As if Disney didn’t have enough trouble from the attacks by Ron DeSantis, now the various princesses from its animated feature film corral are rebelling against the Mouse Factory for the sexist stereotypes given to them. At least that is the premise of Disenchanted!, a sly satirical revue now receiving its South Florida premiere at the Kravis Center’s Rinker … [Read more...]
Wick’s ‘Anything Goes’ a vintage bubbly delight
When the sublime, sophisticated songsmith Cole Porter collaborated with Brits P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton on the enduring confection Anything Goes, the time was 1934, seven years after Show Boat demonstrated that musicals could take on weighty material. Porter and his writing team – which eventually included play doctors Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse – knew perfectly … [Read more...]
‘Fun Home’: LW Playhouse gives breakthrough musical a fine reading
By Dale King Lake Worth Playhouse has officially opened its 70th season with a probing, thought-provoking production of Fun Home, a true-to-life musical theater adaptation of cartoonist Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic novel memoir of her passionate search to find a connection between her and her deceased father – both of them gay. With music by Jeanine Tesori and a book … [Read more...]
‘Closer Than Ever’ compelling despite virtual limitations
For those who are yearning for the return of live theater – and that means most of us, doesn’t it? – MNM Theatre Company is jumping in to fill that void with a simple, but artfully affecting streamed production of Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire’s Closer Than Ever. This introspective and heartfelt revue has been produced many times in South Florida since its premiere … [Read more...]
New ‘Victory Dolls’ group recreates musical magic of World War II
By Dale King Memories of World War II are getting a shot in the arm from a group of talented stage performers and a veteran theater management CEO, all intent on reviving the music and cultural impact of the war period. Kevin Barrett, a theater manager for 28 years who took over last year as director of the Delray Beach Playhouse, has joined forces with Carbonell … [Read more...]
Strong leads, lively production make ‘Guys and Dolls’ sparkle at the Wick
The eccentric underworld characters of Damon Runyon fit comfortably in the realm of musical comedy. For while they are obsessed with gambling on everything from the ponies to craps to cheesecake consumption, they are also preoccupied with romance. At least they are in Guys and Dolls, a 1950 confection from Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows, considered one of a handful of perfect … [Read more...]
‘Guys and Dolls’ to bring fun, and Lady Luck, to the Wick
Composer-lyricist Frank Loesser has written more artistic shows (The Most Happy Fella) and more commercially successful shows (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), but his 1950 adaptation of Damon Runyon’s tales of the denizens of Times Square, Guys and Dolls, is widely considered to be a perfect musical. “It is the perfect example of a book and a score that go … [Read more...]