Archives for February 2009
Cabaret review: Faith Prince, in a good groove between Broadway shows
Faith Prince.By Hap ErsteinAlthough she is terrific at it, cabaret is not really what Tony Award-winning performer Faith Prince does.She is to the theater born, as those who have seen her in such diverse shows as The King and I, Guys and Dolls or last season’s short-lived A Catered Affair can attest. But since she is briefly between Broadway shows, New York’s loss is the Colony … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Feb. 12-15
Jake Ehrenreich.Theater: The multi-talented, ingratiating Jake Ehrenreich has returned to West Palm Beach’s Cuillo Centre for another winter season of his nostalgic one-man show, A Jew Grows in Brooklyn. He draws on his memories of his East Flatbush neighborhood in the 1960s in an evening that is part stand-up comedy, part musical and part tribute to his family — both … [Read more...]
Film review: Even with a bank as villain, ‘International’ plays it too safe
Clive Owen as Interpol agent Louis Salinger in The International.By John ThomasonWord has it that The International originally was slated for a fall 2008 release but was pushed back to the notorious dump month of February after poorly received test screenings.Given how long the movie has been in gestation, the makers of the espionage thriller could not have predicted the … [Read more...]
Music review: King and Guy, two remarkable monarchs of the blues
B.B. King acknowledges the applause Monday nightfrom the stage of the Kravis Center. (Photo by Thom Smith)By Thom SmithYou can have a souped-up roadster with growling pipes and screeching tires, searing the asphalt like the sun.Or you can have a long, long limousine that rumbles along effortlessly, glistening in the moonlight with its occupants swathed in silk and … [Read more...]
Film review: New ‘Friday the 13th’ is slash-by-numbers
Julianna Guill and Derek Mears (lurking in background) in Friday the 13th.By John ThomasonIf ever there was a movie directed on autopilot, it’s the new Friday the 13th.Opening Friday (the 13th), this horror picture – not a remake of the 1980 schlock classic so much as a revisit – is so stripped of wit, suspense, terror, personality, character and distinction that surely no … [Read more...]
Music review: Fresh programming enlivens Boca Symphonia concert
Boca Symphonia principal conductor Alexander Platt.By Greg StepanichBOCA RATON -- At a time when the sound of belts tightening across the land would seem to invite cultural groups to play it safe, you have to hand it to the Boca Raton Symphonia for putting art first.On Sunday afternoon at St. Andrew's School, the chamber orchestra that's now in its fourth season of concerts … [Read more...]
Book reviews: ‘The Soloist,’ and three others worth reading
By Bill WilliamsOne of the best things about being a book reviewer is discovering new titles that capture the imagination, stir the soul or are just plain enjoyable to read. Another reward is getting to tell friends and readers about worthwhile titles.With that in mind, here are four recent books that stand out:The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship and the … [Read more...]
Theater review: ’60s rock of ‘Beehive’ several degrees removed from the real thing
By Hap Erstein Those who were around in the 1960s probably remember exactly where they were when they heard that John F. Kennedy was shot. Beehive, a musical salute to that tumultuous decade, wants to conjure up more frivolous moments in history. Sure, it acknowledges that November 1963, day when the nation was numbed by an assassin’s bullet, but it seems much more … [Read more...]
Film Reviews: A trio of so-so releases hit theaters this weekend
The animated Coraline.By Hap ErsteinHere are a few short takes on movies opening in the area this weekend, none of which is completely satisfying, though each has reasons for a half-hearted recommendation. * Coraline — In the recent spurt of animated films, this latest creepy entry from director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) at least avoids being … [Read more...]