by Donnie Quigley
Welcome to March and the beginning of a beautiful spring bursting with wonderful shows all over town. If you missed Beautiful at The Maltz Jupiter Theatre or The Cancellation of Lauren Fein at Palm Beach Dramaworks, you missed a musical gem about Carole King and her life and music and a relevant drama concerning the “cancel culture” in our society. This spring holds so many new and classic shows for your entertainment, I hope you take the time to get to a few of these upcoming shows to enhance the beautiful Florida experience.
Maltz Jupiter Theatre
The Maltz Jupiter Theatre has had quite the 20th Anniversary Season! Every show has been strong and entertaining and so different from the other. Beautiful , The Carole King Musical, was such a fabulous production. Every actor was so strong and talented and gave such moving performances. Brianna Kothari Barnes had me believing she was Carole King with all of the ups and downs a musical career brings. Her voice was so beautiful and rich and her performance had people on their feet! It was such a joy to watch and experience.
Plaza Suite by Neil Simon is an oldie but definitely a goodie. Taking place in Suite 79 at the Plaza in 1960 you will meet three couples. The long-married couple revisiting their honeymoon suite, a Hollywood producer on the prowl, reunited with his childhood sweetheart, and the parents of a nervous bride who has locked herself in the bathroom. I have always enjoyed Neil Simon’s humor and dialog. I had the pleasure of being in the audience and enjoying this show filled with wonderful scenes and actors. The audience was enjoying themselves, throughout and when the last act was being played out, the laughter was constant. Jim Ireland was superb at pratfalls and his loud Jackie Gleason type of character was perfect, as the dad who was trying to coax his daughter out of the bathroom and watching the wedding money go down the drain, including two hundred dollars of cocktail weenies. Kathy MCCafferty was the long suffering wife and their chemistry as husband and wife enduring this terrible trial was done to perfection. J. Barry Lewis was the director and I always know I will enjoy the show when I see his name.
The last show this season is 42nd Street, which will run from March 12- 31, 2024. The tickets are going fast and this show is filled with songs and lots of tap dancing. It is a feast for the eyes and such a joyous show. It is a 1930’s backstage musical about the chorus girl who becomes the star of the show. The dream of every musical kid who wants to be on Broadway! It has such fun numbers including Shuffle Off to Buffalo, We’re in the Money, Lullaby of Broadway, and 42nd Street! It is a show for the whole family and will have you dancing in your seat! It is one production number after the other! Don’t miss this show!
There are still a few limited engagement shows coming up in March and April.
Bee Gees Tribute Band
Friday, March 1 at 5:00 and 7:30 PM
Jimmy Buffet Tribute Band
Thursday, April 4 at 7:30 PM
Celine Dion Tribute
Saturday, April 6 at 8:00 PM
These shows are so well done and if you miss your favorite stars or bands, you will enjoy these performances.
The 2024-2025 Season has been announced:
Deceived: based on Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight
October 27 – November 10, 2024
Once
December 3 – 15, 2024
Disney’s Frozen
January 7 – 26, 2025
Lehman Trilogy
February 16 – March 2, 2025
Guys and Dolls
March 18 – April 6
Don’t forget the Goldner Conservatory at the Maltz. They have so many classes for children. They are now registering for the Spring Break Camp, March 18-22 and for Summer Camps. They have openings for students from Pre-K thru 12 and what a wonderful way to introduce your child or grandchild to the performing arts! Go to JUPITERTHEATRE.ORG/CONSERVATORY for more information.
There are a number of free events at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre including Mondays at the Maltz, which is a facility and backstage tour. It lasts for one hour and you must register online JupiterTheatre.org. I have taken the tour and the facilities are amazing from the orchestra pit to the costume and scene shop and various educational and rehearsal spaces. We are so fortunate to have this theatre in our backyard.
There are still Master Classes available which will give you an insight to the workings of producing and putting on a topnotch show. You must register for these classes.
42nd Street: Remarkable to Raunchy to Reborn
March 16 at 11 am
Production Puzzle
March 23 at 11am
Reviewing the Situation
March 30 at 11am
Maltz Jupiter Theatre
1001 E. Indiantown Rd, Jupiter
Tickets: 561.575.2223
www.jupitertheatre.org
Palm Beach Dramaworks
Dramaworks “Theatre to Think About” was certainly in play for the show The Cancellation of Lauren Fein by Christopher Demos-Brown. Lauren Fein is a professor at a prestigious American University and when one of her lectures is questioned as offensive by a student and is brought before the university’s administration, both sides of the issue of what is “inclusion, diversity and equity”?, is explored.How can you serve both that issue and educate students about issues that may be offensive to them? The acting was incredible and the way it was handled was both generous and gracious, without pandering. I love to watch a well-acted drama about issues where I think I’m grounded and educated. It makes me look at the many sides to these issues and have further discussions.
The next production is Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller on March 29- April 14, 2024. This classic, Pulitzer Prize winning play changed the theatre with the tragic hero, Willie Loman, a disillusioned,and disappointed in his life, traveling salesman. Arthur Miller wrote of this character, “He just wanted to count”. No one does these classic works like Dramaworks! I can’t wait to see it and I hope you will too!
Dramaworks has courses for adults that provides insight to each play and the creative process. The program includes comprehensive discussions about the play, lunch and a look at the PBD production with the director, actors and designers. What a treat! For further information contact the box office at 561-514-4042 or go online to www.palmbeachdramaworks.org
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
March 28, 2024
Trying by Joanna MCCelland Glass
May 23, 2024
OutStage@PBD are special performances and events that will engage the LGBTQ community. They are held on the second Friday night of each production. Evenings include a pre and post show reception and the play. For more information and tickets call the box office at 561- 514-4042 or www.palmbeachdramaworks.org
201 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach
Tickets: 561.514.4042 Ext. 2
www.palmbeachdramaworks.org
Kravis Theatre for the Performing Arts
The Kravis Center still has so many performances this season. There are three theatres within the Kravis Center, Dryfoos Hall, Persson Hall and Rinker Playhouse. There is such a diverse selection of all types of performances. I am just highlighting a few. Kravis.org will provide you with all of the selections this season. I will see Jagged Little Pill this week and look forward to the music of Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballad. The book was written by Diablo Cody and inspired by Morrissette’s album of the same name. The story is of pain, healing and empowerment and promises a hopeful ending with lessons learned.
Mandy Patinkin
March 5 at 8:00 PM
Righteous Brothers
March 7 at 8:00 PM
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
March 8 and 9 at 7:30 PM
Pink Martini
March 10 at 7:30 PM
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
March 13 – March 17
Miami Ballet
March 23 – 24 at 7;30
Six the Musical
March 26 – March 31
Hamilton
April 4 – 21
Shrek the Musical
April 24 – 28
Shen Yun Performing Arts
April 30 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
For information or tickets call the Box Office at 561-832-7464 or go to Kravis.org
This list is just a smattering of the performances presented at the various theatres here. They also have educational opportunities that you may find enriching and informative. The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in downtown West Palm Beach is an elegant facility that has performances for all tastes of music and theatre arts.
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
Tickets 561.832.7469 or 800.572.8471
www.kravis.org
The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum
The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum has some classic musicals and Musical memories, An Immersive Experience, which showcases Broadway Musicals.
Carousel
February 29 – March 24
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story
April 11 – May 5
What I Did for Love; The Music of Marvin Hamlish
March 17 – March 26
Too Marvelous for Words : The music of Johnny Mercer
April 21 – 30
The Wick Theatre in Boca Raton looks like Cabaret when you walk in and there are performances and singers at the piano to get you in the mood. The restaurant is beautiful with delightful food offerings. I love the theatre because like many of our smaller theatres, there are no bad seats. For more information on performances or the fabulous costume museum call the Box Office at 561-995-2333 or go to thewick.org
The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum
7901 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton, FL 33487
Phone: (561) 995-2333
https://thewick.org/
The Barn Theatre
We are fortunate in our area to have so many wonderful professional theatres that are very accessible and provide a variety of performances and venues. Do not forget your local Community Theatres which also provide tons of entertainment. My mother started my love of theatre by taking me to high school productions and then community theatre productions and then my first professional production at The National Theatre in Washington, D.C. Community theatre is such a great way to introduce children and teens to theatre but I just happen to enjoy watching talented people do what they love. My cousin and I went to see Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. This musical was originally written for Julie Andrews and became a fan favorite and was later filmed with Leslie Ann Warren for television.
There was not a girl in my neighborhood who did not love the show and wanted to be Cinderella. The Barn production was filled with beautiful voices, gorgeous costumes, and comedic scenes. The audience was filled with little girls dressed in their Cinderella costumes and having a ball! We enjoyed ourselves and quietly sang the familiar tunes as we laughed and were reminded of how much we have loved this show for so many years. The Barn has West Side Story in March and Sweeney Todd in May. Their summer production will be Seussical, The Musical. If you have a passion for acting, singing, lighting or wanting to be part of a backstage crew go to www.barn-theatre.com Auditions are listed on their website as well as the information to buy tickets.
The Barn Theatre
2400 SE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL 34996
Phone: (772) 287-4884
www.barn-theatre.com
Have a delightful Florida spring and make it more beautiful by going to the theatre and enjoying some special performances. Until next time! Exit, Stage right.