Catherine Walker in The Sound of Music. By Hap ErsteinThere must be some theatergoers who have never seen Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, but not many. Performed perpetually by high schools and community troupes, it would be hard to miss, and then there’s that syrupy, Oscar-winning move version that keeps showing up on cable TV.Director-choreographer … [Read more...]
Music feature: Violinist Ehnes, Toronto SO launch tour of Florida
Violinist James Ehnes.By Greg StepanichThe promoters of this week’s Toronto Symphony concerts might not have noticed it, but the program and its presenters make up something of an international accord between the two big federal republics of North America.So says James Ehnes, a violinist from Manitoba and a dual citizen of Canada and the United States who … [Read more...]
Music review: Chee-Yun adds radiance, dazzle to strong South Florida Symphony show
Chee-Yun.By Greg StepanichThe South Florida Symphony, joined by the radiant playing of guest violinist Chee-Yun, opened the orchestral part of the new season with a concert of auspicious promise Thursday night in Fort Lauderdale.The orchestra, which until very recently was the Key West Symphony, turned out to be far better than would reasonably be expected for a … [Read more...]
Theater review: ‘In the Heights’ electrifies at Broward Center
Kyle Beltran in In the Heights. (Photo by Joan Marcus) By Hap Erstein It is ironic how much electricity courses through every minute of In the Heights, and yet the Tony-winning musical’s story turns on a power outage. In early 2008, a major new voice of the musical theater, composer-lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, staked his claim on a piece of Broadway with his salsa-flavored … [Read more...]
Weekend picks: Feb. 12-16
You (2010), by Sibel Kocabasi.Next week, Upon a Time, an exhibition featuring collaboration between ceramic sculptor Brian Somerville and painter Sibel Kocabasi, opens on the Eissey Campus of Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens.Kocabasi, a Turkish-born artist who received the Hector Ubertalli Award in 2006 and exhibits widely, creates paintings that “reflect the … [Read more...]
Theater review: ‘Jersey Boys’ a jukebox musical for all seasons
The cast of Jersey Boys sings Sherry.By Hap ErsteinAs genres go, the jukebox musical rarely gets much respect. These shows built from existing songs, often of one particular composer or performer, usually come up short in critical admiration or awards. Think of Mamma Mia! (pasted together from the ABBA trunk) or All Shook Up (Elvis).A distinct exception is Jersey Boys, the … [Read more...]