By Skip Sheffield
The venerated New Orleans institution of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band kicks off the seventh annual Festival of the Arts Boca with a theme of “Bourbon Street Meets Boca” at viagra price 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7 at Mizner Park Amphitheater.
This year’s Festival is a potpourri of classical and popular music, physical prowess of the Peking Acrobats, the acoustic thunder of Kodo taiko drummers and world-class literary figures. This is by no means a stuffy festival.
The “house band” this year is the very fine Boca Raton Symphonia under the baton of symphony and opera conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos. This is also the Symphonia’s seventh anniversary season.
If you have ever been to New Orleans you may have visited Preservation Hall in the French Quartet. Formed in the early 1960s, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band is the touring arm featuring star players from Preservation Hall. Think of it as the Harlem Globetrotters of Dixieland Jazz. The group has recorded nearly two-dozen albums since its first in 1964. In 2006, the band, which plays about 150 gigs a year, was awarded the National Medal of Arts recognition.
The authentically Japanese taiko drumming corps Kodo performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 8 as part of its One Earth Tour.
Journalist and novelist David Ignatius is the first of the literary guest at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 9, speaking on “Foreign Affairs: How to Fix the World” at the SchmidtFamilyCulturalArtsCenter at the south end of MiznerPark
At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the spectacular young violinist Amadeus Leopold, aka Hahn-Bin, solos with the Boca Symphonia.
Award-winning writer Patricia Engel speaks on “A Writers Life” at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 10 at the CulturalArtsCenter, while over at the Amphitheater the agile Peking Acrobats perform gravity-defying feats at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Thomas Kennally, the honored writer of “Schindler’s Ark,” which was the basis of the Film “Schindler’s List,” will speak at 7 p.m. Monday, March 11 at the CulturalArtsCenter. The film will have a free 1:30 p.m. screening on a first-come, first-served basis.
Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., US Army (ret.) will speak on “A Soldier’s View of International Security at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12 at the CulturalArtsCenter.
Harvard professor and “Justice” author Michel Sandel will address “What Do We Owe One Another as Citizens?” at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the CulturalArtsCenter.
Internet sensation organist Cameron Carpenter will be guest soloist with the Boca Symphonia at 7 p.m. Thursday at Mizner Park Amphitheater.
The beautiful Russian-born pianist Valentine Lisitsa will be back for a second Festival Boca appearance at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 15.
Finally, five-time Tony Award-winning actress and singer Audra McDonald closes the Festival with a flourish at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16.
Individual tickets range in price from $15 to $100. Student discounts are available with I.D. For more information, call 561-368-8445 or 866-571-ARTS or go to www.festivalboca.org.
