As Broward moves into November, South Florida’s local arts community shines with celebrations of music and the performing arts. Experience jazz concerts from Grammy-winning artists, a classical music performance from South Florida Symphony Orchestra, dance festivals celebrating international dance forms, and a thought-provoking reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
Music and Theatre
Swingin’ in the Key of Jazz: Janis Siegel & South Florida Jazz Orchestra at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Legendary vocalist Janis Siegel joins the South Florida Jazz Orchestra at the Broward Center on Nov. 11 for “Swingin’ in the Key of Jazz,” a musical performance of modern big band music with celebrated South Florida jazz musicians. Composer and bassist, Dr. Chuck Bergeron, leads the South Florida Jazz Orchestra and nine-time Grammy winner, Janis Siegel, leads on vocals. Siegel is best known for her pivotal role as part of the genre-bending vocal group, The Manhattan Transfer, lending her vocal talent for some of the group’s biggest hits including “Birdland,” “Spice of Life,” and “Boy from New York City.”
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Swingin’ in the Key of Jazz: Janis Siegel & South Florida Jazz Orchestra
WHERE: Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Southwest 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
WHEN: 7:45 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 11
COST: Tickets start at $70
INFORMATION: (954) 524-0805 or learn about the event and purchase tickets here
BEST FOR: Adults
Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 & Shostakovich’s 12th Symphony by South Florida Symphony Orchestra at Parker Playhouse
The South Florida Symphony Orchestra presents a night of classical music with a performance of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Dmitri Shostakovich’s 12th Symphony, “The Year 1917,” at The Parker Playhouse on Nov. 11. When Tchaikovsky (born Russian, 1840), first presented Piano Concerto No. 1 to his friend and mentor, the piece was rejected as unplayable, but it became one of his most popular and enduring pieces of work, alongside his ballet composition, “Swan Lake” (1876). Born over 80 years apart in 1906, Shostakovich’s career was marked by pressures to conform to the cultural standards of Communist Russia; he titled his 12th Symphony, “The Year 1917,” as a reference to the year of the Russian Revolution.
The South Florida Orchestra opens the evening with a performance of “Cathedrals,” a piece by the modern American composer, Jennifer Hignon, a three-time Grammy winner.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 & Shostakovich’s 12th Symphony
WHERE: Parker Playhouse, 707 Northeast 8th Street, Fort Lauderdale
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 11
COST: Tickets start at $41.30
INFORMATION: (954) 462-0222 or learn about the event and purchase tickets here
BEST FOR: Adults
Music Under the Stars at Pompano Beach Great Lawn
Enjoy a night of music at the beach with “Music Under the Stars,” a concert series presented by Pompano Beach’s Briny Irish Pub on The Great Lawn. The November concert features Laura Goodstone, the country rock artist whose music is rooted in the tradition of modern country storytelling. The Great Lawn sits at the intersection of Atlantic Boulevard and Pompano Beach Boulevard, just off of the Atlantic Ocean. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets for seating to enjoy the live music under the stars. The event is free and open to all ages.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Music Under the Stars
WHERE: The Great Lawn, 20-98 N Pompano Beach Blvd, Pompano Beach
WHEN: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13
COST: Free
INFORMATION: (954) 786-4600 or learn about the event here
BEST FOR: All ages
Smooth Sounds Soiree at Hunters Manor Park
Hunters Manor Park in Pompano Beach hosts a night of community, dance, food, and live music with “Smooth Sounds Soiree” on Nov. 14. Experience the sounds of soul, R&B, and smooth jazz music with live performances throughout the evening.
“Smooth Sounds Soiree” is a free event; guests are encouraged to bring their own seating for the concert; food is available for purchase on site.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Smooth Sounds Soiree
WHERE: Hunters Manor Park, 1801 NW 4th St
WHEN: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14
COST: Free
INFORMATION: (954) 786-4600 or learn about the event here
BEST FOR: All ages
Hamlet by Thinking Cap Theatre at Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center
Thinking Cap Theatre presents a reimagining of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, “Hamlet,” at the Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center starting Nov. 7. Thinking Cap Theatre reimagines Shakespeare’s play with modern themes and contemporary issues, examining the impact of grief, trauma, and loss on individuals and their communities. The play presents dramatic theatre as a tool for healing and processing grief communally, with the play’s staging drawing notes from drama and acting therapy. Nicole Stodard, Thinking Cap Theatre’s founding Artistic Director, directs the play, taking Shakespeare’s classic of revenge, tragedy, and madness and turning it into an exploration of emotional healing, justice, and the experience of grief in the modern era.
A special opening night reception takes place the first night of production on Nov. 7. Student matinee performances take place at 10 a.m. on Nov. 5 and Nov. 19.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Hamlet
WHERE: Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center, 1770 Monroe Street, Hollywood
WHEN: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7, Wednesday, Nov. 11, Friday, Nov. 13, Saturday, Nov. 14, Wednesday, Nov. 18, Friday, Nov. 20, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, and 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19
COST: $45 (plus fees), general admission, $37.50, Wacky Wednesday discount (Nov. 11), $5, student admission
INFORMATION: Learn about the event here and purchase tickets through Eventbrite
BEST FOR: Teens and adults
Hollywood Real Jazz Festival at ArtsPark
Hollywood Real Jazz Festival brings together legendary jazz talent and talented South Florida musicians for a two-day festival in ArtsPark at Young Circle.
The event begins Friday, Nov. 20 with the City of Hollywood’s annual holiday tree lighting (at 7 p.m.), followed by a performance from the young jazz musicians of the Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble (Dillard High School). Saturday’s event includes performances from more local jazz legends like Nicole Yarling (2016 South Florida Jazz Hall of Fame inductee) and Chuck Bergeron (leader of the South Florida Jazz Orchestra). Kandace Springs (jazz pianist and vocalist) and Warren Wolf (pianist, drummer, and vibraphone master), also headline. The festival closes out with a performance from Ron Carter, the prolific and influential jazz bassist and three-time Grammy winner, alongside his group, the Foursight Quartet.
Admission to Hollywood Real Jazz Fest is free.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Hollywood Real Jazz Fest
WHERE: ArtsPark at Young Circle, 1 Young Circle, Hollywood
WHEN: 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20, and 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21
COST: Free
INFORMATION: (305) 672-5202 or learn about the event here and learn about the Hollywood Tree Lighting here
BEST FOR: All ages
Dance
Third Annual International Dance Festival at Miramar Cultural Center
The International Dance Festival of Broward County returns for its third year with a celebration of international dance forms at the Miramar Cultural Center on Nov. 14. The event features local dancers as well as dance talent and dance forms from around the world, including India, Mexico, and Colombia. This year’s event centers Caribbean dance forms and Konpa, a dance style that emerged in Haiti in the 1950s. Lucky Plus, a Haitian band, will perform live at the event.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: International Dance Festival 2026
WHERE: Miramar Cultural Center, 2400 Civic Center Place, Miramar
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14
COST: Tickets start at $55
INFORMATION: 954-602-4500 or learn about the event and purchase tickets here
BEST FOR: All ages
Men Who Dance by Inter-American Choreographic at Broward Center for the Performing Arts
“Men Who Dance” returns to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts for its seventh year on Nov. 28 and Nov. 29.
Presented by the Inter-American Choreographic Institute (ICI), “Men Who Dance” features a cast of all-male dancers and challenges stereotypes and expectations of men in dance through dynamic performances by artists from around the world, including dancers from the Compania Nacional de Danza de Mexico, Miami City Ballet, Dance NOW! Miami, Cuban Classical Ballet, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, Syncopate Dance Collective, and many others. Conceptualized by Rafi Maldonado-López, choreographer, dancer, and founder of the Inter-American Choreographic Institute, “Men Who Dance” is meant to question ideas of masculinity and encourage the greater male participation within the discipline of dance.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Men Who Dance
WHERE: Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Southwest 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
WHEN: 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 28, and 3 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 29
COST: Tickets start at $35
INFORMATION: (954) 462-0222 or learn about the event here
BEST FOR: Teens and adults
This story was produced by Broward Arts Journalism Alliance (BAJA), an independent journalism program of the Broward County Cultural Division.
