Peter Pan Flew Into the Hearts of Jupiter

Critics Rating: 3 out of 5 Spotlights

I recently got the opportunity to see the COPA's performance of Peter Pan at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Jupiter, FL. This two-day production featured 82 children who went to acting camp for three weeks and put on this entire production.

Based on J.M. Barrie's classic children's tale, Peter Pan tells the story of a young boy named Peter who lives in Never Never Land and battles the evil Captain James Hook.
With the help of three children, Wendy, Michael and John, Peter goes on one of the biggest adventures of all time.

Being in camp and rehearsal for only three weeks, this show was very well done. The sets were absolutely beautiful and extremely believable. The nursery in the beginning of the show was so detailed that it really looked like a nursery. The Never Land forest was really cute too. The set designer was even good enough to put the door for the underground house in.

The acting in this show was absolutely amazing and talented. The first actress that needs to be mentioned is Christina Reagan who played Peter. Christina was the perfect choice for this role as she had a voice that blew the audience away, especially during I've Gotta Crow and Neverland. She was able to hit the high notes and hold the long ones that were able to fully present this young woman's talent. Her nemesis Captain Hook, played by Spencer Ballantyne was also a force to be reckoned with. His acting talents were showcased with his Princely Scheme and Hook's Tango.

Additional recognition belongs to both Sydney Carbo, who played Wendy and Emily Rynasko, who played Tiger Lily. Carbo had a great vocal range and beautiful harmony with Christina during Neverland and Distant Melody. Rynasko had a great dancing ability that allowed her to be graceful during Indians.

A worth congratulations goes out to the entire cast, but specifically to the director and choreographer, Judy Gelman. For more information on COPA, please visit jupitertheatreorg and click "education".

Girls Night is a Special Night on the Town

Critics Rating: 3 out of 5 Spotlights

The Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is currently presenting Girls Night, The Musical. Full of popular female-oriented music, this show allows audiences the opportunity to mix famous music from all generations with a story that brings joy and happiness to all.

The story revolves around four women who come together at a karaoke bar to celebrate the engagement of a girl that they raised together after her mother, their friend, died. The narrator, Sharon, was the mother, now an angel of the engaged daughter, who has come down to watch the celebration commence.

Featuring such classic hits as Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Lady Marmalade and others, Girls Night is full of energy and laughs. A very unique spectacle of the show is the audience participation. During I Will Survive, the cast had the audience on their feet clapping and dancing while Sharon, played by Crystal Kellogg, came into the audience and made sure that everyone was enjoying themselves.

All five cast members show extreme talent, but two stood out to me the most. The first is Denise Devlin who plays the role of Liza. Full of vocal power and talent, Liza had attention focused on her whenever she was involved in a musical number. Her main number, I Will Survive, is the perfect piece for her, as it is full of energy and meaning. The other vocal knockout comes from Justine Hall who plays the role of Anita. During her performance of I Say a Little Prayer For You, I was brought back to the original performance sung by Dionne Warwick and similar sounds that this performer brings to the stage.

The only complaint that I have with the show is the lack of sophisticated choreography. The little bit that they did have just seemed to be repetitive. Given that the show took place in a dance club/karaoke bar, I expected to see some more dancing then what was performed.

Girls Night, The Musical will be playing at the Rinker Playhouse from July 8th through July 25th. For more information please call the Kravis Center box office at 561-832-7469 or go online at www.kravis.org

I Muddled Mindlessly Through Mid Life

(From L to R) Margot Moreland, Wayne Steadman, Allan Baker, Maribeth Graham, Barry J. Tarallo and Lourelene Snedeker

Critics Rating: 1 out of 5 spotlights

Mid Life! The Crisis Musical is performed by a six person cast showcasing short, musical skits about the perils of growing old.

The lyrics for most of the pieces were adorable, but the melodies were uninspiring and forgettable. The voices were weak, flat and not in sync. There was a lot of mumbling and forgotten words. One exception was Margot Moreland, who shines throughout the show with her vibrant personality and strong vocals. I Quit, performed just before intermission, was the only redeeming piece in the show. It gave me the false hope that the rest of Mid Life would be on the upswing.

The staging and lighting, as well as the entire show, reminded me of poor community theatre.

On a bright note, David Nagy, the pianist, gave his usual, fabulous performance. He’s the star of the show.

By the end of Mid Life, I felt like the crisis had passed and I had reached old age.

Mid Life! The Crisis Musical will run through August 10th at Actors Playhouse at the Miracle Mile Theatre in Coral Gables, FL. For more information about this show and their 2008-2009 season, visit www.actorsplayhouse.org

3rd Tony-Nominated Show to Close on 7/20

The third show in the category of Best Musical at the Tony Awards will be closing this month, as Stew's Passing Strange has announced that it will be having it's final performance on July 20th.


After it's matinee performance next week, the show will have played 20 previews and 165 performances. Passing Strange made previous headlines when famous film director, Spike Lee announced that he would be filming two performances of the show for a film version. The closing will be the next day after Lee finishes filming.


Although not winning the highest honor of Best Musical, writer and star, Stew did win Best Book of a Musical at the 2008 Tony Awards, held last month at Radio City Music Hall.

The past two shows that closed were Cry-Baby and A Catred Affair. Cry-Baby closed June 22nd and A Catered Affair will be closing July 27th.

Zero Hour is Not a Waste of Time

Zero Hour, Currently playing at Stage Door Theatre, portrays the little known life of famous Broadway stage and screen actor, Zero Mostel. Delivered to the audience by Jim Brochu, who grew up watching and interacting Mostel, professionally makes this show extremely moving and informative.

Set in Mostel’s art studio, audiences are given the extreme honor to witness an interview between the famed actor and a newspaper reporter, who is set to learn about Zero’s life and how he became who he was. Taking him and the audience back in time, we learn about how his parents immigrated to America, how they abandoned him, his first act on stage, and many other important times in history and how he was involved.

Through dramatic stories and comedic one-liners, people who only knew Zero as Tevye and Max Bialistock and other great roles, got a unique chance to learn about the struggles and trials that he had to go through to become who many Broadway lovers know him as. While audiences of his performances saw him as a fully devoted actor, Zero considered himself a painter, who acted on the side.

With a beautiful set design by the Stage Door Scene Shop, Ingenious Lighting designed by Ardean Landhuis and overall direction by Academy Award Nominee Piper Laurie, Zero Hour brings the seriousness aspect of an otherwise comedic lifestyle to view.

Zero Hour is playing at the Stage Door Theatre until July 27th. If you don't get a chance to see it there, make sure you catch it on Broadway starting in September. For more information, contact Stage Door Theatre at 954-344-7765 or online at www.stagedoortheatre.com

“ZERO” Scores a 10 In My Book

I had the pleasure of attending a performance of Zero Hour, a one-man show, starring Jim Brochu as Zero Mostel at Stage Door Theatre.

Zero Hour is the story of Zero Mostel's life, being recounted to a reporter. Brochu was a powerhouse, drawing the audience into a feverish dialogue, as though he was recounting his own life story, broken only by a brief comical interlude.

The set was simple and the lighting was subtle, lending a reality to the story being told.

Although the music was appropriate, I was slightly distracted by the volume while Brochu was talking about his mother.

The audience was at their feet even before Brochu appeared for his curtain call. I left the theatre in awe of the flawless, dynamic performance and highly recommend this show not be missed.

For more information, please visit www.stagedoortheatre.com