The cast of Mamma Mia! in action.(Photo by Carol Rosegg)By Hap ErsteinThat much-maligned theater stepchild, the jukebox musical, is built from used parts, involving the meticulous selection and insertion of existing songs into a story line to make a cohesive whole.But if a careless mess like Mamma Mia! can run for years on Broadway, generate road companies all over the globe as … [Read more...]
Music feature: Janis Ian, society’s child at 58
Janis Ian is at ease with her past and her present. By Hap ErsteinFor so many Baby Boomers who grew up feeling like outsiders -- and isn’t that most of us? -- one voice of the generation was a 14-year-old folk troubadour named Janis Ian, who sang of forbidden interracial romance in Society’s Child, and then again a decade later with a ballad of teenage angst, At 17.Now 58, Ian … [Read more...]
Theater review: With this ‘Wizard,’ you’re better off with the movie
Noah Aberlin, Cassie Okenka, Jason Simon and Chris Kind in The Wizard of Oz.By Hap ErsteinWhen critics complain about the preponderance of musicals today based on movies, what irks us the most are shows like The Wizard of Oz, which is slavishly faithful to the celluloid footprint, with a minimum of originality in its adaptation to the stage. The non-union touring production at … [Read more...]
Arts feature: Mike Daisey’s big fat systems of desire
Monologue master Mike Daisey.(Illustration by Pat Crowley) By Marya Summers“Fat Geek,” a role in a Microsoft movie, was the part for which he was born, so Mike Daisey says in his comedic/dramatic monologue Monopoly.Sitting in a chair behind a desk, Daisey wipes away the sweat that comes with all the work of being a large, excitable man under bright stage lights. Telling his … [Read more...]
Music review: Violinist struggles in Rinker recital
Violinist Christina Castelli.By Greg StepanichWEST PALM BEACH -- Normally, an encore provides a chance for performers and listeners to relax and enjoy the good feelings that have been generated on both sides as the concert stretches on a bit past closing time.For her encore Monday night at the Rinker Playhouse, the American violinist Christina Castelli chose Estrellita, the … [Read more...]
ArtsBuzz: Ballet Florida cancels rest of season
A scene from the Ballet Florida staging of The Nutcracker.WEST PALM BEACH -- Citing the failure of a proposed partnership with the city of West Palm Beach and "unforeseen financial challenges," Ballet Florida this afternoon canceled the remainder of its 2008-09 season.The troupe had been scheduled to present performances at the Broward Center on April 4-5, the Duncan Theater at … [Read more...]
Theater review: ‘Legally Blonde’ is pretty in pink, but dull as dishwater
Becky Gulsving as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.By Hap ErsteinMovies have long been geared to the teen market, and now so are Broadway musicals.Female teens in search of sing-along tales of empowerment, such as Wicked and now Legally Blonde, the not-very-good, but wildly-popular-with-its-target-audience show at the Kravis Center this week.I recall the 2001 movie from which this … [Read more...]
ArtsBuzz: Ailing Carreras calls off recital in the middle
Tenor Jose Carreras.By Greg StepanichWEST PALM BEACH -- By the time Jose Carreras lifted his right hand and motioned for pianist Lorenzo Bavaj to stop playing earlier tonight, the audience at the Kravis Center knew what was coming.Carreras, a member of the legendary Three Tenors now on a solo recital swing here in South Florida, had clearly been suffering from what appeared to … [Read more...]
Opera review: Swenson shines brightest in vigorous ‘Norma’
Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs as Norma.(Photo by Alissa Dragun)By Greg StepanichWEST PALM BEACH — The difference between the operas of the bel canto tradition and the operas of Giuseppe Verdi that followed them is one of greater psychological insight, surely, but more importantly, it's a difference of brute energy.The operas of a bel canto composer such as Vincenzo Bellini are … [Read more...]
Music review: Naples Philharmonic impressive in Beethoven
By Greg StepanichWEST PALM BEACH -- Florida has any number of symphonic ensembles, but some of them are more fortunate than others.The Naples Philharmonic is one of those in the extra-blessed category, not least because it has been led for five years by Jorge Mester, a well-known conductor with a strong international reputation. It also has had, for 20 years, a performance … [Read more...]