Mondays are Dark

The holidays finally caught up to me, so this week's reading list is late. Frankly, the pickings are a little slim, since everyone took the holidays off. Don't forget Mosaic Theatre's Monte Carlo Night on January 16th. It's your chance to play cards with World Series of Poker contestant and Richard Jay Simon, artistic director of Mosaic. Be sure you lose: Richard just got engaged, he's get a nest egg to build! (Congrats to Richard and Dyanni!)

Fresh off the Internets
This just in: Empire Stage has a website. And it looks like a good one.

TIMEly South Florida Productions
Playbill reports that Time Magazine has chosen its top ten plays for the first decade of the 21st century: I've appended where the shows have been done in South Florida:

1. August: Osage County
2. Billy Elliot
3. The Pillowman (GableStage)
4. Metamorphoses
5. Boy Gets Girl (GableStage)
6. Movin' Out (Arsht Center for the Performing Arts)
7. Comic Potential (Actors' Playhouse)
8. Doubt (Caldwell Theatre)
9. Ruined
10. Wicked (Broward Center, Kravis Center, coming to Arsht Center)

If I've missed any, be sure to let me know.

South Pacific
You have a choice: The Sun-Sentinel digs up a Chicago Tribune story on South Pacific, or the Palm Beach Post supported our local economy by having Hap Erstein cover it. It seems to be that Tally Sessions is with this tour; Tally has worked at Florida Stage and Actors' Playhouse.

Sordid Lives
The Fort Lauderdale Theatre Examiner tells us about the next project at Rising Action Theatre, Sordid Lives. BroadwayWorld also covers the story. Someone should offer a package; tie it in with The Great American Trailerpark Musical at Actor's Playhouse. Call it the "White Trash New Year's Special."

Good Chemistry
BroadwayWorld reports on Caldwell Theatre's production of Chemical Imbalance; A Jekyll and Hyde Play.

New Park for the Play
The Coconut Grove Grapevine reports that Shakespeare Miami will produce its annual production at The Barnacle instead of Peacock Park. The Barnacle was the home of Coconut Grove founder Ralph Middleton Munroe. I wonder if they'll be making use of the home as stage, taking advantage of the two story porch for their production of Taming of the Shrew.

Strung Out
WPTV Channel 5 reports that the Puppetry Arts Center of the Palm Beaches has made its final bow, at least at its current location.

Kick'em When They're Down
The Producer's Perspective asks a question that's actually a pretty good one:

If we know reviews aren't as powerful as they used to be, then why do so many of us use them to decide if we want to transfer a show from Off-Broadway to Broadway, or from Out-Of-Town to Broadway???

Another point raised; patrons not calling for tickets because they assume a well-reviewed show is sold out. Sell outs are rare: you can usually get a ticket.