Palm Beach Dramaworks likes to say that it traffics in “theater to think about.” But if you are looking for an entertaining night out without much thinking required, the West Palm Beach stage company has a lightweight slice of whimsy on view now that certainly fills that bill. Called Almost, Maine, it consists of nine brief vignettes on the subject of romance, … [Read more...]
Like Mama Rose herself, Wick’s ‘Gypsy’ soldiers on
Many shows in South Florida have had to be canceled or postponed because of the COVID pandemic, but the Wick Theatre’s production of the musical Gypsy has toughed it out and barreled on – just like its leading character, Mama Rose Hovick, the ultimate stage mother. Veteran director Norb Joerder has dozens of shows to his credit, but he has never experienced anything … [Read more...]
Dramaworks opts for lightness, warmth with ‘Almost, Maine’
Almost, Maine, is a tiny rural town in the northern part of the state, about 150 miles from the coast. But do not look for it on a map, for it exists only in the imagination of playwright John Cariani and, for the next two-and-a-half weeks, onstage at Palm Beach Dramaworks. (Because of production complications from COVID-19, the first show has been moved back three days, to … [Read more...]
COVID postpones ‘Summer,’ ‘Gypsy’ as omicron takes its toll
COVID-19 is playing havoc with local theater schedules. Breakthrough omicron cases have been reported within the company of the touring show Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which was scheduled to play the Kravis Center this week as part of its Broadway series. The show has now been rescheduled for May 20-26, with tickets for the new performance dates to be mailed out … [Read more...]
‘Evan Hansen’ makes compelling art of insecurity, solitude
With the recent death of composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim, many felt that the future of musical theater was thrown into doubt. But we need not fret over the fate of this quintessentially American art form with the emergence of the songwriting team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Having shown impressive promise with Dogfight and A Christmas Story, the duo proclaimed their … [Read more...]
Show about Marilyn’s last days is, indeed, unremarkable
What is there left to be said about Marilyn Monroe? Almost 60 years after her death from a drug overdose at the age of 36, the Hollywood sex goddess still is a subject of fascination for us. Particularly for those who were alive while she was, which happens to also be the primary audience of Boca Stage. So one can understand why the company chose to produce … [Read more...]
‘The People Downstairs’ is a smart new take on Anne Frank’s story
One of the great works of literature of the 20th century is The Diary of Anne Frank, a saga of courage and endurance in the form of a journal by a 14-year-old Jewish girl who hid from the Nazis with her family and others in a cramped Amsterdam attic. But what about those non-Jews in the office below who heroically risked their lives abetting these stowaways? That is the … [Read more...]
Deft ‘Spamilton’ parody also a love letter to theater
For nearly 40 years, Gerard Alessandrini has been poking fun at the shows and stars of the musical theater in his Forbidden Broadway revues. Along the way he came to realize that the more successful the show, the more satirical he could be. So not only was it inevitable that he would get around to lampooning that hip-hop megahit, Hamilton, the hottest ticket in a … [Read more...]
‘Spamilton’ takes loving dig at Miranda and his musical
The more successful a show is, the more it deserves to be spoofed. That is the philosophy of Gerard Alessandrini, the creator and writer of Forbidden Broadway, which has been poking the commercial theater in the ribs for nearly 40 years. And with Hamilton, arguably the most successful musical in a generation, he decided it deserved an entire evening’s parody — which he … [Read more...]
Appreciation: Sondheim made the musical into fine art
In 1994, a stark black-and-white cover of New York magazine asked, “Is Stephen Sondheim God?” The cheeky question tacitly acknowledged that the then 64-year-old was the reigning composer-lyricist of Broadway, perhaps of all time, and implied with a bit of wishful thinking that maybe he was immortal. Certainly his musicals, ranging from 1957’s West Side Story to 2008’s … [Read more...]