The documentary Side by Side, which opened Friday and runs through this week at the Lake Worth Playhouse, is as inside-baseball as movies get. An unlikely passion project for narrator Keanu Reeves, this studious doc features Reeves interviewing countless directors, cinematographers, producers, editors and actors about the inexorable transition from 35mm celluloid to hi-def … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2012-13: South Florida hard to beat for book festivals
South Florida, believe it or not, has now been a leading literary region for nearly 30 years. Yes, publishing remains centered in New York, and Los Angeles may have its charms for authors and their fans. But we boast four of the best book festivals in the nation, beginning with the biggest, Miami Book Fair International in November, and ending with perhaps the most original, … [Read more...]
On Broadway: What to see, what not to see
From a whirlwind Broadway trip in which I saw 12 shows in eight days, here are my views on what to head to New York to see, what to look forward to catching on tour and what to avoid at all costs: THE PLAYS Other Desert Cities (A) ― The consistently intelligent Jon Robin Baitz (TV’s Brothers & Sisters) has often trod dysfunctional family territory, but rarely with as much … [Read more...]
Postcard from New York No. 8: ‘Venus’ marks advance for Ives
Just before catching a plane back to South Florida, I was able to squeeze in one final play -- a matinee of David Ives’ kinky, amusing Venus in Fur, starring Broadway’s latest “it” girl, Nina Arianda. Last season, she made her Broadway debut in Born Yesterday, filling the legendary shoes of Judy Holliday quite credibly. Now, she returns to a new work, a darkly comic … [Read more...]
Postcard from New York No. 7: A visit with an Idol, and ‘Other Desert Cities’
Having spoken with composer Frank Wildhorn about his upcoming tour and Broadway revival of Jekyll & Hyde, I met Friday with the show's star, Constantine Maroulis, the American Idol sensation who went on to headline Rock of Ages (and has a small role in this summer's film version with Tom Cruise). We met at an Eastside diner and while we chatted, I could see out of the corner … [Read more...]
Postcard from New York No. 6: Frank Wildhorn, and wild ‘Guvnors’
Thursday morning, I schlepped way downtown, near the former site of the World Trade Center where a steady stream of people arrived to view the new 9-11 memorial, for an interview. In a nearby high-hrise apartment lives composer Frank Wildhorn, whose cult hit Jekyll & Hyde is about to get a re-conceived major revival starring Constantine Maroulis (American Idol, Rock of Ages) … [Read more...]
Postcard from New York No. 5: Magnificent ‘Porgy,’ listless ‘Once’
Most of my theater-obsessed friends here in New York are pretty depressed by the state of this season's crop of musicals. And it is easy to see why, based solely on the two shows I saw Wednesday. At the matinee, I saw a superlative production of Porgy and Bess, one of the great "they-don't-write-em-like they-used-to" pieces of musical theater, hailing from 1935. And … [Read more...]
Postcard from New York No. 4: The Easter Bonnet show and ‘Leap of Faith’
I had a busy day yesterday, seeing two shows and doing two interviews. Finally feel like I'm up to speed with the pace of the city. First stop was lunch with multiple Tony Award-winning director Jack O'Brien (Hairspray, The Coast of Utopia, Henry IV) at a reliable and convenient theater district joint, Angus McIndoe's. He's very smart and articulate, has lots of projects in … [Read more...]
Postcard from New York No. 3: ‘Newsies’ has legs
Being the conscientious reviewer that I am, I spent Monday morning watching the 1992 movie Newsies, in preparation for seeing the much-touted stage version Monday night. Having revitalized its core business of animated features with such Alan Menken musicals as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, Disney tried a live-action musical 20 years ago with this fact-based … [Read more...]
Postcard from New York No. 2: ‘City Club’ and ‘The Columnist’
Saturday, the day I arrived, was sunny and slightly brisk. Sunday was continuous rain and much colder. The theater also was inclement. Few Broadway shows perform on Sunday night, so I headed off-Broadway to the Minetta Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village, where a new musical called The City Club had its final preview prior to opening Monday evening. With so many shows opening … [Read more...]