The Broward Center and The Parker Keep The New Year’s Party Going with a Great Line Up in the Coming Months

Published: Feb 3, 2023

From traditional stepping to Motown moves, from guitar licks to comic laughs, and from a story that has resonated for decades to new voices that will be heard at the return of a free festival, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and The Parker have a stellar lineup as the new year gets underway. Step Afrika!, the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, comes to Lillian S. Wells Hall at The Parker on Sunday, February 5 at 6 p.m. Under founder C. Brian Williams, stepping has evolved into one of America's cultural exports. Step Afrika! now ranks as one of the top 10 African American dance companies in the United States and has toured in more than 50 countries. Blending percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, Step Afrika features traditional West and Southern African dances, contemporary dance and an array of art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Each performance is unique as performances integrate songs, storytelling, humor and audience participation. This event is presented as part of the 2022/2023 Broward Center Dance and Classical Series and is supported by Funding Arts Broward, supporting innovative local visual and performing arts in Broward County. Tickets are $25-$40. Grammy® Award-winner Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, called by Rolling Stone “one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince," performs at the Parker Saturday, February 18 at 8 p.m. Since the release of Kingfish, his 2019 Alligator Records debut, the guitarist, vocalist and songwriter has quickly become the defining blues voice of his generation. From his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi to stages around the world, he has already headlined two national tours and performed with friends including Vampire Weekend, Jason Isbell and Buddy Guy (with whom he appeared on Austin City Limits). Tickets are $35-$75. Two venerable Motown hit-makers perform in one incredible evening with The Temptations and the Four Tops in the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, March 10 at 8 p.m. The two leading groups on that famous label come together to perform their multi-platinum hits including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Baby, I Need Your Loving,” “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and dozens more. With stunning harmonies, powerful vocals and energetic dance routines, the magic of Motown doesn’t get any better than this. This concert is generously underwritten by Dr. Lee and Brigitte Mandel. Tickets are $29.50-$79.50 with $134.50 Spirit Club Level Seats. The most exciting and innovative Black voices in Broward County take center stage when the Broward Center for the Performing Arts presents the second annual Rhythm by the River: A Festival Celebrating Black Voices from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 19 at Esplanade Park, 32 E. Las Olas Blvd., in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Co-presented by Baptist Health and JM Family Enterprises, Inc., Rhythm by the River features live music, dance, drama and spoken word poetry performances as well as interactive events for the entire family. There will be food trucks, arts and crafts and more throughout the afternoon as well as workshops at the Broward Center. Rhythm by the River is proudly supported by radio media sponsor Cox Media Group and will be hosted live by Supa Cindy from The Pac Jam Morning Show on 99 JAMZ and Rodney Baltimore, mornings on Hot 105. Rhythm by the River is part of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts’ Arts for Action: Black Voices initiative presented by Baptist Health and JM Family Enterprises, Inc., which uses the arts as a catalyst to raise awareness, deepen knowledge and mobilize action on social justice issues. The Broadway blockbuster play of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird comes to the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Tuesday, March 28-Sunday, April 9. All rise for Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork. The New York Times Critic’s Pick, To Kill a Mockingbird was called “the most successful American play in Broadway history” by 60 Minutes. Rolling Stone gives it five stars, calling it “an emotionally shattering landmark production of an American classic,” and New York Magazine calls it “a real phenomenon. Majestic and incandescent, it’s filled with breath and nuance and soul.” With direction by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher, To Kill a Mockingbird, “the greatest novel of all time” according to Chicago Tribune, has quickly become “one of the greatest plays in history” according to National Public Radio. Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Thomas will play the role of Atticus Finch in the national tour. The Bank of America Broadway in Fort Lauderdale 2022/2023 season is made possible with the generous support of title sponsor Bank of America and presenting sponsor Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Bank of America Broadway in Fort Lauderdale is presented by Florida Theatrical Association in partnership with Broadway Across America and Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Performance times are Tuesday-Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 pm. Tickets begin at $35. Leslie Jones Live brings the three-time Emmy Award nominee, comedian and actress to The Parker on Saturday, May 13 at 8 p.m. Jones was a cast member and writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2014 to 2019, and is currently the host of Supermarket Sweep. In addition to her Showtime special, Problem Child, she has been a featured performer at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal and the Aspen Comedy Festival. Jones starred in Ghostbusters in 2016 and starred opposite Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in Coming 2 America, which garnered a 2021 MTV Movie and TV Award for "Best Comedic Performance," and a 2021 People's Choice Award "Favorite Movie Star" nomination for Jones. She can currently be seen starring in Taika Waititi's pirate comedy series Our Flag Means Death for HBO Max. Her new podcast, The Fckry, with co-host Lenny Marcus can be heard on Apple Podcast and Spotify, among others. This concert is presented by the Broward Center and AEG presents. This event may contain adult language or content. Tickets are $39.50-$65. Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center and The Parker. Buy tickets online at BrowardCenter.org, ParkerPlayhouse.com or Ticketmaster.com; by phone at 954.462.0222 or 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. Lillian S. Wells Hall at The Parker is located in Holiday Park at 707 N.E. Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. The Parker is an affiliated venue of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, which provides programming and management of the facility. The 2022/2023 performance season at the Broward Center and The Parker is supported by the Broward Performing Arts Foundation. AutoNation, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Spirit and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center are proud sponsors of the Broward Center. Programs are also sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment of the Arts. ### 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, the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center 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 130,000 students annually. The Broward Performing Arts Foundation, Inc. receives and maintains funds to sustain, develop and secure the future of the Broward Center. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. For more information, visit BrowardCenter.org. About The Parker The Parker is Fort Lauderdale’s iconic, heritage theater presenting concerts, comedy, dance, family fare and more. Beautifully renovated in 2021, The Parker offers audiences enhanced entertainment and hospitality experiences. The neo-classical Lillian S. Wells Hall features outstanding acoustics, unobstructed sightlines, wide rows and continental seating. The grand S. Donald Sussman Lobby, the intimate Haller Club, and the private members’ lounge, The Place To Be, provide ample opportunities for audiences to enjoy culture, cocktails and conversation with every visit to the theater. For more information, visit ParkerPlayhouse.com.