BY: ZACH DENNIS
1) A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by the Miami City Ballet will be taking the Kravis Center stage for the first time on April 1 at 8 p.m. The performance is part of the company’s 30th anniversary season and will infuse the classic sensibilities of Shakespeare’s tale with new sets and costumes by artist Michele Oka Doner and direction by playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney. The show will also happen at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on April 2 and 1 p.m. on April 3 with tickets starting at $20. They can be purchased at the Kravis Center website.
2) The 2016 Palm Beach Book Festival will be taking over the Norton Museum of Art on April 1 and 2 with events kicking off at 10:15 a.m. on April 1 at Palm Beach Dramaworks with a talk on women’s fiction moderated by local author, Scott Eyman. Other featured authors include Jupiter’s own Burt Reynolds talking about his memoir, “But Enough About Me,” “Breakfast Club” star Molly Ringwald, film critic Owen Gleiberman, and Jodi Arias prosecutor Juan Martinez. For more information, and tickets, click here.
3) Princesses and Superheroes Day will be invading the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum in Boynton Beach on April 2 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. with appearances by some of the most famous pop culture figures of the past few decades. The event will include a day of family-friendly activities, games, arts and crafts, music, and face painting with a chance for children to meet local heroes such as firefighters and policemen. A performance by Princess Fiona from Shrek the Musical will also take place on the grounds. Tickets start at $3 and more information can be found here.
4) Brew at the Zoo will be asking visitors to sip on their favorite craft beer while enjoying the animals and amenities the Palm Beach Zoo has to offer. The event will feature beer from more than 25 breweries with the participating companies located within 50 miles of the Zoo. Tickets start at $35 and the event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with visitors getting a collectible sampling mug, lanyard to hold your mug while you eat, and live music from The Brews Brothers at the Fountain Plaza. For more information, click here.
5) Haochen Zhang will be bringing his elite series of piano performances to the Kravis Center for one night on April 4 at 8 p.m. The pianist is the youngest competitor to win the Cliburn Competition and will be performing a program, titled “At Eight,” that includes pieces by Chopin and Schubert. The event will be proceeded by a talk by Zhang as well as a performance by the Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here.
6) Afroman is headed to Lake Worth on April 6 at 7 p.m. to bring his styles of rap and hip-hop to Palm Beach County. The artist gained popularity in 2001 with his song, “Because I Got High,” and his album, “The Good Times,” which was certified gold in the United States. He is looking to return to form with his new album, “Afroholic – The Even Better Times,” and his new hit songs, “Let’s Get High Tonight” and “Ghetto Memories.” The concert will be at Propaganda in Lake worth with tickets on sale here.
7) Chris Botti, the largest-selling American instrumentalist in the world, is taking the Kravis Center stage on April 6 at 8 p.m. for a special concert. Botti’s album, “Impressions,” won a Grammy Award in 2013 and he has also had four no.1 jazz albums and performances with Lady Gaga, Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here.
8) Let it Be will bring The Beatles to Palm Beach County on April 8 at 8 p.m. with a look at the rise from Liverpool to Shea Stadium with renditions of hit songs like “Twist and Shout,” “Yesterday,” “Hey Jude,” and “Come Together.” The program was called “by far the best of the bunch” by The New York Times with tickets starting at $20 and available here.
9) The Delray Affair will be celebrating its 54th year from April 8-10 and from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. as the largest arts and craft festival in the Southeast United States. The festival will feature more than 600 vendors with hand-crafted items, fine arts, and a medley of food with live music being featured in two beer gardens all throughout the week at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts. Parking is $5 with free entry. For more information, visit theirwebsite.
10) Art 4 Autism will be showing off the latest paintings and designs in Boynton Beach on April 9 from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at Bond n Smolders on S. Federal Highway. The event will feature a silent, Chinese, and 50/50 auction with art exhibited alongside food and drinks. Tickets are $10 with more information at their Facebook page.
11) ABBA The Concert will be bringing the classic hits onto the Kravis Center stage on April 14 at 8 p.m. with a performance that has been called “the closest to ABBA you’ll ever get.” The touring group will sing your favorites including “Fernando” and “Dancing Queen” along with a re-creation of “The Name of the Game.” Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased here.
12) The Hatsume Fair will be celebrating its 37th year with a festival at the Morikami Museum on April 16 and 17 that will feature three stages of events including “taiko drumming, martial arts demos, samurai sword fighting performances, Japanese dance performances, and the annual costume and fashion show contest.” Japanese arts and crafts, as well as games, will also be on display with food from the Kirin Beer Garden, Cornell Cafe, and Sake Station. Tickets are $12 for adults for one day and $17 for the weekend with children ages 4-10 getting in for $6 for one day and $11 for the weekend. For more information, click here.
13) The 5th annual Gulfstream Goodwill Industries Golf Tournament will be taking place at Ironhorse Country Club from 7 a.m. until after 1 p.m. on April 22. The event will feature a silent auction and prize drawings as well as breakfast and lunch. For more information, click here.
14) Minkus’ “Don Quixote” will be gracing the Society of the Four Arts stage in Palm Beach on April 23 from 2 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. Choreographed by Alexei Fadeyechev, the performance will feature new sets and costumes to accompany the classic tale of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Tickets start at $20 for adults and $15 for students with more information here.
15) The Food Truck Safari will be bringing local foodies to the Palm Beach Zoo on April 23 at 4:30 p.m. The event will feature some of Palm Beach County’s most notable food trucks with live music and animal encounters being provided. Tickets start at $10 for adult non-members and $9 for members while children get in for $7 if not a member and $6 if they are. For more information, and ticket sales, click here.
16) A Night with Janis Joplin will be invading the Kravis Center stage on April 28 at 8 p.m. with renditions of her most notable hits such as “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Piece of My Heart,” and “Summertime.” Tony Award nominee Mary Bridget Davies plays Joplin in a show that “celebrates the 1960s icon and the powerhouse artists who inspired her.” Tickets start at $20 and can be found here.
17) SunFest 2016 is taking over downtown West Palm Beach with a medley of performances and shows from April 27 through May 1. Musical acts include Alabama Shakes, Duran Duran, Meghan Trainor, Train, Jason Derulo, Death Cab for Cutie, and ZZ Top. For more information on the festival, see the Post’s coverage here. And for tickets and information, visit the festival’s website here.