Tag Archives: theatre

CELEBRATING ‘YOSL’: The Legacy of Joe Papp – A Musical Celebration – June 22nd at the West Boca Community Theatre

29 Wednesday May 2024

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YI Love Jewish to Host “Celebrating ‘Yosl’” featuring a live concert event and celebrity video testimonials.

Theater icon Joseph Papp, aka Yosl Papirofsky, creator of the New York Shakespeare Festival and the Public Theater, to be remembered and honored virtually and live on his 103rd birthday.

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Sheri Smith
sheris@yilovejewish.org
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

May 29, 2024
BOCA RATON, FL: He revolutionized theater as we know it today, and now Joseph Papp, born ‘Yosl Papirofsky’, will be the subject of a memorial/tribute concert on June 22ndat 7 pm, on what would have been his 103rd birthday. Celebrating Yosl – The Legacy of Joe Papp – A Musical Celebration will be presented by YI Love Jewish (a division of Yiddishkayt Initiative) at the West Boca Community Theatre in Boca Raton.

Celebrating Yosl will be hosted by YI Founder and CEO, world renowned actor and Jewish cultural activist Avi Hoffman, who was mentored by Papp in the 1980’s. The concert event will feature live, virtual, and pre-recorded celebrity testimonials.

“Joe Papp did more to revolutionize the world of theater than any impresario in the world,” says Hoffman, himself an internationally recognized entertainer and founder of YI, a global provider of Jewish cultural programming. Hoffman and his mother, retired author, journalist and Columbia University Professor Miriam Hoffman, became friends and colleagues of Papp in NYC in the 1980s, when they launched the Joseph Papp Yiddish Theatre. 

Joseph Papp

After Papp’s death, they continued a close association with Joe’s widow, Gail Merrifield-Papp, and his daughter Susan Papp-Lippman, who serves on the YI Board of Directors. 

Papp’s vision led him in 1957 to establish Free Shakespeare in Central Park. Ten years later, he created The Public Theater in the building that was formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), a haven for newly arrived refugees. The building was saved from demolition through Mr. Papp’s efforts after a long negotiation with the City of New York. It became the permanent home of the New York Shakespeare Festival/Joseph Papp Public Theatre (The Public) and is currently designated as a New York City Historical Landmark. 

At the Public, an innovative model was used for creating a new dynamic way of producing plays in a workshop-style manner that had never been tried before. The concept involved bringing writers, directors, designers, and actors together in one place to brainstorm and create the foundations for new and groundbreaking productions. Some of the iconic Broadway shows to evolve from these workshops include the original productions of Hair, A Chorus Line, and Runaways.

One of the signature events of Celebrating Yosl will feature Hoffman’s re-creation of Joe Papp at the Ballroom – a recounting, in Papp’s own words (based on transcripts, quotes, and material from the Papp Archives), of his Brooklyn Yiddish upbringing, his political struggles, and his reconceiving of the creative process. Hoffman will also share his own personal recollections of his relationship with Papp. 

Celebrating Yosl:  The Legacy of Joe Papp – A Musical Celebration will take place at 7 pm on June 22nd, 2024, at the West Boca Community Theatre, 12811 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33498.

Tickets are $36 for the Live event and $72 for VIP/Special Seating and Backstage Access. Click HERE to purchase tickets.

For more information about Celebrating Yosl, please contact Sheri Smith at sheris@yilovejewish.org / 561-254-5494 or Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.  Photos and graphics available on request.

To sponsor this event, please contact sheris@yilovejewish.org.

~

Celebrating Yosl:  The Legacy of Joe Papp – A Musical Celebration
June 22nd at 7 pm
Tickets: $36/$72 (VIP Special Seating/Backstage Access)
To purchase tickets: https://tinyurl.com/3ze4jw89
West Boca Community Theatre
12811 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL  33498
https://yilovejewish.org

About YI Love Jewish: YI Love Jewish is a division of Yiddishkayt Initiative (YI), a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization that builds Jewish engagement and forges multi-cultural connections through an immersive and varied range of programming for audiences around the globe. From performing arts, publishing and education to language, philosophy and literature, YI offers a global clearinghouse of Jewish culture and entertainment staffed by experts in subject matter and production. The organization works with a wide range of organizations, including the University of Miami’s Sue and Leonard Miller Center and the George Feldenkreis Program in Contemporary Judaic Studies and Federations, JCCs, synagogues, Hadassah chapters, Hillel chapters, men’s groups, women’s guilds, special interest clubs, youth groups, summer camp programs and educational institutions.

J

Boca Stage Announces its 2024-2025 Season

10 Wednesday Apr 2024

Posted by in Boca Stage, Clients, Delray Beach Playhouse

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Four diverse productions ranging from drama to farce will be on stage at the
Delray Beach Playhouse.

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

April 10, 2024

DELRAY BEACH, FL:  Boca Stage has announced their production schedule for 2024-2025. The award-winning company will revert back to a four-show season, producing a diverse selection of plays ranging from topical and edgy to timeless classics and full out farce.

The 2024-2025 productions are Sidekicked by Kim Powers, The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry, Living on Love by Joe DiPietro, and Dry Powder by Sarah Burgess. (Show descriptions/details below).  Boca Stage Founder and Executive Director Keith Garsson will share directing duties with his longtime theatrical collaborator Genie Croft.

“We are so pleased to have been invited back to the Delray Beach Playhouse after our first successful season here,” Garsson says.  “Our transition was seamless thanks to the royal treatment we received from the entire Playhouse team. 

“This will be our first season planned completely in conjunction with the Playhouse’ schedule,” he continues. We’re back to four shows, and we’ve chosen a great mix of drama, dramedies, and pure comedy.  Two of our four shows are South Florida premieres, and one is a fan favorite. 

“Our new space in the Cabaret Theater at the Playhouse has proven to be very popular with our audiences.  As an added bonus, our subscribers no longer need worry about being ‘transferred’ or face any other seating issues as they will now be booked directly into seats of their own choosing,” he says.

Subscriptions to the Boca Stage 2024-2025 season will be on sale beginning April 15. The individual ticket sales date is still to be announced.

The Delray Beach Playhouse is located at 950 NW 9th Street, in Delray Beach, 33444. (561-272-1281).  For more information about the Playhouse, visit delraybeachplayhouse.com.

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

~

Boca Stage 2024-2025 Productions at the Delray Beach Playhouse:

Sidekicked
by Kim Powers
September 18 – 29, 2024
It’s the last night on set filming I Love Lucy and America’s favorite housecoat-wearing sidekick, Ethel Mertz, played by Vivian Vance, has a lot to get off her chest.  In her dressing room she issues an SOS to her long-time analyst: “Help me understand who I am before I’m stuck being Ethel forever.”  And she relives it all:  The good, the bad, and the Lucy.
Directed by Genie Croft

The Last Night of BallyHoo
By Alfred Uhry
October 24 – November 3, 2024
Atlanta, Georgia, December 1939.  Gone with the Wind is having its world premiere and Hitler is invading Poland. But Adolph Freitag (owner of the Dixie Bedding Company), his sister Boo, and sister-in-law Reba, along with nieces Lala and Sunny – a highly assimilated Jewish family – are looking forward to Ballyhoo, a lavish cotillion ball sponsored by their restrictive country club. Comedy, romance, and revelations all combine as the family finally confronts their identity in this rapidly changing world.
Directed by Keith Garsson

Living on Love
By Joe DiPietro
Based on the play Peccadillo by Garson Kanin
January 16 -26, 2025
When a demanding diva discovers that her larger-than-life maestro husband has become enamored with the lovely young lady hired to ghostwrite his largely fictional autobiography, she hires a handsome young scribe of her own.  Sparks fly, silverware is thrown, and romance blossoms in the most unexpected ways in this delightful and hilarious romantic comedy.
Directed by Keith Garsson

Dry Powder
By Sarah Burgess
April 24 – May 4, 2025
The same week his private equity firm forced massive layoffs at a national grocery chain, Rick Hannel threw himself an extravagant engagement party, setting off a publicity nightmare.  Fortunately, Seth, one of Rick’s partners, has a dream of a deal to invest in – an American-made luggage company – that will rescue his boss from the PR disaster.  But Jenny, Rick’s other partner, has an entirely different plan: to maximize the returns, no matter the price of success and the real cost of getting the deal done.
Directed by Genie Croft

The Delray Beach Playhouse Announces its 2024-2025 Season

08 Monday Apr 2024

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The Playhouse 2024-2025 Season will feature top-tier performers, classic musicals, comedy, and nostalgia.

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

April 8, 2024

DELRAY BEACH, FL: The Delray Beach Playhouse announced its lineup for the 2024-2025 season today, and once again the beloved venue will offer a wide variety of programming designed to please its long-time patrons, as well as to attract new and diverse audiences to what is often referred to as ‘the gem of a theatre on the shores of Lake Ida.’

“Our historic theater enters its 78th season with a jam-packed lineup of big-name musicals, mysteries and cabaret acts sure to please everyone,” says Playhouse Executive Director Kevin Barrett. “We will host over 250 performances next season in Delray Beach, making us the premier theater destination in this popular city to enjoy the best intimate live performances in music, theater, drama and comedy.”

This year’s Mainstage Play Series will begin in November with Mel Brooks’ multiple Tony Award-winning musical comedy The Producers.  It will be followed, in January, by Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville. Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express is on track for March, and the season will conclude in May with the lushly romantic musical, The Bridges of Madison County.

The Best of Broadway Cabaret proved to be a popular addition to the Playhouse lineup last season; the series second season will begin in December with Bachelors of Broadway/Gentlemen of the Theatre. In January, Broadway/television/film star Tovah Feldshuh will return to the Playhouse with her one-person tour-de-force Tovah is Leona! This Could Be the Start, starring singer/actress Linda Purl is scheduled for February, John Lloyd Young, Broadway’s Jersey Boy will perform classic hits of the 50’s and 60’s in March, and in May South Florida’s own Michael Ursua will present an all-new musical revue, Sing Me a Showtune.

The nostalgic concert series Feelin’ Groovy will also return to the Playhouse next season. Starring Joan Friedenberg and Bill Bowen, who perform as The PinkSlip Duo, the series will pay tribute to folk icons Peter Paul & Mary, perform pop hits by Jewish artists, and celebrate women singer songwriters of the 60s and 70s.

After a highly successful debut season at the Playhouse Boca Stage will return with four diverse theatrical presentations in the Off Broadway Series; the popular Playhouse Presents lineup of 35 plus concerts, comedy shows, and special engagements will be announced later this summer.

Subscriptions for all series are on sale now. The individual ticket sales date is still to be announced. Ticket prices will vary, and group rates will be available.  More information about all these productions, including show descriptions and logos, is available on the theatre’s website: delraybeachplayhouse.com. 

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

For more information about The Delray Beach Playhouse visit delraybeachplayhouse.com, or contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

Delray Beach Playhouse Mainstage Productions:

The Producers – A Mel Brooks Musical
November 22 – December 15, 2024
Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks

Escape to Margaritaville
January 31 – February 23, 2025
Book by Greg Garcia and Mike O’Malley
Music and Lyrics by Jimmy Buffett

Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express
March 21 – April 13, 2025
Adapted from the book by Agatha Christie by Ken Ludwig

The Bridges of Madison County
May 9 – May 25, 2025
Book by Marsha Norman
Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Adapted from the book by Robert James Waller

Best of Broadway Cabaret Series: 

Bachelors of Broadway/Gentlemen of the Theatre
December 16 – 18, 2024

Tovah is Leona! Starring Tovah Feldshuh
January 6 – 10, 2025

This Could Be the Start – Starring Linda Purl
February 10 – 13, 2025

Broadway’s Jersey Boy – Starring John Lloyd Young
March 24 – 27, 2025

Sing Me a Showtune – Created by Michael Ursua
May 12 – 15, 2025

Nostalgic Concert Series: Feelin’ Groovy:

The Story and Songs of Peter, Paul & Mary
December 3 & 4, 2024

Pop Hits by Jewish Artists
February 4 & 5, 2025Celebrating Women Singer-Songwriters of the 60s & 70s
April 1 & 2, 2025

Olivier Nominee DAVID SHANNON’s ‘THE MAKING OF A PHANTOM’ at the Willow Theatre March 8 – 10

20 Tuesday Feb 2024

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“I feel that if you understand what you’re singing about the rest will follow.”
~ David Shannon

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

February 20,  2024

BOCA RATON, FL:  Irish actor, singer, and accomplished raconteur David Shannon will bring his amazing story, The Making of a Phantom, to the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park from March 8th – 10th.   The production will be presented by Black Box Booking.

From factory worker to starring as The Phantom in London’s West End for Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, and an Olivier Award nominee for his performance in Lloyd Webber’s The Beautiful Game, David Shannon has played the leading roles in some of the West End and Broadway’s most iconic musicals, including Les Misérables (Jean Valjean), Matilda (Miss Trunchbull), Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd), Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus and Judas), Miss Saigon (Chris), and most recently, Kevin T in the original London company of Come From Away.  

David Shannon was born in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, but grew up and went to school in Ireland. His musical career began in amateur dramatics in Ireland – performing a wide variety of roles in regional theatres. His first professional break came at the age of 21 when he won a role in the touring production of Les Misérables in Dublin and Edinburgh. 

Shannon, accompanied by piano and back tracks will perform songs from his many starring roles, while recounting his incredible journey from furniture maker to star of stage and screen. 

The Making of a Phantom – Starring David Shannon will run from March 8 – 10 at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.  Tickets are $40; group rates (6 or more tickets purchased in one transaction) are $35. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 561-347-3948.  The Willow Theatre is located at 300 South Military Trail, in Boca Raton’s Sugar Sand Park (33486).   

For more information about The Making of a Phantom, to speak with David Shannon, for photos, or to arrange to see the production, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~*~

The Making of a Phantom – Starring David Shannon
March 8 – 10              
Performances:
Friday & Saturday at 7 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 1 pm
Tickets:  $40
Group rate:  $35 (6 or more tickets purchased in one transaction)
Season ticket holders:  $35
For tickets call 561-347-3948
All performances at
The Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
300 S. Military Trail
Boca Raton, FL  33486

THE SECRET COMEDY OF WOMEN at The Pompano Beach Cultural Center – March 13 – April 14

16 Tuesday Jan 2024

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THE SECRET COMEDY OF WOMEN
At The Pompano Beach Cultural Center
March 13 – April 14, 2024

A delightful celebration of the joys of the journey from girlhood to womanhood for women of all ages… and the men who love them!

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

January 16, 2024

POMPANO BEACH, FL: The Secret Comedy of Women, an immersive theatrical experience that rejoices in the challenges of being a woman, will open at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center on March 13th and run through April 14th.

From boys to bras and pantyhose to menopause, this two-woman show explores the universal female experience through a rollicking spectacle of comedy, songs, dances, stories, and spontaneous moments of discovery that all women share.  

Inspired by authors Barbara Gehring and Linda Klein’s earnest and sweetly absurd writings in their girlhood diaries, The Secret Comedy of Women is a mix of sketch comedy, improvisation, audience participation, witty songs, and clever videos. The show reminds audiences of the very funny and very charming similarities between all women. “It’s really like a girlhood reunion,” says Klein. “Our show is something highly universal, made personal. It is definitely for women of all ages,” says Gehring. “However,” she adds, make no mistake, the men in our audiences love the show just as much!”

The Secret Comedy of Women actively engages its audience with its high spirited, good-natured style of humor. With reviewers calling the show “…truly brilliant.” (Denver Post) and “Laugh out loud comedy!” (Broadway World) it is no wonder that this “two hour celebration of bras, purses, showers, breastfeeding and menopause” (Pittsburgh Tribune) ran continuously for nearly two years at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and has played to over a quarter of a million women across North America.

Barbara Gehring and Linda Klein both began writing and performing comedy at an early age.  While young Barbara directed elaborate puppet shows in her secret fort thousands of miles away in Winnipeg, Canada, little Linda was producing extravagant backyard circuses in a tiny Colorado mountain town.  Neither could have foreseen how well these skills would blend together decades later when they wrote The Secret Comedy of Women.  Had they known each other all those years ago, The Secret Comedy of Women is exactly the type of show they would have created together and now as adults, it is exactly the kind of show in which they’ve always wanted to perform. Gehring and Klein have successful careers in the entertainment industry beyond comedy, and have rich expertise in the areas of training, writing, creative thinking, logistics, administration, marketing, and public relations.  

The Secret Comedy of Women will run from March 13 through April 14 at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center.  Tickets range from $45 to $65; group rates are also available.  Tickets can be purchased online at https://playhouseinfo.com/pompanobeachculturalcenter or by phone at 855-448-7469. (For group sales call 888-264-1788).  
 
For more information about The Secret Comedy of Women please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244 or visit www.SecretComedyOfWomen.com  

~

The Secret Comedy of Women
By Barbara Gehring & Linda Klein
March 13 – April 14
Tickets:  $45 – $65
For Tickets:  855-448-7469/ Or Click HERE!
Group Sales: 888-264-1788 (12 or more tickets purchased in one transaction)
Performances: 
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:30 pm
All performances will take place at
The Pompano Beach Cultural Center
50 W. Atlantic Blvd.
Pompano Beach, FL  33060

TO LIFE 4: THAT’S (JEWISH) ENTERTAINMENT at the Willow Theatre in Boca Raton – January 19 – February 4

14 Thursday Dec 2023

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Hy Juter
Presents

To Life 4:
That’s (Jewish) Entertainment!
 Stories & Music Celebrating Some of the Greatest Jewish Entertainers
At the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park


January 19 – February 4

“I have always thought of music as a highway with many lanes.” Marvin Hamlisch

“I love writing songs. I’m a songwriter…. I know how to make it a great musical. I’ve got to. It’s
like I’ve got to see it on stage.”  Mel Brooks

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

December 14, 2023

BOCA RATON, FL:  To Life 4, That’s Jewish Entertainment! Stories & Music Celebrating Some of the Greatest Jewish Entertainers the popular series developed by producer Hy Juter   will run from January 19th through February 4th at The Willow Theatre in Boca Raton’s Sugar Sand Park. To Life 4 is a follow-up to three previous To Life productions – all of which played to sold out houses at almost every performance. 

This all-new 4th chapter in the popular series will once again feature music, amusing anecdotes, and fascinating facts about some of the most well-known, lauded, and popular Jewish entertainers and composers in recent history, including Mel Brooks, Marvin Hamlisch, Bette Midler, Neil Diamond, Jerry Herman, Sheldon Harnick, and many more!

The production will feature top tier South Florida entertainers Jinon Deeb, Shelley Keelor, Ben Sandomir, and Shane Tanner.   Writer/director Shari Upbin will serve as the show’s host/narrator and noted pianist composer Elliot Weiss will serve as the production’s musical director.

“To Life 4: That’s (Jewish) Entertainment! is a marvelous extension of To Life 1, 2, and 3,” Upbin says.  “Along with Jewish composers of Broadway and Hollywood, we now have the pleasure of featuring those performers who changed our lives and shaped our formative years. Neil Diamond, Bette Midler, Mel Brooks, and the explosive talent of the Borsht Belt. We have also been able to add those dynamic women composers, Dorothy Fields and Betty Comden into To Life 4. Every chapter of To Life introduces us to even more of the legends of the Golden Years of the Great American Songbook, and we are so excited to be able to bring you this year’s version!”   

To Life 4 will run from January 19 through February 4 at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park.  Tickets are $45; group rates (6 or more tickets purchased in one transaction) are $40.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.sugarsandpark.org/life-4  or by phone at 561-347-3948.  The Willow Theatre is located at 300 South Military Trail, in Boca Raton’s Sugar Sand Park (33486).      

For more information about To Life 4, That’s Jewish Entertainment! Stories & Music Celebrating Some of the Greatest Jewish Entertainers please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.    

Hy Juter (Jupiter Theater Company, LLC) presents
To Life 4: That’s (Jewish) Entertainment!
 Stories & Music Celebrating Some of the Greatest Jewish Entertainers
January 19 – February 4, 2024
Written and Directed by Shari Upbin
Musical Direction by Elliot Weiss      
Tickets: $45 / $40 for groups of 6 or more tickets purchased in one transaction
For tickets:  561-347-3948 or
https://www.sugarsandpark.org/life-4
Showtimes:
Friday & Saturday at 7 pm
Saturday, & Sunday at 1 pm
All performances take place in

The Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
300 South Military Trail,
Boca Raton, FL 33486

About The Willow Theatre:
The Willow Theatre, opened in 1998, is a beautiful 155-seat proscenium theater, located inside Sugar Sand Park Community Center and allows for a unique experience for theatre patrons. Before or after a show, you may wander the nature trails, visit the Children’s Science Explorium, look at the art exhibit on display, or picnic at one of our pavilions.

  • Shari Upbin
  • Jinon Deeb
  • Shelley Keelor
  • Ben Sandomir
  • Shante Tanner
  • Hy Juter
  • Elliot Weiss

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

11 Tuesday Feb 2020

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

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

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

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

Ellen Wacher

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

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

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

Elizabeth Price

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

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

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

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

Cricket Daniel

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

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

For more information about Pigs Do Fly Productions, please visit www.pigsdoflyproductions.com.   For more information about Ellen Wacher, please visit www.ellenwacher.com.  To arrange for interviews, or for photos, or to arrange to see the production, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

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

~*~

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

17 Friday Mar 2017

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The PGA Arts Center
Announces a Laughter Filled Summer Season!

The popular new Palm Beach Gardens theatre will host
Boomers, Broads, and Cheerleaders with hilarious tales to tell …

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

March 17, 2017

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL:  Dana Matthow and Philip Roger Roy, managing directors of the Presley Theatre Productions Corporation (a 501(c)3, not for profit corporation), opened the PGA Arts Center in January.   The long-time theatrical producing partners quickly demonstrated they have a pretty good idea of what South Florida audiences are looking for when they visit the newly renovated Palm Beach Gardens theatre.   The company’s recent offerings – Brad Zimmerman’s My Son the Waiter:  A Jewish Tragedy and WaistWatchers The Musical! elicited enthusiastic audience response and excellent ticket sales during their recent runs at the PGA Boulevard venue, formerly known as PGA Cinemas.

Matthow and Roy’s summer line-up will ‘amp up the laughter factor’ with three shows sure to please:  Comedy Central and National Lampoon star Tommy Koenig will start the summer season off in April with Baby Boomer Baby; comedienne Caryn Bark will be joined by funny women Pam Peterson and Jan Slavin in Funny Old Broads in July; and in August audiences will be treated to Sandy Gelfound’s The Kosher Cheerleader (A Truish Jewish Love Story).

Baby Boomer Baby is Tommy Koenig’s hilarious, touching and wildly entertaining flashback through our times and the music that defined it. The show’s well received and successful run at the Plaza Theatre last May prompted Matthow and Roy to invite the popular comedian back to the area for an encore run.  As one patron put it, “It connects the dots between the generations. It’s historical and it’s hysterical!”  Koenig displays his comedic talent and versatility throughout the show, portraying numerous genres, characters, and impressions ranging from Doo Wop to Hip Hop, with original songs and parodies of everyone from The Beatles to Lady Gaga, Elton John, Billy Joel, Blondie, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, The Bee Gees, The Eagles, and more.

Writer, comedienne, humorist, essayist, novelist, and playwright Caryn Bark has performed throughout the United States and in Canada. Her newest production – Funny Old Broads – a mixture of song and standup comedy (“We’re too old to dance!”) featuring her well-observed domestic comedy interspersed with touching personal memories, will resonate with audiences, no matter how old they are. She will be joined on stage by comediennes Pam Peterson and Jan Slavin – both of whom are popular and critically acclaimed performers individually, and known together as ‘The Boomer Babes’.
Celebrated standup comedian Sandy Gelfound will star in The Kosher Cheerleader (A Truish Jewish Love Story). Gelfound, who has performed alongside Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno, spins an hilarious, and at times heartbreaking, true story of her journey from NFL Cheerleader to Orthodox Jew. Born with a literal hole in her heart, Gelfound’s quest to fill that void takes her, and audiences, on a journey where she expertly embodies the outrageous characters of her life in this singing, dancing, cartwheeling comedy.
Tickets for Baby Boomer Baby, Funny Old Broads, and The Kosher Cheerleader are on sale now, and can be purchased on line at www.pgaartscenter.com or by calling 1-855-448-7469 or 561-508-8819.  For group sales (12+), call 888-264-1788. Tickets for all shows are $45.  Show days and times are listed below.

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.

For more information about the PGA Arts Center, Philip Roger Roy and/or Dana Matthew, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com at 561-445-9244.

~

Baby Boomer Baby
“A Master of Caricature. He’s A Major Talent!” – New York Times
“Hilarious. Hysterical. A Steady Stream of Fun!” – LA Weekly
Opening April 27
Thursday 2 pm & 7:30 pm
Friday 7:30 pm
Saturday 2 pm & 7:30 pm
Sunday 2 pm
~
Funny Old Broads
“Fast Paced Humor with Musical Comedy mixed in… Delicious to Watch!” – Chicago Stage Standard
“Always Hilarious!” – LeBon Travel & Culture
July 6 – 30
Thursday 2pm & 7:30 pm
Friday 7:30 pm
Saturday 2 pm & 7:30 pm
Sunday 2 pm
~
The Kosher Cheerleader (a Truish Jewish Love Story)
“Compelling… Engaging…. Beguiling!” – Miami Herald
“Hilarious…. Remarkable Story” – KABC Talk Radio
August 3 – 27
Thursday 2pm & 7:30 pm
Friday 7:30 pm
Saturday 2 pm & 7:30 pm
Sunday 2 pm
~
PGA Arts Center
4076 PGA Boulevard,
Palm Beach Gardens, FL  33410
www.pgaartscenter.com

Directions to the PGA Arts Center:
On PGA Blvd heading East, (& RCA Blvd) take first right at Shell Gas Station, and then take the 2nd right into the shopping center driveway. The theater is on the left. Formerly the Cinema 6 Movie Theater inside the former Loehmann’s Plaza. This is less than 1/4 mile off of the PGA Blvd. Exit of 95 North.

 

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

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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.”

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MY SON THE WAITER: A JEWISH TRAGEDY – February 4 – March 27 at The Palm Beaches Theatre

11 Monday Jan 2016

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WaiterNewLogo_July28-3 at
The Palm Beaches Theatre
(Formerly Florida Stage/Plaza Theatre)
February 4 – March 27, 2016

Actor/Comedian Brad Zimmerman’s hilarious and inspiring story
about the grit and passion required to ‘make it’ as an artist and the sweet rewards that come from never giving up on your dream. 

January 12, 2016

MANALAPAN, FL:  Brad Zimmerman’s My Son the Waiter:  A Jewish Tragedy is the story of one man’s struggle to fulfill his dream and ‘make it’ as a comedic actor in New York.  One part standup, one part theatrical, and all parts uproarious My Son the Waiter:  A Jewish Tragedy will open at Manalapan’s Palm Beaches Theatre on February 4th, and run through March 27th.

Brad Zimmerman

Brad Zimmerman has paid his dues.  He spent 29 years “temporarily” waiting tables in
New York, all the while chasing a career in acting and comedy.  He tells of his pursuit, along with stories about his childhood, family, and misbegotten love life with warmth, wit, self deprecating humor, and wicked charm, and combines his years of training as an actor with his innate comedic talent.

And of course Zimmerman also examines the trials and tribulations of waiting on tables – particularly for someone not exactly invested in that career, and with little tolerance for persnickety diners:

“I don’t want 60 questions, get to the point!” he said he would tell restaurant patrons when he sat down for a recent interview for The New York Times. He joked that if diners prefaced their orders by saying they were in a hurry he would say “So go!” He says he did enjoy some of the bantering he did with diners, and often tried out material on them, however there were also ‘the bossy customers who would snap their fingers to get his attention… and the health-food obsessives who elaborately customized their orders and button-holed him over ingredients.’  As he says in My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy, he was convinced his epitaph would read “I’ll be right with you.”

His perseverance and hard work eventually did pay off, and Zimmerman went on to act – he had a small part in “The Sopranos” playing Johnny Sack’s lawyer – and become the opening act for a number of well-known entertainers, including George Carlin, Brad Garrett, Dennis Miller, Julio Iglesias, and Joan Rivers who said “I’ve had three great opening acts in my lifetime:  Billy Crystal, Garry Shandling, and Brad Zimmerman.”

Brad Zimmerman

Zimmerman worked on the script for My Son the Waiter:  A Jewish Tragedy for 9 years and performed it in small venues all over the country, including a stint at Stage Door Theatre in Margate, where it came to the attention of producers Dana Matthow and Philip Roy (Respect: A Musical Journey of Women, Old Jews Telling Jokes, My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy). Since then My Son the Waiter:  A Jewish Tragedy spent 2 years at Off-Broadway’s Stage 72 at the Triad Theatre in New York, and has toured the USA from coast to coast.

My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy will run from February 4th through March 27th at the Palm Beaches Theatre in Manalapan (formerly Florida Stage/Plaza Theatre).  Tickets are on sale now, and are available on line at MySonTheWaiter.com or by phone at 844-448-7469.  For group rates (12 +) call 888-264-1788.  Tickets for My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy range from $40 – $65.

For more information about My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy please visit MySonTheWaiter.com or contact Carol Kassie at 561-445-9244 / ckassie@gmail.com.

Photographs and graphics available on request.
~
My Son the Waiter:  A Jewish Tragedy
By Brad Zimmerman
February 4 – March 27, 2016
Tickets:  $40 – $65
Phone:  844-448-7469
  On Line: MySonTheWaiter.com
Group Rates (12 +):  888-264-1788
Showtimes:
Thursday 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
Friday 7:30 pm
Saturday 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
Sunday 2:00 pm
The Palm Beaches Theatre
250 South Ocean Blvd., 33462
Manalapan, FL
(East Ocean Ave. & A1A – Formerly Florida Stage/Plaza Theatre)
MySonTheWaiter.com
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Praise for My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy:

“Delicious! Distinctly original… powerfully poignant.” “Great Comedy!” ~ The New York Times

“A Must See. It’s Hysterical, Heartfelt, Timely and Poignant. I cried, I laughed, I forgot where I parked.” ~ Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond)

“Like Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays.” – Jewish Week

“This is easily the funniest show to hit an off-Broadway stage since ‘Old Jews Telling Jokes.’ What makes this SUPERIOR is that it isn’t just jokes. It’s a life.” ~ The Jewish Daily Forward

“HILARIOUS! The humor is universal!” ~ San Diego Union Tribune

“AN ABSOLUTE MUST-SEE! You’ll laugh and you’ll walk out of the theater with a lesson: If you can find something that you truly love, it gives your life meaning. ~ Palm Beach Arts Paper

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