NEW SEASON OPENS WITH HALLOWEEN THRILLS, MUSIC, COMEDY AND MORE AT THE BROWARD CENTER

Published: Sep 20, 2024

– October kicks off a brand new season at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts with plenty to get audiences in the Halloween spirit, from The Witches of Eastwick to Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas and Ancient Aliens Live, as well as nonstop laughs with performances from Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein, Pinky Patel, Eddie Izzard and Nikki Glaser; incredible musical entertainment from Gaby Moreno, Men at Work, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico; a dance party for the senses from Koo Koo; a musical revue celebrating American history and so much more.

Grammy^® Award-winner Gaby Moreno performs in the Amaturo Theater on Friday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m. Creating warm and soulful music that offers an intoxicating invitation into her musical world for English and Spanish speakers alike, this singer-songwriter has released eight albums since moving to Los Angeles from her native Guatemala. She received the Best Latin Pop Album Grammy^® for X Mí (Vol. 1) in 2024 and Grammy^® nominations for Illusion (2017) and Alegoría (2022). She was also recognized with a nomination for producing legendary Cuban singer Omara Portuondo's album Vida (2023). In addition, the theme song for the award-winning TV series Parks and Recreation, which she co-wrote, received an Emmy^® Award nomination. Moreno has shared the stage with music luminaries such as Tracy Chapman, Ani DiFranco, Nickel Creek, David Gray, Los Lobos, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Taj Mahal, Jackson Browne and Van Dyke Parks, among others. Calling her “simply breathtaking,” NPR reported, “Her voice is passionate and stylistically malleable."

Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life brings one of Hollywood’s most sought-after multihyphenates to town as the producer-writer-actor comes to the Au-Rene Theater as part of the Truist Comedy Series on Saturday, October 5 at 6 p.m. As the co-executive producer, writer and star of the Peabody-winning Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, his scene-stealing performance as the brash yet lovable Roy Kent has earned him two Primetime Emmy^® Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy, making him the category’s first back-to-back winner in almost 15 years. Goldstein is the creator and executive producer of the cathartic comedy Shrinking, alongside Jason Segel and Bill Lawrence, which has been renewed for a second season by Apple TV+. This follows the success of his critically acclaimed AMC limited anthology series, Soulmates, which he created and executive produced with Will Bridges. He is the host of the iHeartRadio award-winning podcast, Films To Be Buried With, which finds him in candid conversation with special guests as they discuss the films that have shaped them. This event is presented by the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and Live Nation and contains adult language or content.

Young, Aussie rocker Taj Farrant performs in the Amaturo Theater on Thursday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. With natural musical ability, the guitarist has that truly genuine “feel” when he plays with a technique and soul well beyond his years. Enjoying a fast-growing online presence and an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show, he has also shared the stage with, among others, Carlos Santana, Rob Thomas and Orianthi. He is joined by special guests Jazel Farrant and Nathan Bryce and Loaded Dice.

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico brings its Latin music sounds to the Au-Rene Theater on Friday, October 11 at 8 p.m. as part of the Allegro Fort Lauderdale Mosaic Series. Decades after its inception, the 13-piece salsa group continues to inspire dancers with its horn-punctuated Latin rhythms and lush vocal harmonies. Officially named "Ambassadors of Our Music" by the Puerto Rican Senate, El Gran Combo's many hits include such classics as "El Menu" and "Timablero." Their 1978 album, “En Las Vegas,” sold more than one million copies, while its follow-up, “In Alaska: Breaking the Ice,” was nominated for a Grammy® Award. A longtime member of popular Latin band Cortijo y Su Combo, Ithier formed El Gran Combo in 1962 with eight of his bandmates, including percussionist, dancer, chorus singer, and salsa bandleader Roberto Roena. This legendary Puerto Rican salsa orchestra is now over six decades old, and they are showing no signs of slowing down. These revered salsa gods will be pumping out their unrivaled and florid arrangements of colorful, horn-driven music all night long.

Pinky Patel: #isaidwhatisaid Tour arrives for two shows in the Abdo New River Room as part of the Truist Comedy Series on October 12 at 4 and 8 p.m. Best known for her hilarious commentary and viral videos from her glam cave that have garnered more than 64.5 million likes on TikTok, Patel is a PTA mom turned creator, comedian and personality with a fan base of more than five million. This event contains adult language or content. A VIP package is available.

A dance party for the senses, Koo Koo comes to the Amaturo Theater as part of the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Imagination Series on Sunday, October 13 at 1 p.m. For the last 15 years, lifelong friends and collaborators Bryan Atchison and Neil Olstad have toured the globe delighting fans with their high-energy music, infectious positivity and interactive live show while their comedic dance party songs are the backbone of a highly successful YouTube channel. With an emphasis on crowd participation and building a raucous, hyper-active atmosphere, a Koo Koo show must be seen to be believed. The duo has shared stages with such acts as Yo Gabba Gabba, The Aquabats and Frank Turner, in addition to festival appearances at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and the Vans Warped Tour. In their new TV series, Oh Yeah Heck Yeah on the Koo Koo YouTube channel, they present a fast-paced variety clip show featuring music videos, sketches, animation and interactive games. VIP packages are available.

Grammy^® Award winners Men at Work perform in the Au-Rene Theater as part of the Cleveland Clinic Rock Series on October 18 at 8 p.m. Known for their 1981 hit “Down Under,” the Australian rock band gained fame under their founding mainstay Colin Hay on lead vocals and guitar. The band simultaneously scored No. 1 album (Business as Usual) and No. 1 single (“Down Under”) on the U.S. Billboard charts as well as on the Australian, New Zealand and United Kingdom charts. Having sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, the band also charted with their albums Cargo and Two Hearts. This concert is presented by the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and AEG Presents.

Just in time for Halloween, Slow Burn Theatre Company’s 2024/2025 Season supported by American National Bank opens in the Amaturo Theater with The Witches of Eastwick Saturday, October 19 – Sunday November 3 including an open-captioned performance on Sunday, October 27 at 2 p.m. The original West End production was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Musical and is based on the 1984 novel of the same name by John Updike and the basis for the 1987 film starring Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer. In the tiny New England town of Eastwick, three modern day witches innocently plot and conjure over a heady brew of weak martinis and peanut butter brownies. But all hell breaks loose when their shared desire for “all manner of man in one man” arrives in the form of charismatic stranger Darryl Van Horne. The musical has book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana P. Rowe, the creative team behind Zombie Prom and The Fix. Performance times vary.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts and AEG Presents bring Ancient Aliens LIVE: Project Earth to the Au-Rene Theater on Saturday, October 19 at 8 p.m. This 90-minute live experience celebrates the long-running Ancient Aliens program on the History Channel and explores the theory that extraterrestrials have visited Earth for millions of years. This experiential extension of Ancient Aliens features leading ancient astronaut theorist Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, investigative mythologist William Henry, UK government UFO investigator Nick Pope and ancient civilizations expert Jason Martell. Together they discuss thought-provoking extraterrestrial theories on fan-favorite topics from ancient Egypt to the moon, paving the long road to disclosure. A post-show VIP experience can be added to any ticket.

Audiences can expect the unexpected when Eddie Izzard brings her hilarious brand of stand-up comedy to the Au-Rene Theater with The Remix Tour Live: The First 35 Years as part of the Truist Comedy Series on Tuesday, October 22 at 8 p.m. Brilliant, hilarious and often bizarre, the actor, comedian, multi-marathon runner and political activist’s boundary-pushing career spans 35 years of record-breaking comedy tours and critically acclaimed film, TV and theater performances. Hailed by The Guardian as “joyous and imaginatively playful,” and inspired by her ever loyal audiences, The Remix Tour Live reimagines some of Izzard’s own favorite comedy highlights, including from her West End stage debut in 1993, “Live at the Ambassadors,” for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement. A succession of critically acclaimed shows followed, most notably Force Majeure, which became the most extensive comedy tour ever, playing in more than 45 countries and in all 50 U.S. states. The one-and-only Eddie Izzard’s The Remix Tour Live promises to be an unforgettable night of thought provoking, intelligent and surreal stand-up comedy. This event contains adult language or content.

Stages Productions musical revue Let Freedom Sing! celebrates American history in the Amaturo Theater on Wednesday, October 23 at 10 and 11:30 a.m. This high-energy firecracker explodes with facts about our great nation from 1776 through the dark days of the Civil War and right into 2009 with the inauguration of a new president. Filled with colorful songs and historical figures such as Betsy Ross, Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this multi-media event honors our nation's past and leaves audiences proud to be an American. Recommend for grade levels 2 – 5, this event is presented as part of the Smart Stage Matinee Series of performances that are ideal for charter, private, public and parochial school students and home-school networks. These educational performances are curriculum-driven and align with Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards. Free study guides called “Curriculum Connections” are available to download on the Broward Center’s website. This production offers an optional added Smart Stage Plus interactive learning experience, a 30-minute workshop featuring a Broward Center teaching artist.

Nikki Glaser: The Alive and Unwell Tour brings one of the funniest female voices in comedy today to the Au-Rene Theater at 8 p.m. on Friday, October 25 in an event presented by the Broward Cener for the Performing Arts and Outback Presents. She has been honing her shockingly honest, no-holds barred style of comedy for nearly two decades at clubs across the country, on television and as the host of three hit podcasts. Her first HBO special, Good Clean Filth, was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for Best Comedy Special and was followed by the recent HBO special, Someday You’ll Die. The Nikki Glaser Podcast, launched in March 2021 through iHeartMedia and Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network, is peppered with her sense of humor and honesty to help keep listeners sane, well-informed and laughing through life. Currently, she hosts and executive produces Lovers And Liars (formerly Fgirl Island), the female spinoff of the hit HBO Max reality dating series Fboy Island, which Glaser hosted and executive produced for three seasons. She also hosted, co-created and executive produced the critically acclaimed and daring comedic show Not Safe With Nikki Glaser for Comedy Central and Nikki & Sara Live for MTV. A VIP package is available. This event contains adult language or content.

Disney in Concert Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas featuring South Florida Symphony Orchestra comes to the Au-Rene Theater on Saturday, October 26 at 8 p.m. Tim Burton's haunting holiday classic with a score by Danny Elfman will be screened live with audio and musical accompaniment by South Florida Symphony Orchestra. When Jack Skellington, Halloweentown's pumpkin king, accidentally stumbles on Christmastown, he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers that even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry. This event in the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Imagination Series is presented by the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and South Florida Symphony Orchestra.

Also at the Broward Center in October, Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida: Classical and Neoclassical Ballets (October 5); and Symphony of the Americas: Holst - The Planets From Earth to The Beyond (October 6 & 8).

Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center and The Parker. Buy tickets online at BrowardCenter.org, or Ticketmaster.com; by phone at 954.462.0222; in person at the Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. For more information visit BrowardCenter.org, like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BrowardCenter and Facebook.com/BrowardCenterEducation, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BrowardCenter, subscribe to our channel at YouTube.com/user/BrowardCenter and join the conversation with #BrowardCenter.

The Broward Center 2024/2025 season is supported by the Broward Performing Arts Foundation. AutoNation, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau and Spirit.

About The Broward Center for the Performing Arts

One of America’s premier performing arts venues, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts presents more than 700 performances each year to more than 700,000 patrons, showcasing a wide range of exciting cultural programming and events. Guest experiences at the Broward Center include the all-inclusive Spirit Club Level and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Intermezzo Lounge, special events in the Huizenga Pavilion, waterfront dining at Marti’s New River Bistro and innovative classes and workshops for all ages at the Rose Miniaci Arts Education Center. With one of the largest arts-in-education programs in the United States, the Broward Center serves more than 100,000 students annually. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. For more information, visit BrowardCenter.org.

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Complete October Schedule at the Broward Center

Oct. 4 Gaby Moreno

Oct. 5 Brett Goldstein – Truist Comedy Series

Oct. 5 Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida: Classical and Neoclassical Ballets

Oct. 6 & 8 Symphony of the Americas: Holst - The Planets From Earth to The Beyond

Oct. 10 Taj Farrant

Oct. 11 El Gran Combo - Allegro Fort Lauderdale Mosaic Series

Oct. 12 Pinky Patel – Truist Comedy Series

Oct. 13 KOO KOO – Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Imagination Series

Oct. 18 Men at Work – Cleveland Clinic Rock Series

Oct. 19 – Nov. 3 The Witches of Eastwick – Slow Burn Theatre Company