Get ready for Riverside Theatre’s new slate of exciting shows by learning what it takes to mount these productions. Riverside’s next Adult Education class takes a look at the upcoming musical “Jersey Boys,” which runs Jan. 2-28. The two-hour classes run 10 a.m. to noon Thursdays, Dec. 21, Dec. 28 and Jan. 4. Led by Kevin Quillinan, Riverside’s director of theater education, the classes give students deep insights into the show’s history. But the really fun part is touring the stage, meeting the performers and important backstage personnel who bring the show to life. Get some eye-opening information about show production by sitting in on one of the show’s “technical rehearsals,” which is when actors, musicians and crew first come together. These are always fascinating to watch as the production aims for technical precision with tight timing and streamlined efficiency. Then, when you watch the actual production, you’ll know a lot more than the rest of the audience and will have some deeper appreciation for all the elements that need to perform like clockwork. The classes cost $75 and are free for Patron Producers and Benefactor Members, Producers Circle and Director Members. Riverside Theatre is at 3250 Riverside Park Dr., Vero Beach. Call 772-231-6990 or visit RiversideTheatre.com.
While you’re in Riverside Park, you also may want to turn your attention to the nearby art exhibition, “M.C. Escher: Infinite Variations,” which runs through Dec. 30 at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. A famous modern Dutch printmaker, Escher is known for his mind-expanding images of infinite staircases defying gravity and perspective and his tightly patterned birds changing into fish and back again. You can see a nod to Escher in Jim Henson’s 1986 movie “Labyrinth,” starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. In it, characters enter into a room modeled after Escher’s “Relativity.” The traveling exhibition on view includes woodcuts, lithographs, drawings and Escher’s eight mezzotints. The Vero Beach Museum of Art is at 3001 Riverside Park Dr. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. The last admission is 15 minutes before closing. The museum will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Admission is free to members, children 17 years and younger and active military with ID. General admission is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors 65 years and older, and $5 for students with ID. Free admission for all on the last Saturday of each month. The museum also participates in “Museums for ALL” for visitors who receive SNAP benefits. For more information, call 772-231-0707 or visit VBMuseum.org.
Certainly, visitors are just about to come to town. This is the perfect time to discover the Environmental Learning Center. Although programming is waning a bit, there still is a lot to do. The ELC’s “Magic of Trees” art exhibition runs through Dec. 29. The exhibition’s closing reception will run from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, and will include live music, refreshments and an art sale. There are a couple of movement classes this weekend at the ELC. A one-hour Yoga class begins at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, for ages 12 and older, costing $13.50 members and $15 non-members. A one-hour Tai Chi/Balance class begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, for ages 8 to 80, costing $13.50 members and $15 non-members. A two-hour Guided Kayak Excursion begins 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 23. This excursion includes paddling in open water, slipping through mangrove trails, and exploring back-water creeks and coves. There’s also an optional hike along the Pine Island mosquito impoundment road. The Guided Kayak Excursion is designed for ages 12 years and older and costs $55 per person. There are also two-hour Pelican Island Pontoon Boat Tours scheduled for 3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21; 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 22; 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, and 3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27. The cost for those is $35 non-member adults and $20 non-member children ages 6 to 11 years. Prices for members are $31.50 adults and $18 for children. The ELC at 55 Live Oak Dr., Vero Beach. For more information, call 772-589-5050 or visit DiscoverELC.org.
