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Evening Star Productions presents 35mm: A MUSICAL EXHIBITION October 9 – 25

14 Monday Sep 2015

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Evening Star Productions
presents
35mm_cropped - ck35mm: A Musical Exhibition
October 9 – 25
(Preview performance, October 8)

Music & Lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver
Based on the photographs of Matthew Murphy

September 15, 2015
BOCA RATON, FL: If a picture is worth 1,000 words — what about a song? Can a picture inspire a song …or fifteen? In Ryan Scott Oliver’s 35mm: A Musical Exhibition each photo creates a unique song, moments frozen in time; a glimmer of a life unfolding, a glimpse of something happening. A stunning new multimedia musical which explores a groundbreaking new concept in musical theatre, this intricately woven collection of stories told through song re-imagines what the modern American musical can be.

Evening Star Productions will present Oliver’s 35mm: A Musical Exhibition at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton from October 9th through October 25th. (There will be a preview performance on October 8th.)

35mm will feature Jordana Forrest, Sabrina Lynn Gore, Steven Michael Kennedy, Elvin Negron,and Eric O’Keefe. They will be accompanied by Jason Robert Buelow on piano, Meredith Levin on violin, and Ben Brown on guitar.

Rosalie Grant

Rosalie Grant

Evening Star’s Artistic Director Rosalie Grant will direct the production: “35mm has been a unique project to direct,” she says.  Since it’s a brand-new musical we have a clean palette to work from.  That has definitely had its rewards and challenges! Add in the multimedia aspects and we have been tested as a team to analyze what we’ve been given to create theatre art from it.  Add in the incredibly difficult music and lyrical content and we have a powerful musical that belongs emotionally to me, Eric, Elvin, Jordana, Sabrina, Steven and their band-mates … it’s content has been derived from within each of us more so than other musicals with a standard plot construction.  This isn’t your mother’s musical!”

35mm was inspired by the photographs of Matthew Murphy, an internationally recognized photographer who specializes in capturing images of theatre and dance.

Oliver

Ryan Scott Oliver

“It’s a big piece and covers a wide-range of experiences and sensations,” Oliver said in a recent interview. “Truly, there’s something for everyone in this show, musically and visually. It was the easiest and probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever written! There were no limits and so I was constantly going down new and exciting paths.”

Sabrina-240x300“The timing of this show couldn’t have been better,” explains actress Sabrina Lynn Gore, who also serves as managing director of Outré Theatre Company. “I was actually looking at this show for Outré to produce for a future season, so when I saw that Rosalie was doing it, I just knew it was a sign that I had to be a part of it. And it’s been an awesome challenge for me. It’s the kind of show I’ve been wanting to be a part of for a long time.”

Gore’s cast mates are equally enthusiastic: “This has been a dream show of mine for years now,” says Steven Michael Kennedy. “And to get the chance to perform it is beyond amazing, let alone the fact that it is the regional premiere performance! The music is some of the most difficult music I’ve worked on (in terms of the constant harmonies), but with this extremely talented cast it has been nothing but a joy!”

Eric O’Keefe wholeheartedly agrees: “35mm is crazy fun and super emotional and I couldn’t be any more excited to be a part of it!” He says.

Composer and lyricist Ryan Scott Oliver is the recipient of the 2009 Jonathan Larson Grant and the 2008 Richard Rogers Award for Musical Theatre. He is an adjunct professor at Pace University in New York, and Artistic Director of the Pasadena Musical Theatre Program in California. He received his B.A. in Music Composition from UCLA and his M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. He is also creator of the blog Crazytown and member of A.S.C.A.P. Oliver’s work has been heard at the Writers Guild Awards, Off-Broadway in TheatreWorksUSA’s We the People, and countless showcases.

Evening Star Productions’ 35 mm: A Musical Exhibition will run from October 8 – October 25 (there will be a preview performance on October 8 at 8 pm) at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton. Tickets are $25 or $10 for students. Group rates are also available. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased at the Sol Theatre box office at 561-447-8829 or on line at www.eveningstarproductions.org. Sol Theatre is located at 3333 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton (33431).

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

35mm: A Musical Exhibition
October 8 – 25
Music and Lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver
Based on photographs by Matthew Murphy
Vocal arrangements and orchestrations by Ryan Scott Oliver
Additional percussion arrangements by Jeremy Yaddaw
Additional guitar arrangements by Matt Hinkley
Directed by Rosalie Grant
Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays 8pm
Saturdays & Sundays 2pm
Tickets: $25 / $10 for students
For Tickets:  561-447-8829 / www.eveningstarproductions.org
Sol Theatre
3333 North Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL 33431
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Critical Praise for Ryan Scott Oliver’s 35mm: A Musical Exhibition

“…the songs are not related except that they are all vibrant expressions of a rainbow of emotions. When pieced together…this musical is a thought-provoking, soul-searching exploration of two mediums fused together as one…There are intense group numbers featuring the powerful ensemble that really move the audience.” – DC Metro Theatre Arts

“The genius of this show is how Ryan Scott Oliver’s music conveys the message of Matthew Murphy’s photographs. I was constantly amazed at how the songs really spoke to each picture individually. Ryan’s music is a fresh sound that was very enjoyable to listen to.” – Call Me Adam

“When theater pundits talk about the future of Broadway and the new generation of composers, they’re talking about artists like Ryan Scott Oliver … a major new voice in musical theater” — Entertainment Weekly

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35 MM - SFTL - Slider

Evening Star Productions presents THE LAST FIVE YEARS – July 17 – August 2

25 Thursday Jun 2015

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Evening Star Logopresents
The Last Five Years
July 17 – August 2
Last5Years_Poster-vibrant-1“The Last 5 Years is a solid click.”
David Finkle –TheatreMania.com

“It’s probably the best new musical New York will see all season.”
Lawson Taitte – Dallas Morning News

June 25, 2015:
BOCA RATON, FL: Evening Star Productions will follow their sold out production of The Addams Family with The Last Five Years, Jason Robert Brown’s look at love and marriage from an unusual and innovative ‘his and hers’ perspective. The musical will open on July 17th and run through August 2nd at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton.

The Last Five Years is an emotionally powerful and intimate musical about two young New Yorkers who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. It premiered at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001 and debuted Off-Broadway in March 2002. The story explores the relationship between Jamie Wellerstein, a rising novelist, and Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress. The show’s unconventional structure uses a form of storytelling in which Cathy’s story is told in reverse chronological order (beginning the show at the end of the marriage), and Jamie’s is told in chronological order (starting just after the couple have first met). The characters do not directly interact except for a wedding song in the middle of the play, as their timelines intersect.

The production will star Ben Sandomir and Sara Grant, and will be directed by Evening Star’s founder and artistic director, Rosalie Grant.

Rosalie Grant

Rosalie Grant

“My first exposure to The Last Five Years was when a middle-school Sara came to voice lessons wanting to work on “See I’m Smiling” and “Goodbye Until Tomorrow” and then commenced to work her way through the show”, says Grant.  Grant’s daughter Sara, who will play Cathy in the production, is currently attending Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts to receive her BFA in Theatre.

“So these characters and songs have been alive in our home for almost a decade,” she continues. “But to witness Ben and Sara connecting instantly at their first music rehearsal was electrifying.  Audiences are in for an emotional roller coaster of a ride as these two actors fearlessly bring this story to life … from the laughter of new love to the despair of the doomed relationship.”

Sara Grant

“The Last 5 Years is raw yet eloquent,” says Sara Grant. “And by the end of Cathy and Jamie’s story you sit there torn between who to empathize with more. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to work on this difficult material, especially with a talent like Ben.”

Ben Sandomir

Ben Sandomir

“Part of the challenge for me will be to disconnect myself from the music during Cathy’s songs,” Sandomir explains. “The play is perfectly designed to put the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions but as actors we have to remain disciplined to pull off this effect. It’s a little intimidating to work on such a small stage,” he continues, “However, I’ve found that nothing removes my pretenses like an audience member only a few feet away! And it’s so exciting to work with Sara. What a powerful voice!”

A live musical trio, consisting of Jason Buelow on piano, Brad Miller on bass, and Lehins Aragon on violin will accompany Grant and Sandomir.

Jason Robert Brown is the three-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of Songs for a New World, Parade, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, and Honeymoon In Vegas. He performs around the world as a soloist and with his band, The Caucasian Rhythm Kings, with whom he recorded his CD Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes. A film of The Last Five Years opened in theaters in February 2015 to critical acclaim, and a film of 13 is currently in development. He has conducted his orchestral suite The Trumpet of the Swan with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, and he has taught acting and composition at universities and colleges across the US and the UK.

Evening Star Productions’ The Last Five Years will run from July 17 – August 2 (there will be a preview performance on July 16 at 8 pm) at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton. Tickets are $25 or $10 for students. Group rates are also available. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased at the Sol Theatre box office at 561-447-8829 or on line at www.eveningstarproductions.org. Sol Theatre is located at 3333 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton (33431).

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

The Last Five Years
Book, Music, and Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown
July 16 (preview performance) July 17 – August 2, 2015
Tickets: $25 ($10 for students)
For tickets: 561-447-8829 / www.eveningstarproductions.org
Performances:
Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7 pm
Sunday at 2 pm
All performances at
Sol Theatre
3333 N. Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL 33431
www.eveningstarproductions.org
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“…Brown soars, making the conceit imbue every encouraging, optimistic step forward with an anticipation of its mortality…” “None of this would work without a score that is replete with infectious tunes as well as a couple of patter songs that reveal a jaded showbiz humor…”
Robert Hofler – Variety

“So here is a real modern falling in- and-out of love musical, a romance about careers, infused with soft-pop ballads, a faux Jewish folk song for overachievers at Christmas, and an irresistible, tempted-married-man lament with boogie-woogie insinuations. Finally, Jamie is singing “goodbye forever” and Cathy is singing “goodbye until tomorrow” while the music makes commentary on a schmaltzy waltz. Their last five years may have been painful, but they make us feel much better about the future of musical theater.”
Linda Winer – New York Newsday

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Sol Children Theatre to collaborate with Florida Atlantic University’s Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development to Offer Theatre Classes for Children

12 Tuesday Aug 2014

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Sol Children Theatre to collaborate with Florida Atlantic University’s
Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development
to Offer Theatre Classes for Children
SOL-FAUFor Immediate Release
Contact: Rosalie Grant
info@eveningstarproductions.org / 561-447-8829
Contact: Lydia Bartram
lbartram@fau.edu /561-297-0130
Contact: Carol Kassie
ckassie@gmail.com / 561-445-9244

Boca Raton, FL, August 13th, 2014:

This fall Sol Children Theatre of Boca Raton will partner with the Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development to offer students classes in Creative Drama and Movement and Musical Theatre Performance Experience. The Center, located on the Boca Raton campus of Florida Atlantic University is affiliated with the College of Education.

Rosalie Grant head shot

Rosalie Grant

“Since we opened our doors we at Sol have been committed to reaching out to our community,” says Sol Founding Producer/Artistic Director Rosalie Grant.  “Several years ago Dr. Nancy Brown, who is the Peter and Nona Gordon Professor of Early Childhood Education at the Karen Slattery Center, asked me to provide a Theatre Intensive Workshop for her Early Childhood Education undergraduate and graduate students.  It proved to be extremely rewarding for me personally, and since then I’ve had the honor of teaching that workshop twice more.  Equally rewarding was finding kindred spirits in Nancy and the director of the Slattery Center, Lydia Bartram.  All three of us are passionate about teaching children.”

The collaboration is a fitting one for Sol Children Theatre, a not-for-profit theatre dedicated to providing children – actors, backstage workers, or audience members – with a safe, secure, and highly professional theatre experience. Under Grant’s leadership the award-winning theatre has been producing quality programming for almost twenty years.   Their recent production of Annie featured a cast and crew ranging in age from 9 to 20 and was completely sold out!

Numerous studies have demonstrated a correlation between theatre involvement and academic achievement in young people. In addition to having higher standardized test scores than their peers who do not experience the arts, children who participate in theatre often experience improved reading comprehension, maintain better attendance records, and stay generally more engaged in school than their non-arts counterparts.

Lydia Bartram

Lydia Bartram, director of the Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development is equally enthusiastic about the collaboration: “We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with the Sol Children Theatre in the provision of creative drama and musical theatre performance for children from 4 -12 years old. Promoting a passion for the arts is critical to healthy child development and lays a solid foundation for future learning potential.” she explains.

“The vision of Sol Children Theatre supports the interdisciplinary work of the Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development, which serves as a university laboratory school, and is designed to be of service to children and their families, and to the wider professional community.” Bartram continues. “This program specifically addresses one of the school’s key missions, which is to help young children grow intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically in a learning environment that nurtures and supports their optimal development.”

Brown agrees: “I am thrilled that our dream of partnering with Sol Children Theatre is now becoming a reality”, she says. “Exposing children to the arts and musical theatre at a young age is extremely beneficial for them and we are so proud to collaborate with Sol Children Theatre on such an important project.”

“To bond the strengths of the creativity and professionalism that Sol can provide to the FAU schools’ children along with the team at the ground-breaking Karen Slattery Center is a dream come true,” says Grant. “Lydia and I have high expectations for this collaboration, and envision it being the stepping stone to further joint efforts.”

The Creative Drama and Movement class for 4 – 6 year olds will encourage young actors to explore the possibilities of acting choices in a safe and controlled environment where they will be given freedom to express themselves through emotion, movement, and vocals while building team work and synchronization skills through easy steps and patterns of movement and vocalizations.

The Musical Theatre Performance Experience for 7 – 12 year olds will offer 20 students a chance to participate in a fully staged musical production, Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods Jr. Young actors will work with an experienced director learning many aspects of stagecraft. The course will culminate with 4 public performances scheduled for February 6-8, 2015.

For further information about both these programs, please contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447-8829. The classes will take place at the Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development on the Boca Raton Florida Atlantic University Campus and then move into rehearsal and performance at Sol Theatre, 3333 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton

For more information on how to register and to learn more about Sol Children Theatre, please visit www.solchildren.org or contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447.8829.

For more information about the Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development, please visit http://tinyurl.com/cpcqjg8 .

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The South Florida Theatre League Announces the 2013 Remy Awards

14 Thursday Nov 2013

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The South Florida Theatre League Celebrates its 20th Anniversary
by honoring the region’s Unsung Theatrical Heroes.

New Theatre League Logo - Use this

November 14 2013

The South Florida Theatre League’s Remy awards, named in honor of Remberto Cabrera, the former Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs’ Senior Cultural Administrator and Chief of Cultural Development, are given annually for Outstanding Service, and for Pioneering in South Florida regional theatre.

This year, in celebration of their 20th anniversary, the League has announced that the number of Remy Awards to be presented will increase from two to six. The four new categories will honor those members of the South Florida theatrical community who are not usually recognized by more traditional artistic awards.  The Remy Awards will be handed out at the League’s 20th Anniversary Celebration in December.

Along with the traditional Service and Pioneer Awards, Remys will be presented for Outstanding Theatre Company Board Member, Outstanding Contributor to Community Theatre, Outstanding Contributor to Children’s Theatre, and Outstanding Behind the Scenes Theatre Professional.

Theatres and theatre producers were asked to nominate individuals and organizations they felt were deserving of recognition, and a Theatre League committee was tasked with choosing the winners.

This year’s Remy Award recipients are:

The Pioneer Award — Adriana Perez, Miami Dade Cultural Affairs
For her role in supporting the development of new work and artists in our region, particularly her expansion of the Miami-Dade County Playwright Development Program – which was originally conceived by Rem Cabrera. Adriana also manages the Internal Cultural Exchange, Festivals, and Special Events and several programs for individual artists for the county. She works with The DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the Kennedy Center with its Capacity Building program, books the programs for school children at the Joseph Caleb Auditorium, and works in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Cultural Passport program.

Service Award – WLRN
For the countless ways WLRN promotes South Florida theatre. From Ed Bell’s weekly program Arts Beat to the comprehensive online arts calendar, to Cultural Connection which offers same day ½ price tickets to select productions, to sponsoring the WLRN and South Florida Theatre League’s Summer Theatre Fest, WLRN is and will continue to be the source for keeping everyone in South Florida aware of theatre in our community.

Outstanding Board Member — Alan Fein, City Theatre
For his outstanding service and dedication as founding Chair of City Theatre.  Alan has been with City Theatre from its inception in 1996, as has his firm, Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, which each year has been the title sponsor for Summer Shorts. He is a past Chair of the Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council and the Chair-Elect of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Trust Executive Board.
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Outstanding Contributor to Children’s Theatre — Rosalie Grant, Sol Children’s Theatre
For the dedication and many contributions that she and Sol Children Theatre have made to our next generation of theatre professionals, providing them with a safe, secure, and highly professional theatrical training experience. Those young people in turn provide quality theatre experiences for audiences of all ages. Rosalie has been at the helm of Sol since it opened in 2002, and has directed over 60 plays and musicals.

Outstanding Contributor to Community Theatre — Dennis Lyzniak, Main Street Players
For his many and varied contributions to Main Street Players as grant writer, children’s camp coordinator, technical director, producer, master carpenter, playhouse manager, and whatever other particular need the theatre has at any given moment. “He is the backbone of our theater group and has become the face of our theater although he has never appeared on stage.” Dennis’ background in engineering, his knowledge and experience, not to mention his creativity is evident in his construction of some of the finest sets in South Florida.  And he does this with limited space at the Main Street Playhouse.  On top of all of this, he has also taken on the role of producer for several shows in the last couple of years.

Outstanding Behind the Scenes Contributor –George Schiavone, Photographer
For his behind the scenes work –  or as the case really is here – for his behind the lens work as a photographer extraordinaire. George has captured the work of countless theatre companies with an artistic flair – including (but not limited to)  GableStage, Mad Cat, Mosaic, Naked Stage, Promethean Theatre, Zoetic Stage, Broward College, Alliance Theatre Lab, and NWSA.

The Pioneer Award is bestowed upon individuals who have, over the years, taken the lead and contributed substantially to the health, growth and development of the South Florida theatre community.

The Service Award is given to either individuals or organizations in recognition of their invaluable and outstanding contributions made through time, talent, service, and expertise by taking the initiative and actively participating and contributing to the growth and development of the South Florida Theatre League.

The Theatre League’s 20th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Holiday Party promises to be an exciting event, as the Silver Palm Awards will also be presented that evening.  The party will take place at STACHE at 109 South West Second Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, on Monday, December 2nd at 7:30 pm.  Admission is $25 for non-Theatre League members; there is no charge for League members in good standing.

For further information about the South Florida Theatre League, The Remy Awards, or the 20th Anniversary Celebration, please contact Executive Director Andie Arthur at 954-557-0778 and/or visit the South Florida Theatre League website at:  www.southfloridatheatre.com

Sol Children Theatre presents Improv Comedy Night 2: Electric Boogaloo!

02 Tuesday Apr 2013

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Be prepared to enter a wacky world of anything-goes insanity, because the only thing that is predictable is an evening of laughs for everyone!

Sol-logopresents

The IMPROVerished Players
in
Improv Comedy Night 2: Electric Boogaloo

 ‘Yo dog … it’s time to float, freeze, pop & lock …’

On Saturday April 27 at 7 p.m. Sol Children Theatre will present Improv Comedy Night 2: Electric Boogaloo at their own 70 seat venue, located at 3333 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton.

Recently seen at the Florida Renaissance Festival ‘dressed up like fops and wenches’, the company’s performers are looking forward to donning ‘80s garb and ‘hitting the stage breakdancin’, and are diligently preparing for a night of ‘wacky, anything-goes improvisational insanity.’

Started by artistic director/producer Rosalie Grant in 2002, and now celebrating their tenth season, Sol Children Theatre’s goal is to provide children with a safe, secure, and highly professional theatre experience.   Recent productions have included Rumplestilskin and The Ash Girl.  Sol also runs a very successful summer camp program in partnership with Olympic Heights Community High School and the Palm Beach County School District.

“Improvisation involves dialogue and actions created spontaneously in response to suggestions from the audience,” explains Grant. “There is no script and no plot. Game playing techniques put the performers in situations where they must use their imagination and comedic instincts, and what evolves is a combination of stand-up comedy and game show—with hilarious results. In the unpredictable world of improvisational comedy, anything can happen” says Grant, “And it usually does. But what makes improv so unique and engaging is that the audience participates in the mayhem.”

Tickets for Improv Comedy Night 2: Electric Boogaloo are $15 and are available by calling 561-447-8829, or online at www.solchildren.org.

Though this event is appropriate for all ages, content is for mature audiences.

For more information about Sol Children Theatre, the company’s summer camp program, and a list upcoming productions, visit www.solchildren.org or contact Rosalie Grant at 561-447-8829 / solchildtroupe@aol.com.

Improv Comedy Night 2: Electric Boogaloo
Saturday, April 27
7:00 pm
Tickets: $15
Sol Children Theatre
3333 North Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL
Phone: 561-447-8829
www.solchildren.org
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Improv 1 cropped