Tag Archives: Musical Theatre

IRVING BERLIN SALUTES AMERICA at the PGA Arts Center – November 30 – December 24

01 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Irving Berlin Salutes America
at the PGA Arts Center
A Musical Tribute and Patriotic Celebration
November 30 – December 24

“Music is so important.  It changes thinking, it influences everybody, whether they know it or not. Music knows no boundary lines.” ~  Irving Berlin

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

November 1, 2017
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL:  No one’s music better exemplifies the culture, mood, history, and patriotism of America than Irving Berlin.  Long considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history, his works comprise a major part of the Great American Songbook.

Irving Berlin Salutes America, which will open at the PGA Arts Center on November 30th, is a compendium of Berlin’s most patriotic pieces – a musical tribute to Berlin, and to America itself.  The production will run through December 24th.

The show was written by Alan Jacobson, the creator of the popular WaistWatchers – The Musical, which has had several successful runs in South Florida, and is now on tour through the U.S.  Irving Berlin Salutes America debuted in 2002, but has been tweaked and updated to be as relevant today as it was fifteen years ago.

Alan Jacobson

“I revisited this show for three reasons,” Jacobson explains. “First and foremost is that we are living in difficult times, geopolitically and climate-wise, and our own country has seen politics overtake our lives and create tremendous polarization amongst our citizens, friends and family included. I wanted to use the power of the theatre, and live music, to take people’s minds off the daily stresses, and to remember that we must fight against the divisiveness and bring back a sense of unity and patriotism.

“Second was the music,” he continues. “Who better to look to for this kind of upbeat and moving music than Irving Berlin?! This show also exemplifies the tremendous contributions of immigrants; Mr. Berlin was one, and one who proudly served in the American armed services.

And the third reason? “I wanted a real feel good, patriotic show – something that will lift peoples’ spirits.  Irving Berlin Salutes America has all the ingredients of a show that makes us all proud to be Americans.”

Top South Florida cabaret performers Melissa Jacobson, John Lariviere, and Carbonell Award-winner Leah Sessa will star in Irving Berlin Salutes America, which will be directed by Jacobson with musical staging by Andy Fiacco.  Mark Galsky will provide the production’s musical direction.

 “Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He IS American music!”
~ Jerome Kern

Irving Berlin

One of the most prolific composers in American history, Irving Berlin’s music has entertained millions since his first song, “Marie from Sunny Italy” was published in 1907.  His first big hit was “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, which was published in 1911. “His music served as a social barometer for much of the 20th century. It offered hope to a nation in bleak times, and rejoiced in the good things embodied in the American way of life. It also provided anthems for American culture, including such standards as “White Christmas”, “Easter Parade”, “God Bless America”, and “There’s No Business Like Show Business”. (From Broadway, The American Musical – PBS).

Berlin’s music has also served as inspiration to U.S. military personnel for generations; he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1918, and was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1919.  His musical revue, Yip Yip Yaphank, written while he served, produced the timeless classic, “Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning”. Another classic, “This is the Army”, was written in 1942 for the film of the same name; proceeds from performances of that song totaled over 10 million dollars, and were donated to the Army Relief Fund.

The PGA Arts Center will honor Berlin’s dedication to the armed forces by offering specially priced tickets to Irving Berlin Salutes America to Veterans. (ID and roof of Veteran status must be provided in order to qualify for these tickets).

Among the songs included in Irving Berlin Salutes America are “This is a Great Country”, “Blue Skies”, “Cheek to Cheek”, “Always”, “Heat Wave”, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, Steppin’ Out With My Baby”, Puttin on the Ritz”, and of course “Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning”, and “This is the Army, Mr. Jones, and “God Bless America.”

Tickets for Irving Berlin Salutes America are on sale now and can be purchased on line at www.pgaartscenter.com or by calling 1-855-448-7469.  For group sales (10+), call 561-808-3446.

Ticket prices and performance times:
Thursday at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, and Saturday at 2 pm – $45 ($39 for groups of 10 or more) Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm – $48 ($42 for groups of 10 or more)
Special price for Veterans – $40 (must show ID and proof of Veteran status)

For more information about Irving Berlin Salutes America, or The PGA Arts Center please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

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

~

Irving Berlin Salutes America
November 30 – December 24
Created and compiled by Alan Jacobson
Tickets:  $45 – $48
Tickets:  1-855-448-7469 / www.pgaartscenter.com
Group Sales:  561-808-3446
Performances:
Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 2 pm
Thursday: 7:30 pm
Friday and Saturday: 8 pm
PGA Arts Center
4076 PGA Boulevard
Palm Beach Gardens, FL  33410
www.pgaartscenter.com
Like Us on Facebook!

From left to right: Melissa Jacobson, John Lariviere, & Leah Sessa

Stage Door Theatre Opens Their 25th Season with SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

23 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Stage Door Theatre
Opens Their 25th Season
with
Saturday Night Fever
September 1 – October 15

 “When I’m dancing, I’m somebody”
Tony Manero – Saturday Night Fever

August 23, 2017

MARGATE, FL:  Saturday Night Fever caused a sensation when it debuted in movie theatres in 1977.   The film’s earthy dialogue, gritty story, and throbbing disco music permeated American pop culture for years.  The movie’s soundtrack with music by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb – The Bee Gees – became one of the top selling soundtrack albums of all time. Stage Door Theatre will present Saturday Night Fever – the stage adaptation of the iconic movie, from September 1st through October 15th.

This musical adaptation celebrates the 40th anniversary of the classic film.  Based on Nik Cohn’s 1975 New York Magazine article “Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night” and the Norman Wexler screenplay it inspired, the musical focuses on Tony Manero, a Brooklyn youth whose weekend is spent at the local discotheque. There, as he luxuriates in the admiration of the crowd and a growing relationship with Stephanie Mangano, he can temporarily forget the realities of his life, including a dead-end job in a paint store and his gang of deadbeat friends.

Kevin Black

Kevin Black will direct the production: “I remember faithfully watching Saturday Night Fever over and over as a teenager,” he says.  “This was before my first visit to New York.  Coming from an extremely rural town in South Carolina, I was in awe of this world I knew nothing about.  All I knew was that I wanted to dance.  This movie, along with Dance Fever and American Bandstand, gave me my life calling.  When we decided to add Fever as our Season 25 opener, the response was overwhelming.”

Musial numbers such as “Stayin’ Alive”, “Night Fever”, “You Should Be Dancing”, and “Jive Talkin’”  will all be included in the production, and Black has engaged a talented cast to bring the show to life.  Daniel Velasquez will play Tony, Alexandra Milbrath will play Stephanie, and Sandi Stock will play Annette.  Also cast are Ben Prayz, Bruno Faria, Danny Durr, Kat Gold, Elissa Solomon, Josh Connor, Steddy Amory, Sean Davis, Seth Dorazio, Yosefa Jennifer Fain, Richard Anthony Forbes, Jenny Hegarty, Natalie McPherson, Christopher Rodriguez, Eduardo Uribe, Avery Wittaker, and Kelly Ziegler.

The show’s production team includes Musical Director Michael Friedman, Choreographer Danny Durr, Set Designer Sean McClelland, Lighting Designer Dean Landhuis, and Costume Designer Jerry Sturdivant.  Stage manager is Nancy Clay, ASM/Sound Engineer is Rushnay Henry, and Paul O’Donnell is the production’s Operations Manager.

Saturday Night Fever will run from September 1 – October 15 at Stage Door Theatre. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, in Margate.  Tickets for Saturday Night Fever are $48. (Student prices are also available with valid ID). Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at www.stagedoorfl.org.

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

Saturday Night Fever
September 1 –  October 15, 2017
Book by Nan Knighton (in collaboration with Arlene Phillips, Paul Nicholas, and Robert Stigwood)
Music and lyrics by the Bee Gees.
Based on the Paramount/RSO Film and story by Nik Cohn
Adapted for the stage by Robert Stigwood in collaboration with Bill Oaks
Tickets:  $48
Tickets:  954-344-7765 / www.stagedoorfl.org
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm,
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Stage Door Theatre
8036 W Sample Rd
Margate, Fl 33065
www.stagedoorfl.org
Like Us on Facebook!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Evening Star Productions & Sol Children Theatre Announce Their 2017-2018 Season

09 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by in Clients, Sol Children Theatre

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

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

From Shakespeare to Cinderella:
Two popular Boca Raton theatre companies will offer audiences and actors of all ages an exciting mix of theatre

 

For Immediate Release
Contact: Rosalie Grant
info@eveningstarproductions.org / 561-447-8829
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

May 10, 2017:
BOCA RATON, FL:  Although Evening Star Productions and Sol Children Theatre are not yet through their fourth and fifteenth seasons, both companies – under the direction of founder and Artistic Director Rosalie Grant – are deep into preparation for next year’s productions.

Evening Star Productions 2017-2018 season will begin with David Mamet’s Oleanna (September 21 – October 8, 2017), continue with Shakespeare’s Macbeth (October 26 – 28), and conclude with Peter Gordon’s Secondary Cause of Death (April 20 – May 6, 2018).

Sol Children Theatre will present Around the World in 80 Days (a musical, adapted from the Jules Verne classic by Chris Blackwood, with music by Piers Chater Robinson) (December 8 – 23, 2017), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (March 1 – 18, 2018), and a musical version of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach (August 24 – September 2, 2018).

Sol Theatre’s final production of the 2016-2017 season, Alice in Wonderland, adapted and directed by Seth Trucks, will run from August 10 through August 20.

Rosalie Grant

“Sol Theatre’s 2017-2018 Season needs to be a big party!” Rosalie Grant explains.  “All season long we’ll be celebrating Sol Children Theatre turning sweet sixteen!  With the exception of Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, which will feature all children and teen actors, we will be casting the Sol Children shows age appropriately, giving local actors more chances to get on stage, and our patrons the chance to enjoy professional actors in great children’s musicals!

Evening Star Productions’ recent production of Samuel Beckett’s existential masterpiece Waiting for Godot garnered rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, along with the honor of a Carbonell recommendation, and the young company’s 2017-18 season will once again offer audiences an eclectic – and exciting – menu to choose from.  “Following the extraordinary success of Godot we’re pleased to kick off Evening Star’s fourth season with the still-relevant Oleanna, by David Mamet, followed by Peter Gordon’s Secondary Cause of Death,” Grant reveals. “Secondary Cause of Death is the sequel to Murdered to Death – which proved to be wildly popular when we produced it in April 2016.  And we’re delighted to announce that Seth Trucks will be back as the inept Inspector Pratt, and Murphy Hayes will return as Colonel Craddock.

“We will be announcing additions to the Evening Star season through our newest endeavor, Sol After Dark, which will kick off in October with a one-act adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth,” Grant continues. “This lineup of productions will feature an all-inclusive evening in one ticket price:  a “bite” of theatre, refreshments and talk backs after the shows which will include Shakespeare, absurdism, science fiction etc… something a little off the beaten theatre path for those hungry for a different bite of theatre.  All of us at Sol are very excited for 2017 – 18.”

All Evening Star Productions and Sol Children Theatre performances will take place at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton.  Ticket prices for all 2017-2018 productions are listed below; group rates are available for all shows. Tickets to all Evening Star Productions and Sol Children Theatre 2017-2018 productions will be on sale soon; tickets for both companies’ remaining 2016-2017 productions are on sale now and can be purchased at the Sol Theatre box office at 561-447-8829 or on line at www.eveningstarproductions.org or www.solchildren.org  Sol Theatre is located at 3333 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton (33431).

For more information about Evening Star Productions and Sol Children Theatre, please contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447-8829 / info@eveningstarproductions.com or Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 / carol@carolkassie.com .

EVENING STAR PRODUCTIONS
2018-2018 Season

Oleanna
September 21 – October 8, 2017
By David Mamet
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Featuring Todd Bruno and Sara Grant
Tickets:  $30 / $20 for students
A seething investigation of “political correctness” in a time when the nation’s morality has been tested by increased incidents of sexual harassment. “Oleanna is likely to provoke more arguments than any play this year.” —NY Times. “One of the ten best plays of 1992…reason enough to cheer for the future of the theatre.” —Time Magazine.

Macbeth
October 26 – 28, 2017
By William Shakespeare
Adapted and directed by Seth Trucks and Sara Grant
Tickets:  $20
Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, thought to have first been performed in 1606, “The Scottish Play” explores the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. Of all the plays Shakespeare wrote during the reign of James I, who was patron of Shakespeare’s acting company, Macbeth most clearly reflects the playwright’s relationship with his sovereign.
The premiere production of ‘Sol After Dark’.

Secondary Cause of Death
April 20 – May 6, 2018
By Peter Gordon
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Tickets:  $30 / $20 students
The hilarious sequel to the author’s hit comedy thriller Murdered to Death: It’s now 1939, and storm clouds are gathering over Europe. Having inherited Bagshot House, Colonel Charles Craddock has converted the property into a hotel for the discerning visitor. Soon Inspector Pratt arrives once again at Bagshot House, bearing grim news for Colonel Craddock. But that’s just the beginning—who is the strange Polish Count? Is Henrietta really an army captain? And where does the flamboyant thespian Cardew Longfellow fit into the picture? When Joan Maple’s sister Cynthia arrives to stage a murder mystery evening, it’s not long before Pratt’s visit turns into a chaotic nightmare as the bodies pile higher than ever!

SOL CHILDREN THEATRE
2017-2018 Season

Around the World in 80 Days
December 8 – 23, 2017
Book and Lyrics by Chris Blackwood
Music by Piers Chater Robinson
Based on the book by Jules Verne
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Tickets:  $20 / $15 juniors (11 and under)
Based on Jules Verne’s classic novel, the musical recounts the journey of Phileas Fogg who has made a bet with the members of his gentlemen’s club that he can travel around the world in 80 days. Accompanied by his servant Passepartout the plot revolves around the adventures Fogg faces in his attempt.

Cinderella  
March 1 – 18, 2018
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Music by Richard Rodgers
Directed by Seth Trucks
Tickets:  $20 / $15 juniors (11 and under)
The timeless enchantment of a magical fairy tale is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm, and elegance. Adapted for the stage with great warmth and more than a touch of hilarity, the hearts of children and adults alike still soar when
the slipper fits!

James and the Giant Peach
August 24 – September 2, 2018
Book by Timothy Allen McDonald
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Based on the book James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Tickets:  $20 / $15 juniors (11 and under)
When James is sent by his conniving aunts to chop down their old fruit tree, he discovers a magic potion that results in a tremendous peach… and launches a journey of enormous proportions. Suddenly, James finds himself in the center of the gigantic peach, among human-sized insects with equally oversized personalities, but after it falls from the tree and rolls into the ocean, the group faces hunger, sharks and plenty of disagreements. Thanks to James’ quick wit and creative thinking, the residents learn to live and work together as a family.  Featuring a wickedly tuneful score and a curiously quirky book.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Stage Door Theatre presents NINE – April 28 – June 11

24 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Stage Door Theatre
presents
Nine
April 28 – June 11

“An abundant musical, one which gleefully expands the limits of the theatre. A startling act of the imagination, independence and daring; and, hence, a show to treasure.” – WCBS-TV

April 24, 2017

MARGATE, FL:  The multiple Tony Award-winning musical Nine will open in Theatre 1 at Stage Door Theatre on April 28, and run through June 11.

Based on Federico Fellini’s Academy Award-winning film 8½, Nine focuses on celebrated film director Guido Contini, who is dealing with a mid-life crisis, numerous faltering relationships, including a failing marriage, and his increasingly futile attempts to come up with a plot for his next movie after a number of box office flops. The original Broadway production won five Tony Awards in 1982, including Best Musical.

Nine was originally created and written by Maury Yeston as a class project in Lehman Engel’s BMI Music Theatre Workshop in 1973.  As a teenager he had seen Fellini’s iconic film and was intrigued by its themes.  Yeston, in a 1982 interview in the New York Times explained:  “I looked at the screen and said, ‘That’s me….I still believed in all the dreams and ideals of what it was to be an artist, and here was a movie about an artist – an artist in trouble. It became an obsession.”

Peter J. Loewy

Stage Door’s production will be directed by Peter J. Loewy, who has directed the show previously – at his own Forum Theatre in Metuchen, New Jersey:  “Nine is a show that’s rarely done – it will be somewhat of a departure from Stage Door normal fare,” Loewy says.  “It has a soaring score by Maury Yeston, and the source material, Fellini’s autobiographical film 8½,  is a fascinating look at one man’s retrospective journey through his life, his career, and at the women he loved, loves, and hopes to love again.”

Loewy is recreating the staging from his original, Forum Theatre production of Nine with additional choreography by Kevin Black. David Nagy is the show’s Musical Director, Lighting Design is by Dean Landhuis, Set Design is by Michael McClain, and Costume Design is by Jerry Sturdefant.

Nine will star Paul O’Donnell as the troubled Guido.  O’Donnell has taken on an unusual ‘double-duty’ in this production – he is also Stage Door Theatre’s Operations Director.  Elizabeth Sackett will play Guido’s wife Luisa,  Ellie Pattison his agent Liliane La Fleur, Alexandra Milbrath his mistress Carla, and Victoria Lauzun his muse, Claudia Nardi.  Other cast members include Emily Freeman, Kat Gold, Dalia Aleman, Sandi Stock, Rebeca Diaz, Alexandra Garcia, Melody Lieberman, Hilleah Neve, Stephanny Noria, Caterina Randazzo,  Alexandra Van Hasselt, and Lara Williams.

Nine is produced in part by a grant from the City of Margate Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

Nine will run from April 28 – June 11 at Stage Door Theatre. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, in Margate.  Tickets for Nine are $38 – $42; $16 student tickets are also available.  Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at  www.stagedoorfl.org

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

Photographs and graphics available on request.

Nine
April 28 – June 11
Book by Arthur Kopit
Music and Lyrics by Maury Yeston
Adapted from the Italian by Mario Fratti
Tickets:  $38 – $42
 Phone:  954-344-7765
 On line:  www.stagedoorfl.org
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm,
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
The Stage Door Theatre
8036 W Sample Rd
Margate, Fl 33065
www.stagedoorfl.com
Like Us on Facebook!

 

NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY at Stage Door Theatre – April 14 – May 28

10 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Stage Door Theatre
presents
No Way to Treat a Lady
April 14 – May 28

A musical in the key of murder!

“Terrific! Hilarious! Dynamic! An unabashedly histrionic romp with plenty of laughs, a fair share of romance and a welcome abundance of drollery.” –The Los Angeles Times

For Immediate Release
Contact: Derelle Bunn
DerelleBunn@yahoo.com /954-344-7765
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

April 10, 2017

MARGATE, FL:  Stage Door Theatre will present the darkly comedic musical, No Way to Treat a Lady beginning April 14th.  The production will run through May 28th in the popular Margate venue’s Theatre 2.

A blend of devilish humor, romance, murder, and music,  No Way to Treat a Lady features a publicity crazed actor turned serial killer, and the detective who pursues him: Actor Christopher “Kit” Gill, and Detective Morris Brummell have a lot in common – both dream of being headliners in the New York Times, and both are contending with difficult and overbearing mothers.  Gill’s mother issues lead to murder, and Brummell’s to struggles to find independence, love, and of course, a murderer.

The production, directed by Peter J. Loewy, will feature James Hansen as Kit Gill and Dustin Cunningham as Morris Brummell.  Andrea Arvanigian and Kimberly Abrams round out the cast.

Peter J. Loewy

“It’s a fun, funny, and clever show,” Loewy says. “It has a weirdly likeable homicidal maniac, a loveable if somewhat lost hero,  and an interesting take on the relationship between sons and their mothers. And the score is pure Broadway musical comedy.”

Playwright, composer, lyricist Douglas J. Cohen is the recipient of the Fred Ebb Award for Musical Theatre Songwriting,  two Richard Rodgers Awards, a Jonathan Larson Grant, the Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Theatre Foundation Award, and the inaugural Noel Coward Prize.

No Way to Treat a Lady will run from April 14 – May 28 at Stage Door Theatre. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, in Margate.

Tickets for No Way to Treat a Lady are $38 – $42; $16 student tickets are also available.  Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at  www.stagedoorfl.

For more information about No Way to Treat a Lady and/or Stage Door Theatre, please visit www.stagedoorfl.org, or contact Derelle Bunn Executive Producer/Artistic Director, at DerelleBunn@yahoo.com / 954-344-7765 or Carol Kassie (carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244).

Photographs and graphics available on request.

No Way to Treat a Lady
April 14 – May 28, 2017
Book, Music, & Lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen
Based on the novel by William Goldman
Tickets:  $38 – $42
Phone:  954-344-7765
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm,
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
The Stage Door Theatre
8036 W Sample Rd
Margate, Fl 33065
www.stagedoorfl.com
Like Us on  Facebook!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

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

21 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

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

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

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

February 21, 2017

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

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

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

Peter J. Loewy

Peter J. Loewy

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tickets for The Kid From Brooklyn are $38 – $42; $16 student tickets are also available.  Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at  www.stagedoorfl.org

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

The Kid from Brooklyn:  The Danny Kaye Story
Book by: Mark Childers and Peter J. Loewy
Music by Various Composers
February 24 – April 9
Tickets:  $38 – $42
Phone:  954-344-7765
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm,
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
The Stage Door Theatre
8036 W Sample Rd
Margate, FL 33065
www.stagedoorfl.com
Like Us on Facebook!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

WAISTWATCHERS THE MUSICAL! Opens the PGA Arts Center – February 1st

05 Thursday Jan 2017

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

 

 

Playhouse Productions
ww-logoFebruary 1 – March 26

Alan Jacobson’s ever-popular musical about food, friendship, love, life, sex and fun after forty will open the newly created PGA Arts Center in Palm Beach Gardens.

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com  / 561-445-9244
Jennifer Sardone-Shiner
jen16sardone@aol.com / 561-891-7278

January 5, 2017
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL:  Playhouse Productions’ producers Dana Matthow and Philip Roger Roy have chosen Alan Jacobson’s WaistWatchers The Musical! as the first production to play in their brand new PGA Arts Center in Palm Beach Gardens. The perennially popular musical will begin previews February 1st and run through through March 26th.

In the same energetic and fun spirit as Menopause The Musical®, WaistWatchers The Musical! – set in Cook’s Women’s Gym – takes a lighthearted look at four women ‘of a certain age’ dealing with assorted body image issues; it covers topics such as dieting, exercise, plastic surgery, and sex over the age of forty – areas of concern to women, and to men – of all ages.

Alan Jacobson

Alan Jacobson

“When I first wrote Waist Watchers The Musical! I was looking to create a fun show that people of all ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles could enjoy,” the show’s creator Alan Jacobson explained recently. “I couldn’t think of anything more universal and topical than food. I truly don’t know anyone who doesn’t eat it! And people sure talk about and obsess over it. What has given me the greatest satisfaction is seeing how people respond to the show,” he says, “Not only with laughter and pleasure, but how so many people identify with the struggles, and are inspired to lead healthier lives. And to me, that is what theater is all about.

“And I’m extremely excited about the direction WaistWatchers has been going in,” Jacobson continues. “I had produced it on my own for a few years quite successfully, but felt that to take it to the next level I needed to turn over the producing responsibilities to other producers…producers who shared my passion for the show, who share my vision and the direction I have always seen it going in, and who have the resources and connections to thrust it further into the national and international arena.

“Dana Matthow and Phil Roy were exactly the right producers,” he explains.  “We just finished a 40-week national tour of the show, and though very successful, we still envision greater things. Together with our director, Matt Silva, we decided we would inject the show with Vince Di Mura’s new, original music set to my existing lyrics, incorporating more variety and a style all our own, and which would free us up to be more inventive with our staging and choreography.”

The musical will exercise the considerable musical and comedic abilities of four talented actresses:  Patti Gardner as Carla, Krissy Johnson as Cheryl, Stephanie Genovese as Cindy, and Valerie DiLorenzo as Connie.

Matt Silva will direct the production; the show’s musical director is Emily Whitaker, and choreography will be handled by Dani Tucci-Juraga.

Waist Watchers The Musical! will run from January 25 – March 26 at the PGA Center for the Arts.  The theatre is located at 4076 PGA Boulevard, in Palm Beach Gardens (33410).

Tickets for WaistWatchers The Musical! are $40-$65. Group rates (12 or more) are also available. Tickets may be purchased on line at http://waistwatchersthemusical.com or by phone at 855-448-7469.  For group rates call 888-264-1788.

For more information about Waist Watchers The Musical or Alan Jacobson, please visit http://waistwatchersthemusical.com , or contact Carol Kassie (carol@carolkassie.com  / 561-445-9244) or Jennifer Sardone-Shiner (jen16sardone@aol.com / 561-891-7278.

Photographs and graphics available on request.

Waist Watchers The Musical!
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jacobson
Music by Vince Di Mura
February 1 – March 26
Tickets:  $40 – $65
Phone:  855-448-7469
On line:  http://waistwatchersthemusical.com
Group Sales (12 or more): 888-264-1788
Show Times:
Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday at 2 p.m.
Thursday at 7 p.m.
Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m.
Sunday at 6 p.m.
PGA Arts Center
4076 PGA Boulevard,
Palm Beach Gardens, FL  33410
http://waistwatchersthemusical.com

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

 

 

THE MOST HAPPY FELLA at Stage Door Theatre – December 30 – February 5

27 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Stage Door Theatre
presents
fella-logo-1-jpg-stDecember 30 – February 5

“Music in “Fella” isn’t just ornament; it’s oxygen, the way it is in operas by Puccini, Strauss, and even Wagner. The score itself keeps wordlessly defining the characters, pushing them and us forward to new awareness.”  Ben Brantley ~ New York Times 

December 27, 2016

MARGATE, FL:  Stage Door Theatre will follow their recent hit production of Sweet Charity with Frank Loesser’s award-winning musical The Most Happy Fella.  The production will open on December 30th, and run through February 5th in the theatre’s larger auditorium.

Loesser (Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) based this touching, dramatic, and intensely personal love story of a May-December romance between an aging Italian grape farmer and a much younger woman on the play They Knew What They Wanted by Sidney Howard. He read the play in 1952 and felt it had ‘musical potential’; however, it took him four years to complete the musical, which opened on Broadway on May 3, 1956.

Andy Rogow“The Most Happy Fella isn’t a title that is as familiar to audiences as others from the Golden Age of musical theatre, though it has several very famous songs such as “Standing on the Corner”, “My Heart is So Full of You”, “Somebody, Somewhere”, and “Big D”,” says the production’s Carbonell Award-winning director, Andy Rogow.   “What makes this show so interesting to me is that it really is an opera. There are few dialogue scenes so the story progresses through one lush musical number to the next. I often get goosebumps listening to the cast sing through the score. They sound gorgeous.”

In his book The World of Musical Comedy, Stanley Green noted that the musical is “one of the most ambitiously operatic works ever written for the Broadway theatre.” And Loesser said “I may give the impression this show has operatic tendencies. If people feel that way – fine. Actually all it has is a great frequency of songs. It’s a musical with music.”

shay-weinbergShay Weinberg plays the show’s female lead, Rosabella: “She’s a tough yet romantic, girl next door who is not trapped in the bindings of an ingénue role,” Weinberg says.  “Rosabella is a blast to play. I love that I get to be a soprano and indulge in a strong character complex.”

Other cast members include  Kyle Yampiro as Tony, Kyle Pressley as Joey, Lisa Franklin as Marie, Dean Landhuis as Doc, Ellington Berg as Herman, and Kimberly Abrams as Cleo.

The Most Happy Fella Trivia Note:  The original production was partially bankrolled by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.  The 1957 I Love Lucy episode “Lucy’s Night In Town” focuses on the Ricardos and Mertzes going to a sold-out performance of The Most Happy Fella. Three songs from the show are heard in scenes showing the characters sitting in the theater. At one point Fred Mertz is inspired by the show’s title to remark, “The guy is not married!”

The Most Happy Fella will run from December 30 – February 5 at Stage Door Theatre. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, in Margate.

Tickets for The Most Happy Fella are $38 – $42; $16 student tickets are also available.  Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at  www.stagedoorfl.org

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

The Most Happy Fella
December 30, 2016 – February 5, 2017
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Director:  Andy Rogow
Musical Director: David Nagy
Choreographer:  Andy Fiacco
Set Design:  Michael McClain
Lighting Design:  Ardean Landhuis
Sound Design:  RushnayHenry
Tickets:  $38 – $42
Phone:  954-344-7765
On line:  http://www.stagedoorfl.org
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm,
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
The Stage Door Theatre
8036 W Sample Rd
Margate, FL 33065
http://www.stagedoorfl.org
Like Us on Facebook!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Evening Star Productions presents SEE ROCK CITY AND OTHER DESTINATIONS – January 12 – 29

21 Wednesday Dec 2016

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

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

Evening Star Productions
presents
The South Florida Premiere of
use_seerockcity_logo-strokeJanuary 13 – 29
(Preview Performance – January 12)

December 21, 2016

BOCA RATON, FL:  Evening Star Productions will present the South Florida premiere of Brad Alexander and Adam Mathias’ award-winning contemporary musical, See Rock City and Other Destinations, at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton, from January 13 – 29, 2017. (There will be a preview performance on January 12 at 8 pm.)

With a book full of humor and humanity, and a score that incorporates pop, rock, folk and more, each of the musical’s loosely linked stories builds on the last to create a vivid travelogue of Americans learning to overcome their fears and expectations in order to connect:

A wanderer believes his destiny is written on rooftops along the North Carolina Interstate; a young man yearns to connect with intelligent life in Roswell, New Mexico; a woman at the Alamo steps out of the shadow of her grandparents’ idealized romance to take a chance on love; three estranged sisters cruise to Glacier Bay to scatter their father’s ashes; two high school boys face unexpected fears in the Coney Island Spook House; and a terrified bride-to-be ponders taking the leap… over Niagara Falls.

See Rock City & Other Destinations won the 2011 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical and was nominated for Outstanding Lyrics, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Lighting, and Outstanding Musical. The musical also received the 2007 Jerry Bock Award and the 2008 Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre Writing.

Rosalie GrantEvening Star’s Artistic Director Rosalie Grant chose Geoffrey Short to direct the production: “While designing Evening Star’s 4th season I felt it was important to bring a variety of creativity to the table,” she explains. “I’d had several discussions with Geoffrey Short over the past year, and having witnessed his work as actor and director, I felt he would be a perfect fit to direct for Evening Star.  Geoffrey knew instantly he wanted to bring See Rock City to Sol Theatre and Evening Star … it felt like a perfect fit of cast size, instrumentation and story for Sol’s intimate setting.  And from what I’m hearing from the cast as they navigate these early rehearsals it truly is a perfect fit!”

geoff-short-headshot-3“I was immediately charmed by See Rock City and Other Destinations when I first saw it performed at Baldwin Wallace University in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio in 2010,” says director Short .  “It’s an award-winning show about journeys and destinations. Highways and pilgrimages. The heart and spirit of the show is that it’s an intimate musical driven by the theme of travelling to tell stories that speak to anyone who has loved, lost or searched for more meaning in their lives. Its themes are truly universal.  It’s funny and touching with an incredible contemporary score that I’m so excited to share in its South Florida regional premiere at Evening Star Productions. I’m sure audiences will be as charmed with See Rock City and this incredible cast of storytellers as I have been.”

See Rock City and Other Destinations will feature Yasmin Adli, Chris Alvarez, Chris D’Angelo, Robert Fritz, Jeanine Gangloff, Murphy Hayes, and Mariah Jimenez.

Anthony Campisi will serve as the production’s Musical Director; Scenic Art is by Katie McVay, Lighting Design is by Geoffrey Short, who co-designed the set with Ardean Landhuis.

See Rock City and Other Destinations will run from January 13 – 29 at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton. (There will be a preview performance on January 12 at 8 pm.) Tickets are $30 and $15 for students and seniors. Group rates are also available. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased  by calling 561-447-8829 or on line at www.eveningstarproductions.org.

For more information about Evening Star Productions visit www.eveningstarproductions.org or contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447-8829 /info@eveningstarproductions.com ; for more information about this production, contact Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 /carol@carolkassie.com.

This press release along with head shots and graphics can be viewed on line at:

See Rock City and Other Destinations
January 12 – 29, 2017
Music by Brad Alexander
Book & Lyrics by Adam Mathias
Directed by Geoffrey Short
Tickets:  $30 / $15 for students and seniors
Performances:
Thursday – Saturday: 8 pm
Sunday:  2 pm
For Tickets:  561-447-8829 / www.eveningstarproductions.org
3333 N. Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL  33431
www.eveningstarproductions.org
Like Us on Facebook!

Please note:  See Rock City and Other Destinations contains adult language and is rated PG13.

Praise for See Rock City and Other Destinations:

“[See Rock City & Other Destinations] turns out to be an excellent and moving new musical… It’s also beautiful, it’s hopeful, and it’s – in the best sense of the word – sweet.” – The New York Observer

“The music by Brad Alexander with lyrics by Mathias is consistently lovely. The songs are polished and catchy displaying the composers’ gift for writing tunes that are both versatile and genuinely moving.” – NY-1

“The musical’s genuine heart and humor simply transports audiences.” – TheatreMania

“For anyone who loves musical theater, See Rock City & Other Destinations is relevant, entertaining, and worth going out of your way to see.” – Rural Intelligence

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Jake Ehrenreich’s A JEW GROWS IN BROOKLYN 2.O Debuts at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center Feb 2 – 26

16 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by in Clients, Jake Ehrenreich

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

 

348x348carolkassieDebuts at The Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center
February 2 – 26
and
The Coral Springs Center for the Arts
March 10-12

“You don’t have to be Jewish or Brooklynish…
Ehrenreich’s showmanship is dazzling!”
~ The New York Times

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com

December 16, 2016

jake-rockBOCA RATON, FL:  Jake Ehrenreich, playwright, author and academically recognized expert on Comedy, Catskills and the Holocaust, will present a completely updated version of his beloved autobiographical comedy musical A Jew Grows in Brooklyn, when A Jew Grows in Brooklyn 2.0 opens at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center in Boca Raton for a limited four week run from February 2 – 26. This production will be followed by an additional five performances at the Coral Springs Performing Arts Center from March 10-12.

Filled with new insights gained from his years of interviews, films, writing, and performing since the original 2006/2007 record breaking show debuted at the historic Lambs Theatre in the heart of Broadway, A Jew Grows in Brooklyn 2.0 creator and star Jake Ehrenreich brings a renewed and expanded knowledge of how Comedy, the Holocaust, and the Catskills affected his life, and the lives of so many others.

This new incarnation of the show, co-directed by Jon Huberth and Lisa Ehrenreich, further explores how Ehrenreich, who grew up in Brooklyn in the 1960’s-70’s, struggled with his family’s survivor history, and later with both his sisters and mother’s early Alzheimer’s disease – “and how we all must handle our individual challenges in life.” The production makes use of extensive multi-media, music and comedy to entertainingly convey its uplifting message. Ehrenreich’s extraordinary tour de force performance, filled with laughter, tears and first class musicianship, resonates with audiences of all ages.
_mg_2460-at-piano-w-tie“I wanted to tell a very serious story – but make it accessible with as much joy and laughter and music as possible”. Ehrenreich has explained.

Jake Ehrenreich, 60, is an award-winning actor, playwright, musician and author. He has appeared on Broadway in Dancin’, Barnum and They’re Playing Our Song and toured internationally as Ringo in Beatlemania. He has performed and recorded with such diverse artists as Richie Havens, Greg Allman, Whitney Houston, Tito Puente, Jay Leno, and the Smothers Brothers.

A full-length book, A Jew Grows in Brooklyn: The Curious Reflections of a First Generation American was Published by HCI – (Chicken Soup for the Soul), in 2010. Ehrenreich has recorded a CD Yiddish Unplugged, and is currently taping a TV variety show debuting in 2017.

book-2Jake Ehrenreich’s unique historical writings are included in the 2016 academic anthology Summer Haven, The Catskills, the Holocaust and the Literary Imagination, along with those of Nobel laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer and Pulitzer Prize winner Art Spiegelman. His expertise is also featured in the Shoah documentary Making Light In Terezin, and he currently appears with Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Louis CK, and Sarah Silverman in The Last Laugh, a film exploring Comedy and the Holocaust. Jake Ehrenreich will be a special guest speaker at an upcoming screening of the film at the Miami Jewish Film Festival on January 21 and 23.

Earlier this year, in recognition of his numerous accomplishments, Ehrenreich was inducted into the Brooklyn Jewish Hall of Fame; The City of New York and the Borough of Brooklyn created a special proclamation declaring A Jew Grows in Brooklyn Day; and the famous Carnegie Deli offered the ultimate honor by creating a namesake sandwich!

juniors_logo_onlyDuring the show’s run at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center, A Jew Grows in Brooklyn 2.0 will partner with the newly opened Junior’s Restaurant & Cheesecake, offering the popular restaurant’s customers exclusively priced tickets to the show.

A Jew Grows in Brooklyn 2.0  will run from February 2 – 26 at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center, and at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts March 10-12.  Tickets for A Jew Grows in Brooklyn 2.0 range from $39 – $69 and can be purchased by phone at 877-238-5596 (Mizner Park Production) and 954-344-5990 (Coral Springs Center for the Arts production) or on line at www.ajewgrowsinbrooklyn.com.  Group rates are available.

For more information about A Jew Grows in Brooklyn 2.0  and/or Jake Ehrenreich, please visit www.ajewgrowsinbrooklyn.com or contact Carol Kassie (carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244).

Photographs and graphics are available at:
http://www.jakeehrenreich.com/press-shots.html

Click Here to Visit Jake Ehrenreich on Facebook!

~*~

A Jew Grows in Brooklyn 2.0
By Jake Ehrenreich
February 2 – 26, 2017
Performances:
Thurs:  3PM and 7:30 PM
Fri: 8 PM
Sat 3 PM and 8 PM
Sun 2 PM and 5:30 PM
Tickets:  $39 – $65
Phone:  877-238-5596
Group Sales are available.
To Order Tickets on Line: www.ajewgrowsinbrooklyn.com  or http://www.smarttix.com/
Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center
201 Plaza Real
Boca Raton, FL 33432
(Opposite Lord & Taylor)

Coral Springs Center for the Arts
March 10 – 12, 2017
Performances:
Fri: 8 PM,
Sat: 3 PM & 8 PM,
Sun: 2 PM & 5 PM
Tickets:  $39 – $70
Phone:  954-344-5990
Group Sales are available.
To Order Tickets on Line: www.ajewgrowsinbrooklyn.com
or www.coralspringscenterforthearts.com
Coral Springs Center for the Arts
2885 Coral Springs Drive
Coral Springs, FL  33065

Praise for Jake Ehrenreich and A Jew Grows in Brooklyn:

The New York Times compared Ehrenreich to Billy Crystal and Bill Murray,  and raved: A Jew Grows in Brooklyn is “funny – beautiful – affectionate…touching joy and sorrow experiences lie behind and beneath every anecdote and joke.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer called the show “A universally uplifting treasure – in the same elevated company as Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays, and Chaz Palminteri’s A Bronx Tale.”

The Los Angeles Times weighed in on the entertainment as well as the cultural importance of the show: “Ehrenreich is an engaging and thoughtful raconteur who weaves philosophy into personal history – his insight into the legacy of the classic Borscht Belt entertainers is elegant in its simplicity.”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.