Broward Stage Door Theatre presents ON THE RADIO: SOUNDS OF THE 70s

03 Tuesday Jun 2014

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openingpage-2-1Broward Stage Door Theatre
presents
On the Radio: Sounds of the 70s
On the Radio Poster 6
Grab your love beads and head on over for the
grooviest party in South Florida!

June 2, 2014
Coral Springs, Florida

When award-winning vocalist Mimi J. sought to develop a one-woman show about the women of soul who influenced her, she immediately turned to her good friend, Carbonell-nominated director/choreographer Kevin Black. They tossed around a number of ideas, but they kept coming back to the music of the 70s – music they both love. Together they came up with the concept, the title, and the song choices for On the Radio: Sounds of the 70s.

What had evolved was an evening of unforgettable songs from an unforgettable decade of music produced by an array of artists from ABBA to Carly Simon, to Gladys Knight, John Lennon, and Stevie Wonder. On the Radio: Sounds of the 70s is a trip down memory lane – back to the time of bell bottoms, mood rings, smiley faces, and memorable music. Among the songs that will be featured in the show are “Close to You”, “Car Wash”, “Dancing Queen”, “Let it Be”, “Nobody Does It Better”, “Proud Mary”, “Midnight Train to Georgia”, “Hopelessly Devoted”, and “I Will Survive”.

“We had about 45 minutes of material,” Mimi explains. “And we wanted to rent a theatre to make a DVD and a demo video, so we met with Derelle Bunn about renting the Stage Door Theatre.”

Bunn was intrigued by the premise of a show based on 70’s music and encouraged Mimi and Kevin to continue to develop the idea.

“The challenge,” Black says, “was to try to figure out how to keep it interesting. Because we didn’t want audiences to think the show is going to be two hours of Disco. It’s definitely not!”

“Kevin and I go to the theatre together a lot,” Mimi continues. “And I’ve never seen anything like what we’re planning with this show – we’re really excited about it. We also feel there’s a need to get another experience out there… to to diversify the community. This show introduces diversity and ethnicity! We’re using local talent, and creating a different look and vibe on the stage for our community. Audiences are going to feel that Soul Train vibe when they’re sitting in their seats!”

Joey Taylor and Luke Stockton have also been cast in the production.

Mimi J HeadshotMimi J. was born and raised in Miami. She is a professional singer currently performing in the South Florida tri-county area, and has been the recipient of numerous awards in vocal performance. She received her degrees in Musical Theater from the University of Central Florida Conservatory Theater in Orlando, where she attended on the Walt Disney Scholarship. Mimi has been a member of the gospel recording group, Revelation S.E.E.D. founded and led by Margaret Reynolds of KC and the Sunshine Band, and has sung background for a number of award-winning artists including Gloria Estefan, Bobby McFerrin, Betty Wright, Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill of the R&B group New Edition, and Quan Howell of the gospel group Sounds of Blackness. Some of her regional theatre and Broadway National and International Tour credits include Ain’t Misbehavin’, Smokey Joe’s Café, Fame, Nunsense, and Rent. Mimi was the first woman of color to play Teen Angel in the classic 70’s hit, Grease during the show’s Pan-Asian tour.

Kevin Black is the owner and artistic director of Kevin Black Productions. His expertise, experience, and creativity inkevin_black directing and choreography, as well as in set, costume, and lighting design have built him a solid reputation as one of the top ‘go-to guys’ in South Florida.  Corporate clients of Kevin Black Productions include HP, Motorola, Muvico & Giorgio Armani; tours include original works – Cirque style shows, as well as musical theater productions including La Cage Aux Folles, The Jazz Singer, Smokey Joe’s Café, Funny Girl, Victor/Victoria, Cabaret and Dreamgirls. Kevin’s work can currently be seen on stage in the national tour of Waist Watchers and at the Villa de Palmar Resorts in Cabo, Mexico; he is currently the director and choreographer of Laffing Matterz at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Kevin’s most recent work includes 8 Track, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, and Rags at The Plaza Theatre in Manalapan. He also recently directed and choreographed Spamalot, Tommy, and The Rocky Horror Show for Entr’Acte Theatrix performing at The Crest Theatre in Delray Beach. Kevin is also the Artistic Director for CAST (Career in the Arts, School of Talent) located in Miramar, Florida.

On the Radio: Sounds of the 70s will run from June 6 – July 27 at The Broward Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, in Coral Springs.

Tickets for On the Radio: Sounds of the 70s are $38; $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 http://www.stagedoorfl.org

On the Radio: Sounds of the 70s
Conceived and written by Kevin Black & Mimi J.
June 6 – July 27
Tickets: $38 (Students $16)
Phone: 954-344-7765
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:00 pm,
Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm
The Broward Stage Door Theatre
8036 W Sample Rd
Coral Springs, Fl 33065
http://www.stagedoortheatre.com/

 

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Evening Star Productions announces their 2014-2015 season!

02 Monday Jun 2014

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Logo 1The Subject Was Roses
The Gin Game
The Addams Family
The Last 5 Years

The company’s second season will offer audiences an exciting
mix of theatrical choices

Boca Raton, FL – June 2014
Evening Star Productions’ debut season concluded in May with a sold out run of Nevermore, Matt Conner’s haunting musical based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Their second season promises to offer audiences another entertaining and eclectic year of theatre.

Created by Sol Children Theatre’s artistic director Rosalie Grant as an off-shoot of her extremely successful Sol Children Theatre Company, Evening Star Productions’ mission is to offer serious young adult actors, stage managers, and designers the opportunity to push the boundaries of their knowledge and talent in a safe and highly professional environment, and to allow them the opportunity to work with professionals in their chosen fields.

“Designing Evening Star’s second season was important to me on several levels,” Grant explains. “It needed to support our mission statement; to show our range and flexibility; and to give audiences unique and relevant theatre options.  I am relatively confident we have succeeded in meeting these criteria.”

The shows Grant has chosen will offer audiences a variety of theatrical options: Two Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, a recent award-winning Broadway musical, and an off-Broadway hit:

Roses 1 copyThe Subject was Roses
September 12 – 28, 2014
By Frank D. Gilroy
Directed by Jeffrey Bruce
Winner! 1965 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Winner! Tony® Award for Best Play
Winner! New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play
A mother and father struggle for the love of their son, who has recently returned home after serving overseas, in  Frank D. Gilroy’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning drama.

Gin Game 1 copyThe Gin Game
February 26 – March 15, 2015
By D.L. Coburn
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Starring Jim Gibbons and Kala Kaminsky
Winner! 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
An elderly man and woman play repeated games of gin in their retirement home, slowly coming to grips with what is left of their lives in their old age, in Donald L. Coburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

ADDAMS-Logo_RGB_smThe Addams Family – a new musical comedy …
April 17 – May 3, 2015
Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Based on Characters Created by Charles Addams
Directed by Rosalie Grant
In this original award-winning musical, the macabre Addams family is put to the test when outsiders come to dinner, hurling Charles Addams dark, delightful, and beloved characters, Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandmama, and Lurch headlong into a night that will change the family forever.

Last 5 Years 1 copyThe Last Five Years
July 17 – August 2, 2015
By Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Starring Bruno Vida and Sara Grant
Live Trio Jason Buelow piano, Brad Miller bass, Pippa Scroggins violin
The Last Five Years is a contemporary song-cycle musical that ingeniously chronicles the five year life of a marriage, from meeting to break-up… or from break-up to meeting, depending on how you look at it. The show is an intensely personal look at the relationship between a writer and an actress told from both points of view – his going forwards and hers going backwards

“I love the entire season,” Grant says “Bringing Jeffrey Bruce in to direct three local actors in The Subject was Roses shows we’re serious about bringing local talent combined with award-winning material to the Sol stage.  And I am particularly excited to be working with Jim Gibbons and Kala Kaminsky in The Gin Game … the three of us were founding members of Sol Theatre Project, and appeared together in Sol’s inaugural production The Tempest all the way back in September 2001.  Jim and I also appeared on stage together in Sol’s Don Juan in Hell … he played father to my Lady Ana.  Sweet memories!  The Addams Family” is the perfect adult musical yet accessible to families,” Grant continues. “And it will be a South Florida premiere!  For anyone who caught Nevermore they’ll be excited to see Bruno Vida and Sara Grant reunited in The Last Five Years. We’ll be bringing in a trio for the live band musical experience for that show.”

All Evening Star Productions’ will take place at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton. Tickets for The Subject Was Roses and The Gin Game are $15 for adults and $10 for students; tickets for The Addams Family and The Last 5 Years are $18 for adults and $10 for students. Group rates are also available. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased at the Sol Theatre box office at 561-447-8829 or on line at www.eveningstarproductions.org.
Sol Theatre is located at 3333 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton (33431).

COME UNDER OUR UMBRELLA – The South Florida Theatre League’s 2014 Summer Theatre Fest Begins June 2nd

26 Monday May 2014

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 summertheatrefest2014The South Florida Theatre League
Invites patrons to
‘Come Under Our Umbrella’
and Experience a
Free Night of Theatre
as part of their
2014 Summer Theatre Fest

South Florida audiences will once again have the opportunity to see theatre for free, check out new plays in development by South Florida playwrights, and tell the world what the arts – and theatre – mean to them. The success of last summer’s Get in Bed With the Arts program and play reading series indicated to the League that theatre patrons are ready and willing to try new theatrical experiences, and even cross county lines to do it.

The South Florida Theatre League is the ‘umbrella organization’ for close to 70 theatres from Key West to Jupiter, blue-umbrellaand this year’s Summer Theatre Fest’s theme is Come Under Our Umbrella. Participating theatres have been given large white canvas beach umbrellas which they will decorate according to their mission, current production, or any other aspect of their company they would like to showcase. These umbrellas will be displayed at various readings and performances throughout Summer Theatre Fest and patrons will be encouraged Come Under Our Umbrella to talk about their theatrical experiences, and the significance of the arts in their lives.

Free Night of Theater is an audience development program that has proven to be immensely popular since the League first introduced it in 2008. 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 ever consider. Developed by the Theatre Communications Group (the national organization for American Theatre) about a decade ago to increase audiences, subsequent studies found that approximately 42% of patrons who attend a Free Night of Theatre return to that theatre and purchase tickets. So far, participating theatres include Area Stage, Actors’ Playhouse, Delray Beach Playhouse, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Sol Children Theatre, and TheatreXP.

“All of our Summer Theatre Fest programing provides a chance for people to really get to know the variety of local talent available. There’s so much meaningful work happening at all levels and this provides a chance for the community to interact in exciting ways,” says South Florida Theatre League Executive Director Andie Arthur.

Patrons can sign up for tickets at summerfestfreenight.southfloridatheatre.com starting on June 9 for performances during the month of July. The window to enter the lottery will close on June 23 and patrons will find out if they have won tickets on June 27.
Come Under Our Umbrella -umbrella schedule:

June 9             Lost Portraits by Kenneth N. Kurtz at Miami Acting Company,
performing at the Hibiscus Room in Pinecrest Gardens
June 23           Outside by Juan C. Sanchez, Ann Gillespie, Ozzie Rodriguez,
Nick Mwaluko, and Vanessa Garcia at The  Krane
June 30           The Pot by Glenn Hutchinson atMain Street Players
July 7              Endless Song by Andie Arthur at Lost Girls Theatre, performing
at the Deering Estate
July 14            The Dana Plays: Raising Money for the American
Cancer Society by Various Playwrights (venue to be announced)
July 21            Dead by Night by Juan C. Sanchez at Actors’ Playhouse
at the Miracle Theatre
July 28            Tres Mariasby Hector Pino at Teatro Prometeo
August 4      It Feels Good by Michael Yawney at GableStage
August 18      Instant Classic by Paul Tei at Mad Cat Theatre
August 18      Two Weekends and a Day by Susan Westfall at City Theatre
at Empire Stage
August 25      Fuck the Universe: Scott and Charlie Steal Space by
Jeremiah Musgrove at Alternative Space Theatre

Umbrellas will also be featured at the following events:

June 26- 29    City Theatre’s CityWrights Conference
June 27 – 29   The Women’s Theatre Project’s Girl Play

Umbrellas will also be seen at the Sol Children Theatre and Entr’Acte Theatrix.

Summer Theatre Fest Reading Series

Every Monday from June until August, member companies will be hosting readings of plays by South Florida Playwrights. There will be at least eighteen evenings of readings across four counties on the thirteen Mondays of Summer Theatre Fest. Playwrights range from established local favorites, including Carbonell winners and nominees, to emerging talents, with plays vastly ranging in subject matter and style. For more details, including a synopsis of each reading, please visit www.southfloridatheatre.com.

Summer Theatre Fest Reading Series Schedule:

June 2             Finding Mona Lisa by Michael McKeever at Zoetic Stage at the Adrienne Arsht Center
June 9             Lost Portraits by Kenneth N. Kurtz at Miami Acting Company at the Hibiscus Room in Pinecrest Gardens
June 16           Captiva by Chris Demos-Brown at Maltz Jupiter Theatre
June 23           Outside by Juan C. Sanchez, Ann Gillespie, Ozzie Rodriguez,
Nick Mwaluko, and Vanessa Garcia at The Krane
June 23           Juxtaposition by Julie Gilbert at Palm Beach Dramaworks
June 30           The Pot by Glenn Hutchinson at Main Street Players
June 30           The Signature of Fear by Bob Bowersox at TheatreXP
July 7              Endless Song by Andie Arthur at Lost Girls Theatre at the Deering Estate
July 14            The Dana Plays: Raising Money for the American Cancer
Society by Various Playwrights (venue to be announced)
July 21            Dead by Night by Juan C. Sanchez at Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
July 21            Roses are Blind by Wendy White at New Light Foundation
July 28            Desperation by Marj O’Neill-Butler at Pigs Do Fly Productions at Empire Stage
July 28            Tres Marias by Hector Pino at Teatro Prometeo
August 4        It Feels Good by Michael Yawney at GableStage
August 11      Broken English by Nancy Cheser at Area Stage
August 18      Instant Classic by Paul Tei at Mad Cat Theatre
August 18      Two Weekends and a Day by Susan Westfall at City Theatre at Empire Stage
August 25      Fuck the Universe: Scott and Charlie Steal Space by
Jeremiah Musgrove at Alternative Space Theatre
August 25      Dear Mom by Nancy Holson and Jay Falzone at The Plaza Theatre

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 South Florida Theatre League is funded by its members, member theatres, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, and the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.

For more information about the South Florida Theatre League, including a list of member theatres and their current and upcoming productions, visit: http://www.southfloridatheatre.com

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Entr’Acte Theatrix presents AVENUE Q June 19 – 29

22 Thursday May 2014

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AvenueQ“DISGUSTINGLY IRRESISTIBLE!”
-The New York Times
“WICKED FUN FOR GROWN-UPS!”
-The New Yorker
“JAW-DROPPINGLY HILARIOUS!”
-Entertainment Weekly

Delray Beach FL, May, 2014:

Avenue Q has been called the ‘funniest dirty musical’ or ‘the dirtiest funny musical’ ever. Written by Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (The Book of Mormon, Frozen) the Tony Award-winning show is a clever and irreverent look at the world through the eyes of the residents of Avenue Q as they explore and address the issues associated with growing up in the ‘real’ world, rather than the one their parents – and Sesame Street – described to them. Using a unique combination of humans and puppets, the musical chronicles its characters’ struggles to find decent jobs, stable relationships, and their purpose in life.

Entr’Acte Theatrix will present Avenue Q at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts (Crest Theater) from June 19 – 29.

“This play is a particularly appropriate one for Entr’Acte Theatrix”, says producer Vicki Halmos. “Our mission is to provide performance opportunities for emerging theatre artists, who – just like the characters they will portray, are taking the ‘next step’ from classroom to career.” Halmos has been involved with Avenue Q almost since its inception. She was an original investor in the Broadway, London, and Las Vegas productions, as well in its current off-Broadway incarnation, and was at the Tony Awards when the show won for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score ten years ago.

Darrick_Penny

Darrick Penny

Avenue Q’s director Darrick Penny, has just graduated with an MFA from Florida Atlantic University. He recently directed The Fantasticks, and starred as Sir Robin in Entr’Acte’s 2013 production of Monty Python’s Spamalot.

Entr’Acte’s company of actors are all seriously pursuing careers in theatre or the arts, and a number of them have already appeared on area stages. Cast members Christian Ortega (Princeton), Sahid Arnaud-Pabon (Nicky), and Luis Herrera (Rod, Bad Idea Bear) are students at The New World School of the Arts; Seth Trucks (Trekkie) is a graduate of London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (his father is Butch Trucks, drummer for the Allman Brothers Band); and Joanna Mandel (Kate Monster) appeared in Entr’Acte’s productions of Hair and Cabaret. The rest of the cast includes Greg Halmos (Brian), Elaine Flores (Christmas Eve), Kalli Courakos (Lucy the Slut), Samantha Streich (Mrs. Thistletwat, Bad Idea Bear), and Chasity Hart (Gary Coleman).

All the cast members attended a two week puppet ‘boot camp’ in order to learn the intricacies of manipulating, Princeton 1singing, and dancing with their puppet counterparts.  (Click HERE to see a short video of an Avenue Q cast performing La  Macarena) Musical numbers include: “What do you do with a B.A. in English?”, “It Sucks to Be Me”, “If You Were Gay”, “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist”, and “The Internet is for Porn”.

Avenue Q will run from June 19th through June 29th only, at the Crest Theatre at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts at Old School Square. The theatre is located at 51 North Swinton Avenue, Delray Beach, 33444. Tickets are on sale now, and are available by calling 561-243-7922. Tickets are $20; $15 for groups of 15 or more with the 16th ticket free and are on sale now. $10 Student Rush tickets will be available ½ hour before curtain only, with valid ID. (Not suitable for children under the age of 15) Tickets can be purchased on line at:
http://delraycenterforthearts.org or by phone at: 561-243-7922, ext. 1.

Avenue Q has adult themes, and ‘full-frontal puppet nudity’, so parents are advised that this production may not be suitable for young children.

For more information about Entr’Acte Theatrix or Avenue Q visit www.entractetheatrix.org.

~*~

Avenue Q
Music and Lyrics: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Book: Jeff Whitty
June 19-29
Tickets: $20
Groups of 15 or more: $15
Student Rush – ½ hour before curtain: $10 – with valid ID
Performances:
Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays – 8 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday – 2 p.m.
Sunday, June 22 – 8 p.m.
Delray Beach Center for the Arts / Crest Theatre
Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave.
Delray Beach 33444
Box Office: 561-243-7922, ext. 1
Direct link for on-line ticket purchase:
http://tinyurl.com/o2yypnm
http://www.entractetheatrix.org
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The Broward Stage Door Theatre presents Allan Sherman’s HELLO MUDDAH, HELLO FADDAH! May 30 – July 6

15 Thursday May 2014

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openingpage-2-1hello muddah1The Broward Stage Door Theatre
presents
Allan Sherman’s
Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah!
May 30 – July 6

Hello Muddah,
Hello Fadduh.
Here I am at
Camp Grenada.
Camp is very
entertaining.
And they say we’ll have some fun if it stops raining.
Listen here:  http://tinyurl.com/pqsu8mn

It’s that time of year again. School’s almost out and summer is closing in. What better time to celebrate the season than with a musical comedy based on Allan Sherman’s clever parodies of classic and classical music. Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah will open at the Broward Stage Door Theatre on May 30th, and run through July 6th.

Sherman’s song parodies have been woven into a musical comedy tracing the trajectory of the lives of Barry Bockman and his true love, Sarah Jackman. From birth, to early education, to the infamous Camp Granada; from marriage and suburbia (and the shopping mall), to retirement in Florida, each musical number in Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah displays Sherman’s gift for capturing character and culture, and his unique take on – and understanding of – human nature. Songs include “Harvey and Sheila” (sung to the tune of “Hava Nagila”), “Glory, Glory Harry Lewis” (“The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) “Sarah Jackman” (“Frere Jacques”), and of course, the title song, set to the music of the 1876 opera, Dance of the Hours.

Producer Derelle Bunn and director Dan Kelley have cast Shane Tanner, James Parks, Ryan Halsaver, Eva Marie Mastrangelo, and Sarah Sirota in the production.

dankelley2

Dan Kelley

“Hello Muddah is a huge show,” says Kelley. “Our five actors play over 40 characters. And when they are not on stage singing one of Alan Sherman’s iconic songs they are in the wings executing over 60 costume and wig changes. Even the live onstage band gets into the act during the act one finale – becoming Noah and the Noodniks. I’m excited to be working with musical director Dave Nagy and costume designer Colleen O’Connell and a talented cast of five fearless musical comedy chameleons.”

Picture 15

Allan Sherman

Allan Sherman’s first album My Son, The Folk Singer, released in 1962 became the fastest-selling record album up to the time. He released eight albums in total. “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah” was his biggest hit single. Sherman was the co-creator of the hit television program I’ve Got a Secret, as well as several other short-lived game shows. He died in November 1973 at the age of 49.

Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah! will run from May 30 – July 6 at The Broward Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, in Coral Springs.

Tickets for Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah! are $38; $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.

Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah!
Music and Lyrics by: Allan Sherman
Conceived and written by Douglas Bernstein and Rob Krausz
May 30 – July 6
Tickets: $38 (Students $16)
Phone: 954-344-7765
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:00 pm,
Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm
The Broward Stage Door Theatre
8036 W Sample Rd
Coral Springs, Fl 33065
www.stagedoortheatre.com

Critical Praise for Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah:

“Breathlessly paced … live wire comic exuberance that crackles across the stage.” – New York Times

“Parodies brilliantly built into a show…. One of the Year’s Ten Best.” – New York Post

“A party, nutty as a Viennese table and splashy as a fruit punch fountain…. Daffy and divine!” – Newsday

“It’s a hoot.” – A.P.

 

Thinking Cap Theatre presents the U.S. Premiere of ‘hot dog’ by Sarah Kosar – May 16 – June 1

06 Tuesday May 2014

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ThinkingCap - strokeSarah Kosar’s new play hot dog is an intriguing, conceptual piece
that immediately gets the audience asking loads of questions.
Ed Theakston – A Younger Theatre

HOT DOG POSTCARD FINAL FRONTRemember all those adages about dogs? In Sarah Kosar’s biting dark comedy, many of those adages ring true and compel the story in ways that will surprise audiences.

In keeping with its mission to present experimental and thought provoking theatre and to program works by women, Thinking Cap Theatre will mount the U.S. premiere of hot dog by Sarah Kosar from May 16 through June 1 in the Black Box Theatre at Nova Southeastern University’s Don Taft University Center.

An absurdist dark comedy in the vein of Albee and Beckett, hot dog centers on Maryanne, a long-suffering daughter fed up with caring for her very demanding, elderly mother, who’s literally become “the Dog” next door. Desperate for a new leash on life, Maryanne recruits her sister, Carol, to return home and take over. What ensues is a funny, disturbing, and thought provoking exploration of family dynamics and what it means to give and receive care.

hot dog features a strong cast of South Florida actors, including Sally Bondi as Dog, Niki Fridh and Ann Marie Olson as Dog’s daughters, and Mark Duncan, as Dog’s son-in-law. A team of women artists will spearhead this premiere production: Nicole Stodard (direction, sound, and costume), Chastity Collins (scenic design and costume), Carey Brianna Hart (stage management), Cat Del Buono (video artist), Desiree Mora (board operation), and Axy Carrion-Bannon (makeup), production artwork (Donna Sanna). The show’s production image, an anthropomorphic digital design by Donna Sanna, along with other unique anthropomorphic images by Sanna, will be available for purchase at performances of hot dog. Sanna’s complete body of work can be found online at Etsy.com.

Sarah Kosar is an American stage and screen writer currently living in London. Her play hot dog received its world premiere in March 2013 at The Last Refuge, in London and was produced by Decent and published by Playdead Press. Pennsylvania State University has included the play in the syllabus for its Women in Theatre course. She holds a double BA from Pennsylvania State University in both Theatre and Film. Sarah moved to London following university and earned a Masters in Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2011; she received a distinction on her dissertation play Egg, which was featured in a showcase of commended plays submitted to the BBC’s International Playwriting Competition.

In London, Sarah has worked with The Royal Court, Hampstead Theatre, Soho Theatre, Theatre Centre, The Roundhouse, The Lyric Hammersmith, Descent, the BBC, The Old Red Lion, Southwark Playhouse, Arch 468 and more. She has taken part in the Royal Court Young Writers Programme, Royal Court Studio Invitation Group, Lyric Young Writers, and Soho Writers Lab.

There will be a ‘talk back’ and book signing with playwright Sarah Kosar, director Nicole Stodard, and the cast of hot dog after the Sunday (3 pm) performance on May 18th.

While its permanent home, The Vanguard, is under construction this spring, Thinking Cap Theatre has the honor of being the guest resident theatre company at Nova Southeastern University. hot dog will run from May 16th through June 1st in NSU’s Black Box Theatre in the Don Taft University Center. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased at www.thinkingcaptheatre.com or by calling 813-220-1546.

For more information about Thinking Cap Theatre, visit www.thinkingcaptheatre.com.

hot dog
By Sarah Kosar
May 16 – June 1
Performances: Thurs – Sat: 8 pm
Sun: 3 pm
Tickets: $35 /Students $10 – with valid ID (only available for reserving by phone or rush at the door)
Nova Southeastern University
Black Box Theatre | Don Taft University Center
3301 College Avenue,
Davie, FL 33314
Tickets: 813-220-1546 / www.thinkingcaptheatre.com

Praise for hot dog:

hot dog is the sort of thing I’d normally expect to see programmed at the Donmar, Soho or possibly even Royal Court […] a theatrical experience far superior to most you’ll find One Stop Arts

Simultaneously funny and thought provoking, this show will stay with you long into the evening […] hot dog is a striking piece of new writing which skillfully tackles questions of ageing, illness and humanity with consistently dark but on-the-mark humour.
Everything Theatre

…a thought provoking black comedy […] Grab this play before you miss out. You won’t be disappointed.
Female Arts

Sarah Kosar is a playwright to watch out for, her already powerful pen bound to sharpen into a caustic, prodding instrument […] hot dog makes for a great surrealistic theatre experience.
What’s Peen Seen

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Evening Star Productions presents Matt Conner’s NEVERMORE – A musical based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe May 9 – 18

28 Monday Apr 2014

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Logo-1

nevermore---web“The boundaries which divide Life from Death
are at best shadowy and vague.
Who shall say where one ends, and where the other begins?”
Edgar Allan Poe

Composer Matt Conner’s fascination with Edgar Allan Poe began when he picked up a $5.00 anthology of Poe’s work raven2at a second hand bookshop. Poe’s darkly gothic works have haunted, horrified, and fascinated readers since their publication in the mid nineteenth century. But as bizarre and macabre as his writing was, Poe’s life was equally strange, and Connor has crafted the story of poet’s often tortured and emotionally wrought life into a unique, powerful, and contemporary musical, Nevermore.

Evening Star Productions will present the South Florida premiere of Nevermore from May 9th through May 18th at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton.

“Nevermore is about the acceptance of self in the face of death,” Matt Conner said in a recent interview. “The show opens as Edgar Allan Poe has ‘collapsed’ (as he did in Baltimore on the eve of his death) We then take a ride along with him and five other women as his life flashes before his eyes.”

“Nevermore exemplifies the mission I envisioned for Evening Star,” explains the company’s producer/artistic director Rosalie Grant.  “I’ve directed a multitude of budding young talent since I opened Sol Children Theatre in 2002, and I’ve watched many of those young adults give up their performance dreams due to a variety of factors.  But the one factor that stood out to me the most is the dearth of challenging, diverse plays and musicals for young adults that aren’t overly done.  Evening Star Productions’ plan is to fill that void,” she continues. We will work with young people from the high school/college level to the hopeful professional-aged performer, and offer them the opportunity to learn and mature through classic, popular, and obscure works.  Nevermore fits the criteria perfectly with a cast ranging in age from 13 to 33, and ranging in talent and experience from ingénues to young adults to seasoned and award-winning performers.”

2013 Carbonell Award nominee Bruno Vida will star as Edgar Allan Poe in the production. Sara Grant, Denise Scholle, Alyssa Buelow, Devin Tupler, and Pippa Scroggins will also be featured as the women who haunt him.

Evening Star Productions’ Nevermore will run from May 9th through May 18th at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton. Tickets are $18 for adults, and $10 for students. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased at the Sol Theatre box office at 561-447-8829.

For more information about Evening Star Productions, please contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447-8829 / info@eveningstarproductions.com or Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 / ckassie@gmail.com .

~*~

Evening Star Productions presents
Nevermore
by Matt Conner
May 9-May 18
Fridays & Saturdays –  7 pm
Saturdays & Sundays – 2 pm
Tickets:  $18 ($10 students)
Phone: 561-447-8829
Sol Theatre
3333 North Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL 33431
http://www.eveningstarproductions.org/

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Pigs Do Fly Productions Takes off at Empire Stage May 1st – May 11th

15 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Working in association with Empire Stage,
Pigs Do Fly Productions will produce
Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It
A Collection of Seven Humorous Short Plays
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The plays have been chosen and casting is complete for Pigs Do Fly Productions’ very first production – Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It. Producer Ellen Wacher, along with directors Marjorie O’Neill-Butler and Beverly Blanchette and a committee made up of members of the South Florida theatrical community, spent several months weeding through the 353 short plays they received in response to their call for submissions. The final seven were selected at a marathon read through at Empire Stage on March 3rd.

Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It will run at Empire Stage from May 1st through May 11th.

Ellen WacherWacher was extremely specific in her search for just the right plays: “We looked for scripts that resonated with us; for situations that will strike a chord with our audiences; and of course, for humor,” she explains. “I’m really excited to be flying (pun intended!) this concept for the first time in South Florida. It’s definitely an idea whose time has come.”

Pigs Do Fly Productions’ mission is to produce plays that highlight the actor over 50 as a viable, fully involved, full of life character; the company’s goal is to tap into the 100 million plus Americans who are over age 50 and are under recognized by the marketers of products and entertainment – with theatre that reflects their world and resonates with them.

“Ellen told me she wanted to produce plays, and we agreed that she should produce plays about people over 50 since she is always discussing the lack of work for more mature actors,” says Marjorie O’Neill-Butler.  “I suggested the short play format; she came up with the idea of making the plays about people who are fit and happy.” O’Neill-Butler will direct four of the seven plays, Beverly Blanchette will direct three.

Todd Caster, Mark Kroczynski , Kitt Marsh, Troy J. Stanley, Carol Sussman, and Janet Weakly will all be featured in the production. Several of the actors, all of whom fall within the demographic Wacher hopes to attract, had signed on even before the plays were chosen. “However,” she stresses, “I have absolutely no doubt these plays will appeal to everyone. They’re funny, and witty, and touching, and will resonate with anyone who sees them.”

The seven 10-minute plays selected will be mounted in the following order (see below for playwright bios):
Flight Fright by Marjorie O’Neill-Butler
Kiss Her Goodbye by Mike Vogel
Theater In the Red byJoan Broadman
Mrs. Jensen Isn’t Here Now by Steve Korbar
Spice by David Susman
Poison Control by Rebecca  Gorman O’Neill
How Nice of You to Ask by Rich Rubin

Tickets for Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know it are $25 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com, or by calling 866-811-4111.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com. To set up interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

Pigs Do Fly Productions presents
Fifty Plus – A Celebration of Life… As We Know It
Dates:  May 1 – May 11, 2014
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
Tickets: $25
Tickets: 866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
All performances will take place at Empire Stage.
1140 North Flagler Drive.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Pigs Do Fly Production Team:
Producer/Artistic Director:        Ellen Wacher
Director:                               Marjorie O’Neill-Butler
Director:                               Beverly Blanchette
Stage Manager:                    Jeffrey Ostrow
Set Designer:                        Preston Bircher
Marketing & Public Relations:  Carol Kassie

Playwright Bios:

Joan Broadman (Theatre in the Red) has written twelve short plays, three full-length plays, and three feature-length screenplays. Her plays have been performed in twelve states, Australia, India, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Her many playwriting awards include “Excellence in Playwriting” from the Theatre Association of New York State. In June 2013, Broadman completed UCLA’s Professional Program in Screenwriting.

Steven Korbar’s (Mrs. Jensen Isn’t Here Now) full-length and one-act plays have been produced throughout the United States and Canada. Productions include I Understand Your Frustration at the Turtleshell Theatre NYC, Let Go at Future Ten in Pittsburgh, Hard at Elephant Stageworks in LA, Circles at Shelterbelt Theatre in Omaha.  His comedy What Are You Going to Be was recently published as part of Smith and Kraus’ “Best Short Plays of 2013”.

Rebecca Gorman O’Neill (Poison Control) was born in Akron, Ohio.  She escaped at age 17 to attend Dartmouth College, and she went on to earn her M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University.  Rebecca’s original plays have been produced across the country, and her plays Tell-Tale and The Greater Good are available from Eldridge Publishing and Next Stage Press, respectively.  Rebecca is an Associate Professor of English at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she reaches playwriting, screenwriting, cinema studies, and the graphic novel.

Marj O’Neill-Butler, (Flight Fright) a member of the Dramatists Guild and the International Center for Women Playwrights, is a produced playwright of True Blue, eight Theatre for Children scripts, short plays Stalwart Woman, At The Bus Stop, Life Imitates Art, Leaving Home, What If?, Scavenger Hunt, Missed Connections, Elf Yourself, Chairs, One Less, and a reader’s theatre script The Women Of The Beat Generation.   She is proud member of Equity and SAG-AFTRA. Visit her online at http://www.marjorieoneill-butler.com.

Rich Rubin’s (How Nice of You to Ask) plays have been produced throughout the U. S., including theaters in New York, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles. Internationally, his work has been staged in London, Berlin, Sydney, Singapore, Mexico and Canada. Rich is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild as well as Portland’s Nameless Playwrights and P-Town Playwrights.

David Susman’s (Spice) short plays have been staged at the Boston Theater Marathon, the Maine Playwrights Festival, the Playwrights’ Platform Festival of New Plays in Boston, the Company Theatre’s Winter Shorts Festival in Norwell, MA, and the 0-60 Ten Minute Play Competition at Longwood University in Virginia. He lives and teaches in southern Maine.

Mike Vogel’s (Kiss Her Goodbye) full-length comedy March Madness was successfully produced off-Broadway in Fall 2012 at NYC’s Abingdon Theatre. He has had numerous one act plays produced nationwide and also writes a weekly column for a NYC newspaper.

 

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The Broward Stage Door Theatre presents OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS April 4th – May 11th

27 Thursday Mar 2014

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“Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go. The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white and drifted snow.” Lydia Marie Child, c.1844
overtheriver
Family, faith, and food’ are ‘the three F’s’ governing Joe DiPietro’s heartwarming comedy Over The River and Through The Woods, which will run from April 4th through May 11th at the Broward Stage Door Theatre. The play, which takes place in Hoboken, New Jersey focuses on the relationship between young up-and-coming marketing executive Nick Cristano, and his four loving and very involved grandparents. When Nick is offered a career advancing opportunity across the country, he is faced with making some tough and life-altering decisions.

joe dipietroSpeaking about the characters in Over the River and Through the Woods, playwright Joe DiPietro, who recently won two Tony Awards for his work on the hit Broadway musical Memphis (Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, with David Bryan) said, “The biggest difference between these generations is their concept of family and home. Our grandparents believed that the family was central, and work is something you do just to provide for them. For our generation, it’s a lot more complicated.”

Larry Kent Bramble will direct a cast that includes Miki Edleman, Steven Kaiser, Vicki Klein, Abby Perkins, Kevin Reilley, and Jerry Weinberg. Dan Kelley has signed on as costume designer, and Ardean Lanhuis will design the lighting for the production.

Although this is Bramble’s first directorial assignment for Broward Stage door, he has numerous directing credits toLarry-Bramble200x250 his name, including Charles Busch’s The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Terrance McNally’s A Perfect Ganesh, Adam Bock’s The Receptionist, and Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful. Bramble is also the founder and artistic director of Vermont’s Thespis Theatre Company. As an actor, he has appeared in a number of Broward Stage Door Theatre productions including The Last Night of Ballyhoo, The Twilight of the Golds, Beau Jest, and Damn Yankees. Bramble recently played the part of Avram in Rags at the Plaza Theatre in Manalapan.

“When I first read Over the River and Through the Woods, I fell in love with the play,” Bramble says. “I was immediately taken back to my love for my own grandparents and the unique sense of family that grandparents engender. What a joy it has been to direct this heartwarming play with an exceptional cast. Regardless of your mood at the time, this is a play that will make you laugh, cry, and generally feel good about life.”

miki_croppedMiki Edelman agrees: “As a first generation American I can relate to the family dynamics being played out in this show,” she says, “And I think our audience will relate to it as well. My generation wanted to pull away from the “old fashioned” ideas of our parents, and our children continued the process and tried to get further away. But at a certain point, family loyalties and love re-emerge as elements that can never be erased. As a character says “what’s important is family”!”

Over the River and Through the Woods will run from April 4th through May 11th at The Broward Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, in Coral Springs.

Tickets for Over the River and Through the Woods are $38; $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.

Over the River and Through the Woods
By Joe DiPietro
April 4th – May 11th
Tickets: $38 (Students $16)
Phone: 954-344-7765
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:00 pm,
Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm
The Broward Stage Door Theatre
8036 W Sample Rd
Coral Springs, Fl 33065
www.stagedoortheatre.com

The Delray Beach Chorale to Perform GREAT MOMENTS AT THE OPERA – March 29th & April 4th

18 Tuesday Mar 2014

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The Delray Beach Chorale’s spring concert will feature highlights from several of the world’s most famous operas.  The 65-voice chorale, under the direction of Conductor/Artistic Director Eric Keiper, will perform selections from the works of Puccini, Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, and Britten and others.  The concerts will take place at the at the First Presbyterian Church in Delray Beach on Saturday, March 29th at 3:00 pm and at the Duncan Theatre in Lake Worth on Friday, April 4th at 7:30 pm,

“This program is for music lovers of all kinds, not just opera lovers,” says Keiper. “Audiences will be thrilled with the high-speed angst of the La Traviata, the seduction of Carmen, the comedy and tragedy of Rigoletto, and the beauty of “Nesum Dorma” from Tourandot. The beauty of “O Mio Babino Caro”, and the rugged Toreador Song will leave everyone with a song on their lips, passion in their souls, and rhythm in their hearts!”

The concert will feature solos by Chorale Artists in Residence Alicia Branch (soprano), Monica Hidalgo (mezzo soprano), Myngoe Brashears (countertenor), Jorge L. Toro (tenor), and William R. Stafford (baritone).

Founded 30 years ago by a group of Delray Beach singers, the Chorale has consistently attracted talented amateur and professional vocalists from Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach.
2013 Delray Chorale 2

The Delray Beach Chorale’s mission is to promote and encourage the art of singing and to share the experience of great music with the community. Although their initial focus was on the classics of great choral literature, both traditional and contemporary, over the past several years they have broadened their musical scope to include works of 20th century composers, including Rachmaninoff, Copland, Gershwin, Bernstein, and Sondheim.

The Chorale also operates a Music Academy Program, the only one of its kind in the state.  The five young professional musicians selected as Artists-in-Residence perform as soloists with the chorale, act as section leaders, and provide instruction to a select group of talented high school singers who also sing with the chorale. These young professionals will be showcased in the April performance.

Tickets for the Delray Beach Chorale’s Spring Concert are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the concert.  $5 student tickets (under 25, with ID) are also available. Tickets can be purchased on-line at http://delraybeachchorale.org/ or by phone at 1-800-984-7282.
Special Group Rates (15 or more) are also available.

For more information about the Delray Beach Chorale, please visit http://delraybeachchorale.org/  or contact Carol Kassie at – 561-445-9244 / ckassie@gmail.com.

The Delray Beach Chorale Performs Great Moments at the Opera
First Presbyterian Church
Saturday, March 29
3:00 pm
33 Gleason Street
Delray Beach, FL 33483

The Delray Beach Chorale Performs Great Moments at the Opera
Duncan Theatre
Friday, April 4
7:30 pm
4200 Congress Avenue
Lake Worth, FL 33461
1800-984-7282

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