Sparks fly in New Normal Rep’s riveting ‘Lines in the Dust’
© New Normal Rep The cast of New Normal Rep’s production of Lines in the Dust comprises (from left) Lisa Rosetta Strum as Dr. Beverly Long, Melissa Joyner as Denitra Morgan, and Jeffrey Bean as Mike DiMaggio. By AARON KRAUSE All Denitra Morgan wants is for her daughter,...
Area Stage’s immersive ‘Annie’ shines
Photo by Giancarlo Rodaz The orphans look up to Annie in Area Stage Company’s immersive production By AARON KRAUSE Young, visionary director Giancarlo Rodaz’s winning approach in Area Stage Company’s (ASC) current unorthodox, yet triumphant production of the classic musical Annie features eight actors playing all roles. That compares to a...
‘Bright Colors and Bold Patterns’ is a comic delight at Island City Stage
Photo by Matthew Tippins Gerry (Thomas Mark) makes a grand entrance in Island City Stage’s production of Bright Colors and Bold Patterns. By AARON KRAUSE While watching Drew Droege’s delightfully comic, single-character play, Bright Colors and Bold Patterns, one might wonder: Is the horizontally big fellow at the piece’s...
Area Stage’s ‘Annie’ will be fresh, director says.
Giancarlo Rodaz By AARON KRAUSE For its next professional production, South Miami’s Area Stage Company (ASC) promises the musical Annie “like you’ve never seen before.” Still, ASC Associate Artistic Director Giancarlo Rodaz, who is mounting the production, said the award-winning, nonprofit professional company will present the classic next...
New Normal Rep triumphs with ‘Two Sisters and a Piano’
© New Normal Rep Florencia Lozano and Daphne Rubin-Vega appear as Maria Celia and Sofia, respectively, in New Normal Rep’s production of Two Sister and a Piano. By AARON KRAUSE The power of art to heal, transform, offer hope, and inspire in a seemingly hopeless world...
Playwright peels away ‘The Niceties’ from her piece
“We spend so much of our time berating the far right for being racist,” Island City Stage (ICS) Associate Artistic Director Michael Leeds says. However, “we don’t often look to ourselves to see how we might be perpetuating the system. We’re always the ‘nice’ guys. But what happens when...
New Normal Rep. scores a hit with ‘Jericho.’
Photo courtesy of New Normal Rep. Beth (Eleanor Handley) talks to the ghost of her husband, Alec (C.K. Allen) in New Normal Rep.’s inaugural online production of Jericho. By AARON KRAUSE A problem with online theater, especially a taped production, is that performers cannot take bows. In addition,...
Brush up your sleuthing skills for ‘Safe House’
Photo by Jack Cooper Krystal Millie Valdes and Chris Hayhurst will not appear in person, but digitally in Urbanite Theatre’s production of Safe House. By AARON KRAUSE After Fletcher leaves his cybersecurity job with a powerful corporation, he and his wife, Ava, hide with damning company secrets. Then...
Broadway in Ft. Lauderdale back in business by November
Broadway in Ft. Lauderdale at Broward Center for the Performing Arts will return to the stage this November. Specifically, the season will open on Nov. 3. That is when the musical hit Come From Away will land in Ft. Lauderdale for an 11-day run. The musical, about a Canadian town...
