Prolific, award-winning and long-lived (he died in 2020 at the age of 81) American playwright/writer/actor/director Israel Horovitz boasts over 70 produced plays in the US and internationally. He’s also the most produced American playwright in France, ever, (where he often directed French versions of his work). Not all that surprising, given that he divided his time between France and the States for most of his life.
Nothing beats a smashing musical to lift your spirits and banish those post-holiday blues! Happily, our local theater companies are providing this “public service” by ringing in the New Year with a bounty of musical offerings – both classic and new.
As we approach the holidays in a world where families and nations are often disrupted, if not destroyed, we can all use a reminder that “God works in mysterious ways.” To get to that second chance at happiness – like the four life-scarred (aren’t we all?) characters in Jason Odell Williams’ HANDLE WITH CARE – it can’t hurt to laugh, to weep, and even to connect with a person “who doesn’t speak your language.”
My heart is warmed (and my hot-chocolate-filled belly too), while my head is in a jolly swirl after seeing THE LAST CHRISTMAS, New City Players’ ninth season opener, last Sunday. There are so many ways to describe NCP ensemble member (and playwright and sound & Foley designer extraordinaire) Tyler Johnson Grimes’ uniquely original, world premiere play. Warm and fuzzy, hilarious, inspiring, emotional, nostalgic, surprising, magical, relatable, well-acted, exquisitely designed and… always absolutely delightful! And that’s just from my initial rush – you really need to come and discover what you love most (and I promise there will be lots!) in this pre-Y2K time capsule of a live radio play brimming with crazy characters, touching stories, and nonstop action (both silly and exciting).
Happy holidays from The Wick Theatre. And thank you for the perfect holiday gift! An age-old story of family conflict, jealousies and betrayal that are ultimately forgiven (after hard lessons learned and true remorse) remains a beacon to the power of goodness, love and hope. The Old Testament’s recital of the saga of Joseph son of Jacob, aka Israel, his experiences in Egypt, and with his brothers (destined to become the 12 tribes of Israel) is a human drama as ancient as the Bible. And as relevant as today’s news.
If ever there was a time when we needed to let go and laugh, that time is now. Thank you ACT of Davie! Our much loved, local community theater’s talented play director, Carla Zackson Heller, invited Sunday’s sold-out audience to escape their worries, turn off their electronic devices, and take a trip to lovely Provence, in the South of France. We eagerly obliged.
Palm Beach Dramaworks (PBD) – our multi-award-winning jewel of a professional theatre – took the unprecedented step of extending the run of the first play of their 25th Anniversary Season days before opening night. Due to enormous popular demand, LOST IN YONKERS by Neil Simon is now running through November 23.
Forget about Halloween Fright Nights. Nothing can compete with scary reality. Last night my Holocaust survivor parents (deceased for over two decades) suddenly appeared in my dreams. Not all that surprising as I’d just returned from FAUTheatreLab’s opening of THE LAST YIDDISH SPEAKERbyDeborahZoe Laufer. The last time I’d heard so much Yiddish – my first/only language till the age of 3 – was when they were still alive. My father also often quoted an Aramaic saying from the Talmud (we are a people schooled in many tongues), “Girsade-yankuta girsa,” which basically translates to “Lessons learned as a young child are lessons learned for life.”
If anything, Broward Center-based Slow Burn Theatre Company knows how to pick their musicals and put on a spectacular show. They chose the perfect opener for their exceptional 15th Anniversary Season in THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK: A Musical Comedy, with book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana P. Rowe. The musical features a trio of sexy, unfulfilled women who discover their supernatural powers together, claim their right to happiness, then join in extinguishing the evil “influencer” they’d inadvertently conjured up to fulfill their deepest desires.
