Reviews

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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

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Theater Shelf: Godspell, Death Takes A Holiday, The King(s) and I (Actually Several I’s)

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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Humana Festival’s New Plays Glimpse What May/Should Come To South Florida Theaters Soon

If you’re seeking safe, predictable mainstream theater, avoid the annual Humana Festival of New Plays at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. If you seeking “thought-provoking, edgy new work,” this is the mecca for South Floridians who want to glimpse what theater is evolving into during the coming decades.

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One More Trip Over The River At Stage Door Remains Warm And Funny Just Not As Vibrant

After nearly two decades of South Florida productions, the hilarious and poignant Over The River And Through The Woods has lost a bit of its power in this perfectly workmanlike and mildly affecting edition by Broward Stage Door. This trip to grandmother’s house may not be as vibrant as the one in your memory, but it still warms the gut like Aida’s ever-present pan of lasagna.

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