Prolific theater artist finds a welcoming permanent working home in Wilton Manors
Larsen (Photo by Christian Caroll) By AARON KRAUSE For renowned theater artist Ronnie Larsen, “the roots are setting very deep” in Wilton Manors. “It just feels right to stay here,” said the 50-year-old affable man. Larsen has worked in theater in a variety of capacities for most of his life....
An uneven yellow brick road at Stage Door Theatre’s ‘The Wiz’
Photo by David Martinek Off to the Emerald City are: Ben Bagby (Tin Man), Darius J. Manuel (Lion), Nayomi Braaf (Dorothy), and Kedrick D. Faulk (Scarecrow). By AARON KRAUSE LAUDERHILL — Soul and spirit are characteristics we would expect from a production of the multi-Tony-winning musical The Wiz. And,...
A sunny ‘Annie’ at The Wick
Photo by Amy Pasqantonio Sandy leaps up to his new best friend, Annie (Peyton Ella) in The Wick Theatre’s wonderful production of the beloved musical. By AARON KRAUSE BOCA RATON, Fla. — A director mounting an evergreen such as Annie doesn’t have to dig deep to unearth modern relevance. After all,...
Hello, indeed, to a devoted, dear Dolly!
Photo by Julieta Cervantes A graceful, thankful Dolly (Betty Buckley) takes in the loving atmosphere at the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant in the national equity tour of the most recent Tony-Award-winning Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! By AARON KRAUSE MIAMI — The woman of the moment rises. She approaches us...
Imagining an implausible but delightful scenario with Island City Stage’s ‘Buyer & Cellar’
Photo by George Wentzler Matthew Buffalo plays several roles, including struggling L.A. actor Alex More, in Island City Stage’s production of Buyer & Cellar. By AARON KRAUSE WILTON MANORS, Fla. — If Alex More were a real-life struggling actor, you probably wouldn’t want to roll up his sleeves if...
Love, Linda offers a stylish, charming recollection of the Porters’ starry marriage
Photo courtesy of publicist Daniel Demello Stevie Holland as Linda Porter in Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter By AARON KRAUSE NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. — By Linda Porter’s own admission, the 1946 film Night and Day portrays the “perfect” love story between Porter and her husband,...
A sense of community, healing invigorate ‘Once On This Island’s Broadway revival
Photo by Joan Marcus Asaka (Alex Newell, in drag) shares a laugh with Ti Moune (Hailey Kilgore) in the Broadway revival of Once On This Island. By AARON KRAUSE NEW YORK, N.Y. — Yes, that really is a live goat on stage. It’s leading its handler toward the audience in...
One vivid, compelling Night in the Magic City at Miami New Drama
Photo courtesy of Miami New Drama Cassius Clay (Kieron Anthony) makes his presence known in Miami New Drama’s compelling production of One Night in Miami By AARON KRAUSE MIAMI BEACH — One Night in Miami is about a celebration following an underdog boxer’s victory in a big battle....
‘Admissions’ is complex, yet compelling, relatable at GableStage
Photo by George Schiavone Charlie (Joshua Hernandez, right) non-verbally expresses disgust with his father, Bill (Tom Wahl) in GableStage’s production of Admissions. By AARON KRAUSE CORAL GABLES, Fla. — If you wanted to write a truly satiric, but apropos commercial for Joshua Harmon’s unapologetically satiric, scorching play, Admissions,...
World premiere of stage version of Dracula is hardly what you’d expect
Photo by Justin Namon Count Dracula (Carlos Orizondo) is about to severely wound Lucy (Isabella Lopez) in the world premiere production of Michael McKeever’s Dracula, a Zoetic Stage production. By AARON KRAUSE MIAMI, Fla. — Up is down and right is wrong. It’s a phrase that could describe today’s...