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).
The second I walked into the Sol Theatre to take my seat for Macbeth: A Conjuration, it became immediately clear that this would be a production like no other. A greeter waited to usher me into this mystical, magical world, where a smoky fog clouded the stage and the iconic Three Witches circled ahead, huddling over their cauldron and sketching out spells on a chalkboard. A chill drifted down my spine, but it was largely one of anticipation—after all, I’d now be experiencing Macbeth like I had never experienced it before.
For audiences who have seen the famed 1959 comedy “Some Like it Hot” starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, be prepared for a more contemporary look and a jazzier story in the new musical which is now running at the Arsht Center in downtown Miami through Sunday, December 8.
Actress and stand up comedienne Sheba Mason of New York captivates audiences at Empire Stage in Ft. Lauderdale as Cindy Lou Who in “Who’s Holiday”, a 60 minute one act comedy, running now through December 15.
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.
For its second show of the season, the Wick Theatre journeys back to Biblical times to bring modern audiences the high-energy, music- and dance-filled tale of Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob from the Book of Genesis, and the young man’s many adventures – good and bad — in a family-oriented, fit-for-the-holidays story called Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Going three for three so far in their season, Lake Worth Playhouse is back with another triumph of a production for its South Florida viewers in “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” A step away from the grandness of its last two musicals in “School of Rock” and “The Prom,” the current play is the first play of three in this semi-autobiographical tale of playwright Neil Simon’s life.
If you’re not familiar with the term “PrEP,” you might not exactly be part of the target audience for the play PrEP’d, a raunchy sex-positive comedy that is this weekend finishing up its month-long run this weekend at The Foundry through Plays of Wilton. But if you didn’t know, PrEP is actually a handy-dandy acronym for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, a type of medication approved in the 2010s for use by gay men who are at risk of contracting HIV through anal sex. PrEP is 99 percent effective at preventing the transmission of HIV within this population, and this particular play was commissioned through a grant from the CAN Community Health Foundation specifically to explore this particular subject.
There’s no doubt that Cher is the definition of a triple threat: actor, dancer, singer—often described as “The Goddess of Pop,” she’s truly a cultural icon for the ages. Therefore, it’s only fitting that three talented stars band together to tell the story of her life and career. And that is exactly what happens in the Tony-winning musical The Cher Show, which celebrated its opening night at the Broward Center on November 19 (fittingly enough, the same date that Part One of Cher’s long-awaited memoir hit shelves). Directed by Casey Hushion, with a book by Rick Elice, The Cher Show takes the audience on an unforgettable (and catchy!) journey through time, co-led by three very different, yet equally fantastic, versions of Cher herself: Babe (Ella Perez), Lady (Catherine Ariale), and Star (Morgan Scott). With musical numbers made up of Cher’s greatest hits (“If I Could Turn Back Time,” “Believe,” “Song for the Lonely,” “Strong Enough,” and so many more), the show will have you dancing in your seat, whether you are a Cher novice or a diehard fan.
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.
