Carol Kassie’s clients.

Delray Beach Neighbors and Artists Rally Around Stricken Girl & Her Family

11 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients, Jace Vek

Tags

acute myeloid leukemia, AML, Delray, George DeMartino, Hailey Kennedy, Hailey Kennedy Fundraiser, Jace Vek, P.J. Schrantz, William DeBilzan, William DeBilzan Gallery, Wish Givers Organization

Fundraiser in honor of Delray’s Hailey Kennedy
to feature performances by
Composer Jace Vek & Comedian George DeMartino

In January Hailey Kennedy, who had just celebrated her thirteenth birthday, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. AML, as it is known, is a life threatening form of cancer rare in children. Hailey’s parents, Tim and Aimee Kennedy, were devastated. To add to their shock, they had to make an immediate decision regarding treatment. Twenty-four hours later Hailey and her mom left for Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Aimee left her job and home to be with her daughter during the six month treatment regimen. Her father Tim, who had sustained broken ribs and a head injury the prior month in a fall at work, was left to deal with the financial issues and keep the home fires burning. Fortunately, Tim, Aimee and Hailey soon learned they were not alone in dealing with their plight.

On April 27^th, a group of the Kennedy’s friends and neighbors will host a fundraising event at Delray’s DeBilzan Gallery, at 38 East Atlantic Avenue (williamdebilzan.net). Spearheaded by world renowned artist and gallery owner William DeBilzan, Emmy Award winning composer/concert pianist Jace Vek (www.jacevek.com), WishGivers Organization/Till We Meet Again Charities’ P.J. Schrantz (http://wishgivers.org/hope-for-hailey/), and comedian George DeMartino the evening will be a celebration of and for Hailey. Cocktails and light hors d’ouvres will be served. There will be a silent auction and guests will be invited to bid on an exciting array of items including a dinner cruise for 20 people on board a luxurious 90 foot yacht. Jace Vek and George DeMartino will be ‘included’ in the yacht package as entertainment! Vek has composed a new work, Hailey’s Sunrise, written in Hailey’s honor, which he will debut at the event on the 27^th.

All goods, services, and auction items have been donated for this event. All funds raised will benefit Hailey Kennedy and WishGivers Foundation.

For more information, photos, and/or interview requests, please contact Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244/ckassie@gmail.com .

Hailey Kennedy Fundraiser
April 27, 2013
6:30 pm
Cost: $50
DeBilzan Gallery
38 East Atlantic Avenue, Unit B5
Delray Beach, FL 33483
For tickets/to RSVP: 561-266-2090

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild presents Avi Hoffman in ‘Still Jewish After All These Years’

11 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by Carol Kassie in Boca Raton Theatre Guild, Clients

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Avi Hoffman, Boca Raton Theatre Guild, comedy, musical comedy, Musical Theatre, The Willow Theatre, theatre

“Hoffman offers….a non-stop display of enthusiasm,
a terrific delivery with jokes
and an amusing way with a song…” NJ.com

Award-winning actor, singer, author, raconteur, and South Florida favorite Avi Hoffman will return to the Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park with Still Jewish After All These Years: A Life in the Theatre, a celebration of his life in show business.

One of South Florida’s busiest and most popular actors, Hoffman has just completed a triumphant run in the Boca Raton Theatre Guild’s production of Chicago, and is currently garnering rave reviews in Outré Theatre Company’s An Illiad. Still Jewish After All These Years will run from May 10^th -19^th.

Accompanied by pianist Caryl Fantel, Hoffman will invite audiences on a casual and intimate tour of his multifaceted career and his extraordinary life in show business. Filled with songs and stories, reminiscences of performances, encounters with greats… and not so greats, Hoffman’s Still Jewish… will, entertain, move, and resonate with everyone.

Avi Hoffman has received national and critical recognition for his award-winning one man shows Too Jewish? and Too Jewish, Too! (Performer of the Year/NY Press Magazine; L.A. OVATION Award – Best Actor in a Musical; NY Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations). Both these shows have been broadcast nationally on PBS. His extensive resume includes groundbreaking productions of Songs of Paradise with Broadway impresario Joseph Papp and the NY productions of The Golden Land and The Rise of David Levinsky. Hoffman has performed all over the world, and has numerous theatre credits and multiple Carbonell and Curtain Up awards and nominations. He is currently featured as lawyer Sid Raskin in the STARZ TV series Magic City. He also appeared as ‘Ted’ on A&E’s The Glades and as ‘Teddy Wayne’ on NBC’s Law & Order, and was seen in the PBS documentary They Came for Good: A History of the Jews in the US.

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 of Still Jewish After All These Years 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 Still Jewish… are $25, and are available at the Willow Theatre Box office: 561-347-3948.

For more information about Still Jewish After All These Years: A Life in the Theatre and/or the Boca Raton Theatre Guild, please visit www.avihoffman.com/ or www.brtg.org

Still Jewish After All These Years: A Life in the Theatre
May 10 – 19
Performances:
May 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 at 8:00 PM
May 11, 12, 18, 19 at 2:00 PM
The Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
300 South Military Trail,
Boca Raton, FL 33486
Tickets: $25
Phone: 561-347-3948

“The precious truth about Avi Hoffman is that his shows rest on a solid foundation of scholarship. Mr. Hoffman is a teacher and a dedicated preservationist of culture. But like so many sages, he disguises his lessons as entertainment.” ~ New York Times

“Avi Hoffman scores in Still Jewish!” ~ H. Erstein – PB Arts Paper
“Avi Hoffman enthralls!” ~ K. Thompson – Palm Beach Post
“Avi Hoffman is a treasure!” ~ R. Levitt – Media News

‘Singin’ and Dancin’ in the Rain’: Celebrating Gene Kelly – at the Willow Theatre April 13 & 14

04 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients

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Broadway Musicals, Dance, Gene Kelly, Marina Putane, Rome Saladino, Singing in the Rain Saladino Dance Productions, Tap Dance, Willow Theatre

Saladino Dance Productions’
Singin’ and Dancin’ in the Rain
celebrates Gene Kelly
“Who could ask for anything more?”

Boca Raton, FL, April 4, 2013:

Saladino Dance Productions’ Rome Saladino and Marina Putane have assembled a superb eight-member ensemble to perform Singin’ and Dancin’ in the Rain, their tribute to Hollywood’s legendary song and dance man, Gene Kelly.

Singin’ and Dancin’ in the Rain will run for two days only – April 13^th and 14^th – at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.

Featuring performers from Broadway, international, national, and local companies, the show pays homage to Kelly, who was one of America’s most renowned and innovative choreographers.

“What better way to celebrate Mr. Kelly’s 100^th year than by showcasing his enormous talent is a show that brings some of his best performances to the stage”, says Saladino.

The production features musical selections from some of Kelly’s most memorable films, including Pal Joey, For Me and My Gal, Anchors Aweigh, On the Town, An American in Paris, and Singin’ in the Rain; with music by a roster of legendary Broadway composers – including Rodgers and Hart, Jerome Kern, Ira and George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, and Cole Porter.

Rome Saladino has performed with a number of prestigious companies including the Sacramento Ballet, Icelandic Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. He has worked with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Fernando Bujones, Jürgen Schneider, Alonzo King, Jon Engstrom, Ann Reinking, and Sonja Haney (Bob Fosse’s Assistant).

Marina Putane trained as a rhythmic gymnast; she was a
member of the Latvian National Team, which competed in many cities in the former USSR. Her dancing career began as a show ballet dancer with Latvian magician, Palchevsky, at the National Latvian Opera House. She has performed all over the world for many cruise lines as an Adagio and show dancer. She starred, along with her husband, Rome, in the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical, Song and Dance.

Saladino Dance Productions saladinodance.com is the creation of husband and wife team Rome Saladino and Marina Putane. Together they have over 40 years experience on stage, in theatre, and in dance productions. They have toured the world separately as performers, and together as a dance couple.

Both performances of Singin’ and Dancin’ in the Rain will take place at 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 are $25 or $20 for students with valid ID, and are available at the Willow Theatre Box office: 561-347-3948.

Singin’ and Dancin’ in the Rain – Celebrating Gene Kelly
April 13 – 8:00 pm
April 14 – 2:00 pm
The Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
300 South Military Trail,
Boca Raton, FL 33486
Tickets: $25; $20 for students with valid ID)
Phone: 561-347-3948

Sol Children Theatre presents Improv Comedy Night 2: Electric Boogaloo!

02 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients, Sol Children Theatre

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Boca Raton, Children's Theatre, comedy, Improv, Improvisation, Rosalie Grant, Sol Children Theatre, Sol Children Theatre Troupe

Be prepared to enter a wacky world of anything-goes insanity, because the only thing that is predictable is an evening of laughs for everyone!

presents

The IMPROVerished Players
in
Improv Comedy Night 2: Electric Boogaloo

‘Yo dog … it’s time to float, freeze, pop & lock …’

On Saturday April 27 at 7 p.m. Sol Children Theatre will present Improv Comedy Night 2: Electric Boogaloo at their own 70 seat venue, located at 3333 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton.

Recently seen at the Florida Renaissance Festival ‘dressed up like fops and wenches’, the company’s performers are looking forward to donning ‘80s garb and ‘hitting the stage breakdancin’, and are diligently preparing for a night of ‘wacky, anything-goes improvisational insanity.’

Started by artistic director/producer Rosalie Grant in 2002, and now celebrating their tenth season, Sol Children Theatre’s goal is to provide children with a safe, secure, and highly professional theatre experience. Recent productions have included Rumplestilskin and The Ash Girl. Sol also runs a very successful summer camp program in partnership with Olympic Heights Community High School and the Palm Beach County School District.

“Improvisation involves dialogue and actions created spontaneously in response to suggestions from the audience,” explains Grant. “There is no script and no plot. Game playing techniques put the performers in situations where they must use their imagination and comedic instincts, and what evolves is a combination of stand-up comedy and game show—with hilarious results. In the unpredictable world of improvisational comedy, anything can happen” says Grant, “And it usually does. But what makes improv so unique and engaging is that the audience participates in the mayhem.”

Tickets for Improv Comedy Night 2: Electric Boogaloo are $15 and are available by calling 561-447-8829, or online at www.solchildren.org.

Though this event is appropriate for all ages, content is for mature audiences.

For more information about Sol Children Theatre, the company’s summer camp program, and a list upcoming productions, visit www.solchildren.org or contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447-8829 / solchildtroupe@aol.com.

Improv Comedy Night 2: Electric Boogaloo
Saturday, April 27
7:00 pm
Tickets: $15
Sol Children Theatre
3333 North Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL
Phone: 561-447-8829
www.solchildren.org
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The South Florida Theatre League’s Summer Fest Invitation: ‘Get in Bed with the Arts!’

26 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients, The South Florida Theatre League

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Actor's Playhouse, Arsht Center, Broadway Musical Theatre, Gable Stage, Get in Bed with the Arts, Lake Worth Playhouse, Mad Cat Theatre Company, Sol Children Theater, South Florida Theatre League, theatre, Theatre League

The South Florida Theatre League Invites Theatres & Patrons to
Get in Bed with the Arts

The South Florida Theatre League is building a bed! Yes, a bed. Its cover will be a map listing all South Florida theatres; its bed skirt will contain the logos of the League’s member theatres; its head board will read Get in Bed with the Arts; and its footboard will feature the South Florida Theatre League logo and website address.
(Rendering of bed by Bombshell Productions)

The goal of the League’s Get in Bed with the Arts campaign, which will run in conjunction with WLRN’s Summer Theatre Fest program, is to raise awareness of the theatrical arts in the South Florida community.

The bed will make its debut at the 37^th annual Carbonell Awards ceremony on April 1^st at the Broward Center for the Arts, and will lead the way to the South Florida Theatre League sponsored after party/celebration; its final appearance will be as a participant in the annual Coconut Grove Bed Race on Labor Day weekend.

The bed will ‘visit’ League member theatres during Theatre Fest (June 1^st through August 31^st) on Thursday evenings (performance days only). Theatre patrons will be invited to participate in the fun – doing interviews, or having their photos taken on or next to the bed. The interviews and photos will be posted on the South Florida Theatre League’s website (www.southfloridatheatre.com/).

The bed was designed, built, and generously subsidized by Fort Lauderdale’s Bombshell Productions. TheatreMania is also a sponsor.

Many of the League’s member theatres are already on board (or in bed!) with the project. Some of the participating theatres are:

Actors Playhouse –
Adrienne Arsht Center – Slava’s Snowshow (July 31 – August 25)
Broadway Musical Theatre – Shrek the Musical (June 1 – 9)
FIU/Alternative Theatre Festival – A Hundred Thousand Years
Gable Stage – Cock (May 18– June 16)
The Lake Worth Playhouse – In the Heights (July 11-28)
Mad Cat Theatre Company – Blow Me (August 15 – September 1)
Sol Children Theatre – Wind in the Willows (August 9 – 25)

A complete list of participating theatres, their productions, and run dates will be announced in the near future.

The South Florida Theatre League 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.

The Florida East Coast Chapter of The National Society for the Arts to honor Palm Beach Opera’s Daniel Biaggi

07 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients, National Society of Arts & Letters

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Daniel Biaggi, Drama, Music, National Society of Arts & Letters, NSAL, Palm Beach Opera, Red Rose Dinner Gala, Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, Shari Upbin, theatre, Young Artists

Boca Raton, Florida, February 7, 2013:

The Florida East Coast Chapter of The National Society of Arts and Letters will honor Palm Beach Opera’s General Director Daniel Biaggi at their annual Red Rose Dinner Gala on April 4^th at the Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club.

The National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL) is a National organization founded in 1944, whose mission is to fund, nurture, promote, and assist highly motivated young artists to advance their careers in the artistic disciplines of their choice. Past recipients of NSAL support include Shirley MacLaine, Jessye Norman, and more recently, the organization’s 2004 Musical Theatre winner Megan Hilty, who is currently starring in NBC’s Broadway based hit SMASH.

The award-winning Florida East Coast Chapter, a non-profit, volunteer organization established in 1983, continues to further the Society’s goals.

The aims and objectives of NSAL are to discover talented young people at the beginning of their careers; to create opportunities for career development and expression in Literature, and the Visual and Performing Arts; and to recognize excellence by granting awards via national and local rotating competitions in Art, Dance, Drama, Literature, Music (instrumental and voice), Opera, and Musical Theatre to gifted young artists between the ages of 16 and 32. The Florida East Coast Chapter holds one major competition per year.

In 2011 the Chapter began its Performing Arts High School Scholarship program, and in 2012 they awarded a total of $9,000 in scholarships to various students at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Dillard Center for the Arts, and the New World School of the Arts. They also contributed $3,000 towards the National Society of Arts and Letters Lynn University Scholarship for Strings, Piano, and Theatre Arts.
NSAL president Shari Upbin, NSAL Vice President Marilyn Nelson and singer/songwriter Chloe Dolandis

In May, 2012 The Florida East Coast Chapter was the first winner of the newly established NSAL National Arts Advocate Award for their continuing efforts to identify, encourage and support young South Florida talent.

Now entering his fourth season as General Director of the Palm Beach Opera, Daniel Biaggi is committed to expanding the company’s mission of presenting high quality opera productions and engaging educational and community outreach performances to the communities it serves. Under his leadership, the company celebrated its 50^th Anniversary last season with two Golden Jubilee concerts featuring many of opera’s past and present stars in addition to three fully staged productions at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. To continue expanding its impact in the community, the company is holding the first collaboration with the Lynn University Conservatory of Music to present a Young Artist Production at the Wold Performing Arts Center, as well as an outdoor opera concert at the Meyer Amphitheater at the Waterfront in West Palm Beach.

A frequent panel discussion guest and competition judge, Mr. Biaggi served as Advisor and Judge for the National Society of Arts and Letters Local Florida Chapter Vocal Competition in 2008. Mr. Biaggi has also served as panelist for the Opera America Conference in Denver, and has been a jury member for the Tucker Foundation Career Grant Competition and Awards Nomination Panel, Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, and the Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year Competition. His commitment to Young Singers has led him to be invited to MissionAudition as part of Sherrill Milnes’ V.O.I.C.Experience, NYIOP pre-selection auditions in New York, Berlin and Zurich. He has also served as Advisor and Judge for the National Society of Arts and Letters Local Florida Chapter Competition. Daniel Biaggi holds a Post-Graduate and Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, a Bachelor of Music Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and a Certificate of Musicology from the University of Berne, Switzerland. As a classically trained singer, Mr. Biaggi has performed operatic roles and recitals in the US as well as Europe.

As NSAL Florida East Coast Chapter President, Shari Upbin brings a deep theatrical background to the organization (her father was a writer for Jack Benny). She is producer/director who has been a theatre professional since the age of 13 when she became a member of Actors Equity; she has been a professional tap dancer and choreographer and is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers; and she has produced and directed over 50 productions in New York and around the country.
Jan McArt, Judi Asselta, Alyce Erickson, Shari Upbin

Upbin, who brings her considerable talent and energies to NSAL is passionate and excited about the young people the Society supports, “It is an honor and a privilege to serve as NSAL president,” she says. “This organization is an excellent example of ‘pay it forward’. Our chapter has opened doors through our competitions for so many ‘Stars of Tomorrow’. Some of our recent winners are already fulfilling the promise we saw in them: Nadine Sierra has performed at the Met in NY, Krista Ettlinger danced at the Dutch National Ballet, Jose Luaces starred on Broadway in A CHRISTMAS STORY, Gelan Lambert appeared on Broadway in the hit show FELA!, and Kassie Abreu was selected to dance at the Duncan Theatre in Palm Beach. As a theatre producer and director I am thrilled to be part of such a necessary and vital organization.”

Nadine Sierra will be one of the performers at the Red Rose Dinner Gala

Alyce Erickson, who has been involved with the organization since the early 80’s is equally committed. The organization’s work has become even more important “since they started cutting out arts and arts funding in schools,” she explains. “We had only been looking for students in Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County, and working closely with the schools to identify, work with, and support these incredibly talented young people. But in May 2012, we expanded our search to encompass the entire eastern coast of Florida and Gainesville.”

For more information about The Florida East Coast Chapter of The National Society of Arts and Letters, The Red Rose Dinner Gala, Daniel Biaggi, or Shari Upbin, contact Carol Kassie (ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244), or visit www.nsalbocaraton.org/ or
www.arts-nsal.org/

The NSAL Red Rose Dinner Gala
Thursday, April 4^th
6:00 pm
Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club
2425 Maya Palm Drive West
Boca Raton, FL 33432
Tickets: $225
To purchase tickets please call: Alyce Erickson – 561-391-6380

‘Chicago’ – Murder, Mayhem, & Musical Theatre At Its Best!

24 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by Carol Kassie in Boca Raton Theatre Guild, Clients

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All That Jazz, Avi Hoffman, Boca Raton Theatre Guild, Chicago, Fosse, Kander and Ebb, Ken Clement, Krisha Marcano, Mucial Comedy, Patti Gardner, Sally Bondi, Willow Theatre

South Florida’s top talent –
Avi Hoffman, Patti Gardner, Ken Clement, Sally Bondi,
and Krisha Marcano (Broadway’s The Color Purple)
in The Boca Raton Theatre Guild’s
Chicago
Sally Bondi, Krisha Marcano, Patti Gardner, Avi Hoffman*

Add sex and sparkle to a combustible mixture of murder, greed, corruption, and betrayal, blend with music and lyrics by the incomparable John Kander and Fred Ebb, stir in the unmistakable look of Bob Fosse’s choreography, combine with an incredibly talented cast of actors – and the result is the Boca Raton Theatre Guild’s upcoming production of Chicago.

Chicago will open on March 1^st and run through March 17^th at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton.

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.”

BRTG producer/director Keith Garsson has assembled a stellar cast to bring some of Broadway’s most beloved and well known characters to life: Avi Hoffman (Billy Flynn), Patti Gardner (Roxie Hart), Krisha Marcano (Velma Kelly), Sally Bondi (Matron Mama Morton), Ken Clement (Amos Hart), and Matthew Korinko (The Announcer) are all on board and looking forward to playing in this classic tale of “…violence, envy, exploitation, adultery and treachery—all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts!”

Hap Erstein (Palm Beach Post/PalmBeachArtsPaper.com) listed the Boca Raton Theatre Guild’s recent production of A.R. Gurney’s Sylvia as one of his 2012 ‘10 Favorites of the Year’, and Chicago promises to continue to enhance the Guild’s reputation as one of South Florida’s up and coming professional theatre companies.

“This company – and this production – is going to feature the best of the best,” Garsson says. “Just getting the cast together has been a dream, and working with them is proving to be all I could have hoped for… and more.”

Garsson’s Velma Kelly, Krisha Marcano, originated the role of ‘Squeak’ in the Broadway production of The Color Purple. Marcano’s impressive background includes stints with the Martha Graham Dance Company and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and roles in Fosse, Disney’s Aida, Sweet Charity, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, and the film Preacher’s Kid. She holds a BFA from SUNY Purchase and is the co-chair of the business group at Career Transitions for Dancers and the founder of KM Studios.

Avi Hoffman’s recent performances in LUV at the Plaza Theatre, and Parade Productions’ Brooklyn Boy earned him critical praise, and his turn as Wilbur Turnblad in Actor’s Playhouse’ 2012 production of Hairspray earned him a Carbonell Award. Hoffman is also 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 he portrays lawyer Sid Raskin in the Starz TV series MAGIC CITY. Avi’s newest show Still Jewish After All These Years will run from May 10^th – 19^th at the Boca Raton Theatre Guild.

Patti Gardner says she “is thrilled, honored and terrified to be performing the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago”. Known as one of South Florida’s busiest actresses, Patti just reprised her role in The Interview for The Women’s Theatre Project and was recently seen in LUV at the Plaza Theatre in Manalapan. She is a Carbonell Award-winner for her performance in Lips Together, Teeth Apart at Palm Beach Dramaworks, and has performed as the “Soap Star” in Menopause the Musical nationally for ten years.

Krisha Marcano, Patti Gardner*

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 of Chicago 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 are available at the Willow Theatre Box office: 561-347-3948.

For more information about Chicago and/or the Boca Raton Theatre Guild, please visit www.brtg.org, or contact Carol Kassie (ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244).
*Chicago photos by Michael B. Lloyd, Lloyd’s Studio Photography, Boca Raton

Chicago
Music: John Kander
Lyrics: Fred Ebb
Book: Fred Ebb & Bob Fosse
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
Group Sales: 561-948-2601
www.brtg.org
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boca-Raton-Theatre-Guild/103606986210?ref=ts

The Women’s Theatre Project presents ‘The Interview’ January 4-20th

29 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients

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Boca Raton Theatre, Drama, Faye Sholiton, Genie Croft, Harriet Oser, Holocaust, Patti Gardner, Shoah, The Interview, The Women's Theatre Project, theatre, Willow Theatre

Powerful Memories… Powerful Theatre…

The Interview
by Faye Sholiton
“We awakened a lot of memories,” the interviewer tells her subject.
“They were never asleep,” the survivor replies.

The Interview, The Women’s Theatre Project’s second production in their new venue, The Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park, will open on January 4^th, 2013 and run through January 20^th. The Interview will be The Women’s Theatre Project’s 30^th production since they were founded in 2002.

Faye Sholiton’s deeply moving memory play about the legacy of human suffering, courage and humanity, mothers and daughters, and forgiving and being forgiven, The Interview is at once a powerful documentation of a horrific historical event and one artist’s deeply felt response to it. Written with clarity and feeling, it resonates on all levels.

“It is so meaningful to bring this fine piece of theatre to life,” says the Women’s Theatre Project’s Artistic Director and the play’s director, Genie Croft. “We are all born into some story that affects our emotional, social and spiritual growth,” she continues. “The Interview explores the case of children of Holocaust survivors – and that can be an enormous legacy, a stifled mystery, or a complex gift and burden. It’s exciting to focus on the characters’ evolution as they reveal their intense feelings, traumas, and even dark humor, in terms of individual perception, and communication.”

Harriet Oser will play Bracha Weissman, who has transformed herself into an emotional recluse – her identity defined by the loss of her family in the Nazi death camps she miraculously survived. Performing The Interview, particularly for the children of Holocaust survivors and sharing their memories was an unforgettable experience for Oser, who is looking forward to revisiting the character, whom she played in The Women’s Theatre Project’s 2009 production of the play.

Patti Gardner will once again take on the role of Ann Meshenberg, who arrives one day to record Bracha’s testimony for a video archive. Ann, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, has her own agenda: the need to ask a stranger what she could not ask her parents.

Irene Adjan will play Bracha’s daughter Rifka, and Christopher Mitchell will take on the role of videographer Chris MacDonald.

Playwright Faye Sholiton has developed her work in the Cleveland Play House Playwrights’ Unit since 1996 and in Dobama Theatre’s Playwrights’ Gym since 2009. Her full-length works have been read or produced in more than three dozen venues worldwide and have won more than 20 national honors. She is a four-time winner of Individual Excellence Awards from the Ohio Arts Council. Prior to writing plays, she was an award-winning journalist for local, regional and national publications. A teacher of playwriting workshops, most recently she was the Cleveland Play House Artist-in-Residence at Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights. She has also taught scene writing to passengers cruising the South Pacific. Professional affiliations include the Dramatists Guild, which she serves as Regional Representative for Ohio; the Association for Jewish Theatre; and the International Centre for Women Playwrights. She is founder of Interplay Jewish Theatre, a company that produces staged readings of Jewish themed works.

Faye Sholiton will attend the opening night performance of The Interview.

The Interview will run from January 4^th through January 20^th, 2013, with performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.

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 The Interview are on sale now, and can be purchased at the Willow Theatre Box office: 561-347-3948. Tickets for all performances are $25, or $20 if purchased before December 21^st.

The Interview
By Faye Sholiton
January 4-20, 2013
Thu-Sat 8pm, Sat-Sun 2pm
The Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
300 South Military Trail,
Boca Raton, FL 33486
Tickets: $25
Phone: 561-347-3948

www.womenstheatreproject.com
http://www.facebook.com/WomensTheatreProject
http://www.fayesplays.com/

Virtuoso Pianist Jace Vek creates ‘The New Standard’

29 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients, Jace Vek

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Anita Havel, cello, Chris Eversoul, Contemporary, Crest Theatre, Delray Beach Center for the Arts, Delray Music, Drew Tucker, Jace Vek, Jazz, Jeff Oster, Jenene Caramiello, Jimi Cokinos, Jonah Kim, Music, pianist, The New Standard, virtuoso, world class musicians

Eight World Class Musicians to Appear On Stage
One Night Only
January 5, 2013
At The Crest Theater
At the Delray Beach Center for the Arts in Old School Square

Emmy Award-winning composer and concert pianist Jace Vek has built a critically acclaimed career combining different styles and genres to create music that ventures far beyond the traditional, yet consistently pleases the ear and the soul. On January 5^th at the Crest Theatre at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts in Old School Square, Vek will continue to stretch the boundaries of his art in a concert he has dubbed The New Standard.

The show, which Vek describes as “instrumental art” will feature a roster of outstanding musicians, all with uniquely different styles of musicianship working together to give birth to Vek’s newest cutting edge creations.

“The music is heavy on melody, and strong in rhythm,” Vek explains. “It ranges from sublime, dreamy interludes to explosive feats of technical virtuosity. It sounds like a film soundtrack on steroids. It’s a sum of the inspirations from many musical styles including, Electronica, Classical, New Age, Jazz, Film music, Hard Rock, Symphonic, Opera, and Hip hop.”

The New Standard will also showcase the formidable talents of cellist Jonah Kim, electric guitarist Jimi Cokinos, flugelhorn/trumpeter Jeff Oster, bassist Chris Eversoul, and percussionist Drew Tucker. Soprano Jenene Caramiello and dancer Anita Havel will also perform.

Winner of 2 Emmy awards, with five album releases, Jace Vek’s music is played on hundreds of radio stations world-wide and is featured on XM satellite radio. He is a composer of new music, has worked with with Grammy award winning artists, and specializes in symphonic-electronic fusion. As a virtuoso pianist, Jace Vek has played for US presidents, and performed in many exclusive venues.

Heralded by the New York Times as the next Yo-Yo Ma, 22 year old cellist Jonah Kim has become a star in the world of classical music. He has worked with numerous superstars, including Sting, Andrea Bocelli, Vic Damone, Kenny Rogers, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Jonah is a graduate of the Julliard and Curtis schools of music. He is Associate Principal Cellist at the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, where he is also the orchestra’s youngest member.

With a career in the music business that has taken him to over 50 countries, electric guitarist Jimi Cokinos brings a world of sound and experience to his music. He has had an extensive career in production and has worked closely with Janet Jackson. Destiny’s Child, Fuel, Creed, James Taylor, and other world famous acts.

Jeff Oster’s (flugelhorn, trumpet) most recent album releases, produced by Grammy award winning producer Will Ackerman, have earned him 2 album of the year awards, and international radio airplay, and rave reviews from critics from all over the world.

Over the past 12 months Chris Eversoul (bass guitar) has appeared with the following groups: Apocalyptica, L.A. Guns, Cinderella, and Stryper. Chris has also worked with Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Dale Stevens, and Patrick Johanson.

Founder of the Tucker Music Academy, which teaches hundreds of students, percussionist Drew Tucker is a leader in community outreach, and a captain of music education.

Tickets for The New Standard are $25, and are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased on line at http://delraycenterforthearts.org/ or by phone at 561-243-7922. Performance time is 8 p.m. on January 5^th, 2013.

For more information about The New Standard, to arrange for interviews with various artists, or for photos and/or video, visit www.jacevek.com, or contact Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com/561-445-9244.

Delray Beach Center for the Arts (formerly known as Old School Square Cultural Arts Center) offers world‐class events, theater, exhibits and learning opportunities. The restored early 20th century school buildings (listed on the
National Register of Historic Places as Delray Beach Schools) house the charming Cornell Museum of Art & American Culture (c. 1913), the intimate Crest Theatre (c. 1925) and a Vintage Gymnasium. The Pavilion, which opened in 2002, hosts outdoor concerts and festivals. The School of Creative Arts offers art, photography and writing classes. The Center also serves as a venue for community, corporate, private and media events. For information on performances, exhibits, classes or facility rentals, call 561‐243‐7922 or visit
DelrayCenterForTheArts.org.

The New Standard
January 5, 2013
8:00 p.m.
Tickets $25
The Crest Theatre at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts at Old School Square
51 North Swinton Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444
Phone: 561-243-7922
delraycenterforthearts.org

Jace Vek

Jonah Kim Jimi CokinosDrew TuckerJeff Oster
Chris EversoulJenene Carmiello

Parade Productions presents Michael McKeever in ‘The Santaland Diaries’

06 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by Carol Kassie in Clients

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Boca Raton, Candace Caplin, Christmas, Christmas Comedy, comedy, David Sedaris, Kim St. Leon, Michael McKeever, Parade Productions, Santaland Diaries, Studio Theatre at Mizner Park, theatre

Michael McKeever
stars in
David Sedaris’
The Santaland Diaries

“What’s as much fun as Christmas?” asks Parade Productions’ director Kim St. Leon. “Directing David Sedaris’ wickedly funny script, The Santaland Diaries, with Michael McKeever!”

The Santaland Diaries will open Parade Productions’ second season on December 13^th, and run through December 23^rd at the Studio Theatre at Mizner Park in Boca Raton.

The Santaland Diarieshilariouslyrelates David Sedaris’ experiences when he reluctantly worked as an elf in Macy’s Christmastime Santaland display, and offers an uproarious behind-the-scenes look at how department stores manufacture Christmas spirit.

“The play is witty and smart and tells truths about our heart and our callousness, all the while making us laugh,” St. Leon says. “It truly is a celebration of the human spirit covered in holiday commercialism. And Michael McKeever is a dream to direct.”

Parade Productions’ debut season was an unqualified success. Their production of Donald Margulies’ Brooklyn Boy sold out all twelve performances, and a subsequent reading of Stuart Meltzer’s play, Better Than Damn Good, also did very well.

Candace Caplin, the driving force behind Parade Productions, and the company’s executive director, explains: “The audience loved Michael Mc Keever in Better Than Damn Good – so we decided to bring him back! It was a great night – there’s nothing like a group of people coming together and laughing. We’re excited about SantaLand; you take David Sedaris, and mix in Michael Mc Keever, and you end up with something special. It should be a lot of fun.”

McKeever is pleased to have the opportunity to revisit Sedaris’ (s)elf. “There’s a reason this play is one of the most produced every year,” he says. “It’s not only full of sardonic wit and humor, but incredibly insightful as well.”

The versatile 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. 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.

Humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor David Sedaris has been described as ‘the rock star of writers’. He first gained public attention when National Public Radio broadcast his essay ‘Santaland Diaries’ in 1992. Much of Sedaris’ humor is autobiographical and self-deprecating, and often concerns his family life, his middle-class upbringing, his Greek heritage, unusual jobs, education, drug use, obsessive behaviors, and his life in general. Sedaris has been compared to James Thurber, Dorothy Parker, Spalding Gray, Mark Twain, and Nathanial West and was hailed by the New Yorker as one of the funniest writers in America. His books and essays have sold well over seven million copies.

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 23^rd, with performances Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $35 and $40 ($30 for groups of 15 or more).

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

The Santaland Diaries
By David Sedaris; adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello
December 13-23
Thu-Sat 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun 3 pm
The Studio at Mizner Park
201 Plaza Real, 2^nd Floor
Boca Raton, FL 33432
Tickets: $35/$40
Phone: 866-811-4111
Group Sales: 561-291-9678
www.paradeproductions.org
Parade Productions on Facebook

Carol Kassie

~ Theatrical Marketing & Public Relations

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Parade Productions presents Michael McKeever in ‘The Santaland Diaries’