News and Stories from Broward’s Arts and Culture Scene – Imagination Unchained: 5th Annual Juneteenth Experience Concert at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center

Next Weekend Productions and the City of Lauderhill present the 5th Annual “Imagination Unchained” Concert on June 20 at Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, celebrating Juneteenth and Black creativity and resilience with a powerful concert performance. The evening combines live musicians and vocalists, spoken word poetry, visual art, and cultural history into a multi-sensory performance. Harpist and music educator, Crystal Sawyer will perform at the concert; also performing in this year’s show is:

Cande Rivers: Known for her powerful singing abilities and her tributes to Black musical icons like Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston, Rivers has performed in productions at The Wick Theatre in Boca Raton and with the South Florida variety band, The Valerie Tyson Band.

Alexander Star: An Emmy-nominated R&B and hip-hop artist whose music has been featured at the United Nations and the Super Bowl. He is the official artist ambassador for Greater Fort Lauderdale and has helped over 500 teens in foster care develop their singing and songwriting talent through his “Inner Glow” songwriting workshops.

Marlo Vashti: A multi-talented actress, songwriter, poet, and jazz vocalist, Vashti is best known for her work as a jazz artist (she was featured on PBS South Florida’s “Art Loft” series) but her work extends to theatre and giving back to the community through the arts. She’s an ensemble player with the Fort Lauderdale theatre company, New City Players, and a teaching artist with Art Prevails Project, a community-focused arts organization.

Guests will also enjoy the talents of Guyanese-American artist, Dionne H.E. Polite, who will be doing live painting at the show. Her colorful, bold paintings are informed by her Caribbean heritage and life in South Florida.

Tickets to “Imagination Unchained” are available through Showpass. VIP tickets include a pre-show reception and champagne; standard tickets come with admission to a live poetry reading.