Despite thousands of books, films and plays written about The Holocaust and specifically the deaths of millions of Jews in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi Germany from 1933-45, one would think that all that needs to be expressed about Auschwitz has been accomplished. But there is evidence that changes that perspective. The one act drama “Here There are Blueberries” by playwright Moises Kaufman and Amanda Gronich, running now through December 14 at Miami New Drama’s Colony Theater in Miami Beach, focuses on the Nazi Germany perpetrators. The central focus of the play is on the discovered Hocker photo album, a scrapbook of photos taken by a Nazi officer stationed at Auschwitz during the 1940s.

Flamingo Gardens (specifically the 10 acres when you enter) that’s normally closed at night is now open – and all lit up! This year, South Florida’s renowned botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary was chosen to host WINTER WONDERLAND and I, for one, consider these historic gardens to be an ideal location for resurrecting the sorely missed, family tradition of evening strolls through holiday light displays. All those magnificent tall trees along the winding paths serve as perfect limb “hangers” for shooting stars, lantern globes, and glittery iridescent streamers. And it’s so much fun to get lost – if only temporarily (because the roads circle back) – on hidden pathways of discovery. Like passing under an igloo-shaped work of art that looks like it dropped from outer space or suddenly confronting flashy-lit pink flamingos and other cute, bright LED-lit animals, clutching gift boxes or ornaments. 

On the surface, the story behind playwright Larry Gelbart’s (who is most well-known for creating the television series “M.A.S.H.) two act comedy “Better Late”, running now through November 30 at Empire Stage in Ft. Lauderdale, is about how husband Lee (played by actor Geoff Freitag) and wife Nora (Patti Gardner) have to cope with having a new resident  in their home, Nora’s ex-husband Julian (Peter W. Galman) on a temporary basis.

Aristotle’s quote, “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness,” seems right on the mark for Man of La Mancha, a story conceived by Miguel de Cervantes. What drives mankind to reach greatness: power, determination, perhaps even madness? 

Miguel de Cervantes wrote Don Quixote in two parts: the first in 1605 and the second part in 1615.It is important to understand some background material to put the play in its proper perspective. 

What happens when you get a group of our most talented local divas together in a musical that’s notorious for skewering the very genre that made their name? You get a mind-blowing explosion of show-stopper applause moments, that’s what, in a show that couldn’t get any better if it tried. 

Most of the highly experienced, award-winning actors that Island City Stage’s artistic director Andy Rogow assembled for his 14th season opener, RUTHLESS! The Musical, have performed together before. So they’re old hats at tapping into extra creative energy from one another. And I could sense them having the time of their lives when they let it all rip – reaching for a personal vocal best when they burst into song. Winning still more “energy” and applause from their audience. 

Lake Worth Playhouse’s production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town leans into the melancholy that makes the play endure. It is not sad in a showy or theatrical way. Instead, it captures the quiet desperation of the masses, the accumulation of moments that Frankenstein a life. This staging understands that Wilder meant the play to be honest. What emerges here is a gently depressing but deeply humane portrait of love, time, and loss. It succeeds because it lets the world of Grover’s Corners be as bare or full as a memory.

One thing is for certain: Kimberly Akimbo is unlike any musical you’ve ever seen before. Family secrets, vibrant (and, sometimes, quite possibly toxic) personalities, anagrams, and check fraud schemes abound…yet while its plotlines are unique, the show’s message is truly universal. At the heart of the story lies high schooler Kimberly Levaco (Ann Morrison), a young girl growing up in 1999 New Jersey with a rare, unnamed genetic condition that causes her to age four to five times as fast as usual. Kimberly longs for connection, belonging—and maybe even a trip to Six Flags Great Adventure. Still, it isn’t so easy for Kim to follow her dreams when she’s also dealing with parents (Brandon Springman and Laura Woyasz) who wish she were someone different, along with the impending arrival of a baby sister who could be the “normal” child they’ve always wanted, an aunt (Sarah Lynn Marion) who’s trying to rope Kim and her friends into her criminal plans, a crush on Seth (Marcus Phillips), her project partner from biology class—and the project itself, where he’s managed to convince her to present on her disease. Can Kim truly make the most out of life when not even time might be on her side?

Puppet shows for adults, anyone? You bet! Just ask Broward Center for the Performing Arts whose Au-Rene Theater has been taken over by puppets of late. And not just any puppets – realistic-looking animals usually found in zoos – life size, often ferocious or regal, sometimes friendly and kind. Still, I wouldn’t rush to introduce them to the Sesame Street set.

If there was ever a musical that managed to be both gut-busting and heartbreaking in the same breath, Kimberly Akimbo is it. Now playing at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, this Tony Award–winning gem tells the story of Kimberly, an optimistic, dreaming teenager despite her rare genetic condition that causes her to age four times faster than normal. As she navigates this marked life, having a 50-year-old body as a 16-year-old, she tackles a first love and dysfunctional family dynamics headfirst. Kimberly’s story becomes a poignant meditation on time, mortality, and the beauty of simply being alive.