florida Stage is all about: top-quality, literate, thought-provoking entertainment. The Stage also gets a round of applause for its array of supporting programs: New Voices, which presents new scripts from nationally significant writers in workshop readings; Young Voices, which presents the works of high school-aged writers; the Learning Stage, an admirable community outreach program; and Stages, the company's excellent in-house publication, which offers in-depth writer profiles and essays.

Best Theater for Plays

Florida Stage

Artistic Director Louis Tyrrell's company takes the prize for the third year in a row for its admirable, well-produced, well-acted shows and its commitment to developing new writing talent. This season has yet to deliver a huge smash, but the lineup of plays -- The Last Schwartz, Bach at Leipzig, The Cavalcaders, Constant Star, and the upcoming The Last Five Years -- is a good indicator of what Florida Stage is all about: top-quality, literate, thought-provoking entertainment. The Stage also gets a round of applause for its array of supporting programs: New Voices, which presents new scripts from nationally significant writers in workshop readings; Young Voices, which presents the works of high school-aged writers; the Learning Stage, an admirable community outreach program; and Stages, the company's excellent in-house publication, which offers in-depth writer profiles and essays.

Best Production of a Play

The Lion King

No doubt about it, the hands-down winner this year was the touring production of the long-running, groundbreaking Broadway musical hit, featuring director Julie Taymor's stunning visual imagination. Using a blend of lithe, live actors, huge carnival-like puppets, and an array of exotic theatrical traditions, Taymor took the popular Disney animated movie story and did it one better, reinventing it as spectacular, unforgettable theater. The Lion King blended traditional American musical elements with classic literature (the story of the dispossessed lion cub is a reworking of Hamlet) together with a joyful celebration of African culture. The show was also a happy merger of art and commerce, and the Broward Center was packed to the gills throughout the show's sold-out run.

Best Of Broward-Palm Beach®

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