A wide array of romance-inspired cultural options in February means there’s no need to limit your Valentine’s celebration to just the 14th.
“Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage …” If you remember those old lyrics and identify them with the theme song of the hit TV comedy series “Married with Children,” you’d be right, but Frank Sinatra topped the charts with the song in 1955. Having said “I do” four times, old blue eyes can vouch for the lyrics. And if you have a sense of humor about relationships, buckle up for some funny musicals. If concerts are more your speed, there are a few of those, too.
Take your pick from options at the Adrienne Arsht Center or Aventura Arts & Cultural Center along the Biscayne Corridor, travel a short way up I-95 to the Broward Center for a classic Broadway or lesser-known musical romp, or take a drive south down Old Cutler Road for a night under the stars and the annual Garden D’Amore at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
Why not try them all?
Music
Pink Martini Featuring China Forbes
Feb. 11, 8 p.m.
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets: $35-$135
World-renowned band Pink Martini is set to grace the stage at downtown Miami’s Arsht Center just in time for an early Valentine’s Day outing. Founded 28 years ago by pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale, he and the band will be joined by his frequent collaborator, singer China Forbes. The performance will feature their blend of classical, jazz and old-fashioned pop.
“Pink Martini is the perfect fit for Valentine’s, with a romantic date or just a group of friends that love each other,” said Forbes. “A lot of our songs are love songs – they are about falling in love, falling out of love (and) longing, in many different languages. We have classics that we perform almost every concert, like ‘Amado Mio’ (‘My Love’), that feel so romantic.”
“A Tribute to Louis Armstrong”
(Aventura Arts & Cultural Center)
Troy Anderson and the Wonderful World Band pays tribute to Louis Armstrong in concert.
Feb. 17, 8 p.m.
Aventura Arts & Cultural Center
Tickets: $49-$59
Appropriately named Troy Anderson’s Wonderful World Band, after one of Louis Armstrong’s best-known songs, this four-piece ensemble joyfully pays tribute to the legendary trumpet player. The jazzy sounds are an ideal soundtrack for a romantic evening out.
Hailing from Germany and led by Anderson on lead vocals and trumpet, the band features pianist Kalman Cseki, bassist Tibor Duka and drummer Janos Sramko, and their performance will have you waxing nostalgic. Expect to hear hits including “Hello Dolly,” “Blueberry Hill,” “What a Wonderful World,” “Dream a Little Dream of Me” and “Jeepers Creepers” while you’re transported to another era.
Theater
“Honeymoon in Vegas the Musical”
(Larry Marano)
Nick Anastasia in “Honeymoon in Vegas,” a Slow Burn Theatre Company production at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Feb. 4-19.
Feb. 4-19
7:30 p.m. and 1 p.m.; weekend matinees
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Amaturo Theater
Tickets: $25-$70
A 1992 rom-com starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicolas Cage has been reimagined for the stage by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, whose production is seeing its Southeast U.S. premiere thanks to the Slow Burn Theatre Company, which makes its theatrical home at Broward Center’s Amaturo Theater.
“We’re the first ones in the Southeast to receive licensing to produce the play,” said Frank Fitzwater, Slow Burn’s artistic director. “The music is incredible, and it’s got everything you want – showgirls, a big orchestra, hi-stakes comedy – it’s a laugh-out-loud, wonderful night at the theater.”
“Chicago”
(Broadway Across America)
"Chicago," a Bob Fosse Broadway classic, is coming to the Broward Center.
Feb. 14-19
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Au-Rene Theater
Tickets: $35-$125
Oozing with sex appeal, “Chicago” – one of Broadway’s longest-running productions – hasn’t lost any of its chutzpah over the years. This musical is one that’s worth seeing again, or certainly for the first time. Bursting with iconic Bob Fosse dance numbers and unforgettable lyrics, the story’s set in the jazzy 1920s and is based on the real-life Chicago murder trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner.
In “Chicago,” the ladies become Roxie Hart and Velma Kelley, taking you through their journey of tangled romantic webs, dead bodies, police officers, plenty of slinky dresses and a sensational trial – because, as the show explains in the song “Cell Block Tango,” “He had it comin’, He had it comin’, He only had himself to blame.”
Something Different
Garden D’Amore
(Courtesy of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden)
Couples set the mood with rose petals, candles and wine during Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s annual Valentine’s evening outdoor concert.
Valentine’s Day at the Garden
Feb. 14, 4:30-9 p.m.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Tickets: $24-$235
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has been welcoming romance lovers to its Valentine’s Day at the Garden concert event for the past 25 years, and it’s worth the drive. Whether you spread out a blanket or choose lawn seating, you’ll enjoy lush gardens and tropical foliage while listening to the sounds of Madd Jazz and enjoying a variety of available food and drink pairings.
“Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love with your significant other, friends and family,” said Nannette M. Zapata, Fairchild’s deputy director. “Here at Fairchild, we can’t think of a more romantic way to spend the evening than under the stars, cozily nestled among the beautiful gardens and enjoying live jazz music, and an intimate dinner with cocktails and Champagne.”
“Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience”
(Emily Cardenas for Biscayne Times)
Virtual reality headsets are worn for the 3-D experience at the Olympia’s van Gogh presentation.
Thursdays & Fridays, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sundays, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Olympia Theater
Tickets: $29.90-$69.90
The historic Olympia Theater, a downtown Miami gem for decades, is the ultimate location for the dreamy “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience,” a sensory journey that examines the Dutch artist’s most famous works.
The show – which turns a traditional museum-going experience on its head – has been around for months, but if you haven’t been yet or haven’t experienced it with someone special, Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to do so now. The 60 to 75-minute show completely envelops you in the swirl of “Starry Night” and a multitude of bright sunflowers. And definitely consider donning a pair of VR goggles to take a mind-blowing trip through eight artworks as part of the optional “A Day in the Life of the Artist in Arles France” exhibition.