ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment best bets: Whiskey in the District, historic kimonos and more

Christina LaFortune
Florida Today

Whiskey in the District

Whiskey in the District will be along the southern end of Highland Ave. in the Eau Gallie Arts District on Jan. 26.

Despite the abundance of nostalgic Old West-style imagery on modern whiskey labels, the craft of distilling whiskey has evolved into an art form since the old days, to the delight of 21st-Century connoisseurs. The popularity of whiskey culture will be on full display along the southern end of Highland Ave. in the Eau Gallie Arts District from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26. This festival to benefit EGAD will offer two types of tickets. VIP tickets for $75 include access to whiskey and restaurant samplings and western hospitality experience. Upgraded "Vault Experience" tickets for $150 will also include a private tasting of elite whiskeys. Participants must be 21 or over. Visit whiskeyinthedistrict.com or call 321-428-5060.

Japanese Propaganda Kimonos

This Japanese textile fragment is part of the exhibit opening at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts on the Florida Tech Campus.

A new exhibit featuring the visual motifs of Japanese wartime kimonos starts Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts on the Florida Tech campus, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne, and continues through May 4. It will feature textiles from one of the most distinctive periods in Japanese history, 1920-1945, as Japan was promoting its cultural identity on the world stage. The exhibit will be accompanied by programs showcasing  both wartime history and Japanese culture, including a gallery talk by author David Miller on "A Military Historian's Take on Propaganda Textiles"  at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. Visit textiles.fit.edu.

Black Jacket Symphony

Marc Martel will lead the Black Jacket Symphony in recreating Queen's "A Night at the Opera" at the King Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019.

Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango? Led by singer Marc Martel, Black Jacket Symphony will recreate Queen's "A Night at the Opera" live at the King Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31. They'll perform "Bohemian Rhapsody" along with a full set of Queen's greatest hits. Tickets start at $51. Visit www.kingcenter.com.

Jazz up the New Year

Leave your winter blues behind at this lively collaboration between the Melbourne Community Orchestra and the Swingtime Jazz Band. The free concert will be at the Melbourne Auditorium, 625 E. Hibiscus Blvd., at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 30-31. Call 321-285-6724 or visit mcorchestra.org.

Catch it while you can

Rhett Pennell as John Proctor, and Katie McCall as Abigail Williams. Arthur Miller's The Crucible, the Tony Award winning drama about the Salem witchcraft trials, will be performed at Surfside Playhouse in Cocoa Beach January 11-27.

The Crucible: Arthur Miller's riveting drama about the Puritan purge of witchcraft in old Salem closes this weekend at Surfside Playhouse, 301 Ramp Road, Cocoa Beach. Remaining performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-25, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 26-27. Tickets range from $22-$25. Call 321-783-3127 or visit surfsideplayhouse.org.

More:The Crucible at Surfside Playhouse

More:Theater shockers have become cultural standards

Get in on the act

Auditions are a nerve-wracking but necessary part of being in a play.

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder: Performers ages 13 and older are invited to audition for the musical at Cocoa Village Playhouse, 300 Brevard Ave., at 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 28-29. The show is about the distant heir to a family fortune who speeds up the line of succession by using a great deal of charm, and a dash of murder. Come prepared with 16 bars of a song and sheet music, or a CD or flash drive with MP3 accompaniment that does not contain prerecorded vocals. Dress in clothes and shoes you can move in; dance movements will be taught at the audition. Performances will be March 8-24. Call 321-636-5050 or visit cocoavillageplayhouse.com.

More:Make great impression at theater auditions

More:How to audition for a play or a musical

More things to do, places to go

Looking for more things to do? Here are a few other options to consider.

Ice cream social & bingo: Play bingo for cash prizes, enjoy ice cream from The Fat Donkey and more at this fundraiser for the Freedom 7 Senior Community Center at the Cocoa Beach Country Club, 5000 Tom Warriner Blvd., from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children. Call 321-783-9505.

'50s Sock Hop: Rock & Roll Revue, an ensemble of the Melbourne Municipal Band, will perform at the Melbourne Auditorium, 625 E. Hibiscus Blvd., from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25. '50s dress is optional. Admission is $10, and dance instruction is available at 6 p.m. for an additional $5. Call 321-339-7705 or visit mmband.net.

Block Kids Building Contest: Saturday, Jan. 26 is the deadline for kids in grades K-6 to register for the national building competition that will take place on Feb. 2 at Hans Christian Andersen Elementary School, 3011 S. Fiske Blvd., Rockledge. Registration is free. Call 321-543-9238 or email blockkids355@yahoo.com.

Youth Sports Fun Day: Kids ages 3-18 can participate in sports, cheerleading, interactive stations, workshops and a kid's zone at the Lipscomb Community Center, 3316 Monroe Street, Melbourne, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26. Admission is free. Call 321-608-7450.

Free plane rides for kids: Kids ages 8 to 17 can take a free flight at the Young Eagles Flight Rally at the Merritt Island Airport, 900 Airport Road, from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 26. Registration is required. Visit youngeaglesday.com or call 321-266-7410.

Melbourne Mystic Faire: Event will feature psychics, healers, vendors and lectures at the Melbourne Auditorium, 625 Hibiscus Blvd., from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27. Admission is $5 for one day, or $8 for both days. Visit mysticfaires.com.

Rockledge Art & Craft Show: The event will be along Barton Blvd. Saturday, Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Call 321-221-7540.

Young @ Heart Fair: This free health fair for seniors will be at Wickham Park Community Center, 2785 Leisure Way, Melbourne, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30. Call 321-773-1454.

International dinner series: The Panther Dining Hall at Florida Tech, 3113 Panther Place, Melbourne, will serve the cuisine of China from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31. The cost is $16 per person. Visitor parking is free on the first floor of the garage behind the dining hall. Visit fit.edu or call 321-674-8040.

Book sale: The Friends of the Satellite Beach Public Library, 751 Jamaica Blvd., will launch their annual book sale on Thursday, Jan. 31 from noon to 7 p.m. The sale will continue through Feb. 2. Call 321-779-4004.

LaFortune hosts "The FLORIDA TODAY Show," which airs at 5:30 p.m. Sundays on WEFS.

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