The Broward Center For The Performing Arts Presents A Multitude Of Merriments This December

Former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick and music legends Dave Koz and David Foster as well as a Motown icon double bill of The Temptations and The Four Tops are just part of the magic this December at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Broadway hits The Prom, Elf The Musical and Kinky Boots join the slate of spectacles and international hits featuring STOMP, Champions of Magic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical, and Cirque Dreams Holidaze.

Jazz saxophonist Dave Koz is bringing back his annual Christmas show Dave Koz & Friends to the Au-Rene Theater Wednesday, December 1 at 8 p.m. Joining him are guitarist Jonathan Butler, saxophonist Richard Elliott, trumpeter Rick Braun and vocalist Rebecca Jade. These remarkable artists will perform fresh renditions of Christmas classics as well as a Chanukah medley and hits from their respective catalogs. Nine-time Grammy nominee Dave Koz launched his Christmas tour more than 20 years ago and fans and families across the country await his arrival with the kind of anticipation formerly reserved for St. Nick himself, earning the saxophonist extraordinaire the nickname "Santa Koz." Every ticket purchased for this show includes a digital download of Dave Koz's A New Day! Tickets are $49-$89 with $129 Spirit Club Level seats.

STOMP, the international sensation that has won an Olivier Award for Best Choreography during its 15-year run in London's West End as well as an OBIE Award and a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatre Experience for its off-Broadway productions, comes to the Au-Rene Theater Thursday, December 2 and Friday, December 3 at 8 p.m. The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments - matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps - to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms. The Boston Globe says of this explosive, inventive, provocative and witty experience for audiences of all ages, "If you haven't seen STOMP, GO! If you have seen it, take someone and share the pleasure!" Tickets are $35-$65 with $125 Spirit Club Level seats.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts and AEG Presents bring Champions of Magic to the Au-Rene Theater for two shows on Saturday, December 4 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. In a production of impossible illusions and spectacular special effects, the cast presents incredible interactive magic, a daring escape from Houdini's water torture cell, a mind-blowing prediction that has to be seen to be believed, levitation high above the stage and a finale beyond explanation. The show features spectacular illusions all around the theater. Seen on every major U.S. TV network and creating over 50 million views online, Champions of Magic needs to be seen live and has sold out shows across the globe. Tickets are $29.50-$69.50 with $109.50 Spirit Club Level seats and VIP packages.

The music of Motown doesn't get any better than an evening with The Temptations and The Four Tops Monday, December 6 at 8 p.m. in the Au-Rene Theater. Acclaimed for their stunning harmonies, powerful vocals and energetic dance routines, both groups have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and honored with Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards. Their hits formed the soundtrack to a generation and include "My Girl," "Just My Imagination," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "Baby, I Need Your Loving," and "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)." This concert is generously underwritten by Crockett Herd. Tickets are $29.50-$79.50 with $129.50 Spirit Club Level seats.

An Intimate Evening with David Foster lights up the Au-Rene Theater in a performance generously underwritten by Northern Trust and Deborah and Gary Wendt Tuesday, December 7 at 8 p.m. Joined by a talented group of singers, this 16-time Grammy award winning writer/producer (with 45 Gammy nominations!) performs songs he wrote or produced in his four decades of hits while sharing fascinating stories about the songs, artists and moments of his life. Just a few of this music man's hits include Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me," Whitney Houston's "The Bodyguard," Earth Wind and Fire's "After The Love Is Gone," Chicago's "You're The Inspiration," Josh Groban's "You Raised Me Up," Michael Buble's "Home," and Natalie Cole's "Unforgettable." Foster is joined by special guests Fernando Varela, Pia Toscano, and Shelea Frazier. Tickets are $45-$79.50 with $129.50 Spirit Club Level seats.

Former NBA sharpshooter and Duke legend JJ Redick and his cohost Tommy Alter discuss the NBA, current events and interview some of the biggest names in the NBA, entertainment and political worlds in The Old Man and the Three & The Long Shot in the Amaturo Theater Tuesday, December 7 at 8:30 p.m. Launching from inside the NBA bubble, the show offers unprecedented access to the league while telling the stories of an eclectic rotating group of guests. Told through the lens of NBA player Duncan Robinson and his co-host Davis Reid, The Long Shot provides an inside look into the NBA season while showcasing stories of those that have overcome the odds and achieved success. The event is presented by the Broward Center and AEG Presents. Tickets are $24.50-$34.50

Sure to make everyone embrace their inner elf, Elf the Musical spreads holiday joy Friday, December 10 and Saturday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Amaturo Theater. Based on the cherished 2003 New Line Cinema hit, the musical features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar (The Wedding Singer) and Chad Beguelin (Disney's Aladdin on Broadway), with a book by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone). Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole where he is raised as an elf until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Tickets are $20 with $5 lap tickets for those 12 months and older.

The Bank of America: Broadway in Fort Lauderdale season, presented by Broadway Across America, Florida Theatrical Association and the Broward Center, continues in the Au-Rene Theater with the joyous Broadway hit The Prom Tuesday, December 14-Sunday, December 19. This new musical comedy tells the story of big Broadway stars on a mission to change the world and the love they discover that unites them all. The musical features direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (Mean Girls, The Book of Mormon), music by Tony Award nominee Matthew Sklar (Elf The Musical) and a book by Tony Award winner Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone) and Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin, who also wrote the lyrics (Disney's Aladdin on Broadway). New York Magazine hails The Prom as "smart and big-hearted" while the New York Times declares it "makes you believe in musical comedy again!" Performances are Tuesday-Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $30.

Just in time for the holidays, Slow Burn Theater Company gifts the Amaturo Theater with the winner of a Grammy Award, six Tony Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards and awards from the Drama Desk and Drama League, Kinky Boots from Friday, Dec. 17 through Sunday, Jan. 2. With songs by Grammy and Tony winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, and a hilarious, uplifting book by four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein, this joyous musical celebration is about the friendships we discover and the belief that you can change the world when you change your mind. Inspired by true events, Broadway's huge-hearted, high-heeled hit takes you from a gentlemen's shoe factory in Northampton, England to the glamorous catwalks of Milan. Kinky Boots is the perfect way to celebrate the season with two weeks of performances that include Christmas Day at 1 and 7:30 p.m. New Year's Eve at 9 p.m. and New Year's Day at 1 and 7:30 p.m. The Slow Burn Theatre season is presented by American National Bank, South Florida's premier community bank. Tickets are $49-$65.

The beloved TV classic soars off the screen and into the Au-Rene Theater when Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical delivers the wonderful holiday tradition that speaks to the misfit in all of us Wednesday, December 22 at 7 p.m. All the favorite characters from the special including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph, come to life in an adventure that proves what makes you different can be what makes you special. Based on the animated television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the stage production is directed and conceived by Jeff Frank and First Stage with script adaptation by Robert Penola and arrangements and orchestrations by Timothy Splain. Tickets are $29.50-$55.50 with $5 lap tickets for those 12 months and older, $109.50 Spirit Club Level seats and $115 VIP packages that feature premium seating.

Hailed by the New York Daily News as "A delicious confection of charm, sparkle and talent by the sleigh load," Cirque Dreams Holidaze lights up the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center Sunday, December 26 at 7 p.m. and Monday, December 27 at 2 and 8 p.m. Ballerinas, nutcrackers, snowmen, penguins, reindeer, gingerbread people, carolers and colossal ornaments fly, balance, juggle and stretch imaginations in this dazzling family holiday spectacular. More than 20 of the world's critically acclaimed and accomplished artists and circus acts come all gift-wrapped in over 300 imaginative and one-of-a-kind costume designs. BroadwayWorld proclaims it, "The Perfect Holiday Gift... a show that everyone will enjoy." Tickets are $29-$79 with $128 Spirit Club Level seats.

Also this December at the Broward Center are performances by Symphony of the Americas Holidays of the Americas (Dec. 3-4), Gold Coast Jazz - Bria Skonberg (Dec. 8), Miami City Ballet - George Balanchine's The Nutcracker (Dec. 10-12) and Shen Yun (Dec. 28-30).

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

To post a comment, you must register and login.