When you find yourself searching for any adjective that would give justice to the level of spectacular that you saw in performance, you realize what you saw was truly unique. This was the case on March 3 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. One could feel the authenticity in the program presented by Alonzo King Lines Ballet. In a one-night-only performance as part … [Read more...]
‘Pretty Woman’ musical sticks too close to its movie model
Since romance is a cornerstone of the musical theater, perhaps it was inevitable that Pretty Woman — the most popular rom-com of all time — would make its way to Broadway It did so in 2018, thanks to an adaptation by Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton — the film’s director and screenwriter, respectively — as well as a score by Canadian pop composer Bryan Adams and his frequent … [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...]
Reflecting Fools bring back political parody at fraught time
Among the victims of COVID-19, at least in the world of entertainment, has been the popular political satire troupe, The Capitol Steps, which could not survive the two years of performance pause. But since nature abhors a vacuum, a new company, dubbed DC’s Reflecting Fools, has cropped up to take its place. And since the Fools feature song parodies by Mark Eaton – who … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2022-23: The season in theater
Now that the COVID 19 pandemic is in the rearview mirror – we hope – South Florida’s theaters are looking ahead to their first full season of productions in several years. So below is a look at what is scheduled, taken in geographic order from north to south, from Jupiter to Coral Gables. Last season, the Maltz Jupiter Theatre was hit with a double whammy of COVID and … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2022-23: The season in classical music
There has been a profound change in the world of classical music over the past two or three years when it comes to programming. Although South Florida will still welcome touring orchestras bearing gifts of symphonic favorites, the post-George Floyd world has had a bracing effect on the kinds of music presented to today’s concertgoers. Programs now feature more Black and … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2022-23: The season in dance
This past summer was particularly hot and grueling everywhere, but the gradually arriving change in the weather will also usher in a very cool South Florida season of dance. Here are the details: Miami City Ballet: The ballet company has big plans for its 2022/23 season of dance. Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez, who has been leading the organization for the past 10 seasons, … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2022-23: The season in theater
Now that the COVID 19 pandemic is in the rearview mirror --- we hope --- South Florida’s theaters are looking ahead to their first full season of productions in several years. So below is a look at what is scheduled, taken in geographic order from north to south, from Jupiter to Coral Gables. Last season, the Maltz Jupiter Theatre was hit with a double whammy of COVID … [Read more...]
‘Summer’ revives disco queen’s energy, but lazy book is anything but hot stuff
In the same way that Andy Warhol predicted we will each have 15 minutes of fame, it is starting to look like every pop singer-songwriter and vocal group will have a biographical jukebox musical. And while some fared poorly on Broadway – Summer: The Donna Summer Musical lasted a mere eight months in New York – there is such a demand for product at performing arts centers across … [Read more...]
Where ‘Officer and a Gentleman, The Musical’ belongs: Not on stage
Opting for pre-sold familiarity, so many musicals these days are based on popular movies. But not all of them justify the insertion of songs into the story line, serving more as filler than increased emotional impact. Take An Officer and a Gentleman, The Musical, or rather, don’t bother to take it. Based on the 1982 Richard Gere-Debra Winger flick about the Naval Officer … [Read more...]