This season, all eyes are on what used to be the Caldwell Theatre in Boca. You see, a determined woman named Marilynn Wick, founder and CEO of the wildly successful rental firm Costume World, bought the vacant playhouse of the belly-up Caldwell, chiefly to warehouse and display her vast stock of theatrical wardrobe. And since the building also happens to have an auditorium, … [Read more...]
Remembering Julie Harris (1925-2013)
It is usually a trivia stumper: Which actor has the most Tony Awards? The answer is Julie Harris, with six. Five were won competitively, from her star-making turn in 1952’s I Am A Camera to The Last of Mrs. Lincoln in 1972, plus a special lifetime achievement Tony in 2002 as a career capper. But the answer always surprised people, who would guess flashier, larger-than-life … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Aug. 17-18
Film: So many films claim to be “based on a true story,” and Lee Daniels’ The Butler is one that bases itself very loosely on the biography of Eugene Allen, an African-American who served presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan. From his lofty perch in the White House, he had a unique view of the evolving civil rights situation in the country, and that is the heart of this … [Read more...]
Community theater: Sparkling ‘Dinner’ wraps FAU’s summer rep
By Dale King Despite its length — just over three hours, including two intermissions — The Man Who Came to Dinner is a rapid-fire comedy that demands constant attention from the audience. The three-act play was written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart in 1939, and reflects the screwball comedy genre popular at the time. “The dialogue style of their comic pieces was … [Read more...]
Community theater: Standout cast makes ‘In the Heights’ sizzle
By Dale King In the Heights is a festive, tune-filled musical celebrating the toils and triumphs of the hard-working, money-strapped denizens of a largely Dominican neighborhood in north Manhattan. The show is pleasing midsummer-night audiences at the Lake Worth Playhouse. The play features a young, energetic and talented cast that brings a strong Latin touch to the … [Read more...]
Theater roundup: Don Quixote vanquishes Coriolanus in summer offerings
Palm Beach Dramaworks has often been challenged by what to program in the summer. It wants to keep its doors open with a production or two, but is wary of spending too much for minimal return from a reduced audience pool. Its answer this summer is a couple of musicals in concert form, semi-staged readings of fairly well known shows from Broadway’s golden age that would be … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: July 12-14
Theater: The idea of a concert reading of a musical sounds like it would be a very static event, but Palm Beach Dramaworks shows us that doe not have to be the case. Thanks to director Clive Cholerton, late of the late Caldwell Theatre Company, the concert of 1965’s tribute to idealism, Man of La Mancha, is extremely moving, both physically and emotionally. The show, with a … [Read more...]
Community theater: ‘Spamalot’ delights at Crest
By Dale King There was a time, not too very long ago, when the mention of Monty Python raised specters of irreverent humor, out-of-control mirth and a general demeanor of silliness. It was the post-Beatles era when Brits began to show their funny sides — sometimes literally — and the Python crew held sway on the stage of craziness, challenged perhaps only by Benny Hill. … [Read more...]
Community theater: An excellent slice of Simon’s early life
By Dale King Brighton Beach Memoirs could easily be subtitled Neil Simon’s Family in Crisis. But the playwright didn’t do that. Instead, he crafted a stellar autobiographical drama that melds whimsy with pathos, anger and, ultimately, forgiveness. He takes the time to develop the characters and spotlight their ability to deal with adversity without ripping apart the family … [Read more...]
Theater roundup: Goofy fun at Summer Shorts; moving ‘Lughnasa’ at Dramaworks
When you are trying to capture audience attention and tell a complete story in about 10 minutes, you might as well stick to comedy. That is apparently the lesson that Miami’s City Theatre has learned in its 18 years of producing Summer Shorts, an annual seasonal festival of playlets that accentuates the humorous and occasionally the out-and-out wacky. In recent years, Shorts … [Read more...]