Cancellations and rescheduling from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to alter South Florida’s art season. Two major American symphonic ensembles that had planned appearances at the Kravis Center have canceled their concerts. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which was to have played the Kravis on Jan. 15 and 17, called off their concerts last week, citing COVID. Cellist … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2021-22: The season in theater
This was supposed to be the first post-COVID theater season in South Florida, but the delta variant took care of that wishful thinking. Most stage companies are optimistic that they can produce something this season. Whether the audience will show up is another story. If all goes well, it could be an exciting year at the theater, with a new artistic director at … [Read more...]
Appreciation: Joseph Adler, dean of provocative South Florida theater
Joseph Adler, the producing artistic director of Coral Gables’ GableStage for its 20 years of existence, directed nearly every production by the company over that time. That he and the troupe were so successful in bringing provocative, compelling stage fare to South Florida can be seen in the 25 Carbonell Award nominations and 11 wins for best director he received during these … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2019-20: ‘Hamilton’ might be hottest ticket, but area theaters have plenty of worthy shows planned
There are plenty of interesting productions looming in the area this season, but the hottest ticket is unquestionably Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, at the Kravis Center in late January and then the Arsht Center the following month. Do what you have to to get tickets. You didn’t need that right arm anyway. A year ago, the Stage Door Theatre was readying a move to a larger, … [Read more...]
Theater: The 2019 Summer Season
Summer used to be a time when local theaters went on vacation and area performers, directors and designers recharged their batteries. Nowadays, many South Florida theaters run year-round or at least have one hot weather show and/or showcases for its student training programs. So consider avoiding the summer superhero movies in favor of live theater, like the following … [Read more...]
At GableStage, a somber, powerful ‘The Children’
Lucy Kirkwood has life-and-death issues on her mind in her clever, thought-provoking drama The Children, but she is wily enough to wrap her themes inside a very human character study. And at GableStage, which is giving the work its area premiere, director Michael Leeds brings this somber little play to life with Laura Turnbull, Angie Radosh and David Kwiat – three of the … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Feb. 3
Music: New music is beginning to appear with more regularity on concert programs these days, and a case in point is this afternoon’s presentation by The Symphonia of Boca Raton. Composer Bruce Adolphe, best-known as the creator of the Piano Puzzler riddles on NPR’s Performance Today, wrote a violin concerto in 2014 inspired by the life of Rabbi Joachim Prinz, a German who spoke … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2018-19: Theater
If you don’t watch carefully, South Florida theater companies will move around on you. Celebrating its 25th season, Stage Door Theatre has relocated from Margate to Lauderhill, a move westward and a little south, but also a move up in the world to the gorgeous new $11.6 million, 1,100-seat Lauderhill Performing Arts Center. And the nomadic Primal Forces troupe has moved … [Read more...]
‘White Guy on the Bus’ engages, unsettles at GableStage
Remember the song from Avenue Q that chirps that “Everyone’s a little bit racist”? That is the premise as well of Bruce Graham’s unsettling contemporary drama, White Guy on the Bus, now receiving a powerful area premiere at Coral Gables’ GableStage. Expertly directed by Michael Leeds, who orchestrates a top-notch cast led by Tom Wahl – the eponymous “white guy” – the play … [Read more...]
‘I’m Gonna Pray’ serves up dark, compelling father-daughter strife
Is there a yearning more primal than for the approval of a parent? Well, if you happen to be in the theater, the approval of critics comes in a close second. Both are captured, pitfalls and all, in Halley Feiffer’s dark, probably autobiographical, disturbing tale of father-daughter struggles, I’m Gonna Pray for You So Hard, now in its area premiere at GableStage. … [Read more...]