"Best in Miami Dade"

Miami-Dade.com has named The South Florida Theatre Scene as one of the "Best in Miami-Dade County Blogs."

We share this honor with Random Pixels and Loose Talk, and Food for Thought.

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The Scene for July 29, 2010.

In case you missed it, South Florida Theater Review finally launched this week. Bill's already got some reviews and articles up, and check out his extensive links page.

While there are no Opening Nights this week, there's still lots to see.  Anxious to see Florida Stage's new home at the Kravis Center, their production of Low Down Dirty Blues is the most reviewed show this week, with a whopping 8 reviews.  Secret Order trails with 5, with The Gin Came gaining at 4 reviews.

For those who were waiting to see Secret Order until Gordon was back in, well, he's back in, and it closes Sunday. Get your tickets now.  And if you've been waiting to see SUDS through its three extensions, well, the last extensions was the last extension, and it also closes Sunday.

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you still haven't missed...

The Gin Game plays at Palm Beach DramaWorks through August 15.

Florida Stage presents Low Down Dirty Blues through September 5, 2010.

Are We There Yet? plays at Actors' Playhouse through August 15, 2010.

He’s Coming Up the Stairs! plays at Empire Stage  through August 15, 2010

Ground Up and Rising presents The Pillowman at the Little Stage Theatre through August 8, 2010.

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last chance to see...

Secret Order plays at the Caldwell Theatre Company through August 1, 2010. Gordon McConnell has returned to the production.

The 25th Annual International Hispanic Theatre Festival, presented by Teatro Avante, winds up August 1 at various locations in Miami.

The Stage Door production of Suds, The Rockin' 60s Musical close this Sunday,  June 13, June 27, August 1, 2010.

passing through...

Lea DeLaria  does her thing at Rising Action Theatre July 30- 31.

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for kids...

Actors' Playhouse presents Pippi Longstocking through August 7, 2010.

The Aluminum Show plays at the Adrienne Arsht Center through August 8, 2010.

Seussical Jr presented by the Conservatoy of Performing Arts Campers at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre this Friday and Saturday, July 30 and 31..

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Empire Stage: He's Coming Up the Stairs (1 review)

Empire Stage opened its production of He's Coming Up the Stairs on July 22, 2010.

Inspired by “Sorry, Wrong Number” – the stage and screen thriller about an invalid who overhears plans for her own murder – the seventy minute play follows a high society hypochondriac as she navigates New York’s social scene on what may be the last day of her life. Set in 1989, the show features a number of popular songs from the 80’s.

Kevin Thomsen directed a cast that included Brooks Braselman, David R. Gordon, Emily Shaffer and Vance Barber.

Bill Hirschman reviewed for South Florida Theater Review:

Tongues are firmly planted in cheeks for this riotous redux, in which the lead role of haranguing heiress Sally Winston is played in drag by actor Brooks Braselman, an actor who’ll do anything for a laugh.

The element that makes He’s Coming Up the Stairs work is that the cast and director are all in the same zany arena.  Every line is milked for maximum melodrama.  Emily Shaffer is wonderful as Sally’s nurse and Jeff’s mistress, but she really shines as young Sally in the flashback scenes.  Gordon is perfectly cast as the broad-shouldered hunk who married for money.

Garet Scott, who wrote the play, has a ball as Ivana Trump. Vance Barber is best as Sally’s daddy... Director Kevin Thomsen wisely keeps the pace brisk and the show short–an hour is just the right length for this level of hilarity.

But it all comes back to Braselman as Sally Winston.  For the energetic Braselman, over-the-top is an understatement–he’s consistently out in the stratosphere–and his audacious performance is a comic tour de force.

Eileen Speigler reviewed "special" to the Miami Herald, and inflicts a pointless food metaphor (and a poorly written review) on us:

If you feel like a nightcap after dinner, Empire Stage has whipped up a little number that will hit the spot.

Hypochondriac heiress Sally Winston (is) played with unflagging energy by Braselman...

Braselman's four fellow cast members play a variety of roles with a delicious dollop of cheese.

Hopefully, Ms. Speigler will get a job reviewing restaurants so I won't have to endure reading one of her theatre "reviews"  again.  "Dollop of cheese?"  Really? 

The Empire Stage production of He's Coming Up the Stairs plays through August 15, 2010.

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