The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center Announces Exciting 2011-2012 Season

AVENTURA For its second season, the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center has announced an expanded season that includes three fresh, new series; world-class dance performances; educational children’s shows and much more. The 2011-12 season promises to bring exciting arts and culture to Aventura.

By popular demand, the acclaimed Melodies and Memories Series presented by Mazel Musicals, Inc. and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts returns for a second year with an all new line up adding sophisticated elegance to the season. The series contains How Lucky Can We Get? The Songs of Kander and Ebb (Dec. 14-18); The Song Is You: The Songs of Jerome Kern (Jan. 18-22); At Last: The Songs of Harry Warren (Feb. 8-12) and Thanks for the Memories: the Music of the Paramount Pictures Era (Mar. 7-11).

Also back for a second year, the Aventura Foreign Film Series showcases the finest in international cinema and is hosted by Shelly Isaacs who introduces the films and leads post-screening discussions. The series features Kawasaki’s Rose (Jan. 31); The Piano in a Factory (Feb. 28); Revanche (Mar. 27); and My Afternoons with Margueritte (May 1).

In its inaugural year, the Aventura Comedy Series, presented by Low Brow Entertainment, presents today’s top comics Michele Balan (Dec. 3), Corey Kahaney (Jan. 7) and Sarge (Feb. 18). Additional laughs ensue with an evening of hilarious sketch comedy and improvisation with The Second City in the Laugh Out Loud Tour (Feb. 2). The timeless comedy of George Burns is back in the Broadway hit Say Goodnight Gracie (Mar. 14 – Apr. 1). Universal humor can be found at Joni Sheram’s play Cups, a retrospective comedy that traces the milestones in a woman’s life through the bras she has worn (Oct. 12-22), and with Saturday Night Live alumna and Broadway star Ana Gasteyer in a delightful night of music and laughter (Nov. 4) .

Dancing takes center stage with a series presented by Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida featuring Vladimir Issaev’s presentations of Harlequinade (Oct. 9), The Nutcracker (Dec. 9-11), Fairy Doll (Mar. 3-4) and Spring Gala (May 6). A colorful cross-section of traditional Latin American music and dance, Hispanico Ballet Flamenco demonstrates how musical traditions and dances have been influenced by history, politics and cultural psychology. (Dec. 15). Additionally, the New World School of the Arts’ Dance Department will perform a free public performance as part of its 25th anniversary “Give Back to the Community” campaign (Nov. 2).

The Miami International Piano Festival returns to Aventura with memorable concerts by world-renowned musicians of all ages and nationalities. This year’s featured pianists include George Li (Nov. 27), Francesco Libetta (Jan. 8), Stephen Beus (Feb. 19) and Kemal Gekic and Misha Dacic (Apr. 29).

From classical music to Top 40 hits, the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center offers musical concerts for all with a tribute to disco in Stayin’ Alive: Reflections of the Bee Gees (Nov. 5), The Bronx Wanderers homage to Doo-Wop (Feb. 3), Jim Witter’s tribute to the Beatles: The Long and Winding Road (Mar. 1), Orchestra Miami’s Fifth Anniversary Celebration (Oct. 4) and South Florida Symphony’s Master Concert Series I (Dec. 6).

Classic entertainment gets a new life in An Evening with Lucie Arnaz (Nov. 12); Connie James – Raising The Bar: Love Songs From The Great American Songbook (Nov. 19); Freddie Roman’s Monticello Memories with comedy, song and dance from the heyday of the New York mountain resorts (Jan. 25-29); 21st Century Rat Pack celebrating Las Vegas superstars (Oct. 29); West Coast Performing Arts presentation of Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back starring Michael Matone (Mar. 18); and Simply Streisand: Back to Broadway (Apr. 14).

Families and young audiences have a variety of programming to enjoy together. Smart Stage Matinees offer affordably-priced professional school-day performances covering themes which reinforce classroom learning and the Broward Center’s 2011-12 Family Fun Series presented by Coventry Health Care of Florida pairs performances based on classic children’s literature with pre-show and post-show activities.

Information on these and other shows in the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center 2011-12 season is at AventuraCenter.org.

Subscription packages, group discounts and single tickets are available by calling (954) 462-0222 or select a seat online at http://www.aventuracenter.org. All dates, times, programs and artists are subject to change.

Vi at Aventura is a proud sponsor of the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center.

Hi-res images of select performances from the upcoming season, representing all genres, may be downloaded at https://www.piersongrant.com/AACC-SeasonArt/. For additional art including those for events not listed above, please contact Savannah Whaley, (954) 776-1999 ext. 225; swhaley@piersongrant.com or Rachel Shapiro, (954) 776-1999 ext. 230; rshapiro@piersongrant.com.