Brian Russell and Mimi Lieber in Sirens.(Photo by Harlan Taylor)By Hap ErsteinFor the past 34 years, theater companies and critics in search of new plays of quality have been making a pilgrimage to Louisville, Ky., in the early spring as the non-profit resident company Actors’ Theatre of Louisville has rolled out its annual Humana Festival of New American Plays.Over that time, … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2010
Laufer’s ‘Sirens’ looks like future commercial success
For the past 34 years, theater companies and critics in search of new plays of quality have been making a pilgrimage to Louisville, Ky., in the early spring as the non-profit resident company Actors’ Theatre of Louisville has rolled out its annual Humana Festival of New American Plays. Over that time, The Humana Foundation -- the grant-giving arm of the powerful managed … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: March 26-31
Pianist Ingrid Fliter.Music: The Cleveland Orchestra wraps up its third and final week of residency in Miami with two performances by the fine Argentine pianist Ingrid Fliter, who will perform the Chopin Concerto No. 2 (in F minor, Op. 21) with conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy. Also on the program is the Romeo and Juliet suite from Prokofiev’s ballet score. 8 p.m. tonight and … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: March 26-31
Music: The Cleveland Orchestra wraps up its third and final week of residency in Miami with two performances by the fine Argentine pianist Ingrid Fliter, who will perform the Chopin Concerto No. 2 (in F minor, Op. 21) with conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy. Also on the program is the Romeo and Juliet suite from Prokofiev’s ballet score. 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday night. Tickets: … [Read more...]
Theater reviews: Three shows demonstrate strength of South Florida season
Tom Beckett, Bret Shuford and Tari Kelly in Anything Goes.By Hap ErsteinDepression-era escapism proves to still be potent entertainment as Cole Porter’s 1934 enduring hit Anything Goes splashes across the stage of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre.Surely it cannot be because of the flimsy story line, even if it got a major overhaul in 1987 by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman, who simply … [Read more...]
Theater roundup: Three shows demonstrate strength of South Florida season
Depression-era escapism proves to still be potent entertainment as Cole Porter’s 1934 enduring hit Anything Goes splashes across the stage of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. Surely it cannot be because of the flimsy story line, even if it got a major overhaul in 1987 by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman, who simply added new wince-inducing jokes. No, the material works almost … [Read more...]
Film review: Cult oddness of ‘Panic’ only partly successful
A scene from A Town Called Panic.By John Thomason You can pay half-attention to A Town Called Panic and still be able to follow the story. You can just as easily pay complete attention and have no idea what's going on. Bottom line: Just leave logic at the door and try and enjoy yourself.Opening Friday at the Lake Worth Playhouse, the film is based on a long-running Belgian … [Read more...]
Cult oddness of ‘Panic’ only partly successful
You can pay half-attention to A Town Called Panic and still be able to follow the story. You can just easily pay complete attention and have no idea what’s going on. Bottom line: Just leave logic at the door and try and enjoy yourself. Opening Friday at the Lake Worth Playhouse, the film is based on a long-running, Belgian stop-animation cartoon of the same name, most of whose … [Read more...]
Opera review: Sarasota’s ‘Giovanna’ revealed Verdi gem
Cristina Castaldi as Giovanna and Rafael Dávila as Carlo(Charles VII) in Giovanna d’Arco.(Photo by Rod Millington)By Rex HearnThe Sarasota Opera likes to say that no other company in the world will have completed a Verdi cycle – a complete survey of all the composer’s stage works -- when it comes to an end in 2013 on the 200th anniversary of Verdi’s birth.The company’s … [Read more...]
Sarasota Opera’s ‘Giovanna’ revealed Verdi gem
The Sarasota Opera likes to say that no other company in the world will have completed a Verdi cycle – a complete survey of all the composer’s stage works -- when it comes to an end in 2013 on the 200th anniversary of Verdi’s birth. The company’s just-ended production of Giovanna d’Arco (Joan of Arc) was the 29th opera in the cycle, and its boast of exclusivity is a strong … [Read more...]