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Theater fare warms to Florida
(by Herb Hammer - January 05, 2011)
THEATER, BY HERB HAMMER
Theater fare warms to Florida
It's hard to tell exactly how many Northern Ohio playgoers head south for the winter or part of the winter. But for all that wind up in south Florida, and that could be a great many, giving them a quick look around could be a big help. Most will want to take in the best professional productions.
It appears from my perspective, as I spend time here each year, there are a few gems that shouldn't be missed.
Those who have let the stage version of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" slip away will find the Broadway touring company at the Adrienne Arsht Center in downtown Miami. The show has settled in for an extended stay.
"Vivian Leigh: The Last Press Conference" is at the Edge Theatre in Miami.
In her last press conference, Miss Leigh comments unforgettably on Laurence Olivier, on her illness and on her triumphs and conquests on and off the stage. The famed British actress starred in the two great Southern roles -- Blanch Dubois, "A Streetcar Named Desire," and Scarlet O'Hara, "Gone With the Wind." Critics here have called it captivating.
"A Round Healed Woman," by Jane Prowse, appears at Gable Stage in the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. A former high school English teacher, celibate for 30 years, sets out to rectify the situation by placing an ad in the New York Review of Books: "Before I turn 67 -- next March -- I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like."
The play is directed by the author and is a must-see for those headed in this direction.
"Rock of Ages, an Arena Rock Love Story" is playing at Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
The story is told through the mind-blowing hits of Journey, Night Ranger, Styx, Pat Benatar and many others. Critics are telling their readers not to miss this partying on in 1987 on the Sunset Strip.
"Cooking With the Calamari Sisters" is also at Broward Center. The sisters sing and dance their way while preparing four courses of Italian cuisine with such Italian hits as "Bolare," "Come on a my house," Botcha Me" and "Mombo Italiano."
The Rising Action Theatre Company is presenting a revival of "The Killing of Sister George." The play concerns June Buckridge, by day a nun in a soap opera, by night a cigar-smoking lesbian from hell. When she finds out her part will be killed off in the soap opera, look out. It stars Janet Weakly in Fort Lauderdale.
Broward Stage Door is staging "A Taffeta Wedding." It's 1964, and wedding bells are ringing for our favorite singing sisters, the Taffetas. This take-off on the McGuire Sisters is a fun premiere musical featuring the songs of the 1950s and 1960s.
Up in Palm Beach County, Caldwell Park Theater is staging a sharp new comedy that spins the events of "A Raisin in the Sun." "Claybourne Park" tells a new story of race and real estate in America. Written by Bruce Norris, the story opens in 1959 as a white couple sells their home to a black family, causing an uproar.
"Freud's Last Session," by Mark St. Germain, is playing at Palm Beach Dreamworks. The story follows Freud as he escapes the Nazis to his new home in London, where he invites a young professor, C.S. Lewis. Freud and Lewis clash on the existence of God and the meaning of life. Directed by William Hayes, the two-character play has created quite a stir.
And finally, a revival of "Kiss of the Spider Woman" plays the Slow Burn Theatre Company in Boca Raton. The winner of several 1993 awards has returned for another look around. This is one of the few musicals playing the area.
For a sunny, warm winter with plenty of good theater, you just can't beat southeast Florida. I'll try to see them all.
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