By Dale King In the Heights is a festive, tune-filled musical celebrating the toils and triumphs of the hard-working, money-strapped denizens of a largely Dominican neighborhood in north Manhattan. The show is pleasing midsummer-night audiences at the Lake Worth Playhouse. The play features a young, energetic and talented cast that brings a strong Latin touch to the … [Read more...]
‘Traviata,’ Cast 2: Sarah Joy Miller triumphs as Violetta
There were many young people at Saturday’s performance of Palm Beach Opera’s La Traviata: They came to hear tenor David Miller, a member of Simon Cowell’s Il Divo group, who’ve sold 37 million CDs already. He did not disappoint, giving the lead performance of his life as Alfredo. Miller’s tenor is warm and well-produced. He is very convincing as a singing actor and his finest … [Read more...]
Heat and chill trade places in MCB’s first program
In its first program of the season, Fire and Ice, Miami City Ballet brought the work of three very different choreographers to bear, and with surprising results. The “ice” part of the program was Sir Frederick Ashton’s Les Patineurs, a light-hearted winter wonderland of skaters on a frozen pond that was reminiscent of a Hallmark Christmas card. Les Patineurs, set to music by … [Read more...]
Excellent cast ably fills out ‘Proof’ family drama
As virtually everyone who has ever produced the play has taken pains to point out, David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize winner Proof is about mathematics, but it takes no particular understanding of that subject to enjoy this family drama. It does help if you appreciate good writing and performances, which the Palm Beach Dramaworks production has in abundance. Like Arthur Miller’s … [Read more...]
Capalbo triumphs in second cast of PB Opera’s ‘Butterfly’
In all my years of going to hear Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, I have never heard a better interpretation than that of Canadian soprano Michele Capalbo, who sang the lead role of Cio-Cio San on Saturday at Palm Beach Opera. Capalbo led the company’s “B” cast; the “A” cast opened Palm Beach Opera’s 50th season the night before. Taking on such demanding lead roles means opera … [Read more...]
Second ‘Cosi’ cast shows off voices of great promise
This refined, delicate, good-looking production of Mozart’s Così fan Tutte, with swaths of brilliantly lit open spaces, marble statues and lovely costumes, harks back to productions at the Salzburg Festival in 1982 -- even down to the same sunshade beach umbrella. There’s nothing wrong with that: Imitation is the finest form of flattery, after all. It shows the careful … [Read more...]
Second cast of PBO’s ‘Carmen’ features auspicious debuts
I’ve seen Georges Bizet’s Carmen many times, but the second cast of the recent Palm Beach Opera production offered even a veteran operagoer fresh delights. Chief among them Saturday night was the Polish-born mezzo-soprano Magdalena Wór, who made a magnificent debut with this company, with her rich, seductive mezzo sound, perfectly suited to the role. And her acting as the … [Read more...]
Second cast excellent in PB Opera’s original, stimulating ‘Giovanni’
Like it or not, the cutting edge of European set and stage design came hurtling into Palm Beach Opera for its production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Stefano Poda’s creation arrived simultaneously with a cold blast of fresh air. It is visually stimulating and wholly original. The company took a chance on hiring this gifted young Italian director, 39, whose splendid costumes … [Read more...]
Second cast outstanding in PB Opera’s ‘Otello’
Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello was the basis for the libretto Arrigo Boito wrote for Giuseppe Verdi, who at the time Boito approached him about the opera was 71 years old and considered himself retired. But three years later, in February 1887, Otello had its triumphant premiere at La Scala, and this work plus Verdi's final opera, Falstaff, are considered the pinnacle of the … [Read more...]
Cast, audience deserve better than limp ‘Love Is Love’
It is a terrible mindset, but when hearing that a musical revue by a two-time Tony Award winner with a cast boasting several Broadway veterans is having its world premiere in South Florida, the first thought that comes to mind is, “Really? What’s wrong with it?" Unfortunately, with Love Is Love, written by Annie’s Martin Charnin with music by Richard Gray, starring the likes … [Read more...]