Author Archives: Carol Kassie

Avi Hoffman, Sally Bondi & Ken Clement to star in the Boca Raton Theatre Guild’s “Chicago”

31 Tuesday Jul 2012

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The Boca Raton Theatre Guild’s
Chicago
to feature some of South Florida’s
Top Talent!

Carbonell Award-winning actor Avi Hoffman will star as Billy Flynn in the Boca Raton Theatre Guild’s upcoming production of Chicago. The classic Kander and Ebb musical will run from March 1st through March 17th at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.  Sally Bondi will play Matron Ma Morton, and Ken Clement has been cast as Amos Hart. Auditions for other roles in the production will be held on Monday, September 10th, from 5 pm – 9 pm at the Willow Theatre.

Chicago will be directed by Keith Garson, and choreographed by Ron Hutchins. Eric Alsford will serve as the show’s musical director.

Populated with flamboyant flappers, crooked lawyers, and merry murderesses, Chicago is a musical tale of “murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery, and treachery – all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts.”  With a sparkling script and a classic score that includes “All That Jazz,” “Cell Block Tango” and “Razzle Dazzle”, Chicago has everything that makes musical theatre great.

Avi Hoffman took home a 2011 Carbonell Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Wilbur Turnblad in the Actors Playhouse production of Hairspray. Other recent roles include novelist Eric Weiss in Parade Productions’ production of Donald Margulies’ Brooklyn Boy at the Studio Theatre in Boca Raton; the lead role in Tracy Lett’s Superior Donuts at Gablestage (Broadway World Award for Best Featured Actor, and Carbonell award nomination for Best Actor in a Play); and Kolenkhov in the Florida Rep production of You Can’t Take it With You.  He is well known for his award winning one man shows Too Jewish? and Too Jewish, Too! (Performer of the Year ’95 – NY Press Magazine; L.A. OVATION award – Best Actor In a Musical 2001; NY Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle award nominations).  On television, Hoffman portrays lawyer Sid Raskin in Starz TV series Magic City, and was featured as ‘Teddy Wayne’ in the NBC series Law and Order. He also starred in the motion picture The Imported Bridegroom and was seen in the PBS documentary They Came For Good: A History of the Jews in the U.S.

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to producing professional productions and advancing the art of theatre in the South Florida community.

All performances will take place in the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.  The theatre is located at 300 South Military Trail in Boca Raton, just south of Palmetto Park Road.  Tickets for Chicago are $35, and will be available at the Willow Theatre Box office: 561-347-3948 in the fall.

For more information about the Boca Raton Theatre Guild, please visit www.brtg.org.

For Chicago audition information: http://www.brtg.org/uploads/BRTG_Chicago_Audition_Notice.pdf

Chicago,
Music: John Kander, Lyrics: Fred Ebb
Mar 1-Mar 17, 2013
Tues-Sat 8pm, Sat-Sun 2pm
The Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
300 South Military Trail,
Boca Raton, FL 33486
Tickets:  $35
Phone: 561-347-3948
http://www.brtg.org

Michael McKeever to play a major role in Parade Productions’ 2012-2013 Season

16 Monday Jul 2012

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Award Winning Playwright Michael McKeever
figures prominently in Parade Productions’ 2nd Season

Parade Productions is pleased and proud to announce their 2012-2013 schedule.  Boca Raton’s newest theatre company has two productions planned for its second season: Michael McKeever will star in Joe Mantello’s adaptation of David Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries, and McKeever’s collection of short plays, The Whole Caboodle, will run for four weeks in February.  Both plays will be produced at the Studio Theatre at Mizner Park. Parade Productions debuted solidly last winter with an entirely sold out run of Donald Margulies’ Brooklyn Boy.

“Last season we took a leap of faith, and the community followed right behind us,” says Candace Caplin, the company’s executive producer and the driving force behind Parade Productions.  “We’ve had tremendous support, and we’re grateful. People have asked us to continue bringing more, quality theatre to Boca Raton, and that’s just what we’re going to do.  We’re excited about how we’ve begun, and where our partnership with the community is going. This year our focus is on humor,” Caplin adds, “and with Michael McKeever, we’ve got the best.”

From December 13th through December 23rd, McKeever will star in The Santaland Diaries, the one-person performance piece written by humorist David Sedaris and adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello. This hilarious piece of theatre relates Sedaris’ own experiences as he reluctantly worked as an elf in Macy’s Christmastime Santaland display, offering an uproarious behind-the-scenes look at how department stores manufacture Christmas spirit.

And from February 2nd through February 24th, audiences will discover whatStephen Sondheim, Abe Lincoln, munchkins and ambivalent lesbians have in common, as they all get the McKeever touch in The Whole Caboodle, the award-winning playwright’s wickedly funny collection of some of his most celebrated short plays. With a razor sharp sense of humor and extra-keen insight, The Whole Caboodle takes apart and reassembles an entire series of loveably flawed characters and pop culture icons with hilarious results.   Along with McKeever himself, Parade Productions has assembled a top-notch cast for The Whole Caboodle: Elena Maria Garcia, Jacqueline Laggy, Clay Cartland, Casey Dressler, and Candace Caplin. Both productions will be directed by Kim St. Leon.

Michael McKeever, who recently won a Carbonell Award for Best New Work for his play, Stuff, explores every aspect of the human condition in his work, which incorporates a wide variety of styles and subject matter.  His plays have entertained audiences throughout America and Europe. From the deep-rooted prejudices of small town America to the delicate dysfunction of society’s wealthiest homes, the playwright creates stories that entertain and enlighten. He has been honored with an NEA Residency Grant (New Theatre, Miami) and has been a 3-time finalist for Humana Fest’s nationally renowned Heideman Award. He is the proud recipient of three Carbonell Awards; four Curtain Up Awards; and two Florida Individual Artist Fellowships. Six of his plays have been produced at City Theatre’s prestigious Summer Shorts Festival in Miami. He has been a finalist several times at both the Key West Theatre Festival and the Sarasota Festival of New Plays. He is also an award-winning actor and designer. He resides in South Florida and is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Actors’ Equity.

Parade Productions is a not-for profit theatre company whose mission is “To produce high quality theatre experiences that entertain, enlighten, inform, uplift, and inspire audiences, sending them home with new thoughts, insights, questions, and ideas.”

The Santaland Diaries opens December 13th, 2012, and runs through December 23rd, with performances Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $35 ($30 for groups of 15 or more).

The Whole Caboodle previews on January 31st, 2013, opens on February 2nd, and runs through February 24th, with performances Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $35 ($30 for groups of 15 or more).

A special two show package price of $30 per ticket is also available.
All seating is reserved.

All tickets are available at: www.paradeproductions.org, or by calling 866-811-4111.  For Group Sales please call:  561-291-9678.

Kim St. Leon
Candace Caplin
Elena Maria Garcia

Jacqueline Laggy

Casey Dressler

South Florida Theatre League “Free Night” Ticket Lottery Encourages Patrons to Try Something New!

01 Sunday Jul 2012

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Theatre patrons and potential theatre patrons will have the opportunity to try something new this summer: The South Florida Theatre League is proud to announce the Summer Fest Free Night as a part of the WLRN Summer Theatre Fest.

Patrons can log on to summerfestfreenight.southfloridatheatre.com and choose up to three theatrical productions they’d like to see. A lottery for those tickets will take place on Monday July 9th, and patrons will be notified if they have won.

Over 400 tickets are being lotteried for thirteen shows at Palm Beach Dramaworks, Mad Cat Theatre Company, Lake Worth Playhouse, Sol Children Theatre, Entr’Acte Theatrix, and The Plaza Theatre. Free Night offers patrons an excellent opportunity to visit a venue they’ve never been to before, or sample a type of theatre they might not otherwise never consider.

“As someone who has to budget her entertainment spending wisely, I understand it can be difficult for patrons to try something new. Summer Fest Free Night will allow potential theatre patrons to experiment a little, at no cost to them, and hopefully to fall in love with a new theatre,” says Andie Arthur, the South Florida Theatre League executive director.

The Theatre Communication Groups’ Free Night of Theatre was originally introduced as a three city pilot-program in 2005, the program’s the goal being to increase public awareness of the national theatre community, while in turn attracting new and non-traditional audiences to the theatre. During 2011’s Free Night of Theater over 400 participating organizations offered more than 55,000 tickets to over 1,800 performances in 19 states. The total value of the tickets offered was estimated at 1.75 million dollars!  Historically, over 33% of patrons who attend a show offered at Free Night of Theater come back and buy a ticket at that theatre.

Summer Fest Free Night– the South Florida Theatre League’s version of the program, began in 2008. The South Florida Theatre League is grateful to the LA Stage Alliance, the performing arts service organization of Greater Los Angeles, for facilitating the enter-to-win lottery system.

Summer Fest Free Night is one arm of the South Florida Theatre League’s promotions for Summer Theatre Fest. Patrons can also participate in A Taste of Summer Promotion. If a patron sees three Theatre League Member performances, they will be eligible to receive a $20 gift certificate to The Melting Pot, the popular restaurant that offers a truly unique dining experience created by the art of fondue.

For more information about the South Florida Theatre League, the Taste of Summer Promotion, a list of participating theatres and their current and upcoming productions, visit: www.southfloridatheatre.com or contact Andie Arthur at:  andie@southfloridatheatre.com/954-557-0778

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at the Count de Hoernle Theatre – July 5-15

22 Friday Jun 2012

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Entr’Acte Theatrix, along with their sister theatre company  the Palm Beach Principal Players, will present JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at the Count de Hoernle Theatre (former home of the Caldwell Theatre Company).  The play will run for 10 performances – from July 5th through July 15th.

The dynamic rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice is a musical interpretation of the final days of Jesus Christ that is not so much a story about religion as it is about the emergence of a charismatic rebel who surfaces among an oppressed people to pacifistically challenge the moral state of existing affairs – all told in the musical vernacular of rock ‘n’ roll, just like HAIR before it.

“JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is now more relevant than ever, particularly with idealistic young people taking to the streets and challenging the political status quo from Egypt’s Tahrir Square to the occupiers of Wall Street’s Zuccotti Park.” says Entr’Acte Theatrix/Palm Beach Principal Players executive Producer Vicki Halmos.”

The talented 25-person cast includes:

John Justice Parker (Jesus) who first performed with Palm Beach Principal Players 10 years ago in The Who’s TOMMY at the Carefree Theatre while he was still a student at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, where he received several awards from the Florida State Thespian Competition. Since then, he has concentrated his studies in acting, comedy/improv, Shakespeare, and musical theatre at Palm Beach State College, where he wrote, directed, and acted in independent student films. Mr. Parker also was involved with Last Call and P.A.’s Big Day at the Delray Beach Film Festival.

Anthony Nuccio (Judas) who is a graduate of the University of Miami, having earned a BM of Music Education & Theater.  A versatile musician who plays piano, guitar and saxophone, Mr. Nuccio’s incredible vocal range wows his hard rock fans, but he is equally proficient in opera and jazz. He has appeared in numerous hit shows throughout South Florida and in and around his hometown of Philadelphia, including Songs for a New World, The Last Five Years, Reefer Madness, Children of Eden and Pippin. 

Val Roche (Mary) is a graduate of the University of Miami’s New World School of the Arts, where she received a BM in Musical Theater.  Among her many theater credits in the Miami area are Urinetown, The Last Five Years, [Title of Show], and Smokey Joe’s Cafe.  In addition, she was seen in The House of Bernarda Alba at the Adrienne Arsht Center.  A skilled impersonator of Janis Joplin, Cher and Shakira, Ms. Roche is proficient in rock, pop, blues, and musical theater.

The Count de Hoernle Theatre is located at
7901 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton.

For tickets & Information please call 877-710-7779

Tickets are $25 for reserved seating, $15 for groups and children under 12, and $10 student rush (with ID) at the door on day of show.  This ticket price is inclusive of all fees.

Performance Dates & Times:
Thursday, July 5 – 8 p.m.
Friday, July 6 – 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 7 – 2 & 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 8 – 3 p.m. * (Special Performance)
Thursday, July 12 – 8 p.m.
Friday, July 13 – 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 14 – 2 & 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 15 – 3 p.m.

* Special Performance – July 8th
 There will be a special after-show Piano Bar/Pizza Party/Cabaret honoring Jan McArt, the Director of Theatre Arts Program Development at Lynn University after the Sunday, July 8th matinee performance of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.  Ms. McArt who is widely recognized as the First Lady of Florida’s Musical Theatre, was the driving force behind the fondly remembered Royal Palm Dinner Theatre in Boca Raton.  The cost to attend both JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and the after-show tribute is only $35 in advance and $40 day of show.

Beat the Heat & Take Your Seat!

22 Friday Jun 2012

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The South Florida Theatre League’s
Summer Promotion
Encourages Patrons to Taste Something New!

The South Florida Theatre League is excited to announce the creation of A Taste of Summer Theatre – an exciting new promotion which will run this summer through August 31 as a part of the WLRN Summer Theatre Fest. A Taste of Summer Theatre has been created to encourage patrons to attend theatres they might not otherwise patronize, and reward those who attend multiple Theatre League theatres over the course of the summer.

Patrons who attend three Theatre League member theatre performances will be eligible to receive a $20 gift certificate to The Melting Pot, the popular restaurant that offers offer a truly unique dining experience created by the art of fondue.

In order to be eligible for their certificates, patrons must send their contact information and ticket stubs for each of the three performances they attended to the South Florida Theatre League at PO Box 630656, Miami, FL 33163. Patrons will receive their gift certificate for participating Melting Pot locations by mail.

The Theatre League of South Florida is an alliance of theatrical organizations and professionals dedicated to nurturing, promoting, and advocating for the growth and prestige of the South Florida theatre industry, and represents over forty theatres in South Florida, ranging from the Keys north to Jupiter.

“We’re really excited the Melting Pot has sponsored A Taste of Summer Theatre – we feel it’s an excellent way to encourage patrons to try something new – both in their theatrical and fondue choices,” says Andie Arthur, executive director of the South Florida Theatre League.

A Taste of Summer Theatre is one of the many theatrical programs offered during WLRN’S Summer Theatre Fest, the new version of the South Florida Theatre Festival, designed to foster audience development for the South Florida Theatre Community.

Other upcoming programming includes the Summer Fest Giveaway – a ticket lottery for summer productions similar to Free Night of Theater, allowing patrons to try a theatre they may have never been to before; and City Theatre’s In their Own Words: Readings by Leslie Ayvazian and Christopher Durang, wherein the two award winning playwrights will read from their own scripts at the EPIC hotel in downtown Miami on Saturday June 16th at 6:00 pm. Half the proceeds from In Their Own Words will be donated to the South Florida Theatre League.

For more information about the South Florida Theatre League, including a list of participating theatres and their current and upcoming productions, visit: www.southfloridatheatre.com/ or contact Andie Arthur at:  andie@southfloridatheatre.com/954-557-0778.

The Women’s Theatre Project Finds a New Home in Boca Raton

24 Thursday May 2012

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The Women’s Theatre Project has found a new home in Boca Raton. The acclaimed 10 year old company will move from their performance space in Fort Lauderdale to the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.

Incorporated in 2002, the Women’s Theatre Project is a company of professional female theatre artists dedicated to producing theatrical works exploring the female voice, and the move from their previous intimate 50-seat venue to the Willow’s state of the art 155-seat theatre is an exciting step forward in the company’s continuing evolution.

“A unique opportunity presented itself at The Willow Theatre,” says founding member and Artistic Director Genie Croft. “I’ve directed The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife and several other plays for The Boca Raton Theatre Guild at the Willow, and have imported The Women’s Theatre Project’s productions of The Year of Magical Thinking and Bridge and Tunnel into the theatre – it’s a natural progression to make our home here – a perfect union of theatre, creative growth, and venue to expand our productions and mission.”

Actress, founding member, and company treasurer Jacqueline Laggy agrees: “This move provides us with the opportunity to continue our work and expand our audience base. We’re very excited!”

Carol Sussman, TWTP secretary, and another founding member of The Women’s Theatre Project, is  thrilled the company’s mission will continue. “The Willow Theatre is the perfect venue for TWTP to further our vision of telling women’s stories,” she says. “We have worked long and hard to be able to share our passion with the community and we look forward to many years in our wonderful new home.”

The Women’s Theatre Project was incorporated as a 501c3 not-for-profit organization in May of 2002. The company was founded from a need for women’s voices to be heard, a desire to break down the stereotypes of women propelled by the media, and to create more professional theatrical opportunities for women of all shapes, sizes, races, and ages. The young company quickly drew praise from critics and audiences alike, received numerous Carbonell nominations, and built a strong and loyal following throughout South Florida.

The Women’s Theatre Project has presented staged readings, one act, and full length plays. Works by local, national, and international female playwrights have been featured throughout TWTP’s 10 year history, including the world and regional premieres of several works such as Speaking Elephant by local playwright Terry Lawrence, Jar the Floor by Cheryl L. West, Three Fittings by Stephanie Alison Walker, and True Blue by Marj O’Neill-Butler. Other recent productions include Playhouse Creatures, Eclipsed, Sunday on the Rocks, Chitterling Heights, and Women Drivers.  Over the past few years, TWTP has run a lesbian play festival in conjunction with the Pride Center.

Two productions are planned for the company’s 2012-2013 season at the Willow Theatre, Delval Divas, a comedy by Barbara Pease Weber will run November 2-18, and Faye Sholiton’s powerful memory play, The Interview will run January 4-20, 2013.  A third production is “not an impossibility,” says Croft.

The Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park is located at 300 South Military Trail in Boca Raton, just south of Palmetto Park Road. Tickets for Delval Divas will be on sale August 1st and can be purchased at the Willow Theatre Box office: 561-347-3948. Tickets for all performances are $25.

http://www.womenstheatreproject.com/#

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild Announces their 2012-2013 Season

24 Thursday May 2012

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A.R. Gurney’s Sylvia and Kander & Ebb’s Chicago
at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild’s 2012-2013 season will begin with a comedy, and end with a classic.  A.R. Gurney’s Sylvia, and Kander & Ebb’s Chicago will run in September and March at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.

Director Genie Croft will helm Sylvia, which will run September 28th through October 14th.  Croft, who recently directed the BRTG’s sold out production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, has also been responsible for guiding the Guild’s successful productions of Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound and Charles Busch’s The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife.   Sylvia is the comic tale of a middle-aged couple who move back to New York City. However, their new life is humorously upended when the husband adopts a most unusual canine. A.R. Gurney (Love Letters) has tapped into the fragility of human relationships, and the joys and frustrations of pet ownership and has created what most people feel is his best work – a delicate balance of humor and poignancy.  Patti Gardner (The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife) Jacqueline Laggy (Other People’s Money, Chapter Two), Keith Garsson (Other People’s Money, Broadway Bound), and Mario Betto (The Sisters Rosensweig, playwright – Combing Through Life’s Tangles) will star. (Tickets: $25)

In Chicago, John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Bob Fosse created a work that flawlessly evokes its vaudeville setting.  Flamboyant flappers, crooked lawyers, and merry murderesses are all part of a sparkling script and a classic score that includes “All That Jazz,” “Cell Block Tango” and “Razzle Dazzle.” Chicago’s songbook immediately became an integral part of the Broadway lexicon during its original Broadway run in 1975.

Two of South Florida top talents will join director Keith Garsson to lead Chicago’s creative team: Choreographer Ron Hutchins and Music Director Eric Alsford.

Says Garsson, who also serves as the BRTG’s Artistic Director: “Hopefully our audiences will be pleased with our continued evolution away from community theatre. Each year our productions have grown significantly in both ambition and execution. With Chicago we intend to leverage even more of South Florida’s top talent.” (Tickets: $27 if purchased before January 1st, 2013, $30 if purchased after January 1st).

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild is also pleased to welcome the Women’s Theatre Project to the Willow Theatre. “We have had great success importing TWTP’s The Year of Magical Thinking and Bridge & Tunnel into our past two seasons,” says Keith Garson. “Their provocative plays will add a new and critical dimension to the theatre at Sugar Sand Park. Their artistic Director Genie Croft has directed all of our plays for the past several seasons, so their move to the Willow is both logical and inspiring.”

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to producing professional productions and advancing the art of theatre in the South Florida community.

All productions will take place in the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.  The theatre is located at 300 South Military Trail in Boca Raton, just south of Palmetto Park Road. Tickets for Sylvia will go on sale on August 1st, and can be purchased at the Willow Theatre Box office: 561-347-3948.

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild

Extended Run – Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill – 3 Shows Added!

23 Monday Apr 2012

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Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Starring
Paulette Dozier
at
The Boca Raton Theatre Guild
Paulette Dozier as Billie Holiday

April 23, 2012: The Boca Raton Theatre Guild has extended the run of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.   Tickets are now on sale for three extra performances – Saturday May 5th at 2 & 8 p.m., and Sunday, May 6th at 2 p.m.   Even though the play, starring Carbonell nominated actress/jazz artist Paulette Dozier, was entirely sold out more than two weeks before opening night, demand for tickets continued.  The Boca Raton Theatre Guild requested the extension, and the Willow Theatre agreed.

Producer Keith Garsson is extremely pleased with this development, “Paulette Dozier is a major talent, and she and our director, Genie Croft, have put together an amazing show.”

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill is set in 1959 in a seedy bar in Philadelphia, wherein Billie Holiday is giving one of her final performances.  More than a dozen musical numbers are interlaced with the iconic singer’s reminiscences of her life. Her salty, graphic, humorous, and triumphant memories combine to create a riveting portrait of the woman and her music.

Dozier welcomes the challenges created by the music, the script, and by Holiday’s story itself. “There’s a lot about her life that I don’t necessarily relate to,” says Dozier. “But the pain that she describes at different points throughout the show — I admire her because no matter what she experienced, she battled through it.”

FEATURED SONGS:
Crazy He Calls Me, Easy Livin’, What A Little Moonlight Can Do, Strange Fruit, God Bless The Child, and many more.

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill will run April 27, 28, and 29th, and May 5th and 6th.  Performances are: Friday (April 27) at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. The Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park is located at 300 South Military Trail in Boca Raton, just south of Palmetto Park Road. Tickets for Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill are $15 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Willow Theatre Box office: 561-347-3948.

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to producing professional productions and advancing the art of theatre in the South Florida community.

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
April 27, 28, & 29, May 5 & 6
Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
Tickets $15
For Tickets:  561-347-3948

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild presents Paulette Dozier in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill”

03 Tuesday Apr 2012

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3 Performances Sold Out – Saturday Matinée tickets still available!

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild
presents
Paulette Dozier
in
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill

In an age where pop stars and divas face unrelenting scrutiny, a look back to one of our strongest, most independent female singers is due.

Carbonell nominated actress and acclaimed jazz artist Paulette Dozier will star as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, playwright Lanie Robertson’s portrait of the legendary jazz singer in performance four months before her death.  The play, which will be produced by the Boca Raton Theatre Guild, will run for four performances only – April 27-29th at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.

In Lady Day, the iconic jazz singer reflects on her life, loves, tragedies, and triumphs in a powerful monologue interspersed with music from her timeless songbook.  Holiday’s saga will resonate strongly with modern day audiences – recent events, including the heartbreakingly wasted careers of such talents as Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse, echo Holiday’s sadly familiar story of troubles with narcotics, financial exploitation, and in Holiday’s case, sexual abuse.

Dozier has immersed herself in the role – studying Billie Holiday the woman as well as Billie Holiday the musician, and has come away with a deep respect for the legendary singer.  The play presents a multitude of challenges for the actress/jazz singer, but she’s ready to face them head on:

“Much of the suffering Billie had to endure is unfathomable, yet she managed to forge ahead and live her life as best she could just because she wanted to sing,” Dozier says.  “For her, singing was living and she fought to live by way of her singing. So many times you hear stories about people who say they can’t get a break in life, as if the world is against them. And what do they do, either complain to no end or give up at the first sign of difficulty.  Or worse, blame everybody else for their problem.  Billie Holiday didn’t point the blame or give up and stop singing.  There’s a lesson that can be learned about the fortitude she had.”

“I especially like this production because as an actress I have to really “bring it,” Dozier explains. “This isn’t the typical role of the diva with an attitude that I generally get.  In Billie’s shoes, my challenge is trying to communicate the pain of her heartbreaks, physical abuse, racism, and, of course, the drug abuse; all in such a way that the play doesn’t become just a ‘tear jerker’.  The audience must know that she found joy amongst all her suffering.”

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill will be directed by Genie Croft.

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill will run April 27, 28, and 29th.  Performances are: Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. The Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park is located at 300 South Military Trail in Boca Raton, just south of Palmetto Park Road. Tickets for Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill are $15 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Willow Theatre Box office: 561-347-3948.

Please note: Tickets available for the Saturday, April 28th, 2 pm performance only.

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to producing professional productions and advancing the art of theatre in the South Florida community.

For more information about Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, the Boca Raton Theatre Guild, or Paulette Dozier please visit www.brtg.org, www.paulettedozier.com , or contact Carol Kassie (ckassie@gmail.com/561-948-2601).

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Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
April 27, 28, & 29
Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
Tickets $15
For Tickets:  561-347-3948

 

 

Parade Productions presents “Better Than Damn Good” – April 23rd

15 Thursday Mar 2012

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To present a premier reading of
Stuart Meltzer’s
Better Than Damn Good
at
The Studio at Mizner Park
April 23

Talk Back with Playwright, Director, and Cast

Boca Raton, Florida:
Parade Productions, Boca Raton’s newest theatre company, will follow up their wildly successful debut production of Donald Margulies Brooklyn Boy with a premier reading of South Florida playwright Stuart Meltzer’s comedy, Better Than Damn Good. The reading will take place on April 23rd, at 7:30 p.m., at the Studio at Mizner Park in Boca Raton.

Written in a sophisticated voice reminiscent of a young Woody Allen, Meltzer’s tour de force comedy follows a group of Manhattanites through their complicated, too-funny, too-real dilemmas.

Director Kim St. Leon has assembled a top-notch cast, including Michael McKeever, Michael Gioia, Jacqueline Laggy, Kim Ostrenko, Nan Walter, Linda Ellis, Candace Caplin, Natasha Waisfeld, and Meltzer himself.  All will participate in a talk back following the performance.

Although he is primarily recognized as one of South Florida’s finest and busiest directors, Meltzer enjoys writing immensely: “It is an enormously fun and creative time for me when I get to put on the playwright’s hat. I don’t often get that opportunity but it is one that feels the most comfortable, oddly enough,” he says.

“And I am thrilled to have my play read with the wonderful creative and producing team at Parade Productions,” Meltzer continues.  “Being a new theatre company in South Florida, it is wonderful to have another place where local playwrights can workshop material and hear it read. Kim St. Leon is an incredible director who understands my style and rhythms very well. She totally understands the characters and I feel very happy that she likes the play as much as she does.”

STUART MELTZER is the Artistic Director and a founding member of Zoetic Stage. He directed The SantaLand Diaries, Michael McKeever’s world premiere play Moscow, and the world premiere of Christopher Demos-Brown’s Captiva for which he is currently nominated for a Carbonell Award for Best Director of a Play.  In 2010, he directed Zoetic Stage’s critically acclaimed inaugural production of South Beach Babylon. Previously, Stuart served as the Artistic Director of City Theatre in Miami, where he oversaw and expanded the Summer Shorts Festival.  His New York credits include Romulus Linney’s Gint, Harold Pinter’s One for the Road, Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls… as well as Morzek’s Striptease. South Florida directing credits include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Painted Alice, Barefoot Boy With Shoes On, Everything Will be Different, and Melt. He received his M.F.A. in Directing from the Actors Studio in 2002 and B.F.A. from New World School of the Arts in Miami, where he currently serves as part of their adjunct faculty.

Parade Productions is a not-for profit theatre company whose mission is “To produce high quality theatre experiences that entertain, enlighten, inform, uplift, and inspire audiences, sending them home with new thoughts, insights, questions, and ideas.”

Tickets for Better Than Damn Good are $12.00 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.paradeproductions.org, or by calling 866-811-4111.  For group sales, call: 561-291-9678.

Better Than Damn Good
April 23
7:30 p.m.
The Studio at Mizner Park
Tickets $12
For Tickets:  www.paradeproductions.org
866-811-4111
Group Tickets: 561-291-9678