Palm Beach Dramaworks
Palm Beach Dramaworks presented the Pulitzer Prize winning production, Fences by August Wilson at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre. Pictured: Karen Stephens and Lester Purry. Photo credit: Samantha Mighdoll
The August Wilson play, Fences, which ended on April 21, brought the days of segregation to the stage. The storyline follows the outcome of a black man who is an outstanding baseball player but is denied a chance at playing in the Major Leagues because of the color of his skin. The first Broadway production in 1987 starred James Earl Jones…you know, the guy with the voice. Well, move over Mr. Jones, and make room for Lester Purry as Troy Maxson. What an amazing actor! He received fantastic support from the ensemble, which included Karen Stephens as his wife, Rose, last seen in On Golden Pond; Jovon Jacobs as Cory; John Archie as Jim Bobo; Warren Jackson as Lyons; Bryant Bentley as Gabriel; and Raegan Franklin and Jayla Georges, who alternated in the roll of Raynell. Fences was directed by William Hayes, the producing Artistic Director and a founding member of PBD.
Palm Beach Dramaworks was nominated for eleven Carbonnel
Awards and won seven. It wouldn’t surprise me if Fences received numerous awards for the 2020 Carbonnel, including Bill Hayes as best director. It was that good.
Next up is John Guare’s The House of Blue Leaves. The Obie Award-winning play opens on May 17 at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre. The quirky story is about the 1965 visit of Pope John Paul to the United States. Among the millions who line the streets of New York is Artie Shaughnessy, a zookeeper who wants to be a songwriter. Artie has big dreams but not much talent. He’s convinced that a papal blessing will change his life, get him out of Queens and away from his mentally ill wife, and aid him in his quest to get to L.A. and start a new life with his girlfriend, Bunny. It runs the gambit of emotion from touching and funny to heartbreaking. The House of Blue Leaves runs from May 17- June 2.
Palm Beach Dramaworks lost one of its most avid supporters. Donald A. Brown, for whom the theater is named, passed away on March 6, 2019 after a lifetime dedicated to helping numerous nonprofit organizations. Palm Beach Dramaworks was fortunate to have Donald Brown and his wife Ann as board members and constant contributors. Their optimistic attitude and wisdom assisted the quickly growing theater for many years and was an integral part of the success of the theater. His memory will be treasured.
Palm Beach Dramaworks, 201 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach FL 33401 Tickets: 561.514.4042 Ext. 2; www.palmbeachdramaworks.org
Wick Theatre and Costume Museum
Crazy for You, a good old fashion musical comedy with lots of tap dancing. It starred Matt Loehr and Julie Kleiner. Next up is Always…Patsy Cline, which runs through May 17 at the Wick Theater in Boca Raton.
I’m… Crazy for You… Matt Loehr. This Broadway actor’s talent and personality radiates from the stage. The show ended in mid April but left a stream of good memories for numerous musical comedy lovers who had the opportunity to see this delightful show at the Wick Theatre in Boca Raton starring Loehr and Julie Kliner. It’s one of those musicals where boy (Matt Loehr) meets girl (Julie Kleiner). Girl rejects him for big-time producer, Bela Zangler (Wayne LeGette). Boy comes up with a plan to impersonate Zangler to get girl’s attention. One of the cleverest numbers features both LeGette as Zangler and Loehr, also as Zangler in a sequence of mirror-image antics that are brilliant. Remember the old I Love Lucy show with Harpo Marx and Lucille Ball, dressed as Harpo, doing a mirror-image routine? This is just as good. It was a fun show with extremely talented dancers and singers.
Now on stage at the Wick is Always…Patsy Cline (April 25-May 19, 2019. It’s the story of her rise to stardom with all her top hits from Crazy to I Go Out Walking After Midnight and many more. Tickets are now on sale.
The Wick Theatre, 7901 North Federal Highway Boca Raton, FL 33487 www.TheWick.org 561.995.2333
Kravis on Broadway
The exciting musical, The Lion King, closed out the marvelous season of the 2018/2019 Kravis on Broadway series.
Wow, Wow and Double Wow! What a way to end the Kravis on Broadway series. The spectacular The Lion King played to packed audiences. The story, the enchanting music, the drama and the comedy made for a wonderful production. Just imagine a professional cast of actors portraying these memorable characters. Hearing Simba singing, I Just Can’t Wait To Be King or the comedic duo of Timon the Meerkat and Pumbaa, the Warthog belting out Hakuma Matata. How about witnessing the evil Scar and his team of hyenas and their dastardly deeds. One cannot imagine the fantastic costumes, lighting and sound. From the dramatic opening of the parade of huge puppet animals and the puppeteers coming down the center aisle. It was overwhelming. The second act opened with the musical number One by One and featured a large portion of the tremendous ensemble. The appreciative audience reacted to many of the scenes with shouts and applause throughout the performance. I just can’t wait for the Kravis on Broadway 2019/20 season!
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach Tickets 561.832.7469 or 800.572.8471; www.kravis.org
Maltz Jupiter Theatre
The Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s production of the classic American musical West Side Story dazzled the audience with an unbelievable dancing ensemble. Pictured are Jim Schubin as Tony and Evy Ortiz as Maria: Photo credit; Matthew Murphy Photography
The season ended with the modern-day version of Shakespeare’s tragedy of the star crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet. It takes place on the streets of New York City and involves clashes of the Puerto Rican gang, The Sharks, and the New York blue collar hoodlum gang, The Jets. West Side Story is a classic musical that is still relevant, only the ethnicity of the warring gang members and discrimination has been changed. The unforgettable music by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim lives on as brightly as when it opened in 1957.
The thrill of the music and storyline created by Arthur Laurents begins immediately as the Jet’s fingers start snapping for the opening prolog led by Riff (Kelly Methven). The high energy of the dancing was magnificent, especially in the gym when the Sharks with their leader, Bernardo (Angel Lozada), and his girl friend, Anita (Michelle Alves), face a dancing dual called Blues/Promenade on the dance floor against Riff and the Jets. This is the introduction of Maria (Evy Ortiz) to the feud between the Sharks and the Jets. Her love at first sight with Tony (Jim Schubin), a former Jet, and the problems caused by the relationship is where the parallel of Romeo and Juliet is drawn. The show features great songs like Tonight, I Like to be in America, I Feel Pretty and There’s A Place for Us. The audience left the theater with enough songs to hum for a month.
The duos sung by Tony and Maria, Tonight and One Hand, One Heart, left the audience breathless. Before you recovered from these beautiful moments, the magnificent dancing begins again. Both gang’s members and their girlfriends were extraordinary dancers.
Although the dancing is not the original Jerome Robbins choreography, the script remains the same except for for the opening which features Carol Medina Wright as a seventy-year old Maria as she reflects on the past. Wright, a local woman, auditioned at the Maltz. Thanks to Marcos Santana’s vision of giving an ending to Maria’s memories and later life.
Producing Artistic Director/Chief Executive Andrew Kato announced that a record had been broken. This the first time that a show sold out before it opened.
Barry Lewis is directing the final production of the 2018/19 season at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre in West Palm. The black comedy, The House of Blue Leaves, opens on May 17 and runs through June 2.
What a spectacular closing for the fantastic 2018/19 season at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre
Summer time kicks off Phase 1 of the of the Believe campaign expansion. This is the beginning of making the Maltz Jupiter Theatre a larger regional theater with space for bigger shows. The renovations, expansions and additional space for rehearsals, teaching and stage construction are summed up by Entertain, Educate and Inspire as goals for the three-act Believe campaign
Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 E. Indiantown Rd, Jupiter. Tickets: 561.575.2223; www.jupitertheatre.org