These days, if a family-friendly film gains popularity, chances are good that it will make the leap to the musical stage. And whether or not that transfer was deemed worthy, there are so many performing arts centers around the nation in need of product, the show will probably be sent on tour. That explains the arrival at the Kravis Center this week of Mrs. Doubtfire, a so-so … [Read more...]
Standout performances can’t lift ‘Gaslight’ rewrite at Maltz
Theatrical tastes and gender sensibilities can change drastically in 86 years. So while a play like Gaslight thrilled audiences in 1938 – as did its more famous movie version six years later – it would be unlikely to captivate theatergoers today. Enter Patty Jamieson and Johnna Wright, a pair of Canadian actresses-turned-writers who were on the right track with their rewrite … [Read more...]
A strong ‘Last Night of Ballyhoo’ at Boca Stage
Avid theatergoers are probably familiar with Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach trilogy and also Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy. But how about Alfred Uhry’s Atlanta Trilogy? During the late ‘80s and ‘90s, Uhry wrote three distinctly different plays, all centering on his colorful Georgian family, each Jewish in their own way. The most acclaimed on them is 1989’s Pulitzer … [Read more...]
At the Wick, ‘Groucho’ tribute falls a little short of the Marx
When the incomparable Groucho Marx passed away in 1977 at the age of 86, he left behind a dozen classic movie comedies, kinescopes of 11 seasons of his TV game show, You Bet Your Life, and countless well-crafted or ad-libbed one-liners. In addition, there is An Evening with Groucho, Frank Ferrante’s one-man celebration of his comedy idol, which draws on each of the above … [Read more...]
‘Witches of Eastwick’ sees Slow Burn back in quirky form
Slow Burn Theatre, now celebrating the beginning of its 15th season, came into the world committed to producing musicals that for one reason or another were underappreciated initially. Its shows were anything but mainstream, yet the company developed an enthusiastic and loyal following. When the risk-oriented troupe moved to the Broward Center nine years ago, however, its … [Read more...]
Actress Jacobson triumphs in ‘Becoming Dr. Ruth’ at the Maltz
Few people are unfamiliar with Ruth Westheimer, the straight-talking grandmotherly sex therapist of radio, television, books and even a sex education board game. Perhaps even fewer, however, are aware of her back story, how this plucky German girl fled from the Nazis to Switzerland, eventually emigrating to America by way of Palestine and then becoming an unlikely media … [Read more...]
At the Maltz: ‘Becoming Dr. Ruth’ tells remarkable story of woman behind the frank talk
Most people are familiar with Ruth Westheimer, but few know her backstory — her roots as a German child who fled her homeland to Switzerland as the Nazis were gaining power. After World War II, she emigrated to Palestine and took up arms as a sniper for the Haganah, a Zionist paramilitary troupe. Ultimately, she moved again to the United States and became the world-renowned, … [Read more...]
Delray Playhouse spices up summer’s end with dazzling ‘Chorus Line’
By Dale King Delray Beach Playhouse has set up its main stage for “one singular sensation” — the musical A Chorus Line — which has returned to South Florida for a three-week summer run that already packed DBP’s audience space and drew standing ovations at opening shows in its first weekend. The production — conceived and originally directed and choreographed by esteemed … [Read more...]
‘School of Rock’ a crowd-pleaser at Lake Worth Playhouse
By Dale King In the real world, school won’t start for at least a few more weeks, maybe even a month. But in the realm of stage musicals, School of Rock opened this past weekend at the Lake Worth Playhouse. Its “semester” runs just three weeks, but lots of songs, antics, expectations, rules for proper in-class behavior and family relationships are packed into its … [Read more...]
PB Shakespeare Fest offers an admirable, dark-hued ‘Lear’
It is said that if William Shakespeare were alive today, he would probably be writing for a popular medium like television. Perhaps he would be penning tales of power struggles and family conflict on a series such as Succession. Instead, he wrote on those same subjects in King Lear, one of his greatest tragic plays. Now in its 34th season, Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival … [Read more...]