By Robert Croan South Florida Symphony closed its summer chamber music series with two Central European works from the turn of the 19th to the 20th centuries --- one forward-looking, the other solidly in the Beethoven-Brahms tradition. It was a pleasant and brief evening that sent home the capacity audience in Fort Lauderdale’s Center for Spiritual Development [on July 24] … [Read more...]
New company devoted to adventurous theater to debut in Jupiter
By Ilana Jael Even in South Florida’s lively theater scene, it’s not every day that audience members have the chance to bear witness to the birth of a brand-new company. This year, though, sufficiently adventurous theater-goers will have just such an opportunity as Sticking Place Theatre Collective celebrates its inaugural season, starting with the opening of their debut … [Read more...]
Standout performances enliven ‘Little Women’ at FAU Festival Rep
By Ilana Jael Though it’s been a long time since I’ve revisited Louisa May Alcott’s best-selling novel Little Women, I have fond enough memories of the book and its various adaptations to be one of many modern women with a soft spot for this particular classic. As a teenager, I even performed in a straight play adaptation of Little Women, so my interest was piqued right … [Read more...]
Shakespeare Festival’s ‘Falstaff’ an engaging look at the Bard’s roguish knight
By Ilana Jael As a 21st-century theater critic working without a time machine, it certainly isn’t every day that I get to cover the world premiere of a William Shakespeare play. No, the Bard isn’t back from beyond the grave, but Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival is breaking new ground with its biggest production this year, which features a brand-new script constructed by its … [Read more...]
Outing of rarely heard women composers a revelation at SFSO chamber concert
By Robert Croan When I was a graduate student in musicology at Columbia University in the 1950s, the only woman composer we ever studied — and only briefly — was Amy Beach (1867-1944). At that time, she was deemed the only successful American female composer. She had been married to one Dr. Henry Harris Aubrey Beach, and her music was published as composed by Mrs. H.H.A. … [Read more...]
Gay Men’s Chorus pays poignant tribute to Pulse victims
By Robert Croan To commemorate this year’s Pride Month and the 10th anniversary of the infamous Pulse massacre in Orlando, the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida commissioned Amor Eterno: A Requiem for Pulse from Saunder Choi, a 38-year-old Philippine-born composer currently based in Los Angeles. It’s an ample 45-minute opus, fitting the enormity of the tragic event, and … [Read more...]
Entracte’s scrappy ‘Cats’ transcends its source material
By Ilana Jael Rothman It definitely isn’t every day that I come across a production so distinctive that it serves to completely upend my initial reaction to a certain show — and, of all shows, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats is one I would’ve judged to be among the least likely to inspire such a 180. Following my first theatrical encounter with the show via the long-running … [Read more...]
FAU’S Festival Rep starts off summer with well-presented Christie whodunit
By Ilana Jael Rothman It’s hard to imagine any fans of Agatha Christie being disappointed by The Hollow, a 1951 play by the iconic author that proves it stands the test of time in Florida Atlantic University’s Festival Repertory Theatre production. Described in the program’s director’s note as a “good old-fashioned murder mystery,” the piece succeeds unquestionably in … [Read more...]
Met Live announces upcoming cinema season
By Robert Croan The Met: Live in HD, our premier opera company’s streaming in movie theaters worldwide of live performances from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, closed its current season May 30 with El último sueño de Frida y Diego. The Spanish-language opera by Gabriela Lena Frank was a novelty for the Met, and timely, as the 53-year-old California-based … [Read more...]
Peabody violinist Li helps close chamber series splendidly
By Robert Croan Victor Santiago Asuncíon, himself a first-class pianist with a busy touring schedule, brings worthy and interesting guest collaborators to his splendid chamber music series in the Community Church at Lauderdale-By-the Sea. The fifth and last concert of his 2026 season, on May 23, featured Beijing-born Qing Li, principal second violin of the Baltimore Symphony … [Read more...]