Although he grew up in Scotland speaking the King’s English, when actor, singer, dancer, emcee, author, reality show host and all-around performer Alan Cumming first came to the United States at the age of 30, the two most foreign words for him were Tucson and Boca Raton. “I had never heard that name before,” he says. “I thought it was a Mexican dish.” Since then, he’s … [Read more...]
Festival of the Arts Boca: Author Fishman wants to warn us about our water crisis
Not one to shy away from large topics, award-winning journalist and author Charles Fishman will bring a whopper to the Festival of the Arts Boca this month. Fishman's talk, which will take place March 9 at the festival as part of the Authors and Ideas programs, focuses on one of his favorite subjects: Water. “Water has achieved an invisibility in our lives that is only … [Read more...]
‘Billy’ Billingham: Lake Worth Beach’s tough guy reality TV star
Of all the things one might expect to find along an otherwise nondescript street in southern Lake Worth Beach, a reality TV star's residence would probably not be among them. But that's where Mark "Billy" Billingham (markbillybillingham.com), of the Fox network's Wednesday night show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, lives when he's not flying around the globe for … [Read more...]
Norton’s new CEO: The museum as hub for creativity and dialogue
Early into a recent interview, it becomes clear why Ghislain d'Humières landed the job of director and CEO of the Norton Museum of Art. A native of France with a last name that exudes harmony and elegance, d'Humières is grounded, energetic and has the well-rounded business acumen to take one of Palm Beach County’s most precious cultural jewels to the next level. This … [Read more...]
Writer T Kira Madden: Leaving Boca, opening doors for ‘Fatherless Girls’
The tattoos dotting T Kira Madden’s arms may not symbolize everything you need to know about her, but they unlock a number of doors. They include likenesses of the Hawaiian islands, her ancestral homeland; the key to her father’s apartment in New York City; a top hat, tipped in reference to her passion for stage magic; and a hot air balloon, which she and her parents … [Read more...]
#MeToo and the young actress: Three FAU thespians view the road ahead
By Janis Fontaine The #MeToo movement that exploded onto the cultural scene in 2017 with allegations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein – who was indicted this week on rape charges in New York – has upended the careers of major figures in entertainment, media and government, among other professions. Palm Beach ArtsPaper sat down in April with … [Read more...]
Erin Manning: In search of the Flagler spirit
Erin Manning took over as executive director of the Flagler Museum earlier this year from the retiring John Blades, coming to Henry Flagler’s 1902 Whitehall mansion from the Historical Society of Princeton in her home state of New Jersey, where she was executive director for nine years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern and North African studies from the … [Read more...]
Terry Teachout: Bringing ‘Satchmo’ to life, as playwright and director
Terry Teachout, 60, the drama critic of The Wall Street Journal, is also a biographer and opera librettist. Five years ago, he adapted his biography of jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong into a one-man play, Satchmo at the Waldorf. In May, he makes his professional directorial debut with the play at Palm Beach Dramaworks in West Palm Beach (it runs from May 13 to June 12). Hap … [Read more...]
Victor DeRenzi: At the end of the Verdi journey
Victor DeRenzi, artistic director of the Sarasota Opera. (Photo by Giovanni Lunardi) On Saturday night, the curtain at the Sarasota Opera House will open on a production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aïda, marking the beginning of the 57th season at the house. And with a production later in the season of La Battaglia di Legnano, it will mark the culmination of a 28-year project … [Read more...]
Andrew Kato: In the driver’s seat at the Maltz
Back in the 1980s, a young, eager theater intern named Andrew Kato worked as a waiter at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre in Jupiter. Today, he runs the multi-million dollar regional theater on that site, having in November been named producing artistic director and chief executive of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. With that promotion comes a 10-year contract to oversee the … [Read more...]