A musical series that began almost the same way a kids’ lemonade stand does —as an activity for friends to have some fun in the long days of summer — expands after 21 years this week into the fall season. Tomorrow night at the Wold Performing Arts Center at Lynn University in Boca Raton, and Friday night at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Lake Worth, the Palm Beach Chamber … [Read more...]
‘Waiter’ offers good life lesson amid the hilarity
By Dale King It’s said that truth can be stranger than fiction. In the hands and mind of comedian Brad Zimmerman, truth is not only stranger, but is certainly a whole lot funnier, than fiction. Zimmerman, an ordinary-looking guy with a whip-crack wit, has been taking his production of My Son, the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy to various South Florida venues. It finally landed at … [Read more...]
Maltz celebrates 10 years, and builds for a bigger future
In the midst of a theater scene where several significant stage companies have gone out of business lately, the Maltz Jupiter Theatre has been a remarkable success story — thriving critically, popularly and financially. And the rich keep getting richer. Saturday night, a gala celebrating the Maltz’s 10th anniversary raised $750,000 for the playhouse that has humble roots as … [Read more...]
‘Six Years’ too shallow, soapy to make strong impact
In case you have bought the way World War II’s “greatest generation” has been idealized, playwright Sharr White now asks theatergoers to see those noble souls in a new, darker light. His melodramatic play Six Years considers the plight of that generation through the microcosm of shattered war veteran Phil Granger and his anguished wife, Meredith. We observe them in five … [Read more...]
‘Six Years’ explores dark side of the Greatest Generation
Ever since Tom Brokaw wrote about the men who went off to fight World War II and the women who sacrificed on the home front awaiting their return, they have been known as “The Greatest Generation.” But in the way his grandfather’s contemporaries had been idealized, playwright Sharr White sensed that the full story had yet to be told. That led him to write Six Years, the … [Read more...]
Tony broadcast one of best in years, but plays deserve more time
It was a great night for smiling proselytizers and equine puppets. Of course, I’m referring to The Book of Mormon and War Horse, which cemented their hit status by taking a victory lap at last night’s 65th annual Tony Awards telecast, grabbing nine and five statuettes respectively. The ceremony itself was one of the best in many years, though it continued to give short … [Read more...]
Take it from Mel: ‘Young Frankenstein’ is a ‘damn good’ show
If he does say so himself, and he does, Mel Brooks considers Young Frankenstein to be the best of the 12 films he has directed. “I’m not saying it’s my funniest, I’m saying it’s my best. In terms of my art, let’s say, as a filmmaker,” he explains by phone from his production offices in Culver City, Calif. “It’s certainly my best work as a filmmaker, because it captures the … [Read more...]
For Adami, everything is allegory
They may look like comic book art, but there is a perturbing sadness to the world that Valerio Adami creates in his large-scale paintings, 23 of which are currently on view until Jan. 9 at the Boca Raton Museum of Art in a retrospective exhibit that spans four decades of the Italian artist’s work. The exhibit is merely a glimpse into Adami’s vast oeuvre, which has been shaped … [Read more...]
‘Gin Game’ at Dramaworks like two hands of solitaire
Without the safety net of their subscriber bases, South Florida theaters often ease up on their missions in the summer with lighter fare. A case in point is Palm Beach Dramaworks, which just came off its most challenging season in its 10 years of existence, lowering its sights with the playing card-thin serio-comedy, The Gin Game. The play brought instant recognition to its … [Read more...]
Inert ‘Young Victoria’ a bloodless non-drama
Martin Scorsese clearly has enough of a soft spot for arch period pieces that he offered to gamely produce Jean-Marc Valee’s The Young Victoria. But his masterful guidance is generally absent from this inert account of the years surrounding Queen Victoria’s coronation. Before going further, I have to admit a bias here: I view Victorian costume dramas the way a sugar-addicted … [Read more...]