Reviews
Ben Butler About Race Relations Gains Added Spin at Boca Stage
The comedy-drama Ben Butler was meant to explore race relations when it was first produced in 2014. But this tale about a runaway slave seeking refuge on the cusp of the Civil War has taken on an extra spin at Boca Stage in light of the spread of the Black Lives Matter movement in the past few years.
Island City Wrestles Challenging Suddenly Last Summer
Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer presents a considerable challenge for theaters to pull off with its quirky characters, its quirkier premise and its total abandonment of theatricalized naturalism in favor of unabashed symbolism. Island City Stage should be commended for the courage to tackle this work at all and considerable praise for wrestling it to an acceptable draw.
Zoetic’s Sondheim: It Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This
Some of the most skilled theater artists in the region deliver a gloriously funny and moving celebration of the work of the finest musical theater genius of the 20th and 21st Century in Zoetic Stage’s do-not-miss-this production of Side by Side by Sondheim with more emotional depth and directorial touches than in any of the many other revues.
Revenge Still Isn’t Sweet But Sympathetic in FGO’s Rigoletto
Time changes how we view classic works: In this edition of Rigoletto at Florida Grand Opera, the title “villain” who gets his comeuppance at the end of this revenge tragedy seems for more worthy of sympathy than being perceived as the twisted evil persona he normally engenders, as he did when FGO mounted this in 2012.
Frozen Is A Successful Heart Warmer
No doubt most critics will try to weave in the title or lyrics of “Let It Go” in their reviews of the Broadway Across America production of the Disney’s Frozen at the Broward Center. Instead, we’ll just say “Go” to this charming, lovely production with strong acting and singing, energetic dancing and outstanding production values.
Facts and Fiction Inspire Incisive Inquiry in Miami New Drama’s When Monica Met Hillary
If you’re expecting Miami New Drama’s world premiere When Monica Met Hillary to be some D.C. spin on an Andy Cohen catfight, you’re going to be disappointed. Instead, it’s an intense investigation into how politics, sex, media blitzes, self-image and succeeding generations’ different stages of evolving feminism intersect.
Pigs Do Fly’s 2 Across Is No Puzzle, Just a Warm Comedy
You may never view crossword puzzles the same way again after watching Jerry Mayer’s romantic, touching, and hilarious character-driven comedy, 2 Across. Fortunately, the Ft. Lauderdale-based nonprofit professional theater company, Pigs Do Fly Productions, is giving Mayer’s warm, compelling play a believable and energetic production.
Nothing is Simple in Boca Stage’s Thought-Provoking Luna Gale
Social workers face tragedies in which there may be no satisfying solutions and in which the warring parties truly want “what’s best for the child.” Those dilemmas echo larger questions in which we all seek to choose the best path in a world of complexity and limited options. Such is the core of Luna Gale virtually defining “a thought-provoking play,” receiving an engrossing production at Boca Stage.
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