Author Archives: Bill Hirschman

Who’s Afraid Of Edward Albee?

South Florida theater lovers will have a rare chance to hear the wit and wisdom of one of America’s greatest playwrights, Edward Albee, as part of Nova Southeastern University’s free Distinguished Speakers Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 4 at …

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Wendy Wasserstein Programs At Palm Beach Dramaworks

Palm Beach Dramaworks’ current Master Playwrights Series ends in April with an examination of playwright Wendy Wasserstein and a reading of her masterwork,The Heidi Chronicles. Since 2007, the ongoing series has selected three playwrights each year and illuminated their work …

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Janet Dacal Steps In For Ailing Actress At In The Heights

The star did become ill at Actors’ Playhouse’s production of In The Heights and a substitute did go on Saturday night with only a few hours rehearsal, but the classic backstage story had several twists. When actress Sarah Amengual became sick this week playing Nina, one of the lead roles, director David Arisco sent out an emergency appeal to Broadway actress Janet Dacal to fly in and fill in the part, said theater spokeswoman Brooke Noble.

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StageBill: If The Carbonells Only Had A Couple More Slots

The Carbonell Awards ceremony falls on April Fools’ Day (restrain your quips), But that also means it’s time for the annual grousing column about nominations.That said, I wish the judges had the ability to expand the list of nominees by one or two slots at will. So here is my personal “Youze wuz robbed” list.

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Theater Shelf: Merrily, Call Me Madam, Pipe Dream, Gentlemen Prefer & NYTimes On Musicals

Theater Shelf, a recurring feature, reviews recently-released books, CDs and DVDs of interest to theater lovers. Some are popular titles like a new Original Cast Recording, others are works you’ll be intrigued by, but didn’t even know about.

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Fela! Is A Stunning Homage To Meld Of Music & Social Activism

Fela! is stunning in both senses of the adjective: exhilarating to the point of paralyzing the observer with elation and overwhelming to the point of numbing the observer. Powered – and we do mean powered – by a supremely talented cast of singers/dancers/musicians executing thrilling choreography and song, the national tour settling for one week at the Arsht Center doesn’t just immerse the audience in the riches of African culture, it floods you until you fear you might drown.

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Harriet Oser Is the Reason To Travel GableStage’s 4000 Miles

GableStage’s production of Amy Herzog’s play 4000 Miles is a puzzle. We can tell you the intriguing premise, we can sketch out the plot, we can describe the engaging characters, we can praise the strong performances and even identify the touching and funny moments. But we can’t tell you what the play is about or the pattern those jigsaw pieces create.

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Arts Garage’s Lungs Is Stunning Look At Modern Relationships

Lungs at Arts Garage seems to be about a young couple debating whether to bring a baby into this perilous, even doomed world. But in the wake of plot twists, Duncan Macmillan’s breathtaking script comes clear as an examination of the fragility and tensile strength of relationships, featuring brilliant performances by Betsy Graver and Cliff Burgess.

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Up & Coming — New Theatre’s Boomfrog & FIU’s New Plays

New Theatre has announced its second entry in its Boomfrog Series of theater works with a bit of an edge and aimed at a younger, diverse audience: Bird in the Hand by Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas slated for March 22-April 7. …

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Breaking News: FIU Proposes Partnership With County And GableStage To Operate Closed Coconut Grove Playhouse

By Bill Hirschman Another option has emerged for the future of the Coconut Grove Playhouse — a partnership among Miami-Dade County, Florida International University and GableStage to operate a 300-seat theater with an annual $2.6 million budget. The arrangement was …

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