 |
|
Enter a unique world of light and color at
the Florida Premiere of Levity II. |
On an average Saturday night in Miami
Beach, partying generally continues until near dawn. So
announcements about the city-sponsored Sleepless Night event —
an all-night arts and culture fest Saturday, Nov. 3, from
6 p.m. to 6 a.m. — didn’t seem out of the ordinary.
“Just an
extra hour for bars to stay open — big deal,” was how one wag
put it.
Well, it
is a big deal, it turns out.
The
upcoming Sleepless Night is modeled after Nuit Blanche (“white
night” in French), an all-night arts and culture event that
debuted in Paris in 2002. It has since spread to Brussels,
Madrid, Tel Aviv, Montreal, Toronto, Rome and now Miami.
Christophe Girard, the deputy mayor of Paris who came up with
the idea, will inaugurate the all-nighter when he cuts the
ribbon at Lincoln Road’s Euclid Oval at 6 p.m. Saturday, said
Gary Farmer, the city’s cultural affairs program manager, who
just returned from the Paris festival, which draws an estimated
2 million Parisians each year.
“Masses
of people came,” he said. “It was quite a convivial atmosphere,
and also an excuse to party, I must say.”
This
being Miami Beach, though, there’s a bit of shrewd marketing
behind our version. Sleepless Night just happens to fall on the
date that the clocks are turned back an hour, thus creating a
25-hour day. And that just happens to jibe with the city’s new
tourism marketing slogan: “Miami Beach 25/7 — so much to do,
you’ll need the extra hour.” It also gives meaning to the
event’s slogan — “Sleepless Night: Fall back. Culture forward.”
Although
Miami Beach is famous for its nightlife, this event is intended
to be all-inclusive, even offering alcohol-free activities
suitable for children. Sleepless Night will showcase arts and
culture in a way that clubbing does not.
“This is
a chance for people to go out and rediscover the city, and see
fantastic art that will be staged all night long,” said Farmer,
noting that the event is designed to bring together the city’s
major cultural institutions, theaters, galleries and arts
organizations. Hotels, shops, nightclubs, restaurants and
international artists also will participate.
Sponsored by the City of Miami Beach and the Miami Beach
Cultural Arts Council, events will take place in four major
zones of Miami Beach — North Beach, Collins Park, Lincoln Road
and Ocean Drive — connected by free shuttle buses. There also
will be free parking on Watson Island. Thus far, more than 80
venues have signed up to offer 130 free events, geared for
everyone.
The
Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau even advertised the
event in New York City this summer, Farmer said, in part to fill
in the so-called soft “shoulder season” that precedes the city’s
high winter season.
“This is
not a kickoff for Art Basel, but this time of year, tourism is a
little slow, so my thought was to try and stretch the Art Basel
period on both ends. This event offers something incredible to
do — it’s a major event — and, on the other end, we’ll have
Spiegelworld coming from New York to fill in that period,” he
said, referring to the theater group that’s bringing its sexy
adult circus for a six-week run in late December.
“In any
case,” Farmer said, “it’s going to be a blast.”
Here are
some Sleepless Night highlights:
- Zone
1 — North Beach: Accent on dance and world rhythms, with Dance
Now! Ensemble, Teatro en Miami Aromas de un Vieje.
- Zone
2 — Collins Park: The Miami City Ballet performs an open
rehearsal from The Sleeping Beauty; composer and sound
artist Gustavo Matamoros performs Swept Away/ThruNite,
a piano concerto featuring 24 performers.
- Zone
3 — Lincoln Road: Performances from the New World Symphony and
multiplatinum Grammy Award-winning performer Rudy Perez, along
with special guests, live performances and silent film
classics by the Miami Beach Film Society and Cinematheque, and
art exhibits at the South Florida Arts Center.
- Zone
4 — Ocean Drive and Washington Avenue: Models wearing
innovative fashions from world-renowned designer Barbara
Hulanicki will walk the runway; performances by Miami World
Theater and Miami Lyric Opera.
Sleepless Night will take place in Miami Beach on Saturday, Nov.
3, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. For a complete listing of events and
locations, visit www.sleeplessnight.org. |
