By 1957, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were the reigning kings of musical theater, but had never written a show for television. That changed when they were commissioned to adapt the enduring fairy tale Cinderella for the small screen, as a star vehicle for Julie Andrews, everyone’s fair lady since a year earlier. With other casts and some tinkering with the score, … [Read more...]
Archives for November 2014
Weekend arts picks: Nov. 15-16
Theater: Chita Rivera has been a Broadway star for the past 60 years, originating roles in such shows as West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie and Chicago, as well as winning Tony Awards for The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman. Tonight, she will appear at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in a one-woman retrospective of these musicals, singing numbers from them and kicking up her heels, … [Read more...]
‘The How and the Why’: Powerful ideas, stronger emotions
The theater sells ideas, and television sells soap. At least that used to be the case. But TV seems to be enjoying a new golden age, as exemplified by playwright Sarah Treem’s chief writing credits for the small screen – HBO’s psychoanalysis series, In Treatment, and Netflix’s acclaimed look at politics, House of Cards. “I always wanted to be a playwright,” Treem said by … [Read more...]
New documentary is loving tribute to pioneering superstar
Fortunately for Lloyd and Susan Ecker, they both were big fans of Bette Midler. In 1973, he took her to see The Divine Miss M on their first date, which led not only to their 40-year marriage but to a cottage industry of bringing one of Midler’s idols — “The Last of the Red Hot Mamas,” Sophie Tucker — to the silver screen, the written page and, perhaps, the Broadway stage. … [Read more...]
Late reviews: Recent concerts, in brief
Editor’s note: Here are three reviews from recent concerts; posting has been delayed by technical difficulties. Three clarinetists in a trio de force for Farberman concerto Lynn Philharmonia (Oct. 25, Wold Performing Arts Center, Boca Raton) One of the important insignia of the new regime of conductor Guillermo Figueroa at the Lynn Philharmonia is his determination to offer … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Nov. 7-9
Art: One of the most important exhibits the Norton Museum of Art has ever mounted opened yesterday and continues through Feb. 15. Called Master Prints: Dürer to Matisse, the exhibit includes 40-plus works by some of the greatest masters of art, including Rembrandt, Canaletto, Picasso and Cezanne, in pieces spanning the 15th to the 20th centuries. The exhibit, which includes a … [Read more...]
Ancient Egypt comes alive in all-season Science Center exhibit
Ramses the Great, who ruled ancient Egypt for 66 years during Egypt’s 19th Dynasty, is said to have sired more than 96 sons and 60 daughters during his lifetime. One of his sons, now known as the Ramesside mummy, is on display through next spring at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium as part of its new exhibit, Afterlife: Tombs and Treasures of Ancient Egypt. “The … [Read more...]
‘Swing!’ heats up Wick’s stage for second-season opener
By Dale King The Wick Theatre has jumped into its second season in grand fashion with a pumped-up production of Swing!, a musical tribute to the era of big-name jazz and high-stepping dance. The show, featuring an on-stage, eight-piece live band, runs through mid-November at the venue on North Federal Highway in Boca Raton. Swing! celebrates the music of various artists who … [Read more...]
Cultural Council’s SmARTBiz Summit draws eager arts advocates
About 200 culturally connected South Florida residents gathered Oct. 28 for the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County’s fourth annual SmARTBiz Summit. Representatives from distinguished arts organizations — including Katie Deits from the Lighthouse ArtCenter, Cynthia Palmieri from the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, Andrew Kato from Maltz Jupiter Theatre and Joe Gillie from the … [Read more...]
‘Laggies’: Pining for maturity paints predictable picture
Megan Burch, Keira Knightley’s protagonist in Laggies, is a 28-year-old with privileged problems. It’s been 10 years since Burch graduated high school, but she’s still stuck in the same emotional place — unmarried, with the same steady boyfriend, upper-middle-class parents and a menial job flipping signs for her father’s accounting firm (a provincial job, though it must be said … [Read more...]