Author Archives: Bill Hirschman

FGO’s Thais Is Equally Lovely With Or Without Voices

Although Eglise Gutiérrez’s performance in the title role of Thais is indeed glorious, equally fascinating in the current edition at Florida Grand Opera is what happens when no one is singing.

Posted in Performances, Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Report From New York: The Bridges Of Madison County Is Surprisingly Lovely, Not Syrupy

Tone is the secret behind the tragically soon-to-close Broadway production of Jason Robert Brown’s lovely, heartfelt and thought-filled musical, The Bridges of Madison County. The theatrical reimagining of the raw material strikes a tone of compassion and complexity that is virtually alien to the Harlequin romance/Lifetime Movie of the Week sensibility of the novel and the film.

Posted in Performances, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Troupe Pitches To Over 50, But It’s Not Just For Older Crowd

While it does give actors and audiences of the 50-plus demographic a forum to create, Pigs Do Fly’s Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life As We Know It isn’t just for those fifty or older; the humorous short plays, although sometimes predictable, presented life as we all know it.

Posted in Performances, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

News Briefs: Ehly’s Baby GirL Takes Big Step, Gheridian Honored, FPTA & PPTOPA Auds

Breathtaking, earth-shattering news of international importance that will change the way you look at your spouses, your children and your lives.

Posted in News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Ghost: The Musical Surprisingly More Depth Than Just Illusion

But perhaps the biggest illusion of Ghost: The Musical at the Broward Center is that, at its face value, it’s an ordinary Broadway musical. Because of this notion, it doesn’t seem to get its proper due. Yet, what lies beneath this musical is what’s really captivating.

Posted in Performances, Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

City Theatre’s CityWrights For Playwrights Opens in June; Early Registration Ends Wednesday

Meeting people, networking, building relationships are all critically important for writers hoping to bring their words to the stage. Giving playwrights a platform to learn and share their craft is the driving force behind CityWrights Professional Weekend for Playwrights, part of the City Theatre’s Summer Shorts Festival.

Posted in News | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Theater Shelf: Fun Home, Scenes For Actors, Jarrod Spector

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.

Posted in CDs / DVDs, Reviews | Leave a comment

Religious Intolerance Is Issue In MTC’s New Show “For Children”

“Learning to work through inbred intolerance” is not the kids’ stuff of an ABC Afterschool Special, but Miami Theater Center’s vision has always differed radically from what is often dismissed as children’s theater. Its world premiere, Everybody Drinks The Same Water, opening next week, is a thematically ambitious project designed to entertain and educate audiences ranging from students to their grandparents.

Posted in Features | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Rose And The Rime From House Theatre Celebrates Storytelling But With Adult Dark Message

In three visits to Miami, the House Theatre of Chicago has always exuded an underlying love of the gloriously imaginative storytelling only theater can deliver. But its current entry at the Arsht Center, Rose and the Rime, is specifically about storytelling as much for adults as children.

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“So A Man Turns Into A Snail…” Quirky New Musical The Trouble With Doug Is No Slug At All

Sometimes theater works even when you can’t quite explain how or why or even quite what you saw. Such is the quirky, thematically fuzzy but thoroughly entertaining new musical at Arts Garage, The Trouble With Doug. The titular trouble is the archetypical twenty-something hero is turning into a slug. Not a slacker. An actual slime-oozing, lettuce-addicted slug

Posted in Performances, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment