Taking the Stage The Official Snowbirds’ Guide to Fort Lauderdale & West Palm Beach Theatre 2006-2007 Written by Elias Stimac

If you are a NYC snowbird coming down to Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach this winter, you may be hesitant to test the theatrical waters when Broadway and off-Broadway shows literally spring up in your backyard back home. However, judging from the strong selections on tap this season, it may be time to give South Florida stages a chance.

Being a critic who recently relocated from the Big Apple, I have seen my share of the good, the bad, and the ugly on the boards, and from what I can tell, many local productions and playhouses are more than worthy of our attention. Looking at the slate of offerings on the horizon, there is definitely something for everyone. With that in mind, it’s time to present 10 Reasons to Attend Local Theatre in South Florida this season.

10. Kravis Compilation -- The Kravis Center is going to be a busy place this year, with shows and special events sharing the stage. This venerable venue is premiering a longtime Big Apple hit -- Elton John and Tim Rice’s Tony Award-winning musical “ Aida” makes its local debut at their West Palm Beach location (Jan. 7). Also imported from the Great White Way will be “ Jesus Christ Superstar” (Nov. 21-23), “ Wonderful Town ” (Dec. 17), and Michael Flatley’s “ Lord of the Dance” (April 26-28).

Comedy is rampant at the Kravis, with Dennis Miller (Oct. 7), Kathy Griffin (Oct. 14), the Smothers Brothers and Judy Collins (Nov. 25) George Carlin (Dec. 12) The Legends of Comedy, starring Robert Klein, Pat Cooper, and Bill Dana (Jan. 17), Bill Cosby (March 28), and humorist Dave Barry (April 11).

The organization’s Just For Laughs Series includes Robert Dubac’s “ Male Intellect: New & Improved – 60% More Truth” (Oct. 31-Nov. 5); “ It Had to Be You!” starring authors Renée Taylor and Joe Bologna (Dec. 7-10); “ Forbidden Broadway: SVU Special Victims Unit” (Dec. 26-31); Chicago City Limits, (Jan. 5 & 6), Capitol Steps, (Feb. 20-March 4), “ Dan Kamin – Comedy in Motion” (March 28), and “ My Sister’s an Only Child” (June 5-17).

Other intriguing events include an evening with film-TV-stage star Mandy Patinkin (Dec. 16), appearances by Tony Award winners Patti LuPone (Jan. 3) and Bernadette Peters (March 29), “The Canterbury Tales” (Jan. 25-26), “Romeo & Juliet” (Jan. 27-28), Quinn Lemley portraying Rita Hayworth in “ The Heat is On!” (March 24-25), “Jane Eyre” (March 30-Apr. 1), Pirates of Penzance (also Apr. 1), “ Leftover Stories to Tell: A Tribute to Spalding Gray” (April 5-6), and “Animal Farm” (April 18-19). And what would New Year’s Eve be without Woody Allen swinging in 2007 with his New Orleans Jazz Band?

9. Mosaic’s Season – The Mosaic Theatre’s entire schedule is bubbling with exciting possibilities. They just wrapped NY favorite Adam Rapp’s “Red Light Winter.” Domestic dramatist David Lindsay-Abaire of “Fuddy Myers” fame will be taking us down the “Rabbit Hole” from Nov. 30 to Dec. 23. Then its time for office obscenities courtesy of David Mamet and his classic “Glengarry Glenn Ross,” running Feb. 15 through March 4. Mix one part solo show and one part cunning characterizations and you wind up with “Nine Parts of Desire” by Heather Raffo, which will conclude the Mosaic season April 11-May 5.

8. Comedy Tonight! – Two estranged Jewish sisters will comically reunite in “Lucid Moments” by David Jay Bernstein, also at the Public Theatre (Nov. 18-Dec. 17). We’ll also get some laughs from a formal foursome in the musical “Forever Plaid” (April 13-May 6) and rambunctious roommates in “The Odd Couple” playing March 2-25, both at the Tamarac Theatre.

7. R&H Revival – Instead of “American Idol,” you might want to take in some musicians with a little bit longer track record: Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II. They will be represented with both “A Grand Night For Singing,” performing now through Nov. 19 at the Tamarac Theatre, and “Some Enchanted Evening,” at the Broward Stage Door Theatre Feb. 16-April 08.

6. Cell Block – If you like “Prison Break” on television, you may want to check out these two intense institutional dramas: Lee Blessing’s Two Rooms (now through November 5 at  The Promethean Theatre) and Kander and Ebb’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (Jan. 13-Feb. 11 at the Public Theatre). The former is a gripping saga of an American teacher kidnapped by terrorists in Beirut and the wife who holds vigil for his return. The latter is a dark musical about two men in an Argentine prison during the 1970s -- one is a political prisoner, the other has been incarcerated for being a homosexual.

5. Musical Medley – Here are a handful of new tuners that sound promising: from Dec. 1-Jan. 21, the Stage Door will heat up an old standard with “Hot Mikado,”

From Dec. 8-Jan. 28, we will be witnesses to “Clue The Musical” at the Broward Stage Door, and who can pass up a dance with Ginger Rogers in “Backwards In High Heels: The Ginger Rogers Story” at the Florida Stage March 23-April 29.

4. Gift Exchange – Based on the writings of Jean Shepherd, the whimsically nostalgic tale “A Christmas Story” is heading to the Maltz Theatre for two weeks only, Dec. 19-30. This stage adaptation of the beloved feature film tells the tale of a young boy and his wish for a Red Rider air rifle, and will be a welcome holiday addition to “A Christmas Carol” for many years to come.

3. Fresh Cuts – The roster of recent works arriving in South Florida include Michael Hollinger’s “Opus” (now through Nov. 26 at the Florida Stage), “Visiting Mr. Green” by Jeff Baron (April 27-June 10 at the Broward Stage Door), Adam Bock’s “Swimming In The Shallows” (at the Public Theatre, April 21-May 20), and local playwright Juan C. Sanchez’s “Red Tide” (opening late April, 2007), a world premiere production at The Promethean Theatre.

2. The Masters – Playgoers never need prompting to revisit works by the pre-eminent playwrights of the modern era. Here are two examples of plays that will never lose their power or presence, courtesy of the folks at Palm Beach Dramaworks: Arthur Miller’s “The Price,” playing Nov. 3-Dec. 3, and Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal,” running March 9-April 7.

1. Elvis Lives! – If anyone still needs an excuse to go see a show this year, what better reason than the return of the King. The Caldwell Theatre is presenting “Hunka Burnin' Love, An Elvis Presley Musical Tribute” from Nov. 5, 2006 - Dec. 17, 2006. All we can say to the Caldwell is “thank you very much!”

Here’s a handy list of theatre addresses and phone numbers for your playgoing needs this winter. See you in the audience! 

Atlantic Theater - ( Atlantic Arts Academy) 6473 W. Indiantown Rd., Jupiter FL 33458 (561) 575-3271

Broward Stage Door Theatre - 8036 W. Sample Road, Coral Springs FL 33065 (954) 344-7765
and Stage Door's 26th Street Theatre - 1444 N.E. 26th Street, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 (954) 344-7765

Caldwell Theatre Company - 7875 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton FL 33487 (561) 241-7432

Curtain Call Playhouse - 2500 SE 3rd Street Pompano Beach, FL 33062 (954) 784-0768

Florida Stage - 262 S. Ocean Blvd, Manalapan FL 33462 (561) 585-3433

Maltz Jupiter Theatre - 1001 E. Indiantown Rd., Jupiter FL 33020 (561) 575-2223

M Ensemble Company - 12320 W. Dixie Highway, North Miami FL 33168 (305) 895-8955

Mosaic Theatre - 12220 W. Broward Blvd, Plantation FL 33325 (954) 577-8243

Palm Beach Dramaworks - 322 Banyan Blvd, West Palm Beach FL 33401 (561) 514-4042

The Promethean Theatre 4 - Mailman Hollywood Theatre at  Mailman Hollywood Center 3301 College Ave.,

Ft. Lauderdale (786) 317-7580

Public Theatre of South Florida - Soref Jewish Community Center 6500 W. Sunrise Blvd., Plantation FL 33304
(954) 427-0784

Sol Theatre Project - 1143 NE Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale (954) 525-6555

Tamarac Theatre of Performing Arts - 7143 Pine Island Road, Tamarac, FL 33321 (954) 726-7898, (954) 942-9578