The Scene for November 28, 2014

Hope you've had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  If you are looking for a good alternative to Black Friday, go see a play - there's some great stuff on stage right now.  And remember, theater tickets are great gifts, whatever holiday they're given for.

 

It's not too late to come to the South  Florida Theatre League Holiday Party  at STACHE at 7:30 pm this Monday, December 1, 2014.  The party is free to members, and on;y $25 at the door for non-members.  The party will include the presentation of the Remy Awards, followed by the Silver Palm Awards.  So come, and join in the celebration with all of the honorees.

    

Here's what's playing on South Florida stages this weekend:  

GableStage: Bad Jews (5 reviews)

GableStage opened its production of Joshua Harmon’s Bad Jews on November 22, 2014.

In a New York apartment the grandchildren of a recently deceased Holocaust survivor fight over his religious heirlooms, bickering over who deserves them more -- and exposing long-simmering family feuds. There's nothing like a death in the family to bring out the worst in people -- and this unhappy truth is displayed with delectably savage humor in Bad Jews.

Joseph Adler directed a cast that featured Lexi Lang, David Rosenberg, Mark Della Ventura, and Natalia Coego.

 

Broward Center: Phantom of the Opera (reviews)

The new national tour of The Phantom of the Opera opened at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on November 19, 2014.

Following an acclaimed sold-out tour of the United Kingdom, Cameron Mackintosh's spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's phenomenal musical success, The Phantom of the Opera, is coming to the Broward Center as part of a brand new North American Tour. Hailed by critics as "bigger and better than ever before," this production boasts many exciting special effects including the show's legendary chandelier, new scenic and lighting designs, new staging and choreography. The beloved story and thrilling score will be performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making this Phantom one of the largest productions now on tour.

Laurence Connor directed a cast that included Cooper Grodin, Julia Udine, Ben Jacoby, Jacquelynn Fontaine, and Brad Oscar.

The Scene for November 21, 2014

A lot of shows closing this week, and while that likely means a light week for theater viewing next week, it also means a lot of companies will be in rehearsal through the Thanksgiving Holiday to open the first week of December.  So if opening nights are your thing, Christmas is coming early.

 

Just a remind that this years’ South  Florida Theatre League Holiday Party will be held at STACHE at 7:30 pm on December 1, 2014.  The party is free to members, and $25 at the door for non-members.  The party will include the presentation of the Remy Awards, followed by the Silver Palm Awards.  So come, and join in the celebration with all of the honorees.

    

Here's what's playing on South Florida stages this weekend:  

Broward Stage Door: Old Jews Telling Jokes (reviews)

Old Jews Telling Jokes opened at the Broward Stage Door Theatre on November 1, 2014.

Get ready for an outrageous evening of one-liners, double-entendres and hysterical routines sure to triple you over with laughter! OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES showcases five actors in a comedy that pays tribute to and reinvents classic jokes of the past and present. The show also features comic songs—brand-new and satisfyingly old—as well as tributes to some of the giants of the comedy world and to the Old Jews Telling Jokes website, which inspired the show. Like rye bread, kosher pickles and bagels, this show is for everyone! You'll laugh 'til you plotz.

Peter Loewy directed a cast that featured Gail Byer, Adam Chisnall, Michael H. Small, Ashley Brooke and Ben Brayz.

 

The Scene for November 14, 2014

It’s another packed week here on The Scene, with nearly two dozen plays on stages all across South Florida.  There’s no excuse not to go out and see something, you won’t have to travel too far to find something nearby.

 

Just a remind that this years’ South  Florida Theatre League Holiday Party will be held at STACHE at 7:30 pm on December 1, 2014.  The party is free to members, and $25 at the door for non-members.  The party will include the presentation of the Remy Awards, followed by the Silver Palm Awards.  So come, and join in the celebration with all of the honorees.

    

Here's what's playing on South Florida stages this weekend:  

Zoetic Stage: Detroit (reviews)

Zoetic Stage opened its production of Detroit at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on November 6, 2014.

Ecstatic and dangerously funny, Detroit rips up the floorboards to reveal the racing heart under a crumbling suburban dream. Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Lisa D'Amour, this comedic drama takes place somewhere in the suburbs of a mid-sized city when Ben and Mary welcome into their lives the mysterious couple who moves next door. But as this foursome bonds over backyard barbecues, the neighborly connection they find threatens to unravel the lives they've built. Soon they find themselves increasingly pulled toward their wild new friends – to incendiary effect. A dangerous new comedy, named one of The New York Times' "Top 10 Plays of 2012," Detroit exposes the nerves that live just under the surface of American life today.

Stuart Meltzer directed a cast that featured Betsy Graver, Irene Adjan, Chaz Mena, Matt Stabile, and David Kwiat.

Theatre at Arts Garage: The How And The Why (reviews)

The Theatre at Arts Garage opened its production of Sarah Treem’s The How and the Why on November 7, 2014.

Two brilliant women scientists, mother and daughter, meet for the first time on the eve of a national conference. Both are evolutionary biologists who share a zeal for science and a bold, contrarian approach to their male-dominated field. As they struggle to find the connection that any mother and daughter cherishes most, the truth about their history and relationship unfolds. From the writer/producer of television hits like House of Cards and In Treatment comes this smart and compelling new play about science, family and survival of the fittest.

Margaret Ledford directed a cast that featured Elizabeth Price and Laura Turnbull.

The Scene for November 9, 2014

The theatre season is going full steam, now that it’s November.  A good handful plays opening, a few that are just here for the weekend, and some pretty heavy hitters closing on Sunday.

 

Just a remind that this years’ South  Florida Theatre League Holiday Party will be held at STACHE at 7:30 pm on December 1, 2014.  The party is free to members, and $25 at the door for non-members.  The party will include the presentation of the Remy Awards, followed by the Silver Palm Awards.  So come, and join in the celebration with all of the honorees.

    

Here's what's playing on South Florida stages this weekend:  

Island City Stage: POZ (reviews)

Island City Stage opened its production of POZ at Empire Stage on October 23, 2014.

Island City Stage presents the world premiere of the comedy POZ, the story of Edison, a handsome young man with leukemia who can only get insurance to cover his chemo if he's HIV+. Robert is an older man, HIV+, and a self-proclaimed "sex pig" trying to change his life. Each has what the other wants. But what will they do to get it? Toss in an aging stage star, an eccentric medium, an old-school queen and a ghost and you get POZ, an extremely funny, thought-provoking, totally unconventional love story.

Michael Leeds directed cast that included Janet Weakly, Jeffrey Bruce, Pierre Tannous, Christian Vanderpas, and Larry Buzzeo.

The Wick Theatre: Swing! (reviews)

The Wick Theatre opened its production of Swing! on October 23, 2014.

A joyful celebration in both music and dance, SWING! is full of incredible hits from the greatest era like It Don’t Mean a Thing, Hit Me With a Hot Note, Harlem Nocturne, G.I. Jive and Stompin’ at the Savoy. As this enthralling song-and-dance show makes abundantly clear, swing was never a time and place, it was always a state of mind!

Kelly Schook directed and choreographed a cast that included Alix Paige, Phillip Attmore, Michael Ursua, Amanda Torsilieri, Amelia Millar, Andy Frank, Ashley Klinger, Tommy Joscelyn, Ashley Klinger, Casey Weems, Charles South, Chris Brand, Lindsey Bell, Mandy Modic, and Chris Patterson.

Arca Images: Hurricane (reviews)

Arca Images opened the world premiere production of Nilo Cruz’s Hurricane at the Miami Dade County Auditorium on October 30th, 2014.

A severe tropical storm displaces the soul of a man and the lives of his family when Forrest Hunter, a catholic missionary, living in a Caribbean island suffers an accident that leaves him injured not only physically but also mentally with a case of amnesia. Will his wife Ria and his adopted son Aparicio help him recover his memory so he can lead a normal life?  Or is his past unreachable and unattainable?  The answer is revealed through an unexpected sacrifice, a path of redemption, which turns out to be a celebration of humility, generosity and kindness.  Hurricane is an uplifting allegory that soars beyond the limits of existence to the immense power of human will and the rediscovery and reconstruction of life.

Playwright Nilo Cruz directed a cast that featured Andy Barbosa, Serafín Falcón, and Lela Elam.