By Dale King After recently toying with a variety of theatrical genres, Lake Worth Playhouse has chosen to kick off the 2023 portion of its 70th season with a tried-and-true classic, Guys and Dolls. This stage staple centers on Depression-era gamblers and their women, referred to without objection as “dolls” and “broads,” whose major goal in life is to marry and raise … [Read more...]
PBO’s non-edgy ‘Butterfly’ nice, but not challenging
By Márcio Bezerra A 15-year-old geisha is bought in marriage and later abandoned by an American naval officer in — of all places — Nagasaki. The storyline of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is ripe with political and gender-related controversies. Yet, most traditional productions avoid tackling the problematic subjects head-on. That was the case with Palm Beach … [Read more...]
At Four Arts, Calidore String Quartet turns in knockout performance
By Ava Figliuzzi Name any major U.S. chamber music competition, and it has likely been won in the past by the Calidore String Quartet. The New York City-based ensemble was the recipient of a 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant, a 2017 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, and the winner of the 2016 M-Prize International Chamber Music Competition. Their 2022-23 season balances … [Read more...]
Atlanta Symphony delivers outstanding evening of Beethoven, Sibelius at Kravis
By Márcio Bezerra As the most prestigious musical institution in the Southeast, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra needs no introduction. For 78 years, the orchestra has established itself as a major American ensemble and one hopes that, under the new leadership of Music Director Nathalie Stuzmann, it will be able to expand its musical horizons by featuring a more varied … [Read more...]
Ulysses Quartet effective, unified in diverse program at Duncan’s Stage West
By Ava Figliuzzi The Duncan Theatre's Stage West, a charming, small venue on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth Beach, opened its Classical Café Series on Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 11) with the young Ulysses Quartet. Founded in 2015, the Ulysses Quartet has garnered top prizes at the Schoenfeld and Fischoff competitions and held recent fellowship … [Read more...]
At Four Arts, pianist Ax lets Schubert speak for himself
By Márcio Bezerra Acclaimed pianist Emanuel Ax was the feature of a sold-out recital Jan. 8 at The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach. Playing a mostly Schubert program with some touches of Liszt, the venerable artist displayed a total commitment to serving the composers’ intentions, with little space for personal eccentricities. Following Arthur Rubinstein’s … [Read more...]
In Palm Beach, mature work from a grown-up child art star
By Sandra Schulman As an art star from an extremely young age, Alexandra Nechita has matured into a thoughtful, forceful, sophisticated artist. Born in Romania, Alexandra immigrated to the United States before she turned two. She began drawing as a toddler, and by seven had her first solo exhibition in Los Angeles. At 11 she had already sold over $1.5 million of her art, … [Read more...]
Grim energy of ‘Hadestown’ brings Kravis audience to its feet
By Dale King Hadestown, the grim, garishly compelling musical that fuses characters from Greek mythology with imagery from a hellishly demonic industrial underworld, continues through Sunday at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. On opening night Tuesday, a full-house audience rewarded the starkly entertaining performance with a sustained … [Read more...]
Dramaworks reaffirms relevance of ’12 Angry Men’ in searing production
By Sharon Geltner “One man is dead. The life of another is at stake. I urge you to deliberate honestly and thoughtfully. If there is a reasonable doubt --- then you must bring me a verdict of ‘not guilty.‘” The judge’s instructions open Twelve Angry Men, the classic American drama by Reginald Rose, set in a dingy conference room in 1954. The Palm Beach Dramaworks … [Read more...]
‘Aladdin’ is a world of wonders in Kravis run
By Dale King The latest iteration of Aladdin, one of the oldest and most told and retold tales in literary history, is being performed through Friday at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. The production, based on Walt Disney’s 1992 animated film, is festooned with colorful characters, a pleasing, often powerful musical score and amazing … [Read more...]