Beau Higgins - Page 62

'Broadway Bound,' Simon's semi-autobiographical play follows the fledgling careers of hopeful ‘professional comedy writers' Stanley and Eugene Jerome as they try to break into the world of show business while trying to cope with their parents' continuing marital strife. When their ‘comedy' material is finally broadcast on the radio for the first time, their family's reaction is anything but laudatory.

Count Carlo Gozzi's beloved comedy for children, The Love of Three Oranges returns to the stage to delight audiences of all ages, January 12 - February 6, 2011 at The PlayGround Theatre, 9806 NE 2nd Avenue in Miami Shores. Artistic Director Stephanie Ansin will again direct her adaptation of The Love of Three Oranges, continuing The PlayGround Theatre's mission to bring the magic and joy of live theater to children of all ages.

Fatima NeJame, president and chief executive officer of the world-renowned Palm Beach Photographic Centre (PBPC), announced that the 16th annual FOTOfusion (January 11-15, 2011) will offer more than 100 workshops, lectures, panel discussions, multimedia presentations, portfolio reviews, hands-on computer classes, demonstrations, and photo shoots taught by an impressive faculty of industry leaders and photographic giants. FOTOfusion bills itself as 'where creativity and technology fuse,' and it attracts hundreds of participants from around the globe.

Palm Beach Dramaworks, announced its critically acclaimed production of Mark St. Germain's play, 'Freud's Last Session' will play an additional week of performances, slated through Sunday, February 13th at their intimate downtown theatre (322 Banyan Boulevard). The extended playing week's performance schedule will be as follows: Wednesday through Saturday at 8PM; with Matinee performances on Wednesday at 3PM Saturday &Sunday at 2PM.

The University of Miami Department of Theatre Arts in the College of Arts & Sciences regularly hosts master classes and workshops with artists, actors, producers, casting directors, designers, and directors from around the world. Past guests have included Jerry Herman, Angela Lansbury, John Mayer, Lucie Arnaz, Laurence Luckenbill, André DeShields, and Michael McElroy among others. This spring semester, Tommy Tune will visit with UM theatre students for a workshop. Known as one of the most prolific director/choreographers of the twentieth century, Tommy Tune has enchanted audiences over the past 50 years. Television, film and stage writer Mark Saltzman will also collaborate with Mr. Tune and UM students.

Tickets for Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables are now on sale for the premiere Fort Lauderdale engagement at Broward Center for the Performing Arts. The all new production of Les Misérables features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. To purchase tickets, visit www.broadwayacrossamerica.com or www.browardcenter.org; call 954-462-0222 or visit Broward Center Box Office Monday through Friday 10AM - 5 PM, Saturday and Sunday 12 Noon - 5 PM and 1 ½ hours prior to show times. Ticket prices start at $25. For more information on the production, and for a video preview, please visit www.LesMis.com.

The concert will feature the inimitable Randy Thompson as the emcee extraordinaire, host of all the Aqua Idol competitions that are held for non-profits at Aqua Nightclub. The evening will be a line-up of 'the best of' numbers performed by the contestants, including the winner of the Waterfront's Aqua Idol, Michael McCabe. Also appearing will be Amy Ray, Traci Reynolds, Bill Heller, Gayla Morgan, Valerie Carr, James Warren, Yoa Dragun, Tim Dahms, Victor Lopez and Maj Johnson, who was the previous A.I. winner for the WFPH. Also appearing will be Chris Tanner and a few surprises.

Palm Beach Dramaworks announced Broadway's legendary restaurant Sardi's, will be the theme of its 11th annual Spring Gala, an evening of dinner and entertainment on Saturday, March 19th (6:30PM) to benefit and celebrate West Palm Beach's longest residing theater company. At a recent planning meeting for the gala in Manhattan, Sardi's owner Max Klimavicius graciously granted the Gala's co-chairmen Calla and Ralph Guild, permission to use the restaurant's well known logo, elements of the restaurant, and their legendary caricatures as themes for what promises to be a 'must-attend' event this spring.

The Lake Worth Playhouse continues its 58th season with the modern madcap musical comedy, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS. The production features a cast of Playhouse favorites mixed with new talent from throughout South Florida. Performances run from January 21 through February 6 2011, with a Preview Night performance on January 20, on the stage of the Lake Worth Playhouse located at 713 Lake Avenue in downtown Lake Worth.

Clint Holmes is more than a singer. His powerful voice and magnetic stage presence embrace the upbeat side of life. His first break came when Joan Rivers invited him to be her sidekick and announcer on the now defunct The Late Show. This was followed by a two-year stint on Entertainment Tonight for which he served as their musical feature and event correspondent, and later landed his own Emmy winning talk/variety show entitled, New York at Night. Among his various recordings are the Top Ten smash hit Playground In My Mind (My Name is Michael). A Las Vegas favorite, Clint Holmes was selected as 'Best Kept Secret' by Las Vegas Life Magazine, and 'Best Singer' (two years in a row), 'Best All-Around Las Vegas Performer' and 'Favorite Male Las Vegan' by the Review-Herald.

I was prepared to have difficulty sitting through ROCK OF AGES, the musical that opened at the Broward Center Tuesday night. Hard rock is not 'my thing,' and I had heard this show described as a celebration of 1980s rock music and also as being 'Mamma Mia' for dudes. Thank the theatrical gods, they got it right.

A show such as 'Beauty And The Beast' cannot be done with sets and costumes that seem to have been bought from the local party supply store. Nor can it employ performers who do not yet have their Equity cards. Going 'on the cheap' can be okay for some shows. Not for this one. Not for a stage adaptation of the only animated film ever nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (prior to animated films getting their own category, that is.)

Adding big time heat to an already exciting smash Broadway theatrical season, ROCK OF AGES, a funny, feel good- love story told through the hit songs of such iconic rockers as Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar and Whitesnake, will heighten the joy of the holiday season when Tony award Nominee Constantine Maroulis of 'American Idol fame,' recreates his original Broadway role as Drew, opening Tuesday, December 28 playing through Sunday, January 9, presented by Florida Theatrical Association at Broward Center for the Performing arts. Coming direct from Broadway, Maroulis, who Rolling Stone declared 'a perfect lead,' will reprise his acclaimed performance in the First National Tour of the five-time Tony Award nominated smash-hit musical.

DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is coming to Miami as part of the BROADWAY IN MIAMI 2010 2011 season, presented by the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, Broadway Across America-Miami and presenting sponsor Bank of America. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on the stage of the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center from December 28, 2010 to January 2, 2011, with a special New Year's Eve performance on December 30 at 6:30 p.m.

Now celebrating its Fifth Anniversary Season, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in partnership with AEG presents a very special addition to the 2010-2011 COMEDY PLANET SERIES. On March 28, 2010 at 8 p.m. KATHY GRIFFIN will present a racy, raucous, rambunctious evening of stand-up comedy in the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall.

'The Lunchbox Theatre Series got a makeover this season,' said Florida Rep Education Director, Rachael Endrizzi. 'Not only are we performing onstage in the Historic Arcade Theatre, but we have a new lunch partner, The Morgan House - and we've added a whole new component with an interactive workshop that will really enhance each child's theatre experience. We opened the Lunchbox Theatre Series in November to record breaking numbers, and we're very excited to bring Amelia Earhart to life for Southwest Florida audiences.'

SIGHT & SOUND A Conversation about the Power of Photography & Poetry Tied-in with two major festivals in Palm Beach County in January, this entertaining and thoughtful event will include international conservation and nature photographer Robert Glenn Ketchum, interviewed by Fatima NeJame, the executive director of the Palm Beach Photographic Centre, which will be hosting the 16th annual FOTOfusion, January 11-15.

More than 50 years ago one musical changed theatre forever. Now it's back on Broadway mesmerizing audiences once again. From the first note to the final breath, WEST SIDE STORY soars as the greatest love story of all time. Directed by its two-time Tony Award winning librettist Arthur Laurents, the show remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. The new Broadway cast album of WEST SIDE STORY recently won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. The Bernstein and Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway's finest and features such classics of the American musical theatre as 'Something's Coming,' 'Tonight,' 'America,' 'I Feel Pretty' and 'Somewhere.'

Clint Holmes is more than a singer. His powerful voice and magnetic stage presence embrace the upbeat side of life. His first break came when Joan Rivers invited him to be her sidekick and announcer on the now defunct The Late Show. This was followed by a two-year stint on Entertainment Tonight for which he served as their musical feature and event correspondent, and later landed his own Emmy winning talk/variety show entitled, New York at Night. Among his various recordings are the Top Ten smash hit Playground In My Mind (My Name is Michael). A Las Vegas favorite, Clint Holmes was selected as 'Best Kept Secret' by Las Vegas Life Magazine, and 'Best Singer' (two years in a row), 'Best All-Around Las Vegas Performer' and 'Favorite Male Las Vegan' by the Review-Herald.

New plays by celebrated playwrights and longtime Florida Stage collaborators Carter W. Lewis and the legendary Israel Horovitz along with the award-winning Deborah Zoe Laufer and rising-star South Florida playwrights, Christopher Demos Brown and Andrew Rosendorf will all be featured at Florida Stage's fifth annual 1st Stage New Works Festival. It is now a three-day weekend festival, which includes staged readings of seven new American plays, kicking off with a reception on Thursday, February 3, 2011. 1st Stage workshop readings will be presented on Friday, Saturday and Sunday February 4, 5 and 6, along with a keynote address. Previous keynote speakers include John Guare, Israel Horovitz and Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman. 1st Stage Festival passes are available as well as individual tickets for individual events.