Kevin Black's BALLROOM: SOUTH BEACH STYLE! Set for Willow Theatre Next Month
By: Carol Kassie Dec. 23, 2014
The Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park will resonate with the sounds of music in January. No... not 'those' sounds of music, but sounds unique to South Florida... fast paced, exciting, and exotic.
Beginning 1940s, the heyday of South Beach night life when stars like Frank, Dean, and Sammy graced the stages of large showrooms at The Fontainebleau Hotel and other popular tourist attractions, Ballroom: South Beach Style progresses chronologically, featuring music by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, KC and The Sunshine Band, Madonna, Phil Collins, Gloria Estefan, and Santana. Evoking the sounds of Miami Vice, Whitney Houston (who filmed The Bodyguard at The Fountainebleau), Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, into the 90s when Latin music crossed over to the pop chart, led by The Miami Sound Machine - the entire production is rooted in South Beach and Miami.
Singers Mimi J. and Shelley Keelor, and dancers Rome Saladino and Marina Putane, along with Teddy Talbot, Luke Stockton, Kelly Pryor, Jenny Hegarty, Andreas Lutzner, and Craig Strang are slated to participate in the production.
Ballroom: South Beach Style has toured and thrilled audiences throughout the United States for the past three years. These four performances are the show's first at the Willow - invited there because of its well known artistry and popularity. "Audiences love this show," says producer/choreographer Black. "With the continued popularity of Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, more and more people are aware of how difficult, yet how very entertaining this kind of production is. Our cast is immensely talented, the music is amazing, and our costumes are gorgeous," he continues. "We've had nothing but the most positive feedback and reviews since we began."Kevin Black is the owner and artistic director of Kevin Black Productions. His expertise, experience, and creativity in directing and choreography, as well as in set, costume, and lighting design have built him a solid reputation as one of the top 'go-to guys' in South Florida. Kevin's most recent work includes 8 Track, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, and Rags at The Plaza Theatre in Manalapan. He directed and choreographed Spamalot, Tommy, and The Rocky Horror Show for Entr'Acte Theatrix performing at The Crest Theatre in Delray Beach. Kevin has also produced South Florida tours of La Cage Aux Folles, The Jazz Singer, Smokey Joe's Café, Funny Girl, Victor/Victoria, Cabaret and Dreamgirls. And his recent creations for Stage Door Theatre, On the Radio, starring Ballroom's Mimi J. and What's New Pussycat? The Soundtrack of an Era, were extremely successful and well reviewed. Kevin's work can currently be seen at the Villa de Palmar Resorts in Cabo, Mexico; Kevin is also the Artistic Director for CAST (Career in the Arts, School of Talent) located in Cooper City, Florida.
Mimi J. was born and raised in Miami. She is a professional singer currently performing in the South Florida tri-county area, and has been the recipient of numerous awards in vocal performance. She received her degrees in Musical Theater from the University of Central Florida Conservatory Theater in Orlando, where she attended on the Walt Disney Scholarship. Mimi has been a member of the gospel recording group, Revelation S.E.E.D. founded and led by Margaret Reynolds of KC and the Sunshine Band, and has sung background for a number of award-winning artists including Gloria Estefan, Bobby McFerrin, Betty Wright, Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill of the R&B group New Edition, and Quan Howell of the gospel group Sounds of Blackness. Some of her regional theatre and Broadway National and International Tour credits include Ain't Misbehavin', Smokey Joe's Café, Fame, Nunsense, and Rent. Mimi was the first woman of color to play Teen Angel in the classic 70's hit, Grease during the show's Pan-Asian tour. She recently starred in On the Radio at the Broward Stage Door Theatre.
Rome Saladino has performed with a number of prestigious companies including the Sacramento Ballet, Icelandic Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. He has worked with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Fernando Bujones, Jürgen Schneider, Alonzo King, Jon Engstrom, Ann Reinking, and Sonja Haney (Bob Fosse's Assistant).
Marina Putane trained as a rhythmic gymnast; she was a member of the Latvian National Team, which competed in many cities all over the former USSR. Her dancing career began as a show ballet dancer with Latvian magician, Palchevsky, at the National Latvian Opera House. She has performed all over the world for many cruise lines as an Adagio and show dancer. She starred, along with her husband, Rome, in the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical, Song and Dance.Shelley Keelor has been entertaining audiences regionally and internationally, on stage and in concert for nearly two decades. She has performed in more than a dozen countries including Italy and Turkey, and performed with the Istanbul State Symphony in both Istanbul and the famed Aspendos Amphitheater in Antalya,Turkey touring as a soloist in the revue show, Broadway Nights. Shelley's musical theatre roles include that of Cindy in Waist Watchers, and Penelope in Rock Odyssey -
a rock musical by Emmy-winning composer Billy Straus and writer Stephen Cole. She was nominated for a Cabonell award for her performance in Kurt Weill's Berlin to Broadway at Palm Beach Dramaworks, and was the recipient of glowing reviews in Slow Burn Theatre Company's recent production of Carrie the Musical.
Ballroom: South Beach Style will run at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park from January 9th through January 11th, 2015. The theatre is located at 300 South Military Trail in Boca Raton, just south of Palmetto Park Road. Tickets are $30, and are available at the Willow Theatre Box office: 561-347-3948 or on line at www.willowtheatre.org.
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