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Why is Miami “The Magic City”?

by REBEKKAH MAR When I graduated from high school, I wanted to escape the hectic traffic, crowded beaches, and nightlife of Miami, Florida. But once I spent a year in Gainesville, I ached to come home. The city lacked Miami's diversity, culture, and history. I realized that I took the city for granted and never explored the depth of as to why Miami is known as "The Magic City." The label "The Magic City" was coined when Miami transformed from a small pioneer town in 1900 of 1,618 residents to a city containing 29,549 residents only twenty years later. This transformation led to new transportation developments as well as tourist resorts. Miami's population only continued to increase. After World War II, families moved to the area due to the accessibility of military training … [Read more...]

Quinta Guadalupe: La casa del indiano

    Luis Ramos-Alarcón Marcín Doctor en Filosofía, Escritor y Artista. En el Museo de Bellas Artes de la ciudad de Oviedo, hay un extraño cuadro de Evaristo Valle que retrata a un indiano y su mujer. Es extraño el cuadro porque tiene un estilo, entre postimpresionista tipo Toulouse-Lautrec y el expresionismo alemán, pero fue pintado alrededor de 1940. Pero más extraño es el contraste entre el hombre y su mujer. El indiano, aquel asturiano que hizo fortuna en las Américas y regresa a su tierra natal, es representado como un viejo flaco, deforme y amarillo. En cambio, la mujer es joven, llenita y con mejillas rojas de vida. Ambos tienen miradas hacia afuera, hacia direcciones distintas; ella como si se asegurara de que es admirada por los ausentes; él … [Read more...]

Soaring to new heights, the review of the Adrienne Arsht Center’s 8cho Miami

by REBEKKAH MAR Thursday night, June 20th 2013, the streets of downtown Miami were filled with enthusiastic frenzied Heat fans crowding sport bars and cheering in the stadium. However, a few blocks away from the packed American Airlines Arena, one could see a group of people rushing to the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Ziff Ballet Opera House for the premiere of the anticipated 8cho. Instead of sporting white Heat shirts, Adrienne Arsht ticket holders clutched their programs and showed as much excitement as the loyal Miami Heat fans as they rushed toward the Opera House to watch the “must see” aerial tango spectacle. That night the Miami Heat fans were not the only winners. The performances were filled with culture, passion, music, and of course, the tango. But it was not just an … [Read more...]

Summer Shorts 2013

The nationally acclaimed City Theater’s Annual Summer Shorts Festival has returned to Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center’s Carnival Studio Theater for their 18th season and I was so excited to see it. I must have looked ridiculous as I was literally laughing till my glasses fell off, but I wasn’t alone. People were holding their sides roaring with laughter while others just politely covered their mouths. All I can say is that the performances were refreshing, provocative, and down-right hilarious. The plays were definitely not for a family night out, but for a sophisticated and more mature audience, it was perfect. This was Miami live theatre at its best! Summer Shorts consisted of ten plays, including several world premieres, performed by Irene Adjan, Ken Clement, Todd Allen … [Read more...]

Angelique Kidjo’s Performance at the Arsht Center – Medicine for the soul.

by Rebekkah Mar How can I describe my experience of watching Angelique Kidjo perform on May 31 at the Arsht Center Knight Concert Hall? This woman, who has won a Grammy Award for “Best Contemporary Music” in 2008, has been listed as one of Forbe’s top “40 Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa,” and has recently been featured on her own PBS special. Well, I can just say that her performance was stirring, inspirational, and redemptive. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but based on the audience’s whispers that permeated through the room, I knew that she had a strong and loyal fan base anticipating her arrival. The lights dimmed to nothing and then a single spotlight magnified the empty stage. Suddenly, one could hear her earthy alto voice resonate through the hall backstage. … [Read more...]