Placebo-controlled medical trials “have been one of the most important developments in medicine, allowing us to determine scientifically which medicines work and which don’t, saving countless lives in the process,” writes Jo Marchant in this compelling new book. Researchers commonly test the efficacy of new drugs by dividing patients into two groups. One group receives … [Read more...]
‘Youth’: It may not mean much, but it’s beautiful to look at
There is virtually no story in Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth, and it hardly matters. Cinematic visions this grandiose and immaculately composed don’t come but once a year, and Sorrentino is usually the one to deliver them. Sorrentino established his legacy as the heir to sumptuous late-period Fellini with the 2013 Oscar winner The Great Beauty. That movie’s depiction of wealthy … [Read more...]
Lively, fast-moving ‘Newsies’ solid entertainment for all
There is irony in a major media conglomerate such as Walt Disney producing a musical like Newsies, which celebrates the triumph of a bunch of ragamuffin newsboys over a publishing empire. The message, of course, is that the story line doesn’t matter as long as it brings in a few bucks. Newsies, as you might recall, was a 1992 movie musical that flopped at the box office, but … [Read more...]
Vital ‘Viscera’ energizes MCB’s Program I
By Tara Mitton Catao A tepid launch of Miami City Ballet’s 30th anniversary season this last weekend suggests it might be time to rethink repertoire. On Program I, which was performed Saturday night at the Kravis Center, there were three works. Two selections reached way back in time; one was choreographed 64 years ago and the other 71 years ago. The third was a commissioned … [Read more...]
MCB’s ‘R&J’ sumptuous to look at, but light on the heart
By Tara Mitton Catao Starting its Kravis Center season off last weekend with an ambitious full-length production of John Cranko’s highly regarded Romeo and Juliet, Miami City Ballet continues to present a variety of repertory that not only pleases audiences but also encourages the artistic development of its dancers. In addition to presenting three different casts as Romeo … [Read more...]
‘Fallsburg’ a personal, poignant look back at Borscht Belt
By Dale King Gone, sadly, are the nostalgic “Borscht Belt” days when visitors to the Catskills used to roar with laughter at comedians named Red, Lenny, Rusty, Mort, Zero and Herschel, among others. Yes, even The Three Stooges and Joan Rivers. Delray Square Performing Arts Center partner Gary Waldman remembers that era well – because he lived it. He and his family were part … [Read more...]
Community theater: LW Playhouse does Python in rollicking style
By Dale King If history had unfolded the way it does in the wacky musical Monty Python’s Spamalot, we might all be riding imaginary horses, negotiating with the knights who say “Ni,” fending off insults from surly Frenchmen and slapping each other with fish. Lake Worth Playhouse drops the curtain on its 2013-14 season with a rollicking rendition of the show adapted from the … [Read more...]
Sundays: What we hath wrought
By Myles Ludwig Everything falls apart. Guaranteed. Here we stand on the threshold of the Age of Entropy rather than what we hoped might look like a renewal of the Age of Good and Plenty. And the view ain’t pretty. Entropy abounds. Find its ugly Medusa head of snakes in the electronic looting of Target; the bureaucratic, who me? boondoggle that crashed the Obamacare Website: … [Read more...]
Armory exhibit an impressive look at local black artists
Collaboration: African Diaspora, which concluded at the Armory Art Center on Nov. 9, was an intoxicating blend of art from a diverse group of talented black artists. Self-described as a Harlem Renaissance-style exhibit, the show featured paintings and drawings, sculpture, crafts and jewelry from more than 20 artists and was co-curated by the husband-and-wife team of Anthony … [Read more...]
Stories of justices’ lives enrich look at U.S. death penalty
When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down death penalty laws in 1972, it effectively reversed the death sentences of more than 700 inmates, including 96 in Florida. The high court’s ruling in Furman v. Georgia was decided 5-4. The nine justices wrote nine separate opinions totaling more than 600 pages. It was the longest and most confusing decision in Supreme Court history, in … [Read more...]