Palm Beach residents know what they like when it comes to the arts.
And arts patrons found plenty to keep them occupied this season, as performing-arts venues, museums and galleries presented a slate of internationally renowned and high-quality programming.
This marked the first season for the new Glazer Hall performing-arts mecca in Palm Beach, which drew major headliners during a season that renewed the spirit of the former Royal Poinciana Playhouse. Landmark exhibitions and world-class touring acts could also be found just a short drive away in West Palm Beach.
Here is a look at some of the outstanding shows, performances and exhibitions from this season.
Glazer Hall
Glazer Hall began its Palm Beach tenure in spectacular fashion. The season featured performances from award-winning singers and actors Corinne Bailey Rae, Matthew Morrison, Judy Collins, Chazz Palminteri and others. Glazer Hall also drew major productions and performing groups: the American Ballet Theatre, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, musical group Gipsy Kings and the Amazing Acrobats of Shanghai Circus.
The inaugural gala on April 18 featured Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow. The venue also introduced a slate of family- and sensory-friendly programming, such as the Andrew Sullivan Family Film Series. And the lineup included innovative opportunities for theater-goers, exemplified by an Earth Day event that featured live performances from members of the Palm Beach Symphony and Palm Beach Opera along with the North American theatrical premiere of the National Geographic film “Ocean.”
Executive Director Allison Stockel said she is in awe of what Glazer Hall has been able to accomplish in its first season.
“What’s been especially meaningful is how the community has embraced not just us, but the spirit of what we’re trying to create,” Stockel said. “People have truly loved the variety. Guests who first came to see Renée Fleming have returned for The Beach Boys and even discovered Herbie Hancock along the way. That kind of curiosity and openness is exactly what we hoped for.”
For more information about Glazer Hall, visit GlazerHall.org.
Norton Museum of Art
The Norton set the bar for world-class exhibitions extremely high this season, which the West Palm Beach institution began with a landmark show that featured the world’s largest private collection of Dutch Golden Age artworks in its U.S. debut.
“Arts and Life in Rembrandt’s Time: Masterpieces from the Leiden Collection” featured 76 works from famed 17th-century Dutch artists including Rembrandt van Rihn, Johannes Vermeer, Gerrit Dou and Frans van Mieris. Franco-American businessman, philanthropist and art collector Thomas Kaplan and his wife, Daphne Recanati Kaplan, started the collection in 2003.
The exhibition featured masterworks that demonstrated the exceptional skills of Dutch artists, who created striking depictions of everyday life, such as Gerrit Dou’s “Herring Seller and Boy.”
The exhibitions now on display at the Norton are celebrating women artists, as the institution marks its 10th installment of the Recognition of Art by Women, or RAW, program. The luminous paintings of Danielle Mckinney’s exhibition “Shelter” are juxtaposed with a RAW retrospective featuring works by Jenny Saville and Rose B. Simpson. “Shelter” is open through Oct. 4 and “Recognition of Art by Women: In Retrospect” is open through Sept. 27.
For more information about the Norton Museum of Art, visit Norton.org.
Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
It’s no wonder that the Flagler Museum last summer was named a top tourist destination to visit worldwide in Tripadvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards, as the institution this season put forth two exhibitions that exemplified the Gilded Age and the early 1900s.
The Flagler’s Fall Exhibition was “May I Help You, Madame? The Making of the Modern Department Store,” which explored the rise of major retailers and cultural revolution sparked by their advent. Jazz music set the mood for the exhibition, which included vintage items pulled from the museum’s collection, and a window display designed by seasonal Palm Beach resident and bon vivant Simon Doonan.
The Spring Exhibition turned an eye toward the romantic landscapes of an artist known as “the painter of hollyhocks” in “Golden Hour — Charles Courtney Curran and the Romance of American Impressionism.” Curran was a leading figure in New York’s Cragsmoor Art Colony in the first half of the 20th century, and the exhibition traces the artist’s journey from his home in Ohio to the mountainous Cragsmoor. Curran’s works are bathed in the warm light of the museum’s Music Room, where the exhibition is set.
Both exhibitions remain open through May 24 in the museum at 1 Whitehall Way.
In addition to its annual lecture and music series — this year’s Bluegrass in the Pavilion featured a phenomenal performance from the iconic Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver — the museum also presented its beloved holiday celebrations. Both the Christmas tree lighting and Easter Egg Hunt drew major crowds of eager families to the picturesque grounds.
For more information about the Flagler Museum, visit FlaglerMuseum.org.
Society of the Four Arts
This season’s robust schedule of programming at The Society of the Four Arts was accompanied by expectations that offerings may be more limited next season, as the institution undertakes a major renovation and expansion project that begins this summer in the Esther B. O’Keeffe and Rovensky buildings.
The season-opening exhibition was “Edgar Degas, The Private Impressionist: Works on Paper by the Artist & His Circle,” which included drawings, prints and other works by Degas and some of his closest colleagues. The exhibit showcased the breadth and depth of Degas’ work, and the complexity of his friendships, some of which he maintained throughout his life.
The winter exhibition, which closed April 4, was “The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art.” The Four Arts brought together more than 120 paintings, sculptures, pieces of furniture and glass works from one of the largest Art Nouveau collections in the U.S. The show drew mostly on the expansive collection of Walter P. and Jean Chrysler that is housed at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Virginia.
As usual, the Four Arts presented a packed lineup of speakers, including author and playwright Joyce Carol Oates; historian Ted Aldrich; author Rick Atkinson; and creative visionary Carolina Herrera Jr. The event listing featured special story times for children, and viewings of pre-recorded performances from the The Met in New York City. The Sanda and Jeremiah Lambert Concert Series returned with Canadian Brass’ holiday concert “Making Spirits Bright,” and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performing Bach’s “Brandenburg Concertos.” The series also included jazz and bluegrass performances.
For more information about the Society of the Four Arts, visit FourArts.org.
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
This season was one for the books at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, with award-winning performers and internationally renowned hits on the calendar. Kravis on Broadway’s return brought a slate of rentertaining and world-class shows, kicking off with “The Wiz” and wrapping up with musical “The Notebook.” “Some Like It Hot” earned strong reviews in January, with powerhouse performances enlivened with dazzling costumes and sets.
The venue’s Classical Concert Series returned with performances from the Vienna Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra, along with a stellar performance of Handel’s “Messiah” by the country’s oldest performing arts organization, the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston. This season also brought a slate of top comedy acts, kicking off with Josh Johnson of “The Daily Show,” along with Palm Beach Improv headliners Jon Lovitz, Becky Robinson and Nick Swardson.
This marked the 20th year for the Kravis Center’s African American Film Festival, which took place in February and featured showings of “Muhammed Ali, The Greatest,” “Princess Tam Tam,” “Love & Basketball,” “He Got Game” and “Stormy Weather.”
Family-friendly performances featured at the Kravis this season included the hit “Dog Man: The Musical,” which brought to life the hit book series by best-selling author Dav Pilkey in March. In December, the stunt-filled “360 Allstars” riveted families with daring acts and colorful displays. The Kravis Center this season also hosted the free interactive public art installation Los Trompos, spinning tops that encourage visitors to pause and spend time in their colorful confines.
For more information about the Kravis Center, visit Kravis.org.
Palm Beach Dramaworks
Palm Beach Dramaworks’ 2025-26 season featured award-winning plays and a world premiere — which is still to come. The season began with phenomenal performances in the moving play “The Mountaintop” by Katori Hall, which won the 2010 Olivier Award for Best New Play. The play tells the story of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 3, 1968, the day before his assassination. That production was followed by “The Seafarer” by Conor McPherson, a dark and humorous fable about a man who returns home to take care of his ailing brother, only to be confronted by his past.
This season’s headline-grabbing production of “Driving Miss Daisy” did not disappoint. The adaptation of the Oscar and Golden Globe-winning 1989 comedy-drama featured actress Debra Jo Rupp of “That ’70s Show” as Miss Daisy, and Ray Anthony Thomas as her driver, Hoke. Rupp’s performance as Miss Daisy was a standout, complemented by Thomas’ excellent, skilled portrayal of Hoke. Together, they breathed new life into characters with which many theatergoers were familiar.
This season also featured the return of “The Crucible,” the iconic Tony Award-winning play written by the late Arthur Miller which this season was directed by William Hayes, producing artistic director of Dramaworks.
The fifth and final play of the season is the world premiere of “Vineland Place,” written by Steven Dietz and directed by J. Barry Lewis, which will be performed May 15-31. In this play, a young writer hired to finish the final novel of his late hero becomes embroiled in a mystery. Tickets are on sale now.
For more information, visit PalmBeachDramaworks.org.
Palm Beach Symphony
This was a banner season for the Palm Beach Symphony, which put forward the high-quality performances expected from this organization of world-class musicians that just happens to be in Palm Beach’s own backyard.
Not only has the symphony presented five concerts so far — and one more, still to come — during its Masterworks series, all of which were directed by Maestro Gerard Schwarz, but the Palm Beach Symphony also recorded of a symphonic version of the Florida Panthers’ goal song, “Panthers Pulse,” which was originally performed by Ownboss & Selva. Fifty-eight musicians — a number of that, of course, included a hearty group of Panthers fans — traveled in September to the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall at the University of Miami’s Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music to record the song.
The theme of this season’s concerts was passion, exemplified by the passion with which the musicians performed each installment in the series, which began with pianist Shelly Berg and a selection of pieces by George Gershwin, Alan Hovhaness and Ottorino Respighi. Pianist Misha Dichter was featured in the second concert, with cellist Alisa Weilerstein in the third. Violinist Vadim Repin was featured in the fourth concern, followed by pianist Simon Trpčeski in the fifth.
The final concert in the series is set for 3 p.m. May 17, with pianist Emanuel Ax and scheduled pieces that include Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 22,” and Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture” and selections from Holst’s “The Planets.” Tickets are still available for this performance.
For more information, visit PalmBeachSymphony.org.
Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach
The Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach’s 13th season featured wide-ranging programs with acclaimed musicians in venues that included the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, the Norton Museum of Art and the Kravis Center.
Performances took audiences through a range of composers, beginning with pieces by Beethoven, Nielsen and Strauss. December’s “Lush Guitar” concert at the Norton presented Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux with the Chamber Music Society’s Arnaud Sussman on violin, Tessa Lark on violin, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt on viola and Edward Arron on cello. They performed pieces by Haydn, Paganini and Boccherini.
The season closed April 23 with “Carnival of the Animals” at the Norton Museum with featured artists Kristin Lee on violin, Arnaud Sussman on violin, Paul Neubauer on viola, Orion Weiss on piano, Nicholas Canellakis on cello, Michael Stephen Brown on piano, Tara Helen O’Connor on flute, Jose Franch-Ballester on clarinet and Ian Rosenbaum on percussion.
The society hosted three events this season, which included “Humor and Harmony Returns” at the Kravis Center in November, “Rising Artists in Concert” at the Norton in January and “Rhapsody in Blue” at the Kravis in February.
For more information, visit cmspb.org.
Palm Beach Opera
The Palm Beach Opera packed three powerhouse performances into its season, which began with Giacomo Puccini’s “La bohème” from Jan. 23-26, followed by Georges Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers” from Feb. 20-22. The final opera of the season was Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” presented March 20-22.
“La bohème,” an enduring favorite that is among the four most-performed operas in the world, featured stunning costumes and sets, along with a spot-on lighting design that brought each scene to life. Soloman Howard had a star turn as Colline, with a commanding stage presence aided by his booming, clear, precise voice.
“The Pearl Fishers” was a stunning, colorful delight, with sets and costumes designed by British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes.
The lavish production of “Rigoletto” provided a fitting end to the season, with Renaissance-inspired costumes and a vibrant set created by Robert Dahlstrom. A trio of Palm Beach Opera debuts for baritone Vladislav Sulimsky in the role of Rigoletto and tenors Jonathan Tetelman and Pavel Valuzhin sharing the role of the Duke of Mantua, created buzz and proved fruitful for the company.
For more information about the Palm Beach Opera, visit PBOpera.org.
Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens
The season within the lush confines of Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens in West Palm Beach featured exhibitions and art with, fittingly, a focus on the natural world.
West Palm artist Paul Gervais’ “Imperiled: Florida’s Wildlife and Habitats” opened the season with more than 30 works of art showcasing the wildlife and landscapes of the Sunshine State. The sculpture gardens partnered with the National Wildlife Refuge Association on the exhibition, which included paintings of vibrant birds and sun-dappled natural areas.
The gardens kicked off the new year with ceramic, print and textile works by Pablo Picasso in the exhibition “Picasso: Clay, Line and Legacy.” The show included pieces from 1946 through the early 1970s, when Picasso spent time working at the Madoura pottery workshop in Vallauris, France.
Through June, visitors can enjoy outdoor works by artist-in-residence Kevin Barrett with his show “Organic Abstraction: Contemporary Sculpture.” Barrett is a third-generation artist who creates sculptures using a variety of materials such as bronze, stainless steel and aluminum. His art complements the gardens’ installed pieces and landscaping.
For more information about Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, visit ANSG.org.
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To read more about the opening of Palm Beach’s Glazer Hall this season, click here.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Jam-packed Palm Beach arts-and-culture season comes to a close
Reporting by Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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