Film: On the weekend that it looks likely that Sylvester Stallone will walk off with an Oscar for playing his screen alter ego, Rocky Balboa, go see another sports underdog, Eddie the Eagle, the real-life story of an unlikely Olympian. From a young age, Eddie set his sights on participating in the Olympics any way he can. He decides his best chance of qualifying would be in the … [Read more...]
Maltz’s ‘Mousetrap’ looks good, but play’s a little thin
When I first saw Dame Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, in London in 1972, it was already a phenomenon that had run 20 years in the West End. And it had already warped into a campy tourist attraction played strictly for laughs. At the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, director Peter Amster (The 39 Steps) tries taking the material seriously, digging for the dark tale hidden beneath its … [Read more...]
Jazzman Batiste looks ahead while looking back to New Orleans roots
The recently completed four-season HBO series Treme brought post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, and the city’s deep musical history, back into the spotlight. Appearances by New York City-based jazz pianist and vocalist Jon Batiste also elevated the stylish young rising star a rung higher, something that’s no coincidence, since Treme was partly based on his own family’s … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2012-13: Loss of JAMS hurts, but jazz season looks strong
The biggest news regarding the 2012-2013 South Florida jazz concert season may also be the most unfortunate. The 13-year-old, West Palm Beach-based Jazz Arts Music Society (JAMS), which presented a series of annual concerts at the Himmel Theater at CityPlace in West Palm Beach that were fixtures within these previews, decided in late July to suspend the series until further … [Read more...]
Angela Meade: A rising soprano looks ahead
Soprano Angela Meade is the winner of the 2011 Richard Tucker Award and the 2012 Beverly Sills Artist Award from the Metropolitan Opera. Less than four years after her professional debut, she has quickly become recognized as one of the outstanding vocalists of her generation. Meade is from Washington State where she was a pre-med major before discovering her love of singing. … [Read more...]
Laufer’s ‘Sirens’ looks like future commercial success
For the past 34 years, theater companies and critics in search of new plays of quality have been making a pilgrimage to Louisville, Ky., in the early spring as the non-profit resident company Actors’ Theatre of Louisville has rolled out its annual Humana Festival of New American Plays. Over that time, The Humana Foundation -- the grant-giving arm of the powerful managed … [Read more...]