The flim-flam man who gets himself bamboozled is a staple character of the musical theater. Think of Max Bialystock of The Producers, Lawrence Jameson of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and especially Harold Hill of The Music Man. That last one, the creation of composer-lyricist-book writer Meredith Willson, is an enduring conning icon who arrives in River City, Iowa, intent on … [Read more...]
For cast, ‘Music Man’ is a feel-good show with heart
By Hap Erstein Frequent Wick Theatre director Norb Joerder has forgotten how many times he has staged Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. But he can recall a lot of the prominent performers who have played the traveling salesman who cons town after town into buying instruments and band uniforms for their music-challenged youngsters. “This is probably my eighth or … [Read more...]
Loehr, Kleiner shine in sensational ‘Crazy for You’ at The Wick
Legendary composer George Gershwin died in 1937, but that has not stopped the creation of three major book musicals featuring his songs in relatively recent years. The best of them is surely 1992’s Crazy for You, a clever romantic comedy with the emphasis on the comedy, thanks to a jokey script by Ken Ludwig. But to work, the show needs a charismatic hoofer in the male lead. … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Dec. 1-3
Music: Any number of fine pianists visits South Florida each year during the season, and a series of lesser-known but still formidable players are on hand each winter to perform recitals at Lynn University in Boca Raton. But Saturday night, one of the best pianists of an older generation, Peter Serkin, will join that series in a recital at Amarnick-Goldstein Concert Hall. His … [Read more...]
Stellar cast in ‘She Loves Me’ gives Wick a gem for holidays
Don’t feel obligated to buy anything for The Wick Theatre but, boy, has it got a holiday present for you. It’s She Loves Me, the melody-rich musical romance set in a Budapest perfume store, based on the same source material as the 1939 film The Shop Around the Corner and the contemporary remake, 1998’s You’ve Got Mail. The show’s final scene takes place on Christmas … [Read more...]
Zoetic Stage is big winner at 41st Carbonells
It was a spread-the-wealth evening Monday, as nine South Florida theater companies took home Carbonell Awards at the 41st annual event at the Broward Center. Still, Miami’s Zoetic Stage was the big winner with six awards – three each for the Stephen Sondheim musical Passion and for Michael McKeever’s new play, After. Then again, judging by who walked off with the top awards, … [Read more...]
Actors Playhouse offers beautifully sung ‘Carousel’
By Hap Erstein Of the many shows by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II that pushed the boundaries of the musical theater in the mid-20th century, they often remarked that Carousel was their favorite. You will get no argument from me about the score, which is so rich in character-laden melodies and topped by their single best musical number, the booming and delicate … [Read more...]
Loehr astonishes in Maltz’s ‘Me and My Girl’
Regular Maltz Jupiter theatergoers will probably not be surprised to hear that Matt Loehr again gives an astonishing star turn in the Jupiter company’s production of 1937’s Me and My Girl. After all, by now they should be used to his stage antics, both comic and romantic. Whether the material is sturdy (Crazy for You, The Music Man) or weak (The Will Rogers Follies), the … [Read more...]