A tap-happy musical romp, Hot Shoe Shuffle, was a big hit in its native Australia in the early ’90s, and then went on to similar acclaim in London’s West End. Although next aimed for Broadway, the show never made it to New York, but decades later the revived show arrives this weekend at the Wick Theatre in Boca Raton. Managing executive producer Marilynn Wick went … [Read more...]
Community theater: Delray Playhouse’s ‘Calendar Girls’ uncovers a heart of sweetness
By Dale King Here’s the skinny on Calendar Girls, the sexy, comic stage production with a tender and heartwarming backstory that opens the 2019-2020 season at Delray Beach Playhouse. The more mature may think the show has something to do with singer Neil Sedaka, who had a hit song of a similar name around 1959. No, in truth, Calendar Girls is based on actual events that … [Read more...]
Actors ready to ride Williams’ iconic ‘Streetcar’ for Dramaworks
Of the many plays by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Lanier “Tennessee” Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire is considered his most popular work and, arguably, his best. “I think it’s one of the most brilliantly constructed plays I’ve ever been able to work on,” says Kathy McCafferty, who will be playing Southern belle Blanche DuBois at Palm Beach Dramaworks, … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2019-20: ‘Hamilton’ might be hottest ticket, but area theaters have plenty of worthy shows planned
There are plenty of interesting productions looming in the area this season, but the hottest ticket is unquestionably Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, at the Kravis Center in late January and then the Arsht Center the following month. Do what you have to to get tickets. You didn’t need that right arm anyway. A year ago, the Stage Door Theatre was readying a move to a larger, … [Read more...]
MNM’s ‘Man of La Mancha’ true to the mad knight’s idealism
Although based on a novel written in 1605, a musical drama about a fervent idealist facing a stubbornly vindictive government can seem surprisingly timely today. The musical in question is Man of La Mancha, based on Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, which opened on Broadway in 1965, an era of Vietnam War protests. But such are the show’s sweeping themes of compassion, good … [Read more...]
‘When She Had Wings’ is attractive whimsy for the whole family
For the two seasons that Matt Stabile has taken the artistic helm of Florida Atlantic University’s Theatre Lab, he has begun with a Heckscher Theatre for Families production. In addition to introducing youngsters to live stage shows, these plays strive to appeal to adults as well, which is a tricky juggling act. Bridging that gap with whimsical skill and more than a … [Read more...]
Appreciation: Harper was so much more than Rhoda
Say the name Valerie Harper to most people and the response you invariably get is “Rhoda.” After all, she did win four Emmy Awards playing the unlucky-in-love, self-deprecating sitcom character in the 1970s, first as sidekick on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and later on her own starring vehicle spinoff. While she remained appreciative of her success with the role of her … [Read more...]
Polo Club residents try their luck with ‘Boca Bound,’ new musical at The Wick
Bonnie Logan and Richard Peshkin readily concede that they are novices when it comes to writing musicals, but that is what has occupied much of their time for the past two years. If all goes well at their four-night premiere run beginning Sept. 19 at the Wick Theatre, their show – Boca Bound: A New Musical – may be bound for productions at regional theaters all across the … [Read more...]
Teens in summer Maltz program tackle ‘Romeo and Juliet’
By Jan Engoren What do teenagers know about love? Apparently, a lot, as the original Romeo and Juliet were star-crossed teenagers. At the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, teen students are getting the chance this month to show they know what it’s all about in a youth production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. One of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, the plot – if you’ve … [Read more...]
Appreciation: A true monarch of the theater
Broadway director-producer Harold Prince had difficulty remembering how many Tony Awards he had won. In part, that was because he was much more interested in the work than in the inevitable accompanying accolades. And in part it was because he amassed 21 Tonys during his six-decade career, by far the most for a single individual. He died on Wednesday at the age of 91, in … [Read more...]