Executive Director Bari Newport of “GableStage” presented a more than three hour, two intermission  production of playwright Joshua Harmon’s “Prayer For The French Republic” that, even with an outstanding 2025-26 season of Jewish-themed plays at GableStage ,stood out as the standout play of the season that one should not miss because of its gripping contemporary look at the consequences of contemporary anti-Semitism and its common ties with anti-Semitism 60 years earlier.

Who could predict when playwright Ted Malawer’s (co-writer of Emmy-nominated “Red, White & Royal Blue”) latest play was selected two years ago for Palm Beach Dramaworks’ new play reading festival run by Bruce Linser, the award-winning South Florida writer/actor/director would go on to direct the East Coast premiere (and only second staging) of EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HAPPENS AT NIGHT at Island City Stage (ICS). The ideal LGBTQ-friendly venue. But I’m so glad he did! 

For better or for worse, 2026 is a hell of a time to find myself tasked with reviewing  The Crucible. 

To start with, I can easily say that I was thoroughly impressed by the precision, ambition, and artistry of Palm Beach Dramaworks’ take on the piece, which is something that I don’t want to lose sight of. 

From perfect weather to ideals of peace and justice, the mythical era of “Camelot” represents many of humanity’s highest and deepest aspirations. No wonder the perennially popular Lerner & Loewe musical (based on the legend of King Arthur in T.H. White’s 1958 novel, “The Once and Future King”) won four Tonys at its Broadway debut in 1960. The show followed book writer and lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and music composer Frederick Loewe’s earlier smash hit, “My Fair Lady.” It also featured superstars Richard Burton and Julie Andrews, as Arthur and Guenevere, and Robert Goulet’s first Broadway role, as Lancelot.  

As a short disclaimer, I must say I am very familiar with PPTOPA as I was the drama teacher at a nearby high school. I have witnessed strong family ties, business professionals, government electees, former students and friends support and perform there. I have also witnessed the evolution of its growth. Starting in its humble roots using community performers and retired professionals at Walter C. Young Community Center, PPTOPA has grown into a professional force at the Susan B. Katz River of Grass Theatre. It took 30 years to make this notable transition, a challenge and growth that is duly noted. I applaud its determination and perseverance. 

After seeing a production of Lucy Prebble’s The Effect in Orlando earlier this year, I found myself unable to resist conducting my own little theatrical experiment when it popped up in South Florida at the Lake Worth Playhouse’s Stonzek Theatre. And I’m describing it that way because The Effect is a play about an experiment—specifically, a clinical trial of a powerful new antidepressant. 

Moulin Rouge! has arrived at the Adrienne Arsht Center for a limited Miami run, playing the Ziff Ballet Opera House through Sunday, March 22, 2026, as part of the Broadway in Miami season. This show is a production that can coast on recognition, on title alone, on the audience’s affection for a beloved film, and the score that’s stitched together from songs they already know. Moulin Rouge!, directed by Alex Timbers, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh, and orchestrated by Justine Levine, is more than that. What makes this stage adaptation so exhilarating is that it consistently reaches for something larger than its format. At its best, it feels enormous and lush and wounded and alive.

This past Saturday, Zoetic Stage’s masterful production of Merrily We Roll Along brought me one step closer to realizing my personal dream of seeing every Stephen Sondheim musical. Famously, the show wasn’t initially one of the composer’s biggest hits and was in fact a rather notorious flop, closing after 44 previews and only 16 regular performances. Since then, though, Merrily has found somewhat more success, most recently in a major Broadway revival that took home four awards at last year’s Tony’s.

The “City That Never Sleeps” (aka “The Big Apple” aka New York City) is often seen by outsiders as a cold and impersonal concrete jungle. And it might be – for some new arrivals. But to those who’ve lived there for a while and put down roots, “mean streets” mean home, with all the warmth and connection of a small-town neighborhood. None more so than the creative dreamers who bask in the city’s energy while connecting with, and being supported by, like-minded artistic and/or financially strapped individuals who thrive in their particular slice of town.

In search of a little extra cheer this upcoming weekend? Look no further for the perfect remedy: Slow Burn Theatre Company’s entertaining, heartfelt, and utterly joyful production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Under the expert direction of Patrick Fitzwater, the story takes theatergoers through a musical legend’s path to stardom, and the ups and downs she faces along the way. Did I mention that it’s set to quite the catchy soundtrack, too?