Sharon Gless in A Round-Heeled Woman.(Photo by George Schiavone) Theater: Although it is a little lighter than the usual fare at Coral Gables’ GableStage, the cutting edge company has a crowd-pleasing winner in Jane Prowse’s A Round-Heeled Woman, based on the true story of Jane Juska. In her mid-60s, she places an ad soliciting men to have sex with her, adding … [Read more...]
Music review: Colossal ‘Requiem’ at PB Opera proves hugely enjoyable
Bruno Aprea leads the Verdi Requiem on Sunday. By Greg StepanichEven if you hear it by playing a YouTube video through the tinny speakers built into your laptop, Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem makes an overwhelming impression.So much more overwhelming was it, then, to see the massive chorus and orchestra lined up on stage Sunday afternoon at the Kravis Center … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Jan. 14-16
Panel of St. Edmund, early 16th century, English.Art: This is the last weekend to catch Object of Devotion: Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture From the Victoria and Albert Museum, showing through Sunday at the Society of the Four Arts.This national touring collection of 60 alabaster panels and sculpture from the 15th and 16th centuries is the … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Jan. 7-9
A section from Idiotheim (2010), by Chris Vicini.Art: Elwa Productions, a New York-based contemporary art company with roots in West Palm Beach, returns to the city tonight to open A Connection That Binds, a show featuring work by Swedish sculptor Chris Vicini and American painter Devin Powers, at Elayne and Marvin Mordes’ Whitespace gallery on Australian … [Read more...]
Opera review: Splendid second cast shines in PB Opera’s ‘Nabucco’
Adam Diegel and Laura Vlasak Nolen in Nabucco.(Photo by Palm Beach Opera) By Rex HearnThe “A” cast may have sung Nabucco on Friday night for Palm Beach Opera, but on Saturday night I heard the alpha cast.The company alternates its principals in two casts for each of its full productions and the Saturday lineup featured five incredible voices, “B” cast or … [Read more...]
Music review: Supporting characters shine brighter in PB Opera’s ‘Nabucco’
Mark Rucker as Nabucco.By Greg StepanichIt takes a lot of big singing to fill up all the space in the static tableaux of Verdi’s Nabucco.And on Friday night at the Palm Beach Opera, most of that sonic filling was provided by two singers other than the principals: a sonorous bass as Zaccaria and a thrilling tenor as Ismaele.For its first production in 25 years of … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Dec. 10-12
Dmitri Belosselskiy as Zaccaria in Palm Beach Opera’s Nabucco.Music: The Palm Beach Opera opens its 49th season tonight with Nabucco, the opera that made Giuseppe Verdi’s career back in 1842. It’s the first mounting of this opera by the company in 25 years, and they’ve secured a host of singers with experience at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. … [Read more...]
ArtsPreview 2010-11: The season in opera
Anthony Roth Costanzo,who will sing Orfeo for Palm Beach Opera.(Illustration by Pat Crowley) By Greg StepanichSouth Florida’s two chief opera companies mostly played it safe at the box office last season when it came to repertoire, with dueling productions of Bizet’s Carmen closing both companies’ offerings.But Palm Beach Opera and Florida Grand Opera also took some … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: July 16-20
Blue Boy, by Tammy Marinuzzi.Art: Work in ceramics by a group of artists who all have connections to the University of Florida opens today at West Palm Beach’s Armory Art Center and runs through Aug. 28. The 13 artists, assembled under the rubric Motley Moxie, shared the same working environment or instructors at UF, but have widely varied approaches to … [Read more...]
Music review: Md. soprano, Ohio baritone take top honors at PB Opera contest
Soprano Corinne Winters sings Sempre libera, from Verdi’s La Traviata.By Greg StepanichThe annual Palm Beach Opera vocal competition Grand Finals concerts are notable each year for two things above all: The atmosphere of fun and interactivity in the audience, and the exceptional level of youthful talent that soon will be replenishing the stores of the opera houses … [Read more...]