Drink in the incredible vitas of Bolivia in that country’s Oscar submission, enjoy a Belgian piano virtuoso, take in a play largely performed in Arabic, celebrate Broadway and Hollywood with the hits of Barbra Streisand, travel to 1920s Chicago and learn a comedic lesson from Eastern Europe as the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center transports you around the world this April.
The Aventura International Film Series continues with Utama, Bolivia’s Official Submission to the 95th Academy Awards, on Tuesday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. In the Bolivian highlands, an elderly Quechua couple has been living the same daily routine for years. When an uncommonly long drought threatens their entire way of life, they face the dilemma of resisting or being defeated by the passage of time. When their grandson arrives, the three of them will each face the environment, the necessity for change and the meaning of life itself. This visually jaw-dropping debut feature by photographer-turned-filmmaker Alejandro Loayza Grisi is lensed by award-winning cinematographer Barbara Alvarez and won the Grand Jury Prize (World Cinema Dramatic) at the Sundance Film Festival. Not rated, the film is presented in Quechua and Spanish with English subtitles. The Aventura International Film Series, presented by the City of Aventura, is hosted by Shelly Isaacs who introduces the film and leads a post-screening discussion. Screenings are general admission with the lobby doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the auditorium at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12.
Utama Film Still
Don Soffer Aventura High School Theater presents the darkly satirical Chicago the Musical, Teen Edition at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11 and Wednesday April 12. Set to the backdrop of Prohibition era Chicago, the show has its origins in high-profile crimes, criminals and trials of the 1920s. Poking fun at corruption in the criminal justice system and the idea of “celebrity/criminals,” the students of Don Soffer High School deliver a musical that is full of “Razzle Dazzle” and “All That Jazz.” Tickets are $15.
Chicago The Musical Teen Edition – Courtesy Aventura Ars & Cultural Center
South Florida Legends presents world-renowned touring tribute artist Sharon Owens and her band in The Best of Barbra, A Tribute on Saturday, April 15 at 8 p.m. This concert features all of Barbra Streisand’s hits amid beautiful backgrounds and stage props that make it visually astounding. Recreating Streisand’s sound and style for more than three decades, Owens began her career in Los Angeles where she began singing Streisand in dinner theaters and cabaret nightclubs. Her uncanny resemblance and vocal ability to sing Streisand started her career as a Legends in Concert performer. She then continued performing for Stars in Concert. Tickets are $49-$59.
Join the Don Soffer Aventura High School Jewish Student Union of South Florida in partnership with Southern NCSY and the City of Aventura for A Night of Remembrance on Tuesday, April 18 at 8 p.m. This special free event held during Yom HaShoah features a Holocaust Survivor and recalls the lives and experiences of Holocaust victims throughout Eastern Europe. This evening of education, history and remembrance concludes with a question and answer session with panelists exploring the past, present and ways to prevent this from happening again in the future. Reservations are required for this free event. Seating is general admission with the lobby doors opening at 7 p.m. and the auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
NIGHT OF REMBRANCE -Courtesy Aventura Arts & Cultural Center
Young audiences will feast on the fun adventure in Stone Soup on Sunday, April 23 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Featuring pre-show activities and adventures based on beloved children’s books that create lifelong memories make the Family Fun Series at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center the perfect introduction to the theater for young audiences. This modern musical adaptation of the Eastern European folk tale reinforces the importance of sharing in a truly amusing way. As a young boy embarks on a journey to find food, he encounters zany soldiers and villagers who jealously hoard and hide their food. Before it’s over, Stone Soup serves up memorable lessons about the power of sharing and the joy it brings to people’s lives. Tickets are $16 in advance and $18 the day of the performance with $3 lap tickets for children 12 months of age and younger.
Stone Soup – Courtesy of the Broward Center
NGM Entertainment presents My One & Only with Im Hussein & Ajyal Group on Saturday, April 29 at 8 p.m. Performed largely in Arabic, this comedy by Najee Mondalek and directed by Aziz Charabaty explores Hussein’s current situation which can be summed up as “when it rains, it pours.” Many problems came her way all at once. Divorce was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and her life has not been the same since. She still struggles to resume her normal life, but she comes up short as success continues to elude her. She resorts to enlisting the help of a psychologist, although members of her entourage make fun of her for wasting her time and money. This performance contains subject matter that is not appropriate for children under 12. Tickets are $150.
My One & Only – courtesy of Aventura Arts & Cultural Center
