Given so many stories of parental abuse, the film screening of the 2016 film “Look At Us Now, Mother” on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 1 p.m. is a reminder that the family dynamic can look a lot different than what seems on the surface.

From George and Ira Gershwin to Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, from Irving Berlin to John Kander and Fred Ebb or from Jerry Herman to Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein, Jewish composers and entertainers have been an integral part of the Broadway and American pop lexicon for well over a century. 

  Since singing the songs of The Great American Songbook of the 1940s-70s with his grandmother in Connecticut as a young man, Drew Anthony was told for many decades how much he resembled and sounded like singer Dean Martin. Martin first starred as the musical half of a comedy/music duo with Jerry Lewis from 1946-56, before starring on his own until he passed away in 1995.

The world premiere of a riotously funny stage production co-authored by a couple of local writers — ex-northerners turned South Floridians — is about to open at The Studio in Boca Raton’s Mizner Park.

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.

Many comedians, including actor/comedian Peter Fogel, will tell you that the funniest things that make people laugh are the absurd realities that happen to all of us every day.

   Singer Diane Lynn sings 20 plus songs from the career of Barbra Streisand including Streisand Christmas songs in her return to the Boca Black Box in Boca Raton for two 90 minute shows titled “Hello Gorgeous: The Ultimate Barbra Streisand Holiday Show” on Sunday, December 22. Lynn last performed as Streisand at Boca Black Box on June 27.

Hot off their sold-out runs of A Streetcar Named Desire and Short Plays: Lauder Made, New City Players begins its 9th Season with a world premiere by local playwright and ensemble member, Tyler Johnson Grimes, titled The Last Christmas. 

Written By Jonel Juste

Originally published on artburstmiami.com.

Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion, formerly known as the Dranoff 2 Piano Foundation, begins its 2024-2025 season with a forward-looking mission, embracing a broader musical vision. Launching on Sunday, Nov. 24, the organization’s upcoming concerts aim to present classical compositions while reflecting Miami’s diverse cultural landscape, according to Emily Cardenas, Dranoff 2 Piano’s new executive director.

Written By Michelle F. Solomon

Originally published on artburstmaimi.com.

When Actors’ Playhouse opens the curtain on its production of “tick, tick . . BOOM!” there are many behind-the-scenes stories about close degrees of separation.  The musical by Jonathan Larson, famously known for the Broadway hit “Rent,” is a semi-autobiographical story about the late composer.