1776 Gives Beautiful Insight to the Origin of Our Nation

1776 kicks of the season for Actors' Playhouse with this perfectly timed (pre-presidential election) look back at the process that led up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

This mostly factual, yet funny production includes 26 actors who bring the audience to a dreadfully arid room in Philadelphia. This is where the Congress, lead by Gary Manachek ( John Adams) an overbearing, full of himself, dignitary, must decide if there is to be a United States of America.

Along with Manacheks' robust portrayal, is Ken Clement as a strong and convincing, gout-ridden Benjamin Franklin and Jim Ballard ( Richard Henry Lee) with his strong rendition of "The Lees of Old Virginia". Colleen Amaya (Abigail Adams) was delightful, with her crystal clear voice.

Unfortunately, there was one performance that didn't measure up...Irene Adjan (Martha Jefferson) was not cast age appropriate. She has a beautiful voice, but Martha was in her late teens, unlike Adjan.

The 7 musicians led by David Nagy, who is never a disappointment, brought the many musical numbers to life. Chissi Ardito added a historic pose to the opening as well as elegant choreography to the entire play. Ellis Tillmans' authentic, lavish costumes brought the show to life.

I'm thrilled that Artistic Director, David Arisco was able to bring 1776 to South Florida. Currently playing at Actors' Playhouse through November 2nd. For more information, please visit www.actorsplayhouse.org or call 305-444-9293.

Hairspray Transports Audiences for a Fun Weekend at the Broward Center

Hairspray, the popular musical, returns to Ft. Lauderdale, this weekend. Performances are from October 17th to the 19th.

After a week of technical rehearsals, Hairspray will begin its' new nationwide tour in Ft. Lauderdale with 5 performances throughout the weekend.

Hairspray is the story of a young girl named Tracy Turnblad who is determined to break the media barriers of appearance and color in Baltimore, Maryland. Through friends such as Motormouth Maybelle, Corny Collins and love interest, Link Larkin, Tracy must battle network nitwits and bring justice to the media and to the nation.

After winning the 2003 Tony Award for Best musical, Hairspray has became a major hit when it joined the movie musical revolution, fusing with RENT, Dreamgirls and the High School Musical franchise.

If you want to catch an amazing show, full of memorable songs, youthful innocence and spirit, and an overall good time, make sure you catch the beat with Hairspray at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts this weekend.

For more information, click on www.broadwayacrossamerica.com, www.hairsprayontour.com, or www.browardcenter.org

Why Can't Broadway Come Up With Original Ideas?

As many Broadway fans know, Seattle is currently playing host to the preview performances of Shrek, The Musical. The hit Dreamworks motion picture is planning on making its' Broadway debut in early November of this year. I have seen clips of the show and looks true to the movie, and in my opinion, will be successful. Now, this does not mean that all popular movies are going to do well on stage.

For example, in the beginning of this year, I discussed the fact that it was announced that in the 2009-2010 season there will be a Broadway show revolving around The Addams Family. It has been stated that it is not based on the movies or the television series, but will be starring the family members. I still agree with my past opinion that this show will be a mistake. I truly believe that this show, if at all, will become a cult hit, such as Rocky Horror (which did gain popularity once it made it to the movie theatres) or Taboo, which closed less than six months after its' opening night.

It now becomes very clear that, like the movie industry that continuously repeats common themes, Broadway has now lost its' creative edge. The reason for this irate opinion is that it has come to my attention this week that Julie Taymor, director of the Tony Award winning musical, The Lion King, has now teamed up with Marvel comics to make...Spider-Man the Musical.

I will not deny the fact that Spider-Man has been recognized as one of Stan Lee's biggest accomplishments when it comes to superheroes. I will also go as far as to say that it was one of the smartest ideas to make that comic book into three successful movies, with two more on the way. I will not continue to stand by and smile as Broadway moves from it's current, tasteful productions to stage adaptations of movies that should never have been thought of in the first place.

There is No Day But Today to See RENT on the Big Screen

September 7th, 2008 was a sad day for many as the Nederlander Theatre closed its'
Doors on it the hit show, RENT for the final time. A gigantic celebration was had by all as current and previous casts came together and celebrated the many "Seasons of Love" that this show gave the to the Great White Way.

Now, thanks to Sony Pictures and The Hot Ticket, the Broadway audience will not be the only ones to have the opportunity to witness that memorable night. Broadway fans across the nation will now have the opportunity to see the closing night's performance of RENT at their local movie theatre. Playing four times at the end of September, audiences will be able to watch the entire musical and portions of the celebration on stage with members of the original cast.

For more information about this once in a lifetime opportunity, including performance times and locations, visit www.rent.thehotticket.net.

Broadway Across America Announces Miami's 2008-2009 Season

Broadway Across America has officially announced it's upcoming 2008-2009 season for Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. This year's five-show lineup features three classic Broadway shows, a family favorite and a show direct from Broadway.

Starting off the season will be the stage version of the family classic movie, The Wizard of Oz. Set in Kansas, the classic story tells the story of a young girl named Dorothy and her dog, Toto who get whisked away to the magical land of OZ where she makes some unusual friends and an enemy who is "green" with envy. Don't miss this opportunity to walk down the yellow brick road with Dorothy and friends from October 28th to November 2nd.



Coming in December, the Broadway classic, Annie, makes its way to Miami, bringing with it the memorable songs such as "Maybe" and "Tomorrow". Follow the cute little redhead as she tries to match wits with devious Miss Hannigan and her brother Rooster. Annie and her friends will dance and sing their way to South Florida from December 2nd to December 7th.


Dancing their paws off, the cast of Cats will leap to the stage from December 31st to January 4th. This classical musical is based on T.S. Eliot's book of poems, entitled Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and was recorded as the longest running show on Broadway until 2006. Webber's classic is full of remarkable music, stunning costumes and mesmerizing choreography. Cats is a show that no Broadway fan should miss.


South Florida's own Cirque Productions brings their direct from Broadway show, Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy to the Arsht Theatre in 2009. brought to life by 25 performers and over 150 costumes, Jungle Fantasy mixes beautiful acrobatics, stunning visual effects and outstanding music to audiences as they are transported into the amazing minds of Cirque Productions. Don't miss this performance while it is in Miami from May 12th to May 17th.

Closing out the season will be the Tony Award winning musical, Chicago. Originally a play in 1926, this Kander and Ebb musical has brought many famous celebrities into the Broadway spotlight, including Brooke Shields, Kelly Osbourne and Ashley Simpson. Becoming even more popular after the 2002 film release, this show is a must-see for lovers of Fosse musicals. Chicago will be in Miami from May 26th to May 31st.

For more information, please visit www.broadwayacrossamerica.com

Murder on the Red Carpet Presents a Deadly Experience for All

Critics Rating: 3.5 out of 5 spotlights

Late last month, Dreamline Productions, based in West Palm Beach, presented an interactive murder mystery entitled, Murder on the Red Carpet. Based around an awards ceremony, audience members were thrust into the roles of famous movie actors/directors and brought into a storyline full of jealousy, hatred, and did I mention…….DEATH?

It’s present time in Hollywood and the lifetime achievement award, called the “Hollywoodie” is up for grabs. When the winner is announced, the chaos begins as the audience becomes the detective. Through intermittent skits and one-on-one discussions with the cast, audiences must piece together clues to catch the culprit and win the game.

Except for the sound quality, which was not the cast’s fault, the show was a lot of fun to be a part of. Playing the role of Steven Spielberg, I myself, got to have many opportunities to become involved in the different activities and interactions that were presented in this show.

The overall acting was well done. Because this was my first time at one of these events, I really didn’t know what to expect. As I had hoped, I really had fun. The actors made it a priority to involve as many people as possible during the show and to make sure that everyone was having a good time.

The cast included Enrique Vanderas, the top Spanish actor, Max Von Stipplehog, the German Director, Brinney Lo Sirusson, the top teenage actress, Dr. Damon Stien, the famed Hollywood plastic surgeon and a few other characters which ranged from a spiritualist to an obsessed fan.

Overall, I would, without a doubt recommend this show to anyone who wants to have good night out and loves to have fun and see a show at the same time. Dreamline Productions will be having an encore performance on September 20th at 7:30 at the Palm Beach Airport Hilton. They will also be having a Halloween show on October 31st involving a funeral.

For more information, please visit http://www.dreamlineproductioncompany.com/ or call 561-748-8864.

The Convertible Girl Gets a Golden Jewish Star

Critics Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Spotlights

Stage Door Theatre is currently presenting a comedic play entitled The Convertible Girl, written by Danny Simon, the brother of famous playwright, Neil Simon.

Taking place in California, the audience is introduced to the two main characters, Christina Fernandez and her boyfriend Ron Greenstein, played by Eileen Faxas and Matthew William Chizever. In the first scene, we learn that Christina has been living with Ron for a year and is moving out every weekend so that his kids didn’t know about her. We also learn that the only reason why Ron won’t marry her is because his mother is and old Jewish mother who is extremely religious and would die upon learning about the marriage because Christina is not Jewish.

Christina decides that she is going to convert to Judaism, and this is where the comedy ensues. Through mispronunciation and misunderstandings, Christina learns the words and traditional customs through her teacher, Jonas, played by Joey Zangardi.

This show was absolutely hysterical. My fellow critic and I have never laughed so much during a show. Also, I have never seen an audience laughing uncontrollably during intermission, than at this show.

Kudos belongs to the entire cast and veteran Stage Door director, Hugh Murphy, who once again, has brought an amazing show to South Florida.

The Convertible Girl will be at the Stage Door Theatre until October 12th. Starting August 29th and playing through October 5th, SDT will also be presenting the longest running musical in Chicago’s history, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? For more information, please visit www.stagedoortheatre.com or call their box office at 954-344-7765. Look back at www.5minstocurtain.com for our review of the next show.