by Jan Davisson
Curtain Up! Light the Lights! …After all these months of waiting, it’s finally happening…The theatres are re-opening! So much exciting news that I hardly know where to begin, so I’ll start as the season unfolds.
The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum
The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum in Boca Raton kicked off its season on October 7 with the joyful musical based upon the Swedish rock group, ABBA. You guessed it! Mamma Mia is in the final two weeks. So, get your tickets! It will run through November 14.
If you’ve ever attended Broadway theaters, you know that Broadway lobbies are quite plain. Not so at the Wick. As soon as you enter the door, you know that you’re in for a theatrical experience. The displays and decorations are a celebration of live theatre. The entire reception area features great memorabilia from different shows. The main lobby is set up as a cabaret complete with grand piano and crystal chandeliers.
Before the show, a pianist plays great old favorites, mostly from Broadway musicals. If you get there early enough, you can purchase a libation from the bar, some snacks and sit at the ice cream parlor-type tables enjoying the beginning of an exciting evening.
A visit to the Costume Museum is a peek behind the curtain at the glamour and excitement of Broadway. You’ll see costumes from shows such as My Fair Lady and Camelot. The display changes throughout the year, so you’re never seeing the same displays. The ticket also included a delicious lunch in the glamorous Tavern Room. If you’ve ever visited the famous Tavern on the Green in New York City, you might recognize the elegant china and crystal from the iconic restaurant. After lunch, attend a matinee performance. Packages change throughout the year, but the experience is fantastic. “There will be packages for lunch and matinee or dinner and show,” said Marily Wick, Founder and Executive Producer of both the Costume Museum and the Wick Theatre. At my lunch with my daughter, Donnie Quigley, we were fortunate to have Marilyn tell us the fascinating story of how it all began.
“It was the winter of 1976, and the kids wanted to do something for the holidays to earn a little pocket money,” Wick recalled. “They decided to make a Santa Claus suit (on the kitchen table) and posted a one-line ad in the local paper offering it for rent. The phone rang off the wall,” Wick says. “I instantly saw the need for this service, and we proceeded to make and rent five Santa suits.”
Wick and her daughters soon decided that renting costumes could be a big business and created Costume World in Boynton Beach. Since that small start, Costume World, with four locations, has developed into the largest distributor of theatrical costumes in the United States. Many of the costumes are the original costumes used on Broadway.
Even more remarkable is the fact that Marilyn had no formal theatrical design training and was still nominated for Chicago’s prestigious Jefferson Award for costume design. She has obviously passed this unique talent down to one of her daughters, Kimberly Wick, who is the Vice President and Costume Museum curator and head designer. Marilyn has designed and produced wardrobes for numerous musical theater productions at other theaters including shows such as The Drowsy Chaperone and Thoroughly Modern Millie. These fan favorites have delighted audiences from Florida to Arizona. Kimberly is the driving force behind the development and day-to-day operation of the Costume World Broadway Collections.
Tours of the museum are generally available seven days a week by appointment only and begin at 11am. Individual and group tickets are available. For additional information, call the box office at (561) 995-2333.
In 2013, Marilyn purchased the former Caldwell Theater space, bringing to life the return of live theatre at the Boca Raton location. In September of that year, the new Wick Theatre and Costume Museum opened to rave reviews for the new professional theatre. “We are not a touring house, all of the shows are produced with professional actors who audition locally and in New York,” Marilyn said. “The Wick produces all shows and costumes for the performers in the Wick musicals.”
Upcoming events for the balance of 2021 include include A Winter Spectacular from November 24-December 19 starring the delightful jazz vocalist Marilyn Maye, joined by Nicholas King and accompanied by a full live orchestra. It’s a holiday celebration for the entire family.
2022 rings in with the musical fable, Gypsy: the Jule Styne/Stephen Sondheim hit musical about Gypsy Rose Lee and Mama Rose.
The Wick Theatre, 7901 North Federal Highway Boca Raton, FL 33487. Tickets: www.the Wick.org or by calling the box office at 561.995.2333.
Kravis Theatre for the Performing Arts
November brings the wonderful Kravis on Broadway Series back to the beautiful Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. Two fantastic musicals will be the features for the beginning of the season.
Broadway’s Come From Away (November 16-21) is the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers landing in a small town in Newfoundland on 9/11 when all planes were grounded. The musical was written by Tony nominees, Irene Sankoff and David Hein and directed by Tony-winning Best Director Christopher Ashley. The show tells of cultural clashing when nerves ran high and uneasiness turns into trust. The production features music soaring into the night and a story of gratitude and enduring friendships. It’s a show to remember.
Winner of six Tony Awards, Dear Evan Hansen (Dec. 15-19) will be the Kravis on Broadway’s December gift to the Palm Beaches. Dear Evan Hansen features a book by Tony Award winner Steven Levenson, a score by Grammy, Tony and Academy Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman). The director is four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif (Rent, Next to Normal). The show is a contemporary musical of a deeply personal nature that has hit the bull’s eye with audiences and critics alike.
The Kravis for the Performing Arts never lets the community down during the holiday season offering special holiday shows. If you haven’t seen The Nutcracker, you’ll have two opportunities. Ballet Palm Beach will be presenting its annual Nutcracker delight at the Kravis on December 4 and 5. It’s a breathtaking show and a wonderful gift of “an experience” for younger children. The Miami Ballet returns to the Kravis with The Nutcracker, December 29 and 30. I love to see the little girls who attend dress up like princesses!
Check out the numerous holiday shows for all ages at www. Kravis.org.
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach Tickets 561.832.7469 or 800.572.8471;
Palm Beach Dramaworks
William Hayes, Producer/Artistic Director and Sue Ellen Beryl, Managing Director of downtown West Palm Beach’s Palm Beach Dramaworks have a wonderful schedule for the 2021/22 season. “After having been dark for so long, we paid special attention to having a diversified season that would have a little something for everybody,” said Hayes. “Some of the shows had been previously scheduled and had already received some pre-production, therefore it was cost-effective to continue with them.”
The season opens with the World Premiere of The People Down Stair written by Michael McKeever. The show runs from December 3 through December 19.
The People Downstairs was one of the plays staged in the January 2019 play reading event that featured three days of readings by professional actors. The annual event features scripts written by different playwrights. It’s a wonderful glimpse into how a director decides on a show and lives up to the PBD’s motto: Theater to Think About. Michael McKeever’s script was a standout at the 2019 reading.
Many books and plays have been written about Anne Frank’s diary. It has become part of the curriculum for middle school students and seeing it would make a great learning experience for students. The script takes a different slant on the final days of Anne Frank and focuses on the brave people who hid the Frank family for so long at such great risk. These are the employees who worked for Mr. Frank and kept them safe, got them food and kept them informed. It’s a look at just a few of the unknown heroes of World War II.
In addition to The People Downstairs, another world premiere, The Duration by Bruce Graham makes its grand opening from February 18-March 6. ” The pandemic allowed extra time for our two world premieres to be work- shopped. Both are powerful emotional journeys that are sure to create the theater to think about that we have become known for, ” said Hayes.
Almost Maine is a charming series of vignettes set in the fictional, remote town of Almost Maine. The show runs from January 14-January 30. It’s about Love—old and new. The script is made up of nine mostly joyful yet poignant moments. The magical script was written by John Cariani. “Almost Maine has a wonderful uplifting message, which is so necessary at this time,” Sue Ellen Beryl said.
According to Beryl, a new HVAC system has been installed so the building is in compliance with CDC guidelines. Guests are required to adhere to the guidelines by wearing suitable masks, furnishing documentation (printed or digital) regarding full vaccination status and provide a matching photo identification for everyone over 18 years of age. For complete information, go the website at www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.
“Being closed for such a long period of time was very challenging creatively,” commented Hayes. “However, we explored all kinds of new avenues to reach our audience. The most effective of which was our online programming, which opened a whole new world to us and to the people we are trying to reach. The addition of our Contemporary Voices Series enabled us to become familiar with diverse artists all over the country. It was so successful we plan to continue much of the type of programming in the years ahead.”
After twenty successful years, the future continues to be bright for Palm Beach Dramaworks. Palm Beach Dramaworks, 201 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach FL 33401 Tickets: 561.514.4042 Ext. 2; www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.