Your South Florida Theatre's Production Pictures Here

Contact SFTN to find out how to get your production pictures posted here on our blog.

Your South Florida Theatre's Production Pictures Here

Contact SFTN to find out how to get your production pictures posted here on our blog.

Your South Florida Theatre's Production Pictures Here

Contact SFTN to find out how to get your production pictures posted here on our blog.

Your South Florida Theatre's Production Pictures Here

Contact SFTN to find out how to get your production pictures posted here on our blog.

Your South Florida Theatre's Production Pictures Here

Contact SFTN to find out how to get your production pictures posted here on our blog.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Show reviews for the week of Feb. 27

The Broward Stage Door Theatre presents My Fair Lady. Directed by Michael Leeds and featuring: Matthew William , Diana Rose Becker, Bob Levitt, Michael Douglass, and Regan Featherstone.

Christine Dolan has reviewed the show for The Miami Herald 

Stage Door’s ‘My Fair Lady’ is Only Fair
One of the most popular, exquisitely crafted musicals from Broadway’s golden age is back on the boards, this time at Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs.

My Fair Lady, Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s glorious interpretation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, remains as delightful a piece of musical theater as the day the team debuted it in 1956. But that doesn’t mean My Fair Lady is foolproof or easy to pull off, truths that the Stage Door production illustrates.


And Bill Hirschman reviewed the show for Florida Theater On Stage

Broward Stage Door’s Disappointing My Fair Lady Lacks Magic and Charm
The Broward Stage Door has given us wonderful productions of Light in the Piazza, Mack and Mabel, The Drowsy Chaperone and A Little Night Music. But this edition of My Fair Lady is a disappointing muddle other than a few adequate performances under the direction of the usually reliable Michael Leeds.

Stage Door’s strongest assets, thankfully, are Matthew William Chizever as the misanthropic speech pathologist Henry Higgins and Diana Rose Becker as the flower girl from the streets who he transforms into a “lie-dee” while she gets under his skin.

Also checkout the reviews for "Fathers and Other Strangers" and "Billy Elliot"

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Current Productions for the week of February 27, 2012

Last of the Red Hot Lovers by Neil Simon
at Broward Stage Door Theatre Until Mar 4
Barney Cashman is middleaged, overweight, and married. He wants to join the sexual revolution to have one last fling. Knowing that his mother's apartment is empty on certain days he lures three different women there and attempts to seduce the,. He bungles every attempt. He utterly and hilariously fails at seduction. In desperation he asks up the only other woman he can think of: his wife.


The Pitman Painters by Lee Hall
at Palm Beach Dramaworks Until Mar 11

In 1934, a group of Ashington miners hired a professor to teach an art appreciation evening class. Rapidly abandoning theory in favour of practice, the pitmen began to paint. Within a few years the most avant-garde artists became their friends and their work was acquired by prestigious collections; but every day they worked, as before, down the mine.


Billy Elliot: The Musical
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts Until Mar 11
Based on the international smash-hit film, Billy Elliot is Set in a small town, the story follows Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, discovering a surprising passion that inspires his family and his whole community. A big musical with an even bigger heart, Billy Elliot will enchant the dreamer in all of us.  Music by Sir Elton John, Lyrics & Book by Lee Hall.


Beau Jest by James Sherman 
at The Tamarac Theatre of Performing Arts Until Mar 11
Sarah is a nice Jewish girl with a problem: her parents don’t know she is dating a WASP executive named Chris Kringle. She tells them she is dating a Jewish doctor and they insist on meeting him. She plans a dinner party and employs an escort service to send her a Jewish date to be Dr. Steinberg. Instead, they send Bob Schroeder, an aspiring actor who is extremely convincing in the role and Sarah's parents are enraptured. Soon, even Sarah falls for Bob. 


Sweet Charity
Featuring Margot Moreland as Charity
at The Boca Raton Theatre Guild Until March 18
Sweet Charity tells the story of an optimistic young woman, Charity, who not only wears her heart on her sleeve, she's had it tattooed to her arm!  When Charity finds herself taken advantage time and again she vows never again. The next night she finds herself trapped in an elevator with a claustrophobic tax accountant who soon sweeps Charity off her feet.  Soon it becomes clear that this man is different, but will he still feel the same about her when he finds out that Charity works at the Fan-Dango as a dance hall hostess?


Agatha Christie: The Unexpected Guest
at Lake Worth Playhouse Until Mar 18
A thriller as well as a puzzler set in a foggy estate in Wales; this mystery opens as a stranger walks into a house to find a man murdered and his wife standing over him with a gun.  But the woman is dazed and her confession unconvincing.  So the unexpected guest decides to help her and blame the murder on an intruder. 


Working by Stephen Schwartz
at The Caldwell Theatre Company Presents Until April 1
Based on the best-selling book of interviews with American workers by Studs Terkel, Working explores the American workday from the Monday morning blues to a working person's pride in having "something to point to."  Music by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), Lin Manuel-Miranda (In the Heights), and Grammy award winner James Taylor.


A Steady Rain by Keith Huff
at The Gable Stage Until Apr 1
This hard-hitting Broadway smash chronicles love and rage on the streets of Chicago. A domestic disturbance call sends two cops, friends since childhood, on a harrowing journey that will test their loyalties and change their lives forever. As their lifelong friendship is put to the ultimate test, both men must deal with honor and loyalty in the face of adversity.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Childrens Theatre for the week of February 27, 2012

Alexander, Who’s Not Not Not Not Not Going to Move!
at The Actors Playhouse Until March 3
In this hilarious sequel to Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Alexander has really bad news —his dad has taken a job in a new city a thousand miles away, which means that his family is going to have to move.  And even though his mom says "Wait, you'll like it," Alexander already knows that he'll hate it.  So he has decided that he won't move. Now Alexander must figure out HOW he's not going to move.


Hamlet: Prince of Denmark
Murder most foul has been committed!  Prince Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father, the late King, setting in motion a tragic chain of events as Hamlet seeks to avenge his father's most unnatural death.


Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
at The PlayGround Theatre Until March 11
The PlayGround Theatre’s adaptation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland adds a tropical twist to a familiar story.  Lewis Carroll’s Alice is a 19th century 7-year-old who lives in the English countryside.  The PlayGround’s Alice is a 21st century 11-year-old who lives in metropolitan Miami, Florida.  Join Alice as she tackles the challenges of her ever-changing world, and look for costumes, sounds, objects, and images that infuse the classic fairytale with contemporary life.

Steady Rain

The Gable Stage Presents
A Steady Rain
Book by Keith Huff
Mar 3 – Apr 1

Agatha Christie: The Unexpected Guest

Lake Worth Playhouse Presents
Agatha Christie: The Unexpected Guest
Mar 1 – Mar 18


A thriller as well as a puzzler set in a foggy estate in Wales; this mystery opens as a stranger walks into a house to find a man murdered and his wife standing over him with a gun.  But the woman is dazed and her confession unconvincing.  So the unexpected guest decides to help her and blame the murder on an intruder.  Later, the police discover clues that point to a man who died two years previously and a Pandora's Box of loves and hates, suspicions and intrigues opened to the night air.



Showtimes
Thurs. Mar 1: Dinner (6pm) and Preview Performance (8pm)
Thurs, Fri & Sat @ 8 PM
Sat & Sun @ 2 PM

Sweet Charity

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild Presents
Sweet Charity
Music by Cy Coleman
Lyrics by Dorothy Feilds
Book by Neil Simon
March 2 – March 18


ADAPTED from Nights of Cabiria, a film by Federico Fellini, Sweet Charity tells the story of an optimistic young woman, Charity, who not only wears her heart on her sleeve, she's had it tattooed to her arm! As the play begins, Charity finds herself dumped by the married man on whom she had pinned all her hopes and dreams, and she vows never again to be taken advantage of by a man. But Charity is too trusting and soon finds herself involved with an Italian movie star. The actor, however, is no better than the other men Charity has dated, and once again she finds herself jilted and alone. The next night, however, as fate would have it, she finds herself trapped in an elevator with a claustrophobic tax accountant who soon sweeps Charity off her feet. Soon it becomes clear that this man is different--that he actually wants to marry her--but will he still feel the same way when he finds out that Charity works at the Fan-Dango as a dance hall hostess?


Featuring: Margot Moreland as Charity

Showtimes:
Wed(March 7 Only), Thurs, Fri, & Sat @ 8 PM
Saturday & Sunday @ 2 PM


Billy Elliot

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts Presents
Billy Elliot: The Musical
Music by Sir Elton John

Lyrics & Book by Lee Hall
Feb 29 – Mar 11


Billy Elliot: The Musical is the joyous celebration of one boy's journey to make his dreams come true.

Based on the international smash-hit film, Billy Elliot is brought to life by a phenomenal cast of 45 and the Tony Award-winning creative team -- director Stephen Daldry, choreographer Peter Darling and writer Lee Hall -- along with music legend Elton John, who has written what the New York Post calls "His best score yet!"

Set in a small town, the story follows Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, discovering a surprising passion that inspires his family and his whole community. A big musical with an even bigger heart, Billy Elliot will enchant the dreamer in all of us.


Showtimes
Tues(March 6 Only), Wed, Thurs, Fri, & Sat @ 8 PM
Thurs, Sat, & Sunday @ 2 PM
Sunday @ 7:30 PM

Saturday, February 25, 2012

A 1945 code of ethics for theatre workers surfaces

As reported by the LA Stage Times Blog on August 11, 2009.

The following is a "Code Of Ethics For Theatre Workers" written in 1945 by the 24 year old Kathleen Freeman who died in August 2001 while appearing in the Tony-nominated role of Jeanette in The Full Monty.  Equity Councillor Jane A. Johnson, a long time friend and executrix for Ms. Freeman's estate, discovered this document among her friends paperwork.  Her childhood experience on the vaudevillian surcuit, touring with her parents, inspired this code as she was establishing one of the first small theatres in Los Angeles: The Circle Players.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Theatre Notes Blog Watch for the week of Feb. 20, 2012

In this weeks Theatre Blog Watch the 2amTheatre blog asks why theaters aren't more daring and the arts management blog Butss in the Seats talks about the how brainstorming contributes to success.

Actor's Blog Watch for the week of Feb. 20, 2012

In this week's Actor's BlogWatch we are highlighting one blog inparticular: Backstage / Unscripted.  An actors blog produced by the website Backstage, an actors resource.

The Past Week In Theatre History (Feb.20 - Feb. 24)

The Past Week In Theatre History: February 20 - 24

By Robert Viagas, David Gewirtzman,
Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley


1876    Birthday of Broadway comedian Victor Moore (1876-1962), who starred or co-starred in the original casts of many musical comedies, notably Of Thee I Sing, Anything Goes, Louisiana Purchase, Leave It to Me! and Oh, Kay!.

1879    John Wellington Wells deals his magic and spells for the first time on Broadway with the American premiere of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Sorcerer at the old Broadway Theatre.

1893    Birthday of playwright and producer Russel Crouse (1893-1966), whose prodigious output of scripts, many in partnership with Howard Lindsay, includes State of the Union and The Great Sebastians, librettos to The Sound of Music, Call Me Madam and Anything Goes, and the play that is still the longest-running non-musical in Broadway history, Life With Father.

1917     When newlyweds must hide their marriage - Oh, Boy! Guy Bolton and P.G.Wodehouse collaborate on this musical, and Jerome Kern scores. Hit song: "Till the Clouds Roll By."

1925    Birthday of costume designer Patricia Zipprodt who created the clothes for many Broadway classics, including Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, 1776, Pippin, Chicago, Sunday in the Park With George and Into the Woods.

1930    Birthday of Marni Nixon, singer whose voice will be dubbed into the mouths of better-known performers, including Natalie Wood in the film of West Side Story. She will make her Broadway debut in 1954's The Girl in Pink Tights, and not return to Broadway until James Joyce's The Dead in 2000. Other recent apperances include revivals of Follies and Nine.

1930    Tom Powers stars as a King who threatens to abdicate and upset The Apple Cart. George Bernard Shaw penned this comedy, which will run for 11 weeks at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York. The cast includes Claude Rains and Morris Carnovsky. Philip Moeller provides the direction.

1934    Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thompson collaborate on an unusual Broadway "opera," Four Saints in Three Acts, which runs 48 performances at the 44th Street Theatre.

1955    Ninotchka slips into Silk Stockings at the Imperial Theatre. The transformation into a musical is the handiwork of Cole Porter, George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath Kaufman and Abe Burrows. Hildegarde Neff and Don Ameche star. Cy Feuer stages the 478 performance run.

1958    Legendary flop musical Portofino gives the first of its three performances at the Adelphi Theatre. Helen Gallagher stars in the show, written by Louis Bellson, Will Irwin, Richard Ney and Sheldon Harnick.

1960    The Dublin Gate Theatre will hear Chimes at Midnight. Orson Welles directs his adaptation of Shakespeare and Holinshead.

1961     The Changeling by Middleton and Rowley is revived for the first time since the 17th century. London's Royal Court production stars Robert Shaw, Mary Ure and Zoe Caldwell. Tony Richardson directs.

1961     Opening night of Come Blow Your Horn, Neil Simon's first full-length Broadway comedy. it will run 677 performances at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

1966    Sybil Thorndike and Athene Seyler are the poisoning sisters in Joseph Kesselring's Arsenic and Old Lace. The production is revived at London's Vaudeville Theatre.

1967    MacBird! is Barbara Garson's parodic melding of Macbeth and Lyndon Johnson's presidency. It will run 386 performances at the Village Gate Theatre. Stacy Keach and Rue McClanahan are among the cast.

1973    Demonstrating the difference in sensibilities between London and New York, the farce No Sex Please, We're British, opens at Broadway's Ritz Theatre today en route to a 16-performance flop run. The London original will continue for a run of 6,761 performances, their longest-running comedy ever.

1976    Actress Frieda Inescourt dies today. After a British debut, she appeared in sophisticated Broadway comedies such as You and I by Philip Barry. She was 75 years old.

1978    Jeremy Irons and Simon Ward are directed by Harold Pinter in The Rear Column. Simon Gray's drama depicting British soldiers on a special mission in Africa will run 44 performances at London's Globe Theatre.

1980    Brian Clark's Whose Life is it Anyway?, which saw a production at the Trafalgar Theatre (now the Nederlander) in 1979, returns to Broadway for another production at the Royale Theatre. The play originally starred actor Tom Conti but was then revised for actress Mary Tyler Moore.

1983    Legendary Broadway flop Moose Murders opens -- and closes the same night. Arthur Bicknell's farce is set at a run-down ski lodge decorated with numerous moose heads.

1991     Neil Simon preserves his stronghold on Broadway as Lost in Yonkers opens at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The Tony- and Pulitzer-winning comedy/drama stars Mercedes Ruehl, Irene Worth and Kevin Spacey.

1998    The Broadway revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I that opened April 11, 1996, closes at the Neil Simon Theatre. The King and Anna were played by Lou Diamond Phillips and Donna Murphy, then Kevin Gray and Faith Prince, before adding Marie Osmond prior to the close. Following the lead of the original, which won the Tony for Best Musical in 1952, this production took home the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.

2002    Elaine Stritch opens her solo show, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre. The show will go on to win the 2002 Tony Award as Best Special Event.

2003    First Off-Broadway performance for the puppet/human musical Avenue Q at the Vineyard Theatre. The show by Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty will earn raves, move to Broadway and win the Tony Award as Best Musical.

2004   John Randolph, the accomplished character actor whose career include Broadway collaborations with Orson Welles and the Lunts, as well as a Tony Award-winning performance as cranky, opinionated grandfather Ben in Neil Simon's Broadway Bound, dies at age 88.

2005    Trude Rittmann, 96, the respected dance and vocal arranger for Broadway artists Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe, Irving Berlin, Jerome Robbins and Agnes de Mille, dies of of respiratory failure.

2005    Also today, Heath Lamberts, 63, the character actor and farceur known for many classic roles in major North American theatres, as well as for creating Cogsworth in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast, dies of cancer.

2006   Don Knotts, 81, the TV, film and stage actor who capitalized on a persona of the nervous, bumbling boob in "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Three's Company," Feb. 24 of pulmonary and respiratory complications at U.C.L.A. Medical Center in Beverly Hills. He appeared on Broadway with Griffith in No Time for Sergeants.

2007    Janet Blair, 85, who began her life as singer and then turned to acting in films such as "My Sister Eileen" and major tours of shows such as South Pacific and Mame, dies from complications of pneumonia at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica.

2008   The Menier Chocolate Factory's hit London production of Sunday in the Park With George, comes to Studio 54 with London leads Daniel Evans as George and Jenna Russell as Dot. Directed by Sam Buntrock, the production is notable for the use of animated drawings (designed by Timothy Bird) to illustrate the progress of the painting that forms the show's centerpiece.


This Week’s Birthdays:  James Kirkwood (Sr.) 1875.  Sheldon Leonard 1907.  Jules Munshin 1915.  Abe Vigoda 1921.  Sidney Poitier 1924.  Robert Altman 1925.   Shelley Berman 1926.  Michel Legrand 1932.  Rue McClanahan 1935.  James Farentino 1938.  Peter Fonda 1939.  Jenny O'Hara 1942.  David Geffen 1943.  Tyne Daly 1946.  Alan Rickman 1946.  Barry Bostwick 1946.  Sandy Duncan 1946.  Rupert Holmes 1947.  Christine Ebersole 1953.  Kelsey Grammer 1955.  Andréa Burns 1971.  Robert Lopez 1975.  Lauren Ambrose 1978.


This is by no means a comprehensive list of everything that happen this week in theatre history, that post would be WAY longer than this one. To see more check out the "Today in Theatre History" blog posts on Playbill.com.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Show reviews for the week of Feb. 20

The Maltz Jupiter Theatre presents RED by John Logan.
Directed by Lou Jacob and featuring: Mark Zeisler, and JD Taylor.  Bill Hirschman reviewed the show for Florida Theater On Stage

Another Shade Of Red A The Maltz Jupiter Theatre
In music, they call it a standard: a song so inherently strong in its construction, so pure in its simplicity, so universal in its accessibility, that it can be interpreted and reinterpreted... In classic theater, it’s Hamlet. And at the risk of elevating it too highly, in contemporary drama, I’m beginning to think it’s Red.

John Logan’s illumination of art and artists now at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre is so insanely popular (50 productions licensed this season across the country; six in Florida) that snobs are beginning to sneer that anything that ubiquitous can’t be really good. But having seen three editions, including this strong, thought-stimulating production at the Maltz, whets the appetite to collect versions of Red, seeing how this director or that actor find different colors to emphasize in Logan’s play.

Christine Dolan has reviewed the show for both the Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel with different headlines.

"Red" Blazes Again, This Time At The Maltz (Miami Hearld)
And
Red Paints The Artist Rothko As Unhappy Man (Sun Sentinel)
Abstract expressionist Mark Rothko and his young assistant are engaging in creation and verbal combat again, this time in an all-too-brief run at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre.
The play is "Red," John Logan's Tony Award-winning drama that debuted regionally at GableStage in November, earning Carbonell Award nominations for actors Gregg Weiner and Ryan Didato, director Joseph Adler and lighting designer Jeff Quinn. The earlier production and the new one differ in intriguing ways, yet both illuminate Logan's thought-provoking examination of a complex artist and his fervent beliefs about his work.


 The Palm Beach Dramaworks presents The Pitman Painters by Lee Hall.
Directed by J . Berry Louis and featuring: Kim Cozort, Dennis Creaghan, Rob Donohoe, Joby Earle, Betsy Graver, Colin McPhillamy, Declan Mooney and John Leonard Thompson.  Bill Hirschman reviewed the show for Florida Theater On Stage

Art About Art About Art: The Dramaworks Pitmen Painters
Art as an ennobling sanctification for both the artist and the observer whose interpretation completes the symbiotic circle is just one of a dozen themes swirling around Palm Beach Dramaworks’ stimulating production of The Pitman Painters.

For all the profound concepts being explored, Lee Hall’s true life tale of British miners who created folk art is as plain spoken as its blue collar heroes reaching out for something more nourishing than their hardscrabble trade can provide.

Dramawork’s skilled ensemble of character actors led by director J. Barry Lewis delivers a thought-provoking, if not especially emotionally moving, evening of theater.

Christine Dolan has reviewed the show for both the Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel, same headline.

Dramaworks Offers Lessons On Art And Life
Two dramatic lessons on the nature and power of art have opened on Palm Beach County stages, first "Red" at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, and now "The Pitmen Painters" at Palm Beach Dramaworks.

Like a vividly transportive painting, plays about art and artists can plunge us into fascinating worlds that provoke at least as many questions as they answer. In the case of Lee Hall's "The Pitmen Painters," those questions include: What is art? How does it make you feel? Is it supposed to make you think? Can anyone be an artist? Who owns art?

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

News for the Week of Feb. 20, 2012

Tweet from the Palm Beach Opera and Adrienne Arsht Center
An article from The Sun-Sentinel talks about the Palm Beach Opera and the Adrienne Arsht Center alowing people to use twitter from designated "Tweet Seats" just like 2amTheatre mentioned in the blog post  I Came -- I Tweeted -- I Pondered.


South Florida arts lovers can tweet from their theater seats
Across South Florida, arts venues are exploring how to draw a younger audience that may not traditionally attend live theater performances. And it serves as a promotional tool, allowing theater-goers to broadcast instant reviews in real time to people who follow their Twitter accounts.

"Having an authentic voice talking about the show and what is going on on-stage really goes a lot further than something coming from a marketer,'' said Ceci Dadisman, director of marketing for the opera.

Over at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts ofMiami-Dade County, officials have tweet seats for contest winners and social media reviewers, but the center does not encourage the general public to tweet during performances.

Last summer, audiences were encouraged to tweet during the pre-show and intermission for Cirque Eloize iD. More than 1,000 tweets were cast on large screens in the center's Ziff Ballet Opera House stage during the show's six-week run.

Read the whole article at the link above.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Current Productions for the week of February 20, 2012

Living Out by Lisa Loomer
at The Main Street Players Until Feb 26
Living Out tells the story of the complicated relationship between a Salvadoran nanny and the Anglo lawyer she works for. Both women are smart, hard-working mothers, and want better lives for their children. But what are the differences wrought by race, class and Ana's illegal status. The play is both outrageously funny and ultimately tragic.


Red by John Logan
at The Maltz Jupiter Theatre Until Feb 26
This thrilling new American play and winner of the 2010 Tony Award, Red, is a provocative portrait of Abstract expressionist, Mark Rothko, as he works feverishly in his studio on the Bowery to complete the biggest commission in the history of modern art, his assistant Ken brashly questions Rothko's theories of art and his acceding to work on such a commercial project.


Barney Cashman is middleaged, overweight, and married. He wants to join the sexual revolution to have one last fling. Knowing that his mother's apartment is empty on certain days he lures three different women there and attempts to seduce the,. He bungles every attempt.  He utterly and hilariously fails at seduction. In desperation he asks up the only other woman he can think of: his wife.


The Pitman Painters by Lee Hall
at Palm Beach Dramaworks Until Mar 11
In 1934, a group of Ashington miners hired a professor to teach an art appreciation evening class. Rapidly abandoning theory in favour of practice, the pitmen began to paint. Within a few years the most avant-garde artists became their friends and their work was acquired by prestigious collections; but every day they worked, as before, down the mine.


Beau Jest by James Sherman 
at The Tamarac Theatre of Performing Arts Until Mar 11
Sarah is a nice Jewish girl with a problem: her parents don’t know she is dating a WASP executive named Chris Kringle. She tells them she is dating a Jewish doctor and they insist on meeting him. She plans a dinner party and employs an escort service to send her a Jewish date to be Dr. Steinberg. Instead, they send Bob Schroeder, an aspiring actor who is extremely convincing in the role and Sarah's parents are enraptured. Soon, even Sarah falls for Bob. 


Working by Stephen Schwartz
at The Caldwell Theatre Company Presents Until April 1
Based on the best-selling book of interviews with American workers by Studs Terkel, Working explores the American workday from the Monday morning blues to a working person's pride in having "something to point to."  Music by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), Lin Manuel-Miranda (In the Heights), and Grammy award winner James Taylor.



Working

The Caldwell Theatre Company Presents
Working
Book by Stephen Schwartz
February 26 - April 1

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Theatre Notes Blog Watch for the week of Feb. 13, 2012

In this week's Theatre BlogWatch we have a post about how to open up the conversation to have more engaging arts organizations, and how to develop long-term passion for theatre among adults with ticket discounts.

And make sure to follow us on Twitter.  I only write about the blog posts that I think have the most appeal to our readership, but I see so many others that I will be starting to tweet about in case they are of interest to others. Don't forget Facebook as well.  Look on the right hand side of the screen for both.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Actor's Blog Watch for the week of Feb. 13, 2012

In this week's Actor's BlogWatch we have a post about being passionate about whatever it is you are doing at that moment, an actress telling us about her "Ah-Ha!" moment, and a kick in the pants about never apologizing for a performance or reading that you haven't given.  If you do, you might as well not give it.

And make sure to follow us on Twitter.  I only write about the blog posts that I think have the most appeal to our readership, but I see so many others that I will be starting to tweet about in case they are of interest to others.  Don't forget Facebook as well.  Look on the right hand side of the screen for both.

The Past Week In Theatre History (Feb.13 - Feb. 17)

 The Past Week In Theatre History: February 13 - 17

By Robert Viagas, David Gewirtzman,
Ernio Hernandez and Anne Bradley


1882    Birthday of John Barrymore (1882-1942), actor in the grand style, and scion of the Barrymore acting clan. Though he began as a light comedian, he became identified with the classics, notably Hamlet, before turning to drink.

1898    Birthday of Broadway leading lady and producer Katharine Cornell (1898-1974), who starred in and/or produced A Bill of Divorcement, The Age of Innocence, The Barretts of Wimpole Street, Alien Corn, Jezebel, Saint Joan, The Wingless Victory, No Time for Comedy, Candida and Dear Liar.

1905    Birthday of composer Harold Arlen (1905-1986) a cantor's son who cut his musical teeth in 1920s Harlem, and went on to write music for Broadway shows, Star and Garter. Jamaica, House of Flowers and Saratoga as well as for the MGM film musical The Wizard of Oz.

1918    Al Jolson stars in Sigmund Romberg's musical parody Sinbad at the Winter Garden Theatre. It runs 164 performances.

1919    It's a spoof of operettas at the Cohan and Harris Theatre in New York. The Royal Vagabond, with a score by Anselm Goetzel added to by George M Cohan and Irving Berlin, will run 208 performances.

1930    George and Ira Gershwin provide music and lyrics for Strike Up the Band. George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind conjure up an American war against Switzerland all in the name of chocolate. Of course, it's just a dream. Dudley Clements, Bobby Clark and Paul McCullough star. The tasty battle runs six months.

1939    Lillian Hellman forages the old South and comes up with The Little Foxes.Tallulah Bankhead leads the cast in this drama that will run for 410 performances at the National Theatre in New York.

1946    Birthday of tap-dancer/actor Gregory Hines (1946-2003), featured in Eubie!, Comin' Uptown, Sophisticated Ladies and Jelly's Last Jam.

1950    Before TV's "Hazel" typecast her as a frumpy maid, Shirley Booth won a Tony for starring in William Inge's drama, Come Back, Little Sheba. Co-star Sidney Blackmer would also take home a Tony for this Theatre Guild production. Best Play, however, went to T.S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party.

1959    Gertrude Berg plays a Jewish mother who charms Japanese widower (Cedric Hardwicke) in A Majority of One. This comedy by Leonard Spigelgass will run at the Shubert Theatre for 556 performances. It will return to the stage in 1999 at the Jewish Repertory Theatre.

1965    Opening night for the Sherlock Holmes musical Baker Street at the Broadway Theatre, starring Fritz Weaver as the detective, Inga Swenson as the love interest, and Martin Gabel as Moriarty. It runs 311 performances.

1968    George C. Scott and Maureen Stapleton star in a trio of one-act comedies by Neil Simon, collectively titled Plaza Suite. It runs 1,097 performances and is followed by several other Simon "Suite" plays, California Suite, London Suite and others.

1972    What are the chances for a little rock musical about a high school summer romance that spills into the school year? Pretty good, apparently. Grease opens today, riding a wave of 50s nostalgia that will make it (briefly) the longest running show in Broadway history (3,388 performances), followed by a film version that becomes one of the most successful movie musicals (and soundtracks) ever. It's the first Broadway musical for songwriters Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey -- and their last.

1973    El Grande de Coca Cola stars Ron House as a nightclub owner whose family poses as famous stars to entertain the customers. It will run for 1,114 performances at the Mercer Arts Theatre in New York.

1976    Opening night of legendary flop Rockabye Hamlet, Cliff Jones' rock musical version of Shakespeare's tragedy, which has a 7-performance run at the Minskoff Theatre with a cast that includes Larry Marshall as Hamlet, Beverly D'Angelo as Ophelia (who commits suicide by strangling herself with her immense microphone cord), and Meat Loaf as a Priest.

1977    The success of three inept thieves out for a major score is the starting point for American Buffalo. Robert Duvall, Kenneth McMillan, and John Savage thrash through the drama that marks David Mamet's Broadway debut. It will run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre for 135 performances.

1982    Instructor-teacher Lee Strasberg, the foremost advocate of Method acting, dies at the age of 80. "Art is longer than life," he once said, and his style of acting lives on at his Lee Strasberg Institute of the Theatre, in both New York and Los Angeles.

1983    Hoping to follow up his success in The Magic Show, magician Doug Henning plays the title role in the musical Merlin at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. The show runs six months, and is regularly stolen by Chita Rivera, who plays the villainous Queen, and by a young actor named Nathan Lane, who has just his second Broadway role, as her son, Prince Fergus.

1984    Stage legend Ethel Merman, Broadway's original Mama Rose in Gypsy dies in her hometown New York City at 76. The actress' other memorable works include Anything Goes, Red, Hot and Blue!, Something for the Boys, Call Me Madam and Annie Get Your Gun.

1989    Pauline Collins stars on Broadway at the Booth Theatre as Shirley Valentine opens. The one-character play by Willy Russell will earn a Tony nomination while its star wins the Tony, the Drama Desk, and the Outer Critics Circle Award.

1995    On Valentine's Day the premiere of Love! Valour! Compassion! by Terrence McNally opens at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Joe Mantello directed the production, with actor Nathan Lane among the cast.

1996    Jonathan Larson's alt-rock musical Rent opens Off Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop. The show by the late playwright transfers to Broadway's Nederlander Theatre where it garners Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score. It also is awarded the year's Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

1997    An all-star Broadway revival of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, opens at the Criterion Theatre. The cast features Amy Irving, Lili Taylor, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Calista Flockhart, Billy Crudup, David Strathairn, Jerry Stiller, and Eric Stoltz.

1998    Composer Frederick Loewe, half of the famous Lerner-Loewe musical team, dies at the age of 87. He brought us such musical classics as My Fair Lady, Gigi, Brigadoon, Camelot and Paint Your Wagon.

1998    Also today, Eve Ensler's award-winning play The Vagina Monologues gets a starry reading to benefit breast cancer research as part of an event called "V-Day." It's the first in an annual series of Valentine's Day readings of the play that highlight a range of women's issues, particularly violence against women. In less than a decade, the event, dubbed "Victory Against Violence Day," spreads to more than a thousand cities worldwide.

1998    Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS presents its first annual "Broadway Bears" event. The fundraiser auctions off little stuffed bears designed to look like famous performers in theatre roles. Among the first ursines are a Funny Girl Streisand bear, a Once Upon A Mattress Carol Burnett bear, a Ben Vereen Pippin bear and a Julie Andrews Victor/Victoria bear.

1999    The Drama Desk organization officially celebrates its 50th anniversary. Six years after its inception, the Drama Desk Awards were created to recognize excellence in not only Broadway but Off-Broadway theatre as well.

2002    Edward Albee's controversial play The Goat, Or Who Is Sylvia? begins previews today. Telling the story of a man whose attraction for the ungulant of the title destroys his marriage, the drama goes on to win the Tony Award as Best Play.

2003    The New York City Council overrides a mayoral veto and bans cell phones in Broadway and Off-Broadway theatres, and other public cultural events. Offenders can face a fine of $50 and eviction from the venue in question. Pagers are also banned. Mayor Michael Bloomberg objects that the law will be impossible to enforce.

2007    Ellen Hanley, 80, the musical theatre actress best known for playing the wife of Fiorello H. LaGuardia in Fiorello!, dies of a stroke in Norwalk, CT.

2007    Sheridan Morley, the larger-than-life London theatre critic, author and a long-time Playbill writer, dies in his sleep at age 65 at his home in London.

2011    Following their 2009 Broadway production of Exit the King, Australian theatre company Belvoir returns to New York with an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's The Diary of a Madman, starring Geoffrey Rush. Performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the production reunites Rush with his Exit the King director Neil Armfield.


More of This Week's Birthdays:  Jack Benny 1894.  Cesar Romero 1907.  Arthur Kennedy 1914.  Hal Holbrook 1925.  Gretchen Wyler 1932.  Florence Henderson 1934.  Barry Humphries (Dame Edna) 1934.  Alan Bates 1934.  George Segal 1934.  Stockard Channing 1944.  Gregory Hines   1946. Teller (Raymond Joseph Teller)  1948. Cris Groenendaal  1948. Don Scardino 1949.  Jane Seymour 1951.



This is by no means a comprehensive list of everything that happen this week in theatre history, that post would be WAY longer than this one. To see more check out the "Today in Theatre History" blog posts on Playbill.com.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Show reviews for the week of Feb. 13

Broward Stage Door Theatre presents the Neil Simon play Last of the Red Hot Lovers.
Directed by Michael Leeds and featuring Ken Clement, Elissa D. Solomon, Shira Abergel and Carol Sussman. Bill Hirschman reviewed the show for Florida Theater On Stage

Red Hot Lovers Sizzle At Broward Stage Door
Broward Stage Door Theatre has a knack for Neil Simon. Just when you thought there wasn’t much new to be done with yet another of Simon’s old chestnuts, the Coral Springs theater company presents a fresh production that’s entertaining from beginning to end. With its latest Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Stage Door loads one of Simon’s funniest plays with talent, which only makes the comedy soar higher.




Anagram Entertainment presents Top Gun!: The Musical at Empire Stage
Directed by Jack Gardner and Featuring (among others): Todd Storey, James Lott, Kelly Kopf, Christie Oliver and Gisbert Heuer.  Mary Damiano reviewed the show for Florida Theater On Stage

Top Gun! The Musical In FTL Crashes And Burns
Even though Top Gun! The Musical gets off to a promising start, with Goose pushing Maverick around the tiny stage in a cockpit that appears to have been fashioned from a wheelbarrow, singing the catchy song “We’ve Got a Plane to Catch” an opening number designed to give exposition about Maverick’s dead daddy issues, Top Gun! The Musical quickly takes a nose dive. There is no plot to speak of; the cast simply recreates/parodies various scenes from Top Gun, while dealing with typical backstage dramedy.

Top Gun! The Muscial was also reviewed by Rod Stafford Hagwood  for the Sun-Sentinel

'Top Gun! The Musical Won't Take Your Breath Away
The musical satire, staged by Anagram Entertainment at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale, sputters to get airborne and then barely stays aloft in what appears to be an underrehearsed, undisciplined production.

That's a real downer, because you can tell there is some real lift in the book and lyrics by Denis McGrath, and fine-but-forgettable music by Scott White. The show is begging for a cast with a sharper sense of comedic timing to turn chuckles into howls.

It's not a total crash and burn. The songs have just enough bite and sarcasm. There are so many backstage-musical punch lines that if you could look past the self-conscious movement, stiff acting and fair to please-God-stop-singing vocals, the show could be a cult hit.

And lastly Top Gun! The Muscial was also reviewed by John Thomason for the Broward / PalmBeach New Times

Top Gun! The Musical At Empire Stage: Offbeat Comedy Is Just Plane Bad

Top Gun! The Musical is a show-within-a-show comedy that premiered at a fringe festival in 2002 to great success. It's about the making of a disastrous musical adaptation of the cornball 1986 film, crash-landing from the beginning thanks to backstage rivalries, an overambitious director, a vain cast, and an ex-Navy SEAL producer aiming to use the musical as a propaganda tool. The problem is, in this case it's impossible to tell the sloppiness of the show from the sloppiness of the show.





The Red Barn Theatre in Kew West presents God of Carnage
Directed by Joy Hawkins and featuring: Mimi McDonald, George Murphy, Annie Miners and Bob Bowersox.  C.S. Gilbert reviewed the show for Keys News

Curtain up on 'God of Carnage'
Brilliantly directed by Joy Hawkins, every one of these actors is flawless. Hawkins moves them around with blocking so good it's almost a cosmic dance. There is just one possible misstep, and that is casting. Only McDonald appears of an age realistically to have an 11-year-old child. Bowersox comes close and Murphy is certainly possible. (Some guys never know when to stop.)


The Waterfront Playhouse presents Dead Man's Cell Phone 
Directed by Stefani Sertich and featuring: Lela Elam, Brandon Reach, Robin Deck, Stephanie Yosen, and Shakti Assouline.  C.S. Gilbert reviewed the show for Keys News

'Dead Man's Cell Phone' Rings Good and Loud (Same article as "God of Carnage' review)
A somewhat generic, middle-aged female named Jean sits alone in a restaurant, minding her own business as she samples the lobster bisque. A couple of tables over, a cellphone begins to ring. Its owner, "Gordon," a mysterious man in an expensive suit sits unmoving. A few minutes later the phone again signals a call; still Gordon refuses to answer. Irritated now, Jean strolls over to investigate. To her horror, she discovers that Gordon is as dead as AT&T's reputation for providing quality coverage.

News for the Week of Feb. 13, 2012

Broward Across America
Broward Across America has announced it 2012-2013 season that begins with Rock 'N Roll and ends with a deeply moving tale between a boy and his horse, with a bit of murder, flash and the macabre mixed in.

Million Dollar Quartet – Nov. 6-18This surprisingly effective and infectious musical is loosely based on an actual recording session at the legendary Sun Records when producer Sam Phillips brought together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. Although there is a book of sorts and a bit of plot, this is still primarily a jukebox musical. But the combined songbook of these icons’ early years and the conceit of them jamming together proved unavoidably winning, especially with the cast that played the Arsht last year. http://www.milliondollarquartetlive.com/.

Sister Act – Dec. 18–30Featuring a rousing score by by Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors), this feel-good reworking of the 1992 movie traces a wannabe diva who goes into hiding in a convent after she witnesses a crime. The culture clash, of course, ends up changing both the nuns and the diva.  http://www.sisteractbroadway.com/.

Agatha Christie’s Classic BBC Mystery Series – Jan. 15–Feb. 3, 2013This offering, being staged at the Parker Playhouse rather than Broward Center for the Performing Arts, is a collection of four classic mystery tales originally written by the Queen of Mystery Writers just before and after World War II:  Three Blind Mice, Yellow Iris, Butter in a Lordly Dish and Personal Call. The radio scripts were adapted for the stage in 2009 for Florida impresario Zev Buffman and his International Mystery Writers’ Festival in Kentucky.

Flashdance – Mar. 5– 7, 2013
This first national tour about a working-class girl in Pittsburgh with dreams of becoming a professional dancer (and which created a rage for leg warmers) is now a stage show featuring the music from the Jennifer Beals movie.

The Addams Family – Apr. 9–21, 2013Another shock: When this played on Broadway, only the heavy lifting by Nathan Lane as Gomez kept this mess from sinking into the mire. But the creative team took it back into the shop, overhauled it and came up with a surprisingly funny musical comedy that thoroughly entertained audiences as the Arsht last year.

War Horse – May 7–19, 2013Mark your calendars and don’t miss this. How well this will work on a proscenium stage is anybody’s guess since this highly theatrical work was staged on a thrust stage at Lincoln Center, putting the story right in the audiences’ lap. But don’t bet against it.  http://www.warhorseonstage.com/

Not part of the subscription package:

Wicked – Jan. 30 – Feb. 17, 2013The blockbuster musical hit very loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s dark  alternative take on The Wizard of Oz, is a monster hit, especially for pre-teen and teenaged girls who identify with the misunderstood heroine, Elphaba, who will later be known as The Wicked Witch of the West.




One Act and One Minute Play Festivals

Save The Date!
Sunday, February 12, 2012

Alliance Theatre Lab proudly presents “Onesies,” an evening of stage readings composed of short plays written by David Michael Sirois and Mark Della Ventura on Monday, March 5, 2012.
“Our 2012 season is comprised of three world premieres: one by David Michael Sirois and two by Mark Della Ventura. We wanted to put together an evening of short plays written by these two amazing playwrights to show our audience a sample of the exciting things happening this season,” says Producing Artistic Director Adalberto J. Acevedo.

And if you are looking for smaller and more numerous, we have...

Minutemen – and Women.

You’ve heard of one-act play programs and ten-minute play, but now comes The First South Florida One-Minute Play Festival.
More than 40 playwrights with South Florida connections have written (or are still writing) these very brief exercises in dramaturgy for two benefit performances slated for 4:30 and 8 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Deering Estate, 16701 SW 72nd Ave. in Miami.

Some of the playwrights are: Michael McKeever, Michael Yawney, Juan C. Sanchez, Gene Excaliber, David Sirois, Mark Della Ventura, Vanessa Garcia, Kimberly Patterson, Marj O’Neill-Butler, Andrew Rosendorf, Kenny Finkle, Sheri Wilner, Deborah Zoe Laufer, Andie Arthur, Carmen Pelaez, David Caudle, Stacy O’Neill, Neena Beber, Edith Freni and Jorge Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas. The plays will be directed by Steven Chambers, Elizabeth Price, Nicole Stoddard and Ricky J. Martinez

The project is being presented by the New York-based One-Minute Play Festival, Deering Estate and the South Florida Theatre League. The event is partly underwritten by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.

Tickets are $25 per show and can be purchased online at www.deeringestate.org/articles/Featured-Events-and-Programs/South-Florida-One-Minute-Play-Festival.aspx or by calling the Deering Estate Ticket Office at (305) 235-1668 ext. 233.
The proceeds will benefit the Theatre Lab, a year-long series of playwright workshops presented by the South Florida Theatre League and the Deering Estate.




 Roxy Performing Arts Center

RTG’s Musical Production Features Law & Order Star


Actor, Danny Pino, Miami native and star of NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, plays the Book Voice in The Roxy Theatre Group’s (RTG) musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, through an extraordinary voice over. RTG’s cast and orchestra of 70 students, ages 12-22, are honored to have the accomplished actor as a guest-artist within their ensemble.  RTG is a non-profit arts organization for children and youth.


Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Pino is a long-time supporter of RTG and has served on the program’s Advisory Board since inception. The Cuban-American actor has provided several workshops for the organization’s students. A Florida International University Alumnus, Pino’s television and film credits include Burn Notice, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, New York, Flicka and Andy Garcia’s The Lost City.

“Roxy is a place where an interest in theater, dance and music becomes a study and a study becomes a skill.  At a time when arts programs are being de-funded, Roxy is more rare and essential to the creative youth in our community. I had a fantastic time recording the voiceover for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, especially knowing I could collaborate with the talented and committed young artists in my hometown.  I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this production and hope that our community further realizes the importance of cultivating creativity and encouraging self expression in all forms. To the students at Roxy:  Dream big, prepare, and ‘Break a leg!,’ said Danny Pino, playing the Book Voice in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  Currently, playing Detective Nick Amaro on NBC’s hit series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, he is also well-known for his seven seasons as Detective Scotty Valens on CBS’s Cold Case.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, February 17, 2012-March 3, 2012.  Fridays & Saturdays, 8:00p.m.  Saturday, March 3rd, 3:00p.m. & 8:00p.m.  Sundays, 5:30p.m.  General Admission, $20.00. Gala Fundraiser & Reception, Saturday, February 18, 2012, 7:00p.m., $50.00.  Proceeds benefit RTG’s Student Scholarship Fund.  1645 SW 107 Ave. Miami, FL 33165.

For tickets or more information please call 305-226-0030, email JTorgas@RoxyPac.com or visit RoxyPAC.com. All media inquiries should please be directed to SusannePinedo@gmail.com. The Roxy Theatre Group (RTG) a non-profit organization, offers performing arts programs for ages, 3-17.





Caldwell Theatre

Legacy Bank files to foreclose on Caldwell Theater

Legacy Bank of Florida has filed a foreclosure lawsuit against the Caldwell Theatre Company, claiming the Boca Raton-based theater has failed to repay nearly $6 million in debt on its new playhouse.
In a lawsuit filed this month in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Legacy Bank alleges the theater is behind on two notes: One for $2.88 million and the other for about $3 million.

Reports of Caldwell's financial problems have swirled for some time. Clive Cholerton, artistic director, said the theater is weighing a debt reorganization, possibly through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Cholerton stressed that a Chapter 7 liquidation is not in the cards.

"We're exploring different options for reorganization; we are talking to the bank on a daily basis," Cholerton said. "This is just part of the process. We're very confident things are going to work out."

Read the rest of the article here: Sun-Sentinel: Legacy Bank Files To Foreclose

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