I’m one of those people who love being surprised – especially happily so. When ACT ofDavie (our best and only local community theater) promoted their first musical, playing for only two nights, I knew it was too short a run for a review. But then thought: if I’m free, I just might go and enjoy the rare note-taking-free experience.
Though Tyler Johnson Grimes hasn’t always been the biggest fan of A Christmas Carol, he also didn’t find it hard to start getting excited about putting his own spin on the classic story. After his successful, Carbonell-nominated turn as the sound and Foley designer of last season’s radio play version of It’s A Wonderful Life, Grimes was tapped by New City Players’ team of artistic leaders to write an original adaptation of Charles Dickens’ famous holiday tale, a task for which his extensive background in playwriting left him exceptionally well prepared.
Michael Ursua, the multi-talented pianist, actor, theater director and performance craftsperson, among other titles, moved from his native Santa Ana, California, to South Florida when he was about 10 years old. Or, as he put it in a recent interview, “I went from Disneyland to Disney World.”
The Disney connection is particularly appropriate for the artisan of many talents. After learning to play piano at age 11, and sharpening his acting chops by doing community theater, he later signed on for three consecutive gigs on the Disney Magic cruise ship – as a main stage entertainer and a writer. Before disembarking the final year, “I put together a reboot of several character experiences.”
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The “Star Trek” multiverse recently lost one of its brightest stars when Nichelle Nichols, the actress who portrayed Communications Officer, Lt. Nyota Uhura on the USS Enterprise in the original series and in six subsequent movies, passed away July 30 at age 89.
Long-time writer, director, actor and comedian Peter Bisuito was on the verge of fulfilling the dream of launching a television sitcom when “the coronavirus pandemic shut down the entire project.”
It’s much like the penultimate scene in a sci-fi movie. At just the moment you think you’ve beaten the coronavirus and are on the verge of getting back to some semblance of a normal life, a new strain emerges to pull you back down into the thick of the fight.
Playwright and actor Tom Dugan has truly perfected the art of the one-person show — having created five thus far — and will bring two of them to the Mizner Park Cultural Center in December: “Wiesenthal” and “Tell Him It’s Jackie.”
Danielle LaVia’s whole life in the theatre has prepared her for the unique and exciting opportunity she now embraces as founder and executive artistic director of the newly formed Charleston Playhouse in South Carolina.
Any celebration of our American Independence Day would be incomplete without an acknowledgement of the many brave men who have risked their lives to keep our country safe and free—and that’s exactly what The Andrews Sisters inspired South Florida harmony group The Victory Dolls is all about. Their repertoire of World War II era hits and vintage looks bring a little slice of history to life for a new generation,while bringing those who do remember that time a much appreciated portal to their past.
