George S. Kaufman once observed that “satire is what closes on Saturday night.” But then he never met Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the two wags behind the comic boundary-pushing cable television show, South Park, and the musical, The Book of Mormon. In 2011, they brought their satirical and scatological sensibilities to Broadway with the latter, a brash send-up of the loopy … [Read more...]
Standout leads help lift Maltz’s ‘Frozen’ from almost-there status
You have to hand it to Disney. The Mouse House certainly has its formula down cold. They start by co-opting a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen, say, sprinkle it with songs, toss in a comic sidekick character or two, inject the storyline with a few Hallmark-esque messages, then open up the box office and stand back to make room for the … [Read more...]
For director and cast, stage version of ‘Frozen’ at Maltz has all of movie’s magic
Back in 2013, long before every red-blooded preteen was singing “Let It Go,” Disney released its animated adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen” about a pair of sister princesses, Elsa and Anna, dubbing it Frozen. The feature film proved so popular — grossing a record-breaking box office total of $1.28 billion worldwide — that a stage version was … [Read more...]
MNM’s brings care, skill to edgy ‘Avenue Q’
As long as there is latent racism, widespread fixation on internet porn and young people stumped by their purpose in life – three subjects explored in bouncy, infectious songs – then Avenue Q, the adult Sesame Street-inspired show populated by puppets, will probably be around. And if it is produced with the care and skill that MNM Theatre Company brings to the task, … [Read more...]
At the Kravis: ‘Book of Mormon’ still blasphemous, hilarious
So many shows that initially are shocking soon lose that ability to startle and outrage us. Fortunately, six-and-a-half years after it first conquered Broadway, The Book of Mormon still feels as blasphemous and funny as it ever did. Now on its second visit to the Kravis Center through Sunday, the scabrous send-up of the loopy contemporary religion is well represented … [Read more...]
Slow Burn’s ‘Avenue Q’ shines in Broward venue
For its new home at the Broward Center and presumably a new audience, Slow Burn Theatre Company is remounting a couple of popular shows from its former West Boca venue. And in the case of the current Avenue Q redo, again directed and choreographed with assurance by Patrick Fitzwater, the more casual and intimate environment of the Adbo River Room helps the subversive puppet … [Read more...]