Bonanza of theater coming to Miami this fall

Theater arts groups are closing the year with performances that will leave audiences craving more.

Miami-Dade’s theater arts industry is set to turn the stages into an interactive theatrical experience.

The Adrienne Arsht Center at 1300 Biscayne Blvd. presents “Miami City Ballet: Fall Mix.” Premiering Oct. 20, the ballet will feature Balanchine’s iconic Serenade and Twyla Tharp’s 1986 sensation In the Upper Room. The performance will also premiere Jamar Roberts, a former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater artist and choreographer, with new work.

Beginning Nov. 11, the Arsht Center will host “Florida Grand Opera: La Traviata,” which tells the story of Violetta Valery, who is the most sought-after courtesan in Paris. Only the ardent Alfredo sees through her mask of gaiety to the real woman and her well-disguised suffering.

“Theater Up Close: La Gringa,” makes its premier starting Nov. 30 at the center. Carmen Rivera’s La Gringa is a poignant comedy about a young woman’s search for identity. Maria Elena Garcia visits her family in Puerto Rico during the Christmas holidays and plans to connect with her homeland.

The “Miami City Ballet: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” makes its annual return beginning Dec. 14. Every season, the Miami City Ballet has captured the holiday spirit with this display of Balanchine’s choreography performed by over 100 dancers against a background of spirited Tchaikovsky music, costumes and glimmering sets.

On Dec. 28, “Peter London Global Dance Company: Edge of Tomorrow” will hit the Arsht Center’s Carnival Studio Theater. The production will be an electrifying and high-octane dance event produced by Peter London Global Dance Company of Miami for its 12th annual season.

The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center at 3385 NE 188th St. will host the grand opening of Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida’s 26th season. Beginning Oct. 14, the two-night production will have audiences experiencing the passion of Yanis Pikieris’ “Danzon,” a neo-classical masterpiece accompanied by the music of Arturo Marquez.

The New World School of the Arts is set to hit the cultural arts center’s stage on Nov. 3. with “New World Dance Ensemble,” a dynamic program of the work of today’s evocative choreographers. Appropriate for all ages, the program also includes Lara Murphy’s dazzling contemporary ballet work, Be Mused, which fuses the technique of classical ballet with the rock music of British composer/performer Matt Bellamy.

Starting Dec. 8, the Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida and the center presents “The Nutcracker.” Audiences will be immersed in a world of snowflakes, sugarplums and magical dolls in this production, set to the iconic score by Tchaikovsky. The theatrical performance will also feature a community cast, including local character artists and children, adding an authentic touch.

On Nov. 4, The Miami Lyric Opera and Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center at 10950 SW 211th St. presents “Cavalleria Rusticana,” which is Pietro Mascagni’s opera about love, betrayal, jealousy and death in a Sicilian village. On Nov. 5 “Suor Angelica,” which is one of Giacomo Puccini’s celebrated operas in his The Triptych collection, will grace the stage.

On Nov. 11, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami (DDTM) will showcase its fall performance. The all-new work was created for the dancers of DDTM by Argentinian choreographer Leonardo Reale and set to the music of one of history’s most important Argentine tango composers, Mariano Mores.

The Moss Center will also showcase beginning Dec. 3 “The Nutcracker.” The production follows a little girl’s dreamlike journey to the magical land of the sweets with the sugarplum fairy, dazzling costume characters and Tchaikovsky’s beautiful score. The cast features star professional ballet dancers and students from Miami Youth Ballet.

The Seraphic Fire will fill the room with musical joy on Dec. 17 with “A Seraphic Fire Christmas.” Audiences will hear familiar favorites such as the hauntingly simple yet lush Jesus Christ the Apple Tree and Silent Night.