South Florida theatergoers probably know Carbonell Award-winning stage director Michael Leeds (The Timekeepers), but may not realize that he is also an accomplished screenwriter. But his most recent movie project, The Last Film Festival, came to a grinding halt five years ago when its star, Dennis Hopper, died of lung cancer. The film, which also features Jacqueline Bisset, … [Read more...]
In ‘Locke,’ Bluetooth proves another circle of Hell
Ever since I could get behind the wheel of a car, I’ve had an affinity for long drives. Especially long drives at night, with the glittering beacons of the closest metropolis poetically coloring blankets of highway darkness. For lovers of, to paraphrase a Modest Mouse album title, “long drives for someone with nothing to think about,” the experience of a lengthy, solo p.m. … [Read more...]
Still getting around: Beach Boys fire up Hard Rock
HOLLYWOOD ― “It was a rough night,” Mike D’Amico sighed as he poked through the offstage drapes to deliver a couple of passes to waiting friends at Seminole Hard Rock. No chance to explain, only to say before returning to his dressing room that he hoped to make it home to Lake Worth “sometime in September.” But any reason is plausible, since D’Amico is adopted: He’s a member … [Read more...]
‘Thin Ice’ a smart look at your friendly neighborhood sociopath
“He lies artfully and constantly, with absolutely no sense of guilt that might give him away in body language or facial expression. If charm, sexuality and role-playing somehow fail, [he] uses fear, a sure winner. His iciness is fundamentally scary. -- Psychologist Martha Stout, in her best-seller The Sociopath Next Door The person described in this quote is a composite … [Read more...]
Florida Stage subscribers to get arts deals; Wright to headline poetry fest
Florida Stage subscribers to get special offers in mid-July Following the unexpected news earlier this month that Florida Stage was filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and could not refund subscribers for their 2011-2012 season tickets, numerous cultural groups have united to help mitigate some of the loss. The Palm Beach County Cultural Council, along with 25 organizations, has … [Read more...]
Maltz’s young campers get ‘Footloose’
The 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 successful on screen but has found eternal life in its 1998 adaptation for the musical theatre, becoming one of the most frequently performed of all … [Read more...]
Bulletin from Broadway No. 7: ‘Fela!’
My season-end Broadway visit is coming to a close, and it is fair to say it has been a surprisingly strong year for plays and a pretty disappointing one for musicals. Tony Award nominations get announced Tuesday and the committee is going to have to be pretty creative to fill some of the musical categories. (There are only two musicals with original scores, so the eligibility … [Read more...]
Expect ‘Hurt Locker,’ Bullock, Bridges to take Oscars
And then there were 10. No, not by a process of elimination, but by inflation. I’m talking about the new, probably not improved, look for the Academy Awards, with its revised voting dynamic for best picture. Not only are there 10 nominees for the top Oscar, but members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be ranking their 10 choices, with number one choices … [Read more...]
Piano fest wraps at PBAU with three names to watch
Like better-known programs of its ilk, the young International Certificate of Piano Artists program is a good way for rising stars of the classical piano to get expert advice, and for aficionados of the art to catch some rising stars. Thursday night at the DeSantis Family Chapel on the campus of Palm Beach Atlantic University, the Palm Beach Symphony accompanied three ICPA … [Read more...]
Florida Stage moving to Kravis, MCB gets its orchestra back
Florida Stage moving to Kravis Center next summer Florida Stage is making a long-anticipated move to West Palm Beach. Beginning in July 2010, Florida’s largest professional theater company dedicated exclusively to new and emerging plays will take up residence in the Marshall E. Rinker Sr. Playhouse at the Kravis Center, the company said Monday night. Officials with both … [Read more...]