FLORIDA MEDIA NEWS©

BROOKLYN BOY WITH AVI HOFFMAN:

A FUNNY, INTELLIGENT PLAY LAUNCHES NEW COMPANY

By Ron Levitt

     Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

BOCA RATON, FL --  The play – Brooklyn Boy --  would be a misnomer to some who will tell you it is not about a borough in New York nor about a youngster. It is a funny, intelligent story of a successful middle-aged writer without a place to call home.

It is also a fitting and perfectly selected drawn-from-life comedy to initiate Parade Productions here – a new company debuting at the Studio in Mizner Park, a 230-seat theatre on the site of what once was the Cartoon Museum, but, despite the constant laughter heard during the run of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies’ Brooklyn Boy, this is serious theatre, strongly produced to kick off this new not-for-profit company.  Hoffman and his supporting ensemble  now gives Parade Productions bragging rights  as a legit theatre in its most professional form as it readies for its coming season, a limited play reading in April and a yet to be announced show for its second production.

The producers could not have picked a better play to debut Parade Productions.  Despite its dramatic  impact, it is a feel-good, entertaining play which had a successful Broadway run in 2005 (on the heels of Margulies’ Pulitzer smash Dinner With Friends). It was introduced to South Florida the same year by GableStage in Coral Gables But from the reaction here in Boca, it seems like a brand new play, with a standing ovation.

Hoffman is in top form as Eric Weiss, a writer struggling with his new found fame while trying to diminish the importance of his family, friends and background which actually attributed to his story-telling skill.  We meet his dying father (Sy Fish), his boyhood friend (a superb Michadel Gioia), his estranged wife (Jacqueline Laggy), a girl he picks up in an LA bar (Blaze Powers), and two Hollywood types (Candace Caplin and a notable Ryan Didato)  as the action moves from Brooklyn to Los Angeles – from Eric’s troubled family to his difficult acceptance of what the movie business can do to an up snd coming writer. 

It is a dynamo role for Hoffman who makes the most of the script and the character. He is a believable Eric Weiss.  One cannot imagine another South Florida actor in that role.  It is realism at its pinnacle.  Hoffman,  best known for his one-man shows Too Jewish? And Too Jewish, Too!  which ran on PBS is in the running for two Carbonells this Spring for his acting prowess in 2011.

Brooklyn Boy runs through  Feb 12.. Call  561-291-9678 or  561 445-9244 for ticketing information.

CULTURALLY SPEAKING

ACTORS PLAYHOUSE’S NEXT TO NORMAL,

CALDWELL’S CHAD DEITY MAKE A DIFFERENCE

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

“Theatre”  means different things to different folk.  Some differentiate by dividing the art of stagecraft into two categories – musical comedy and straight plays.  Other like to break down it further with descriptions such as drama, dark comedy, farce, romance, etc.

Two shows in South Florida – one in Coral Gables at Actors’ Playhouse and the other at Caldwell in Boca Raton, defy the traditional labels.

And, they are both “must –see” productions for extremely different reasons,

Here – for the sake of commentary and discussion – are these two which resist – even challenge – how one should “compartmentalize “  them.

NEXT TO NORMAL, ACTORS PLAYHOUSE --     Stretch your imagination to its fullest because this superb production enters a whole new sphere of what theatre can accomplish. Entertaining? Yes! Making you think? Defintely!  Simply put, Next to Normal takes musical theatre to a new level.   Forget about dialogue. Like an opera, it tells its story in song, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a triple Tony recipient,  this musical – with powerful lyrics  and a pop-rock score,  is a unique theatrical experience.  If any playwright could entice producers to do a musical about a bipolar wife, a family coming to terms with the death of their first-born, shock therapy, drugs, one would probably say “no way.”  Wrong!  That’s exactly what happened when Tom Kitt wrote the music, Brian Yorkey  did the book and lyrics  and everyone on Broadway was amazed  Who would have thought a musical  about a woman’s struggle with manic depression and the toll it takes on her family would be such an important piece of theatre? Who in our wildest imagination could consider a musical about mental illness?

Under the agile direction of David Arisco and an absolutely amazing array of Broadway- quality  talent --  Jodie Langel,  Eddie Riosco,  Mark Sanders, Sarah Amengual, Ben Liebert, and Nick Duckhart – Next to Normal provides a unique, serious musical that is not  only performed with insight and illumination but is sung beautifully.   Normally (if there is such a thing) one would want to single out each performer and tell how wonderful he or she Is.   But, this ensemble is so in-synch with the music and story, it is impossible to put one ahead of another.  Langel, Riosco, Sanders, Amengual, Liebert and Duckhart  make an extraordinary team in an A-one production.

Also to be praised are creative guru  Gene Seyfer(set design), Ellis Tillman (costumes), Patrick Tennent (Lighting), Alexander Herrin ( exceptional sound design)and the musical direction of Eric Alsford and his musicians: Martha Spangler, Roy Fantel, Sandy Poltarack,  Elena Alamila, Bogdan Chrusczc and Jill Sheer. Who knew a violin, cello, guitar, drums, bass and a piano could make so much music?

Be advised, if there is normality in theatre, this musical treat is not it. It is a riveting look at mental illness, enhanced by a terrific cast, molded by outstanding direction by Arisco and given special attention by its technical team.

Next to Normal runs through  February 12.  Call  205=444-9203.

THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY,  CALDWELL THEATRE

Prior to the opening scene, two wrestlers  in The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity take center stage and show off their ability to fake falls and emulate twists in this unique production at the Caldwell Theatre.

We use the word “unique’ because where else would you possibly find a play about the world of wrestling interwoven in a production about racism in sports.

(I must admit when I heard that Caldwell was scheduling a play about the wide world of wrestling, I felt that this might be the wrong subject to attract the Boca audience, I was wrong!  They loved it.)

The story is told by Mace Guerra (a simply magnificent Brandon Morris), a low tier Puerto Rican  fighter  in THE Wrestling Federation, a fictional but all-too-real  unit. His job is to lose to other wrestlers and to do it so that the crowd (live and TV) will think he is really trying to win.  In wrestling lingo, he’s a “bogus jobber.”  Most of the time, E. K. Wilson, the president of THE federation (Gregg Weiner)   wants  Mace  to continue his profit-making turn by  losing to the colorful black wrestler Chad Deity ( Donte Bonner)  a flashy  pugilist.    All seems to be okay, until  an Indian-American hustler (Adam Bushian)   arrives on the scene and who Mace and his boss  think has the credentials of showy wrestling to become the next big draw (by knocking everyone  down with one big move, including several  played by the only real wrestler in the cast, Matthew Schaller).   It’s an exploration of the way profit is made and  how racial stereotypes prevail  in the world of wrestling.

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity  by Kristoffer Diaz was a nominee for a Pulitzer prize   It is a unique theatrical experience because of the astute direction of Clive Cholerton.  It is as far from typical theatre as one can imagine.  What makes it rock, though (in addition to Cholerton’s inspired direction) , is the acting skills of Brandon Morris. As the narrator, Morris gives a breathless, dynamic performance, reciting his wrestling career movements  with such reality, you are catapulted to a world few  of us really knows .

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity transcends the subject of the lowbrow sports and ends up as a lesson  and commentary on racial perception and social injustice.  It is a drama unlike anything most people have ever seen on stage.

Tim Bennett turns the Caldwell Theatre into a wrestling arena (complete with a ring) and he, along with the entire technical team, provide a grand slam – Thomas M Shorrock for lighting and sound, Alberto Arroyo for  costume design, Sean Lawson for the exceptional  projections and Pablo Marquez for his unbelievably realistic wrestling choreography.

It runs through Feb, 12,  Call 561-241-7432.

INFINTE ABYSS  TWISTS

A FAIRYTALE TO GET LAUGHJTER-

 By Ron Levitt

    Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL --  For the first 12 minutes, one would think  Snow White Trash – currently on the boards as Infinite Abyss’ latest production at the Empire Theatre  -- might actually be a funny show. But, then its premise – based on the Disney and Lewis Carrroll   plot – sinks to low levels of grubby, sex-oriented  situations, aimed at getting the  audience to  snicker.

Snow White Trash, which runs through Jan, 28, is a disappointment because Infinte  Abyss had set s uch a high standard  for itself and critics with its first three productions:  particularly ,  Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Carbonell-nominated The Pillowman.   Perhaps this production company should not have set such a high bar of great expectations.

Snow White Trash is a parody of the Disney classic –under the guidance of  Erynn Dalton and director Jefffrey Holmes – both of whom got A-One ratings, especially for The Pillowman, an impressive production.  Both were part of the now defunct Sol Theatre  and are working out of Sol’s old space.  The two collaborated in writing Snow White Trash.

Some  may call this play merely ”offensive” because that is an adjective reserved for those setting their own standards.   But watching a guy cavort in lace pantyhose and a black thong or listening to the Evil Queen (Kit Marsh) having sex with herself is hardly a satisfying theatre experience.

It does have the parody plot-line,   characters  (four named  Dwarf) and other requirements:, including    the magic mirror (Zach Schwartz), and of course Snow White (DaniellleTabino) iand her prince (Dominick Daniel)  are  around. 

The locale is hardly fairyland (?) but instead is a Davie trailer park where  porn, drugs and miscellaneous sex doings dominate the setting of the hour-long show.  This go-around is all about saving Snow White from  the Evil  Queen and  the four named Dwarf  feel up for the job.

 Confusing  ?  It is sure is…and  certainly not equivalent to the talents of Dalton and Holmes.

Call 954 678-1496 for tickets.

BOEING BOEING FLIES HIGH

AND WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH LAUGHS

by Ron Levitt

Florida Media News . ENV Magazine

DAVIE, FL --  Who could ask for anything more than to go to the theatre and have nearly two hours of laughter?

That is exactly what is in store for you when you  go to see Boeing Boeing at the Promethean Theatre , located at Nova Southeastern University,

Boeing Boeing  can only be described as a classic farce with an international history. It was written by French playwright Marc Camoletti aand adapted and translated by Beverly Cross. A hit in France, it was an even greater smash in London where it ran for seven (yes, seven) years.  The play is listed in the Guiness Book of  Records for its longevity and is the most performed French play worldwide.

If that isn’t enough of a history,it was made into a successful movie starring Jerry Lewis and Tony Curtis, flopped on its first Broadway run in 1965, came back 43 years later to win a Tony, and is often compared to a similar farce, 1965’s The Captain’s Paradise with Alec  Guiness.  It is now being revived wherever there is a good audience looking for laughter.  Oh, it was even made into a bedroom farce  film –in  of all places – Malaysia.

Margaret Ledford brilliantly directs this comedy and has put together an impeccable cast to tackle the closing doors, pratfalls  and slapstick lines. Matthew William Chizever is dynamic as a Parisian architect  Bernard,  juggling three flight attendant fiancées  and tracking the airline timetables while his loyal housekeeper (a wonderful  Sally Bondi), resets menus and living room décor to coincide with arrivals and departures. All goes well until the arrival of his pal  Robert (an agile, nimble  Mark Duncan)  who likes this crazy lifestyle. That, plus the changes in schedules of TWA, Lufthansa and AirItalia  plus weather delays complicate things and keeping the three airline hostesses apart becomes a series of mishaps.  The three young ladies – an American ; Gloria  (Lauren Butler)  the Italian, Gabriella (Monica Lynne Herrera) and the German Gretchen (a scene-stealing Rachel Lomax) add to the hilarious events.

This Boeing Boeing  is a slapstick romp.  Chizever,  Bondi and  Duncan plus the three lovely ladies have perfect timing amidst the slamming doors and changing furniture colors.  They obviously got a lot of the timing training from Director Ledford and it works in filling the auditorium with snickers and belly-laughs. Chizever is a longtime resident of the Promethean but usually either in drama or musicals. He is totally believable as the successful roué with too many stewardesses and plenty of comedic rythym.   Bondi has never been better than her portrayal of the reluctant housekeeper and Duncan – a drama prof at Nova,  gives a lesson on how to act clumsy and entice his audience.

Technically, this production is perfect. Kelly Berry’s  modern  Paris apartment is stunning (we could all move right in for cocktails and add to the confusion), as is Ellis Tillman’s wardrobe, Dan Gelbmann’s  lighting, and Matt  Corey’s  sound.  A special nod to stage manager Andrew Nachtwy fo quickly  changing the pillows  and other tems to match the stewardess’  uniforms .

Call (786) 317-7580 or  866 811 4111  for tickets,   It isn’t often a play brings so much humor and pure pleasure  to its audience.   You’ll be happy to get your tickets before the show closes on Jan. 29.

MALTZ DELIVERS A DARKER VERSION OF CABARET

By Ron Levitt

 Florida Media News . ENV Magazine

JUPITER, FL --  For those who remember the  1972 film with Liza Minelli and Joel  Grey or --- if you are a bit older, perhaps the original Tony-award-winning stage version,  you may find the Cabaret currently at the Maltz Jupiter theatre a slightly darker  adaptation.

The story is the same and the familiar songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb are evident but this revival is more powerful and grittier with several sub-plots  which get heavier treatment than either the film or original  stage musical  explored.

And, that is what makes this presentation of  Cabaret – based on the 1998 Broadway revival – such a perfect theatrical experience,  Even if you know the story, this go-around one will marvel at the relationships of the characters  and the perfection of the  performances . 

It is the kind of production which remains in one’s mind long after he or she  leaves the theatre.

We are reminded it is 1931 and it is in decadent Berlin, where anything goes.  It  is also the eve of the Nazi takeover of Germany when a young writer Cliff (a perfect Bruce Linser) meets an American girl Sally Bowles  (lanky songstress  and former Miss America Kate Shindle)  at the seedy  Kit Kat Klub.  They have an unlikely romance (He is a closeted homosexual)  as the Nazis rise to power,  The musical explores the relationships as power and politics interplay with the individuals:   Cliff’s friendship with  his friend Ernst  (Fred Rose) ;   the doomed engagement of Fraulein Schneider (a surprisingly melodic  Angie Radosh) to Herr Schultz (John Felix) and the Sally-Cliff consideration of returning to the States  falls apart.

Overseeing the action is the Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub which serves as a constant metaphor for the tenuous and threatening state of late Weimar Germany. Of course, the Emcee is key to interpreting what is happening  and  shows just how decadent Germany had become.    Christopher Sloan as the Emcee gives a new twist to the part made famous by Grey.   Sloan – in white face and g-string ---is  scary as he becomes part of the Nazi regime and finally revealing  his pitiful role as a concentration camp victim.  Sloan gives new interpretations to his character and  can belt out every song. His actions  set the stage for what comes next – including a musical sexy ménage-a-trois with the girls/boys at the Kit Kat Klub , a scene which brought some oohs and ahs from the sedate Jupiter audience.

The supporting cast includes Aaron Bower as Fraulein 'Fritzie' Kost, Chris Chianesi as Bobby (Cliff’s ex boyfriend), Rick Costa as Hans/Rudy, Ryan DeNardo as Victor, Megan Loomis as Texas, Michael Murnock as Max, Kelly Parades as Helga, Christina Pawl as Rosie, Nicole Swartzentruber as Frenchie and Laura Sheehy as Lulu.  They – and their individual instruments – all are part of the  talent on display at the Kit Kat Klub.

There are so many individual things to like about this very different production. Linser is realistic as the young  sexually confused writer. Shindle is a standout as Sally, a role she has done on the road and on Broadway.   Radosh, known locally as an outstanding dramatic talent, shocks everyone with her  outstanding renditions of several numbers .  And, though dark and interesting the story stays true to John van Druten’s I Am a Camera,, which in turn was adapted from the 1939 short novel Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood .  The relationships of the various characters fuel the  subplots which makes  this musical so inviting. 

Maltz’s artistic director Andrew Kato  promised patrons a different kind of Cabaret, and he delivers!!

Cabaret runs through Jan. 29,  Call 561 575 2223 early,   This Cabaret reeks as a sell-out!!!!

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‘GAMMA RAYS”  STARS LAURA TURNBULL

AS THE 1960 VERSION OF A MONSTER-MOM

By Ron Levitt

    Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

WEST PALM BEACH, FL --   Long before Christina Crawford in 1981 did a tell-all book -- Mommie Dearest   about her  abusive and traumatic upbringing at the hands of her mother, screen queen Joan Crawford,  a Pulitzer prize  in playwriting went to Paul Zindel  for his  1936 work  depicting  a lesser  known monster-mother in the hit play -- The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds -- currently at Palm Beach Dramaworks.

Although it is primarily conjecture, Gamma Rays may also have its roots in reality if we are to believe the various biographies of the noted playwright which describe how he turned his turbulent teens into fictional  stories in a variety of literary forms. There seems to be a string of fictional accounts of dysfunctional mothers in literature  (unfortunately) (check out dysfunctional families on Amazon.com!)

But, Gamma Rays is  about a mother and her two young daughters in 1960 ,living in a house which was once a vegetable store (A-One scenic design by Michael  Amico).    One of the daughters, shy Tillie (Arielle Hoffman ) is preparing a science school assignment involving marigolds  raised from seeds exposed to radioactivity.  She is constantly frustrated by her mother Beatrice (an awards worthy performance by Laura Turnbull) who is unstable, abusive,  and who spends most of her time in a bathrobe, drinking liquor, puffing on cigarettes and  making her daughter feel totally  unworthy  and incapable of success.   She freely admits she “hates the world.”An older sister Ruth ( an effervescent Skye  Coyne), an epileptic, doesn’t help with the frustration as she, too, is critical of Tillie. When Tillie is a finalist in a science program, the lives of the three converge and there is some hope in this painful childhood.  However,  the mother – on the verge of insanity and deep-rooted resentment of everyone’s success and her own insignificance —kills the girls’ pet rabbit and  is immersed in her own inability to do anything worthwhile.   Despite this negativity, Tillie symbolically prepares to live out her life on a positive note, much like her project’s growth from a simple seed to beautiful marigolds.

One of the truisms which make this production so unique is that the charming Miss Hoffman, is the real life daughter of the show’s star Laura Turnbull  (daddy in real life is super-performer  Avi Hoffman).  Both  Miss Hoffman and co-star  Miss Coyne are splendid additions to this longtime valuable play. Both fill their roles admirably.  Harriet Oser’s addition to the cast – as an elderly boarder – and Gracie Connell – as a fellow student – are  also picture perfect.

If this play seems somewhat dated, so be it.!  After all, it’s been around for a long time.  In addition to its successful stage history -- including a revival --- it it was adapted for the screen in !972 by Paul Newman   and starred his wife Joanne Woodward and daughter Nell Potts and Roberta Wallach , daughter of Eli  Wallach,   For this role as the abysmal mother,   Woodward won the Cannes Best  Actress award in 1973.

It is a starring part  for any actress playing this emotionally and financially impoverished monster-mom, so whether it is  Woodward on film or Turnbull  at Palm Beach Dramaworks, it is worth seeing. Turnbull’s talent plus agile direction by Producing  Artistic Director William Hayes – one of South Florida’s best  -- should bring large crowds to Dramaworks’ handsome new location  -- the Don and Ann Brown theatre  at 201 Clematis Street. They are an electrically charged team.

Steve Shapiro  does a topnotch job with his sound creativity, while the rest of the technical staff delivers as well. That includes lighting by Sean Dolan and costumes by Brian O’Keefe. 

 The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds  runs through Jan.  29^th. (Tickets:  561-514-4042,

LOTS OF LAUGHTER, CHALLENGING ONE’S  THINKING

AS  A FOUR-LETTER PACED PLAY SIZZLES  AT GABLESTAGE

    By Ron Levitt

    Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

CORAL GABLES, FL --    “Nobody knows nobody”  is the philosophical note that comes out of a dark comedy – a  play whose name cannot be displayed in full on a marquee or in consumer press or TV advertising  --  which  has its audience at GableStage at the Biltmore Hotel  shaking with laughter and exiting the theatre   in “thinking” mode

Yes,The  Motherf**ker with the Hat — even with the astericks – is one helluva  enjoyable experience. “Helluva” is probably the least offensive language to remind anyone that they had just seen a smash Broadway-calibre success called  The  Motherf**ker with the Hat.  It is a play filled with four letter expletives but one which has a manifold message –  about love, fidelity, friendship and addiction. They just happen to unfold in raw surroundings and by expletive-driven characters. In simple terms, it is smashingly smart  and sensational  theatre!

A combination of love, fidelity, friendship and addiction is a lot to put into a 100-minute  production but author Stephen Adly Guirgus – with a mighty assist from masterful, award-winning  Director Joseph Adler – manages to pull it off – much  to the delight of their GableStage audience.

It takes place  in Manhattan  where recovering alcoholic Jackie   (a powerful performance by Arturo Fernandez)is generally trying to stay clean despite his past addictions.  He has recently been  released from jail.  He had been serving time  in the slammer for dealing drugs and is attending AA meetings and depending on his sponsor Ralph (Ethan Henry).

Jackie  -a big hearted guy,  who has just found a real job,   turns up at the grungy apartment he shares with Veronica (Gladys Ramirez )  where he hopes to plan  a future void of drugs and crime  for the two of them. His girlfriend (off and on since the eighth grade), Veronica has a mouth that would put an X-rated film to shame. She also  has a major coke habit, and no urge to give it up. Jackie’s plan to celebrate a fresh start in life with  remarkable sex  in their apartment stops short  when he sees an unfamiliar  man’s hat on a table and is convinced Veronica has been cheating on him.

Jackie spins out of control as he attempts to uncover the  owner of the hat, thinking it might belong to a neighbor in his building. He takes refuge on the couch at Ralph’s place(to the chagrin of Ralph’s  resentful wife wife  (Betsy Graver )  and  seeks support from his Puerto Rican cousin Julio (a scene-stealing  Alex Alvarez ) who has certain addictions of his own – overzealous health-habits. When, our hero finally discovers the truth,  it, brings painful realizations about the limits of friendship and trust.  If you think you know other people and what they might do, think again! 

Fernandez’  characterization of Jackie is stunning. He goes from best buddy to  wounded friend, from vulnerability to fighting mood in an explosive fashion and shows he can keep up with any actor in South Florida.   Even though Fernandez has been around at his own company Ground Up and Rising and slam-dunked several roles including  recently at Alliance Theatre Lab (Fool for Love )and Caldwell (After the Revolution),  he still  seems to be the Miami actor waiting to be  discovered.

 As its title suggests, Motherf**ker comes on with a lot tough-talking  four-letter profanity. Despite that, it is a thoughtful story of a young couple who have loved each other since childhood but can’t seem to keep it together.  Playweight Guirgis – best known for his Labrynth Theatre in NYC  --  has put together a commanding message for his Broadway sell-out. LAByrinth Theater Company is a non-profit, Off-Broadway theatre.  It is an inclusive, multicultural ensemble of almost 100 established and emerging theater artists led by Guirgis, Mimi O'Donnell and Yul Vasquez. Its most successful member is Academy Award actor  Philip Seymour Hoffman .The company founded in 1994 by 13 Broadway wannabees encourages all members to write, act, direct and design in the creation of new work. Over the last fifteen years, LAByrinth has developed hundreds of new plays and staged 44 productions, but none  as successful as this one.

IF Fernandez holds this piece together, it is tough to ignore the rest of the cast, Betsy Graver has never been lovlier or better.   Ethan Henry is a find with a future.  Gladys Ramirez peaks in a difficult role as an addicted woman, and especially  laugh-provoking  is Alex Alvarez (who is a gem  as Cousin Julio).   All  nail their characters. .  Adler’s professional direction allows them to become unique, memorable individuals filled with self pity and living life on their own terms.

There is little doubt that this production is provocative and profane, but mostly it can be relegated to the kind of stage craft which enhances a  playwright and director’s reputations for providing comedy which makes you think.  What more can one expect from good theatrical experiences!

 Technically, this play is right on target, with a realistic  three-location set by Lyle Baskin, costuming by  Ellis Tillman,  sound by   Matt Corey, and lighting by Jeff Quinn.

This production runs though Feb. 5^th .  Call 305 445-1119. 

Palmbeach Dramaworks Makes

All My Sons A Spellbinding Classic

By Ron Levitt

    Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

WEST PALM BEACH FL -  There are plays which --in theatrical terms  -- deserve to be called “classics.”

And, there are productions which are so realistic and intriguing, they deserve the term “spellbinding.”    

Arthur Miller’s family tragedy, All My  Sons -- currently in an expanded run at the new home of Palm Beach Dramaworks  here – is one of those rare theatrical treats which earns the right to be called a “spellbinding classic.”  If that isn’t enough praise, we will have to single out several  cast members in this perfect ensemble as well as the directing talent of  J. Barry Lewis,

All My Sons –  one of Miller’s most successful plays – along with  Death of a Salesman , The Crucible, A View from the Bridge,, After the Fall and numerous screen plays(including The Misfits written  for his then-wife Marilyn Monroe --  have earned him a large number of Tonys, a PuItizer and dozens of other awards In a career covering five decades.  All My Sons – to  which many  schools have supplied its students with study guides because of its literary  brilliance  - is often called America’s most important Greek tragedy. All My Sons was  Miller' first commercial success and is considered his "breakthrough" play.  It is just as compelling on stage today as it was in the 1940s.

It remains one of my favorites . And, this production does it justice manifold.

This gripping drama of a  successful son  Chris Keller  (Jim Ballard) discovering that his father Joe Keller (Kenneth Tigar)  cheated on war material orders, with tragic results. Set in the back yard of the Keller home in 1947, this morality play about the cost of lying and the price of truth-telling examines a troubled family and a father who placed duty to his family above the lives of others and a mother Kate  (Beth Dimon) who refuses to accept reality. It is no wonder Miller is  recognized for his insight and keen perception into the tribulations of the American working class. 

Some of you may recall the excellent 1948 All My Sons  film with Edward G. Robinson  and Burt Lancaster, Mady Christians and Louisa Horton.  In 1987, All My Sons also was a made-for-TV film. This version  -- more faithful to Miller's original play than the 1948 film—starred  James Whitmore, Aidan Quinn,  Michael Learned and Joan Allen .

But, nothing compares to the electricity which sizzles  when one sees these characters in person, as in the Palm Beach  Dramaworks’  production,

This  production , in addition to  starring  Kenneth Tigar,   Jim Ballard and a knockout  performance  by the amazing  Beth Dimon and  New York actress Kersti Bryan  also features Cliff Burgess, Nanique Gheridian, Kenneth Kay, Dave Hyland, Margery Lowe, Kaden Cohen and Leandre Thivierge. The play features scenery designed by Michael Amico, costumes designed by Brian O’Keefe, lights designed by John Hall and excellent  sound designed by Richard Szczublewski.

MALTZ JUPITER’S  JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT
SETS THE STANDARDS FOR THIS OFT-PRODUCED  1968 HIT

By Ron Levitt

   Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

JUPITER, FL --  it only happens every so often, but once in awhile, two neighboring regional professional  theatres produce the identically named show in the same season.  When that happens, the one which opens first usually sets a standard for comparison. In this particular case,  Maltz Jupiter Theatre is first out of the box with the highly regarded 1968   Andrew Llloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor  Dreamcoat (running through Dec. 18) and gets to be the production to which others will be compared. So, the people at Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables who had booked Joseph for the current season  (March  7-April 3) .  have something to look up to. Maltz Jupiter has drawn a line in the sand for  the Biblical-themed musical, a line to which all other regional productions will be judged.  Let us add that this current Maltz production is creative, exciting, is a choreographer’s dream project,  is costumed to perfection, gets superior adjectives for lighting, direction and casting.  If that isn’t enough, it  uses 240 youngsters from the community, divided into eight choruses of 30 kids each, that rotate performances throughout the three-week run.  (not to mention, inducing large audiences of parents, siblings, grandparents and other family members.)The use of a youngsters’ chorus is not new; it occurs in many —but, not all – productions of Joseph, which has become one of the favorite shows for schools, churches and amateur groups in recent years.

Nonetheless, even without those 240 youngsters, this Maltz rendition of Joseph  ranks among the best this prize-winning theatre has offered in years and that includes  many excellent productions.

With direction and choreography by Mark Martino,  Maltz’s  Joseph  -- loosely based on the Old Testament story of the 12 brothers -- can only be described as an exuberant piece of musical theatre, comparable to his other directorial  history at this theatre including LaCage, Crazy for You, The Boyfriend and Beehive.   Producer  Andrew Kato would be wise indeed to keep Martino close to his new Treasure Coast digs.  He is a welcome addition here.

Just as impressive are the entire technical team – including lighting by Phil Black,  costumer Jose M. Rivera, scenic designer Dan Kuchar, music director Kim Douglas Steiner, Marty Mets for sound (even bleeting sheep),  and Bob Cline, casting guru. Oh, yes, a special  nod of approval also for James Danford, as production stage manager. He is a transplant away from the now-shuttered Florida Stage and his magic is  evident  in any show. All are part of the team that makes this simple vaudevillian Biblical effort so entertaining.

There are several notable cast members among the 18 adults in Joseph, including the hunky young man who plays the title part (John Pinto, Jr.), the Elvis wannabe  Pharaoh ( Ryan Williams )who throws in familiar lines from The Producers such as “ It’s good to be the king”. as he writhes emphatically;  a superior narrator (Jodie Langel) whose memorable soprano voice  fills the auditorium , and local charmer Jeffrey Bruce who is notable as Jacob, Potiphar and assorted other roles. He really gets into the swing of things in the brilliant finale, reminiscent of the closing moments of Mama Mia. In fact, you will find familiar  throw-away lines of several Broadway hit moments.

Because this is such a strong ensemble piece, it would  be difficult to dismiss the rest of the singing/dancing cast without giving them all credit   including  Randy Aaron, Nathaniel Braga, Carl Draper, April Holloway, Julie Kavanagh, Ben Liebert Ricky Nahas,  Dennis O’Bannion (also  Asst. Choreographer/ Dance Captain),  Brian Padgett, Jo Patrick, Kevin Quillon, Nido Ramirez, Mary Elizabeth Rich, and Lauren Sprague.  They make this one of the m ost joyful choreographic groups in our midst in a long time (but not in Biblical years). They are very much what makes this Joseph so appealing.

Call well ahead for this near sell-out show -  561 575 2223

CULTURALLY SPEAKING

“RED”  HELD OVER AS WORD SPREADS

 ABOUTGABLESTAGE PRODUCTION

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News /ENV Magazine

It is highly unusual for alocal theatre company to have a play a ”held over” but there is always room foranother milestone by  producer/director Joseph Adler and his phenomenal venue GableStage.  “Red”  -- the  John Logan play which  won the 2010 Tony Best Play award. was supposed to close Dec. 4 but it has been playing to near sell-outhouses.   This production at GableStage  has been stunning  its audience into taking a new look at whatit means to be an artist.  Red is anintelligent – but never boring or professorial – look at what an artist may go through in creating something whichgives the viewer a vision of the ideas behind the word “art.”  In less than capable hands, Red might  fail in its message, but brilliant,award-winning  Director Adler – with ahearty assist from two A-One  actors  -- multi-Carbonell winner  GreggWeiner and  Ryan Didato -- keep the audience immersed as this story unfolds.It’s being held over until Dec. 11 …..and, if that isn’t enough to prove thattheatrical productions are a big draw in South Florida, also extended throughDec. 11 is the Miami Beach Stage Door Theatre production of Neil Simon's comedyThe Prisoner of Second Avenue.  The show, featuring Derelle Bunn and Dan Kelley,continues  its run  at the ByronCarlyle Theater in  Miami Beach.  Guess that also proves Stage Door’s decisionto concentrate on its new location in Miami-Dade was a smart one ……  And, it looks like the big time for the Boca Raton Theatre League,.  It no longer considers itself “communitytheatre” and producer Keith Garssonproved that point with its recent production of The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife   directed byGenie Croft with a star-studded cast including three smash performances byequity stars  Patti Gardner, Iris Acker and BarbaraSloan. Next on the agenda in March, BRTG is going musical with a cast of 18including the wonderful Margo Moreland in SweetCharity.   It hopes to compete withother South Florida venues with its offering of four plays or musicals thisseason……  Despite a scheduled opening inFebruary, star-power makes for big advances!! Even though it is several months away and the musical has been in South Florida in both road show andlocally produced productions, people are expected to swarm  to get tickets for La Cage Aux Folles which is part of the 2012 season offering at theKravis Center. The reason for the  expected ticket swarm is its star – George Hamilton  Tickets for the season which includes Hair and Les Miz are already selling well but the individual  La Cage/Hamilton tickets don’t go on saleuntil Dec, 10th. Look for a surge;  phone inquiries are at an all-time high;   beware of scalpers !!!!….. Supporters of the25 year old New Theatre weresurprised at the news of its “temporary” move . It had been hopeful that thecompany would stay close to its roots in Coral aGables where it has so manyfans.( Its landlord is expected to tear down the building).  But then, the news came:     “New Theatre will relocate to The Roxy Performing Arts Center for its upcoming World Premiereproduction of Twain & Shaw Do Lunchby Chambers Stevens commencingDecember 2”  . The Roxy Performing ArtsCenter (The Roxy) is located at 1645 SW 107 Ave in suburban Miami-Dade,directly across from FloridaInternational University. The news from Artistic Director Ricky J.Martinez and Managing Director EileenSuarez, concluded by emphasizing  “it  will be New Theatre’s temporary homethrough the end of the 2011-2012 Season.”  New Theatre was founded in 1986 and is known nationally for the development and production ofnew works.  The theatre has brought thenational premieres of more than 30 plays by early- and mid-career Americanplaywrights to South Florida, including New Theatre-commissioned Anna in the Tropics, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. …..  the rumor mill has been working overtime butoft repeated is that at least seven new theatre companies are seekingprofessional recognition – Carbonell eligiblility.  Best bets are that Zoetic, Slow Burn  and Infinite Abyss  may make the grade this season.  That’s a pure guess  (only fueled by  wannabes or repetitious  rumors!) …..  PalmBeach Dramaworks – in its new location and with its successful opening of All My Sons nearly complete  (Dec. 11 closing) continues with sure-firehits.  It has announced that  the next show of  its 12th Anniversary seasonwill be  Paul Zindel’s play “TheEffect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds.” It opens on  Friday, January 6th at their new Don & Ann Brown Theatre (201 ClematisStreet). William Hayes will direct the production featuring Laura Turnbull, Arielle Hoffman, SkyeCoyne, Harriet Oser, and GracieConnell.  …… It’s been reportedbefore, but 17 names  of individuals,companies or theatres have joined the exclusive fraternity of winning SilverPalm awards for their unique contributions to the current season. The awardswill be presented  Monday, Dec. 5, at theholiday gathering of the Theatre  League at Bimini Boatyard in Lauderdale So, hearty congratulations must go to:  1. Tim Bennett- Outstanding Set Design, for STUFFat Caldwell Theatre  2.ClayCartland - Outstanding New Talent, for his performance in SONG OF THE LIVING DEAD at The Promethean Theatre   3.Marckenson Charles - for hisOutstanding Performances in SUPERIORDONUTS at GableStage, in A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE at GableStage,and in STUFF at Caldwell Theatre  4. David Cohen - Outstanding MusicalTracks, at Broward Stage Door    5.DennisCreaghan - for his Outstanding Performances in A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE atGableStage, in FREUD'S LAST SESSIONat Palm Beach Dramaworks, and in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY at Actors' Playhouse   6.RenataEastlick - Outstanding New Talent, for her performances in KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN at Slow Burn Theatre Company, and ECLIPSED at Women's Theatre Project  7. Elvire Emanuelle - Outstanding NewTalent, for her performance in ECLIPSED at Women's Theatre Project 8.Jeffrey D. Holmes - OutstandingDirection, for THE PILLOWMAN at Infinite Abyss 9. Paul Homza - Outstanding Fight choreography, for SUPERIOR DONUTS atGableStage  10. Michael Leeds - Outstanding Direction, for THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA at Broward Stage Door 11. Sean McClelland - Outstanding SetDesign, for AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY at Actors' Playhouse   12. MichaelMcKeever - Playwright, for his Outstanding New Work STUFF at CaldwellTheatre, and for his Outstanding New Work SOUTHBEACH BABYLON at Zoetic Stage    13. THEIRISH CURSE - Outstanding Ensemble of Actors at Mosaic Theatre  (The castincluded Ken Clement,  Ryan Didato, Todd Allen Durkin, Shane R.Tanner and Barry Tarallo).Producer/ Richard Jay Simon and Director Avi Hoffman.  14. Deborah L. Sherman - for herOutstanding Performances in GOLDIE, MAX & MILK at Florida Stage, in NO EXITat Naked Stage, and in THREE DAYS OF RAIN at The PrometheanTheatre  15.David Michael Sirois - Playwright, for his Outstanding New Work THE BROTHERS BECKETT at Alliance Theatre Lab  16.SlowBurn Theatre Company, Boca Raton - Outstanding New Emerging Theatre Company    17. KarenStephens - for her Outstanding Performances in BRIDGE & TUNNEL at Women's Theatre Project, in ECLIPSED atWomen's Theatre Project, and in CLYBOURNEPARK at Caldwell Theatre

( Ron Levitt, an entertainment/travel /political writer, served as Assistant Secretary of State, overseeing culturalaffairs. The former United Press Correspondent is president of the SouthFlorida International Press Club,  aCarbonell voter,  advisor to the SouthFlorida Theatre League and WLRN Public Radio & Television, as well as asyndicated theatre columnist. To reach this column, contact ron@floridamedianews.com

YEAH, IT’S ABOUT FOOTBALL (AND JOURNALISM ) AND 

RAY ABRUZZO AND ANTONIO AMADEO MAKE A BIG IMPRESSION

WHILE  LAURA TURNBULL AS THE WIFE SCORES A  T.D.

By Ron Levitt

   Florida Media News / ENV  MAGAZINE

PLANTATION, FL --   The men in the audience may get shocked. But this play – Lombardi – at the Mosaic Theatre – although most certainly about the renowned football  coach of the Green Bay Packers and the game itself,   is also  about a marriage.

Nonetheless, even ardent football fans --  those who grew up praising the coaching skills of Vince Lombardi  and recalling he is credited with saying  “winning is everything” -- will join the women in the audience in  giving a standing ovation to  this cast – which gives its  utmost to the production of Eric Simmons’ 90-minute play based on the book by Pulitzer Prize author David Marranis.

This production — its Southeastern premiere after a successful Broadway run --   follows the coach  (played with star-quality gusto  by Ray Abruzzo of The Sopranos fame) through a week in the1965 season, and reflects on his attempts towards a championship.   

During this time, Michael McCormick, a  Look Magazine reporter (which could be a thankless role but sparkles with acting excellence by superstar Antonio Amadeo)  is assigned to live with the Lombardis to find out what makes him such a “winning” football coach. However, Green Bay players refuse to be interviewed  by the reporter,  following the dictates of their coach. So the reporter  must depend heavily on Marie, the coach’s wife, for an insight into his leadership.

That’s when the drama makes its peak, the time when an ordinary biography becomes theatrical excellence.  In flashbacks, Marie (a magnificent portrayal by Laura Turnbull)   gives a rare view of what it means to be a wife of of someone described as “an imperfect, perfect” man who is in the spotlight. She imbibes with her knowhow just as quickly as she does her liquor.

Michael, in the meantime, discovers his own future as a byproduct of the interview. He listens and learns!  He will make every journalist and writer  in the audience cheer for his integrity!

Director Richard Jay Simon -- who was honored earlier  this week when his 2011 production The Irish Curse won a Silver Palm for outstanding ensemble--  does an extraordinary job of pacing the actors under his guidance. . It seems  like the fastest 90 minutes in theatre history.  The cast also  includes  Scott Douglas Wilson as football ‘s golden boy  Paul Hornung ,    Skye Whitcomb  as Hall of Famer/All-American  Jim Taylor, Donte Fitzgerald  as legendary linebacker Dave ‘Robbie’ Robinson -  all products of the Lombardi pursuit for excellence.  All three of the actors add to this production’s reality.

But, let’s face it, guys. This may be a football story – possibly accounting for so many men in the audience(who else would acknowledge “play #49”? ) -- but it is actress Laura Turnbull who goes for the touchdown.  She is complacent, roaring,  yelling, sympathetic, loving – all the attributes one might expect from the good wife who does what she must do to help further her husband’s career with a smile and grace.  Both the men and women in the audience will relate!

In reality the quotation —Winning is Everything  -- is widely attributed to Lombardi, who probably heard the phrase from UCLA coach Henry Russell Sanders but in this play, the author credits it to John Wayne.  Nevertheless, Lombardi is on record using the quotation as early as 1959 and many times  on the first  day of the Packers’ training camp. However, his wife gives a completely different take on the game, which is described as “crazy.” And, the audience – both men and women  -- will understand!

And, how many of you knew Lombardi had once considered chucking his coaching career to become a banker?  The things about sports one can learn in live theatre! Amazing!

This production – so ably directed by Simon --- has basically  a South Florida cast.  However, if the  stormy guy playing Coach Lombardi looks familiar and litimately screams ofor attention, it’s because of television.  Ray Abruzzo has had  a major TV career -- roles in "The Sopranos," "Boston Legal," "The Practice," "LA Law," "Night Court" and "Dynasty" when they were at their ratings peak – And, he is perfectly cast as the bombastic, do-as-I-say-coach.  It is difficult to imagine anyone else In  this demanding role l

Technically, this production (let’s get a little corny) gets a competed pass. Douglas Grinn doubles as both technical director and scenic designer.  Rob Eastman –Mullins is the lighting designer. Matt  Corey’s sound wizardry, K. Blair Brown’s costuming,  and Robert Goodrich’s video work (so important in this production) all deserve credit.

 (Somehow when Director Simon and Sound guru Corey showed up opening night wearing Green Bay  Packer attire, one could only surmise Lombardi was going to be a winner!)

Lombardi runs through Dec. 4   Call (954) 577-8243.

HAIRSPRAY AT ACTORS’ PLAYHOUSE  IS BIG, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL --

AND THAT INCLUDES DAVID ARISCO AND THE REST OF THE CAST

By Ron Levitt

   Florida Media News /ENV Magazin

CORAL GABLES, FL –It’s big, bold, and beautiful -- everything a musical should be, so this writer could not help but recall the admonition of a former University of  Miami drama-writing professor when he emphasized that good theatre had but one major  goal – to entertain.  Nowhere is that more self-evident than the current production of Actors’ Playhouse  -- the prize-winning musical Hairspray.

There is little doubt from the moment the overture  readies the locale  to show a 1962 TV set  that this audience is going to have FUN – a group of actors obviously ready to make one  smile, uplifting song and dance timed to give you pleasure and a not-to-be-taken-serious script to keep one chuckling and amused.

Much of the credit for the laugh-inducement, of course, must go to the regional talent assembled by Director David Arisco who even hired himself to  cross dress his ample  way into laugh-inducing fever. But Arisco is only part of the fun supplied  when the  Actors' Playhouse's own Carbonell Award-winning Artistic Director becomes the plus-size Edna Turnblad, the larger-than-life mother in this zany production of the Tony Award winning musical. There’s comparatively diminutive, multi-talented  Avi Hoffman as her hubby and a whole host of local gifted individuals to keep the audience laughing and smiling.

 Arisco has a stage-ful of talent backing him (her) up in this multi-award winning musical.  And, it is evident from the get-go, everyone is out to have a ball.  (Why do you get the feeling   that even the cast is enjoying  itself?).

Hairspray, of course, was  Broadway’s hottest  1982 musical-comedy phenomenon inspired by a tiny  movie with so much heart and soul that it also  later stimulated  not only this Broadway show but  a second big star major motion picture. A joyous tribute to the ‘60’s, this intelligent and hilarious musical has a terrific, invigorating Broadway score, as well as comic characters.

Tracy Turnblad (a simply terrific Miami native Joline Mujica)has only one desire –  to dance on the popular “Corny Collins Show.” ( Corny Collins , by the way, is played by local star-worthy  Christopher Kent).   When Tracy’s dream comes true, she is transformed from social outcast to sudden star, but she must use her new found power to vanquish the reigning teen queen (Celia Louise Merendi), integrate the TV network and make it socially conscious, and  selfishly to win the affections of  heartthrob Link Larkin  (a perfectly cast  Matthew  Ragas).

And, of course, there is mom (Arisco) – who has her own agenda. Arisco manages to give the Edna role his (her)  own dynamic personality, much as did his predecessors on Broadway and on the road  –including  Harvey Fierstein, George (Cheers) Wendt  and performers such as John Travolta in the  2007 movie adaptation.

There is little doubt Arisco is playing to the local audience but he makes it work…every melody , every funny line(even some local gags)  will make one smile as he  (she)  recreates the 1988 stage version of Edna.

Michael (Glee) Morrison, MichellePfeiffer, Queen Latifah. Divine   etc, all pushed their careers to stardom playing in this Broadway show, and visibly talented Matthew Ragas (from New Orleans), plus  a handful of local musical  wonders – an A-One vocalizing, comedienne  Julie Kleiner, the dynamic  Avery Sommers,  highly gifted Kim Cozort and a dancing wonder Ronald Duncan  add to their luster in this regional production. 

Hairspray is a show  with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues.  It takes place in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, where  plump teenager Tracy Turnblad's dream is to dance on  a local TV dance program based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show.   When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight. She then launches a campaign to integrate the show. Hairspray is a social commentary on the injustices of parts of American society in the 1960s, but it is not played seriously, only to make fun of our wonderful American Way of progressing into the future.

The musical's original Broadway production opened on August 15, 2002 and won eight Tony Awards out of 13 nominations. It ran for over 2,500 performances and closed on January 4, 2009. Hairspray has also had  numerous national tours, a London West End production, foreign productions and was adapted as a  musical film starring Travolta. The London production was nominated for a record-setting 11 Laurence Olivier Awards, winning for Best New Musical and in three other categories.

There are so many brilliant musical moments in this show, it is difficult to single out any one extra special , but it is worth the price of admission just to see and hear  Hoffman and Arisco doing the love song   You’re Timeless to Me,  and to view this handsome cast all onstage for the lush finale. You Can’t Stop the Beat. And, how can one fail to mention, the brief appearace but stimulating trio – the Dynamites recreating a Supreme-like moment  (Talitha Farrow, Renata Eastlick  and Tatiana Mott)?

And, though they were missed onstage for the curtain call, give a hand to scenic designer Sean McClleland, costume guru Ellis Tillman, lighting chief Patrick Tennent, sound expert Alexander Herrin, choreographer Barbara Flaten and musical director David Nagy.

It is notable that Actors’ Playhouse is the first regional theatre to get the rights to present Hairspray, even as some of its road show units still prevail nationally.  That is news to be touted! This production runs through November 13. . Evening performances will be held Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., with afternoon matinees on Sunday at 2 p.m. A special weekday matinee is scheduled on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 2 p.m.

Tickets for weeknights and matinees are $42, and  $50 on Friday and Saturday evenings The theatre offers a 10 percent senior discount rate the day of performance and $15 student rush tickets 15 minutes prior to curtain with identification. Discounts are based on availability and exclude Saturday and Sunday. Actors’ Playhouse is located at  the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile.

Oh, yes, lest one forgets, Harspray is the kind of musical for all age groups, so, bring the youngsters with you!  It will turn them on to t-h-e-a-t-r-e !

At GableStage

UNIQUE THEATRE EXPLODES AS 2 BROTHERS

BATTLE OVER OPPORTUNIITIES, FREEDOM

By Ron Levitt

     Florida Media News /ENV Magazine

CORAL GABLES, FL – There are times when a play is filled with such realism, style and honesty that  one must admire  its production.  There are other moments in the theatre when either the actors, director or playwright are so outstanding, one also feels the need to find laudatory words.

Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brothers Size  --  currently at GableStage – is one of those productions which defies the odds and is eligible for all of the above praise. It can only be described as powerful and original – a theatrical experience – where street talk becomes the norm and a lesson (or a message) for the audience.

The Brothers Size also commends respect and pride  because (1) it is written  and directed by a hometown guy who has received international acclaim for this work. McCraney—a Miami native – has been accepted world-wide as a respected author.  His plays have been produced in New York, Washington, Atlanta, Seattle, as well as in Barcelona and London. He has won a coveted Outstanding Playwright award, a distinct recognition for the New World School of the Arts graduate/ DePaul and Yale alumni.  (2)   It demands notice because it is a distinct look at a segment of our society few of us know beyond its providing TV news segments. It smacks  of realism! It will make you hold onto your seats, cheering for the “good guy.”

This unique play is about two African-American brothers –  Ogun and Oshoosi Size. Oge (Sheaun McKinney) runs his own auto repair shop and, through hard work, has become a respected businessman.  Oshoosi (Ryan George), an ex-con, looks to escape from the realities around him and is looking  for the  next big deal or pleasure to come his way.   The differences between the Size brothers erupts when a former cell mate of Oshoosi named Elegba (Teo Castellanos )  comes into their lives.

This might be construed as a Cain and Abel plot.  Yes, it is about brotherly ties and love, but mostly concerns freedom, opportunities and desires.  Primarily, it is distinctive because it combines many theatrical elements, including music, beating drums, dance and body movements and twisting  which will throw one for a loop, This is not a typical theatrical experience. For an average  theatre-goer it is a look at what appears to be a foreign culture within our own society. It is a lesson in “street talk” which, at first,  sounds alien but, as you become attuned and engrossed, you will pick up the rhythm of the vocabulary. McCraney also uses verbal stage direction as part of this distinctive dialogue to emphasize the theatrics  and moments which we visualize as  coming from a foreign ritual.

The reality explodes because these two brothers have simply nothing in common.  Their work ethics are as varied as one might find in our society – one who believes in work, one who wants to take and gain pleasure, without earning it.   Because it takes place in their home – the Louisiana bayou – it does not detract from the fact  that location is not the cause of the drama. It could take place anywhere.  McCraney  knows first  hand about minority life choices and spreads this reality for all to understand. The choice of his African-American names is no accident.  Ogen  and  Oshoosi  are names taken from African history – two mythical warriors  steeped in Yoruba (Nigerian)  tribal history. The names just add to the  “truths” McCraney learned by life experiences  and from his studies in African-American religion and history in his master’s (and masterful) work at Yale, where this play was given birth.

As good -- and strange to some audiences --  as the material is, so –too—are the excellence of the three actors.   Sheaun McKinney, Ryan George and Teo Castellanos.    McKinney – “the good guy” – has you pulling for him. He gives an extraordinary  tear-stained performance. and George,is especially notable.  It is not just the words he speaks but the rhythmic, writhing, precision body movements which are so  powerful. Ditto for Castellanos whose movement and speech talks volumes about talent.  It’s an impressive trio of actors.

The set is virtually bare except for the background created by Lyle Baskin and, it is the lighting by Jeff Quinn and sound by Matt Corey  that add to the unusual technical aspects of this avant-garde experience.  Everything seems simple, even the working class jumpsuits created by costumer  Ellis TIllman

The Brothers Size runs through October 2, at GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave.    Call   305-445-1119  or get info at www.gablestage.org

EXCELLENT CAST IN HENRY V AT NEW THEATRE

-- BUT BRING ALONG YOUR IMAGINATION!!!

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News ‘ ENV Magazine

CORAL GABLES, FL -- One has to be an avid Shakespeare fan or have a vivid imagination to get the most out of New Theatre’s ambitious production of the Bard’s Henry V.

Unfortunately, despite a handful-- actually nine --of terrific actors playing more than 30 roles, the magnitude this play brought to the big screen by Laurence Olivier (in 1944) and Kenneth Branagh (in 1989) fails to find the necessary space in such a tiny venue as New Theatre. Producing such a play can only be described as “courageous.” (In all fairness, one is reminded on the fact that here are but a handful of opportunities in South Florida to see Shakespeare!)

Although Director/adapter Ronald Mangraville has exceptionally and creatively redone the lengthy Shakespeare play into a two hour rendition, only one’s imagination can conjure the magnitude of the events being portrayed. There are big battles going on - warring encounters which will change history. Yet, the stage seems much too barren and tiny and the warriors too few to explicate the battles between the French and English which took place in 1415 and was known as The Hundred Years’ War.

Much also may be made of the color-blind and unusual casting that this production has established. The lead (as Henry V) is an African-American woman and further blind-sighting this production are three female actors who play primarily male roles. Despite costume changes by the talented K. Blair Brown to re-identify characters, many members of the audience find this difficult to follow. Such casting certainly is brave and inspired by any standards, yet confusing in some instances.

Despite the above disclaimers, there is much to admire in New Theatre’s interpretation of the Henry V narrative – primarily the acting by nine individuals who take on awesome tasks in bringing this Shakespeare to life. Sipiwe Moyo shows a mass of regal presence as Henry V. She (as “he”) dominates the stage, whether as the forceful, playboy, unforgiving King or, in the final scenes, as the amorous royal suitor, begging to be loved by the royal princess of France. Moyo ‘s acting skills are obvious.

And, one would be hard-pressed not to see the obvious Shakespearean background of Ronald Mangravite, whose voice has such clarity and appeal that he is able to set the stage as the one-man Chorus and as the King’s henchman Exeter while tackling so many jobs in executing this production: director, adapter, fight manager, set designer. Despite having his hands in so many aspects of this serious production, it is as an actor that Mangravite really shines. He has a voice made in heaven to play Shakeespeare!

Equally impressive are an exceptional Scott Douglas Wilson, fresh off his success in The Pillowman at Infinite Abyss, Charles Sothers, who got good notices for his role in Streetcar last season, and young Jordy Diaz, making his professional debut. All three are notable in their demanding roles, in Wilson and Sothers’ case of playing so many parts, with accents and gestures galore.

And, let’s give a nod for the enjoyment of seeing the versatile Tara Vodihn, Christina Groom, Merry Jo Cortada, and Robert Alter in their multiple role-manship.

Henry V is one of the many history plays by Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles is The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth, vividly shown to the audience on the otherwise bleak stage at New Theatre. It tells the story of King Henry V of England, focusing on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt (1415), the behind the scenes plotting of religious leaders and royalty, as well as the war and eventual “courtship” of Henry for the French princess. The barren stage, by the way, is in the tradition of most Shakespearean plays – little if no scenery. (It is almost as if Shakespeare had a crystal ball , knowing theatres in 2011 might be working on austere budgets with little funds for scenery!)

Kriis Cardenas does a yeoman’s job with lighting and Ozzie Quintana for sound and Jerry Jensen for his work as production stage manager. Their workmanship obviously pays off.

(One who has forgotten his high school Shakespeare or history buffs would do well to see this play after “Googling “ the history of Henry V and his role in The Hundred Years’ War).

New Theatre is located at 4120 Laguna St., Coral Gables. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday (additional shows 5:30 p.m. Sept. 4, 8 p.m. Sept. 7, 2:30 p.m. Sept. 10), through Sept. 10    Cost: $40 ($15 student rush tickets, based on availability). For further information: call 305-443-5909 or visit online --www.new-theatre.org

ZOMBIES, BLOOD SEEM TO INDUCE LAUGHTER

AT PROMETHEAN’ S  LATEST SUMMER SHOW

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

DAVIE, FL  -   We’ve all heard that something or someone “belongs to the ages,”  but it is not perpetuity that comes to mind when discussing Song of the Living Dead, A Zombie Musical currently on the boards at  Nova Southeastern’s  The Promethean Theatre.  In this case, it means that here is a production filled with melody, silliness, crude remarks, and  outright raunchy dialogue which gets its biggest laughs from a college crowd and the twenty-something generation.   For this show to endure, it should be marketed to young adults.

Yes, the younger generation has the most fun watching  this bloody summertime show. However,– no matter what your age – one must acknowledge it is entertaining. Even the young actors admitted post-show that they were having a blast in this well-choreographed work, written by Matt Horgan and Travis Sharp and first produced at the Dad’s Garage Theatre Company in Atlanta.

The show is  well scripted and has “if not exactly drawing-room” lyrics by Eric Frampton and astute direction by Associate Artistic Director Margaret M. Ledford.

Song of the Living Dead, A Zombie Musical is the latest in what has become a tradition of bloody off-beat musicals being fashioned at producer Deborah Sherman’s showcase--  The Promethean Theatre --   each summer.  First came Cannibal The Musical, then last year Evil Dead: The Musical,  and now, until Sept 10, the theatre rocks  with  silliness and laughter once again.

Yes, there is plenty of “blood “ flowing on stage and sometimes into the first rows of the the first couple of rows become a “splatter zone” as befits the summer action by this creative  company.  One college age  theatre-goer  insisted that she be seated in the front row so she might ”get splattered.”  Go figure!!!! Perhaps that’s a new fetish.

The Promethean has gained most of its fine reputation for its off-beat drama, but this year’s summer action event – like its predecessors the last two summers -- makes no pretense at  being anything but a couple of hours of talented voices singing X-Rated lyrics with daring titles and providing enough bloody, funny lines to keep its mostly young audience amused.  It is a “fun time.”  Don’t look for drama or any hidden meaning in the raunchy lyrics.

Basically, it’s the story of a newly engaged couple  George (Christopher A. Kent ) and Jud ith (Lindsey Elizabeth  Forgey)  who get caught up in a Zombie take-over. There  are other memorable characters, including Judith’s mom Peggy (Sharyn Peoples) who has aproclivity of being in love with corpses, and a  man of the cloth, a fire and brimstone  pastor (Noah Levine) 

whose attempts to get rid of the zombies exposes his gay sexuality, aided by homosexuals of several other religions.  When he sings Gays for Jesus,  the audience roars

And, if that isn’t enough, a controlling tycoon (played by scene-stealing actor  Clay Cortland) bumps and grinds his way in a hilarious rendition of ”I’m  F**ing Awesome.” He is the character who hopes to take Judith for himself, no matter what the cost.

Yeah, this play is perfect for young-at-heart thinkers, willing to hear four letter words, sexual innuendos, idiotic scenarios, etc. but – no matter what your age – you will be smitten by the talent of this young cast.  Christopher A. Kent, one of South Florids’s top professional stars, jumped into the part when Matthew William Chizever (who had award worthy performances the two previous summers)  fell ill.  Kent is a trooper who was able to learn the lines, songs and chorography in a matter of days. He is impressive!  And, let’s give a special applause to  Noah Levine and newcomer Clay Cortland for two entertaining performances. They both showed intense talent in side-splitting roles  And, kudos, too, to the talented choir and supporting characters  notably  an hilarious Mark Della Ventura, Robert Coward , Mary Gundlach, Jaimie Kautzmann, and Joshua Olivares, who induces labor and laughter as a zombie fetus.

One has to be impressed with the choreography and the final  musical number – Song of the Living Dead. That number -- aided by the entire cast  --is as good as it gets. . Even older folks agreed on that!

One can only imagine the laundry bill endured by costume designer Ellis Tillman as he sees his clothing get blood-soaked  at each  performance. There is plenty of gunfire and other  resonant activities invented by sound designer   Matt Corey. Credit the lighting  to veteran  Patrick Tennent and the creative scenic design  to Daniel Gelbmann.   A special nod to music director Phil Hinton.

The Promethean Theatre  presents this show Thurs. – Sun. through Sept. 10 at theBlack Box theatre, at Nova Southeastern University in  Davie   Tickets: $25 at theprometheantheatre.org or  call 866-811-4111

PHILOSOPHY, INTELLECT RUN TOGETHER

AS MAD CAT OPENS LATEST PAUL TEI PLAY

By Ron Levitt

   Florida Media News

MIAMI, FL --  The first thing you see on entering the theatre at the Goldman Warehouse in Northeast Miami is a hearse, but what else would you expect from the world premiere of any Mad Cat production?  It is the one company in Miami which has become known for its irreverent, cutting-edge theatre which philosophically and  intellectually explores issues that define contemporary society, using props, no-holds-barred dialogue, music – even an unexpected  Greek chorus and/or characters who only exist in a character’s mind. All of these provide fodder in order  to consider the meaning on a variety of subjects. 

Mad Cat's founder and artistic director Paul Tei’s  So My Grandmother Died, Blah Blah Blah is this  2011 innovation he has written and delivered by the  Miami Light Project  which is presenting Mad Cat Theatre Company’s latest production. This unique comedy runs through Sept. 20, and, although one wonders who the audience may be which truly understands this irreverent barrage of intellect, there is little doubt --  it is an original piece of work in Mad Cat’s tradition of “always evolving, never arriving”productions.

It occurred to me while  watching this opening night production that this play might be  custom-made for intellectually bright college level students (theatre majors?) or those who thrive at uncorking philosophical platitudes and explaining them as human theory.  It is that kind of production. It is not for general consumption. Many will go away, saying they did not understand it. To say that this play is different is an understatement, but that is what Mad Cat is all about. Playwright-director Tei takes the audience on a spin covering what happens to a writer, what is important  in “theatre,” how love can be denied, the meaning of one’s own life,  as well as what it means to be a free thinking woman in society. That’s a lot to put into two hours, but Tei – who moonlights on TV’S Burn Notice as as Barry the money launderer—does it successfully, even though a typical audience may scratch their heads in trying to understand the meaning of so much action and intelligentsia. It helps if you know who are  Ibsen, Hedda Gabler, Ezra Pound  and sundry other personalities – even  Zsa Zsa Gabor—and have a vivid imagination.  Does that intrigue you?

So,  My Grandmother Died, Blah Blah Blah is the story of Polly Chekhov, a comedy writer in Hollywood, California who comes back to Hollywood, Florida for the wake of her beloved grandmother Mary.  The play is about the deconstruction of a eulogy through the exposition of three sisters ( the youngest Polly --  and her two older siblings).   Polly has writer’s block which becomes the instigating action responsible for most of the conflict. The dialogue in the play explains that there are certain ingredients good theatre should have, including “conflict.”  Multiple characters, notably  Polly’s eccentric family, a chorus of deconstructionists and a musician, carry you over the debris of endless cultural accumulations.  It tackles a whole range of human subjects – from disappointment in love (becoming a “dumpee”)  to getting to the finale of a play, describing how after “11,640 words” of dialogue ( spoken in the story up to that point), there is still no end:  “procrastination” with finalizing an actual eulogy, in this case. The most poignant moment – and, we hope we are not telling too much – is when the family members  use adjectives, nouns and verbs in rapid, succession  in order to describe just who the late grandmother was to  each of the them individually, to the clan  and to society.

This original work features  Mad Cat Company members and some of Miami’s “hot, hip and offbeat “ talent, including Melissa Almaguer, Erin Joy Schmidt  and Deborah L. Sherman as the three sisters,  with George Schiavone and Beverly Blanchette as their parents, along with Anne Chamberlain, Troy Davidson,  Ricky Waugh as the chorus (a.k.a. the deconstructions),  Brian Sayre as the musician,  and Eli Peck, Lauren Butler and Brigitte Kali Canales in supporting roles.

Most of the audience is familiar with Tei as an actor, writer and director.  He is (even though he now lives in L.A.) one of this area’s most talented, intelligent and recognizable “theatre people.” In his 11 years at Mad Cat, he has written dozens of plays and in his native South Florida, he has collected a record number of theatre citations, including 7 Carbonell Awards (South Florida's version of the Tonys).

Tickets for So My Grandmother Died, Blah Blah Blah :  General Admission Tickets are $25, Student $12 (with valid ID) and may be purchased online at www.madcattheatre.org  or calling OvationTix at 866.811.4111.  THE Goldman Warehouse is located at 404 NW 26th Street in the Wynwood Art Gallery District in Miami.

This play,  originally entitled Preservation Society, had a test run a year or so ago during the South Beach Comedy Festival, Tei rewrote it, retitled it, even re-cast half of the original players to turn it into a “new play.” This production was made possible by Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, WLRN and Delaplaine Champagne. You will enjoy the play more if you have a sip or two!

AT CALDWELL

DURKIN AND LOWE HIT THEATRICAL HIGHS AS “SIX YEARS”

CAPTURES  ONE LOOK AT  AMERICA’S GREATEST GENERATION

By Ron Levitt

    Florida Media  News

BOCA RATON, FL. – There are times when one goes to the theatre and  the cast is so outstanding that the play itself becomes secondary. Then, there are other moments when the play is so brilliant that it overshadows the casting, no matter how talented they may be.

Take your choice at the current production at Caldwell  Theatre here  -- Six  Years – and no matter which of the above options you select, you will be right.   As for me, my thumbs up are for the two lead  characters portrayed by Marjorie Lowe and Todd Allen Durkin. They literally have the audience bewitched at their creative efforts. They are simply superb.

Six Years -- authored by Sharr White and-originally produced  to wild applause  at  the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville  – is getting its Florida  premiere here.

It is the story of a traumatized/possibly shell-shocked  war veteran who served in WW2 and the fraught, struggling  relationship with his wife, coming to fruition when their son goes to war. The story takes place in five separate scenes ---each six years apart – from the post-World War suburban housing boom (Levitt-town, obviously not named after me) to the hopes of the Kennedy inauguration,  to 1967, with its civil unrest, eventually to the end of the Viet Nam war and another “coming home.” One might call this play a bird’s eye view of what has become known as The Greatest Generation.” But, what it asks the audience is even more critical:  How does our nation of families stay  together through the difficult  push and pull of progress and wars  going on around them?

What makes White’s  play so intriguing – in the hands of Director Clive Cholerton – is its use of ordinary people and their reflexes, hopes, fears  and aspirations, as American history unfolds before their very eyes. Cholerton obviously has taken this original play to new heights (as he usually does!) in giving it stark reality. Six Years  is a truthful look at the American Experience, tastefully told by playwright and brought to life by this director who manage to cover the economy, relationships, love, war and the outside world’s effect on human beings who just happens to be Americans during a momentous time in history.  It also explores the subject of loneliness and how it affects a relationship.

“You’re  not alone – even when you’re lonely,” Betsy Graver’s supporting character, a lady in a bar,  philosophizes.

Lowe and Durkin once again show why they are such sought-after actors, in this scenario playing  the couple Meredith and Phil Granger whose marriage from 1949 to 1973 captures the essence of this generation, everything one can imagine except true love. That is the one missing ingredient of this play: Where is the romance?

Durkin and Lowe get an assist from an outstanding supporting cast, including two  lovely ladies-- Betsy Graver and Natasha Sherritt.  There is also a terrific  performance by the capable David Perez-RIbada as the wife’s friend.  Ribada is always a  scene-stealer.

Then, there is multiple Carbonell winner Gregg Weiner. He adds to the strength of this show as the wife’s brother, but he seems underused.  WeIner, a prize-winning actor  who goes from supporting to lead roles in the matter of moments, usually carries a show by himself. Finally, there is Michael Focas,as the son, who, years from today, can tell an interviewer he got his professional  acting start at Caldwell, with one word of dialogue and two  seconds on stage,

No need to go into the details of Sharr White.s story.  Let us just say it is a creative approach to tell the tale  of what was happening in our country during a specific period of time, remarkably espoused by what the author perceives as a  typical married couple. (One  might find some disagreement on that point. If this is a typical marriage, society is in trouble indeed).

Credit once again must go to the technical and design team at Caldwell:  Tim Bennett’s  scenic design, is outstanding; Alberto Arroyo provides real-time costuming, and  lighting  by Thomas M. Shorrock is right on target.  A special bit of applause to veteran stage manager James Danford who has built a 30-year career in area theatres by providing technical knowhow.

Performances run through September 4^th -- , Wednesday – Saturday: 8:00 pm, Wednesday and Sunday: 2:00 pm.   For more information call 561-241-7432 or go online to www.caldwelltheatre.com

KAREN STEPHENS AND  AN EXCELLENT CAST MAKES CHITTERLING HEIGHTS

A THINKING WOMAN (AND MAN’S) PRODUCTION  AT TWTP IN LAUDERDALE

By Ron Levitt

    Florida Media  News / ENV Magazine

    FORT LAUDERDALE, FL --  It’s a woman’s world. Ask any man. 

Well, that—until  recently -- was the case  at The Women’s  Theatre Project in the downtown area  of Fort Lauderdale. Until now,  only plays by women, about ladies and featuring female actors were staged. But all of that is now history at this tiny  theatre off of Andrews Avenue. Female-only casting has ended – at least, for a moment.

This may not seem like such a big deal, but it is to a handful of women who have constantly complained that most plays are dominated by male characters. Thus, the founding of TWTP in 2002. Now, here is  generous payback time!

Whatever your opinion, the fact that male actors have finally made their debut on TWTP stage, of course, is  merely a sidebar -- not the main reason  -- to see Chittering Heights , an extraordinary play by  the late Anna Morrissett Davidon. It is  having  its world premiere here -- starring  the brilliant Karen Stephens as writer  Lorraine Hansberry, along with a  surprisingly strong cast including Kaitlyn O'Neill and two men --  André Gainey, and  Sean Muldoon

 It helps  to understand the importance of the characters in this production, if one remembers the groundbreaking play and film A Raisin in the Sun  written by Hansberry who, at the age of 29,  became a roaring success and a pioneer for black women playwrights.  But, one will certainly find  the roles in this amusing play, illuminating even if he or she  is not a theatre history buff. Everyone in the audience can reap rewards by going home after attending this show and heading for the computer to Google these famous writers. ( Raisin was the first play written by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway and Baldwin was a noted American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and civil rights activist. If – in reality – they actually knew one another is conjecture).

 What hits home early in this production is that it is meant for thinking persons – female  and male, white and black, gay and straight– with a special appeal to creative writers  and historians in the audience.  The thesis is interesting:.  Hansberry's unprecedented success with A Raisin in the Sun resulted in her ongoing pursuit to produce another equally monumental work. This thoughtful  play  explores that element. It takes place in  1962, as she invites another famous black author  --her  supposed friend James Baldwin  (Gainey  )  to her country house, Chitterling Heights, for the weekend, primarily to discuss her next play, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window (which coincidently  opened  on Broadway as she lay dying from cancer several years later).

Although  ‘Raisin” was inspired by her family's legal battle against racially segregated housing laws in the Washington Park Subdivision of the South Side of Chicago during her childhood, this play explores much more than prejudice against blacks.  Chittering Heights tackles inter-racial marrriage,   homosexual friendships, sexism, “ghetto-like attitudes,” prejudice by both blacks and whites,   and, in great depth, what it means to be a writer  “Writing is so damn  lonely” the heroine of this play explains, also calling the art of the author as a “copout for living.”

According to this script – partially based on fact with a whole bunch of fiction --   Baldwin brings along a not-quite innocent Southern protégé ( O’Neill) while  Hansberry is accompanied by her white  husband she's in the process of divorcing (Muldoon ).   These two relative newcomers, by the way, hold their own with the important lead characters played by Stephens and Gainey.   O’Neill (who got bravos earlier this year in The Brothers Beckett at Alliance Theatre Lab )is a charming Southern belle captivated by Baldwin, while Muldoon shows he has leading man qualities.

There’s a lot of verbal fireworks as  Baldwin attacks the relevance of Hansberry's latest work and the two great writers and their companions  become embroiled in  a heated discussion ,struggling with the subjects  of race, class, and literature in the turbulent 60s — the time known for the Civil Rights movement. For the  intelligent audience, the intellectual discussion and hidden rage become  a lesson in American history, but there is a sense the,author of this play is finding a parallel between the 1960s and the issues facing our multi-cultural society today. (It may seem a minor revelation by today’s standards but it is somewhat appropriate that this play is  about  “inclusion”   even to the point of this play, being  cast  with both sexes).

Stephens is extraordinary as the famous author. She shows  a wide range of emotion and a  sense of reality as she and her male counterpart lash  out  at each  other. Yet, she plays the role of Hansberry as a quiet, thoughtful human being --   and that is why, the audience is rooting for her, only to learn –just before the finale –about her early death several years later at age 34.

Director Genie Croft deserves a lot of the credit for the staging and for  making this play such a wonderful  tribute to both  Hansberry and the playwright Davidon.  The direction  moves this play along in a credible manner, despite its overlong first Act. Credit also goes to the  spread out scenery  of the country home designed by  Jodi Dellaventura, the sound by  David Hart, lighting by Sean Cutler,  and costuming by  Jenna Hoefert.

The Women's Theatre Project’s promotional material notes that  the World Premiere of Chitterling Heights  marks TWTP's 27th main stage production.   Its also recognizes the fact that “for the first time a male will be on a WTP stage.”   (that should enforce the idea t that South Florida does NOT need a Male’s Theatre Project).

This production runs through August  28, with a schedule of Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays @ 8pm and Sundays @ 2pm.    Call 866-811-4111 for tickets by phone or purchase on-line at www.womenstheatreproject.com. Adults - $25. / Students - $15. (limited availability)   Performances are at Sixth Star Studios: 505 NW 1st Ave,located one block west of Andrews Avenue at NW 5th Street in downtown Ft. Lauderdale.

ADD ONE MORE TO THE LIST OF MUSICAL SHOWS ABOUT WOMEN:

SEE JANE RUN! AT ACTORS’ PLAYHOUSE IN CORAL GABLES

CORAL GABLES, FL --   Bring it on!  Apparently musical shows which extol the lives of women have a special spot in the hearts of audiences. Who can forget Menopause: The Musical; or  the more recent success last season:  Motherhood. Both were launched in the South Florida area.

Well, now, joining the ranks of these  previous hits is See Jane Run!, a wonderfully creative feast of musical  vignettes and comic skits put together by  actor/singer  Maribeth Graham and composer Dana P.   Rowe  --  enjoying the appreciative audience at the   Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables.   It  runs through Aug. 14. And then, like its predecessors ,  combining “women” and “music, ” will probably go on the road, to delight other  audiences –both female and male.

Appearing in her own world premiere, Graham is  joined by other veteran performers,  the multi-talented ,  Irene Adjan and golden voiced  Jeni Hacker  -- while  co-author Rowe is behind the scenes as Music Director.  It is a creative endeavor that acts as  a perspective on what makes females  tick in today’s  post-Women’s Lib society.   Actress Graham may be  a first-time lyricist/coauthor, but she apparently has found a new niche with veteran composer Rowe (  The Witches of Eastwick, The Fix, Zombie Prom).  It is obvious when it comes to rhythmic interpretations, comedy and wit, this twosome click!.

David Arisco, Actors’ artistic director,  who has seen them all  as an actor and director, takes this feminine trio on a musically comic journey through a series of incidents which apparently most women encounter in their search for happiness. Under                 Arisco’s directing baton, the  show combines comic sketches with funny but realistically powerful  moments, shedding new lights on the talents of all three  on-stage women .

Graham  --  who divides her time between South Florida and NYC -- has been featured in numerous local productions and is noted for her pleasant voice and stage presence.  Just think of her in the Carbonell-winning turn in  The Adding Machine at GableStage  a few years back, .  But, who knew (except  for the few who recognized her other talents when she was  writing parodies for the  Carbonell ceremonies), that there was also an author  in that lovely lady’s body. In teaming up with Rowe, the combination proves to be  exhilarating…and fun!!!

We know now how intriguing and crowd-pleasing  Motherhood and Menopause have been as it tours nationally.  They are accepted wherever they play.  This latest attempt to praise the feminine side still must prove itself before it hits the road. A little tweaking and tightening of the 30-plus skits, scenes and songs crammed in to 90 minutes will help as it readies for a larger geographic audience – but don’t touch songs like Periodically,  Could I? or A Little Piece of Perfect which hit the appropriate creative chords and are memorable.

See Jane Run! overall is a bold look at the 21^st Century woman. Nothing is sacred as it tackles a whole net-full of disorders, relationships, even “secret desires.”  Part of the fun in this original production also is  identifying the various  “Janes”  whose pre-show  photos are splashed  on a screen across the balcony stage (Jane Fonda, Wyatt, Russell, Curtin, Lynch, Adams, Seymour, Withers, Marple, etc.  See how many you can name before the show begins!

HISTORIC HOARDING HEADLINES  BECOME HILARIOUS IN THE HANDS

OF MICHAEL MCKEEVER, NICHOLAS RICHBERG IN CALDWELL’S  “STUFF”

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

BOCA RATON, FL -  Who would have thought that a legendary story torn from real life headlines about two  eccentric brothers who cut themselves off from the world could be so much fun and have  such a message about caring  and devotion?

Well, when the subject is put in the hands of South Florida’s most prolific playwright Michael McKeever, who has a knack for finding humor in almost any situation, such a scenario can produce instant laughter, a subtle message and a well-spent night at the theatre. And, in this case, McKeever has turned a 1947 headline into a ha-ha event!

Those of you who  see McKeever’s  “Stuff’” will be able to tell your friends and family that you saw it first at Boca Raton’s Caldwell Theatre, where it is having its world premiere through July 31. (it’s the kind of material which seemingly should be at ease  staging  around the world and eventually developing into a cinematic opus).

“Stuff” is the  story of two real  brothers  --the wealthy  Collyers --  who become New York’s  notorious hermits. You can Google them (as I did)  to find out their fascinating background.   It seems the  twisted  brothers had cut themselves off from the outside world. Homer, born in 1881  and Langley Collyer,  four years younger, became famous because of their  “upper crust snobbery, filthy home, and compulsive hoarding.”  For years,  rumors swirled around the rarely seen, jobless  men and their home on Fifth Avenue (at the corner of 128th Street), in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. It is there that they obsessively collected everything:   newspapers, books, furniture, musical instruments, and sundry  other items. There were booby traps set up in hallways  and doorways to protect against intruders. Both were eventually found dead in the Harlem brownstone on March 21, 1947 where they had lived surrounded by tons of waste that they had amassed over several decades.  At that time, it made headlines throughout the country.

What an anomalous  and weird bit of history to put on stage (the story of these men who had a fortune in 1929 but were unable to cope in society or fulfill their potential during their lifetime) and bring humor to a modern-day audience!   Well,  playwright McKeever does it extremely well  -- not only thanks to his ability as a wordsmith – but also to the capable  direction of Caldwell’s brilliant  Artistic Chief Clive Cholerton, an A-One cast and a technical crew whose lighting, sound, costuming and, especially,  its scenic design, are all award worthy.

In fact, if this play doesn’t bring you to a constant laughing climax as well as sending you a message about living and caring,  you might want to see the same shrink the Collyer brothers needed  but apparently never saw.

Certainly much of the fun derived from “Stuff”  is watching the two actors playing the brotherly-odd-but-strangely likeable  couple – McKeever himself  -- roaring and bouncing around the vast living area of the Collyer residence -- and the multi-talented Nicholas Richberg, who has spent the  last few years in New York but pleases  hometown audience  now that he has returned to do this play.  McKeever (as the exuberant  Homer) and Richberg  (as the more docile Langley) --  both a joy to watch --  have captured the twisted twosome to perfection.  They not only bring  hoarding to a new high but do it with hilarity and pathos. It is a much more human look at hoarding  than  has been  portrayed on some of the more idiotic reality cable TV shows. 

 An interesting take on this production is the fact that McKeever plays his role in a manner in which one finds empathy for the older Homer, particularly as the blind older brother in Act Two,  while Richberg, portraying the eccentric Langley who dreams of being a concert pianist  -- nonetheless makes you  like him, as well.  The crux of their strange relationship is how they rely on one another.    Credit the playwright again for not just showing them as a twosome  coached by their mother to live in a never-changing world ( the reason for their goofy insanity?)   but expanding  on their  quirky, brotherly relationship.

There are several memorable moments in this play, but none so stirring as Richberg – mouthing McKeever’s words -- in a monologue describing a Victorian-era, blue, cobalt vase.  It is memorable theatre!

Additional cast members add to the comedic  and human value, including  an actress s who normally headlines any show – the amazingly talented Angie Radosh, as the Collyer  mother. Her role and  the impact  she had as the brothers lived  out their “civilized”  lives of love and loathing each other is a key to the undercurrent of drama amidst all this fun  There are serious reactions expressed in McKeever’s characterizations and Radosh brings those to the forefront in her maternal role.  Radosh, from the moment she arrives on stage, walking down a stairway to the sitting room  of their home in 1929, challenges you to take one’s eyes off of her.  In any role, she is a dynamo.

Also playing a significant part in this highly original production is actor Marckenson Charles, who earned rave reviews in several productions last season at GableStage and Mosaic. He  shows his value onstage in this production. He is a welcome addition, portraying a real estate agency  courier in the lengthy  first act (1929) and a home robber  in Act Two (1947).

Technically, despite an aura of  suspected  respect for Caldwell’s reputation for creating season after season of inspired works, “Stuff”  is what Excellence is made of!  The opulent Act One  set by  Tim Bennett is definitive early 20th Century upper crust NY, while the surprising changes made for the Second  Act will amaze even the most clairvoyant theatre-goer.   And, as the living area changes, one can feel its impact on the characters (or vice versa).  Sound by Thomas Shorrock,  costumes by Alberto Arroyo,  and lighting by  Joseph P. Oshry -- all help achieve the backdrop to this fascinating version of the Collyer story.

Summing up – this is an achievement for Caldwell..… a feather in the cap for director Cholerton…..a bright light for the playwright McKeever (whose evident research is astonishing  in itself)…..a stunning acting challenge for the four actors:  McKeever, Richberg, Radosh and  Charles …..  and a worthwhile event for its audience.  Did I like it?  In the lingo of a current (not my favorite)  politico. who – in my opinion – also lives in the past  -- “You Betcha.”

The show runs through July 31 at Caldwell, 7901 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton.  Show-times are Wednesday through Sunday at 8 p.m. and Wednesday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $10 to $50. Call 561-241-7432, or  (877) 245-7432  or visit caldwelltheatre.com.

Ages of the Moon

OLD-BUDDIES SHOOT THE BREEZE AND A GUN

AS THEY DISCUSS LONELINESS IN MOSAIC PRODUCTION

By Ron Levitt

    Florida Media News/ ENV Magazine

PLANTATION, FL --  There seems to be a proclivity  for brilliant  playwrights to script plays in which the main roles – two ageing characters  --   are getting ready for their  final days. And, few do it better than author Sam Shepard, whose latest trip into the vast unknown takes shape at the Mosaic Theatre here.

Ages of the Moon  has this particular duet discussing life and death, regrets,  missed opportunities, lonesomeness, recriminations  -- all given  over shots  of bourbon, as they reminisce for 70  minutes,  anticipating  their  big show in the sky. In this case, death is allegorically portrayed as a lunar eclipse.

The things that seems to bind these old pals together -- even after many years of separation – are their loneliness and the realization that they have little time left on earth.

So, just as Beckett did in  Waiting for Godot and Shepard  rationalized  in his other   tragicomedies (True  West,  Fool for Love, Kicking a Dead Horse, etc.), these two old friends shoot the breeze while one trigger-happy old-timer is prepared to literally take aim at anything that gets on his nerves, even an overhead fan in this rural, fishing shack where they meet after several years and sit around chatting from their Adirondack chairs.

Byron   (Gordon McConnell) has travelled several days to answer the desperate telephone call from Ames  (Dennis Creaghan).   He listens  to the remorseful harangues of his old pal, particularly about the breakup of his marriage caused when he cheated on his wife.  They both willingly play out their loneliness over an abundance of liquor.

The two men rant and fume.  Not even the eerie specter of gunfire, brawling or verbal assaults regarding their memory of past events interrupt their furious momentary ravings.

Led by Director Richad Jay Simon, Creaghan and McConnell  provide an entertaining look at two characters trying to find meaning in their final days.   Creaghan provides  a knockout performance as the volatile Ames, ready to take on anything which displeases him, and O’Connell, as always, is at the top of his acting game. Watching these two veteran performers pace themselves is like a semester course in acting techniques.

The dialogue – emphasizing ageing and loss – may seem poignant at times -- and, it is meant to be  --,  but these two exceptional actors make their solitude, denials and yearnings remarkably real.  If reality is a measure of a play’s greatness, score a five star rating for Ages of the Moon.  One would have to be blinded not to visualize the realism that Shepard evokes in his witty, candid manner.

The desolate, remote cottage porch  where all of the verbal action goes on is the visible  creation of  Douglas Grinn, a  worthy set for this production, and sound by Matt Corey and  lighting by   John Hall add to the intensity of this play.  The music selections opening and in the midst of this production fuel the action – a laudable play selection by Simon to close out Mosaic’s 10^th Anniversary season.

Ages of the Moon  --  a Mosaic  Southeastern Regional Premiere --  runs through June 26 at this magical little theatre which constantly brings fine drama to South Florida.   Mosaic is located at the American Heritage campus,  12200 West Broward Boulevard,  Plantation, FL.   For tickets, call  (954) 577-8243

ACTING TRIO – UNDER LEDFORD’S DIRECTION –

SMACKS OF REALITY AT PROMETHEAN THEATRE

 By  Ron Levitt
Florida Media Nwqa / ENV Magazine

DAVIE, FL --  Richard Greenberg’s Pulitzer-nominated Three Days of Rain explores family and friends’ relationships  in a doubly unpredictable look at two generations among  highly-educated trios who are filled with  misunderstanding,  manipulation and  melodramatic moments  which hide love lust and lunacy in an extraordinary way.

Greenberg – whose 25  plays in as many years, included  the Tony-winning Take M e Out --elevated him to the top tier  of American playwrights – actually wrote   Three Days of Rain back in 1998. But,  it has been given high acclaim throughout the world after its Broadway debut  with Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd and Brad Cooper, then  a stunning ensemble in London, and its current production at Davie-based Promethean Theatre at Nova  Southeastern University  can only enhance an already- socko reputation, especially as directed by Margaret  M. Ledford and delivered handsomely by three  of South Florida ‘s most articulate actors.

Three Days of Rain, is neatly divided into two acts  --  a time travelling journey, beginning in Manhattan  in  1995, and then doing a flashback in the same apartment in 1960.   In Act 1, we meet Walker (a splendid performance by Terry Hardcastle)  who has just returned from overseas in time to hear the reading of the will of his father – a famous architect,  We also meet his sister Nan – a married woman with children living in Boston (Deborah  L.  Sherman), and Pip (Matthew William Chizever) ,  a television soap actor who has “secrets” involving  the two siblings and --  much to the chagrin of all concerned -- was bequeathed  the family home  rather than  to his offspring.

Then, Greenberg takes us back 35 years in Act 2, in which  a stuttering Hardcastle  plays Ned, the shy architect who is Walker and  Nan’s father.  Chizever becomes Theo, Ned’s buddy and fellow architect  who only dreams of fame, and fortune,  and Sherman, as the flighty Southern lady who becomes the mother to Nan/ Walker  and eventually is consumed by madness.

A diary  or journal (according to the author, only men keep journals while women keep diaries )– ties the 35 year span together. Even more complex  is how the past has an effect on the present, especially when a journal  filled with enigmatic entries muddies the waters and hints at a mystery.

It is easy to praise a prolific writer such as Greenberg.  He has a way with words and character development which makes his audience totally aware of the unique  personalities in his plays.  His numerous awards include  those reserved for young talent, as  well as being  the first winner of the PEN/Laura Pels Award for a playwright in mid-career. That – plus his many nominations  -- put him in a league of his own. Director Ledford allows these actors free reign, indelible portraits of educated ,  professional  individuals each with their own quirky personalities.  It is a terrific acting ensemble yet a handful of polished. Individual  performances which smack of reality.

So, much has to be said about this acting trio.    It may seem like a challenge to create related characters  within the same play, but still give them their own unique traits. But, Hardcastle, Sherman and  Chizever, strike  a sextet of of totally unique individuals  --  people who are easily definable despite their idiosyncrasies. You will feel you know them !

This play runs through June  5.   Call  to order tickets, toll free:   866-811-4111   Performances are Fridays at 8pm,  Saturdays at  3 and 8pm, and  Sundays at 3pm

THE MUSIC MAN : A SHOWCASE

FOR  BOTH YOUNG AND VETERAN TALENT

 By Ron Levitt 

     Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

CORAL SPRINGS, FL   -- Surely, The Music Man is just as corny as an Iowa stalk, but it is just such homegrown simplicity that audiences admire  and  is part of the reason it became  a smash hit,  winning five Tony s in 1958 and repeating with eight of the awards for a 2000 revival and a sprinkling of other trophies along the way.

So, it is not unusual for a regional production to get similar praise, such as it is getting nowadays at the Broward Stage Door, where producers Dee Bunn and David Torres are  providing a mix  of young talent   and veteran performers the opportunity to introduce or re-introduce themselves to South Florida audiences.

In fact, what makes this regional production so worthwhile and charming are the number of new and old names attached to this particular show. Just look at the size of this cast!    Even if you consider the show hackneyed – even old-fashioned, you will want to know more about the people in the cast.  Many are just at the start of their careers and – even some of the veterans are hopeful that  you will remember who they are. One must give Broward  Stage Door credit for  giving so many chances for recognition to  those trying to make a name for themselves, thus earning a clap of your hands or even, a standing ovation.

The main reason for such applause at  performances of  Meredith Willson’s  legendary musical is a unique combination:   astute direction by Dan Kelley, the personality of its two stars --  Jonathan Van Dyke as the fast talking Professor Harold Hill  and  Colleen Amaya as the prim librarian; an ensemble that looks as if it is enjoying each performance  -- and most especially a group of young dancers/singers  and  what could be a barber shop quartet, both of whom – under the guidance of Choreographer Chrissi  Ardito --  actually steal many of the scenes in this popular show.

 So, let’s give a special bow to these boys and girls:  Joshua Michael Brickman,  Jake Bridges, Josh Pins, Benjamin Rowan, Adriana Zabala, Keren Young, ALece DeLuca, Marisa Hecker: also the men’s quartet Adam Kee, Justin Lore, Jason Whitfield and Jonathan Bauchman; the ladies of the town,a notable  Missy McArdle, Amanda Kuchinski, Gail Byer, Lori Reyes, Kaitlin O’Neill,  as well as charming youngsters Max Greeenberg, Juliana Carrasco, Sophie Ludovici,  and topnotch role-playing by  Nicholas Kochanov,  Michael-Alan Read, Kevin Reilley, and  Stephen Michael Guice,

The Music Man -- with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, -- is based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill (Van Dyke), who poses as a band organizer in order to sell  instruments and uniforms to the naive townsfolk  of River City, Iowa, before he can skip town with the cash.  LIbrarian/piano teacher Marian Paroo  (Amaya) sees through the fast talking stranger, but when Hill helps her younger brother (the adorable child singer - Greenberg) overcome his lisping, Marian falls in love with Harold. Harold, in turn, feels the same,  and risks being caught to win her.

Not  all of the melodies are memorable, but can you forget  Seventy Six Trombones,  Goodnight My Someone or Till There  Was You?  It’s worth waiting to hear these three favorites. And, it is worth the price of admission just  to witness some of the acrobatic dance routines.

This production runs through June 19.  Call  954 344-7765 for tickets.

The 39 Steps

FAMILIAR STORY PEPPERED WITH HUMOR

GETS HIGH MARKS AT ACTORS’  PLAYHOUSE

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

CORAL GABLES, FL – Before the curtain goes up, you will feel the familiarity when you read in your Show Bill:  “The 39 Steps:  Adapted by Patrick Barlow, from the novel by John Bucan, from the movie by Alfred Hitchcock, licensed by ITV  Entertainment Limited, and an original  concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon.”  Whew!!!!  Yeah, something sounds recognizable, for sure.

Plus, let’s face it. You may be old enough to recall the Robert Donat –  Madeleine Carroll  classic  movie or, if you are on the young side, it has been shown on Turner Classic Movies and other film channels many times.  This Broadway-inspired parody  also  has made is way nearby with road show casts. So, you probably know the plot – but toss that bit of reality aside.

Never fear, this  version of the spy-thriller --Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps -- is a very original spoof, peppered with inventive stagecraft. . It is different. It is  played only to make you laugh, so – even if you are familiar with the story --  or in-spite-of that awareness  --you are in for one humorous ride in the presentation currently at Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables.

This production of the hit play --  the winner of two  Tony Awards --  is a tale ripped from the 1915 spy novel and  the 1935 Hitchcock cinema masterpiece. What gives it most  of its originality is that it is a collabrative production between the Playhouse,  the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre company, the Fort-Myers-based Repertory  Theatre  and Orlando Shakes’ Artistic Director Jim Helsinger– making it truly a regional production.

There is a cast of four: Michael Frederic, Deanna Gibson, Brad DePlanche and Brandon Roberts. This acting quartet  plays what seems like a fleet of characters – actually, the public relations. people say they  play more than 150 roles.  They use a few props (ladders, lampposts, doors), split second changes and what can only be called theatrical ingenuity.

Sufffice it to say that this cast provides  two hours of humor, including  a riotous trip aboard a London to Scotland train where battered trunks morph into both the  interior of — and then the roof. You also meet  a scary character with a missing finger, a wistful country girl and her farmer hubby  whose hymn book and coat saves our hero from a bullet,   a sprinkling of romance between  a handcuffed couple,  and nonstop laughter – all the elements which some of us remember on a more serious note in the British thriller.

The espionage plot  -- following the movie – is about  Richard Hannay (an average Canadian  bloke in

London  played by Michael  Frederic)who meets an exotic woman  with a heavy accent  who says she is a

spy – and, when he takes her home, she is murdered,   Hanny is, of course, the suspect in the killing, and

the  police  -- as well as a mysterious spy group called The 39 Steps  -- is hot on the manhunt. Gibson,

DePlanche, and Roberts play a string of unforgettable characters in this silly but enjoyable escapade,

ending up at the London Palladium  with Mr. Memory. (You certainly must remember him!!)

The  play provides an additional challenge for the audience. Sprinkled throughout the script are the names of several Hitchcock movies. See how many you can name!  It’s part of the fun. And, on  a more serious level,  theatre aficionados will qvell  (and, if you don’t know what that means, you probably don’t know theatre)  on how this play uses instant illusion and vaudeville variations – even somewhat magical trickery  -- in its satirical presentation.

One cannot help  notice that during all of this onstage madness, the clowning actors seem to be having a good time. So does the audience!

The production will be on through June 5. Call  305 444-9293 or go to www.actorsplayhouse.org.

Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

CORAL GABLES, FL – Location, location, location!

 No, this is not an advertisement for a real estate company, but where else but  Berkeley – with its liberal reputation --- could a play about a vibrator’s impact to satisfy frustrated women – premiere?

 And, where else and by whom else  could  such a play be first produced in South Florida  than  by award-winning  Artistic  Chief Joe Adler at GableStage which has a reputation of its  own in providing   a hard-hitting, thought-provoking venue which does not shy away from any subject, no matter how sensitive, controversial,  provocative or (excuse this attempt at comedy)  stimulating.

Sarah Ruhl’s   In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) is best described  as an ode to an  odd-shaped instrument which  historically would change women’s  (and some men’s) lives forever.

This play concerns the early application of the vibrator when doctors used it as a clinical device to bring women to orgasm as treatment for hysteria, as well as breastfeeding, sexual desire, even “jealousy.” So, location-wise, it only makes sense that a production based on such a subject -- The Vibrator Play  -- would have its Southeastern premiere at a location with the admirable and unique reputation of  GableStage. 

The play by the then  34-year-old Ruhl, premiered at the Berkeley Reperatory Theatre in 2009, and later was a smash hit on Broadway where  it received three 2010  Tony nominations including  one for Best Play. It has only had a few U.S. productions but wowed audiences in Australia in early 2011, as well. The prolific playwright has written some 11 shows since 2001, including two remarkable productions  which were seen in South Florida --  The Clean House  (at Caldwell)  and Dead Man’s Cell Phone ( at Mosaic), but none on such a daring subject as The Vibrator Play.

The play is set in the late 1800s. a time when only the well-to-do had the new-fangled electricity, such as was installed in the home and office of gynecologist Dr. Givings (Jim Ballard).The  doctor’s “operating theater” adjoins his living space. But. it is in the medical room where the physician does  treatments for  “hysteria” by using a  strange electric-powered box resembling a farm instrument. The audience meets one of his  new patients, the subservient Sabrina Daldry (Irene Adjan) who  is suffering from symptoms that particularly bothers her husband (Stephen G. Anthony) -- especially  the thought of her being dissatisfied in the bedroom. The physician  sends him away, telling him “You will soon have your blooming wife back.”  Then, he proceeds with his special treatment using the queer box, aided by his female assistant, Annie (Sally Bondi), whom we learn later  has sexual secrets of her own.

That’s only the beginning.  It seems the doctor’s aggravated but compliant wife  Catherine (Julie Kleiner) -- who recently became a mother -- also has problems. Her spouse says her milk is insufficient for nursing, so a wet nurse may be necessary. Despite Catherine’s pleas,   Sabrina’s black housekeeper, Elizabeth (the too-beautiful Renata Eastlick), who recently lost a baby, is given the job, but Catherine feels lonely, unwanted and useless. In her frustration, she  becomes curious about what goes on in the ”operating room” which adjoins her living room.  Catherine —with the help of patient and new-found pal Sabrina  --  unlocks the door to the operating theater and then she and her  new friend engage in a session of their own, using this mysterious box. “Whoopie” may be an under-estimation in describing their joy!  It is a comic highlight!

In the meantime, the doctor gets a new patient – a man --   a charismatic artist by the name of Leo Irving. And, although he doesn’t’ appear until Act II, this character played by multi-Carbonell nominated and Silver Palm recipient Ricky Waugh, steals the show whenever he is on stage.   Playing a  gentleman still living in the age of of gallantry, Waugh  does a comical interpretation which  steals the spotlight in this courageously written  play. It is a prize-worthy interpretation.

And, you won’t soon forget the doctor’s  newly designed instrument for men – likely to get gasps from  the testosterone members of the audience. However, for Waugh’s character, it works, launching a whole bunch of interplay by these richly drawn individuals – all of whom seem to have “secrets.”

Theatre insiders agree that Director Joseph Adler  -- who has a mantle full of awards for his theatrical acumen – deserves  much of the credit  for the quick pacing of this production and certainly  for providing an appropriate  forum for a well-scripted play. The comic flow has the fingerprint of Adler, who has fine-tuned this terrific ensemble  of individual talent  into an outstanding theatrical  team.

Some will tell you that The Vibrator Play may be based loosely on historical  fact. That well may be. It is evident that Ruhl did some heavy duty research, but she wrote it as a comedy – not to belittle the use of the instrument but rather as a comic look at how men and women react to sexuality -- particularly stimulation --  and how such discussions on the subject can be so liberating. Few authors use comedy so intelligibly to make a statement, certainly none that I know who have tackled the subject of orgasms.

The play uses two adjoining rooms creatively placed by scenic guru Lyle Baskin —spaces thsat are  perfect for the plot of this story and thus – the name of the play.  And,  Ellis Tillman  has done a yeoman’s job with costuming the ladies and men of pre-1900 America.  Along with the sound and music by Matt Corey, lighting by Omar Martos (and tech  director Carlos Rodriguez),  this play is technically A-One.

The Vibrator Play runs through June  12.  Call  305 445-1119   for tickets.

JOE HARTER AS  GENDER-BENDING “HEDWIG”

DOMINATES STAGE AT EMPIRE IN BROWARD

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

FORT LAUDERDALE,  FL  --  One should be readily aware something noisy is about to happen when the producers  of the rock musical Hedwig  and the Angry Inch --  Infinite Abyss Productions – give out earplugs with every ticket before he or she enters  the Empire Stage in that  relatively quiet area at 1140 North Flagler Drive here – the venue of many gay-themed plays.

The earplugs may be helpful  in enjoying this production, directed by Jeffrey D. Holmes,  when its star Joe Harter’s fictional  rock band  belts out some fairly loud reprisals from  a show which was an Off-Broadway hit  in 1998 (winning awards and lasting for two years and drawing  large crowds when it made a run in Miami Beach some eight years ago, after smashing records in L.A.,  Boston and London).

Hedwig isn’t for everyone.  It is certainly not family fare. Nor is it for those who can’t abide the sounds of real rock music – no matter how good those sounds might be.

But putting noise and theme prejudice behind (where it ought to be)  this production of  Hedwig  and the Angry Inch is somewhat fun. It certainly won’t bore anyone or put an audience asleep. It is noise at its best!

Hedwig was written by John Cameron Mitchell , with music by Steven Trask,  and after   Off –Broadway, even was made into a movie, starring Mitchell. Now, it is back in South Florida and the rumor mill touts it as a show which will return to New York soon.

But, enough  about the background. Let’s pay attention to this production and its star.

Its storyline – except for unneeded dialogue to whet the appetite of locals by mentioning Broward or Dade sites  -- is basically about a  trans-sexual punk rock girl from East Berlin.  She  tours the US with her rock band as she tells her life story – first as Hansel,  a young boy in East Germany who falls in love with a GI. At the soldier’s urging, Hansel has a sex change operation, unfortunately  by an inept surgeon. She, now  as Hedwig , follows the ex-boyfriend to the U.S. but he dumps her.  Then she is smitten by another guy who became a rock star sensation, after stealing her songs.

And there are memorable songs, including Nailed , Sugar Daddy,  In Your Arms Tonight and  Wicked Little Town, all performed in grand style by the  golden-wigged transgendered individual, played to the hilt by South Florida music wonder Joe Harter.

And, that is the main reason this show clicks – H A R T E R. 

Harter  has a pleasant voice, but it is his socko delivery that has the audience cheering in this gender-bending rocker.    He plays this difficult role, with just the right movements. Close your eyes, and you are not sure if it is his  feminine character or some other guy mouthing the words. With your eyes open (and after you  have taken out the earplugs from one of the louder numbers), you will be cheering for Harter to do just one more number. He is that good!

Although Harter,  as Hedwig,   is a joy to watch,  he has some talented assists, as well. Blaze Powers as bass guitarist Yitzhak is especially notable – an attractive young lady  in real life time but for most of the show playing a mustached  bearded musician (until the final scene).   She is an added bonus, vocalizing   beautifully with Harter on several numbers.  Then there are the other musicians rocking in grand style -- Dominick Daniel  and Jhovany Castillo on percussion drums ; Roger Blankenship on keyboards, and Jonathan Bellino on guitar. Oh, yes, did we mention Harter also plays the piano in this show  and was also the music director for this production.

It isn’t only the ear plugs which will give you an indication of what you can expect  in this hour and a half of creative entertainment. The producer Erryn Dalton warns you upfront  in the playbill –and we quote –“running time is 90 minutes and there will be no intermission, so if you’ve gotta “go,” go now!”

Let there be no doubt, this is unusual  fun-entertainment .(with music).

Hedwig and the Angry Inch runs through June 4 at  8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. For ticket information, call 954-678-1496 or go to  www.infinite-abyss.com

PLAYWRIGHT MARTIN MCDONAGH  SHINES ALONG WITH FINE CAST,

ABLE DIRECTION AND TECH EXCELLELNCE AT PALM BEACH DRAMAWORKS

 By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News/ ENV Magazine

WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- Author  Martin McDonagh  -- despite his relative youth (he is 41),  considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights -- already has an abundance of fans in South Florida where it seems at least one of his dark comedy  productions pops up on the schedule of one of the area’s theatres almost annually.   There have  been outstanding productions of the Lieutenant of Inishmore, the Pillowman, A Behanding in Spokane  in recent memory –but produced primarily in Miami-Dade at GableStage.

Now, McDonagh’s  The Beauty Queen of Leenane – a melodrama which launched his career in  1996 – is given the royal treatment at Palm Beach Dramaworks here.  It has not lost any of its dim, damp and dungy feel  in this outstanding production, directed by William Hayes. In fact, this production proves to be one of the best two hours one can ever experience in a South Florida theatre.  It is a showcase for fine acting, astute direction, technical excellence and, above all,  a vehicle for fine writing. It once again proves why PB Dramaworks under Producing Artistic Director Haye’s leadership  excels in providing thoughtful drama  and superb performances  in a splendorous manner.

McDonagh was actually  born in London, to Irish parents. However, most –  but not all – of his plays have ben set in County Galway, where he spent his holidays as a child. The first of his trilogies – including this show – which received a  Tony Best Play nomination --   is set in Leenane, a small village on the west coast of Ireland,. The others in this trilogy include A Skull in Connemara (1997) and The Lonesome West (1997). His second trilogy consists of The Cripple of Inishmaan (1997), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (2001) and The Banshees of Inisheer (which  -- according to online sources --- was never published, as McDonagh insisted it "isn't any good.”  Since then, McDonagh has focused on his first passion, film, including , In Bruges (2008), for which he received  several awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.  But, it is The Beauty Queen of Leenane, written at the start of his career, that first swept McDonagh into the limelight of modern day drama. Ever since, it has been a career filled with praise, awards and the international spotlight. Talent obviously pays off!

The Beauty Queen of Leenane is basically the unsettling tale  of the dysfunctional  and volatile relationship between a  40 year old spinster Maureen (Kati Brazda ) facing  her last chance at love,  and her domineering, lying 70 year old  mother Mag Folan (once again, a triumph for multi-Carbonell winner  Barbara Bradshaw). They live together in a rural cottage which echoes  the claustrophobia  of their lives. The situation changes  when a  neighbor Ray  (Blake DeLong)   brings his older  brother Pato  (Kevin Kelly) onto the scene.  Pato – an eligible bachelor  --  is a  construction worker just back from a job in London.  When the mother does everything possible to be sure no romance occurs, it leads to unexpected tragedy.  Sounds like a simple enough plot, but – with McDonagh’s biting words –unexpected tenderness turns into manipulation and this toxic relationship ultimately leads to tragedy.

It is easy to praise the two female actors – Bradshaw and Brazda. Author McDonagh has written two juicy roles and  these two veterans play the nagging mom and combative  daughter  to perfection.   But, the script also gives the two young men in this production – Blake DeLong as the fidgety neighbor  and Kevin Kelly as his shy but love-seeking brother --  a chance to dominate the stage.  When DeLong withers around the stage muttering sighs and unintelligible sputterings or when Kelly reads the love letter he has written to Maureen, these poor souls capture everyone’s imagination.

The set by Michael Amico, with its simple furniture, rocking chair and  sooty walls is home to this mother-daughter but also a “prison” for the younger woman.  One can almost smell the decay of this country cottage.   Credit also goes to costumer Brian O’Keefe, Scott Wagmeister for lighting  and Matt Corey for his sound direction.  Technically – and we sometimes forget their importance to the overall show -  this production is also right on target.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane runs through June 19. It is the concluding play at the Company’s 322 Banyan Blvd. theatre. Palm Beach Dramaworks moves to a new, larger  location at the former  Cuillo Centre  at 201  Clematis Street  on November 11, 2011.  Get your tickets soon for the grand opening -- 11-11-11. The 12^th season of PB Dramaworks  actually begins with Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. In the meantime, don’t miss The Beauty Queen of Leenane.   Call   (561( 514-4042. or go to www.palmbeachdramaworks.org for tickets.

SECRETIVE COMPANIES DURING WAR, SYMBOLISM

TEST ONE’S INTELLECT AT FLORIDA STAGE’S “CHA…”

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News / ENV MAGAZINE

WEST PALM BEACH, FL --    Take a mixture of a theatre dedicated to inspiring people of different ages and ethnic backgrounds, stir in a prolific playwright who keeps winning prizes for dramatic excellence,  add five stellar performances and topnotch direction and finally capture a storyline seemingly snatched from the headlines and – what have you got?

One actually can coin a new word to  answer that question and describe this production:  “Wow-manship”  neatly fits the bill for Carter W. Lewis’ latest play – The Cha-Cha of a Camel Spider  -- currently weaving its spell at its Florida Stage premiere.

But, be forewarned, this play – steeped in reality --is also filled with symbolism – an intellectual stretch which will keep its audience guessing as to some hidden meaning.

For simplification, let’s refer to Lewis’ latest play as  CHA, but there is nothing simple about this production.  We’ve been keelhauled for nearly ten years with  Osama Bin Laden, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, secret warriors, private companies working for the CIA,  and other war destinations and names  and now,  Carter--  whose six plays at Florida Stage  has earned him the title of  one of the venue’s favorite authors – brings the headlines home expertly with this dark comedy located on and near a privatized training facility on U.S. soil.   It’s almost as if Carter is having a premonition about how things are going in the Afghan war and what he imagines as the “Company,” employed by the American government to help in its   wars overseas.

Topnotch director Lewis Tyrrell  once again utilizes  his skills to fine-tune this production. That includes utilizing  his unusually large set  at Kravis Center’s Rinker Playhouse to give credibility  and reality  to  a story.  In this case,  the sets are A-One for producing this contemporary  tale of a couple of soldiers of fortune  (Todd Allen Durkin and  Eric Mendenhall) , a vaguely magical  Afghani cab driver with a penchant for Led Zeppelin music (a prize-worthy performance by Antonio Amadeo )   and a young woman (Elizabeth Birkenmeier) who finds herself  in a scary, panic-driven situation., armed only with a college degree in poetry. Then, of course, there is her mother (Laura Turnbull) who seems the one voice of sanity in this crazy world where war is the major subject.

These five actors  skewer the stage in a highly emotional look  and potential view of a war situation which most of us only know from the front page headlines of the daily press or snippets from  television or Internet news viewing. Above all, there is the premise that a private Company ( Could it be Halliburton?) has the greatest influence and valid reasons to have the U.S. in Afghanistan and that it  even could kill one of its own to safeguard its secretive value.

Although this cast deserves much of the applause as the play winds down, it would be remiss not to laud the clarity and dark humor of author Lewis.  His keen awareness of contemporary events(including his anti-war anger) lends itself to the reality of this play. That he has uncanny skill with words is already known here , especially after last year’s successful run of The Storytelling Ability of a Boy, which also had its world premiere at Florida Stage. But CHA is a far more contemporary and realistic  play – a powerful exposure  of a private security firm and what it can do in a war and its effect on individuals. As in The Storytelling, author Lewis uses a stirring, lengthy monologue (delivered by Birkenmeier) to make his point. This may make some audience members squirm, but it makes his anti-war point right on target.

It is for the most part a symbolically –filled script asking us what is more powerful in achieving a more humane life   -- violence or peaceful measures.

Long after you leave the theatre will you be talking about Antonio Amadeo as the music-loving Afghani cab driver.  The Carbonell award-winning actor perfectly captures this character’s personality and  spirit, adding humor to a dramatic event. It is a milestone portrayal of an American Muslim who has been in the States for 22 years, but is still considered a stranger (or worse yet, a terrorist).

Ditto for two other award-winning actors – Laura Turnbull (one of Florida’s  most beloved performers ) as the widow of a slain Company man, and Todd Allen Durkin as one of the mercenaries. (“privileged thugs”).   Durkin – fresh off a noteworthy performance at Mosaic in The Irish Curse – once again shines in a role demanding a streak of violence and bravado. Relative newcomers Mendenhall and Birkenmeier (the protagonist who believes her poetry and love of life can make the world a better place) apparently benefited from being part of this star ensemble. Both give excellent performances.

CHA is a powerful production which does not preach  but certainly sends a message about morals and the  tug of war.   If you can  intellectually understand symbolism and the imagery of how war is waged by mercenaries who somehow or other are in greater command  and numbers than our troops, CHA will measure up to its  advance hype.

Credit Victor A. Becker for outstanding scenic design, Erin Amico for the costumes, sound by Matt Kelly and especially Suzanne M. Jones for effective lighting.  All of this technical support helps bring the military facility  to life at the West Palm Beach theatrical venue.

Please note these curtain times:   CHA runs through June 5. Performances run Wednesday through Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 1:30 p.m.

Call    (561) 832-SHOW (7469). For individual tickets.   For group tickets, call (561) 515-6400.

EVERYTHING ABOUT CALDWELL’S GOD OF CARNAGE

IS A-ONE, FROM DIRECTION TO CAST --  AND WHAT A SET!!!

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

BOCA RATON, FL --  When writing a review of any superior production, it’s often  tough to decide “who” or “which”  to honor first – stunning direction, a set anyone would want to call home,  fantastic cast or one helluva well-scripted  play about an interesting subject!  When all elements click, it’s a toss-up  to decide the initial words of critique.

But, let’s try!  How about A-one!

Who hasn’t  heard the expression “boys will be boys.”  It’s the kind of idiom  that allows parents to dismiss the action of the kid they love and can do no wrong in their minds. But, can adults be adults? Can grownups really act like the word implies?

Not much, if the face of civility is ripped asunder  and drinking, fighting and accusations fly a mile a minute as they  do in Yasmina Reza’ s dynamite play, God of Carnage currently wowing crowds  at the Caldwell Theatre in Boca.

That’s just a hint of the savagery that erupts during  the award winning play which should be on everyone’s ”must  see list.” Rarely, does one get a look at today’s familial- society under a microscope and view the shattering façade of friendship torn to bits seriously (and yet get a record number of chuckles).

This  play is about two sets  of parents, one of whose child has hurt the other at a public park. They meet at one of their homes to discuss the matter in a civilized manner. However, as the evening goes on, the parents become increasingly childish, resulting in the evening evolving into chaos. There is infighting which might remind constant theatre goers of Virginia Woolf.

 In 2009, God of Carnage was given the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy (can you believe such a subject can be called comedy?  But,  it is! )  God of Carnage won Best Play as well as Best Direction and Best Actress In A Play (Marcia Gay Harden) at the 2009 Tony Awards.

Thanks to the savvy management of guest director Kenneth Kay, this production of Broadway’s super   hit, the audience gets involved  in this middle-class rumble  early on,  and the building excitement never dwindles. It is the kind of  play that leaves one breathless as the final words are spoken.

God of Carnage (originally Le Dieu du Carnage) is a play  first  performed in French in  Zürich  in  2006  It was translated  by Christopher Hampton into English for its British production  in London in 2008  and then moved to Broadway, where the reviews – even from the toughest critics – agreed that this play is praiseworthy.

In fact, everything about this play is laudable, beginning with the author’s words, as well  as  Kay’s direction and his technical crew But, most of all, one must lavish praise on the award worthy cast. It may sound easy  to put together a good cast when a play is written so beautifully(by the honored writer of Art).   But, forget that misguided theory!

 Alan (Nick Santa Maria ), a telephone-obsessed  corporate lawyer, and Annette ( a vibrant Kim Ostrenko), a financial exec,  and  Michael (Michael Serratore, sounding like a Sopranos graduate), a wholesaler, and Veronica (Kim Cozort ), a liberal writer,  early on discuss how best to deal with a common problem – but fireworks are being kindled.    Santa Maria and  Ostrenko  –  as  one set of of parents – will absolutely sting  you with their reality. And just as dynamic are Serratore and Cozort  as the Novacks, trying  to protect their son,  who lost two teeth in the park skirmish.

All in all, never underestimate the skill of normally friendly, placid actors; give them a script of badly acting people, and turn them loose on stage.  It is akin to watching Mount Vesuvius  erupt!  Rarely do four actors click as they do here.  We are not sure if it is their individual talent or the magic of the direction.  Whatever  the guiding force – individual talent or astute direction.  the audience is the beneficiary – an evening of fine theatre as these actors literally chew up the scenery.

Let’s not forget another aspect of this production.  The living room set in this upper  middle-class Brooklyn neighborhood is  pure beauty – the type of home one would expect for an affluent family.  That set is the work of two-time Carbonell recipient Tim Bennett.

One more note of credit should go to Caldwell’s Artistic  Director Clive Cholerton.  The South Florida presentation  of outstanding plays  shortly after a Broadway run usually  occurs when an artistic director  has the  respect of the decision makers who control the rights for production. It is obvious that Cholerton’s relatively short but praiseworthy years at Caldwell have given him the clout to get the rights for some of Broadway’s most wanted scripts.  That’s a big plus for South Florida theatre fans.

When a play is such a hit, can a movie be far behind? Not if the Sony press releases are verifiable. Writer/directing genius  Roman Polanski  had been working with author Yasmina Reza for many months   on a movie version called  simply Carnage which  is in the final phase of production. It will be released late in 2011.  Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly will play the parents in the film version.

But, there is nothing like seeing it live on-stage, as in this Caldwell production.  Don’t miss it!

 God of Carnage  runs through  May 15.   Call 561) 241-7432 for tickets.

THE SPARROW AT ARSHT’S “STUDIO” IS SOMEWHAT   

OF A HAPPENING WITH MUSIC,  CHOREOGRAPHY

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

MIAMI --  One can only describe the happening at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts’ tiny side-theatre – the Studio – as an adolescent spurt of magic. It is  designed for adults who understand there is something special about producing classic but predictable events  with overtones of comic book elements,  combined with music and dance.

If that sounds mystifying as a description of The Sparrow, it is meant to be.

 The  South Florida staging of this event designed by the House Theatre of Chicago in 2007 – being given its outside-the-Windy-City premiere here – is just that – likeable, creative,  undefined stage substance. Finding the right genre definition for a production so different   is difficult.  It is basically the comic story of a troubled young girl who has supernatural powers. It  takes place in a rural Midwestern town.  Like its predecessors – the Wizard of Oz and Wicked with a tip of the hat to Carrie and the Vampire movies --The Sparrow is a mix of comedy, fine acting, music, precision choreography.  as well as the enduringly heart-rendering, dream-like  but funny  story of a lonely teenager.

Yes, the plot Is predictable and  the staging  sort of bare-boned  but amazingly  inventive In what it accomplishes. Nevertheless, The Sparrow makes for a delightful evening of entertainment   thanks to its creators Jake Minton, Chris  Matthews and Nathan Allen (who also waves a magic baton in his directing)  plus  an enticing cast, and  Thomas Rappling’s world-class choreography  (some ballet and some utilizing, of all things -- basketballs).

 Set in a small farm town, the story is centered around a tragic bus accident that claimed the lives of the entire second grade class – all except Emily Book. Now, ten years later, the lone survivor  Emily  (Carolyn Defrin)  returns and the community is faced with healing together while her  renewed presence is a constant reminder of their loss. Now, add to that, Emily has a special secret - she has super powers, which she unveils by helping her single pal Jenny (Paige Hoffman). Thus, this story becomes a combo sci-fi thriller and teen drama, (with unexpected but original music by Kevin O’Donnell) and dance, performed ably by the entire cast).

Because of its innovation, this production reminds the audience of the challenges and triumphs of life as a teenager – whether in Illinois or South Florida.

Much of The charm of this production goes to the energetic, young cast, most of them House company members in Chicago, particularly Carolyn Defrin and Sandra Dee lookalike  Paige Hoffman, but –as so happens in a terrific  ensemble, some do stand out. In this case, Shawn Pfautsch as the school teacher everyone adores, Marika Mashburn as a grieving mother, and  Michael E. Smith, (who is a mirror image of a young Beau Bridges)  are standouts.  Equally responsible for the ensemble’s success  are Joey Steakly, Clay Goodpasture, Brandon Ruitere,  Abu Ansari, Abigail Boucher,  Caitlin Chukta, Trista Smith,  and Eli Matelan.

Six other youngsters accomplished the technical magic which – in this show – are reasons for its creativity:  Collette Pollard for scenic properties; Ana Kuzmanic, for costumes, Ben Wilhelm for lighting, Michael Griggs for sound, Brian Desgranges, for the stage management,  and Lucas Merino, whose video design absolutely floors the audience with its ingenuity.

The Arsht – with the sponsorship of the Miami Herald, reportedly bankrolled this Florida production and the word should spread widely that The Sparrow is unique, inspired and enjoyable.

The Sparrow is s somewhat miraculous success story in its own right.   Following more than a dozen world premiere productions, The House Theatre experienced breakout success in early 2007 with this show.  After garnering unanimous critical acclaim in its premiere production at The House, The Sparrow went on to the prestigious Steppenwolf Garage Theatre, and finally to a Broadway in Chicago-produced run at the Apollo Theater, long considered  one of the spiritual homes for breakout Chicago plays. Now, for the first time ever, The Sparrow flies south, ready to set a magic tone over the rest of the country.

The Carnival Studio Theater ( the Ziff Ballet Opera House) is   at the  Adrienne Arsht Center / 1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33132 ‘ Tickets: $35 - $50 / For reservations, visit www.arshtcenter.org or call the box office at (305) 949-6722. (Oh, yes, check the schedule. Many of the evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m,)

MCKNIGHT, WEINER PROVIDE THOUGHT-PROVOKING

THEATRE WITH  “DUSK RINGS A BELL”  AT MOSAIC

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

PLANTATION, FL –  Who hasn’t said to him or herself that “I would have done things differently….if I had only known” or “am I willing to take a chance on a relationship ?”    Playwright  Stephen Belber's  Dusk Rings a Bell --- currently pushing the envelope at Broward’s dramatic showcase, the Mosaic Theatre --  tries to answer these propositions  with a vibrant, thought provoking script involving two all-too- realistic characters.

Two-character plays (called two-handers) usually take some time for audience involvement. Sometimes, it takes what seems like an eternity. But this production – from the beginning --  catches one’s  imagination and curiosity, thanks to the able direction of Richard Jay Simon and the acting prowess of its stars.

Its premise is simple enough. Two individuals – 39 to 41 years old -- – a sophisticated, intellectually liberal Molly (Jenny McKnight) and Ray(the inimitable Gregg Weiner) unexpectedly meet  after 25 years.  Their connection actually occurred  a quarter of a century earlier when they had  a one-afternoon adolescent fling at sundown at a life guard station at the beach.

Now, Molly  (a divorcee) has  a successful media career at CNN in Washington,  while Ray (also without a mate)   owns a small  gardening and landscaping company and whose people-interaction seems to be limited to his bowling pals.   Can there still be feelings? Can they reconnect, despite their differences?  How much of a risk are they willing to take? Both begin to romanticize that this reunion, has possibilities, but this potential  re-connection is disrupted when Ray reveals the that he has been in prison  for ten years, serving time as an accomplice in a gay-bashing murder.  This type of crime is alien to Molly. She has trouble comprehending  it in her intellect and sensitivity.

Their chance  encounter reveals two lonely souls attempting to rekindle their lives. Sure, they were young individuals years ago  and had  great expectations and possibilities (Ray wanted to be a surgeon). But, can they make a risky connection now with such baggage in  their lives?

Playing Molly, Jenny McKnight  has come home to Florida to appear  at Mosaic. The Sunshine State native  has chalked up  a notable  stage biography since she skyrocketed her name above the title in most of Chicago's elite  theatres, including gigs in the renowned Goodman and  Steppenwolf companies.  She has built a substantial  and respected resume’ in Chi-town  and will pick up new fans  here for this intense, strongly  played role.

This  performance by McKnight  -- her debut in South  Florida --  --  is not the only reason  for this play’s notoriety.  It is also  the first production of Dusk Rings a Bell outside of New York.

Weiner, of course, is  a relatively young actor who has – in just a few years –become one of the most wanted  and one of the most honored  performers in South Florida. He is a multiple Carbonell award winner who only a week ago took the 2010  top acting trophy for his role in Fifty Words at GableStage. A year ago, he won the best supporting award for Farragut North, another distinguished  performance.  Friend s now tease Weiner that his mantle is overloaded with Carbonells (4 so far).  What is so amazing about this performance is that  Weiner took over  the role less than two weeks ago, when another actor became ill.

Weiner is a familiar South Floridian. A graduate of the New World School of the Arts, he is returning  to  Mosaic  after a successful run of August: Osage County at Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables. This season he has been one of the area’s busiest actor:   Clybourne Park (Caldwell), Cane (Florida Stage) and Fifty Words ( Gablestage). Last time Gregg appeared at Mosaic was in last season's Groundswell.  In addition to the Carbonells, he received the coveted Silver Palm for acting two years ago.

As for the playwright,  Stephen Belber has an uncanny perception of the human psyche. He writes  with honesty and humor. Yes, one can even find humor in loneliness!  Nevertheless,   though the play is still “young” by theatre standards, I could not help but thinking that this  script –on condition  that some cinema genius uses  a lot of flashbacks  -- would make a great screenplay).

 The technicians really shine in this Mosaic production.  Scenic designer  Douglas Grinn has taken what appears to be a simple  beach club cottage set and transforms it into several locations. Also weaving some of the magic at Mosaic is sound guru Matt Corey (another multiple Carbonell winner), lighting genius Dan Gelbmann and low-key costume designer K. Blair Brown.

Dusk Rings a Bell runs through - May 1, Thursdays through Saturdays @ 8:00 with a Saturday matinee at 3:00 and a Sunday matinee at 2:00. Call for tickets:   (954) 57-STAGE  ( 577-8243).

ANGELICA TORN:  A GOOD REASON

TO SEE THE RADIANT AT NEW THEATRE

By Ron Levitt

    Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

CORAL GABLES, FL  --  The age-old argument about whether a play needs a star name above the title or  it can stand on its own, isn’t easy  to answer – but you’ll get a chance to make your own diagnosis at New Theatre in Coral Gables with  its latest production, The Radiant by Shirley Lauro.

The Radiant, you see, has a name over the imaginary New Theatre marquee – Angelica Torn.  Not only is she an emotionally charged actress capable as they come, but she has pedigree and theatrical  breeding. She is the accomplished actress daughter of the late Geraldine Page and actor RipTorn – and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Her performance makes this show so watchable.

Angelica Torn  -- in her third South Florida gig --  illuminates a fictional account  of renowned scientist Marie Curie --  in the period after her husband and collaborator Pierre’s accidental death. They had  discovered radium and won a Nobel Prize.  It’s a time in which the author takes us from a widow’s grief to a scandalous affair with a younger man (in reality, only five years difference) -- physicist Paul Langevin ((Richard John Seikaly ), a former student of Pierre Curie, and finally to a sanitarium prior to Marie’s  own demise (actually,  years later).

If that sounds like a lot of  fiction, it well may be. Plenty  of it is!  Playwright Lauro  uses this genius of a  real and noted human being as the main character in  what could be a  made-for-TV soap opera.  Those who honor Madame Curie for her scientific  genius may well question just how much of this play is reality. Certainly, the part played by a supposed niece is fictional (even the actors admit that).  If you are old enough and a movie buff, you may well think of the Greer Garson-Walter Pidgeon ‘s 1943 flick as the real Curies (although I am certain  most history buffs would hardly agree to that premise either!)

Nevertheless, actress   Torn – under the direction of the always capable and discerning Ricky J. Martinez does an admirable job of turning fictional-reality  into theatrical drama.  And, what more can you expect from a theatre?

The Polish-born Madame Curie, in Lauro’s script,  needs money to care for two daughter’s after Pierre’s death and turns to a lecherous Parisian paymaster (Stephen S. Neal,  admirably playing four roles). She misses Pierre – with whom she shared the Nobel  for physics --  but becomes smitten  with her late husband’s former student,  the younger man Paul.   She has an affair with him,despite the fact that  he is married, with three kids,  age difference (in reality she’s , 39’ he’s 34)) and the knowledge this romance can only lead to professional disaster and scandal.  

Meanwhile, Madame Curie’s fictional niece  (Hana Kalinski) –  an imported nanny from Poland – gives up her own romantic intentions for her love back home, in order to care for the Curie children and help Marie – an obvious  attempt by the author to show how outside influences  affect the scandalous scientist.

If New Theatre had a marquee over its doors, it probably would splash the name of T-O-R-N in capital letters  for all to see. Her acting prowess alone would sell tickets to this tiny but important venue in Coral Gables. She is the reason to see The Radiant, her first appearance here since her one-man show Edge, and a memorable appearance in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, at the now dormant Coconut Grove Playhouse.

Now, let’s discuss technical aspects. The set is disturbing in  Its bareness. A few pieces of furniture  in front of walls covered in drapery supposedly representing a scientific discovery  just didn’t help some of the reality one should expect. I yearned to see a  well- equipped Sorbonne laboratory (not just a flask and imitation Bunsen Burner)  as Madame Curie experimented  on how radiation could be used in cancer  treatment (yielding her a second Nobel, despite the scandal of the tryst with a married  (actually, estranged) man.   However, what designer Rob Eastman-Mullins   accomplished  is  functional  for the many  scenes in this two-act world premiere play and the actors said they liked the intimate nature of the staging. Still, it has to be budget concerns for such a minimal set. (so send a contribution to the New Theatre for its next production). K. Blair Brown’s costuming ala 1906 France was  right on target as were the lighting by Martinez and sound by Ozzie Quintana.

But, in all candor, it is Torn’s show to win or lose!

In the meantime, follow the lead of most of the people seeing this show. Head to your computer – and google Maria Sklodowska  Curie. Then, compare this play with the real thing! It is fascinating and well worth the time!

New Theatre  (at 4120 Laguna Street) will present The Radiant  through April 17. Call (305) 443-5909 for tickets.

YOU’LL GO CRAZY OVER THE  MUSICAL

 PLAYING  AT MALTZ JUPITER THEATRE

By Ron Levitt

     Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

JUPITER, FL --   There are a number of reasons South Floridians will love the current production at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre --  Crazy for You.   First and foremost, it is the Broadway musical which is most like the shows many in the audience can remember from their youth –  a typical blend of  dynamic hoofing , showmanship – and, of course,  memorable Gershwin standards vocalized   with meticulous precision ( and  dancing par excellence)   – just the way you can imagine this great composer meant them to be  performed.

And, one more reason to love this show.  A dear, talented individual known to many in Florida – the late Bruce Adler – was one of the stars of the original 1999 cast and we can still recall him  when listening to the cast album.

Yes, there are many reasons to adore this show – including some for those seeing the musical for the  first time– a terrific production at Maltz.   Above all,  It is enjoyable!  You’ll be humming some of the songs as you return to your cars after the grand finale.

And, if  that isn’t enough praise, meet the two stars of this show – Matt Loehr  and Vanessa  Sonon  --  and think Astaire and Rodgers.  They are so entertaining, one can dismiss the obvious silliness of the plot reminiscent  of one of those black and white 1930 show-biz movies with Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler. It has  a theatrical  theme, boy-gets girl/boy loses girl/boy gets girl  back. Will a show go on or not? – plus  a hilarious duet between two men – one a theatrical impresario Zangler (Michael  Brian Dunn)   and the other posing as him (Loehr). It’s definitely 1930ish  (How is that for dating one’s self? )

Loehr is a standout, whether tapping on table top or owning the stage as he dances   a routine, comparable to the days of Astaire, Gene Kelly – even, at moments, like Ray Bolger. If someone with Broadway connections doesn’t sign him to a long term contract, it would be a cultural loss.  He steals the show!

Crazy for You  is the wacky story of a goofy-but-lovable , second generation banker (Loehr)  who dreams of being a dancer—not working in a bank, who goes to a tiny, desert town in Nevada to shutter a decaying theatre  owned by oldtimer (David Titus) and his daughter Polly (Sonon). It plays out musically. Will Bobby win over the lovely Polly?  Will Bobby’s ex-fiance’, socialite-in-waiting  Irene (a luscious Trisha Rapier) finally find  real romance  with an angry  saloon owner ( Michael  Halling)? Will chorus lovely Tess (Aaron Bower) eventually give in to  the love-torn producer Zangler (Dunn)?   Will this forsaken town eventually end up in the Fodor travel directory?

Crazy for You is based on a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. It is billed as "The New Gershwin Musical Comedy" and , it is largely based on the songwriting team’s 1930 musical, Girl Crazy.  But, Gershwin fans won’t have to  fret. This score includes songs from several other productions as well. No wonder, with all that glorious music,  Crazy for You won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical, and other awards, as well. It ran for 1,622 performances. Television was bound to find this show irresistible and in October, 1999, the PBS series Great Performances broadcast a production directed by Matthew Diamond. That show  was nominated for an Emmy Award.  A London production in 1993 ran for three years, gathering a number of British awards.   Now, there are rumors the show may go back to Broadway. So, Floridians,  you’re seeing it before it returns to NYC.

What makes the indelible  charm of Crazy for You, of course, is the music: (just to name a few):  Bidin' My Time,Things Are Looking Up,  Shall We Dance?, Someone to Watch Over Me.  Embraceable You, I Got Rhythm , They Can't Take That Away From Me, and  Nice Work If You Can Get It .

Director  Mark Martino (whose baton made La Cage aux Folles at the Maltz such a winner last season) has put together a terrific  cast (starting with his two leads) and a topnotch technical team.

So, also  give credit to music director Helen Gregory,  a choreographic marvel Shea Sullivan,  dazzling  costumes by Jose M, Rivera,  lighting by Donald Edmund Thomas, and sound by Keith Kohrs.  A special nod of approval to Dan Kuchar, for his cartoonish sets plus an amazing backdrop of Manhattan and dance captain Dennis O’Bannon, also part of the ensemble as  cowpoke Mingo.  The entire team delivered a knockout punch of pleasurable theatre.

And, let’s not forget the rest of the 17 on stage team, including  Stephanie Card,  Carl  Draper, Jay Johnson, Elise Kinnon, Jeff Kuhr,  Charles Maceachern, Anna McNeely, Sierra Minott,  and Lauren  Zapko.

A final note:  Congratulations to artistic director  Andrew Kato. Who else but this gifted man would put together such an array of talent, obviously taking on a huge budget show for this popular venue?  He must have a crystal ball, telling him theatre-goers all over South Florida will flock to see such a classy, pleasant  production.

Crazy for You runs  through April 17 at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 E. Indiantown Road in Jupiter. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday,(check that time inasmuch as some theatre-goers got there one half hour late  opening weekend); 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.  Call  (561) 575-2223 for tickets.

A LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA

FAMILIAR STORY BREAKS TRADITION

AT BROWARD STAGE DOOR THEATRE

By Ron Levitt

     Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

CORAL SPRINGS, FL -- A Light In the Piazza is one of those rare theatrical shows in which individuals in the audience either expresses deep love for it or equally loathes it as a corrupt form of theatre. After all, it breaks every tradition n of what we have come to expect of “Broadway musicals”-- some actors singing in Italian, some even offering ecclesiastic Latin, characters vocalizing a la opera their viewpoints, and songs – some bilingual -- hardly considered melodious.

In addition to the realistic linguistic surprises, the score breaks from the more recent tradition of pop music on Broadway by moving into the territory of daring, original Neoromantic classical music and opera, with unexpected harmonic shifts.  One must pay attention closely as many of the lyrics also are in broken English but are important to your understanding the storyline.

Yet, this significant musical currently at the Broward Stage Door on Sample Road is breathtaking in several regards, echoing its success as a 1962 motion picture, a 2005 Tony award winning hit on Broadway, a one-of-a-kind television event on Public Broadcasting two years ago, a successful road show(It even opened Miami’s Arsht Center), and now a production worthy of any regional theatre courageous enough to offer this unique event. This production, directed by Michael Leeds, after all, braves the difficulties of providing scenic Florence and Rome (bravo designer Ardeau Landhuis), utilizing a capable ensemble of operatic-class actors, and telling the now familiar story with memorable ease.

Credit must go to Broward Stage Door’s producers/founders Derelle Bunn and David R. Torres for scheduling, and producing this well-known show. It is not for everyone. After all, even the most jaded critic will have to agree this is a show for a sophisticated audience. Yet, it offers a new genre of the American musical to the audience, which normally gets harmless productions at this venue, a safe place to bus in condo audiences and other Broward residents. Certainly, everyone will agree that adding such a production to this venue is gutsy.

But, in this critic’s view, such intrepid scheduling pays off with a little over two hours of enjoyment.

No, this is not the Olivia deHavilland/ Rossano Brazzi /Yvette Mimeux/ George Hamilton movie. Nor is it the Broadway smash with Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara, Sarah Uriarte Berry, and Matthew Morrison (yeah, the teacher in TV’s Glee). But, it needs not apologize. Director Leeds has put together a terrific cast:   headed by Gabrielle Visser, Lara Hayhurst, Dylan Thompson, and Tony Ramos. They, along with a credible ensemble, do a convincing job in bringing A Light in the Piazza to life.

The Light in the Piazza is a book by Craig Lucas and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel. It is based on a novella by Elizabeth Spencer, taking place in the summer of 1953. A young American tourist, an innocent Clara Johnson ( Hayhurst ) meets and falls for young Italian Fabrizio Naccarelli. (Thompson). When Clara's mother Margaret (a powerfully superb Visser ) learns of the affair, she opposes it for reasons that only gradually become clear to the audience.

It seems 26-year-old Clara -- as a chid -- had been kicked by a pony and has become mentally and emotionally behind in her behavior( or so her parent think!). Meanwhile, Fabrizio’s family have their own viewpoint of this potential marriage. You will meet the Naccarelli father (Bruce Rebold) ), his wife (Jennifer Bennett), another son (Tony Ramos), daughter-in-law (a lovely. perky  Natalie Ramirez) and Clara’s father (Glen Lawrence).

Andrew Meyers adds to the realism with his lighting expertise and Will Holiday , with his sound technique.

Except for one song – Let’s Walk – most of the melodies – though poetic -- will not be with you when you leave the theatre, but you won’t forget this story, the scenery or the cast, This production is memorable!

A Light in the Piazza runs through April 10. Call 954 344-7765 for tickets.

ALLIANCE THEATRE LAB,  PLAYWRIGHT SIROIS

PROVE TO BE A WORTHY THEATRICAL COMBINATION

 By Ron Levitt

       Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

MIAMI LAKES, FL – The Alliance Theatre Lab—a talented troupe which finally became eligible this year to be treated as a Carbonell-award-worthy theatre – proves two points with its current production --Brothers Beckett by local playwright David Michael Sirois.

1.  Alliance may be a small venue but it is now a significant player in the South Florida theatre scene, thanks to founder/director Adalberto Acevedo.

2.  Sirois is an able representative of the growing number of brilliant, contemporary  young playwrights in our midst.  His  writing skill is a rare talent.  His voice is irreverent, funny and –most of all -- totally in synch with today’s generation.

 Alliance only weeks ago  became the newest venue to be worthy of consideration by the Carbonells  (South Florida’s version of the Tonys) , despite its being around for five years.   The Carbonell panel recently gave its nod of approval for Alliance to compete for the trophies which honor theatre in the tri-county area. But, it is also a  pleasant surprise to all the critics and star-struck achievers locally to see such a fine production premiere the 2011 Alliance season.

It is rare indeed to find a humorous play which so perfectly speaks to and understands this current generation, while at the same time, so eloquently is understood by those 40-plus. Credit Sirois  -- Alliance’s resident playwright and ensemble member  --  with such an  intense yet funny presentation and an ability to present a work that resonates with  all age groups.

The storyline seems relatively simple but is filled with laugh inducements galore (some raunchy).    Twenty-six year old Kevin Beckett (David Dearstyne)  -- a wannabe playwright with an Ivy League masters degree  --  awaits the arrival of his girlfriend from Miami. She is a recent finance grad named  Tuesday (Shira Abergel), who intends to spend a week with him and his brother/roommate 32 year old   Brad  ( David Sirois),  a  jobless Yale alumni with a philosophy degree and a way with women.   Both  siblings are intelligent college grads, looking for a future with jobs and romance  but seem stuck in their tiny, grungy,  bunk-bed Hoboken   apartment.    However, when Kevin divulges to his brother that he plans to propose  to this girl, Brad does everything possible to keep his brother from moving out.  That’s when the fun and the drama begins, along with some “secrets” from the shy Miami lass !

Along with Sirois,  Dearstyne and Abergel, other Alliance actors in this world premiere production --  most just as few years out of college – include a hilarious Mark Della Ventura  as a “best buddy neighbor” Doug  and Kaitlyn O'Neill  as Joyce, a TV weather girl with a Doctorate in Meteorology  who hangs out with the boys.

What they all share in common  as actors is their unaffected portrayals of people whom  we may  know or have known at that age.

Dearstyne and Abergel in one boy gets girl/boy loses girl scene packs a particularly dynamic  wallop. Dearstyne’s character – played to the hilt – becomes so intense, one can feel the wrath flowing over the audience.

Much of the credit for this enjoyable production obviously goes to Acevedo’s direction.   One has to be impressed with the author’s  “reality”  of these characters,  but  the smooth movement of this play  also gets a praising cheer for Acevedo. Absolute reality rings true. Acevedo has fine-tuned each and every onstage movement.    Also, all  five actors seem absolutely authentic  (actually Della Ventura  is Sirois’ real-life best pal and a rather funny playwright himself ).  How close to reality can you come?

If you are a theatre aficiando, you will become an immediate fan of playwright/actor  Sirois. He has written a terrific play and it will only make you determined to be around for his next piece of work or acting gig.

Credit Will Cabrera for the lighting expertise and Howard Ferre for the sound design.

Two thoughts kept going through my mind as this 90 minute production played out.  1.Wouldn’t this play be a hoot before an audience of  my fellow University of Miami alumni?  (the UM takes a shellacking as a party school in Sirois’ script),  and 2. Wouldn’t this be a wonderful screen play, a movie marketed to the collegiate community everywhere?  Just thoughts – but maybe someone will jump on these ideas.

Brothers Beckett runs through April 3 at the Alliance Theatre Lab, Main Street Playhouse, 6766 Main Street., Miami Lakes. Call 305 259-0418 for tickets.

DIRECTOR JOE ADLER,  ACTORS HOFFMAN, CHARLES  &  SOLID CAST

DELIVER ONE-TWO PUNCH AS TRACY LETTS’ SUPERIOR DONUTS

 BECOMES A BIG HIT AT GABLESTAGE IN CORAL GABLES 

      By Ron Levitt

      Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

CORAL GABLES,  FL  -- It may seem I am becoming a Tracy Letts’ groupie, but he is fast becoming one of my favorite playwrights. It was only a few years ago that GableStage introduced  the author  via outstanding productions of  Bug and Killer Joe and more recently, Actors’ Playhouse for his (currently running ) Pulitzer prize play August: Osage County. And,  now – like adding whipped cream to desserts, Joe Adler, the brilliant head honcho at GableStage, has produced an hilarious, touching and sometimes tender play entitled Superior Donuts, by that same author. Superior Donuts  is a single tribute to the power of friendship and – if you have any sensitivity at all – you will shed a tear or two in its final moments.

While the highly promoted Osage County was primarily  three and a half hours of pure drama, Superior Donuts is a witty  two hours, spent with some of the most interesting individuals this side of a proscenium arch, ably acted by a handful of South Florida’s most talented veteran actors led by Avi  Hoffman  and one amazingly funny, relative newcomer, Marckenson Charles.

The non-stop banter exposing each of the characters in Superior Donuts is part of the reason for this play’s charm, but – under Adler’s astute direction, Letts’  words take on special meaning. And, actors such as stage  legend Hoffman,  along with   an hilarious Chaz Mena,  Patti Gardner, Sally Bondi,  Gordon McConnell  John Archie, Paul Homza,  Alex Alvarez and tyro  Charles  deliver a one-two  punch to make this production a virtual knockout.

  You cannot help but enjoy this show. It reeks with humor and one of the most memorable fight scenes (choreographed by Homza between Hoffman and McConnell  ) one would ever get to see on a Florida stage.  What fun!! The lady in the row behind me said it was the first time she ever remembers crying while watching a fight on stage and, this time, it was for more than the fancy fisticuffs.

Superior Donuts involves a 60-year-old yet-to-grow up hippie (Hoffman) who in the 1960s had fled to Canada to avoid serving in Viet Nam.  It is now  some 40 years later, after President Carter’s amnesty went into effect, that  he returned  to Chicago  to take over his father’s donut shop.   Hoffman – usually the comedian on stage – plays Arthur Prysbyszewski ,  quite straight to the jugular, as a emotionally-quick-sanded guy  who seems to have lost all vestige of  human connections – even the affectionate ways of the neighborhood’s  tough-talking lady cop (a lovely Patti Gardner).  The only connection Arthur P, seems to have is with a homeless woman (Sally Bondi)  to  whom he gives free donuts and his retail neighbor, a crazy Russian  video store owner (Chaz Mena)  who  forces his friendship on the torn-jean wearing / tye died donutman.

That all changes, when a streetwise kid -- Franco (Marckenson Charles)   convinces Arthur  into hiring him, so that --  among other thing – he can continue writing the Great American novel.  The charm of the story ensues as Arthur begins to connect with this young tough guy. But, Franco’s unsavory past re-emerges when Luther, a loan shark (Gordon McConnell) and his sidekick (Paul Homza) enter the picture, to demand  from the younger man  a  $16,000 “bookie” repayment.

Letts’  words , the fine acting, Adler’s direction, all seem to come together to make entertaining theatre. Yes, Letts leaves the audience with a message – but it is a subtle one on the importance of taking care of one another.  Even a hard-boiled individual gets Letts’ message.While Letts” other plays usually end with sadness, this one ignites high hopes!

Letts’  characters come to full fruition in this production.  While Charles gets some of the funniest words in this script, Mena is a scene stealer as the hilarious Russian shopkeeper, intent in buying out his neighbor and friend’s retail space.   Yet, for all the fun, it is Hoffman’s realistic portrayal which gets under your skin,  He is the man who seems shut down from society, an individual  who just cannot accept friendship, love and caring. This low-key performance is one of the reasons Hoffman is idolized by so many of the younger actors In South Florida, and it is one of his best portrayals ever.

A final note:  Alex Alvarez is only on stage in the final moments (as a recent Russian immigrant) but I cannot imagine any one else playing the blonde, husky, bouncer-type role.   Where in the world did Director/Producer Adler ever find him?  Sign him up now for a lifetime contract as the muscle-man-in-waiting.  What perfect casting!!]

Superior Donuts will be at GableStage through April 10,  For ticket information, call 305 445 1119 or go to www.gablestage.org,

“If you only see one show in 2011, this has to be the one!”

ACTORS’ PLAYHOUSE DOES IT UP BIG TIME

WITH ITS MEMORABLE AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

By Ron Levitt

 Florida Media News / ENV Magazine

CORAL GABLES, FL --  A critical theatre-goer may get play-shy when he or she learns August: Osage Couny has three acts, two intermissions,  runs three and a half hours, and has 13 characters to follow,  but – let there be no doubt – this production detailing the outrage of a dysfunctional family is truly a  theatrical masterpiece.   Its theatrical majesty  becomes clear early in the play. In fact, when you first look at the stage set – you will understand one of the reasons why author Tracy Letts ‘s play won the Pulitzer Prize three years ago.  It becomes apparent  early on why this play so endeared theatre afficianados on Broadway and why watching a contemporary family in crisis after crisis is worth spending 210 minutes.

The regional Carbonell awards for 2011 are a year away, but it will be impossible for judges not to recall some  element of this production as prize worthy.   (In total openness,, I have been  a  Carbonell judge for many years  and I have never given a hint publicly – especially so early in the awards season --  on a show or performances  which so entertained and was praiseworthy).  However, If you only see one show in 2011, this has to be the one!

David Arisco, who has become a celebrity in his own right by acting in and  directing so many unforgettable musicals, did a yeoman’s job in turning August: Osage County into one of the Actors’ Playhouse’s finest straight play productions ever! It moves along at a quick pace. It is filled with compassion as you watch each individual character struggling with his or her  own demons.

Mercifully, you will say, it is pleasure – after seeing this show –that  you can go back home  to your own family.

Among the many items to praise in this play is Letts allowing little time to close one’s eyes, even for a moment.  One gets so involved with the characters and their outlandish problems,  there is not a moment to  think about anything else but the Weston family, ensconced in a gigantic, towering  tri-level set by Sean MCCllelland , and the sadistic, overbearing adults who live or stop by there. 

One more note for the technicalities of theatre. Actors’ Playhouse executive team headed by Barbara Stein deserves the applause of the South Florida cultural community.   First of all, it takes a large theatre to visually design this play  (a three-story set, for example). Then, consider the financial commitment and  the number of sponsors and sold tickets it takes to pay the royalties, salaries and myriad of expenses it takes to produce such a unique work as August: Osage County, No wonder – outside of is Broadway run – few people will get to see this magnus opus. Thankfully, South Florida audiences are among the few in the U.S. with access to these characters (the rest of the nation will probably have to wait until Meryl Streep does the movie version – yet to be filmed but aired as rumors in all the flick magazines and columns).

For sake of brevity, let’s  say this play is primarily about the Weston family and their relatives  – an unforgettable group who provides laughter and grimaces to the audience  as they lash out at one another and  try keep deep-down family secrets.  There’s the patriarch of the family (Dennis Creghan),   an AA dropout, married to Violet ( a dynamo named Annette Miller ), who is living by popping pills one by one, puffing on cigarettes and other drugs,  Creghan’s character gives the lowdown on his horrid marriage. And. He gives it to a stranger -- a young Cherokee Indian  lady ( Cecilia  Isis Torres) applying for a housekeeper’s job.

Now, meet the trio produced by this marriage, There’s the  Weston’s three adult daughter, all with secrets of their own.

 The oldest is  Barbara (a dynamic portrayal by Laura Turnbull) , who is a burned out Colorado college professor, having a tough time reconciling with the fact that her husband (David Kwiat) has been having an affair with a younger woman and wants out of their marriage.   You also get to meet  their rebellious, pot-smoking l4-year-old (Jackie Rivera ) .

Then  there is the middle daughter  Ivy  (a knockout performance by Katherine Lee Johnston)  who –  has been the one responsible as the caretaker  for her parent s and- putting up  with their addictions. She hopes to escape from their Oklahoma home and make her way with a secret lover  to  New York and a new life.

The third daughter Karen (Amy McKenna)  is the non-intellectual member of the family, who is living in Miami but comes home  with her fiancé Steve (Stephen Anthony), a divorced, lecherous businessman who has secret  lusts and can’t keep his hands to himself.

If that isn’t enough,  playwright Letts introduces us  to Mrs. Weston’s sister, Mattie Fae ( a WOW performance once again by Barbara Bradshaw ), her husband Charlie (Peter Haig) and their their mid-30ish  harassed son whom his mother constantly criticizes --   Little Charlie (ErIk Fabregat. This set of relatives also has  past situations to hide.

They all get together when the Mr. Weston (a poet of some distinction before his drinking problem evolved)  disappears. Eventually, the Sheriff (Gregg Weiner ) shows up and he just happens to be a one-time beau of the oldest Weston girl.

If that sounds like a lot of characters to remember, don’t fret. Author Letts is pure genius as he introduces each of them to his audience.  His methodology is slow and precise and you soon will know all about them and their inner yearnings and/or the reasons for their verbal  assaults.  In addition, this excellent cast allows you to get into the skin of all of them. One cannot help getting involved  as they spew witty, cutting dialog and each of their secrets gets unfurled.  A scene when they are all around the dining room table belting anger and hurtful remarks with every bite of food is a theatrical experience in its own right.  Peter Haig is pure delight in this scene.   If it were on DVD, I’D play it over and over again! (What a wonderful way it would be to study acting techniques).

Yes. This is some production. Behind this winning, scenery/ outstanding directing./ laudable acting trifecta  are the flawless technicians --  Alexander Herrin’s sound;  Ellis Tillman’s costumes, and Patrick Tennent’s lighting.  The one unanswered personal question for me is a “just how much of a budget did master scenic designer  Sean McCllelland have to build such a magnificent set?”

A final alert to all female actors in South Florida. You all may have a tough time in 2011 competing for best actress awards against both Annette Miller and Laura Turnbull.  The entire cast – many of whom could  be eligible for supporting acting awards –is  A-One, but Miller and Turnbull are dynamite!!

This production plays through April 10 at the Actors’ Playhouse on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. For tickets, call 305 441-4181 or go online to www.actorsplayhouse.oreg.  It may be the best ticket in town these days!!