Author Archives: Carol Kassie

Stage Door Theatre presents POMPADOUR – December 26, 2015 – January 31, 2016

07 Monday Dec 2015

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Stage-Door-Logo---960x260presents
Pomp LogoDecember 26, 2015 – January 31, 2016
It’s the music you remember made famous by the singers and groups you’ll never forget. So put your comb in your pocket, your brush in your bag, and get ready to raise the roof!

December 8, 2015

MARGATE, FL:  What do the Everly Brothers, Bobby Darrin, B.B. King, Frank and Elvis have in common?  Great music… and great hair!  Pompadour, a new musical review by Michael Leeds and Kevin Black features a quintet of ‘pompadoured’ guys singing and dancing through five decades of unforgettable music.  The production will run from December 26th, 2015 through January 31st, 2016.

Michael Leeds

Michael Leeds

“A few years ago I was out browsing through CDs and it was surprising to see the number of current male artists – like Justin Beiber and Bruno Mars – who sported the classic pompadour,” says Leeds.  “And I started thinking about the many singers through the years who’ve worn that style. After some research I discovered that the Pompadour originated as a symbol of both beauty and rebellion, and its lineage includes some of our greatest artists and groups spanning decades of music. And that was the genesis for a new musical revue called Pompadour!

“I divided the show into seven segments, the same way I had done with Swinging On A Star, but instead of a journey through time, it’s a journey through the different musical styles,” Leeds continues. “Our guides are five amazingly talented guys who all sing, dance, act, and play musical instruments!  We travel from Pop standards to Latin to Country to R&B, using the music made famous by solo artists (all pompadoured!) like Sinatra, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Jose Feliciano; duos like the Righteous Brothers and the Everly Brothers, and great groups like the Temptations, the Beach Boys, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.  When you’ve got a show that goes everywhere from Good Golly Miss Molly to La Bamba, from Midnight Train To Georgia to Witchcraft, it’s, – to quote a song we use – Unforgettable!”

Kevin Black

Kevin Black

“From the very first conceptual meeting, over two years ago now, I knew Michael had something special with his concept for Pompadour,” says Kevin Black, who will act as the show’s co-director and choreographer. “We had never worked together before, but 15 minutes into the conversation, I knew this collaboration would be a great one!

“First and foremost, we needed a must-talented cast. After over a year of auditioning, we found our five guys who not only have incredible voices, but are also very talented dancers, tappers and play piano, sax and acoustic guitar,” Black says. “As for set design, we knew we wanted a large LED screen, allowing us limitless possibilities in our seven thematic segments. Bringing in Michael McClain and Manny Schwartzman has taken our original vision to an even more creative place. We are all looking forward to seeing our vision come to life over the next few weeks.”

Leeds and Black’s five Pompadoured guys are Anthony Massaraotto, Stephen Millet, Preston Grover, Brandon Godfrey, and Jay Wilkinson.

Pompadour will run from December 26, 2015 – January 31, 2016 at The Stage Door Theatre.

Tickets for Pompadour are $38 – $42; $16 student tickets are also available. Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at www.stagedoortheatre.com. Group and Subscriber Discounts are available for all Stage Door productions

For more information about Pompadour and/or The Stage Door Theatre, please visit www.stagedoortheatre.com , or contact Derelle Bunn Executive Producer/Artistic Director, at DerelleBunn@yahoo.com / 954-344-7765 or Carol Kassie (ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244).

Pompadour
December 26, 2015 – January 31, 2016
Conceived by Michael Leeds & Kevin Black
Tickets: $38 – $42
Phone:  954-344-7765
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Stage Door Theatre
8036 W. Sample Road<
Margate, FL  33065
www.stagedoortheatre.com
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Stage Door Theatre presents GYPSY November 20 – January 3

16 Monday Nov 2015

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Stage Door Theatre
presents
Gypsy (mailer)November 20 – January 3

Louise: You really would have been something, Mother.
Mama Rose: Think so?
Louise: If you had had someone to push you like I had.
Mama Rose: If I could’ve been, I would’ve been. And that’s show business.
~ Gypsy

November 16, 2015
MARGATE, FL:   Gypsy has been called “the greatest of all American musicals” (Ben Brantley, The New York Times), “arguably, in thematic terms, the quintessential American musical,” (The Hollywood Reporter), and “Broadway’s own brassy, unlikely answer to King Lear”. (Frank Rich, The New York Times). Stage Door Theatre’s production of Gypsy, directed by the company’s newly appointed artistic director Dan Kelley, and starring 2014 Carbonell Award-winner (Best Actress/Musical) Ann Marie Olson, will open on November 20th, and run through January 3rd.

Loosely based on the 1957 memoir of strip tease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, Gypsy focuses on the hopes, dreams, and gargantuan efforts of Mama Rose (“one of the few truly complex characters in the American musical….” Clive Barnes, New York Times), whose efforts to get her two daughters into show business makes her the archetypal picture of a ‘stage mother’ – a woman who will stop at nothing to make sure she gets what she wants – entirely disregarding the needs of everyone around her – including those very daughters whose lives she tries to direct and control.

Gypsy features songs that have become standards of musical theatre canon, including “Some People,” “Let Me Entertain You,” “Rose’s Turn,” and the show-stopping, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”. Famous for helping launch lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s career, Gypsy’s book by Arthur Laurents is widely considered to be one of the classic examples of a traditional “book musical.”

“Rose is such a coveted, iconic role and I couldn’t be more honored to play her,” says Olson, who arrives at Stage Door directly from her critically acclaimed performance as Sandra Bloom in Slow Burn Theatre Company’s Big Fish.

Dan Kelley 3

Dan Kelley

“I’m so excited to be directing one of my favorite musicals of all time,” says Kelley, “Because of my great affection for this show I took special care in finding the perfect cast to bring Gypsy to life.” Kelley has cast Matthew Korinko as Herbie, and real life sisters Lola and Zoe McClure to play Baby June and Louise.

Ann Marie Olson

Ann Marie Olson

“Dan Kelley is such a delightful director and knows this famous “book musical” oh so well,” says Olson. “And after doing several shows with Matthew Korinko over the past few years, it will be fun to finally play opposite of him as a couple!”

Gypsy will run from November 20 – January 3 at The Stage Door Theatre.
Tickets for Gypsy are $38 – $42; $16 student tickets are also available. Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at www.stagedoortheatre.com. Group and Subscriber Discounts are available for all Stage Door productions

For more information about Gypsy and/or The Stage Door Theatre, please visit www.stagedoortheatre.com , or contact Derelle Bunn Executive Producer/Artistic Director, at DerelleBunn@yahoo.com / 954-344-7765 or Carol Kassie (ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244).

Gypsy
November 20, 2015 – January 3, 2016
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Arthur Laurents
Tickets: $38 – $2
Phone:  954-344-7765
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Stage Door Theatre
8036 W. Sample Road
Margate, FL  33065
www.stagedoortheatre.com
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TJ’z Productions Presents The 4 Guyz in ‘4 EVER ‘50s’ – December 4 – 13, 2015

13 Friday Nov 2015

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TJ’z Productions
Presents
The 4 Guyz in

4ever50 with text cropDecember 4 – 13, 2015

Life could be a dream….”  “…A fabulously fun two acts of music
that brought theaudience to its feet…”
– Damien Jacques of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

November 13, 2015
BOCA RATON, FL: From December 4th through December 13th, 2015 audiences at the Willow Theatre in Boca Raton’s Sugar Sand Park will be invited to spend an evening of music and nostalgia as The 4 Guyz harmonize, reminisce, and ‘drift back to The Good ‘Ole Dayz of drive-ins, sock hops, greasers and hot rods’ in 4 Ever ‘50s.

belairA treat for history buffs and music lovers alike, the show asks how many of the jingles of that special era rattled off during the evening will audiences remember and sing along to? Can they name all the top television shows from the 1950’s and early 1960’s? And of course, can they sing along to such timeless classics as “Teenager in Love,” “Blue Moon,” “At the Hop,” “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” and many, many more.

James Skiba

James Skiba

Debuting over 10 years ago and running continuously throughout the Midwest, 4 Ever ‘50s, featuring The 4 Guyz has consistently sold out wherever and whenever it has played. The group’s mixture of nostalgia, fun, and audience participation resonates with theatre and music patrons of all ages.

When the group’s founder, actor and musician James A. Skiba relocated to South Florida, “I missed performing the show immensely,” he explains. “And I truly believe we can capture the same magic here that we have done elsewhere.”

The other members of the group feel the same way: “As soon as I told them I’d be producing 4 Ever ‘50s down here, two of our original ‘Guyz’, J.W. Anderson and Stephen Uselman arranged to take time off work and are coming to South Florida from the Midwest to help teach the show to our local cast, and to participate in several of the performances themselves,” Skiba says.

“There’s an abundance of amazing talent down here,” he continues. “And we think we found the perfect mix of charm, warmth, comedy, and beautiful voices that blend together on the four part harmonies throughout the show.”

The new Guyz are Shane Cooney, Larry Buzzeo, Cameron Jordan, and Steven Michael Kennedy as a swing.”

4 Ever ‘50s will run from December 4th through December 13th at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park. Tickets are $30; group rates (6 or more tickets purchased in one transaction) are $24. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.willowtheatre.org/4ever-50s or by phone at 561-347-3948.

For more information about 4 Ever ‘50s and/or The 4 Guyz, please visit www.4ever50s.com or contact James Skiba at FourEver50s@aol.com , or contact Carol Kassie (ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244).

Photographs and graphics available on request.

TJ’z Productions
presents
The 4 Guyz in
4 Ever ‘50s
December 4 – 13
Performance dates & times:
Dec 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 at 8pm
Dec 5, 6, 12, 13 at 2pm
Tickets:
$30 per person; $21 opening night December 4)
$24 group rate (6 or more tickets purchased in one transaction)
(Group rates may only be purchased in person or by calling the Box Office)
To purchase tickets: 561-347-3948 or www.willowtheatre.org
The Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
300 South Military Trail
Boca Raton, FL 33486
www.willowtheatre.org
www.4ever50s.com

“The show’s song list is irresistible ear candy for folks who grew up on
sock hops and 45 rpm records.”   “… the show embraces the
audience with a sincere charm.”
– Damien Jacques of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

 

Sol Children Theatre presents ONCE UPON A MATTRESS – December 3 – 20

10 Tuesday Nov 2015

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Sol Children Theatre
presents
OnceUopnAmattress_proofDecember 3rd – 20th

 “For a princess is a delicate thing, delicate and dainty as a dragonfly’s wing.
You can recognize a lady by her elegant air, but a genuine princess
is exceedingly rare!”
Once Upon a Mattress

 November 11, 2015
BOCA RATON, FL: Sol Children Theatre will follow up their recent sold out productions of The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Thumbelina with a classic musical comedy bound to appeal to audiences of all ages. Once Upon a Mattress will open on December 3rd and run through December 20th in the company’s charming black box venue in Boca Raton.

Based on the Hans Christian Andersen story “The Princess and the Pea”, Once Upon a Mattress puts a uniquely comic spin on the the tale of a medieval kingdom’s search for a proper princess to marry the hapless Prince Dauntless. Enter Winnifred the Woebegone, princess of the far-off swampland Farfelot – who makes her entrance looking like a drowned rat — she swam the moat. Winnifred, or Fred to her friends, is altogether too common for Dauntless’ mother, Queen Aggravain’s taste. “Blood will tell,” spits the Queen, “and yours doesn’t tell quite enough.” The Prince, however, immediately falls in love. But before happily ever after can ensue, Winnifred must pass a test, and prove to the Queen that she is indeed a true princess.

Gisbert Heuer will direct the production: “Once Upon a Mattress has always been one of my favorite musicals,” says Heuer. “So I’m particularly excited to bring my own personal vision of this show to life and onto our stage. Our cast is inspiring – the fact that it includes children who are just beginning to learn the art of stage craft, and pairs them with adult professional performers, allowing them to experience all that goes into to an actual professional production, adds a unique and exciting aspect to the show.”

Del Marrero and Burke Schoeppl will play Princess Winnifred and Prince Dauntless. Other cast members include Ellie Katz Murray (Queen Aggravain), Devin Tupler (Lady Larkin), Steven Michael Kennedy (Sir Harry), Courtney Ruebens (Minstrel), Jessi Ryan (Jester), Rylee Siegel (Lady in Waiting), Jennipher Murphy-Whitcomb (Wizard), and Meredith Levin (First Knight)

“It is such a pleasure to be under the direction of the incomparable musical genius, Gisbert Heuer,” says Burke Schoeppl. “I am filled with utmost joy to be returning to performing onstage at Sol Theatre with such a fantastic cast and crew. I will be playing the role of Prince Dauntless, a total “mama’s boy” on the search for a bona fide princess to meet his mother’s high expectations of a perfect mate. This is a hilarious musical take on a classic fairytale that you will not want to miss!”

Tickets for Once Upon a Mattress are on sale now, and can be purchased on line at www.solchildren.org or by calling 561-447-8829. Tickets are $15; $10 for children aged 11 or younger. Sol Theatre is located at 3333 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton (33431).

For more information about Sol Children Theatre, visit:  www.solchildren.org, or contact Rosalie Grant at: solchildtroupe@aol.com/561-447-8829, or Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com/ 561-445-9244.

Once Upon a Mattress
Music by Mary Rodgers
Lyrics by Marshall Barer
Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer
December 3 – 20, 2015
Tickets: $15 / $10 juniors (11 and younger)
For tickets: 561-447-8829 / www.solchildren.org
Performances:
Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 2 pm
All performances at
Sol Theatre
3333 N. Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL 33431
www.solchildren.org
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WE OWN THE NIGHT! A Sensational Pulse-Pounding Musical Party! Saturday, November 28th, 2015

04 Wednesday Nov 2015

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Saladino productions LogoConnie Mason and Saladino Productions, Inc.
present
posterWe Own the Night
Saturday, November 28th, 8 pm

November 4, 2015:

POMPANO BEACH, FL:   On November 28th, 2015 producer Connie Mason and Saladino Productions, Inc. will bring the music of some of the most lauded and recognized musicians of yesterday, today, and tomorrow to the Hollybrook Golf & Country Club for a “One Night Only’” Concert Event – We Own the Night – featuring Larry DiSalvi of The Duprees, The Five Satins and The Crests, along with singer/dancer Rome Saladino, and Broadway’s Lissi Lennox. They will be accompanied by The Fabulous Funkadelic a 6 piece band that will “rock the house!” says Saladino.

DiSalvi 1RCA/Electra/Asylum recording artist, Larry DiSalvi was the lead singer of the popular doo-wop group The Duprees for ten years. He also performed as lead singer with The Five Satins and with The Crests. DiSalvi has played all the major arenas around the world, entertaining big name stars, dignitaries, and world leaders. He has appeared with Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Dion, Bobby Rydell, and Joan Rivers, among others. His hit single “Magic Lady” is still one of the most requested wedding and anniversary songs today.

1077 RomeRome Saladino has appeared as an FBI Agent alongside Tom Hanks in “Catch Me If You Can” directed Steven Spielberg, and starred in an Australian shark reenactment, “Killer Sharks: Black December”, on the Discovery Channel, directed by Seth Rogan. Stage roles include Pippin in Pippin, Caleb in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Annie, A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, On the Town, as well as Tokyo Disney’s American Musical Theatre Broadway Revue, Encore!  He has cruised the world starring in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Music of the Night on the Norwegian Star. Saladino wrote, produced, and starred in his own tribute to Hollywood legend Gene Kelly, Singin’ and Dancin’ in the Rain, which has played to sold out audiences throughout the state of Florida.

Lennox 1Lissi Lennox has appeared on Broadway, at the Metropolitan Opera, The Grand Ole Opry, and in theatres and venues around the world, including the Sydney Opera House, and St. Peter’s Cathedral. The award-winning actress (Ace Award, Carbonell Award, Dove Award) has been dubbed ‘Broadway’s Darling’, and has starred in numerous productions, including Showboat, The King & I, and South Pacific. She has shared the stage with numerous renowned performers – from Howard Keel to Bruce Springsteen.

We Own the Night’s Producer/Director Connie Mason brings a lifetime of experience to the production. Mason has had a long and varied career in the entertainment industry. She was a “Gerber Baby” at age 6 months, and began to dance at age 4; by age 16 she was training with the American Ballet Theatre. She appeared on Broadway, and in the ‘Folies Bergere’ in Las Vegas, where she also performed with Elvis Presley, Liberace, Tom Jones, and Richard Pryor. Some of her movie credits include “Midnight Cowboy”, “Silver Streak”, “Who’ll Stop the Rain”, “Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon” and “Grease”. After a leg injury put a stop to her dancing career, Mason began producing, directing, and choreographing for stars such as Frankie Avalon, The Beach Boys, Santana, The Who, and Led Zeppelin.

We Own the Night will be performed for One Night Only – on Saturday, November 28th, at 8:00 pm – at the Hollybrook Golf & Tennis Club, 900 Hollybrook Drive, Pembroke Pines, FL 33025.

Tickets are $25 or $22.50 for groups of 10 or more, and are available by phone at 954-648-0115 and on line at http://saladino-productions-inc.ticketleap.com/we-own-the-night/.

For more information about We Own the Night or Saladino Productions, Inc., please contact Rome Saladino at 561-251-7573/ saladino_dance@yahoo.com, or Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244/ckassie@gmail.com . For more information about Saladino Productions, visit www.saladinodance.com.

For photos and graphics please contact Carol Kassie.

We Own the Night
November 28th, 2015
8:00 pm
The Hollybrook Golf & Tennis Club
900 Hollybrook Drive
Pembroke Pines, FL 33025
Tickets: $25; $22.50 for groups of 10 or more
To purchase tickets: 954-648-0115
On Line:  http://saladino-productions-inc.ticketleap.com/we-own-the-night/

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Thinking Cap Theatre at The Vanguard presents Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST November 20 – December 13

27 Tuesday Oct 2015

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Thinking Cap Theatre at The Vanguard
presents
Oscar Wilde’sEarnest-poster---webNovember 20 – December 13

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”
Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

October 28, 2015
LAUDERDALE, FL: Dust off your disco shoes and get ready to have fun with puns. Thinking Cap Theatre will put its own unique spin on one of the theatre’s most beloved classics when it presents Oscar Wilde’s bristling comedy The Importance of Being Earnest at the Vanguard Sanctuary for the Arts from November 20th through December 13th.

Director Nicole Stodard has set the play in December 1978 – in disco-era New York City. The show promises to be punny, prurient, and pointed, informed by both 1970’s pop culture and social issues.

“In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.”
Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

First performed on February 14th, 1895 at the St James’s Theatre in London – the height of the Victorian era – the farcical comedy, in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae to escape burdensome social obligations, has proven to be one of Wilde’s most popular and enduring pieces. The Importance of Being Earnest was celebrated for the lighthearted ingenuity of its plot and its scintillating dialogue. Yet the play also contains a critique of relationship conventions, social mores, and gender roles that still resonate today.

Stodard has assembled an award-winning cast to bring Wilde’s characters to life:
Carbonell Award-winners Karen Stephens and Clay Cartland will be joined by Elizabeth Price, Carey Hart, Noah Levine, Jim Gibbons, Johnnie, Bowls, and Emma Magner.

Nicole Stodard

Nicole Stodard

“For me, Earnest was love at first read,” says Stodard. “Wilde’s wit is, in my opinion, unrivaled. And yet, depending on the staging, the play can sometimes feel dated, so I always knew that I wanted to stage the play closer to our own moment. The class, gender, racial, and sexual politics of the late 1970’s make for a rich and poignant backdrop for revisiting and re-imagining Wilde’s comedy. The 1970’s were an incredibly hedonistic and liberated decade, a drag culture was emerging in downtown NYC, and discos, most notably Studio 54, were the sites of divine apparel, playfulness, and pleasure. However, feminism experienced a splintering, gay marriage was still decades from society’s grasps, AIDS was on its way to becoming an epidemic, and anti-gay and racial violence still occurred routinely—not the least of which was the November 1978 murder of openly gay politician, Harvey Milk.”

Karen Stephens

Karen Stephens

“I’m so thrilled to play a role I wouldn’t normally get to play,” says actress Karen Stephens, who will play Lady Bracknell in the production “And the opportunity to bring this character – who is normally played by a male – to life in the retro world that will be created by director, Nicole Stodard is so exciting.”

“I am so excited to FINALLY work with Nicole Stodard and Thinking Cap Theatre, not to mention this stellar cast!” says Clay Cartland, who won the 2014 Carbonell Best Actor, Musical, Award for his work in The Trouble With Doug.

Clay Cartland

Clay Cartland

“Take everything you thought you knew about Oscar Wilde and this show in general,” he continues. “Then imagine Oscar Wilde and Donna Summer conceived a child while watching Saturday Night Fever…and then buy your tickets!

“The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.”
Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

Tickets for The Importance of Being Earnest are $35 ($20 for students with ID) and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by calling 813-220-1546 or on line at www.thinkingcaptheatre.com.

The Vanguard Sanctuary for the Arts is located at 1501 S. Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, 33301.  There is free street parking surrounding the building and a metered municipal lot just south of The Vanguard on Andrews Ave.

For more information about Thinking Cap Theatre at the Vanguard visit www.thinkingcaptheatre.com. or contact Nicole Stodard at nicole@thinkingcaptheatre.com / 813-220-1546 or Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com /561-445-9244.

The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
By Oscar Wilde
November 20 – December 13, 2015
Tickets: $35 ($37.22 with s/c)
For Tickets: 813-220-1546
On Line:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2304016
www.thinkingcaptheatre.com
Performance Schedule:
Friday, November 20, 2015, 8pm (Opening Night)
Saturday, November 21st, 8pm
Sunday, November 22nd, 5pm
Friday, November 27th, 8pm
Saturday, November 28th, 8pm
Sunday, November 29th, 5pm
Thursday, December 3rd, 8pm
Friday, December 4th, 8pm
Saturday, December 5th, 8pm
Sunday, December 6th, 5pm
Thursday, December 10, 8pm
Friday, December 11, 8pm
Saturday, December 12, 8pm
Sunday, December 13, 5pm
Please note – there will be no performance on Thursday, November 26 – Thanksgiving Day

The Vanguard
1501 S. Andrews Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
www.vanguardarts.org
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“How you can sit there, calmly eating muffins when we are in this horrible trouble, I can’t make out. You seem to me to be perfectly heartless.”
“Well, I can’t eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would probably get on my cuffs. One should always eat muffins quite calmly.
It is the only way to eat them.”
“I say it’s perfectly heartless your eating muffins at all, under the circumstances.”
Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

 

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Stephen Sondheim’s THE FROGS – November 19th & 20th ONLY!

22 Thursday Oct 2015

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16th Century, Inc. In Collaboration with
Evening Star Productions
presents
Stephen Sondhiem’s

FROGS_CoverPhoto - ck

The Frogs
in Concert
November 19th (preview) & 20th Only

October 22, 2015

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL: 16th Century, Inc. and Evening Star productions will collaborate to present two FREE concert performances of Stephen Sondheim’s The Frogs on Thursday, November 19th (a preview performance) and Friday, November 20th at Studio One in Ft. Lauderdale.

The purpose of this collaboration, explains the production’s director, Rosalie Grant, “Is to increase awareness of, and appreciation for historically themed productions, and to create theatre with really cool people!”

‘Freely adapted’ from Aristophanes’ Greek comedy by Sondheim’s frequent collaborator Burt Shevlove, The Frogs was first presented as part of the Yale Repertory Theatre’s 1974 season in the university’s gymnasium’s swimming pool.   In Aristophanes’ version, the play is largely a debate between Aeschylus and Euripides, to determine who is the greater artist – with the winner of the contest to return to Earth to save civilization. In Shevelove’s version, the plot remains much the same, but the contest is updated to be a debate between William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw. The 1974 production is particularly noted for its not yet famous cast, which included Larry Blyden, Christopher Durang, Sigourney Weaver, and Meryl Streep.

16th Century is a not-for-profit organization that specializes in Historical Interpretation and Historical Entertainment.  From whimsical and engaging characters representing exaggerations of medieval professions to specific representations of historical figures from the Renaissance, Enlightenment and Victorian eras, 16th century strives to offer history as an “experience” in a thoughtful, fun and engaging way.

“The decision to do The Frogs as part of our Shakespeare Collaborative was a funny one,” says 16th Century’s Chris Schultz. “The Shakespeare Collaborative is a play reading series where we offer staged readings of some of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays.  Last season we did staged readings of Shakespeare’s plays and had a Marlowe Takeover night, where we read one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, Christopher Marlowe’s play Doctor Faustus.  This season we are reading Shakespeare’s plays set in Greece and some in Rome, so we refer to these as his “Greek(ish)” plays.  Since Shakespeare himself adapted and contemporized several ancient Greek stories and ideas, what better way to have another Takeover than to offer up an obscure, little known Greek play by Aristophanes that had been updated and given a contemporary spin by Stephen Sondheim and Burt Shevelove, itself a dated piece of 1960’s musical theatre?

“The decision to approach Rosalie Grant and (musical director) Rebeca Diaz for this project was a no brainer,” he continues. “Both are familiar with our mission and have worked with us in various capacities in the past, although this is the first time we have ever been able to actively engage in a true collaborative effort, and I am very excited for such extraordinary talent to share their skills with us.  As a small upstart theatre doing work that many might consider old and stale, the opportunity to work with Rosalie Grant who is a giant in the South Florida Theatre Community and Rebeca Diaz, who is an up and coming talent who already has earned amazing respect at her young age is an opportunity for which I am incredibly grateful.  I cannot wait to see what they do with it!”

Cast members for the production include Geoffrey Short as Dionysos, Aaron Berman as Xanthias, John Robert Franklin as William Shakespeare, and Skye Whitcombe as George Bernard Shaw.

For more information about Evening Star Productions, please contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447-8829 / info@eveningstarproductions.com or Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 / ckassie@gmail.com . For more information about 16th Century, Inc. please contact: http://www.16thcentury.org.

The Frogs
November 19 (preview performance) & 20
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Freely Adapted by Burt Shevelove from a comedy written in 405 B.C. by Aristophanes
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Musical Direction by Rebeca Diaz
Admission: FREE (Very limited seating)
Performance time:   7 pm
For information:  561-447-8829 / http://www.eveningstarproductions.org
Performances at:
Studio One
800 NW 57th Pl,
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309

Frogs 1

Stage Door Theatre presents DIAL M FOR MURDER October 30 – December 6

22 Thursday Oct 2015

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Stage Door Theatre
presents
final-unnessary-farce-cs5October 30 – December 6

“…original and remarkably good theatre—quiet in style but tingling with excitement underneath.” —NY Times.

October 22, 2015

MARGATE, FL: Frederick Knott’s Dial M for Murder is a psychological thriller – a character driven, carefully plotted, ‘cat-and mouse’ piece of theatre that is as contemporary now as it was when it first premiered on BBC television in 1952. Stage Door Theatre’s production of Dial M for Murder will open on October 30th, and run through December 6th.

Best known as a classic Alfred Hitchcock film, this ‘noir’ thriller was performed in London’s West End and on Broadway several years before Hitchcock adapted it for the screen.   The play centers around former tennis star Tony Wendice and his scheme to have his wealthy wife murdered, after learning she has designated him her heir. Although Wendice’s plans are evident almost from the outset, Knott’s clever plotting and characterizations will keep audiences on the edge of their seats throughout the play.

Dial M for Murder is being directed by Arthur Whitelaw, who, along with the rest of the cast is impressed by the quality of Knott’s script. “It’s so well written,” he says. “Our audiences are in for a treat.”

“I think Dial M For Murder, as a play, is so beautifully crafted,” says actor Jason Plourde, who has been cast as Tony Wendice in the production. “As a classically trained singer with an operatic background, I’m accustomed to the use of melody and lyricism as tools to impart the drama of a show. I think the text in this play is very lyrical and almost musical in its cadence. The use of language is so lush that it’s an absolute delight to say these words. And also, it’s just always so much fun to play the villain, especially when it is in the guise of someone as cool and confident as Tony.”

Larry Bramble agrees: “What a gift to be cast as Inspector Hubbard in this theatre classic,” he says. “The script is so well written and with this talented cast, the experience will be one to remember. It’s a real page-turner, as they would say if it were a book.”

Other cast members include Gladys Ramirez as Margot Wendice, Sean Dorazio as Lesgate, Roy Lynam as Max Halliday, and Jose-Luiz Lopez as Thompson.

Dial M for Murder will run from October 30 – December 6 at The Stage Door Theatre. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, Margate, 33065.

Tickets for Dial M for Murder are $38 – $42; $16 student tickets are also available. Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at www.stagedoortheatre.com. Group and Subscriber Discounts are available for all Stage Door productions

For more information about Dial M for Murder and/or The Stage Door Theatre, please visit www.stagedoortheatre.com , or contact Derelle Bunn Executive Producer/Artistic Director, at DerelleBunn@yahoo.com / 954-344-7765 or Carol Kassie (ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244).

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Dial ‘M’ for Murder
October 30 – December 6, 2015
By Frederick Knotts
Tickets: $38 – $42
Phone: 954-344-7765
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm,
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
The Stage Door Theatre
8036 W Sample Rd
Margate, Fl 33065
www.stagedoortheatre.com
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Entr’acte Theatrix presents MEL BROOKS’ YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN – October 22 – November 1

06 Tuesday Oct 2015

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Entr-logopresents
YoungFrankensteinOctober 22 – November 1
The Award-winning musical to run at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts/Crest Theatre

October 6, 2015

DELRAY BEACH, FL: Entr’acte Theatrix, whose recent productions of Into the Woods, Avenue Q, Spamalot, and The Rocky Horror Show have consistently filled the Crest Theatre, will present Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein from October 22nd through November 1st at the popular Delray Beach venue.

It's Alive 1A wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend, Brooks’ comedy masterpiece follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that’s Fronkensteen!) as he attempts to complete his grandfather’s masterwork and bring a corpse to life. Together with his oddly shaped and endearing helper Igor (that’s Eye-gor), his curvaceous lab assistant Inga, and in spite of his incredibly self-involved madcap fiancé Elizabeth, Frankenstein succeeds in creating a monster — but not without scary and quite often hilarious complications.

Young Frankenstein was Mel Brooks’ follow-up to his hit musical The Producers, and audience reaction to the production was consistently positive, much to his delight: “I love what they do,” Brooks said in an interview shortly after the show opened. “The audience knows Young Frankenstein the movie; they didn’t know The Producers. They all neigh when anyone on stage says “Frau Blucher”. And they can’t wait for the Blind Hermit to spill the hot soup on the monster’s lap. It’s great to see the audience play ping-pong with the actors.”

“Young Frankenstein allows Entr’acte Theatrix an excellent opportunity to introduce this group of young actors to the genius of Mel Brooks,” explains the company’s founder and producer Vicki Halmos. “He’s one of our foremost American comedy writers. We introduced the company to the British comedy of Monty Python with our production of Spamalot a couple of years ago, and Brooks’ work is a natural follow-up to that. We drilled them in workshops to land the comedy and study the contrasts.”

Several Young Frankenstein cast members were part of Halmos’ Palm Beach Principal Players group several years ago, and are now back with freshly minted theatre degrees, and looking for the on-stage experience Entr’acte provides.

Kevin Black

Kevin Black

Kevin Black, who has helmed a number of Entr’acte’s productions, will direct the show, and Roger Blankenship has taken on the task of musical direction.

“I’m really impressed with this cast’s preparedness”, says Black. He met them after they’d completed their comedy improv workshops, which were run by Seth Trucks, a graduate of London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. “I found them to be delightfully bonded – with the material, and with each other.”

Roger Blankenship - Musical Director

Roger Blankenship – Musical Director

“I had been a fan of the movie, but did not know it was made into a musical,” says Blankenship.  “It was a shock to learn that Mel Brooks also wrote the music!  And it is good!! AND we have the singers to bring it to life on stage!!!”.

Cast members include Robyn Eli Brenner (Frederick Frankenstein), Victoria Lauzun (Inga), Christopher Lam (The Creature), Greg Halmos (Igor), Carlo Sabusap (Inspector Kemp), Cindy Thagard (Frau Blucher), Melissa Whitworth (Elizabeth), and Ross Parris (Dr. Victor Frankenstein). Also cast are Lara Williams, Phillip Andrew, Maryann Whims, Mary Grace Tesoriero, Nick Williams, Jonathan Nieto, Katie Frederickson, and Alexander Schettino.

Entr’acte Theatrix is a not-for-profit, semi-professional, showcase company providing opportunities for emerging theatre artists, both on-stage and backstage. The fourteen year old company gives students of college or post-graduate programs on a professional trajectory with a goal of working in the profession a chance to gain experience in their area of training or interest. Entr’acte, as the name suggests, is the “next step,” from classroom to career, and provides the young theatre artist with one of his or her all-important first professional resume-building credits.

Young Frankenstein will run from October 22nd to November 1st at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts’ Crest Theatre, 51 N. Swinton Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33444. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased on line at: www.entractetheatrix.org or www.delraycenterforthearts.org, or by phone at 561-243-7922, Ext. 1. Tickets are $30; student rates ($20) and group rates ($22) are also available.

For more information about Entr’Acte Theatrix or Young Frankenstein, contact Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com/561-445-9244.

Young Frankenstein
Book by Mel Brooks
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks
Book by Thomas Meehan
October 22 – November 1
Performance Schedule:
Thursday, October 22 – 8 pm (Preview)
Friday, October 23 – 8 pm
Saturday, October 24 – 2 pm
Saturday, October 24 – 8 pm
Sunday, October 25 – 2 pm (Buy One Ticket/Get One Free)
Sunday, October 25 – 8 pm
Wednesday, October 28 – 8 pm
Thursday, October 29 – 8 pm
Friday, October 30 – 8 pm
Saturday, October 31 – 2 pm
Saturday, October 31 – 8 pm
Sunday, November 1 – 2 pm
Delray Beach Center for the Arts / Crest Theatre
51 N. Swinton Ave.
Delray Beach 33444
Box Office: 561-243-7922, Ext. 1                    
Click HERE to purchase tickets!
www.entractetheatrix.org
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Stage Door Theatre Appoints Dan Kelley as Artistic Director

06 Tuesday Oct 2015

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Stage Door Theatre
is pleased to announce the appointment of
Dan Kelley
as Artistic Director


October 6, 2015

When Dan Kelley met Derelle (Dee) Wilson at an audition for Company for the Ft. Lauderdale Players in 1989 for the first time, Kelley somehow knew they had a future together, says Bunn. “I don’t know who that woman is,” he told his partner, “but I will know her the rest of my life.”

And on October 1st, 2015 – 27 years later – Dan Kelley took on the official role of Artistic Director at Bunn’s Stage Door Theatre.

Dan Kelley 3

Dan Kelley

Originally known as an actor, Dan Kelley made his debut at the Ruth Foreman Theatre in 1989, and subsequently appeared “on every South Florida regional stage for the next ten years,” he says. Jack Zink of the Sun-Sentinel wrote “Dan Kelley, possibly the region’s best known song and dance man…”

But in 1998 co-founders of The Broward Stage Door Theatre Dee Wilson Bunn and David Torres asked Kelley to direct his first show – he had never directed before – “so it was a giant leap of faith / crapshoot on their part which seemed to work out because 17 years and over 100 shows later I’m still directing here at Stage Door,” he says. Kelley is proud to be on a very short list – that includes Daivd Arisco and Lou Tyrrell – of individuals who have been nominated for the Carbonell Award as both actor and director.

Some major highlights over the years include – Zaza/Albin in La Cage 2000 ( Carbonell nomination best actor in a musical ), Parade (regional premiere, Carbonell nomination best direction ), The Drowsy Chaperone (winner Silver Palm Award – nominated Carbonell award best actor, direction) , and Neil Simon’s Rumors ( winner best ensemble Carbonell Award).

Kelley takes great satisfaction in looking back at all the careers that he helped start at Stage Door . Actors fresh out of college playing their first roles in the professional arena who have gone on to major Broadway and Regional careers. “As I learned back in 1998, that’s what it’s all about – taking a giant leap of faith/crapshoot on someone and seeing it all work out.”

Derelle Bunn a

Derelle Bunn

Derelle Bunn is the Co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of the Stage Door Theatre. She has a life-long career in the performing arts, producing more than 300 productions, and performing as an actress in more than 50 shows from New York to Florida. She graduated with honors from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater, and a co-major in Theatrical Business Management. She also attended New York University’s Masters Program. She was the Founder and choreographer for the Urban Ballet Company in Atlanta, Georgia., receiving grants from Coca-Cola and winning numerous awards for her work there. She is a two time winner of the prestigious Candler Grant, and received three Governors Honors Awards in recognition for her work as a choreographer. As a singer, she has been a two-time finalist for the NYSTA awards, sponsored by Stephen Sondheim. Stage Door audiences may remember her for performances in Deathtrap, Side By Side By Sondheim, and Prisoner Of 2nd Avenue. Directing credits at the Stage Door include The Convertible Girl, Star Spangled Girl, and An Evening With Rodgers And Hart.

For more information about Stage Door Theatre, please visit www.stagedoortheatre.com , or contact Derelle Bunn Executive Producer/Artistic Director, at DerelleBunn@yahoo.com / 954-344-7765 or Carol Kassie (ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244).

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