By Dale King Mirth and glitz mingle with murder, mobsters and fine vocals in Sister Act, the musical that’s wrapping up the two-play Summer Rep schedule at Florida Atlantic University’s Boca Raton campus. Students in the master of fine arts graduate program join forces with four Actors Equity performers to present the show based on the 1992 movie featuring Whoopi Goldberg … [Read more...]
Entr’Acte returns with strong ‘Spamalot’
By Dale King Monty Python’s Spamalot is back, and winning over audiences at the venerable Crest Theatre in Delray Beach. While the run of the show is limited – it opened June 20 and concludes Sunday – the laughs are unrestrained, thanks to a fine ensemble that exquisitely interprets the silly songs and dialogue crafted by the Pythons in their addled “tale of the Grail.” … [Read more...]
Lead performance lets FAU’s ‘Sabrina Fair’ get summer off to sparkling start
By Dale King Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Theatre and Dance has launched its two-play Festival Rep summer series with Sabrina Fair, a captivating mid-20th century romantic comedy. The play features delightful performances by FAU Class of 2020 master of fine arts students along with a couple of Actors Equity players who give them a taste of the real-world … [Read more...]
New ‘Victory Dolls’ group recreates musical magic of World War II
By Dale King Memories of World War II are getting a shot in the arm from a group of talented stage performers and a veteran theater management CEO, all intent on reviving the music and cultural impact of the war period. Kevin Barrett, a theater manager for 28 years who took over last year as director of the Delray Beach Playhouse, has joined forces with Carbonell … [Read more...]
The New York season: Irish drama ‘Ferryman’ leads play pack
Editor’s note: Each season, Hap Erstein heads to New York to see the new plays and musicals in advance of the Tony Awards, which are scheduled for this Sunday. All things considered, it was a good Broadway season for new plays, which are generally thought of as unwelcome compared to musicals. An epic play of the Irish Troubles, The Ferryman, has had a healthy eight-month … [Read more...]
‘Hadestown’ tops current musical scene on Broadway
Editor’s note: Each April, Hap Erstein heads to New York to check out the current Broadway season in advance of the Tony Awards, which are broadcast June 9. Here’s his overview of the musicals: NEW YORK — Gauged by quantity, it was an above-average season on Broadway for new musicals. As far as quality, though, there was only one standout show (Hadestown), several … [Read more...]
Community theater: Fine cast delivers strong ‘Carnage’ at Delray Playhouse
By Dale King Delray Beach Playhouse drops the curtain on its 2018-2019 theatrical season with the comedy God of Carnage, a 90-minute one-act that has entertained audiences around the world and received both the Tony Award and London’s Olivier Award as Best Play of the Year. The performance slowly but steadily morphs from a sophisticated discussion between two upwardly … [Read more...]
Lead actors keep madness of ‘Blue Leaves’ in canny check at Dramaworks
By Dale King The House of Blue Leaves, the darkly seriocomic John Guare play, is appropriately apt as the finale for Palm Beach Dramaworks’ 19th season. The show that packed the West Palm Beach venue on opening weekend homes in on characters who desperately want their hopes and dreams to work. But a realistic assessment says they probably won’t happen. The Obie … [Read more...]
Dramaworks sees profundity in dark comedy of ‘Blue Leaves’
Palm Beach Dramaworks is closing out its 18th season uncharacteristically with a comedy – John Guare’s 1971 dark farce, The House of Blue Leaves. But director J. Barry Lewis insists it is not a departure for the company. “I believe that drama is comedy and comedy is drama. I think that they are one and the same,” he says prior to a recent rehearsal. “Comedy is an … [Read more...]
Theater: The 2019 Summer Season
Summer used to be a time when local theaters went on vacation and area performers, directors and designers recharged their batteries. Nowadays, many South Florida theaters run year-round or at least have one hot weather show and/or showcases for its student training programs. So consider avoiding the summer superhero movies in favor of live theater, like the following … [Read more...]