TO LIFE 5 – Jewish Broadway to Hollywood – January 17 – February 2 at the Willow Theatre

09 Monday Dec 2024

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Hy Juter presents
To Life 5:
Jewish Broadway to Hollywood!
 Stories & Music Celebrating the Contributions of Jewish Composers and Entertainers to Broadway and the Great Hollywood Musicals
At the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park
January 17 – February 2, 2025

“The humor of the blues, as Jerry (Leiber) used to say, was akin to Yiddish humor. Like, “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all.”” Mike Stoller

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

December 9, 2024

BOCA RATON, FL:  From George and Ira Gershwin to Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, from Irving Berlin to John Kander and Fred Ebb, or from Jerry Herman to Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein, Jewish composers and entertainers have been an integral part of the Broadway and American pop lexicon for well over a century. (And then there’s Barbra Streisand, Carole King, and even Elvis Presley – Elvis’ maternal great-great grandmother, Nancy Burdine, was Jewish. Her daughter gave birth to Doll Mansell who gave birth to Gladys Smith who gave birth to Elvis!).

These, and many more icons of the stage, screen, and recording studio will be celebrated in To Life 5: Jewish Broadway to Hollywood! Stories & Music Celebrating the Contributions of Jewish Composers and Entertainers to Broadway and the Great Hollywood Musicals. The production will run from January 17th through February 2nd at the Willow Theatre in Boca Raton’s Sugar Sand Park. The popular series (To Life 1 through 4 each played to sold out houses at almost every performance) was developed by producer Hy Juter and is written by and will be directed and hosted by Shari Upbin.

This all-new 5th chapter in the series will once again feature amusing anecdotes and fascinating facts about some of America’s most well-known, lauded, and popular Jewish composers and entertainers who created and performed in such iconic productions as Mame, Guys and Dolls, Hello Dolly, Fiddler on the Roof, Milk and Honey, and many more.

The production will feature top-tier South Florida entertainers Jinon Deeb, Bruno Faria, Shelley Keelor, and Shane Tanner.   Noted pianist/composer Elliot Weiss will serve as the production’s musical director. Nicole Roach is the production’s Stage Manager.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bring another chapter of To Life to the stage!” Shari Upbin says.  “This season we have added stories of The Yiddish Theatre to songs of the Brill Building which includes Carole King and songs by Lieber and Stoller, “Hound Dog,” “Chapel of Love”… along with favorites by Gershwin, Berlin, Sheldon Harnick and Sondheim. This one is going to be a dynamic crowd pleaser!”

To Life 5 will run from January 17 through February 2 at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.  Tickets are $46; group rates (6 or more tickets purchased in one transaction) are $41.  Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.myboca.us/2647/To-Life-5 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 5: Jewish Broadway to Hollywood! Stories & Music Celebrating the Contributions of Jewish Composers and Entertainers to Broadway and the Great Hollywood Musicals,to speak with anyone involved in the production, or to arrange to see a performance, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.  

Photo credits:
For Hy Juter: Arlene Juter
For Shari Upbin: Michael Thomas Photos

~

To Life 5: Jewish Broadway to Hollywood!
Stories & Music Celebrating the Contributions of Jewish Composers and Entertainers to Broadway and the Great Hollywood Musicals
January 17 – February 2, 2025
Written and Directed by Shari Upbin
Musical Direction by Elliot Weiss
Produced and Created by Hy Juter
Ticket prices: $46
Group rates: $41 (for groups of 6 or more tickets purchased in a single transaction)
For tickets & Information:
https://www.myboca.us/2647/To-Life-5 
Or call 561-347-3948
Performance days & times:
Friday & Saturday at 7 pm
Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm
All performances will take place at
The Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park
300 S. Military Trail
Boca Raton, FL  33486

Jinon Deeb
Bruno Faria
Shelley Keelor
Shane Tanner
Shari Upbin
Elliot Weiss
Hy Juter
Nicole Roach

The Pompano Players’ JERRY’S GIRLS Opens January 10th

09 Monday Dec 2024

Posted by in Clients, Pompano Beach Cultural Center, Pompano Players

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The Pompano Players’
Jerry’s Girls
Openns January 10
at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center

“Jerry’s Girls is a delectable smorgasbord of show tunes that offers samples from a range of Mr. Herman’s productions, including “Mame,” “Hello, Dolly!,” and “La Cage aux Folles.”“
Leah D. Frank ~ The New York Times

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

December 9, 202
POMPANO BEACH, FL: The Pompano Players third offering in their inaugural season is Jerry’s Girls, a musical revue that honors the life and work of legendary Broadway composer Jerry Herman.  The production will open at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center on January 10th and run through January 19th.

Jerry’s Girls has been described as a ‘celebratory two-hour musical entertainment of glamour, optimism, love, melody, and women’ (The Guide to Musical Theatre).  It is a thoughtfully constructed musical revue that celebrates Herman’s music and lyrics, highlighting the broad spectrum of material he wrote specifically for female performers.

More than most Broadway composers, Jerry Herman showcased ‘larger-than-life’ women in his iconic musicals. From Dolly Gallagher Levi of Hello, Dolly!, to Mame Dennis of Mame, or Countess Aurelia of Dear World, Mabel Normand of Mack and Mabel, and female impersonator ZaZa of La Cage Aux Folles, Herman’s women were center stage – strong, key personalities that drove the shows’ plots, led musical numbers, and sometimes even determined the fates of the plays’ other characters.

The production, directed and staged by multiple Carbonell Award-winner Michael Ursua, will feature 35 of Herman’s songs:

“Jerry Herman is my favorite composer,” Ursua says. “He had tremendous musicality and wit.  His gift was to musicalize the resilience of the human spirit.  We’re presenting Jerry’s Girls with a 6-piece live band, beautiful costumes, energetic choreography and staging, great vocals, and an amazing cast.”

Jerry’s Girls will star Lourelene Snedeker, Patrece Bloomfield, and Abbey Alder, and feature Cassidy Joseph, Caroline Macchiarola, Jacqueline Rose, Alexandra Van Hasselt, and Lauren Wickerson.  

David Nagy will serve as the production’s Musical Director; Choreography will be by Alex Jorth.  Claudia Smith is the show’s Scenic Designer, Stevie Bleich will create the Lighting Design, and Penny Williams is the Costume Designer. 

Jerry Herman (1931-2019) has the distinction of being the only composer/lyricist in history to have had three musicals that ran more than 1,500 consecutive performances on Broadway. His first Broadway show was Milk and Honey (1961), followed by Hello, Dolly! (1964), Mame (1966), Dear World (1969), Mack & Mabel (1974), The Grand Tour (1979), La Cage Aux Folles (1983), Jerry’s Girls (1985), and Mrs. Santa Claus (1996) a CBS television special.

His string of awards and honors includes multiple Tony Awards, Grammys, Olivier Awards, Drama Desk Awards, the Johnny Mercer Award, the Richard Rodgers Award, the Oscar Hammerstein Award, the Frederick Loewe Award, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Theatre Hall of Fame and The Kennedy Center Honors. For more information about Jerry Herman, visit www.jerryherman.com.

Jerry’s Girls will run January 10 – 19 at Pompano Beach Cultural Center.  The theatre is located at 50 West Atlantic Boulevard, in Pompano Beach (33060)

Tickets for Jerry’s Girls range in price from $45 to $65.  Tickets may be purchased online at https://pompanobeachculturalcenter.com or by calling 954-501-1910.

For more information about Jerry’s Girls, to speak with anyone involved in the production, or to arrange to see a performance, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

Jerry’s Girls
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Concepts by Larry Alford, Wayne Cilento, and Jerry Herman
January 10 – 19, 2025Tickets:  $45 – $65
For tickets:  https://pompanobeachculturalcenter.com/events/jerrys-girls or
Call:  954-501-1910
Performances:
Fridays & Saturdays at 7 pm
Saturdays & Sundays at 2 pm
All performances will take place at
The Pompano Beach Cultural Center
50 West Atlantic Blvd.,
Pompano Beach, FL  33060

Abbey Alder
Patrece Bloomfield
Lourelene Snedeker
Patrece Bloomfield
Abbey Alder
Cassidy Joseph
Caroline Macchiarola
Jacqueline Rose
Alexandra Van Hasselt
Lauren Wickerson
Michael Ursua

LINDA PURL & TOVAH FELDSHUH: Two Theatrical Icons at the Delray Beach Playhouse in 2025

09 Monday Dec 2024

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Tovah Feldshuh & Linda Purl:
Two Theatrical Icons to Perform at
The Delray Beach Playhouse in 2025

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

December 9, 2024

DELRAY BEACH, FL: Two entertainment icons are slated to appear at the Delray Beach Playhouse in January and February 2025.  Six-time Tony and Emmy nominee Tovah Feldshuh will bring her show Tovah is Leona! to the Pompano Beach Cultural Center January 3rd & 4th, and then move to the Delray Beach Playhouse from January 6th – 10th where she will perform the show to already sold-out houses. 

And Linda Purl, known to millions from both her Broadway and Off-Broadway performances and her running roles on television series such as Happy Days, The Office, Matlock, and The Bold and the Beautiful will present her new show Linda Purl:  This Could be the Start at the Delray Beach Playhouse from February 10th – 13th.

Tovah is Leona! features highlights from the Broadway-bound musical Queen of Mean based on the New York Times best-selling biography by Piers Ransdell. The Queen of Mean becomes the Queen of Cabaret as Tovah Feldshuh becomes Leona Helmsley, commenting on and singing about everything from her meteoric rise – to her Real Estate rival Donald Trump. 

Linda Purl has enjoyed a robust ongoing theatrical and musical career regionally, on international tours, and in the recording studio. She has paired up with her longtime collaborator and music director Tedd Firth for their fourth album, This Could Be the Start, the basis for this innovative and exciting concert.  The music collectively explores what happens when you stand on the edge and take the leap. Things go right, things go wrong too, love awakens, deepens, is lost and yet is inevitable.

Tickets for Tovah is Leona! and Linda Purl: This Could Be the Start are on sale now. Tickets for Tovah is Leona! are $75. (No availability at the Delray Beach Playhouse; limited availability in Pompano).   Tickets for Linda Purl range in price from $65 to $75 and are available online at delraybeachplayhouse.com or by calling 561-272-1281.  See below for performance dates and times.

The Delray Beach Playhouse is located at 950 NW 9th Street, in Delray Beach, 33444. (561-272-1281).  For more information about the Playhouse, visit https://delraybeachplayhouse.com.
The Pompano Beach Cultural Center is located at 50 W Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach, FL  33060. For more information about the PBCC visit https://pompanobeachculturalcenter.com.

For more information about Tovah Feldshuh and /or Linda Purl, to arrange to speak with either performer, or to attend a performance, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Websites:
Linda Purl: https://www.lindapurl.com
Tovah Feldshuh: https://www.tovahfeldshuh.com
~
Tovah is Leona!
Created by Tovah Feldshuh, James Bassie, & Jeff Harner
Directed by Jeff Harner
Musical Director:  James Bassi
Music by Ron Passaro
Lyrics by David Lee & Alex Lippard
Friday, January 3 at 7 pm & Saturday, January 4 at 2 pm at
The Pompano Beach Cultural Center
Monday, January 6 – Friday, January 10 at
The Delray Beach Playhouse (Sold Out)
Tickets $75
For tickets (Pompano): 
https://pompanobeachculturalcenter.csstix.com/event-details.php?e=636
Or call  954-545-7800
All performances will take place at
The Pompano Beach Cultural Center
50 W Atlantic Blvd.
Pompano Beach, FL  33060
~
Linda Purl: This Could Be the Start
February 10 – 13, 2025
Tickets:  $65/$75
For tickets:
https://delraybeachplayhouse.csstix.com/event-details.php?e=1245
Performances:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday at 2 pm
Tuesday & Thursday at 7:30 pm
All performances will take place at
The Delray Beach Playhouse
950 NW 9th Street
Delray Beach, FL  33444

Tovah Feldshuh
Linda Purl

Off Glades Theatre Company to Present I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE – February 14 – 23

04 Wednesday Dec 2024

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Off-Glades Theatre Company
to present
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
At the Willow Theatre
February 14 – 23, 2025

“A musical celebration of the mating game takes on the truths and myths behind that contemporary conundrum known as ‘the relationship’!”

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

December 4, 2024
BOCA RATON, FL: Off-Glades Theatre Company will present I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change beginning on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2025, at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.  The production will run through February 23rd  at the popular Boca Raton venue.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change has been described as “Seinfeld set to music”, “adorable”, “silly”, and “delightful”.  Nominated for Best Musical by both the Outer Critics Circle and the Drama Desk, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change became the second-longest running Off Broadway musical in theatre history, and has been translated into numerous languages, including Chinese, Korean, Spanish, German, French, Catalan, Hebrew, Czech, and Hungarian.

The show has a timelessness that consistently appeals to audiences of all ages. With book and lyrics by Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro (Memphis, The Toxic Avenger, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Over the River and Through the Woods), and music by Jimmy Roberts (The Thing About Men), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is presented in the form of a series of vignettes that mark life’s progress – all connected by the central theme of love and relationships. From single life to dating to marriage, from children to in-laws to the bitter end, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change explores the whole cycle with humor, emotion and insight.

Jodie Langel, who starred in the Off-Broadway production for over two years, will direct the show:

“This show reminds us that, when it comes to relationships, we can still find humor in those difficult moments,” Langel says. “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change celebrates love in all its stages. Be prepared to fall in love from the very first date to the very last kiss.”

The Music Director for I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is Richard Kaydas who will accompany violinist Luibov Ohrimenco at each performance. Melanie Farber will serve as the show’s Choreographer. Bryan Morris is the production’s Stage Manager.

Langel’s talented cast of four, Hannah Hayley, Alex Martinez, Bruno Faria, and Nicole Roach will play over 40 roles in the production, as they explore the many ups and downs of different relationships.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change will run from February 14 – 23 at The Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park (300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL  33486). Tickets are $35 (group rates are available) and may be purchased online at www.offgladestheatrecompany.com  or www.myboca.us/2508/Willow-Theatre, by phone at 561-347-3948, or at the theatre’s box office.

For more information about I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Off Glades Theatre Company, or Jodie Langel, please contact Carol Kassie (carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244).

Jodie Langel – headshot by Bachi Frost
Cast photos – I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change by Anahelena Natera

~

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
February 14 – 23, 2025
Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro
Music by Jimmy Roberts
Tickets: $35
Group rates available
For tickets & Information:
https://www.offgladestheatrecompany.com or
https://www.myboca.us/2648/I-Love-You-Youre-Perfect-Now-Change
Phone:  561-347-3948
Performances: 
Friday & Saturday at 7 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 1 pm
All performances will take place at
The Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park
300 S. Military Trail
Boca Raton, FL  33486

Hannah Hayley
Alex Martinez
Nicole Roach
Bruno Faria
Jodie Langel

Rome Saladino’s FEELIN’ GOOD: A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL BUBLÉ at the Boca Black Box January 28th

02 Monday Dec 2024

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Rome Saladino’s Salute to Michael Bublé
at
The Boca Black Box Center for the Arts
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Saladino will be joined on stage by renowned musician –
Bublé’s featured trumpet player, Jean Caze.


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

December 2, 2024

BOCA RATON, FL: Multi-talented singer/actor/choreographer Rome Saladino will celebrate the stylings of international super-star (and The Voice coach) Michael Bublé in Feelin’ Good: A Tribute to Michael Bublé at the Boca Black Box Center for the Arts on January 28th at 8pm

Saladino will sing the songs that made the American Music, Juno, and multiple Grammy Award-winner singer-songwriter a world-renowned phenomenon.   He will be accompanied by a seven-piece band, talented back-up dancers, and special guest star Jean Caze, Bublé’s own solo trumpet player.

This special engagement will celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Saladino’s Bublé tribute act, which he has performed throughout the United States, internationally, and on cruise ships around the world.

Inspired by Bublé’s Jazzy Big Band style, Saladino will perform the hits that put the Canadian superstar on the charts.  He will also channel ‘Frank, Dean, Ray, and Ella’ with classics such as “Feeling Good”, “Come Fly With Me”, “Cry Me a River”, “Haven’t Met You Yet”, “Home”, and “Sway. The evening will also include numbers from The Great American songbook as well as music from the ‘60s, 70s, and 80s.  

“Tributing Michael Bublé has been one of the greatest journeys of my life!” Saladino says.” His dedication to The Great American Songbook, his evolution as an artist and as a human being helped give me amazing opportunities to grow vocally and artistically. And, not to mention the travel! Seriously, it’s been an honor to have paid tribute to him for 10 years and counting!

 “The American Songbook feeds the soul in a way that I think we need now more than ever,” says Jean Caze.  “I can’t wait to perform with Rome and share this music with everyone.”.

Rome Saladino was born and raised in Miami, Florida.  His extensive theatrical career – he has a bachelor’s degree in theatre from Florida Atlantic University – has included such roles as Curly in Oklahoma, John the Baptist in Godspell, Caleb in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Charles Dalrymple in Brigadoon.  He has also appeared in Annie, A Chorus Line, Camelot, Fiddler on the Roof, and West Side Story, and he was one of the leads in Encore!  The American Theatre in Tokyo Disney, Japan.  During his ballet career he performed with the Sacramento Ballet, Icelandic Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. 

Renowned Jazz trumpet artist, composer, and educator Jean Caze has performed alongside such icons as Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Al Jarreau, Roy Hargrove, Arturo Sandoval, and George Duke. He currently serves as the featured soloist for Michael Bublé worldwide. Caze holds a bachelor’s degree from Manhattan School of Music and a master’s degree from Florida International University. Noteworthy achievements include securing second place in the 2007 Thelonius Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition and claiming victory in both the 2004 National Trumpet Jazz Competition and the 2006 International Trumpet Guild Jazz Competition. Currently, Jean is preparing to release a new album in 2025, which will be preceded by the release of several singles.

Tickets for Feelin’ Good: A Tribute to Michael Bublé at the Boca Black Box Center for the Arts are $43 & $48 and are on sale now.  The Boca Black Box Center for the Arts is located at 8221 Glades Road (#10), in Boca Raton (33434).

For more information about Rome Saladino and/or his Tribute to Michael Bublé please contact Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Photo Credits:
Rome Saladino: Ariane Kadoch Swisa
Jean Caze: Gregory Reed

~

Feelin’ Good: A Tribute to Michael Bublé
Tuesday, January 28th at 8 pm
Tickets: $43 & $48
For tickets:  561-483-9036 / or
https://www.bocablackbox.com/events/Feelin-Good-A-Tribute-to-Michael-Bubl
The performance will take place at
The Boca Black Box Center for the Arts
8221 Glades Road, #10
Boca Raton, FL  33434


Rome Saladino
Rome Saladino
Jean Caze
Jean Caze

ANNE BEING FRANK to be Presented at 3 Venues in South Florida in November

21 Monday Oct 2024

Posted by in Clients, YI Love Jewish, Yiddishkayt Initiative

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Anne Being Frank
Reimagines an Iconic Story to Pose Philosophical Questions

The Award-winning play will be presented at 3 Venues in South Florida

“An important play” … “a powerful reminder” … “heartbreaking” … “chilling” … “very moving” … “thought provoking” ~ Broadway Radio

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Carol Kassie
Carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244
Contact: Jenna Swanson
Jswanson@piersongrant.com / 954-776-1999, ext. 235

October 22, 2024

AVENTURA, FL:   YI Love Jewish in partnership with the City of Aventura, and in collaboration with the Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center and the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts will present Anne Being Frank, a new play by Israeli-born Australian playwright Ron Elisha. Directed by Amanda Brooke Lerner, the production will run at three venues in South Florida: November 9th (at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center), November 10th (in the Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center) and November 12th (at the Miniaci Performing Arts Center).

Performed Off-Broadway to rave reviews, this one-woman show starring Alexis Fishman is a total reimagining of the iconic story of Anne Frank. The play, which received the 2023 Broadway World – Best Production award, takes place within three worlds: Anne and her family’s secret annex hiding place, the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where Anne died, and an imagined world where Anne survives WWII to go over the manuscript of her diary with her editor at a publishing house in Manhattan. But now, with her devastating new insight into the depths of human depravity, she has rewritten her entire diary at the great personal cost of constantly having to justify her choices to her editor, who wants to maintain the purity and innocence of the original story.

Anne Being Frank poses the philosophical question: “Had Anne known precisely what was in store for her and her family at the hands of the Nazis, would she still have written, ‘In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart’?”

Australian-born Fishman is a Helpmann Award-nominated actor and singer who currently lives in New York. She is a board member of 3GNY, an educational non-profit for the descendants of Holocaust Survivors and tells her grandparents’ story in New York public schools.

Anne Being Frank is presented as a commemoration of Kristallnacht by YI Love Jewish and Executive Producer Marc Levin. 

Tickets for Anne Being Frank are on sale now at all three venues and can be purchased online at yilovejewish.org/events.  Ticket prices begin at $52.

For more information about Anne Being Frank, to speak with anyone involved in the production, or to arrange to see a performance, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244 or Jenna Swanson at Jswanson@piersongrant.com / 954-776-1999, ext. 235.

Anne Being Frank contains adult language or content.

~

Anne Being Frank
A New Play by Ron Elisha
Saturday, November 9 at 8 pm
at The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center
3385 NE 188th Street
Aventura, FL  33180
Sunday, November 10 at 8 pm
in The Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center
701 Okeechobee Boulevard
West Palm Beach, FL  33401
Tuesday, November 12 at 7:30 pm 
at Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center
3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Boulevard
Davie, FL  33314
Tickets: $52 and up.
To purchase tickets at any of the above venues, and/or for more information visit
https://yilovejewish.org/events

Production Photos credit: Richard Rivera

Alexis Fishman
Ron Elisha

The Pompano Players’ I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE Opens November 8th

18 Friday Oct 2024

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“Everything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives, and in-laws, but were afraid to admit.”

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

October 18, 2024

POMPANO BEACH, FL: The newly minted Pompano Players Theatre Company will present I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center from November 8th through November 17th.  This will be the second production of their inaugural season.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change with book and lyrics by Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro (Memphis, Over the River and Through the Woods), and music by Jimmy Rogers (The Thing About Men), consists of a delightful series of vignettes celebrating the mating game – from single life to dating to marriage, from children to in-laws to the ‘end’.

The production will be helmed by Jeremy Quinn: “Directing I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a thrilling and profound experience,” he says. “At its core, this musical is a celebration of love in all its messy, awkward, and hilarious glory. What excites me about this show is how relatable it is for audiences from all walks of life. Whether you’ve experienced a first date disaster, navigated the challenges of long-term commitment, or even survived a breakup, the characters in this musical feel like us – they reflect our joys, insecurities, and sometimes our failures.

“Each scene is infused with humor and heart, offering a cathartic experience that reminds us that while love can be confusing and challenging, it’s also one of the most beautiful things that define us as humans,” he continues. “Ultimately, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is about connection – the desire we all have to be seen, understood, and loved. In this production, we hope to leave the audience not only entertained but perhaps a little more reflective about their own relationships, whether past, present, or future.

Quinn has assembled a talented quartet of actors to portray the ups and downs of all types of different relationships:   Eve Dillingham, Collin Salvatoré, Heather Simsay, and Lovell Rose will, between them, take on over 40 roles during the course of the production.

Music Direction for I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change will be handled by multiple Carbonell Award-winner Michael Ursua. The show’s Choreographer is Amanda Lopez, Claudia Smith is the Scenic Designer, Stevie Bleich is the production’s Lighting Designer, and Penelope Williams is the Costume Designer.   Director Quinn will also take on Stage Manager duties.  

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change will run from November 8 – 17 at Pompano Beach Cultural Center.  The theatre is located at 50 West Atlantic Boulevard, in Pompano Beach (33060)

Tickets for I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change range in price from $45 to $65.  Tickets may be purchased online at pompanobeachculturalcenter.com or by calling 954-501-1910.
 
For more information about I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change  and/or The Pompano Players, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.
~
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro
Music by Jimmy Roberts
November 8 – 17, 2024
Tickets:  $45 – $65
For tickets:  pompanobeachculturalcenter.com or
Call:  954-501-1910
Performances:
Fridays at 7 pm
Saturday, November 9 at 8 pm
Saturday, November 16 at 7 pm
Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm
All performances will take place at
The Pompano Beach Cultural Center
50 West Atlantic Blvd.,
Pompano Beach, FL  33060

Lovell Rose
Collin Salvatoré
Eve Dillingham
Heather Simsay
Jeremy Quinn
Michael Ursua

Thinking Cap Theatre to present LOVESONG – October 19 – November 3

10 Thursday Oct 2024

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“…gripping and intense…make time for this play.”
~ The Cambridge Critique

“…the delightful quirkiness of Morgan’s text…is playful and illuminating.”
~ Aleks Sierz/The ArtsDesk.com

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

October 10, 2024

HOLLYWOOD, FL:  Thinking Cap Theatre’s (TCT) first production of the 2024 – 2025 season will be the regional premiere of Lovesong by playwright/screenwriter Abi Morgan.  Lovesong will run from October 19th through November 3rd at the Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center (managed by the Art and Culture Center/Hollywood (ACCH). TCT’s new residency at the venue will mark the return of professional theatre to Hollywood for the first time since the Hollywood Playhouse closed in 2003.   

Inspired by the T.S. Eliot poem, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Abi Morgan developed Lovesong with the world class innovative UK-based company, Frantic Assembly:

“Lovesong is a play that’s been on TCT’s radar since 2018, when I was searching for plays for our 10th Anniversary Season in 2020,” says TCT’s Producing Artistic Director Nicole Stodard.  “The pandemic prevented us from staging it then, but I am thrilled finally to be directing the piece now. It’s a truly breathtaking play that examines the love story of one couple at two different stages of their life together, their youthful beginning and their twilight years.  It’s a play about true love, the power of memory, the value of legacy, and the meaning of life. It’s also a visually stunning play that incorporates movement. Its message and its innovative style speak directly to TCT’s mission.”

Abi Morgan (OBE) is a Welsh playwright and screenwriter known for her works in television such as Sex Traffic, The Hour, and The Split, and the films Brick Lane, The Iron Lady, Shame, and Suffragette.

Stodard’s cast consists of Peter Galman, Deborah Kondelik, Nathaniel Heustis, and Abbie Fricke.

The Stage Manager for Lovesong is Pablo de Pablo; Breanna Michel and Manda Gonzalez will serve as Assistant Stage Managers. Costume Design and Co-Sound Design is by Nicole Stodard, along with Designers Bree-Anna Obst and Alyiece Moretto-Watkins.  Nicole Perry is the production’s Intimacy/Movement Director, and Alex Gonzalez is the Front of House Coordinator.

Tickets for Lovesong are $45 and are available online at https://thinkingcaptheatre.org  or by calling 310-500-6448.  Performances are on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 5 pm, and Sundays at 3 pm. All performances will take place at the Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center (1770 Monroe Street, Hollywood, FL, 33020).

For more information about Thinking Cap Theatre, please visit https://thinkingcaptheatre.org.  To arrange to see the production, for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244 or Nicole Stodard at nicole@thinkingcaptheatre.org / 813-220-1546.

~

Lovesong
October 19 – November 3, 2024
By Abi Morgan
Tickets: $45 / $20 Student Rush tickets at the door for 21 & under with valid student IDTickets:  https://thinkingcaptheatre.org
Or call 310-500-6448
Performances: 
Wednesday at 7:30 pm
Saturday at 5 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
All performances will take place at 
Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center
1770 Monroe Street
Hollywood, FL  33020

Peter W. Galman
Deborah Kondelik
Abbie Fricke
Nathaniel Heustis
Abi Morgan
Nicole Stodard

Pigs Do Fly Productions’ THE LONG WEEKEND Opens at Empire Stage November 1st

07 Monday Oct 2024

Posted by in Clients, Pigs Do Fly Productions

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“…just enough sex, just enough smart talk, just enough preposterous plot twists to keep you titillated.”
– Gary Smith, Hamilton Spectator

“Norm Foster scores a bull’s eye with this tickling romp about mismatched spouses.” 
L.A. Times

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

October 7, 2024

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  Pigs Do Fly Productions will present Canadian Playwright Norm Foster’s The Long Weekend, a comedy of manners filled with numerous plot twists and a hilariously tangled web of truths, deceptions, and surprises. The production will run from November 1- 24 at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.  

“Norm Foster’s plays definitely resonate with our audiences,” says Pigs Do Fly Executive Producer Ellen Wacher.  “This is the third one of his plays we have produced. They are clever, and funny, but they also they examine life and circumstances in ways that ring true – whether he’s analyzing established relationships or observing emerging or fluctuating ones. 

“His characters are often of over the age of 50, which is great for us – that’s our target audience and that ties in perfectly with our mission statement.” She continues.  “But – and this is a wonderful caveat – we have found over the past 8 and a half years that as our audiences have grown, they have diversified; it’s been so great to see younger people at the theatre and enjoying what we’re offering. As I often say, good theatre has no age limit!”  

As The Long Weekend opens Max and Wynn are preparing to show off their beautiful new summer home to their best friends, Roger and Abby. What is meant to be a relaxing holiday weekend turns into a battle of wits as their pasts catch up with them, the gloves come off and old scores are settled in comedic fashion.

The production will be directed by Christopher Michaels:  “The Long Weekend had me in absolute stitches on the subway while I gave it a first read,” Michaels says. “It is hilariously well-written and all I could think was how much it felt like a sitcom: unit set, key cast, set-ups and punchlines, the overall pacing… And there was the challenge of putting a large country home in the intimate space at Empire Stage.”

Michaels is making his Pigs Do Fly directorial debut; this is his second South Florida theatre directing credit, following his acclaimed production of Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story at Wilton Manors’ Island City Stage last season.

The Long Weekend cast consists of 2024 Carbonell Award nominee and Silver Palm Award Winner Karen Stephens as Abby, along with Janice Hamilton as Wynn, Alan Goodman as Roger, and Michael Coppola as Max.  

Norm Foster is considered Canada’s most produced playwright. An extremely prolific writer, frequently referred to as the Canadian Neil Simon, Foster has had more than fifty plays produced on professional stages.  His plays are known for their humor, accessibility, and insight into ‘the everyday tribulations of life.’

The Stage Manager for The Long Weekend is Larry Buzzeo. Dean Landhuis is the show’s Scenic Designer, David Hart will do the Sound Design, and Preston Bircher will create the Lighting Design and serve as Technical Director. Costumes are by Saul Mendoza and MNM Theatre Company will build the sets.  Jessica Kaschube is the Company Manager, and Patrick Vida will handle the Box Office.

Tickets for The Long Weekend are $45 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 954-678-1496.  Performances are on Fridays at 8 pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 5 pm. All performances will take place at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive,Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos,  or for requests to see a performance, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.  For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com. For more information about Christopher Michaels please visit https://www.christophermichaels.nyc/director.

~

The Long Weekend
November 1 – 24
By Norm Foster
Tickets: $45
Tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Or call 954-678-1496
Performances: 
Friday at 8 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 5 pm
All performances will take place at 
Empire Stage1140 N Flagler Drive,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Alan Goodman & Michael Coppola
Alan Goodman & Michael Coppola
Janice Hamilton & Karen Stephens
Michael Coppola, Janice Hamiton, Karen Stephens, & Alan Goodman
Alan Goodman
Janice Hamilton & Karen Stephens

Michael Coppola
Alan Goodman
Janice Hamilton
Karen Stephens
Ellen Wacher
Christopher Michaels
Norm Foster

Delray Beach Playhouse Renames Actors Awards Gala in Honor of Long-Time Artistic Director Randy DelLago

30 Monday Sep 2024

Posted by in Clients, Delray Beach Playhouse

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Delray Beach Playhouse Renames Actors Awards Gala
in Honor of
Long-Time Artistic Director
Randy DelLago

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

September 30, 2024

DELRAY BEACH, FL:  The Delray Beach Playhouse announced today it will rename the theatre’s annual Actors Awards Gala in honor of the Playhouse’s long-time Artistic Director Randolph DelLago.

The newly renamed 2024 DelLago Awards Gala honoring performances from this past season will take place on November 7, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at the Delray Beach Playhouse. The event will be attended by Playhouse actors and family. 

DelLago, who served as the Playhouse Artistic Director for 40 years, passed away on July 8th, 2024.

Randy DelLago arrived in Florida via Wilmington, North Carolina in 1982. Beloved by Playhouse staff, board members, and audiences alike, he directed hundreds of plays and musicals over the years and was often characterized as ‘the face of the Playhouse’.  However, DelLago may best be remembered for his “Musical Memories” productions that packed the Delray Beach Playhouse each season. DelLago scripted musical stories about a composer or performer — bringing that composer or performer to life through an ensemble cast singing and dancing while he narrated their biography. 

“The Playhouse family of actors, volunteers, staff and board members are grateful to have worked with Randy over many, many, years and we were all deeply saddened to learn of his passing in July,” says Playhouse Executive Director Kevin Barrett.

“It was important to come up with a way to honor Randy’s legacy here at the Playhouse and renaming the annual Gala The DelLago Awards in his honor, along with establishing a special award that will be given to all the winners in his name, seemed like the perfect way to keep his memory alive year after year moving forward,” Barrett says.

For more information about the 2024 DelLago Awards Gala, please contact the Delray Beach Playhouse Box Office at (561) 272-1281.

In the attached photos:  Randy DelLago
Photo credits:  Unknown