It's Ba-ack
The Miami Herald reports that Phantom of the Opera returns to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts this week; the musical was the first to play in the hall 19 years ago, and it was also the first time the show had moved from one theatre to another. The entire creative team was on hand for the launch of the new Performing Arts Center, and a huge portrait of Hal Prince still hangs backstage. It's like Old Home Week for the stage crew of the show and the Au Rene Theatre.
He's Ba-ack
The Miami Herald reports that Arnold Mittelman, the man who drove Coconut Grove into the ground, is planning to launch a show here, and hopes to take it to Broadway. In fact, they reported it twice - the other story has something to put on your dartboard.
It's Coming
BroadwayWorld reports that the stage musical version of 101 Dalmations opens next week at the Arsht Center.
HAYgen? HAHgen? Whatever.
The Palm Beach Post and The Shiny Sheet tell us a little bit about Palm Beach Dramaworks' latest project, Michael Frayn's Copenhagen.
It's Not Just Me.
From the letters section of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
A Peek into Playwriting: Research
1st Draft brings us the latest look into the process of creating a play.
Stephens Wows 'em in Sarasota
Karen Stephens is getting raves for her work in Bridge and Tunnel at Florida Studio Theatre; from the Herald-Tribune:
The Herald Looks Back
Christine Dolen recaps the year of South Florida Theater for the Miami Herald. Her top five:
Meanwhile, in Palm Beach...
...the Royal Poinciana Playhouse is still closed.
Prince believes Phantom has held up so well because its creators don't let things slide: new stars get rehearsed, performances are fine-tuned, and the show feels as fresh as it did when Phantom first wowed London critics and audiences in 1986.And if the actress playing Christine looks familiar to you, it's because you've seen her at Actors' Playhouse. She played Rizzo in Grease, and Tzeitel in the critically acclaimed production of Fiddler on the Roof. Trivia point: last time Phantom was in town, the run was ended early by a hurricane. That same storm had Grease sitting dark for a week;
He's Ba-ack
The Miami Herald reports that Arnold Mittelman, the man who drove Coconut Grove into the ground, is planning to launch a show here, and hopes to take it to Broadway. In fact, they reported it twice - the other story has something to put on your dartboard.
It's Coming
BroadwayWorld reports that the stage musical version of 101 Dalmations opens next week at the Arsht Center.
HAYgen? HAHgen? Whatever.
The Palm Beach Post and The Shiny Sheet tell us a little bit about Palm Beach Dramaworks' latest project, Michael Frayn's Copenhagen.
Frayn saw parallels between the unfathomable nature of human motivation and the unreliability of memory and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. The principle, his most famous discovery, says that the exact location and momentum of an atomic particle at a given time can never be known, because the act of observing manipulates and changes the particle.
-- The Palm Beach Daily News (Shiny Sheet)
“This play is not about physics,” Oden quickly adds. “Physics is the pretext for something else. It’s about the human relationships, it’s about ethics, about having to make choices and about examining your motives and trying to determine what other people’s motives are.”BroadwayWorld also has a story up. But our most pressing question was answered on last week's Aisle Say: director J. Barry Lewis informs us that it's Copen-HAY-gen, not Copen-HAH-gen.
-- The Palm Beach Post
It's Not Just Me.
From the letters section of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
The Post-Gazette needs a drama critic. The current melange of reviewers leaves this theater lover heartsick and confused. In a city with a wealth of rich dramatic productions, the Post-Gazette's lack of a drama critic is unforgivable.Word. Are you listening, Sun-Sentinel?
1st Draft brings us the latest look into the process of creating a play.
Stephens Wows 'em in Sarasota
Karen Stephens is getting raves for her work in Bridge and Tunnel at Florida Studio Theatre; from the Herald-Tribune:
The production, smartly directed by Kate Alexander, is also a wonderful showcase for actress Karen Stephens, who is giving what may well turn out to be the most memorable performance of the season.Congratulations, Karen - it's no surprise to us. Hopefully, someone in South Florida will mount a production for you. (not-so-subtle nudge to the Women's Theatre Project).
Christine Dolen recaps the year of South Florida Theater for the Miami Herald. Her top five:
- Tarel Alvin McRaney
- Antonio Amadeo
- Women go Solo
- Vices: A Love Story
- Touring Titans
Meanwhile, in Palm Beach...
...the Royal Poinciana Playhouse is still closed.
Since someone is abusing the comments section to make unsupported allegations, and then giving attitude about it, we've turned comment moderation back on. If you're going to make a claim about someone, you need to supply the basis for that claim.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you just take all public comments off? Seems like you don't really like comments made that you don't agree with anyway. So basically YOU can critique certain articles in your posts, but if anyone else does it on a comment board you police it...that can only be the case since you DO work for the Broward Center...no? and since they did get mentioned in the top 5 and someone had something to say about it (ME) and you didn't like it...you decided to take it down...but if YOU have an issue with what a critic says or how they decided to review a production you post your opinions straight away... with no worries of being edited...why not just call your site CLJ's thoughts about the South Florida Theatre Scene.com? Sounds much more appropriate... I know this post will never see the light of day because you, sir, feel the burning need to review any and all comments posted and police accordingly.
ReplyDeleteA good site is one that discussions can be had between its readers ...heated or not. AS far as supplying unsupported claims...Reread my prior post.. roughly 90 percent of the Heralds' top 5 were out of towners. Look it up.. I did before i posted it...or tried to post it...
This is not to say that your site isn't good, worth while or not needed because i think that it is, but only when it can truly be an OPEN forum for discussion...My prior post insulted no one personally and IF any other the facts i stated were incorrect perhaps you or another reader might have been able to correct me on it, but you have stonewalled that from ever happening due to your policing. How ironic to be writing a letter about having open dialogue on a website dedicated to theatre. A medium which holds itself in high regard for displaying openness and tolerance.
On a final note: maybe there was a little sting in my post that never was ... I tend to "give attitude" about our scene down here when the local media whores itself out to NYC talent...talent that isn't always as good as they say it is... they perpetuate an image of desperation re: our "scene" here in south Florida when most of these companies can find applicable and worthy, most times better, artists within our local talent pool. For evidence of that look to Mosaic Theatre or Gablestage...Mr. Adler has won Carbonnell Awards for best production of a play or musical more than any other theatre down here in the last decade all the while priding itself on casting local talent 99.9 percent of the time. So the argument of not being able to find the talent for the next production of Private Lives is just an absurd excuse to NOT use local talent. For what reason I have no idea... I find it very disturbing that during these finally difficult times some theatres receive city and/or county grant money for projects only to employ out of town artists who in turn cycle that money BACK in to their own cities (NYC) instead of returning it back into our local economy. So much for the SOUTH FLORIDA THEATRE SCENE then, HUH?
I know this post will never see the light of day because you, sir, feel the burning need to review any and all comments posted and police accordingly.
ReplyDeleteDo you ever get tired of being wrong?
There are lots of comments that I leave up that I don't agree with. Post responsibly, and I wouldn't have to "police" anything.
But I won't allow libel or name calling. And your comment started off with libel.
You made claims with no way for them to be substantiated. When I said that if you didn't back them with facts I'd pull them, you got snotty. You got a point to make, make it, but you need to make it with facts and not stuff that may or may not be true. Names. Places. Dates.
.My prior post insulted no one personally and IF any other the facts i stated were incorrect perhaps you or another reader might have been able to correct me on it
You claimed that a playwright wouldn't allow his plays to be produced down here without naming a single company who had been turned down - or even one that had applied. If you can prove that there is such a company - and more than one - post your facts, but without facts it's a damaging statement that amounts to libel. If you want to spread innuendo and lies, start your own blog, because I won't let you use mine to do it.
...the argument of not being able to find the talent for the next production of Private Lives is just an absurd excuse to NOT use local talent.
You're right. And you're also wrong.
A director casting a play is like an artist choosing his colors. There are many possibilities, and not one of them is wrong. Some might be more visually pleasing, and some might clash violently, but only the artist - or the director - can decide if it matches their vision.
So yes, PRIVATE LIVES could be cast entirely locally. It may or may not be better, it may or may not be as good, but that's not the point. The point is that it's not always about the "best" actor: it's about the best fit with the director, or with his vision of the show. We're not laborers on an assembly line where seniority applies. We're smears of pigment on a palette, chosen on a whim. And if don't like that, well, this may not be your best choice of profession.
How ironic to be writing a letter about having open dialogue on a website dedicated to theatre. A medium which holds itself in high regard for displaying openness and tolerance.
It's no more ironic than rain on your wedding day. "Open Dialogue" doesn't mean you get to make snide comments or cast aspersions.
roughly 90 percent of the Heralds' top 5 were out of towners. Look it up.. I did before i posted it...or tried to post it...
(1)McRaney's from Miami, (2)Amadeo is from South Florida, as are (3)Lela Elam and April Thompson. That's three of the five.
And the Caldwell Theatre produced (4)VICES. Las time I checked, they are based in Boca Raton. With an out of state cast? Sure. So what? It was done here first, by one of South Florida's most revered companies, and that will be a part of the show's history forever.
And #5 - the "big story" about the national tours? - it's that South Floridians turned out in record numbers to see them. Jersey Boys did 106%; that's standing room only. The patrons we're trying to reach did that. The story is that so many South Floridians saw them.
So much for your "90%"
Would I rather see more South Florida performers in there? Less about national tours? You bet.
thanks, councilor .
ReplyDeleteShort of time I'll have to continue this discussion after the holidays...I appreciate the points you made, but there ARE some things that i think you've misinterpreted. ill post post holidays.. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Hollidays
PS Im not in this profession as your post above suggests.