Tag Archives: Fort Lauderdale Theatre

Empire Stage to Present Yasmina Reza’s ART April 29 – May 15, 2022

06 Wednesday Apr 2022

Posted by in Clients, Empire Stage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

“…This comedy crosses cultural barriers with such ease …a limber comic exercise
 in escalating tensions.” ~ Ben Brantley, The New York Times

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

April 6, 2022

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who the painter was? Would it be art? These are just some of the questions that are asked, but not necessarily answered in Yasmina Reza’s award-winning play, ART.  ART will open at Empire Stage on April 29th and run through May 15th.

ART is a fascinating, clever, and often comedic exploration of both art and friendship.  Serge, one of a trio of three long-time friends indulges his penchant for modern art and buys a large, expensive, completely white painting. His friend Marc is horrified, and their relationship suffers considerable strain as a result of their differing opinions about what constitutes “art”. The third member of the trio, Yvan, caught in the middle of the conflict, tries to please and mollify both of them.  As their discussions move from the theoretical to the personal, the three friends are forced to ask questions not only about the nature of art, but about the nature of friendship.

Amir Darvish

“I have been wanting to direct and work on ART for several years”, says the show’s director, Amir Darvish. “To me, productions that really resonate are those that delve deep into relationships and how those bonds are tested. I want to make audiences think and laugh at the same time. How a simple event can mean so many things to different people and the viewing audience.  What can we tolerate? When do we speak up? Who are our friends?”

Empire Stage Executive Producer David R. Gordon agrees wholeheartedly. “I am very excited to be working with Amir Darvish on this project.  ART is not the type of play we typically do here at Empire Stage, and I am very curious to see how many of our regular patrons show up to see it.”

Darvish has cast Dean Nigro as Yvan, Ben Prayz as Serge, and David R. Gordon as Marc.  Gordon recently garnered excellent reviews in Pigs Do Fly Productions’ 2 Across.

David R. Gordon, Dean Nigro, Ben Prayz

Yasmina Reza’s ART premiered in 1994 at Comédie des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The play, translated by Christopher Hampton, subsequently ran in London in 1996 and on Broadway in 1998 and garnered numerous awards during all three runs, including the Molière Award for Best Commercial Production, the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle for Best Play, and the Tony Award for Best Play.  ART has been produced in 30 countries and translated from the original French into 45 languages.

Brian Bloomer will serve as ART’s Stage Manager, Preston Bircher is the show’s Lighting Designer, Dean Landhuis is the Set Designer, and David Hart is the show’s Sound Designer.

Tickets for ART are $35 and are available online at www.empirestage.com or by calling 954-678-1496.  Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

For more information about Empire Stage please visit www.empirestage.com.   To arrange for interviews or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

ART
April 29 – May 15, 2022By Yasmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Amir Darvish
Tickets: $35
For tickets:
www.empirestage.com / 954-678-1496
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
All performances take place at 
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

  • Amir Darvish
  • Ben Prayz
  • Dean Nigro
  • David R. Gordon
  • David R. Gordon, Dean NIgro, Ben Prayz
  • Dean Nigro, David R. Gordon, Ben Prayz

Pigs Do Fly Productions presents 2 ACROSS March 4 – 20, 2022

03 Thursday Feb 2022

Posted by in Clients, Pigs Do Fly Productions

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents

March 4 – 20, 2022

“A charming, character driven comedy” ~ Los Angeles Times” 

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

February 3, 2022

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   Rehearsals will begin shortly for 2 Across, Pigs Do Fly Productions’ upcoming ‘reprise’ production of Jerry Mayer’s ‘comedy of crosswords and romance’. The show will run from March 4th through March 20th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.

2 Across finds two strangers, a man and a woman, on board a San Francisco BART train at 4:30 a.m. Alone in the car, the only thing they have in common is that they are both doing the New York Times crossword puzzle.  Soon the puzzles they unravel are more intriguing than any crossword puzzle could ever be.

Ellen Wacher

“2 Across was extremely successful when we presented it in 2019, and I am often asked not if, but when we will be bringing it back,” says Pigs Do Fly Productions’ founder and Executive Producer Ellen Wacher. “Presenting it again is an exciting prospect – it’s a delightful two-person comedy that totally meets with our company’s mission – to show people over the age of 50 who are interesting and active and real. I was captivated by these characters’ development, and I believe our audiences will be too.”

Deboralih Kondelik

Deborah Kondelik, who directed 2 Across in 2019 and helmed Pigs Do Fly’s recent successful production of Helen on Wheels is looking forward to revisiting these characters: “It has been said that opposites attract,” Kondelik said recently.  “Whether or not that rings true remains to be seen in Jerry Mayer’s hilarious yet poignant romantic comedy.  One thing that is guaranteed though, is a delightful very early morning romp by two strangers on San Francisco’s BART train.  The tie that binds is that both of them are hard at work on the Saturday New York Times crossword puzzle.  Although they tackle the puzzle with very different approaches, they soon discover commonalities that cannot be ignored.”

Michele Verdi and David R. Gordon will star in 2 Across, and both are excited at the prospect of exploring their diametrically opposite characters: Verdi’s Janet is a responsible, honest, rule-abiding psychologist, and Gordon’s Josh is part-free spirit, part executive, part dreamer, and part Peter Pan.

Playwright Jerry Mayer has written scripts for All in the Family, M*A*S*H*, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the Bob Newhart Show (where he served as story editor).  His first play, Almost Perfect ran for a year and a half at the Santa Monica Playhouse.  Other plays include the musical You Haven’t Changed a Bit, and Other Lies and Dietrich and Chevalier, The Musical.  

Tickets for 2 Across are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 954-678-1496.  Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

This press release along with actor head shots can be viewed online at:  TBA

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 arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

2 Across
By Jerry Mayer
March 4 – 20, 2022
Directed by Deborah Kondelik
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
Tickets:  $39
For tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com / 954-678-1496
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/PigsDoFlyProductions/

  • Deborah Kondelik
  • Ellen Wacher
  • Jerry Mayer
  • Michele Verdi
  • David R. Gordon & Michele Verdi
  • Joseph Long, Deborah Kondelik, Michele Verdi, David r. Gordon, Ellen Wacher

Pigs Do Fly Productions presents HELEN ON WHEELS December 3 – 19!

03 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by in Clients, Pigs Do Fly Productions

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Pigs Do Fly Productions
Soars Back With
Helen and her gang… all ready to raise a ruckus!

“‘Helen on Wheels’ is a lovely play about real people, and its gentle humor provides the structure for a very funny lesson on living your life, and no one else’s, no matter how old you are.”  ~ Mary Ann Johnson, MD Theatre Guide

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

November 3, 2021

Ellen Wacher

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  Pigs Do Fly Productions’ Helen on Wheels managed just one performance before the pandemic forced the show to shutter in March 2020.  However, Pigs’ founder and Executive Producer Ellen Wacher vowed Pigs Do Fly Productions and the show would be back when the time was right. Now, with Florida COVID numbers consistently dropping, and audiences starting to attend theatre, Wacher feels “It’s time to bring the gang back!”   Helen on Wheels will run from December 3rd through December 19th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.  There will be a preview performance on December 2nd.

“We were devastated when we had to close down,” Wacher says, “But of course it was the right and only thing to do.  We’ve had to make a couple of changes due to scheduling issues – a new director and two new cast members, but I am more than confident our audiences will love this production of Helen on Wheels. It is totally enjoyable, far out, very funny, and fits our Pigs Do Fly mission – to show people over 50 doing interesting things with their lives – to a ‘tee’.”        

Deborah Kondelik

“I am so pleased to be working with Ellen Wacher again and most happy to be directing another Cricket Daniel play,” says the show’s director Deborah Kondelik. “I loved directing The Lost Virginity Tour for Pigs Do Fly, and I am certain that Helen on Wheels will be just as entertaining and engaging. We theatre artists are all grateful to be back after such a long hiatus.”

A feisty, bingo-playing, gun-toting, ruckus raising, independent woman living in the small town of Crockett, Oklahoma.  That’s Helen Wheeler, the title character in Cricket Daniel’s comedy Helen on Wheels.  When Helen isn’t locked up in the local clink, she’s on her front porch shootin’ up critters and the local kids.  Not even the local sheriff, who has already taken away all her ammo and her driver’s license, can manage to uphold the law when it comes to Helen, her sidekick Zona, and their daily “Thelma and Louise” antics. 

Beverly Blanchette will return as Helen, as will Carol Sussman as her best friend and partner in crime Zona. Todd Bruno will reprise his role as Nelson, and Michael Gioia and Steven Chambers have joined ‘the gang’ as Elmer and Seth.

Helen on Wheels’ Scenic Designer is Dean Landhuis, David Hart is the show’s Sound Designer, Preston Bircher is the Lighting Designer, and Joseph Long is the production’s Stage Manager.

“I am thrilled to have Helen on Wheels produced by Pigs Do Fly Productions,” playwright Cricket Daniel said recently.  “This play is very personal to me because it was inspired by my own mother, who loved two things… my Dad and Bingo!  I had an absolute blast creating these characters.  I think the heart of Helen on Wheels is the friendship between Helen and Zona.  Everyone needs a best friend that will wipe your tears… and help you break out of jail.  Everyone needs a Zona!”

Cricket Daniel holds a theater degree from UC Santa Barbara and studied Shakespeare in Cambridge, England. She has an extensive background in improv, stand-up and theater. Cricket was a member of the national improv troupe Comedy Sportz and has performed stand-up at The Ice House and The Improv and has performed regularly in local community theatre productions. Her short play Break Dreams has been staged in New York City, Miami, Colorado Springs, Eugene, Oregon, and in Austin, TX. Her full-length play Love, Laughter & Lucci took home Best Production, Best Actress and Best Actor awards at the 2012 Golden Gravel Awards. Her full-length play Helen On Wheels was a finalist in the 2015 New Play Development Workshop through Route 66 Theatre in Chicago. Cricket is a 2012 recipient of an Arts, Beautification, and Culture Award for her contribution to local theater and is a member of The Dramatist Guild of America. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband and daughter.

There will be a preview performance of Helen on Wheels on December 2nd; the production will open on December 3rd and run through December 19th.  Tickets are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com. Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

Masks covering nose, mouth, and chin must be worn in the building
at all times in order to attend.
There will be no refreshments available.

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 arrange for interviews, or for photos, or to arrange to see the production, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Helen on Wheels
By Cricket DanielPreview Performance: Thursday, December 2 at 8 pm
Runs from December 3 – 19, 2021
Tickets: $39
Tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Or call 954-678-1496
Performances: 
Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
All performances will take place at 
Empire Stage
1140 N Flagler Drive,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/PigsDoFlyProductions/

  • Beverly Blanchette
  • Carol Sussman
  • Deborah Kondelik
  • Michael Gioia
  • Todd Bruno
  • Ellen Wacher
  • Todd Bruno, Deborah Kondelik, Michael Gioia, Steven A. Chambers, Beverly Blanchette, Carol Sussman, Joseph Long, Ellen Wacher
  • Todd Bruno, Michael Gioia, Steven A. Chambers, Beverly Blanchette, Carol Sussman
  • Deborah Kondelik, Ellen Wacher, Joseph Long
  • Deborah Kondelik, Ellen Wacher
  • Michael Gioia, Beverly Blanchette
  • Steven A. Chambers

Pigs Do Fly Productions presents HELEN ON WHEELS – March 5 – 29, 2020

11 Tuesday Feb 2020

Posted by in Clients, Pigs Do Fly Productions

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents
Helen on Wheels
March 5 – 29, 2020

“‘Helen on Wheels’ is a lovely play about real people, and its gentle humor provides the structure for a very funny lesson on living your life, and no one else’s, no matter how old you are.” ~ Mary Ann Johnson, MD Theatre Guide

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

February 11, 2020
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  A feisty, bingo-playing, gun-toting, ruckus raising, independent woman!  That’s Helen Wheeler, the title character in Pigs Do Fly Productions next outing – Cricket Daniel’s comedy Helen on Wheels.  The show will run from March 6th through March 29th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.  There will be a preview performance on March 5th.

Ellen Wacher

“We had such a great response to our recent production of Cricket Daniel’s The Lost Virginity Tour that I was pumped to look at this play too,” says Ellen Wacher, Pigs Do Fly’s founder and Executive Producer.   “Helen on Wheels is totally enjoyable, far out, very funny, and perfect for us, and for the times.”

Elizabeth Price, who recently received glowing reviews in Primal Forces Productions’ Villainous Company will direct Helen on Wheels: 

“Nostalgia for the past, good times. Pushing boundaries, living out loud. Seeing what’s really important, not buying into what people think we should be and do, missed chances, new opportunities… these are things that everyone, no matter what their age, can relate to.”  Price says.

Elizabeth Price

“The play is about a woman who has lost the man she spent her whole happy life with, and now she’s acting out in crazy but hilarious ways as she looks for who she is on her own,” she says. “Another chance for love comes along and she has to decide which way to go. Essentially, we get to see how the sweetness of the past doesn’t end when something new begins.

“This company has a great mission,” Price continues. “I want to see and tell stories that reflect what the whole of life looks like, not just life’s early phases.”

Price has cast Beverly Blanchette as Helen, and Carol Sussman as her best friend and partner in crime Zona. Rounding out the troupe are David Hyland as Seth, Todd Bruno as Nelson, and Dave Corey as Elmer.

“I am thrilled to have Helen on Wheels produced by Pigs Do Fly Productions,” playwright Cricket Daniel says.  “This play is very personal to me because it was inspired by my own mother, who loved two things… my Dad and Bingo!  I had an absolute blast creating these characters.  I think the heart of Helen on Wheels is the friendship between Helen and Zona.  Everyone needs a best friend that will wipe your tears… and help you break out of jail.  Everyone needs a Zona!”

Cricket Daniel

Cricket Daniel holds a theater degree from UC Santa Barbara and studied Shakespeare in Cambridge, England. She has an extensive background in improv, stand-up and theater. Cricket was a member of the national improv troupe Comedy Sportz and has performed stand-up at The Ice House and The Improv and has performed regularly in local community theatre productions. Her short play Break Dreams has been staged in New York City, Miami, Colorado Springs, Eugene, Oregon, and in Austin, TX. Her full-length play Love, Laughter & Lucci took home Best Production, Best Actress and Best Actor awards at the 2012 Golden Gravel Awards. Her full-length play Helen On Wheels was a finalist in the 2015 New Play Development Workshop through Route 66 Theatre in Chicago. Cricket is a 2012 recipient of an Arts, Beautification, and Culture Award for her contribution to local theater and is a member of The Dramatist Guild of America. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband and daughter.

There will be a preview performance of Helen on Wheels’ on March 5th; the production will open on March 6th and run through March 29th.  Tickets are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 866-811-4111.  Performances are on Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

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 arrange for interviews, or for photos, or to arrange to see the production, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Funding for this project is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council.

~*~

Helen on Wheels
Preview Performance: Thursday, March 5, 2020
Runs from March 6 – March 29, 2020
By Cricket Daniel
Tickets: $39
Tickets:  866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Performances:
Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N Flagler Drive,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Like Us on Facebook!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

WEST SIDE STORY at Lauderhill Performing Arts Center November 14 – December 1

15 Tuesday Oct 2019

Posted by in Clients, Lauderhill Performing Arts Center

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) in Collaboration with
Broadway Palm presents
West Side Story

November 14 – December 1

“Pooling imagination and virtuosity, [they] have written a profoundly moving show that is as ugly as the city jungles and also pathetic, tender and forgiving.”
Brooks Atkinson ~ The New York Times, September 27, 1957

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

October 15, 2019

LAUDERHILL, FL:  West Side Story: Classic. Powerful. Groundbreaking. Heartbreaking.  All words that have been used to describe one of Broadway’s most memorable and iconic pieces of musical theatre.  The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center in collaboration with Broadway Palm will present West Side Story as the first production in their brand-new Broadway at the LPAC series.  The show will run from November 14th through December 1st.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is transported to modern-day New York City as two young idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the “American” Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks.  The story of their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice became one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching musicals of all time, and the subject matter is as relevant today as it was when the show opened in 1957.

West Side Story was written by Arthur Laurents. The musical’s score was composed by Leonard Bernstein, and the show was choreographed by Jerome Robbins, who won a Tony Award for his work.  West Side Story also marked the Broadway debut of a then unknown lyricist/composer – Stephen Sondheim.   Sondheim was contracted to write the lyrics for the show after composer Bernstein decided that he needed to concentrate solely on the music.  (Sondheim originally declined the offer, but his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein, convinced him to do it, telling him he would benefit from the experience.)

The production’s Artistic Producer, Brian Enzman, has cast Alexa Lopez and Jacob Tarconish as West Side Story’s star-crossed lovers, Maria and Tony.

Alexa Lopez

“West Side Story was the first piece of musical theater I had ever seen live, it was the first thing that sparked my passion for performing, and so it holds an extremely special place in my heart,” seventeen-year old Lopez, a senior at the American Heritage School in Plantation, explains. “Looking back, I remember how moved I was by the rich music, the actors, and the relevant story they were telling. I saw myself on stage that night, and was able to, as a Cuban-American, deeply identify with Maria. I’ve carried this show with me since and am truly amazed at how contemporary it remains today. It is a story that I am honored to be able to tell.

“My journey with West Side has been a long one,” she continues. “I auditioned for the role of Maria many times and at many levels. One of my most memorable experiences was this past year when I had the wonderful opportunity of making it to the final round of callbacks for the upcoming 2020 Broadway revival, auditioning for Ivo Van Hove, the director. In any case, I’m so ecstatic to finally play Maria and be able to share her story.”

Jacob Tarconish

Jacob Tarconish has given a lot of thought to the relevance of the play in today’s world, and to his character:  “The Sharks and Jets are in this world of divisiveness, racism and xenophobia, and then you have two people fall in love and realize “everything we’ve been told to believe is wrong. We’re all just people whose differences aren’t a reason to hate each other, they’re what make us exciting and magical”, and we see what happens when two people challenge those barriers and try to tear them down,” he says. “I think in our country today, there’s a lot of that same divisiveness and there’s also a sense of drastically changing beliefs, which makes West Side Story such a powerful and wonderful piece of theatre to be a part of.

“I think a lot of people have a side of Tony in them,” he continues. “He’s got a job, he’s at a point in his life where he’s grown past what his friends are still doing, but he’s kind of dissatisfied. He’s got all this energy and ambition, but nothing to really use it on. Then, he meets Maria, and his world instantly changes. He realizes “I’ve found someone who understands me, who sees me, and I would do absolutely anything and everything to be with her,” and suddenly he’s alive again, he’s using that drive again, and it makes him feel like he’s superhuman. I think people can absolutely identify with that sense of longing and passion.”

The rest of the West Side Story cast includes the Shark Girls – Katie Whittemore as Anita, Sandi Stock as Francisca, Emily Stys as Rosalia and Emilee Hassanzadeh as Margarita; The Jets Girls:  Sarah Rose Knoche as Anybodys, Laura Titus as Graziella, Lauren Cagnetta as Minnie and Bailee Cudmore as Velman; The Sharks:  Pasqualino Beltempo as Bernardo, Brandon Santos as Chino, Jermarcus Riggins as Pepe, Phillip Giandiletti as Luis and Richel Ruiz as Juan; The Jets:  Rhett Warner as Riff, Robert Ayala as Action, Michael Friedman as A-Rab, Clint Maddox Thompson as Baby John, Mason Lewis as Diesel and Derik Lawson as Snowboy.  Also in the cast are Peter Librach as Doc, Craig Smith as Lieutenant Schrank, and Justin Schneyer as Officer Krupke.

West Side Story will be directed by Dean Sobon, with musical direction by Eric Alsford, and the show’s Choreographer is Ron Hutchins.  Lighting Design is by Russell Thompson, Lighting Design is by Chris Young, and Costume Design is by John White.

West Side Story will run from November 14th– December 1st. Ticket prices range from $35 – $55 and are available online at https://lpacfl.com/or by calling 954-777-2055.  Performances are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 pm, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 pm.  There will not be a performance on Thursday, November 28th – Thanksgiving Day.

Subscriptions for the Broadway in Broward series are also on sale, and various subscription packages are available. Subscriptions can be purchased by calling the LPAC box office at 954-777-2055.

The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) 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 Miami/Dade and Palm Beach counties as well. The theatre 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://lpacfl.com.

For more information about West Side Story please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

~

West Side Story
November 14 – December 1
Book by Arthur Laurents
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Based on a Conception of Jerome Robbins
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30 pm (no Thanksgiving night performance)
Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday at 2 pm
Tickets:  $35 – $55
For tickets:  954-777-2055/ https://lpacfl.com/
All performances will take place at
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
3800 NW 11th Place,
Lauderhill, FL  33311
https://lpacfl.com/
Like Us on Facebook!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Pigs Do Fly Productions Presents THE LOST VIRGINITY TOUR – October 31 – November 24

07 Monday Oct 2019

Posted by in Pigs Do Fly Productions

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Pigs Do Fly Productions
presents

The Lost Virginity Tour
October 31 – November 24

“When liquor laced cookies are the highlight of our week, then it’s time for us to shake things up.”– The Lost Virginity Tour

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

October 8, 2019
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   Four women ‘of a certain age’ will take to the road and revisit the locales where each lost her virginity in Pigs Do Fly Productions’ The Lost Virginity Tour by Cricket Daniel.  There will be a preview performance on October 31st and the production will run from November 1st through November 24th at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.  

The Lost Virginity Tour is a funny, profound, and provocative play about four women in their golden years – not talking about their grandkids or their knitting circles, but talking about sex and love, and recalling their ‘first time’ with often hilarious but sometimes harrowing detail.   This humorous and adventurous road trip through memories conjures up the choices we make that shape our lives forever, and the friendships that hold us up when we can’t walk on our own.

Deborah Kondelik

Deborah Kondelik, who directed Pigs Do Fly’s recent sold out production of 2 Across, will helm The Lost Virginity Tour: “Old folks ain’t what they used to be! And Pigs Do Fly Productions has a noteworthy mission – to do productions that feature characters over 50 years of age, and oftentimes much older,” she says.  “The plays we present are populated with vibrant, intriguing characters who make “getting older” much more fun than the typical older characters we saw in plays of bygone eras.  This play by Cricket Daniel is a perfect fit for Pigs Do Fly because it features four unique women taking an inimitable, one-of-a-kind road trip. Everyone should come along for the ride because it promises to be filled with tons of raucous laughter and also a few poignant tears.”

Ellen Wacher

Pigs Do Fly founder and Executive Producer Ellen Wacher agrees: “Pigs Do Fly stands for people over 50 living interesting, active lives,” she says.  “And…WOW!  The Lost Virginity Tour fits our mission to a “T”. It has humor, some serious moments, and always strong characters who reflect our lives and who we are today.  We have assembled an amazing cast and I totally believe that those who come will be affected by this play – I know it will inspire laughter, introspection, reflection, and even a few tears.”

Kondelik and Wacher have assembled an impressive cast to travel together on The Lost Virginity Tour: Leigh Bennett, Barbara Bradshaw, Diana D’Ambrosio, and Barbara Sloan will, as Sloan’s character Rita says “…Make like dough and roll”!

“As a playwright, it is very gratifying to give female actresses of a certain age a great vehicle to shine on stage,” playwright Cricket Daniel said recently. “Having a play with one leading role for the older actress is rare, let alone four.  It was fun to create these characters who get to laugh, cry, and play together on stage.  As a former actress, I would have killed to play one of these roles!”

Cricket Daniel

Cricket Daniel holds a theater degree from UC Santa Barbara and studied Shakespeare in Cambridge, England. She has an extensive background in improv, stand-up and theater. Cricket was a member of the national improv troupe Comedy Sportz and has performed stand-up at The Ice House and The Improv and has performed regularly in local community theatre productions. Her short play Break Dreams has been staged in New York City, Miami, Colorado Springs, Eugene, Oregon, and in Austin, TX. Her full-length play Love, Laughter & Lucci took home Best Production, Best Actress and Best Actor awards at the 2012 Golden Gravel Awards. Her full-length play Helen On Wheels was a finalist in the 2015 New Play Development Workshop through Route 66 Theatre in Chicago. Cricket is a 2012 recipient of an Arts, Beautification, and Culture Award for her contribution to local theater and is a member of The Dramatist Guild of America. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband and daughter.

The Lost Virginity Tour will run from October 31st (preview performance) through November 24th.  Tickets for The Lost Virginity Tour are $39 and are available online at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 866-811-4111.  Performances are on Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

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 arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Funding for this project is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council.

~*~

The Lost Virginity Tour
Preview Performance: Thursday, October 31
Runs from November 1 – November 24, 2019
By Cricket Daniel
Tickets: $39
Tickets:  866-811-4111 / www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Performances:
Friday, & Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday: 5 pm
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N Flagler Drive,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Like us on Facebook!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

LPAC & Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre Announce Auditions for BROADWAY AT THE LPAC

12 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) &
Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre Announce
Local Auditions for
Broadway at the LPAC
Casting all roles for Kinky Boots & Beauty and the Beast

For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian Enzman
Brian@BroadwayPalm.com

September 12, 2019

LAUDERHILL, FL:  Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, in collaboration with Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre located in Fort Myers, Florida, is holding open auditions for adults (Non-AEA) for their upcoming productions on Saturday, September 21, 2019 beginning at 10:00 a.m. All auditions are by appointment only and can be made by e-mailing Brian Enzman at Brian@BroadwayPalm.com. Callbacks will be held on Sunday, September 22, 2019. Actors will be informed at the Saturday auditions if they are needed for a callback on Sunday.

The following are the productions and roles that are available:
Kinky Boots – LPAC (2 Theatre Tour with Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre)
Rehearsals: Jan. 9-18, 2020 at Broadway Palm, Ft. Myers, FL (*Housing will be provided for LPAC local actors)
Tech and Opening at LPAC: Jan. 20-23, 2020. Closes Feb. 9, 2020.

Kinky Boots – Broadway Palm (2 Theatre Tour with LPAC)
Rehearsals/Tech:  Feb. 10-12, 2020
Opening at LPAC: Feb. 13, 2020. Closes Mar. 28, 2020.

Beauty and the Beast – LPAC
Rehearsals: Feb. 6-19, 2020
Opening at LPAC: Feb. 20, 2020. Closes Mar. 8, 2020.

Casting all roles (leads, supporting, and ensemble) in both productions.
Please Note: Any male auditioning for an “Angel” (The Drag performers) or “Lola” in Kinky Boots must bring female heeled shoes to wear at the dance audition.

Anyone auditioning should bring two copies of their current headshots and resumes and be prepared to sing a one-minute cut in the musical theatre genre that best shows off their vocal range. Please bring sheet music in the proper key; an accompanist will be provided (no recorded music is accepted). After the vocal audition actors/actresses may be asked to attend a dance audition or attend the Sunday reading/singing callback auditions.       

Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) is a professional theatre and a professional weekly salary will be provided. Productions require a rehearsal process with rehearsals daily, generally from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Anyone auditioning must be available for the entire rehearsal process and all performances. Performances at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center are Wednesday through Saturday evenings with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Limited housing will be available for LPAC, but we are primarily seeking actors/actresses within the Lauderhill area with housing.

David Goldyn’s Delightful Comedy DADDY ISSUES at the Theatre at CSL – October 18 – November 3

12 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in Clients, David Goldyn

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

David Goldyn Productions in Conjunction with Theatre at CSL presents
Daddy Issues
October 18th – November 3rd

“A brilliantly structured myriad of sticky situations”
Stage Buddy

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

September 12, 2019

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL: The Off Broadway hit Daddy Issues, written and directed by David Goldyn, is returning to South Florida after a short but successful stint at Boca Raton’s Willow Theatre last March. The production will run from October 18th through November 3rd at the Theatre at CSL (Center for Spiritual Living) in Oakland Park.

How far will a gay guy go to please his parents? Daddy Issues centers on Donald Moscowitz, (Elijah Pearson) an openly gay actor living in New York City in 1982.  His overbearing Jewish parents (Elli Murray and David Goldyn) know he’s gay but that doesn’t stop them from demanding a grandchild.  When Donald learns that Grandma Moscowitz (Vicki Klein) will double his inheritance if he produces a grandchild, he enlists the help of the ten-year old kid from downstairs (Michael Salvanto) to play his son from an experimental tryst he had in college. His two best friends Henrietta (Kayla Fainer) and Levi (Jesus Reyna), a drag star from the village, fight over who will play the birth mother, Mary Ellen McQuire. When Mom and Dad show up what could go wrong?

Daddy Issues was nominated for Best Off Broadway Play by Broadway World in 2017.  In New York it was hailed as “hilarious and heartfelt” (Michael Musto) and the Huffington Post proclaimed it “a frothy whipped dessert of a show.” Seth Kubersky at The Orlando Weekly called the Florida premiere of Daddy Issues in 2018, “the rare snappy play that would go over equally well in a gay nightclub as well as a Miami retirement home.” The Weekly went on to say that “if it were a sit-com on NBC’s Thursday’s lineup, it might run for six seasons.” Prophetically, the play has already received sit-com interest in Los Angeles.

Playwright David Goldyn, who will also be directing the production, has helmed the show five times previously, including the Off-Broadway version, but this is the first time he will appear on stage.  Goldyn ran Fort Lauderdale’s Rising Action Theatre for seven years. He left the company (to pursue a writing career) in the capable hands of Andy Rogow, who reinvented it as Island City Stage.  Since leaving Rising Action Theatre, David has written two full length plays – Daddy Issues and The Manufacturers Daughter and the upcoming film “Black Jack at the Moulin Rouge” (http://blackjackatthemoulinrouge.com/). David also served as an Associate Producer on Broadway’s Honeymoon in Vegas.

Daddy Issues will run from October 18th through November 3rd at the Theatre at CSL (Center for Spiritual Living) in Oakland Park. The theatre is located at 4849 N Dixie Highway in Oakland Park (33334) Tickets are on sale now, and are available by phone at 800-595-4849 and online at www.daddyissuestheplay.com/.  Ticket prices range from $35 – $60.

For more information about Daddy Issues, visit www.daddyissuestheplay.com/ or contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com /561-445-9244. To learn more about The Theatre at CSL (The Center for Spiritual Living) visit  www.cslftlauderdale.org.

~

Daddy Issues
By David Goldyn
October 18 – November 3
Tickets:  $35-$60
Box Office: 800-595-4849
To purchase tickets: www.daddyissuestheplay.com/
Direct ticketing link:
https://dgproductions.tix.com/schedule.aspx?orgnum=6130
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm.
All performances will take place at
The Theatre at CSL (Center for Spiritual Living)
4849 N Dixie Highway
Oakland Park, FL 33334

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

 

Empire Stage Presents CLEMENZA & TESSIO ARE DEAD – August 15 – September 8

12 Monday Aug 2019

Posted by in Shari Upbin

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Direct from The New York City Fringe Festival
Empire Stage Theater Presents the South Florida Premiere of
Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead
August 15 – September 8

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

August 12, 2019

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:  Empire Stage will present a limited 13 performance run of Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead by Gregg Greenberg from August 15 – September 8. The play – a clever and humorous parody of the classic 1972 movie “The Godfather” (based on the novel by Mario Puzo), was originally produced as part of the 2009 New York City Fringe Festival.

Shari Upbin

Shari Upbin will direct the production, which will star Troy Stanley, Christopher Dreeson, and Aaron Bravo.

Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead takes a look at two little-noticed cogs in the Mafia machine and shows how those wise guys who are often overlooked can actually have the most fascinating stories of all.

Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio are two longtime foot soldiers of the Corleone crime family, but after more than 40 years of service, upper management changes in the organization, and a perceived lack of respect from the incoming generation leads them to wonder if they’re being put out to pasture (or under it). But with the handwriting already on the wall, is it possible to change what fate has already decreed? Well, yes – but only if someone is cunning enough to radically change the script.

Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead will run at Empire Stage Theater form August 15 – September 8. Empire Stage Theater is located at 1140 North Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $35 ($20 for Aug 15 preview performance). Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased on line at www.empirestage.com or by calling 954-678-1496.

For more information about this production, please contact Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

Clemenza & Tessio are Dead
August 15 – September 8
By Gregg Greenberg
Based on the movie The Godfather (1972), screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel by Mario Puzo
Tickets: $35 ($20 for August 15 preview)
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
To purchase tickets:
www.empirestage.com or 954-678-1496
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 North Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

 

Pigs Do Fly’s THE LADIES FOURSOME Returns to Empire Stage – October 4 – 21

11 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by in Clients, Pigs Do Fly Productions

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Back by Popular Demand!

Pigs Do Fly Productions
The Ladies Foursome
Will hit the links again!

“Norm Foster’s hit comedy The Ladies Foursome is a fun-filled romp from beginning to end” ~ Joe Belanger ~ The London Free Press

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

September 11, 2019

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL:   Pigs Do Fly Productions’ production of The Ladies Foursome played to consistently full houses when it ran at Empire Stage last March.  The show was such a success that the company’s founder and Executive Producer, Ellen Wacher decided to bring ‘the ladies’ back onto the golf course and let them swing their way through another round!   The show will run from October 4th through October 21st – once again at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale.

“Why not?” Wacher said recently.  “I kept hearing from people saying their friends heard great things about the show and were sorry they’d missed it. Or that they hadn’t laughed so much in the theatre for ages and wanted to see it again.  The play – and the dialogue – is thoughtful, clever, realistic, and very, very funny, and it really resonated with our audiences – both men and women.   So this is truly a case of ‘back by popular demand’!”  

The show’s premise is simple: It’s the day after the funeral, and three women gather for a round of golf in honor of their recently departed play partner.  A mysterious fourth joins them, and so begins a raucous and rowdy 18 holes filled with secrets, surprises, confessions… and sex

The production will once again be directed by Genie Croft and all four original cast members – Janice Hamilton, Deborah Kondelik, Jacquie Laggy, and Elissa Solomon are back on board for this round.

“I am delighted we have the opportunity to be on the links once more, with this production,” Croft says. “Having done the show with this talented cast before, this time around they are able to expand in a more significant, and deeper way to their friendships, and pursuits of their own dreams, while achieving a higher level of humor.

“These four women have played golf together every week for 14 years, and they believe this is the perfect way to honor their friend,” Croft explained when she spoke about the play last March. “Each one of the foursome has her secrets – some have been taken to the grave, and others are revealed in moments of anger, jealously, drunkenness, and guilt.  As they play the links, confessions about men, sex, love, children, and careers come to the fore as they challenge each other’s views.  The Ladies Foursome is a tribute to the pitfalls and pleasures of friendships and their lasting significance in our lives.”

Norm Foster is considered to be Canada’s most produced playwright. He discovered his talents as a playwright in Fredericton, New Brunswick, while he was working as host of a popular morning radio show. He accompanied a friend to an audition, and landed his first acting job, as Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey, without ever having even seeing a play. Intrigued with the theatre, he set his pen to paper and wrote his first play titled Sinners.

An extremely prolific writer, Foster has had more than fifty plays produced on professional stages around the world. Other well-known plays include The Love List, The Long Weekend; Bedtime Stories; Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun; Storm Warning; Skin Flick; Outlaw; Hilda’s Yard; On A First Name Basis; Old Love; Mending Fences and Here on the Flight Path. Frequently compared to American playwright Neil Simon, Foster pens plays that are known for their humor, accessibility, and insight into the everyday tribulations of life.

Tickets for The Ladies Foursome are $39 and are available on line at www.pigsdoflyproductions.com  or by calling 866-811-4111.  Performances are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm, and on Sunday at 5 pm. All performances will take place Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flager Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

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 arrange for interviews, or for photos, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

The Ladies Foursome
By Norm Foster
Directed by Genie Croft
October 4 – 21
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday at 5 pm
Tickets:  $39
For tickets:  www.pigsdoflyproductions.com / 866-811-4111
All performances will take place at
Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
www.pigsdoflyproductions.com
Like Us on Facebook! 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.