Author Archives: Bill Hirschman
Avery Sommers Triumphs As Bessie Smith In The Devil’s Music
A bravura tour de force by Avery Sommers is central to the success of Arts Garage’s production of The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith
Enthralling Matilda, When You Understand What They’re Saying
The national tour of the dark musical Matilda at the Kravis is enthralling for its energy and imagination — when you can understand what people are saying which is less than half the time.
Kinky Boots Has Hot Star But Otherwise Not Much Of A Kick
Kinky Boots, the droll story of a drag queen rescuing a failing shoe factory by switching its focus to thigh-high boots favored by cross-dressers was, , a well-polished evening of musical comedy with soulful ballads and glitzy production numbers. But this construction felt so manipulative, so by-the-numbers as if it, too, came off a factory production line.
Wick’s Curtains Is Musical For The Theater Nerd In All Of Us
Curtains is a show designed for anyone who loves musical comedy, or anyone who has ever played Toto in a community theater production of The Wizard of Oz. Envisioned as a no-calories hoot of a love letter to the quirky dysfunctional denizens of the theater, it is accurately promoted with tongue firmly in cheek as “A New Backstage Murder Mystery Musical Comedy.”
The Phantom Of The Opera Sings Again At The Arsht
There’s something interesting about seeing at the Arsht Center a national tour of the 30-year-old Phantom of the Opera for the who-knows-which time. It’s amazing that people who have performed show three hundred times have not lost their edge as even the best professionals do over time. Instead, they have discovered all the colors and nuances possible in the work, and deliver them with confidence and brio.
Stage Door Revives Hit Jukebox Revue ‘What’s New Pussycat’
Broward Stage Door revives its 2014 hit jukebox musical of hit tunes from the late 1950s through the early 1970s, What’s New Pussycat, with a new cast.
Punchline’s I Love You Because Indicates Promising Future
Punchline Theatre Company’s adorably scruffy puppy of a msuical comedy about modern relationships, I Love You Because succeeds because every aspect — from the performances to the direction to the material itself — is so appealingly and earnestly presented with both self-deprecating humor and unguarded heart.
Breaking News: Arts Garage Gets Some Funding Restored
The fate of Arts Garage in Delray Beach has taken a more encouraging turn because a major funder received enough financial information to make its leaders comfortable in disbursing some if not all of the crucially-needed operating funds being withheld, officials confirmed Monday.
Thinking Cap’s Droll “Or,” Is 21st Century Restoration Comedy
“Or,” is a delightful daffy farce underpinned with social commentary that fits Thinking Cap’s eclectic bent for thought-provoking comedies and dramas that are aggressively off-beat, have a literary bent, or at a minimum are a step away from predictable mainstream fare.
Sondheim’s Swelling Passion Explores Nature Of True Love
To say that Sondheim’s Passion is not to every intelligent patron’s taste is an understatement. But if you can open yourself up to it, Zoetic Stage’s production is a transcendent work of performance art with the power to rip into your psyche and reaffirm the transformative power of love.
A PaperStreet Web Design
