The Miami Herald has reported the sudden closing of the historic Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, Florida.
Paychecks of some of the theatre's employees have bounced, and a sign on the Playhouse's door reads "Building closed until further notice." An April 12th board of directors meeting will determine the future of the theatre, as well as of its next production--
Sonia Flew, starring Lucie Arnaz and her daughter Katharine D. Luckinbill. Shelly Spivack, chair of the Coconut Grove Playhouse board of directors, stated that the theatre's closing had to do with a "lapse in liability insurance."
However, Arnaz and the play's company are not taking the closing lightly, and have been rehearsing off-site. They have also resolved to stage the play "in the park," if necessary.
Sonia Flew had been scheduled to begin previews on April 18th, open on April 21st and run through May 7th, before heading to the Parker Playhouse for a second, shorter run (the two theatres recently entered into a partnership).
In addition, "In a bid to save the play about an American family dealing with ghosts of its Cuban past,
Sonia Flew's lead actress Arnaz launched a fundraising drive aimed at some of the wealthiest members of Miami's Cuban community," states the article. Arnaz has sent out a letter requesting help during the "major financial crisis." So far, Arnaz herself and Bacardi USA have contributed funds.
Founded in 1956, the Coconut Grove Playhouse opened with a production of
Waiting for Godot, starring Bert Lahr and Tom Ewell, according to the theatre's website. "In the four decades that have followed, the Playhouse has been home to
many of theater's most eminent artists, including Tallulah Bankhead,
Maureen Stapleton, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy,
Carol Channing, George
C. Scott, Colleen Dewhurst, Ethel Merman,
Liza Minnelli,
Linda Lavin
and Beatrice Arthur, to name a few." Jose Ferrer served a stint as artistic director from 1982 to 1985, while Arnold Mittelman has been artistic director since.
Sonia Flew is "set between post-revolutionary Cuba and post-9/11
America, Sonia Flew explores the powerful tale of Sonia, a
Cuban-American woman smuggled as a child out of Cuba and into the
United States as part of Operation Pedro Pan. A
successful public defender, Sonia lives with her Jewish husband and
their two children. Secure in a world filled with parental duty and
Jewish tradition, Sonia's existence is fragile, yet peaceful. But when
terrorism strikes American soil and Sonia's only son enlists in the
military, Sonia must find a way to come to terms with her past or risk losing everything she loves."
'It would be a tragedy if this play didn't get to open in Miami. This is the best show I've done since I have
been down here. The worst thing to do is not to let this play open and
that the playhouse would stumble on its 50th anniversary. I don't
think so! This is not going to happen!," Arnaz stated to the
Miami Herald. The actress, the daugther of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz who first rose to fame in the musical
They're Playing Our Song, joins the cast of Broadway's
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on May 29th.
For more information on the theatre, visit
www.cgplayhouse.com.
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