Alan Gutierrez's "INTRO" at Emerson Dorsch.

It's Thursday afternoon at the recently renovated Emerson Dorsch Gallery, and everything is still -- except the moving stock images on TV screens. Observers stand silently, observing the pieces of art around them: boxes on the floor, paintings on the wall, and plasma TVs placed on the floor, the wall, and a table, all illuminated by a stage-lighting system. Movement commences as people walk towards the next piece, but then there's absolute silence once again.

The serenity of the room is interrupted when artist Alan Gutierrez enters the room and the formerly entranced observers turn to greet him.

See also:
- Emerson Dorsch: Taking Wynwood Beyond the Age of Warehouse Galleries

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photo by Noah Kalina

Reggie Watts: even has an unconventional way of posing in front of bridges

There's something dream-like about seeing Reggie Watts perform, both in the surreal way the comedian puts together his show and how when you tell someone about it the next day, its awesomeness is just not going to translate.

Last night, Watts began his three-night stand at Miami Light Project's theater in the Goldman Warehouse. He was the first artist to perform in the space when it opened two years ago and tickets sold so quickly for this year's shows that an extra night was added to accommodate demand. Throughout his 75-minute, mostly improvised set, Watts combined traditional standup comedy with his bizarre and not-quite-sensical rambles; and songs played on a keyboard, as well as built from looped vocals and beat boxing.

Here is an incomplete list of things we learned from Reggie Watts last night:

See also:
- Reggie Watts Comes to Town: "It's Going to be Our-Ami"

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Photos by Swampdog

Last night, Regal South Beach Cinemas hosted the world premiere of Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and Mark Wahlberg's Pain & Gain, director Michael Bay's most elaborate contribution yet to National Poetry Month.

It's not every day that big stars come to Miami for something other than stealing people's cell phones or insulting hamburgers. But for New Times, which published Pete Collins' two-part cover story on which the film is based, this was the proud-parent equivalent of posting a 98 percent spelling quiz on every refrigerator in the nation.

See also:
- Pain & Gain: From New Times Story to Michael Bay Film
- Pain & Gain's Red-Band Trailer: Midgets, Macklemore, and Monk Getting Tased

Join us as Mark Wahlberg considers backing the world's first great Foxy Boxing film, Tony Shaloub shares his steroid routine, and Anthony Mackie talks about how angry people are at the post office. Ed Harris, who would make a great pick for the next postmaster general, tries to kill us with his eyes and might have succeeded were it not for the speedy intervention of a nearby publicist.

Look for Pain & Gain in theaters everywhere beginning April 26. And look for Ed Harris whistling as he pats down the dirt of our shallow grave with the back of a bloody shovel in a remote field near you.

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Photo by Alejandra Serna for FGO

Catalina Cuervo and Jeremias Masseda - Maria de Buenos Aires

Sexy. Seductive. Sweaty. These are three S's not typically associated with opera, the favorite pastime of the monied elderly. But times have changed, and this ain't your grandma's opera anymore.

On second thought, judging by the audience at last night's Tango double-bill at The Stage, maybe it still is your grandma's opera -- but that's only because the younger generations haven't caught on yet. They will. Especially if the Florida Grand Opera (FGO) keeps bringing sexy back like they did with last night's performance.

See also:
- Florida Grand Opera to Debut New Series at The Stage: "We Don't Know What's Going to Happen"
- Florida Grand Opera Returns to Wynwood's Second Saturday Art Walk

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Photos by Ciara LaVelle

The first thing you'll notice when you walk into the Moore Building for "Haring Miami" is its scope. The exhibit promises more than 200 works by the pop artist Keith Haring, whose colorful paintings became emblematic of 1980s art.

Two hundred doesn't sound like a lot in theory, particularly to Miami art fans who are exposed to hundreds of works each month at Wynwood's Second Saturday Art Walk and to thousands at a time each year at Art Basel.

But 200 works by Haring is another story. His canvases, many of which are hung unframed like tapestries, fill four stories of the Moore Building with Haring's instantly recognizable images: human figures dancing and crouching on all fours, simplistically rendered TV sets, dogs, angels. The effect was one of welcome sensory overload.

See also:
- Haring Miami: Local Artists Jessy Nite and Albert Vatveri on Keith Haring's Influence
- Photos: Haring Miami at Moore Building

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I hadn't seen The Nutcracker since I was a little girl. That performance, staged at the university that anchored the Western Pennsylvania town where I grew up, made only the lightest impression on me at the time. Other than there being a gigantic nutcracker statue and a very confusing plot -- was the little girl in love with the nutcracker, or the prince, or the creepy uncle (ew), or...? -- I don't remember much about it.

But I'm going to remember last night's opening of Miami City Ballet's The Nutcracker for a long time.

MCB wowed its audience at the Arsht last night, eliciting audible gasps and bouts of spontaneous applause directed at nearly every aspect of its staging, choreography, performance, and even music. If you're looking for Christmas spirit, you'll find it on the Ziff Ballet Opera House stage.

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Ciara LaVelle

The stars were out last night -- namely, little red stars on Heineken bottles at the beer company's Mural Launch Party at Cafeina in the Wynwood Arts District.

Hundreds of guests were on hand to celebrate the official launch of the Heineken Mural Project, one of several satellite events during Art Basel. The HMP features six world-renowned graffiti artists, several pop up parties, and a bike tour.

Although the HMP primarily celebrates art, last night was all about vibing. The artists, including Estria, Chor Boogie, Prime, Don Rimx, and Miami-based Trek6 and CP1, along with guests, enjoyed tagging up a huge wall. Guests danced to tunes both inside and outside, and all three bars were at least two deep most of the night.

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Courtesy of TEDxMIA, Photo by Armando Colls

TEDxMIA Speakers and Organizers

As us locals will boast proudly--this town is quickly becoming a hub of diverse creativity and leaders of innovative thinking, the total package of brains and beauty. Trouble is, our smarts sometimes go unnoticed because let's admit it, we do look good.

To help demonstrate the city's wit, TEDxMIA (where x= independently organized TED event) brought the TED model of discussions and idea sharing to circles across Miami Dade in an effort to showcase and drive the cultural and intellectual vitality continuing to grow in the Magic City. When we spoke to Caroline MacDonald, curator of TEDxMIA, to ask her "why Miami?" she replied in a clever English accent, "Simple. It's the city of the future".

Last night, TEDxMIA's "Framing the Future" took forward-thinking Miamians on a tour of a future society where crippling disabilities are cured, music and cameras have the power to dramatically change lives, and businesses profit from leaving the world a bit better than they found it. The live discussion held at the New World Center presented acclaimed speakers to promote "Ideas Worth Spreading" to share these ideas that directly pertain to our backyard and have potential to fundamentally alter the path of the next century.

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Photos by Danielle Ungermann

Before the Miami City Ballet dancers performed for the first time without founder Edward Villella last night, new artistic director Lourdes Lopez took the stage to give thanks. Declaring that she was "back home," Lopez reminisced about growing in up a very different Miami -- one without MOCA, or the Colony Theatre, New World Symphony or the Arsht Center. 
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All images by Danielle Ungermann.

After months of controversy surrounding the departure of founder Edward Villella, Miami City Ballet debuts its first performance under new artistic director Lourdes Lopez Friday, Oct. 19. Program I features three ballets: George Balanchine's Apollo, Sir Frederick Ashton's Les Patineurs, and Paul Taylor's Piazzolla Caldera.More »