By Margaret Hall
Originally published on playbill.com.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow Is Selling $19.59 Tickets to Celebrate Box Office Opening
Stripped Down ‘As You Like It’ Charms At Common Park
It was heartening to see the relatively substantial size of the crowd that had gathered for the opening night performance of As You Like It, at Royal Palm Beach’s Common Park. This charming production, the Shakespearean staple, is a project of the Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival, which has now been bringing Palm Beach County audiences accessible outdoor performances of the Bard’s work for over 30 years.
Hello, Gorgeous!: “Funny Girl” Makes Its Kravis Center Debut
This Broadway classic is back! Funny Girl, which embarked on a national tour following its hit Broadway revival, is dazzling audiences at the Kravis Center all week long. Directed by Michael Mayer, with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill, and book by Isobel Lennart (revised for the revival by Harvey Fierstein), the semi-biographical musical is based on the life and career of comedienne, singer, and actress Fanny Brice (Hannah Shankman), chronicling her dreams of becoming a star, subsequent rise to fame, and tumultuous relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nick “Nicky” Arnstein (Stephen Mark Lukas). Fanny was a true trailblazer for Jewish women in the entertainment realm, particularly in terms of her work in theater and comedy, and was unapologetic about her Jewishness even in a world that would have once rather had her blend in than stand out. First brought to the stage in the 1964 Broadway production and 1966 West End run, then translated to the screen in the 1968 film, all three starring icon Barbra Streisand as Fanny, Funny Girl has captivated a wide variety of fans for decades. Now, it’s South Floridians’ turn to be wowed by the incomparable Fanny and her story!
Art-World Absurdism in the Extreme in Miami New Drama’s ‘Bad Dog’
As long as you possess a healthy appetite for the unhinged, you would definitely be remiss to miss out on Bad Dog, a truly arresting new play which premiered this past weekend at Miami New Drama’s Colony Theatre. This production marks a major breakthrough for its playwright Harley Elias, whose artistry is also on display at various locations around the Colony Theatre through MND’s immersive Lincoln Road Hustle. As Bad Dog director Michel Hausmann notes in the show’s program, Elias’s work has otherwise been “mostly unproduced,” something that makes this startlingly provocative play all the more worth commenting on.
Levis JCC’s 2025 Judy Levis Krug Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival Offers Two Weeks of Culture, Connection
The Adolph & Rose Levis JCC will present the 2025 Judy Levis Krug Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival Feb. 8 to Feb. 22 at Movies of Delray, 7421 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach.
‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ tribute to superstar Composer/vocalist is a stunning bio-show at Wick Theatre
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical kicks off the New Year – and continues the tune-filled momentum that’s been driving the first-rate stage performances at the Wick Theatre in Boca Raton during its 11th season.
‘Four Coloring’ Reconsiders A Beloved American Icon
For better or worse, the American flag is a particularly charged and divisive symbol these days—making it an intriguing central subject for Mackenzie Raine Kirkman’s Four Coloring, which celebrated its world premiere this past weekend thanks to Lakehouseranchpng. Kirkman has also developed a fairly interesting dramatic concept to drape around this iconic emblem of American patriotism—though it seems that the resulting script falls somewhat short of realizing its theoretical potential.
‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ Charms Packed Audiences at The Wick
Everyone knows the name “Carole King.” For many of us, the legendary American musician/singer/songwriter’s copious output spanning six decades (writing and co-writing over 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts) formed the soundtrack of our lives. If there were a Guinness world record for most popular songs ever written/co-written, she’d likely win by a mile.
The Sound of Music and its Resounding Resilience
A classic Hammerstein and Rodgers musical, The Sound of Music and its timeless numbers are available for your pleasure now at Lake Worth Playhouse. Continuing one of the strongest seasons of local theater I’ve ever had the pleasure to review, the playhouse delivers the seminal score at a time in America when it’s most needed. The plot, one of defiance in the face of a Nazi oppressor, is about the resilience of family bonds and, of course, music; both loud and proud.
‘POTUS’ BRILLIANT POLITICAL SATIRE WITH A FEMININE TOUCH AT ARSHT CENTER
