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GUYS AND DOLLS Opens at LPAC on April 1st!

09 Wednesday Mar 2022

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MNM Theatre Company
The City of Lauderhill and
North End Theater Company

present

April 1 – April 16, 2022

“If you have ever searched Times Square to find that vanished Broadway of lovable gangsters, wisecracking dolls and neon-splashed dawns, you must not miss … Guys and Dolls.”
~ Frank Rich, The New York Times

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

March 10, 2022

LAUDERHILL, FL:  Sky Masterson, Nathan Detroit, Sarah Brown, and of course Miss Adelaide… these names are often familiar to Broadway aficionados of all ages.  Guys and Dolls, the third joint production to be presented by MNM Theatre Company, the City of Lauderhill, and North End Theater Company will bring these iconic characters (along with Nicely Nicely Johnson, Harry the Horse, Angie the Ox, and others) to life on the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) stage from April 1st through April 16th. 

Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, and considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, Guys and Dolls has won multiple Tony, Drama Desk, Olivier, and Critics’ Circle awards since it debuted at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre). With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Most Happy Fella) and the book by acclaimed humorist Abe Burrows and award-winning writer Jo Swerling, the show received unanimous rave reviews when it opened on November 24th, 1950.

“There is only one defect – but a serious one – about the musical, Guys and Dolls, which opened at the 46th St. Theatre last evening,” John Chappman of the New York Daily News wrote on November 25, 1950. “And I might as well report it now and get on to happier things: The big trouble with Guys and Dolls is that a performance of it lasts only one evening, when it ought to last about a week.”

The story focuses on gambler Nathan Detroit as he tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck. Meanwhile his girlfriend, nightclub performer Miss Adelaide, laments that they have been engaged for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler, Sky Masterson, for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing the strait-laced missionary Sarah Brown as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually, everyone ends up right where they belong. 

Marcie Gorman

“This show has been on my bucket list for a long time,” says MNM Theatre Company’s Producing Artistic Director and CEO Marcie Gorman. “The music, the characters, the book, Runyon’s New York – Guys and Dolls is ‘theatrical Nirvana’.  And I’m so thrilled we can present it to a brand-new audience at LPAC.”

Jonathan Van Dyke

“Guys and Dolls for me is the quintessential NY theatrical experience,” says the production’s director, Jonathan Van Dyke. “The score and characters are so vibrant, and I have really been looking forward to putting this together with MNM.”

Van Dyke’s talented South Florida-based cast includes Sean Davis as Sky Masterson, Caiti Marlowe as Sarah Brown, Leah Sessa as Miss Adelaide, Larry Buzzeo as Nathan Detroit, Tommy Paduano as Nicely, Nicely, Geoffrey Mergele as Benny Southstreet, Alexandria Thomas as Rusty Charlie, Michael Kreutz as Arvide Abernathy, James Skiba as Lt. Branigan, Norita Bandel as General Cartwright, Kat Gold as Agatha, Michael Materdomini as Harry the Horse, Manny Zaldivar as Angie the Ox, Randall Swinton as Joey Biltmore, and Colleen Pagano as Big Jule.

Rounding out the Guys and Dolls cast are Ashley Rubin, Amanda Eisele, Alex Van Hasselt, Alison Podolsky, and Michael Harper.

Bobby Peaco is the production’s Music Director, and Jonathan Van Dyke and Jonathan Eisele are the show’s Choreographers.  Scenic Designer and Scenic Artist is Cindi Blank Taylor, Lighting Designer is Guy Haubrich, Sound Designer is Justin Thompson, Costume Designer is Penny Williams, Props are by Jamie Brothman, and Wigs are by Justin Lore.  Guys and Dolls’ Technical Director is JB Green, Production Manager is Jordon Armstrong, Stage Manager is Amber Mandic, and the Assistant Stage Manager is Andrea Guardo.

Guys and Dolls will run from April 1st through April 16th, 2022.  Tickets are $45 to $65 and are available online at www.lpacfl.com or by calling 954-777-2055.

Lauderhill Performing Arts Center recommends that masks be worn in the building.

The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center is located at 3800 NW 11th Place (33311), in the Central Broward Regional Park on the Northeast corner of Sunrise Boulevard and State Road 7.  For more information about LPAC visit https://www.lpacfl.com.

For more information about MNM Theatre Company (www.mnmtheatre.org/) and North End Theater Company and/or the Broadway at  LPAC series, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

~

Guys and Dolls
April 1 – 16, 2022
Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Based on the Idyll of Sarah Brown and characters by Damon Runyon
Tickets: $45-$65
For tickets:  www.lpacfl.com or www.mnmtheatre.org or
Call 954-777-2055
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm
All performances at
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
3800 NW 11th Place
Lauderhill, FL  33311

  • Sean William Davis, Caiti Marlowe
  • Leah Sessa, Larry Buzzeo
  • Tommy Paduano, Alexandria Thomas, Geoffrey Mergele
  • Geoffrey Mergele, Larry Buzzeo, Tommy Paduano
  • Sean William Davis, Caiti Marlowe
  • Tommy Paduano
  • Leah Sessa, Caiti Marlowe



  • Jonathan Van Dyke
  • Marcie Gorman
  • Larry Buzzeo
  • Colleen Pagano
  • Geoffrey Mergele
  • Ashley Rubin
  • Michael Materdomini
  • Allison Podolsky
  • Tommy Paduano
  • Alexandra Van Hasselt
  • Caiti Marlowe
  • James A. Skiba
  • Manny Zaldivar
  • Michael Kreutz
  • Norita Bandel
  • Leah Sessa
  • Michael Harper
  • Amanda Eisele
  • Randall Swinton
  • Alexandria Thomas
  • Sean William Davis
  • Jessie Dez

MARCIE GORMAN to Direct THE VICTORY DOLLS 2021-2022 Season

26 Tuesday Oct 2021

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“When smart, talented women work together for the greater good, nothing can stop them.”
~ Excerpt from The Victory Dolls Mission Statement

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

October 26, 2021

BOCA RATON, FL:  In addition to continuing to serve as MNM Theatre Company’s Producing Artistic Director, Marcie Gorman will take on another role this season – that of Director for the popular 1940s era singing group The Victory Dolls. 

The Victory Dolls is a company of enormously talented and award-winning local singer/actresses whose nostalgic style is reminiscent of the sophisticated vocals and precise harmonies of the Andrews Sisters. Their vintage look, tight choreography, and lively original musical arrangements combine to create a dazzling All-American show that appeals to audiences of all ages. 

The Victory Dolls have added a number of new faces to their roster this year.  Ann Marie Olson, Mallory Newbrough, Elizabeth Sackett, Jessie Dez, Laura Yanez, and Molly Anne Ross will join Shelley Keelor, Sabrina Lynn Gore, Leah Marie Sessa, Jeanine Levy, Aaron Bower, and Jinon Deeb to make up an even ‘Dozen Dolls’.

Carbonell and two-time Silver Palm Award-winning music director, piano accompanist and vocal coach Caryl Fantel will serve as the group’s music director.  Musical arrangements are by Phil Hinton.

Marcie Gorman has had extensive directing experience – she produced and/or helmed numerous musical productions at A.W. Dreyfoos School for the Arts during her years as a volunteer/instructor there.  Prior to founding MNM, Gormanwas an educator, successful entrepreneur, and philanthropist.  Under her leadership and guidance, the award-winning MNM Theatre Company has been delighting audiences with their productions of beloved American musicals since its debut in 2014.  The company will produce three musicals in the coming season at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) and one at the Mizner Park Cultural Center.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be working with this wonderful group of women on such a worthwhile project – paying tribute to our veterans – who have taken such great care of our country, and countries all over the world,” Gorman says.  “I have worked with almost every one of these talented ladies before at MNM Theatre Company, and I know we are going to produce a show that will honor, inspire, and entertain everyone who sees it.”

“We are very excited to bring on such a unique talent as Marcie Gorman as our Director,” says Kevin Barrett, the Founder and CEO of The Victory Dolls. “We have brought together some of the top names in the South Florida theater community to grow The Victory Dolls brand over the next few years. Our mission is to honor Veterans all over the South Florida community, city by city, and keep the music from the 1940s alive for all to enjoy with our incredible production and our unique harmonies and arrangements.” 

For booking information, contact Kevin Barrett at (954)234-5982 or email at kevinbarrettgm@gmail.com.

For more information about The Victory Dolls (https://thevictorydolls.com) and/or Marcie Gorman please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

The Victory Dolls – 2021-2022
  • Shelley Keelor
  • Sabrina Lynn Gore
  • Molly Anne Ross
  • Mallory Newbrough
  • Leah Marie Sessa
  • Laura Yanez
  • Jinon Deeb
  • Jessie Dez
  • Jeanine Levy
  • Elizabeth Sackett
  • Ann Marie Olson
  • Aaron Bower
  • Marcie Gorman
  • Caryl Fantel

Tovah Feldshuh Returns to Mizner Park in TOVAH IS LEONA!

13 Monday Sep 2021

Posted by in Clients, Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center, Uncategorized

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Back by Popular Demand!

Tovah Feldshuh
Returns to the
Mizner Park Cultural Center
in
Tovah is LEONA!

Three Performances Only:
Saturday & Sunday October 16th & 17th   

“Dead 14 years, and I can still nail a middle C!”
Tovah Feldshuh as Leona Helmsley

“This Is A Do-Not-Miss!! Tovah Embodies This New York Name With Every Fiber Of Her Being”
—Times Square Chronicles

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

September 13, 2021

BOCA RATON, FL:  Six-time Tony and Emmy nominee Tovah Feldshuh will return to Boca Raton’s Mizner Park Cultural Center on Saturday October 16th and Sunday October 17th for three performances of her acclaimed one woman show Tovah is LEONA! The show, in which Feldshuh assumes the persona of real estate mogul and hotelier Leona Helmsley, played to sold-out houses in January 2019.  

As Helmsley, the disgraced doyenne comments and sings about anything and everything – from her meteoric rise from office temp to trophy wife, from wheeler-dealer to hotel magnate, to her relationship with real estate rival Donald Trump.

Created by Feldshuh, Director Jeff Harnar, and Musical Director James Bassi (and based on the New York Times best-seller by Randell Pierson), Leona Helmsley is given one hour up from Purgatory to SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT!!… and sing a few show tunes. She fulfills her dream to star in her own cabaret show as she sings for her innocence in a long-awaited RE-trial with the audience as her jury. So “HARRY on Down!” for an evening of fun, frolic & foreclosure! If you’re indicted, you’re invited!!

“Dear Ones, I am overjoyed to be returning to South Florida with Tovah is LEONA!, home of such fabulous audiences.” Feldshuh enthuses. “Needless to say Leona will want everything “Helmsley perfect,” and as such, she insists “No Vaccination, No Entry.” So please, let’s avoid her wrath and abide by this request.  Hell hath no fury like Leona scorned!”

Tovah is LEONA! features original music by Ron Passaro, lyrics by David Lee, and a book by Alex Lippard and David Lee.  The show is directed by Jeff Harnar, and Musical Director James Bassi provided the musical arrangements and additional lyrics.  

Tovah Feldshuh is a six-time Emmy & Tony nominee and has been awarded three honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters. Additionally, for her theatre work, she has won four Drama Desks, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, three Dramalogues, the Obie, the Theatre World, and the Helen Hayes and Lucille Lortel Awards for Best Actress. 

Tovah Feldshuh

Feldshuh has appeared on Broadway (Yentl, Cyrano, Rodgers & Hart, Dreyfus in Rehearsal, Sarava!, Lend Me a Tenor, Golda’s Balcony, Irena’s Vow, and as the show stopping trapeze-swinging Berthe in Pippin), Off-Broadway, and in dozens of productions around the country. Her numerous television roles include Deanna Monroeon “The Walking Dead”, Danielle Melnickon “Law & Order”, POTUS Pauline Mackenzie on “Salvation”, and Naomi Bunch, on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” where Feldshuh can be seen singing the dignified showstopper: “Where’s the Bathroom!?”  Her film credits include Kissing Jessica Stein, (Golden Satellite Award), A Walk on the Moon, Brewster’s Millions, Just My Luck, Daniel, The Idolmaker, and Paramount’s soon-to-be released Clifford. Recently Ms. Feldshuh’s award-winning performance as Prime Minister Golda Meir in Golda’s Balcony was made into a film entitled Golda’s Balcony The Film which won 20 out of 20 Audience Choice Awards. She is about to star as Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer in Becoming Dr. Ruth by Mark St. Germain, opening December 4th in New York City at the state-of-the-art Safra Hall in the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Her first memoir, LILYVILLE: Mother, Daughter, and Other Roles I’ve Played, has been chosen as a “Must Read” by Good Morning America and was immediately ranked the Number One New Release in Parent and Adult Child Relationships on Amazon. Follow Tovah’s travels around the world on Instagram @tovahfeld and her future engagements on her website: www.tovahfeldshuh.com.

Tickets for Tovah is LEONA! are on sale now and range in price from $39 – $59. Tickets can be purchased online at http://miznerparkculturalcenter.com or by phone at 844-672-2849.  The Mizner Park Cultural Center is located at 201 Plaza Real in Boca Raton (33432).

Masks must be worn in order to attend.
All patrons must be vaccinated.

For more information about Tovah is LEONA!, to arrange for tickets, or to speak with someone involved in the production, please contact Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244.

“Tovah Is a Life Force!” Theater Pizazz

“Fast, funny and vastly entertaining.” Cabaret Scenes

~

Tovah is LEONA!
Saturday, October 16 at 3 pm & 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 17 at 2 pm
Created by: Tovah Feldshuh, James Bassi, & Jeff Harnar
Directed by Jeff Harnar
Musical Director:  James Bassi
Music by Ron Passaro
Lyrics by David Lee & Alex Lippard
Tickets: $39 – $59
For tickets:  http://miznerparkculturalcenter.com  844-672-2849
All performances take place at
The Mizner Park Cultural Center
201 Plaza Real, 2nd Floor
Boca Raton, FL 33432
Like us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/MiznerParkCulturalCenter

Stars to Sing in Concert: A MILLION DREAMS Will Feature Broadway’s Derek Klena, Christy Altomare, and Samantha Pauly

01 Tuesday Jun 2021

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Broadway Stars to Sing in Concert:
A Million Dreams
Featuring Broadway’s
Derek Klena, Christy Altomare, and Samantha Pauly
Will Showcase the Students of
Making It On Broadway

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jodie Langel, CEO Making It on Broadway
jodie@makingitonbroadway.net / 310-497-5964
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

June 1, 2021

LAUDERHILL, FL:  Making It On Broadway, an educational musical theater training program, will host a summer concert entitled A Million Dreams, featuring Broadway notables Derek Klena (Jagged Little Pill), Christy Altomare (Anastasia), and Samantha Pauly (Six) and the students of Making It On Broadway at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Sunday, July 11th at 7:30 pm. 

A Million Dreams will feature songs from Broadway productions such as Mean Girls, Carrie, The Greatest Showman, Dear Evan Hansen, and Jagged Little Pill. Klena, Altomare, and Pauly will perform alongside students from the Making It On Broadway program who they will have been mentoring and teaching all week. (Mrs. Doubtfire star Rob McClure will also be one of that week’s mentors.)

Making It On Broadway is an acclaimed musical theatre program, founded by Broadway actress, teacher and author Jodie Langel, wherein students learn the realities of what it means to be a modern Broadway professional.  Participating in classes taught by Broadway professionals, students take acting, singing, and dancing classes every day, and are also given the opportunity to work with, learn from, and perform for professionals from every aspect of ‘the business’, including directors, music directors, producers, and Tony Award winners.  Past notable Making It On Broadway master class instructors include Sutton Foster, Kristin Chenoweth, Jeremy Jordan, Megan Hilty, Norm Lewis, and Jason Alexander.

Derek Klena originated the role of Eddie Birdlace in the stage adaptation of Dogfight and the role of Dmitry in Anastasia on Broadway.  He received a 2020 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Nick Healy in Jagged Little Pill.

Christy Altomare played Wendla in the first national tour of Spring Awakening and Sue Snell in the Off-Broadway revival of Carrie.  She made her Broadway debut as Sophie in Mamma Mia and originated the titular role in the Broadway premiere of Anastasia.

Samatha Pauly originated the role of Katherine Howard in Six the Musical on Broadway.  She played Eva Peron in the critically acclaimed West End revival of Evita at Regent Parks Open Air Theatre.

Derek Klena, Christy Altomare, and Samantha Pauly
Jodie Langel

Jodie Langel’s many Broadway and touring credits include Les Miserables (Cosette), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator), Cats (Grizabella), and the pre-Broadway production of Martin Guerre (Bertrande). Her New York credits also include Bernstein’s Mass at Carnegie Hall/Kennedy Center, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at the Westside Theatre. Jodie won “Best Actress” in I Come For Love at the NYMF Festival in New York City and was a part of the New York Workshop of The First Wives’ Club (understudy to Ana Gastayer). Locally she has received numerous Carbonell Award nominations and a Silver Palm Award.  Jodie also co-authored the book ‘Making It On Broadway: Actors’ Tales of Climbing to the Top’, which has become required reading at leading conservatories around the country.

Tickets for A Million Dreams range in price from $50 to $80 and can be purchased online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pesptpm/10735597/1080236.

The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center is located at 3800 NW 11th Place (33311), in the Central Broward Regional Park on the Northeast corner of Sunrise Boulevard and State Road 7. 

For more information about Making It On Broadway and Jodie Langel, visit https://www.makingitonbroadway.net or contact Jodie Langel at Jodie@makingitonbroadway.net / 310-497-5964.

MNM Theatre Company and North End Theater Company Partner to Produce Broadway at LPAC at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center in 2022

01 Tuesday Jun 2021

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MNM Theatre Company and
North End Theater Company
Partner to Produce
Broadway at LPAC
at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center in 2022

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

June 1, 2021

BOCA RATON, FL:  MNM Theatre Company will partner with North End Theater Company, the production division of Arts Center Management (ACM), a multi-platform theatre management company, to produce the Broadway at LPAC series at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center. ACM recently signed a long-term contract to produce the series for the City of Lauderhill.  The three-show 2022 season will feature the hit musicals Grease, Sister Act, and Guys and Dolls.

MNM Theatre Company is an award-winning not-for-profit 501(c)(3) theatre company whose mission is to produce high quality professional live theatre that inspires audiences and enriches the cultural life of the community while creating Florida based jobs in the Arts. 

Since the company’s debut production of A Chorus Line in 2014, Marcie Gorman, MNM’s Producing Artistic Director and CEO has been committed to providing job opportunities for Floridians, and as of January 2021 MNM Theatre Company has created over 800 theatrical employment opportunities both in front of and behind the curtain.

MNM has produced large scale musicals (including Spamalot, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Hair, La Cage Aux Folles, Little Shop of Horrors) as well as smaller, intimate productions (Side By Side By Sondheim, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, My Way, A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra), garnering critical and audience acclaim, numerous prestigious South Florida Carbonell Award nominations – and a win, and multiple Silver Palm Awards. Their recent innovative online production of Closer Than Ever received rave reviews from audiences and critics throughout the United States, and kudos from the show’s creators, Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire.

Marcie Gorman

“We are extremely excited to begin working with the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center and North End Theater Company,” Gorman says, “And to bring MNM Theatre Company and musical theatre to Lauderhill and Broward County!”

The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center has hosted numerous theatrical events and productions since it opened its doors in January 2016 and has grown its audiences to include theatre patrons from not only Broward County, but from Miami/Dade and Palm Beach counties as well.

“The City of Lauderhill is pleased to be working with our new partners, MNM Theatre Company and Arts Center Management, to present our upcoming Broadway series,” says Lauderhill City Manager Desorae Giles-Smith.  “After a year of being dark due to COVID-19, we are thrilled to bring light and life back to the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center!”

Arts Center Management is a multi-faceted theatre management, consulting, and production company whose main focus is to help theatres and theatre companies improve their programming and operations.  The company was founded by ACM President Kevin Barrett in 2014. Barrett began working with the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center in 2014 and was instrumental in bringing the successful Broadway in Lauderhill series to LPAC. 

“It’s an honor to work with Marcie Gorman and her award-winning MNM Theatre Company,” says Barrett. “During the last year, we have been working behind the scenes, formulating our plans, and there’s no one I would want leading this exciting new venture more than Marcie. She is one of the most respected regional theater producers in Florida.”

Grease will run from January 14th – January 30th, 2022; Sister Act from February 18th – March 6th; and Guys and Dolls from April 1st – April 17th.  Grease and Guys and Dolls will be directed by Jonathan Van Dyke, and Sister Act will be helmed by Michael Ursua. 

Tickets and subscriptions to Broadway at LPAC will be on sale soon, and various subscription packages will be available.

The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center is located at 3800 NW 11th Place (33311), in the Central Broward Regional Park on the Northeast corner of Sunrise Boulevard and State Road 7.  For more information about LPAC visit https://www.lpacfl.com.

For more information about MNM Theatre Company (www.mnmtheatre.org/), ACM and North End Theater Company and/or the Broadway at  LPAC series, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

Opening January 10: TO LIFE 2: MORE STORIES & MUSIC CELEBRATING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF JEWISH COMPOSERS TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF BROADWAY

23 Monday Dec 2019

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Hy Juter
PresentsTo Life 2:  More Stories & Music Celebrating the Contributions of Jewish Composers to The Golden Age of Broadway
At the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park
January 10 – February 2, 2020

“My whole thing is not just to play music for people, but to make them part of the evening.”~ Marvin Hamlisch

“I guess I think of a musical as something in which the music is sort of like the engine of the piece – whether it is in the theatre or in film.” ~ John Kander

“A song must move the story ahead. A song must take the place of dialogue. If a song halts the show, pushes it back, stalls it, the audience won’t buy it; they’ll be unhappy.” ~ Dorothy Fields

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

December 23, 2019

BOCA RATON, FL:  A sold-out run in January 2019, and consistent “when will you do this again?” questions have led to the creation of To Life 2: More Stories & Music Celebrating the Contributions of Jewish Composers to the Golden Age of Broadway.  This second iteration of last year’s audience favorite will pick up where the previous show left off, with more songs, anecdotes, and stories, and will highlight the works of Marvin Hamlisch, Kander & Ebb, Dorothy Fields, George & Ira Gershwin, Jerry Herman, and many more. To Life 2 will run in the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park from January 10th through February 2nd.

Hy Juter (Jupiter Theater Company, LLC) will produce the show: “This is the first Willow Theatre production I have taken on myself since my partner Jerry Seltzer suddenly passed away this summer,” Juter says.  “We produced three wonderfully successful shows together (The Jazz Singer, Danny Kaye and Sylvia, and To Life) and we were working on To Life 2 literally until the day he died.   Jerry was a friend, a mensch, and one of the most decent people I have ever worked with, and we are dedicating this production to him.”

To Life 2: More Stories & Music Celebrating the Contributions of Jewish Composers to The Golden Age of Broadway will be performed by five of South Florida’s award-winning musical theatre artists:  Jeffrey Bruce, Wayne LeGette, Michael McKenzie, Amy Miller Brennan, and Mallory Newbrough.

Shari Upbin will once again helm the production, and Paul Reekie will be music director and pianist.

 

Shari Upbin

“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to direct Part 2 of To Life,” Upbin says. “These Jewish composers and stars of Broadway have shaped the form of Musical Theatre from the outset. Our audiences will be thrilled to hear South Florida’s best performing some of Broadway’s most popular songs live on stage.

“Jewish contribution to the Broadway musical has been phenomenal,” Upbin continues. “In fact, Jewish composers and lyricists created the Broadway musical. Children of immigrants, called outsiders – people who struggled for acceptance in mainstream society – created the greatest American shows in history. Show Boat, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, Gypsy… and scores (pun intended!) more!”

To Life 2: More Stories & Music Celebrating the Contributions of Jewish Composers to The Golden Age of Broadway was once again created and written by Scott Siegel.  Siegel is a well-known pop culture critic who covers film, theatre, and cabaret with his wife, Barbara, writing “The Siegel Column” for TheatreMania.com, and “The Two of Clubs” column for Talkin’Broadway.com. He has created more than 400 major concerts that have been performed worldwide, written/produced/directed concerts for Michael Feinstein, and has created scores of nightclub acts that have played at major clubs around the globe. He is well known for being the creator/writer/director/host of New York City’s Town Hall Theatre’s signature series, Broadway by the Year® and Broadway Unplugged.

To Life 2 will run from January 10 through February 2 at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.  Tickets are $40; group rates (6 or more tickets purchased in one transaction) are $35.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.sugarsandpark.org/life-2  or by phone at 561-347-3948.  The Willow Theatre is located at 300 South Military Trail, in Boca Raton’s Sugar Sand Park (33486).

For more information about To Life 2: More Stories & Music Celebrating the Contributions of Jewish Composers to The Golden Age of Broadway please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

Hy Juter (Jupiter Theater Company, LLC) presents
To Life 2:  More Stories & Music Celebrating the
Contributions of Jewish Composers to The Golden Age of Broadway
January 10 – February 2, 2020
Created and Written by Scott Siegel
Directed by Shari Upbin
Tickets: $40 / $35 for groups of 6 or more
For tickets:  561-347-3948 or https://sugarsandpark.org/life-2
Showtimes:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm
All performances take place in
The Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
300 South Military Trail,
Boca Raton, FL 33486
https://sugarsandpark.org/life-2

About The Willow Theatre:
The Willow Theatre, opened in 1998, is a beautiful 155-seat proscenium theater, located inside Sugar Sand Park Community Center and allows for a unique experience for theatre patrons. Before or after a show, you may wander the nature trails, visit the Children’s Science Explorium, look at the art exhibit on display, or picnic at one of our pavilions.

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White Ibis Productions Announces the Casting for BOCA BOUND: A NEW MUSICAL ~ September 19 – 22

06 Tuesday Aug 2019

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White Ibis Productions
Announces Casting for
Boca Bound: A New Musical

Premiere Performances at The Wick Theatre
September 19 – 22

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

August 6, 2019

BOCA RATON, FL:  Casting has been completed for Boca Bound: A New Musical.  The show, with a book by Bonnie Logan and music and lyrics by Richard Peshkin, both of whom are residents of Boca Raton, Florida, will have its world premiere performances at the Wick Theatre from September 19th through September 22.

Boca Bound is being produced by White Ibis Productions; Chad Larabee will direct the production, and Michael J. Moritz, Jr will serve as the show’s Music Supervisor/Vocal Arranger.

Boca Bound tells the story of Nadine, a successful New York attorney. But life has a way of throwing curveballs, and when a significant change occurs in her well-ordered life, she must learn to adapt – and to reassess.   A trip to Boca Raton,  re-connections with friends and family, and the possibility of a future she had often dreamed of but never believed could happen lead Nadine on a journey of discovery – about the choices she has made and those she can still make in order to find fulfillment and happiness.

The Boca Bound cast includes Neva Rae Powers as Nadine, Missy McArdle as Gert, and Steve Carroll as Allan.  Other cast members include Philip Chaffin, Justin Figueroa, Ashley Wilcox, Gail Byer, J.R. Coley, Peter Librach, Janna Morrison, Colleen Pagano, and Troy Stanley.

“I am excited to start working with this phenomenal cast and creative team,” says director Larabee. “We are fortunate to be working with an eclectic array of actors and artists from South Florida, Broadway, national tours, and regional theatres from across the country.

Chad Larabee

“I immediately connected with the material and I was drawn to how Bonnie and Rich were telling this story of children and parents learning how to connect as adults. At some point in everyone’s life we realize that our parents aren’t perfect, that they do the best that they can in the moment, but they sometimes make mistakes.

“I loved the humor and the heart of the story, and I am impressed by how fearless the writers are in approaching their first musical,” Larabee says. “Bonnie and Rich’s characters celebrate how people should approach the third act of their lives. I think a lot of us have misconceptions about retirement and are afraid of growing older. I love that the characters in Boca Bound thrive in their lives – instead of slowing down, they are speeding up. The musical celebrates the 60+ year lifestyle and reminds everyone that anything in life is possible.

As a New Yorker, I’ve loved immersing myself in the Boca Raton lifestyle, which permeates the show.  There is a distinct beat and energy to Rich’s music that is synonymous with South Florida. And I think Bonnie has beautifully captured the vibrancy and the complexity of our characters and reveals how a family can heal their old wounds and reconnect as a family.”

Bonnie Logan, the show’s book writer is thrilled and excited with the direction and progress she and lyricist Richard Peshkin have seen since Larabee and Moritz came on board.  “Their enthusiasm, their knowledge, and their support…I can’t begin to tell you what it’s meant to us.  And we’re so grateful to Marilynn Wick for allowing us to rent her theatre for this production.”

Boca Bound will run from September 19 – 22 at The Wick Theatre in Boca Raton.  Tickets are $50 – $55 and are available by phone at 561-995-2333 or online at www.bocaboundmusical.com or www.thewick.org.

A portion of the proceeds from Boca Bound ticket sales will be donated to The Pap Corps*.

For more information about Boca Bound please visit www.bocaboundmusical.com or contact Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 / Carol@CarolKassie.com.

In the attached photo:  Bonnie Logan and Richard Peshkin
Photo credit:  Karen Peshkin

~

Boca Bound: A New Musical
September 19 – 22
Book by Bonnie Logan
Music and Lyrics by Richard Peshkin
Directed by Chad Larabee
Tickets: $50 – $55
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday at 7:30 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 2 pm
To purchase tickets: www.thewick.org or www.bocaboundmusical.com
Or call 561-995-2333
All performances will take place at
The Wick Theatre
7901 North Federal Highway,
Boca Raton, FL  33487
www.bocaboundmusical.com
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*Since its founding in 1952, The Pap Corps has donated more than $110 million to Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, including a historic $50 million pledge in 2016. The Pap Corps derives its name from Dr. George Papanicolaou, a pioneer in cytopathology and early cancer detection, who introduced the world to the revolutionary ‘Pap’ test. A small group of women began the organization to support his efforts, and over the decades it has grown into an organization of over 22,000 men and women, in over 50 chapters, who raise funds to support research for all types of cancers. https://thepapcorps.org/ 

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Grammy-Nominated CELTIC WOMAN to bring their new tour ANCIENT LAND To the Charles F. Dodge City Center Pembroke Pines Tuesday, March 5th

15 Friday Feb 2019

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Grammy-Nominated
Celtic Woman
To bring their new tour
 Ancient Land
To the Charles F. Dodge City Center Pembroke Pines
Tuesday, March 5th 

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

February 15, 2019

PEMBROKE PINES, FL: Celtic Woman (www.celticwoman.com) the Grammy®-nominated, multi-platinum international music group returns to North America with a brand-new live show, Ancient Land. The tour comes on the heels of the release of the group’s 13th studio album of the same name. Celtic Woman will visit nearly 70 North American cities in 2019 including one performance at The Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines on Tuesday, March 5th at 7:30 pm.

Ancient Land is the next chapter of Celtic Woman’s extraordinary musical journey, as the group continues to touch the hearts of a huge global audience with the centuries-old Irish tradition of telling stories through song: stories of the land, stories of love and stories of dancing — songs that will bring a piece of Ireland to audiences everywhere.   An exciting new concert spectacular will air on PBS stations this fall (check local listings for airdates).  Filmed against the backdrop of the historic Johnstown Castle in County Wexford, Ireland, the outdoor concert special features brand new music from Ancient Land, timeless Irish favorites and unexpected cover songs.

Continuing the remarkable legacy of introducing some of Ireland’s most talented singers and musicians onto the world stage, Celtic Woman features the angelic voices of Megan Walsh, Mairéad Carlin, Éabha McMahon and the breathtaking Celtic violinist Tara McNeill, accompanied by a full ensemble of musicians and dancers. Celtic Woman celebrates Ireland’s rich musical and cultural heritage and combines the finest musical talent with epic stage productions to present a unique, inspiring live experience.

Tickets for Celtic Woman Ancient Land range in price from $39.50-$115.00 and are on sale now. Advance ticket sales are available only through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at Ticketmaster outlets. On the day of the show, tickets are available at the Charles F. Dodge City Center Pembroke Pines box office 90 minutes before the show.

There is no charge for self-parking. Valet service is available for most performances on the west side of the main entrance for $17.00.

The Charles F. Dodge City City Center Pembroke Pines is located 601 City Center Way, Pembroke Pines, FL 33025. For more information visit www.charlesfdodgecitycenter.com.

In the attached photo, from left to right: Tara McNeill, Mairéad Carlin, Éabha McMahon, Megan Walsh.

For more information about Celtic Woman Ancient Land, please visit www.celticwoman.com or contact Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

Celtic Woman Ancient Land
Tuesday, March 5 at 7:30 pm
For tickets:  www.ticketmaster.com / 1-800-745-3000
Tickets:  $39.50 – $115.00
Performance Venue:
Charles F. Dodge City Center Pembroke Pines
601 City Center Way
Pembroke Pines, FL 33025

About the Charles F. Dodge City Center Pembroke Pines
The mission of the Charles F. Dodge City Center Pembroke Pines is to serve the community by offering a state-of-the-art facility with professional management and by hosting local events, conventions, trade shows, meetings and concerts generating significant economic impact for the City of Pembroke Pines as well as promoting education, entertainment and community pride in a fiscally responsible manner. In addition, the PPCC will support and encourage actions and programs that enhance the desirability and attractiveness of Pembroke Pines to neighboring communities. The Charles F. Dodge City Center Pembroke Pines is located 601 City Center Way, Pembroke Pines, FL 33025. For more information visit www.charlesfdodgecitycenter.com.

Tara McNeill, Mairéad Carlin, Éabha McMahon, Megan Walsh

 Tara McNeill, Mairéad Carlin, Megan Walsh, and Éabha McMahon

 

 

Tommy Koenig’s BABY BOOMER BABY at the PGA Arts Center April 27 – May 28

06 Thursday Apr 2017

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Tommy Koenig
Returns to South Florida with his
Hit “Musicomedy”
Baby Boomer Baby
at the
PGA Arts Center
April 27 – May 28

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

April 6, 2017:
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL:  Comedy Central/National Lampoon star Tommy Koenig’s show Baby Boomer Baby’s well received and successful run at the Plaza Theatre in 2016 prompted PGA Arts Center producers Dana Matthow and Philip Roger Roy to approach the multi-talented actor/comedian about returning to South Florida for a limited engagement at their newly opened Palm Beach Gardens theatre.   Koenig’s one man ‘musicomedy’, which just completed a successful engagement at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix, Arizona, is a flashback through our times and the music that defined them”. Baby Boomer Baby will open at the PGA Arts Center on April 27th.

Baby Boomer Baby has been called well written, wildly entertaining, high energy, touching, and very, very funny. It is Koenig’s story, told from his distinctly Baby Boomer perspective. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1953, the year Rock and Roll was born, and was raised in Rockaway Beach, the son of a musician who played with Glenn Miller during World War II.  Koenig was greatly influenced by chance meetings with John F. Kennedy and later George Carlin, and mostly by what the Beatles brought – the influence of music on Boomers’ culture and personal choices.  In Baby Boomer Baby Koenig recounts the years he struggled to keep up with the changing times, just missing Woodstock by a few miles; the rites of passage of College, Travel, Sex, and Drugs; and the ever changing cultural and political landscape that music unleashed as it morphed from Disco to Punk to MTV to Rap and beyond.

During the show Koenig channels dozens of well-known – and original – characters in a one man tour de force spanning 7 decades. With original songs and parodies of everyone from The Beatles to Lady Gaga, and from Doo Wop to Hip Hop, Koenig’s impressions include Elton John, Billy Joel, Blondie, Willie Nelson, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, The Bee Gees, the Eagles, among others.

Tommy Koenig was voted ‘Best New Comic’ by the New York Daily News in 1980.  The multi-faceted comedian, actor, writer, and teacher cut his comedic teeth in such iconic venues as Dangerfield’s, The Copacabana, and The Playboy Club, where he opened for Jazz greats like Lionel Hampton and Damita Jo.  He also appeared frequently on stand-up comedy shows (A&E’s Comedy on the Road from London, Jamaica, New York and Los Angeles, as well as Evening at the Improv, MTV’s Half Hour Comedy Hour, and Showtime’s Comedy Club All Stars. Koenig was one of the rare comics to appear on Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert; he has opened for Warren Zevon, Alvin Lee, Bonnie Raitt, Dave Mason, Los Lobos, and Joan Jett.  He has also guest-starred on numerous television programs – from Miami Vice‘ to Boston Legal and from ‘Not Necessarily The News to The Onion News Network.   Koenig co-starred in the med-school spoof film Stitches, and was part of Mel Brooks’ ensemble casts of Robin Hood-Men in Tights and Dracula – Dead and Loving It.

Koenig has written for the National Lampoon, and starred in two of their rock and roll comedy stage shows: If We’re Late Start Without Us and Class of ’86 (which was filmed for Showtime). He also teaches Stand Up Comedy at the Comics Studio in New York.  One of his students, Brad Zimmerman, has just completed a successful run at the PGA Arts Center in My Son the Waiter:  A Jewish Tragedy.

Baby Boomer Baby was first conceived and performed in 2011 at The Santa Barbara Theatre in Puerto Vallarta. It made its US debut in 2013 as a benefit for victims of Hurricane Sandy, and its Off Broadway debut at Stage 72. It returned to Puerto Vallarta at The Boutique Theatre in 2014. The show also played at The Downstairs Cabaret Theatre in Rochester and Shea’s Smith Theatre in Buffalo, New York, The Stateside Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, Sparta Avenue Stage, in Sparta, New Jersey, and The Tiawaga Theatre in Oswego, New York.

Tickets for Baby Boomer Baby are on sale now, and can be purchased on line at www.pgaartscenter.com or by calling 1-855-448-7469.  For group sales (12+), call 888-264-1788. Tickets for all shows are $45.

The PGA Arts Center is located at 4076 PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410. Ample parking is available within close proximity to the theatre.

For more information about Baby Boomer Baby, Tommy Koenig, and/or the PGA Arts Center please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com at 561-445-9244.

Baby Boomer Baby
Written & Performed byTommy Koenig
April 27 – May 28 
Tickets:  $45 
Phone:  1-855-448-7469
For Group Sales (12+): 888-264-1788
To purchase tickets on line:  www.pgaartscenter.com
Showtimes: 
Thursday 2 pm & 7:30 pm
Friday 7:30 pm
Saturday 2 pm & 7:30 pm
Sunday 2 pm

PGA Arts Center
4076 PGA Boulevard,
Palm Beach Gardens, FL  33410
www.pgaartscenter.com
Like Us on Facebook!

Directions to the PGA Arts Center:
On PGA Blvd heading East, (& RCA Blvd) take first right at Shell Gas Station, and then take the 2nd right into the shopping center driveway. The theater is on the left. Formerly the Cinema 6 Movie Theater inside the former Loehmann’s Plaza. This is less than 1/4 mile off of the PGA Blvd. Exit of 95 North.

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Stage Door Theatre presents THE KID FROM BROOKLYN: THE DANNY KAYE STORY – February 24 – April 9

21 Tuesday Feb 2017

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Stage Door Theatre
presents
kid_from_brookylyn-ck-strokeThe Kid from Brooklyn: The Danny Kaye Story
February 24 – April 9

“Life is a blank canvas, and you need to throw all the paint on it you can.”
~ Danny Kaye

February 21, 2017

MARGATE, FL:   Stage Door Theatre will present The Kid From Brooklyn: The Danny Kaye Story, from February 24 though April 9 in the larger of their two theatres.

Based on the turbulent and triumphant life of the multi-talented singer, actor, comedian, and philanthropist,  this intimate musical portrayal chronicles Danny Kaye’s career and his relationships on and off the stage – from an undisciplined improvisational comic to his success under the guidance of his wife, Sylvia Fine.

The Kid From Brooklyn: The Danny Kaye Story includes many of Kaye’s signature songs, including “Tchaikovsky,” “By Jingo,” “Minnie the Moocher” and “Inchworm”, and features the work of songwriters Kurt Weill, Ira Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart, Frank Loesser and Cole Porter, and of course, Sylvia Fine.

Peter J. Loewy

Peter J. Loewy

The production will be directed by Peter J. Loewy, with musical direction by David Nagy.  Loewy, who owns and operates the Forum Theatre in Metuchen,  New Jersey,  directed three productions in South Florida in 2016, two for Stage Door Theatre, and one for Pigs Do Fly  Productions.  All three were Carbonell Recommended.

Loewy has cast Joshua Kolb as Danny Kaye, and Kimberly Abrams as Sylvia Fine.

Kolb is pleased and excited to have been chosen to portray the iconic entertainer: “If Danny Kaye had not been born,” a Hollywood writer once observed, “no one could possibly have invented him. It would have been stretching credibility far past the breaking point.” Kolb quotes.  “Telling the story of such a man, therefore is stretching me just as far as an actor. This opportunity is comfortably the biggest challenge I have ever attempted, and I only hope to give the audience as entertaining a remembrance of the man as they, and he, deserve.”

ds-2“During the rehearsal process for this show, Sylvia Fine became a personal hero of mine,” says Kimberly Adams. “She was a shockingly brilliant woman who did it all – she was Danny Kaye’s wife, the mother of their child, his career manager, and the composer/lyricist of all of his most famous songs. She is the reason Danny Kaye became a household name, and it’s truly an honor to bring her to life on stage.”

Brad Rakushin and Ashley Brooke will play various characters throughout the play, including Samuel Goldwyn, Cole Porter, Billy Rose, Laurence Olivier, Eve Arden, Kitty Carlisle, and Vivien Leigh.

The Kid From Brooklyn will run from February 24 – April 9 at Stage Door Theatre. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, in Margate.

Tickets for The Kid From Brooklyn 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.stagedoorfl.org

For more information about The Kid From Brooklyn and/or Stage Door Theatre, please visit www.stagedoorfl.org, or contact Derelle Bunn Executive Producer/Artistic Director, at DerelleBunn@yahoo.com / 954-344-7765 or Carol Kassie (carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244).

The Kid from Brooklyn:  The Danny Kaye Story
Book by: Mark Childers and Peter J. Loewy
Music by Various Composers
February 24 – April 9
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.stagedoorfl.com
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