For its gala fundraiser Thursday night at the Mar-a-Lago Club, the Palm Beach Symphony brought back two of its guest stars from last year, the Russian-American pianist Lola Astanova and conductor Jajha Ling of the San Diego Symphony. The orchestra also introduced to area audiences a fresh talent, Brazilian tenor Thiago Arancam, who sang a selection of arias and songs from the … [Read more...]
‘Boynton Beach Club’ in concert, not ready for Broadway
Geared as it is to the senior set, Boynton Beach Club probably makes more commercial sense as a theatrical musical than a feature film. But based on the developmental reading at Boynton’s Park Vista Theatre this weekend, the authors seem stumped for much dramatic justification for the 2006 movie’s transition to the stage. With a so-so score by Ned Paul Ginsburg and Michael … [Read more...]
‘Speech and Debate’: GableStage’s youth movement
Although he must have been absent in playwriting class the day they covered creating enticing titles, Stephen Karam demonstrates his skill with contemporary dialogue and the angst of today’s youth in the breezy, comic Speech and Debate. While more lightweight than GableStage’s usual fare, the production demonstrates the company’s continued interest in new talent -- … [Read more...]
Boca club owner hangs on, testifying for the blues
It’s never been easy playing and singing the blues, especially here in South Florida, at the extreme southern end of America. The last couple years have been unkind to area blues fans. First, Musicians Exchange co-founder and blues champion Don Cohen died. Then the Bamboo Room in Lake Worth, the finest blues venue in South Florida, closed indefinitely. The all-genre concert … [Read more...]