Entertainment
Scene calendar: Local theater, holiday music and the return of the Flying Pig Parade
THIS WEEK
‘Farndale Avenue … Christmas Carol’
Just in time for the holiday season, High Springs Playhouse will present “Farndale Avenue … Christmas Carol,” a rendition of the classic Christmas tale by Charles Dickens. Tickets are $17 for adults, and $15 for seniors and students. The High Springs Playhouse is located at 23416 W. U.S. 27 in High Springs. Catch a show at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20-21; and 2 p.m. Dec. 22. For more information, visit highspringsplayhouse.com.
‘The Nutcracker’
Thousands of people across the Southeastern United States will be transported to the Kingdom of Sweets with Dance Alive National Ballet’s adaptation of “The Nutcracker.” Presented by PNC Foundation, Dance Alive’s “Nutcracker” will be performed 21 times this holiday season. The company started off the season with two performances at Legacy Park Multicultural Center in Alachua before traveling to South Carolina, The Village, Belle Glade and Ocala. Composed by P.I. Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Dance Alive National Ballet Artistic Director Kim Tuttle, Dance Alive’s adaptation features set design by Denis Mauldin and costumes by Soili Arvola, Chris Takashima and Rebecca Flake. In addition to the professional dancers, “The Nutcracker” showcases dance students from Gainesville and surrounding areas. The ballet follows the story of Clara, a girl who saves the Nutcracker prince. To thank her, he brings her on a magical journey to the Kingdom of Sweets, where the exquisite Sugar Plum Fairy puts on a regal show for her. Purchase tickets for “The Nutcracker” in Gainesville in person at the Phillips Center box office at 3201 Hull Road, by phone at 392-2787 or 800-905-2787, or online at performingarts.ufl.edu/events/the-nutcracker-6. See a local performance at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20-21 and 2 p.m. Dec. 21-22 at the Phillips Center, located at 3201 Hull Road. Tickets are $30 to $60. For more information, visit performingarts.ufl.edu.
Voices Rising Community Chorus Holiday Concert
Voices Rising Community Chorus will present two performances of their Holiday Concert, featuring music for Christmas, Hanukkah and Winter Solstice, at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 and 3 p.m. Dec. 21 at First United Methodist Church, located at 419 NE First St. The suggested donation is $10 to $20. For more information, visit vrccgainesville.org.
‘A Christmas Carol’
From “Bah, Humbug” to dashing through the snow in Florida, join the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption through music, dancing and haunting storytelling. The annual presentation of “A Christmas Carol” has been adapted by Niall McGinty from Charles Dickens. Tickets run $20 to $50. Catch a show at 1 p.m. Dec. 21 and Dec. 23; 2 p.m. Dec. 20, 4 p.m. Dec. 21 and Dec. 23; and 7 p.m. Dec. 22. The Hippodrome Theatre is located at 25 SE Second Place. For more information, visit thehipp.org/a-christmas-carol-2024.
Class with Clara
Presented by Dance Alive National Ballet, join the charming Clara, heroine of the “Nutcracker” ballet, for a princess-style ballet class onstage in the Kingdom of the Sweets. Training is not required. Street shoes are acceptable, but you can dance in your socks or ballet shoes. Company dancers will be available to help children as well, so they will have the most possible attention given. Special gifts will be handed out following the class. All ages as long as they want to dance. Take part at 4 p.m. Dec. 21-22 at the Phillips Center, located at 3201 Hull Road. Tickets are $25 for participating children and free for their parents to watch. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit performingarts.ufl.edu.
High Springs Art Walk
The seasonal Art Walk events return to historic downtown High Springs from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 21 featuring 20 to 25 local artists and makers situated on the sidewalks of downtown. Downtown High Springs also offers many eclectic restaurants and shops showcasing High Springs’ walkable small-town hospitality they have become famous for. This seasonal event is an opportunity for local artisans and artists to demonstrate and display their talents and offer their works for sale in front of storefronts throughout the downtown area. Participating merchants will offer specials and sales during the event. Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies, located in the center of the Art Walk, will feature a free art demonstration with local potterer Diane Hornby with Green Lizard Pottery from 1 to 3 p.m. The gallery also will offer free “Saturday” door prizes for patrons throughout the day. This is the last Art Walk for the 2024 season. The event will resume on March 15. For more information, call Unique Notions at 318-5719 or Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies at 474-1049.
ONGOING
Sylvia Zerbini’s ‘Liberte’
Equestrian trainer and performing artist Sylvia Zerbiniis bringing her production, “Liberte,” back to her Liberte ́ Equestrian Theater in Williston now through April 2025. The former star and lead trainer of “Cavalia” has performed across the globe for millions of fans. Zerbini’s multidimensional equestrian voyage features more than a dozen horses and world-class equestrian theatrical performers. Blending awe-inspiring horsemanship with imaginative stagecraft, intricate choreography, high-flying aerial stunts, and multi-talented live musicians, this horse lover’s extravaganza expands the definition of equestrian performance into a theatrical experience. Weekly performances will be held every Saturday and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. with both general seating, and VIP upgraded options that include food, beverages and a backstage tour. Located at the Grande Liberté Farms at 18550 NE 81st St. in Williston, the Liberte ́ Equestrian Theater offers an indoor theatrical experience. Tickets start at $35 and are available through SylviaZerbini.com or ordered directly on EventBrite.com.
COMING SOON
The Flying Pig Parade
Organizers say the inaugural Flying Pig Parade was a huge success when it marched through downtown Gainesville last December. Two-thousand attendees were able to see giant puppets, off-beat bands and a dozen dancing dinosaurs. The colorful procession will strut again beginning at 2 p.m. Dec. 28. “The Pig” has much in common with the immensely popular King Mango Strut parade in Coconut Grove. More than 50 groups marched last year. Sixty are expected for Pig Part Two. Early entries include Sgt. Pepper’s Heart Throb Band, Pigs in a Blanket and The Florida State Park Whistle Blowers Brigade. The procession will begin on Southeast First Street and will march south to the Hippodrome Theater. It will then take a few turns, and end up back at the plaza. Like last year, organizers say they will celebrate Bo Diddley’s birthday (Dec. 30) in Bo Diddley Plaza after the parade. That will kick off at 3 p.m. with cake, live music and more.
‘Human Trafficking: Finding Freedom’
First Presbyterian Church is presenting its series titled “Concert for a Cause.” For the next concert in the series — “Human Trafficking: Finding Freedom,” set for 4 p.m. Jan. 12 — music director Mitch Rorick pulled together Dance Alive National Ballet and Anew, along with Brazilian choreographer Cristina Helena. Helena is highly regarded by the government of Brazil as well as the world’s dance community. A representative to UNESCO, Helena has seen sexual trafficking in both Brazil and Africa. Join Dance Alive National Ballet, Anew, and First Presbyterian Church Festival Chorus and instrumentalists for a concert highlighting the struggle, freedom finding, and the journey to restoration for those impacted by human trafficking. The reality of sex trafficking: Florida ranks No. 3 for reported sex trafficking in the United States. In addition to music and dance, Anew, an organization committed to reaching and restoring lives impacted by sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, will help tell the story. There is no charge for this program, but donations to Anew are welcomed. First Presbyterian Church is located at 106 SW Third Ave. For more information, visit anewflorida.com.
Pink Martini
A crowd favorite, Pink Martini will return to Gainesville to celebrate their 30th anniversary on a tour that promises to be packed with stylish fun. Drawing inspiration from all over the world — crossing genres from big band American jazz to old-fashioned French pop — the group tours the globe with their multilingual repertoire on a diplomatic mission to share a good time. The show also will feature China Forbes. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15, 2025, at the Phillips Center, located at 3201 Hull Road. Tickets are $40 to $60, and $12 for University of Florida students. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit performingarts.ufl.edu.
Pacifica Quartet
The Pacifica Quartet has established itself as one of the finest chamber ensembles to hit the stage. With their powerful energy and captivating sound, it is no wonder that this quartet has a career that spans nearly three decades and multiple Grammy Awards. Choose one performance or indulge in both distinct programs for an extraordinary experience of musical virtuosity at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17, 2025; and 2 p.m. Jan. 18, 2025, at the Squitieri Studio Theatre at the Phillips Center, located at 3201 Hull Road. Tickets are $40 and $12 for University of Florida students. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit performingarts.ufl.edu.
Cirque Kalabanté
Cirque Kalabanté features gravity-defying acrobatics and jaw-dropping displays of contortion and strength. Inspired by daily life in Guinea, this performance is designed to share the beauty, youth and artistry of West African culture. Founded by Guinean-born Cirque du Soleil veteran Yamoussa Bongoura, Kalabanté means “ambitious child with exceptional courage” in West African Sousou. Cirque Kalabanté lives up to its name, showcasing explosive drumming and dance, and extraordinary feats of daring for adults and kids alike. Catch a show at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21, 2025, at the Phillips Center, located at 3201 Hull Road. Tickets run $25 to $45, and $12 for University of Florida students. For more information — including other upcoming performances at the Phillips Center — visit performingarts.ufl.edu.
‘What Remains: A Story of Alzheimer’s’
Dance Alive is set to present a new program, The Ballet Process. Choreographer Tales Ribeiro and dancers will include attendees on the journey as he creates a new work – “What Remains: A Story of Alzheimer’s” With “What Remains: A Story of Alzheimer’s,” what we love becomes eternal in our memory — but what happens when our memory is gone? When who we used to be also is gone? This is one story in which a fragment of memory, a moment of love, a treasure in time, is still there. Each “What Remains” experience includes a talk-back and refreshments. Ribeiro, recently promoted to principal dancer and company choreographer for Dance Alive National Ballet, is a recent member of International Dance Council CID, the official worldwide organization of all forms of dance. Among other benefits, he is able to offer International Certification to his students and nominate other persons for CID membership. Take part at 1 p.m. Jan. 24 at Pofahl Studios, located at 1325 NW Second St. For more information, call 371-2986 or email info@ dancealive.org.
Take 6, Nnenna Freelon and Clint Holmes
A supergroup forms for the brand-new show, “Withers to Wonder,” where famed multi-Grammy Award-winners Take 6 join forces with illustrious jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon and Vegas crooner Clint Holmes to celebrate the music of icons Bill Withers and Stevie Wonder. See the performance at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24, 2025, at the Phillips Center, located at 3201 Hull Road. Tickets run $35 to $55, and $12 for University of Florida students. For more information, visit performingarts.ufl.edu.
Geneva Lewis
Hailed as “clearly one to watch” by Musical America, violinist Geneva Lewis is at the forefront of a new generation of performers carrying forward the classical canon with remarkable mastery. She has the power to dominate the music, yet handles it with elegance. Lewis is the recipient of a 2022 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant, and Grand Prize winner of the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Competition. She will perform at 2 p.m. Jan. 26, 2025, at the Squitieri Studio Theatre at the Phillips Center, located at 3201 Hull Road. Tickets are $35 and $12 for University of Florida students. To purchase tickets online, visit performingarts.ufl.edu.
Stella Cole
Let this performance transport you to a 1940s jazz club with moody lighting, and the sounds of soft chatter and clinking glasses that fade away as a star takes the stage. Raised on old movies and classic singers, Stella Cole captivates audiences with her soothing renditions of tunes from the Great American Songbook, and a remarkably mature voice reminiscent of Judy Garland. UpStage is an intimate, cabaret-style setting on the Phillips Center Mainstage. The 7 p.m. seating includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar; the 9 p.m. seating includes desserts and cash bar. See the show at 7 and 9 p.m. Jan 31, 2025, UpStage at the Phillips Center, located at 3201 Hull Road. Tickets are $55 for the 7 p.m. seating, $35 for the 9 p.m. seating, and $12 for University of Florida students. Visit performingarts.ufl.edu for more information.
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