Jade Master, left, winner of last year’s Palm Beach Idolscompetition, with events producer Eileen Weissmann at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre.Theater: Many of Palm Beach County’s professional theaters are idle this summer, but the Maltz Jupiter Theatre has a few special events, like this Saturday night’s talent competition, called -- what else? -- Palm … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: June 24-29
Duke Ellington (1899-1974).Music: After conquering the world of popular music, bandleader Duke Ellington began branching out in more ambitious directions for the concert hall. In 1943, his suite Black, Brown and Beige had its premiere at Carnegie Hall, and in subsequent years there would be a landmark recording of the work with the great gospel singer … [Read more...]
Theater feature: Maltz campers to get ‘Footloose’
Christina Caperna, Nicky Wood, Jessica Pereira, Lanardo Davis,Alyssa Berger and Taylor Joseph Rivera in Footloose.By Jan EngorenThe 1984 film Footloose, starring Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer, tells the story of a Chicago teenager, Ren McCormack, who moves to a small town where dancing and rock music are banned.Boosted by a catchy score, it was fairly … [Read more...]
Broadway Postcard No. 5: ‘Mormon’ is best musical of the season
Andrew Randells and Josh Gad encounter a Ugandan, in The Book of Mormon.By Hap ErsteinTrey Parker and Matt Stone have been freaking out television’s Standards and Practices folks (a/k/a censors) for almost 15 years with their purposely profane animated series South Park, so it should come as no surprise that their first Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon, … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: April 15-17
Robin Wright as Mary Surratt in The Conspirator.Film: Sure, he won an Oscar 30 years ago for making Ordinary People, but Robert Redford remains an underrated director. To see how he can bring history alive, involving and even a little instructive, check out The Conspirator, his take on the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, as seen through the … [Read more...]
Theater feature: ‘Blasted,’ ‘Mack and Mabel’ win big at 35th Carbonells
Joe Adler and the cast of Blasted, which won Best Play for GableStage at Monday night's Carbonell Awards.By Hap ErsteinLast night’s 35th annual Carbonell Awards ceremony had a curious, unscripted recurring theme -- actor Todd Allen Durkin’s private parts.I guess we should have seen it coming -- the theme, not the naughty bits -- since he did appear full … [Read more...]
Theater preview: Tonight, Carbonells honor best in South Florida theater
By Hap ErsteinTonight, the South Florida theater community gets together for the 35th annual Carbonell Awards, the citations for excellence among area professional theaters that has been shrouded in controversy in recent years.Last year, as you may recall, the awards board of directors announced the program would be suspended to study and fix the perceived … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: April 1-3
A scene from Crazy for You, now playing at the Maltz. Theater: Thanks to the business savvy of the Gershwin Estate, George and Ira Gershwin have written a few musicals after their death. Or rather, their vast song trunk has been made available to those who would reuse their familiar and obscure compositions in new settings, such as Crazy for You, a “new” show … [Read more...]
ArtsBuzz: Maltz, Actors’ Playhouse lead Carbonell nods with 18 apiece
Carbonell nominees Bret Shuford, Tari Kellyand Tom Beckett in Anything Goes.By Hap ErsteinThat helicopter musical, Miss Saigon, at Actors’ Playhouse, received 11 Carbonell Award nominations, the most of any professional production in South Florida, according to an announcement made today.Sarah Kane’s sordid drama Blasted pulled in seven nominations for … [Read more...]
Theater roundup 1: ‘Sound of Music’ without syrup; a rethought ‘Les Miz’
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...]