Tag Archives: Kevin Barrett

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC Opens at LPAC April 10th

03 Thursday Apr 2025

Posted by in Broadway at LPAC, Clients, Lauderhill Performing Arts Center

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

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


Rodgers & Hammerstein’s
South Pacific
Opens at LPAC
April 10th

“…Essentially this is a tenderly beautiful idyll of genuine people tossed together in a strange corner of the world; and the music, the lyrics, the singing and the acting contribute to this mood.”
Brooks Atkinson – The New York Times, April 8, 1949

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

April 3, 2025

LAUDERHILL, FL: “Some Enchanted Evening”, “Cock-Eyed Optimist”, “Bali Ha’i”, “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” – Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific added some of the most beloved standards not only to Broadway history, but to the American Songbook.   South Pacific will be the Broadway at LPAC series final production of the 2025 season, and will run at the Lauderhill Lauderhill Performing Arts Centerfrom April 10th through April 27th.

Based upon James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Tales of the South Pacific, the musical centers on Ensign Nellie Forbush, an American nurse stationed on a south Pacific Island during World War II, who falls in love with Emile de Becque a middle-aged expatriate French plantation owner, but struggles to accept his mixed-race children.  A secondary romance between US Marine lieutenant Joseph Cable and Liat, a young Tonkinese woman, explores his fears of the social consequences should he marry his Asian love.  “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught”, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s moving musical exploration of racial prejudice is as applicable today as when it was introduced in 1949.  

“Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific – the story itself is beautiful,” says the production’s director Michael Ursua. “Then there is this panorama of the south Pacific pitted against the narrow-mindedness of bigotry and the horror of the war that was taking place at that time. We see an awakening for some of the characters when they do their own introspection and the whole idea that people are searching for something or running away from something, or better yet, running to something, is fascinating. And the show’s message on racial tolerance is as relevant as anything written before or since.”

Director Ursua will also serve as the show’s Musical Director.   He has cast Christopher Sanders as Emile de Becque, Casey Sacco as Ensign Nellie Forbush, Marisol Morales-Dow as Bloody Mary, Lovell Rose as Luther Billis, Collin Salvatore as Lt. Joseph Cable, Thaylin Maria as Liat, Bill Brewer as Lt. George Brackett, Dan Carter as Cmdr. William Harbison, Eytan Deray as Stewpot, and Eli Flynn as Professor.

South Pacific will also feature Jorge Amador, Emily Rose Cardenas, Jennifer Fraser, Tanner Fults, Santiago Garza, Dru Loman, Emily Morgan, Eric O’Keefe, Brittni Taylore Rhodes, Allyson Rosenblum, Izaiah Scott, Larry Toyter, Corey Vega, Rachel Whittington, Lauren Wickerson, and Rachel Wresh.

South Pacific will be choreographed by Alex Jorth. The production’s Lighting Designer is Clifford Spullock, Sound Design is by Christopher Wynters, the Costume Supervisor is Penny Williams, Justin Lore will provide the production’s wigs, and Joseph Long will serve as the Production Stage Manager.  South Pacific is produced by Kevin Barrett and ACM Theatricals.

Tickets for South Pacific are on sale now and can be purchased online at https://www.lpacfl.com or by calling 954-777-2055. Ticket prices range from $45 to $65.

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

For more information about South Pacific, 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.

~

South Pacific
April 10 – 27, 2025
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan
Adapted from James A. Michener’s novel Tales of the South Pacific.
Tickets:  $45-$65
For tickets:  https://www.lpacfl.com or
Call 954-777-2055
Performances:
Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 pm
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm
All performances will take place at
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
3800 NW 11th Place
Lauderhill, FL  33311

(Click on each photo to expand, identify and/or download)

Casey Sacco
Christopher Sanders
Marisol Morales-Dow
Lovell Rose
Collin Salvatore
Michael Ursua

Omgod You Guys! LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL Opens at LPAC February 27

06 Thursday Feb 2025

Posted by in Clients, Lauderhill Performing Arts Center

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

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

“…nonstop sugar rush of a show…”
Ben Brantley, The New York Times

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

February 6, 2025

LAUDERHILL, FL: The Broadway at LPAC series second production of the 2025 season is Legally Blonde The Musical.  The show will run from February 27th through March 16th at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center.

Legally Blonde The Musical is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the popular 2001 film of the same name.  The musical – with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and a book by Heather Hach – received multiple award nominations following its debut in 2007.

Elle Woods appears to have it all. But her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle ingeniously charms her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors and her ex. With the support of some new friends, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.

The production will be helmed by award-winning director Michael Ursua, who will also serve as the show’s musical director.   Ursua has cast Ariela Pizza as Elle Woods, Wayne LeGette as Professor Callahan, Michael Stafford as Emmett Forrest, Samara Shavrick as Paulette, Allyson Rosenblum as Brooke Wyndham, Colin Salvatore as Warner Huntington III, and Katie Davis as Vivienne Kensington.  

“The powerful messages of Legally Blonde resonate today more than ever,” Ursua says.  “The story follows Elle’s transformation as she tackles sexism, snobbery, and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Among lessons she learns along the way: Believe in yourself and don’t compromise; the things we get judged for as not serious are actually our greatest superpowers; although being independent can be scary, it can get you very far; and of course, never judge a book by its cover!”

Legally Blonde will also feature Nia Bourne, Jessie Dez, Madeline Finkelman, Eli Flynn, Jennifer Frasier, Santiago Garza, Dana Gough, Genevieve Hall, Yasmine Harrell, Cassidy Joseph, Amanda Lopez, John Luis Mazuelos, Mikhael Mendoza, Sorangel Munoz, Chad Raven, Cameron Scott, Izaiah Scott, Larry Toyter, Corey Vega, and Lauren Wickerson.

 Legally Blonde will be choreographed by Alex Jorth. The production’s Costume Supervisor is Penny Williams, and Joseph Long will serve as the show’s Stage Manager.  Legally Blonde The Musical is produced by Kevin Barrett and ACM Theatricals.

Tickets for Legally Blonde The Musical are on sale now and can be purchased online at https://www.lpacfl.com or by calling 954-777-2055. Ticket prices range from $45 to $65.

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

For more information about Legally Blonde, 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.

~

Legally Blonde
February 27 – March 16
Book by Heather Hach
Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin
Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture
Tickets:  $45-$65
For tickets:  https://www.lpacfl.com or
Call 954-777-2055
Performances:
Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 pm
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm
All performances will take place at
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
3800 NW 11th Place
Lauderhill, FL  33311

Production photos by  Jerahmeel James

(Click on each photo to identify, expand, and/or download)

Michael Ursua

Arts Center Management Announces the 2025 BROADWAY AT LPAC Season Lineup

01 Wednesday May 2024

Posted by in Arts Center Management, Broadway at LPAC, Clients, Lauderhill Performing Arts Center

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

The popular Lauderhill Performing Arts Center Series kicks off its blockbuster
three-show season in January 2025

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Kevin Barrett
kevinbarrettgm@gmail.com / 954-234-5982
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

May 1, 2024

LAUDERHILL, FL:  ACM Theatricals, a division of Arts Center Management, will once again partner with the City of Lauderhill to produce the Broadway at LPAC Series at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center.   The 2025 lineup will feature the musicals 9 to 5, Legally Blonde,and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific. Subscriptions are on sale beginning May 1. Single tickets will go on sale September 1.

“The 2024 Broadway at LPAC Season had the best attendance since the inception of the series,” says Lauderhill City Manager Desorae Giles-Smith. “A Chorus Line, Memphis and Hello Dolly! proved to be the perfect trifecta of shows for our audience. Lauderhill is looking forward to another spectacular season in 2025!”

The ACM Theatricals creative team for all three Broadway at LPAC musicals will once again include South Florida’s dynamic theatrical duo of Artistic Director Michael Ursua and Choreographer Alex Jorth.

Arts Center Management is a multi-faceted theatre management, consulting, and production company where the focus is to help theatres and theatre companies improve their programming and operations.  The company was founded by ACM President and CEO Kevin Barrett in 2014.

“It’s an honor to work with the City of Lauderhill and help them expand their arts and cultural programming,” says Barrett. “The city has big plans to make Lauderhill an arts and cultural destination and we are very happy to play a role and help them achieve that goal.”

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

Subscriptions to the Broadway at LPAC Series are on sale now and various subscription packages are available for as low as $99 for all three shows. Patrons may contact the LPAC Box Office at (954) 777-2055 for more information.

The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center is located at 3800 NW 11th Place (33311), adjacent to Central Broward Park and Broward County Stadium on the northeast corner of Sunrise Boulevard and State Road 7.  For more information about LPAC visit https://www.lpacfl.com or call the box office at (954) 777-2055.

For more information about ACM Theatricals, Producer Kevin Barrett, or the Broadway at LPAC Series, please contact Kevin Barrett at kevinbarrettgm@gmail.com / 954-234-5982.

The 2025 Broadway at LPAC Series:

9 to 5
January 16 – February 2, 2025
Music and Lyrics by Dolly Parton
Book by Patricia Resnick
Based on the Twentieth Century Fox Film

Legally Blonde
February 27 – March 16, 2025
Book by Heather Hach
Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe, Nell Benjamin
Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn Mayer motion picture

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific
April 10 – 27, 2025
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jushua Logan
Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener

About Kevin Barrett:

ACM President and CEO Kevin Barrett has successfully managed many performing arts centers in his 32-year career, including Springfield Symphony Hall in Massachusetts (1995-1999), the Coral Springs Center for the Arts (1999-2016), Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center (2016-2022) and the Delray Beach Playhouse (2016-present). Barrett began working with the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center in 2014 and was instrumental in bringing the successful Broadway at LPAC Series to the City.

About Michael Ursua:

As a director Michael Ursua has led multiple regional and local productions to success including Sister Act, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Peter Pan. For the past two seasons he has served as Director and Artistic Director of the Broadway at LPAC Series – helming A Chorus Line, Memphis, The Full Monty, 42nd Street, Always Patsy Cline!, and Hello, Dolly! He has also served as musical director and conductor for numerous national tours, and local and regional productions, and has worked with talents such as Lee Roy Reams, Sally Struthers, Andrea McArdle, and Leslie Uggams.
Ursua is also an actor with an extensive list of stage credits, including roles in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, La Cage aux Folles,and The Secret Garden. He is also the creator, producer, and host of the wildly popular “Florida Sings Showtunes”, an online entertainment program that was designed to support local musical theatre artists during the pandemic. He has received a Silver Palm Award for his contributions to the South Florida theatrical community and is the recipient of numerous Carbonell nominations.

About Alex Jorth:
Alex Jorth has spent nearly 20 years working as an actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer throughout the United States. Since earning his BFA and dance minor from Millikin University, the years have seen him bringing Christmas cheer alongside the world famous Rockettes, retelling American History with the Muppets, cutting loose in the national tour of Footloose, setting choreography for students and professionals alike, and so much more. As a resident of Florida, Alex has worked with such companies as Walt Disney World, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Asolo Rep, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Actors’ Playhouse, Slow Burn Theatre Company, The Wick Theatre, Free Fall Theatre Company, and others.

Kevin Barrett
Michael Ursua
Alex Jorth

Angie Radosh Stars in HELLO, DOLLY! at LPAC

18 Monday Mar 2024

Posted by in Arts Center Management, Clients, Lauderhill Performing Arts Center

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,


Award-Winning Actress
Angie Radosh to Star
in
Hello Dolly!
at LPAC
April 4 – 21

…a musical shot through with enchantment.”
Howard Taubman ~ The New York Times, January 17, 1964

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

March 18, 2024
LAUDERHILL, FL:  Hello Dolly! one of the most beloved musicals in Broadway history, will close out the 2024 Broadway at LPAC season.  The production, which will star three-time Carbonell Award-winning actress Angie Radosh as the irrepressible Dolly Gallagher Levi, will run from April 4th through April 21st at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center.

“I am absolutely thrilled and humbled at the idea of doing this role…it has been on my bucket list for a long time,” Radosh says.  “Every actor has their bucket list and as the years go by, the list gets shorter and roles pass us by….when I first read The Matchmaker so many years ago, I fell in love with the character of Dolly Levi and then, seeing Carol Channing in Hello Dolly! …well, that really made me appreciate the character even more….and here I am getting ready to finally bring this wonderful woman to life!!”

Hello, Dolly! is based on Thornton Wilder’s 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1954.   The musical, with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman, and book by Michael Stewart, follows the romantic and comic exploits of Dolly Gallagher Levi, turn-of-the century matchmaker and ‘woman who arranges things’, as she travels to Yonkers, New York to find a match for the ‘well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire’ Horace Vandergelder.

Hello, Dolly! premiered on Broadway on January 16, 1964, at the St. James Theatre. Opening with Carol Channing in the title role, the show ultimately ran for 2,844 performances, making it – at the time – the longest-running Broadway musical in history.  Among its many awards, Dolly garnered 10 1964 Tonys (including Best Musical, Author, and Composer/Lyricist) and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

Michael Ursua will do double duty as the show’s Director and Music Director, and Alex Jorth will serve as the production’s choreographer.  Hello Dolly! is produced by Kevin Barrett and Arts Center Management.

“Hello Dolly! happens to be one of my all-time favorite musicals and its composer and lyricist, Jerry Herman, remains my favorite composer,” Ursua says. It is an absolute classic in musical theatre. The characters are loveable, and the audience can identify with their desire for romance and adventure. They bravely choose to step out of their comfort zones for love and yes, for money (which is really just a way to live generously of course). And Dolly helps each of them find their way and find each other. In the end it is community that is the prize. I am encouraged by these characters … encouraged to be brave, to love more, to be more generous and to dance whenever, however, with whomever I can.”

Ursua has assembled a stellar cast to populate Dolly’s 1898 New York setting – along with Radosh, Christopher Dreeson  will star as Horace Vandergelder, with Sam Joseph as Cornelius Hackl, Ally Rosenblum (Star of LPAC’s 2023 production of Always…Patsy Cline) as Irene Molloy, Kristi Rose Mills as Minnie Fay, Joel Hunt as Barnaby Tucker, Erica Kaylee as Ermengarde, Dru Loman as Ambrose Kemper, Britte Steele as Ernestina, and Lovell Rose as Rudolph.

Ensemble members are Bryce Bayer, Nia Bourne, Kalista Curbelo, Eytan Deray, Alexandra Dow, Desir Dumerjuste, Stephen Eisenwasser, Eli Flynn, Santiago Garza, Amanda Lopez, Michael Materdomini, Izaiah Scott, Caroline Slagle, Larry Toyter, Alexandra Van Hasselt, and Herbert Welch.

Tickets for Hello Dolly! are on sale now and can be purchased online at https://www.lpacfl.com, or by calling the LPAC box office at 954-777-2055.Tickets range in price from $45 to $65. 

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

For more information about Hello Dolly!, 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.
~ 
Hello Dolly!
April 4 – 21
Music & Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Book by Michael Stewart
Based on the play The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder
Tickets:  $45-$65
For tickets:  https://www.lpacfl.com or
Call 954-777-2055
Performances:
Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 pm
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm
All performances will take place at
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
3800 NW 11th Place
Lauderhill, FL  33311

Hello, Dolly! photos by Morgan Sophia

Angie Radosh
Michael Ursua

Boca Stage To Move To The Delray Beach Playhouse

10 Monday Jul 2023

Posted by in Boca Stage, Delray Beach Playhouse

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

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

July 10, 2023

DELRAY BEACH, FL:  Boca Stage is on the move.  The award-winning theatre company will take up residence at the Delray Beach Playhouse in October.  The well-respected company has expanded its subscriber base and attendance rate over the past few seasons to the point where there was a definite need for more seats; the move will double the audience capacity from 70 to over 140.  The company will perform in the black box/cabaret hall of the Playhouse.

Boca Stage is known for its mounting of a wide variety of works – from topical, timely, and edgy to classics and comedy.  Their programming is geared towards theatregoers of all ages and stages, and their recent productions have garnered excellent reviews along with full houses.

“We are very grateful to Kevin Barrett and the staff at Delray Beach Playhouse for this opportunity to co-produce our works in a bigger venue,” says Boca Stage Artistic Director and founder Keith Garsson. “We are anxious to provide additional quality productions to add to this historical venue which has served the larger community for over half a century.”

Boca Stage’s 2023 season will consist of three very different pieces:  an updated version of the classic suspense thriller Wait Until Dark; Boeing Boeing, a delightful 1960s comedy about airlines and timetables; and America’s Sexiest Couple, a comedy featuring two of South Florida’s finest actors.  (See below for more information about each play.)

Tickets for all three productions will be on sale soon.

The Delray Beach Playhouse, which first opened its doors in 1947, has become a beloved fixture in the South Florida theatrical community, and boasts a large, strong, and supportive membership composed of both year-round and seasonal patrons.   The addition of Boca Stage as a resident theatre company will offer their own subscriber and audience base, as well as that of the Playhouse, an even wider variety of theatrical options to choose from.

For more information about Boca Stage, the Delray Beach Playhouse, and Keith Garsson, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244. 

The Delray Beach Playhouse is located at 950 NW 9th Street, in Delray Beach, 33444. (561-272-1281).

~

Boca Stage 2023 -2024 Productions at the Delray Beach Playhouse:

Wait Until Dark
By Frederick Knott
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher
October 27 – November 5, 2023
Forty-seven years after Wait Until Dark premiered on Broadway, Jeffery Hatcher adapted Frederick Knott’s 1966 original, giving it a new setting.  In 1944 Greenwich Village, Susan Hendrix, a blind but capable woman, is imperiled by a trio of men in her own apartment.  As the climax builds, Susan discovers her blindness just might be the key to her escape.
Directed by Keith Garsson


Boeing Boeing
By Marc Camoletti
Translated by Beverly Cross and Francis Evans
January 19 – 28, 2024
This 1960s French farce features a self-styled Parisian lothario, Bernard, who has Italian, German, and American fiancées, each a beautiful airline hostess with frequent ‘layovers’.   He keeps “one up, one down, and one pending” until unexpected schedule changes bring all three to Paris, and to Bernard’s apartment, at the same time.
Directed by Keith Garsson
Starring: Angie Radosh


America’s Sexiest Couple
By Ken Levine
April 19 – 28, 2024
Two actors, who ‘America’s Sexiest Couple’ on a popular ‘90s sitcom reunite for the first time in 25 years.  They face a lifetime of unresolved issues, longings, resentments, and regrets.  Plus, the network wants to reboot the show. Career and personal aspirations collide – professionally and personally, where do they go from here?
Directed by Genie Croft
Starring:  Kim Ostrenko and Wayne LeGette