The cast of August: Osage County, at Actors’ Playhouse. By Hap ErsteinIn order to maximize the chances of being produced in these precarious economic times, most writers now limit themselves in their plays’ cast size and physical requirements.But every now and again comes an Angels in America or a Coast of Utopia, from playwrights who dare to think on a grand … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2011
Theater roundup: Two by Tracy Letts
In order to maximize the chances of being produced in these precarious economic times, most writers now limit themselves in their plays’ cast size and physical requirements. But every now and again comes an Angels in America or a Coast of Utopia, from playwrights who dare to think on a grand scale, resulting in works resulting in peak experiences for their audiences. Just … [Read more...]
Opera review: Soprano Taigi shines in PB Opera’s ‘Tosca’
Chiara Taigi and Riccardo Massi in Tosca.By Greg StepanichGood singing can get an opera audience past uninspired acting, but when it comes to the heroine of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, it’s best to have someone who can do both well.And on Friday night, Palm Beach Opera did.In the Italian soprano Chiara Taigi, who opened its current run of Puccini’s “shabby … [Read more...]
Soprano Taigi shines in PB Opera’s ‘Tosca’
Good singing can get an opera audience past uninspired acting, but when it comes to the heroine of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, it’s best to have someone who can do both well. And on Friday night, Palm Beach Opera did. In the Italian soprano Chiara Taigi, who opened its current run of Puccini’s “shabby little shocker” from 1900, Palm Beach Opera had an actress whose Floria Tosca … [Read more...]
Film review: ‘Kaboom’ fizzles in tepid bath of juvenilia
Juno Temple and Thomas Dekker in Kaboom.By John ThomasonGregg Araki puts the “terrible” in enfant terrible.For more than 20 years, the filmmaker has staked his dubious claim as the foremost auteur of vacuous Gen-X movies about sexually experimental hipsters. With one notable exception – the disturbing and deeply moving Mysterious Skin, which boasted the … [Read more...]
‘Kaboom’ fizzles in bath of tepid juvenilia
Gregg Araki puts the “terrible” in enfant terrible. For more than 20 years, the filmmaker has staked his dubious claim as the foremost auteur of vacuous Gen-X movies about sexually experimental hipsters. With one notable exception – the disturbing and deeply moving Mysterious Skin, which boasted the best performance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s career -- his movies are … [Read more...]
Film feature: Two festivals cover the ground from indie to Andy
Paul Giamatti and Alex Shaffer in Win Win.By Hap ErsteinPalm Beach County used to be film-festival challenged, but now we have a glut of options for moviegoers who want to get away from a steady diet of studio fare and perhaps rub shoulders with some of the filmmakers. It is, after all, not a hard sell to get directors and actors to come to Palm Beach in the final, … [Read more...]
Film festivals cover varied ground, from indie to Andy
Palm Beach County used to be film-festival challenged, but now we have a glut of options for moviegoers who want to get away from a steady diet of studio fare and perhaps rub shoulders with some of the filmmakers. It is, after all, not a hard sell to get directors and actors to come to Palm Beach in the final, frozen days of winter. Tonight kicks off the 16th annual Palm … [Read more...]
Music roundup: Orchestras stand out in Shostakovich, Mendelssohn
Philippe Entremont. (Photo by Alvaro Yanez)By Greg StepanichBoca Raton Symphonia (Sunday, March 20, Roberts Theater, Boca Raton)The Boca Raton Symphonia closed its most recent concert Sunday with one of its better recent performances, one that seemed well-suited to the orchestra’s current period of experimentation and expansion.Philippe Entremont, in his … [Read more...]
Music roundup: Orchestras stand out in Shostakovich, Mendelssohn
Boca Raton Symphonia (Sunday, March 20, Roberts Theater, Boca Raton) The Boca Raton Symphonia closed its most recent concert Sunday with one of its better recent performances, one that seemed well-suited to the orchestra’s current period of experimentation and expansion. Philippe Entremont, in his first year as conductor of the group, also appeared as piano soloist in the … [Read more...]