Friday, June 13, 2008

The Scene for June 13, 2008

Friday the thirteenth! No wonder I'm late posting this week's "Scene!"

No surprise: City Theater is the critic's choice at the Herald. Undershorts is the mature version of Summer Shorts. A little edgier, a little more mature. Christine also recommends Neil LaBute's Wrecks, opening this weekend at Mosaic Theatre in Plantation. Gordon McConnell doing Neil LaBute solo. I'd pay money to see it. Wait, that might not have come out right....anyway, Gordon has all the lines, and is joined onstage by a rotating cast of extras filling in as mourners at a funeral, with McConnell delivering the eulogy.

The Sun-Sentinel's Stage Bill also recommends Wrecks, describing it as a "tour de force." No arguments from me! Jack also discusses Mosaic Theatre's announcement of its upcoming season.

The Palm Beach Post's Hap Erstein didn't care for The Great American Trailer Park Musical at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, calling it "An amusing notion stretched beyond its welcome point into a two-hour evening..." Ouch! Anyway, it plays for another week in West Palm Beach.

Hap also alerts us that
New Vista Theatre Company is opening Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh. Its very talented cast features Avi Hoffman, Oscar Cheda, Samara Dunn, Wayne Legette, and Stacy Schwartz. But best of all, we learn that the critic is stepping up onstage. He will be one of the mourners in Wrecks at Mosaic Theatre. And if you're a member of the stage actors' union, you get into this Sunday's matinee for free. For the rest of us, this might be the best show to see!

Jesus Christ Superstar loaded in today at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. This very limited engagement runs tonight through Thursday, June 19th, and features Ted Neely as Jesus. Yes, THAT Ted Neely!

Nothing in the Miami New Times, but Brandon K. Thorp covers The Exceptional Theatre Company for the Broward/Palm Beach edition. Never heard of them? It's a company dedicated to teaching theater to those with special needs. That's right, all the performers have been diagnosed with mental retardation, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, or some other developmental disability.

It's not the kid of story you'd associate with Brandon, but he carries it off well. Definitely worth a read.

The critically acclaimed production of Benefactors closes this week at Palm Beach Dramaworks, as does Ordinary Nation at Florida Stage.

As always, check southfloridatheatre.com for more complete theatre listings.

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