Mondays Are Dark

Gratuitous Name Dropping
No links, but last night I bumped into Michael McKeever, about to start rehearsals for The Santaland Diairies, produced by the Under-The-Bridge Players, and directed by Kenneth Kay. It's going to be a good one, I can tell.
Just so no one feels left out, I also saw a large part of the cast of Caldwell's The Voysey Inheritance (one week left - go see it!) at Mosaic's production of Why Torture is Wrong and the People who Love Them (also a week left, and you should see this one, too). Present were Peter Haig, John Felix, and Steve Anthony. Stuart Meltzer was seeing the show with Michael McKeever. Elena Maria Garcia was there, and handed me a flyer for her upcoming show with Chris Perez, In This House, Solamente Español. Greg Weiner was also there, with his lovely fiancee. And I mustn't forget Steve Gladstone. When I went to see Voysey Inheritance, I bumped into the Alliance Theatre Lab team - Adalerto Acevedo, Skye Whitcomb, and Jennipher Murphy-Whitcomb.

Wondering about Wonderland?
Just in case you're wondering how the musical by South Floridian Frank Wildhorn and starring South Floridian Janet Dacal is doing, here's the review from the St. Petersburgh Times. The best bit:

One of the most thrilling things about Wonderland is to witness a star in the making in Janet Dacal's performance as Alice.

That's our girl! Congratulations, Janet.

Mr. Arriola Goes To Washington.
BroadwayWorld.com reports that President Barack Obama has appointed Adrienne Arsht Center for the Arts Chairman Ricky Arriola to serve on the Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

Talking With..
The Fort Lauderdale Theatre Examiner interviews Lela Elam.

The Herald Weighs In
The Miami Herald supports GableStage's move to Coconut Grove.

Not That There's Anything Wrong With That.
Drama Daily ponders on the preponderance of gay characters in plays, film and TV;

I am trying to decide if this is cause for celebration–because it represents progress, more accurate representation of 21st century life in all its diversity–or cause for concern–because it represents a new brand of cultural tokenism that is empty-hearted trend-following commercial-minded opportunism. Perhaps, it’s a combination of both.

And she ponders it some more.

I continue to question whether or not this is a sign of true progress or a new trend in tokensim. Yes, greater visibility is crucial to achieving equality, particularly for the lesbian population that has historically been less vocal and visibile than the gay male population, but is all visibility good visibility? Not really, if you ask me, not if it’s propelled by stereotypes.

Speaking of Gays in Plays
Nothing to do with South Florida, but everything to do with gays in plays, or plays with gays. or plays about gays; The Telegraph reports that police in Shanghai shut down a professional production of M. Butterfly;

Zuloo Theatre Production’s M. Butterfly – a play centred around homosexuality and the Cultural Revolution, both taboo subjects in China – was closed down by police.

I say, pile on an extra helping of homos, until the Shanghai cops choke on it; it's obviously not pervasive enough yet.

Speaking Of Diversity
Parabasis isn't accusing anyone of anything, but has a question:

If Home Depot weren't hiring enough cashiers of color, you wouldn't sit around in a meeting talking about it, you'd sue them. Why shouldn't we sue large theaters that aren't diversifying?

The reading isn't in the article, but in the discussion attached to it.

This Isn't Just Another RENT Tour
The Miami Herald tells us why this touring production of Rent is particularly special.

This week, the show's current national tour brings the stars who created the roles of videographer Mark (Rapp) and rocker Roger (Pascal), plus Gwen Stewart (the original soloist on the musical's anthem-like Seasons of Love), to the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater, offering a rare chance to see the stars of a Pulitzer Prize-winning musical in the roles that made them famous.

EdgeMiami's Padraic Maroney also has more on the story.

"There is no difference in the way I approach it," explained Pascal on the phone from a North Carolina tour stop. "But there are definitely differences in the actual performance given the fact that it’s been many years since we started the show. I think definitely having a family informed my performance in a way that I didn’t have the opportunity, obviously, the first time around."

So if you think you're tired of Rent? - think again.