You can always count on Thinking Cap Theatre (TCT) to discover that special gem of a new play (or unearth an ancient classic) and gift it to South Florida with a uniquely creative and entertaining production. This time it’s ALL THE NATALIE PORTMANS, a newplay by C.A. Johnson that generated positive buzz at its Off-Broadway debut at MCC Theater in 2020, only to be abruptly shut down by the pandemic. But just like all those great Natalie Portman roles resurrected by Johnson’s protagonist for inspiration, you can’t keep a great play from finding its audience.
An absolute stunner of a stage musical, Broadway Across America has the best show of all South Florida’s theater seasons with Disney’s The Lion King. On stage for the majority of March at the Broward Center, running from Friday, March 7th, until Sunday, March 30th, The Lion King is a live-adaptation of the animated movie famous around the world, and while maintaining true to its source material, the practical effects of this production are unlike anything I’ve ever seen; the best I’ve ever seen. Anyone who is a fan of the animated movie and its sequels, or the live-action versions, should absolutely see this show and witness the Pridelands for themselves.
As long as you have a healthy sense of humor and high tolerance for perverted and profanity-spouting puppets, you should prepare to have a pretty great time at Avenue Q. To introduce the uninitiated to the basic premise of this Tony-winning best musical—imagine an R-rated version of Sesame Street that aims to impart mature lessons on adult audiences in much the same style the beloved children’s show teaches ABCS and such to a younger crowd.
Touted as “The Worlds #1 Musical” (in earnings and ongoing popularity), the six Tony Award-winning (including Best Musical) “nothing else like it” theatrical extravaganza that is Disney’sTHE LION KING returns to Broward Center for an extended run through March 30. And continues to draw enthusiastic crowds of all ages – from first-time-at-the-theater kids (a popular, parental-choice rite of passage) to repeat Disney- and “Lion King”-obsessed fans.
If you think you know all about witches, think again! You’re about meet 250-year-young Angelina Max, a force of nature who can screw up like a human, exact revenge like a witch, but is also funny, loving and kind. And about to sing and dance her way into your heart.
Musicals-made-from-movies-made-from-books is a popular, winning formula drawing audiences from print, from film, from lovers of musicals – as well as “none of the above.” By the time a book- and/or movie-based musical hits Broadway, it tends to have a well-established fan base, eager for more. There will always be purists who claim one must read the book first or are emotionally tied to the movie. Coming from someone who’s experienced all three – in no particular order – I say there’s no one right or wrong way to enjoy a great musical. Nothing compares to the buzz and anticipation felt by a live audience when the curtain rises. Where personal issues are put aside and we can all sit entranced, together, for a few magical hours of drama, comedy and, especially, wondrous music and songs!
Arts Ballet of Florida Theatre showcases the famed ballets “Romeo & Juliet” by Russian composer Sergey Prokofiev and “Bolero” by French composer Maurice Ravel as highlights to their upcoming Program III; titled “Dancing Prokofiev and Ravel: A Celebration of Ballet’s Timeless Composers” taking place on Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m.and Sunday, March 2 at 3 p.m. at Aventura Arts & Cultural Center in Aventura.
Did you hear about the latest plane crash? What about the latest protest resignations by our most experienced government officials? And the firings, all the firings. And dismantling of essential federal agencies that protect us from foreign invasion (both human and microbial), our environment from climate disaster, our food and air and water … in essence, insure our quality of life? Even our cultural life (what really makes us human) is hanging by a thread from all the cutbacks to education, the arts, and book bans designed to keep “dangerous” inquiring minds from ever questioning the wisdom of our billionaire overlords.
The Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s production of The Lehman Trilogy is nothing short of epic. Spanning several generations, multiple world-altering events, and three acts, the Tony-winning masterpiece tells the story of the trio of brothers, Bavarian Jewish immigrants who longed to make the American Dream come true, Henry Lehman (David Studwell), Emanuel Lehman (Noah Keyishian), and Mayer Lehman (Jeremy Rishe), and the rise and fall of the empire they so tirelessly built.
After debuting on Broadway in 2001, “Mamma Mia” is still showing plenty of excitement with a sold out opening night performance at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami. Written by Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of the Swedish popular music group ABBA, “Mamma Mia” is running until Sunday, February 23.
