It’s no longer an insider secret that Slow Burn Theatre Company, the resident professional theater company of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, has been delivering outstanding, often family-oriented musicals, for the past nine years. In addition to multiple local awards, the company recently garnered a major Carbonell (South Florida’s Tonys) in the category of Theatrical Excellence. Which they well deserve. For just when you might think they’ve reached the pinnacle in stagecraft and acting expertise, they come out with a new, blockbuster winner.
If you can remember Elvis Presley’s teen-traumatizing entry into the Army after being drafted in the late 1950s, you’ll no doubt feel a strong tug of déjà vu at the Wick Theatre in Boca Raton where Bye, Bye Birdie – a musical comedy based on a singer’s soldierly stint, but which blazes a circuitous story of its own, is now playing.
Starting on December 1, and running though December 10, the new, experimental theater company out of Miami, Lakehouseranchdotpng, premiered its solicited version of “Enter, Grapefruit.” The show is a one-woman performance, with the silent help of another cast member, and it is an ode to Gilda Radner, a comedian famous for her work in the early days of Saturday Night Live and who died in the late 80s after a surprising cancer diagnosis. The writer, Charisma Jolly, also performs the show. For me, it was an experience quite unlike any I’ve come across, so far. Before I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the performance, I’d like to take a moment to broach the subject of the company’s venue and the setup of the stage. First off, Lakehouseranchdotpng is only in their second year of programming, so their performance venue is nothing special. In fact, it is so small, I was surprised. “Enter, Grapefruit” was held at Artistic Vibes in Kendall, and it was a difficult space to find.
Pretty Woman: The Musical is back on tour across the country, and it is currently staged at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. The musical is based on the beloved 1990 movie starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, growing the want for a musicalization of the nostalgic moment in cinema. South Florida Theater Magazine was there on opening night, and it was a fun time, watching the movie come to life on stage in such a satisfying way. Vivian (Ellie Baker) stole the show from her first note.
The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse is the first play written by a Native American playwright to make it to Broadway – and there’s no surprise as to why it did. It is a satirical comedy that shines light not only on the ignorance of the majority in the country, but it also shines a light on the unfortunate truth within the education system when it comes to the Thanksgiving mythos. The GableStage production, directed by artistic director Bari Newport, brings this much needed piece to the South Florida community in a way that easily could’ve fallen flat, but instead stands proudly on two feet running in the right direction.
There’s the saying, “Everything old is new again.” To which I’d add, “only if it speaks to a new generation.” Radio programs spoke to generations of listeners in the twentieth century, to be surpassed by film and TV, only to be resurrected in exploding popularity under the guise of “podcasts.” As humans, we’ve always felt the need to see stories, read stories, hear stories … often all together. And our best stories, those that speak most deeply to our shared humanity, challenges and aspirations, tend to survive through the ages. Like the timeless works of William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.
‘Tis the season for family, traditions, and celebrations that bring one back to more innocent times. The sweet scent of nostalgia can nourish the most troubled soul. And I can’t think of a better place to rekindle that holiday spirit than joining the perfume and cosmetics shoppers at Maraczek’s Parfumerie in 1934 Budapest, Hungary.
The story of Thanksgiving has often been told without references to the contributions of Native Americans in American history. Playwright Larisssa FastHorse has created a satirical exploration of Thanksgiving in her one act 90 minute comedy “The Thanksgiving Play”, running now through December 10 at GabeStage in Coral Gables.
If you’re up for taking a risk on a new script, you’re likely to find yourself pleasantly surprised by Sweet Goats And Blueberry Señoritas, the product of a collaboration between South Florida playwright extraordinaire Vanessa Garcia and nationally renowned poet Richard Blanco. Initially commissioned by Maine’s Portland Stage Company, where it premiered earlier this year, the work can now be seen in its only second major production at Miami’s Actor’s Playhouse until only this Dec 3rd.
Miami native Katarina McCrimmon dazzled the opening night audience attending “Funny Girl” at the Broward Center of the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale with her singing, dancing and comic skills in her portrayal of early 20th century vaudeville star Fanny Brice.
