This Broadway classic is back! Funny Girl, which embarked on a national tour following its hit Broadway revival, is dazzling audiences at the Kravis Center all week long. Directed by Michael Mayer, with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill, and book by Isobel Lennart (revised for the revival by Harvey Fierstein), the semi-biographical musical is based on the life and career of comedienne, singer, and actress Fanny Brice (Hannah Shankman), chronicling her dreams of becoming a star, subsequent rise to fame, and tumultuous relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nick “Nicky” Arnstein (Stephen Mark Lukas). Fanny was a true trailblazer for Jewish women in the entertainment realm, particularly in terms of her work in theater and comedy, and was unapologetic about her Jewishness even in a world that would have once rather had her blend in than stand out. First brought to the stage in the 1964 Broadway production and 1966 West End run, then translated to the screen in the 1968 film, all three starring icon Barbra Streisand as Fanny, Funny Girl has captivated a wide variety of fans for decades. Now, it’s South Floridians’ turn to be wowed by the incomparable Fanny and her story!
As long as you possess a healthy appetite for the unhinged, you would definitely be remiss to miss out on Bad Dog, a truly arresting new play which premiered this past weekend at Miami New Drama’s Colony Theatre. This production marks a major breakthrough for its playwright Harley Elias, whose artistry is also on display at various locations around the Colony Theatre through MND’s immersive Lincoln Road Hustle. As Bad Dog director Michel Hausmann notes in the show’s program, Elias’s work has otherwise been “mostly unproduced,” something that makes this startlingly provocative play all the more worth commenting on.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical kicks off the New Year – and continues the tune-filled momentum that’s been driving the first-rate stage performances at the Wick Theatre in Boca Raton during its 11th season.
For better or worse, the American flag is a particularly charged and divisive symbol these days—making it an intriguing central subject for Mackenzie Raine Kirkman’s Four Coloring, which celebrated its world premiere this past weekend thanks to Lakehouseranchpng. Kirkman has also developed a fairly interesting dramatic concept to drape around this iconic emblem of American patriotism—though it seems that the resulting script falls somewhat short of realizing its theoretical potential.
Everyone knows the name “Carole King.” For many of us, the legendary American musician/singer/songwriter’s copious output spanning six decades (writing and co-writing over 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts) formed the soundtrack of our lives. If there were a Guinness world record for most popular songs ever written/co-written, she’d likely win by a mile.
A classic Hammerstein and Rodgers musical, The Sound of Music and its timeless numbers are available for your pleasure now at Lake Worth Playhouse. Continuing one of the strongest seasons of local theater I’ve ever had the pleasure to review, the playhouse delivers the seminal score at a time in America when it’s most needed. The plot, one of defiance in the face of a Nazi oppressor, is about the resilience of family bonds and, of course, music; both loud and proud.
No matter who you prefer to be President of the United States, be prepared to laugh heartily at the over the top performances of seven actresses in Selina Fillinger’s comedy “POTUS”, a Zoetic Stage production running now through January 26 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami.
Comedy, romance, and just a dash of drama—Living on Love has it all! A classic screwball comedy at its finest, the play (written by Joe DiPietro and based on the play Peccadillo by Garson Kanin) follows the hilarious hijinks of a famous power couple and the ghostwriters they’ve hired to pen their respective autobiographies. When acclaimed diva Raquel DeAngelis (Mallory Newbrough) discovers that her husband, the feisty and often self-centered Maestro Vito DeAngelis (Wayne LeGette) has fallen for the sweet young woman (Amber Lynn Benson) he’s hired to ghostwrite his (mostly fictional) autobiography, she retaliates by hiring her own handsome ghostwriter (Jim Tyminski) to tell the tale of her illustrious career as an opera star. Completing this talented, laugh-out-loud funny cast are butlers Bruce (Jack Stein) and Eric (Matt Schenk), who just might have some secrets of their own. Sparks—and snow globes—fly as unexpected romances bloom and unforgettable stories are told amidst the chaos.
If you live in South Florida and love theater, you are doubly blessed. Not only can you enjoy a variety of finely curated and produced world premieres, you can also revisit (or initially experience) award-winning, timeless classics that every serious theater-goer should see at least once in their lifetime.
A cold front might be working its way through South Florida, but there’s no need to worry—The Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s production of Frozen is guaranteed to warm your heart even on the chilliest January day. Directed by Tony nominee John Tartaglia, the story (based on the beloved 2013 Disney film) follows sisters Elsa (Tristen Buettel) and Anna (Brooke Quintana), princesses whose once-unbreakable bond is now on thin ice, severed by isolation.
