By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News

ENV Magazine

CORAL SPRINGS, FL –  Cheers to Abraham Goldfaden – the Ukrainian-born Jewish poet, who wrote some 40 plays, was a prominent  stage director and actor — who is considered the father of the Yiddish modern theatre. His prominence is underscored as a recurring theme on a local stage nowadays.

Goldfaden’s importance is one of the historic truths and tributes to evolve out of playwright Tony Finstrom’s fictional play – Knish Alley – currently in its world premiere at Broward Stage Door in Coral Springs. The other “truths” are  the quite realistic name of this production and playwright Finstrom’s  on-target humor skills.

The rest of the play by the Fort Lauderdale-based playwright/arts supporter is imaginary –a comedic look at a troupe of Yiddish actors crossing the Atlantic in the steerage belly of an early 1900’s ocean vessel.  They may have some semblance to reality! They certainly look and act like some of the characters I recall when my grandparents took me – as an 8 year old who spoke and understood only English  – to a traveling Yiddish theatre group, which played in upstate New York,  in a rented Labor Union Hall, a couple of times a year (usually around Purim and Hannukah).  That’s about the closest time frame and location that Jews in Rochester could hope to see Yiddish theatre.

But, back to today!  Finstrom’s play evolves around the oceanic voyage  by  this group of Yiddish-speaking actors who look forward  to their acceptance on an American stage, hopefully on New York’s 2^nd Avenue, eventually  called Knish Alley. That’s  a name for the Lower East Side, specifically Second Avenue. It was also called the “Yiddish Rialto” because actors performed there and ate at the local Jewish restaurants that served food (such as knishes). The term “Knish Alley”was first  recorded in the New York Times in 1953 (actually several decades after this play’s setting),  but it has had greater use recently in nostalgia for the old times.  Finstrom’s play will probably revive that usage, at least for  history buffs anxious to trace such colorful names and the wonderful world of Yiddish theatre.

Finstrom’s romantic comedy  has had as much of a “new beginning” history as his characters in this production.  Knish Alley has had several readings in South Florida before the current version evolved.  It also won the 2006 Best New Play competition from Palm Beach Dramaworks, which stages the annual playwriting friendly rivalry. Finstrom re-tuned this play while working on others, including two penned at his Sunshine State home —    All About Evan and Standing at the Gates of Janus,  both of which  received high praise at their South Florida readings in recent months.  Evan is taken from Finstrom’s career experiences in publishing; Janus, recounting his time in the military.

Knish Alley is set in the steerage area, as this group of  poor Yiddish actors travel to the new land  on board a luxury liner, working menial jobs on the ship by day and performing operettas  and various plays – even comedic Shakespearian re-writes — up on deck by night.  Finstrom has come up with a unique set of characters (all fictional as far as I know), including a budding playwright (a funny Kevin Reilley), a family of thespians (Steven A. Chambers, Miki Edelman, Kally Khourshid), a philandering stage star  (Todd Bruno), a pregnant actress (Jaime Libbert) and a handsome, “I-wanna-be an actor” , cabin-boy (the excellent David Hemphill). Broward Stage Door  Director Dan Kelley held the baton over this cast.

The second-act interchange between Reilley and Chambers in which they translate a Yiddish version of Shakespeare into American English –  using   “title  cards”  —  is priceless vaudeville-style comedy. It is a highlight of oft-mentioned potential play-within-a-play productions in Knish Alley, which includes references to Bella and the Blind Rabbi, Yankee Doodle Boychick as well as The Merchant of 2^nd Avenue.   Finstrom is at his best in writing laugh-provoking satires.

The show runs through August 30.  Call 954 344-7765.

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News

ENV Magazine

When you are the new kid on the playing field, you may want to show your prowess to prove to all the others that you are really quite talented and know you can keep up with the best of them.

Well, Clive Cholerton, who recently replaced Boca Raton-based Caldwell Theatre

Company’s founder Michael Hall, may be the newest artistic director in South

Florida, but his premiere work – Vices: A Love Story – demonstrates that he knows how

to select exciting new material, the kind of edgy program which can captivate an

audience. Suffice it to say, Cholerton is the quarterback who takes his six actors and his

amazingly adept collaborative team on a wild run, leading it to a touchdown!

Vices: A Love Story – first of all – is a world premiere, certainly a risky undertaking for

anyone.  When you hear “world premiere,” you often think it is probably a work in

progress, a play or musical which need some tweaking  before hitting the big boards.

This performance of Vices is the kind of production which seems so fine-tuned, it is

ready to go anywhere on the regional theatre circuit.

Secondly, Cholerton forged ahead into end zone territory by selecting a musical for his

premiere production. Although there have been musicals at Caldwell before in its thirty-

plus year history, the theatre had a reputation for its primary  mix of drama and comedy.

Its reputation for excellent sets and amazing costumes have been a benchmark for most

area theatres. A musical (certainly, a new one )  without taking away any credit from

Hall’s fantastic tenure as founding artistic director  –– is a risky undertaking.

Finally, Vices: A Love Story is told in music and dance – an avant garde method usually

most appreciated by twenty and thirty-something audience members and Caldwell’s seats

most respectfully  are filled by an older demographic audience.     Well, Cholerton

apparently had the vision to know his audience would respond to this work, no matter

what their chronological age might be.  It—and he —  received a standing ovation!

The show features six performers – all New York-based and all first-string players.

Dancers Marcus Bellamy and Holly Shunkey use their wordless performances to show us

a couple whose relationship is tested by a string of nowadays temptations – work stress,

shopping excesses, smoking, ganbling, along with age-less infidelity and 21sr

Century text messaging.—even an over the top love of chocolate. Their physicality is a

showstopper. It is difficult to take your eyes off of them as they slither and slide across

the set.

Keeping pace with the dynamic Bellamy-Shunkey physical grace are actors/singers

Natalie Venetia Belcon, Carlos L. Encinias,  Lara Janine, and Leajato Amara

Robinson.(this foursome use their voices to express the fears and frustrations of the

dancing couple).

Vices is the kind of show which must share credit and kudos among its creative team, as

well  as those onstage. Musical Director Jon Rose leads the band; Ilene Reid. Michael

Heitzman, Susan Draus and Everett Bradley are responsible for the music and lyrics, and

AC Cuilla makes the choreography inspiring. Add to this, Tim Bennett’s always

interesting set, lighting by John Hall, sound by Lane Starrat, costumes by Albert Arroyo

and some unusual projections by Sean Lawson.   This talented team  is coordinated

by Cholerton whose direction makes it all come alive with split-second accuracy.

It isn’t often that the artistic director becomes the center of attention.  Cholerton – who

already has a string of directorial achievements on his resume’ — proved

Vices: A Love Story is just another milestone in his career.

This show runs through Aug, 2.  Call  561-241-7432 or toll free at 1-877-245-7432—

www.caldwelltheatre.com.

Miami.- Artistic Director of Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida, Vladimir Issaev has been awarded the Arts Education Professional award for 2009 by the Florida Alliance of Arts Education.

FAAE has united educators, artists, community leaders, concerned citizens, arts education organizations, arts institutions and corporate partners to ensure Florida’s students a complete education that includes the arts. The award recognizes outstanding professionals whose dedication and contributions have benefited Florida’s arts education programs and the students they serve. Issaev has shown outstanding leadership to the dance community and brought arts alive through ballet performances and educational programs in local schools.

Vladimir Issaev is a world renowned ballet master and choreographer. Originally from Russia, and recently an American Citizen, he graduated from the Choreographic School of Voronezh. Issaev has served as Artistic Director at the Choreographic School of Frounze and Ballet Master of Ballet Nacional de Caracas – Teresa Carreño and until 2002 he worked as Ballet Master for Miami City Ballet School. He has choreographed ballets in Russia, United States, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

He is very flattered to be recognized not only by his students, but also by his colleagues in the State of Florida: This is certainly a great honor and this award encourages me to continue working with pleasure in what I know best to do – Issaev says – I am committed to give the best art education to the youth in our community.

Currently, Vladimir Issaev is the Artistic Director of Arts Ballet Theatre and his classical Ballet School, Aventura Dance Academy. Both are located at brand new, state of the art studios:

15939 Biscayne Blvd, North Miami Beach, FL 33160.

For more information you can call (305) 935-3232 or log onto http://artsballettheatre.org/ or http://www.classicalballetschool.com/index.php.

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News

ENVMagazine

Call it a revue!  Call it a mini-Vegas-style night club act!  But.no matter what you call it, the current offering  at Florida Stage in Manalapan is a  delight – a string of some 40 magnificent oldies delivered by a quintet of superb singers plus a power-group of four musicians.  What could be a better way of spending a couple of hours than having this talented group transport you back to the 1960s?

It’s called Some Kind of Wonderful and it’s being labeled as the “Summer Musical” which runs through  August 30. Basically, it’s a cool way to spend the steamy part of the Florida calendar.

Don’t look for some kind of story line. Don’t look for some philosophical meaning. It’s just down to earth, plain entertainment by Bill Castellino-Christopher McGovern, the same team which premiered Cagney! at Florida Stage earlier this year and are also working on a new show for the theatre’s 2010 season.

This show is all about the music – even though the audience could not help but snicker or applaud the 1960-65 “moments” when Sputnick, Jacqueline Kennedy, Dr, Kildare  as well as Barbie and Ken were as much a part of the scene as songs by Sinatra, the Beatles, Streisand, Ricky Nelson, Patsy Kline, the Supremes, the Four Seasons  and the Motown talent.

The show is a celebration of the music of this era – but in reality it goes well beyond the Camelot years.  It is also a celebration of 2009 musical talent .  The back-up musicians directed by Castellino are as much a part of the show as the five talented vocalists.  McGovern at the piano (he’s also musical director), along with fellow musicians Jason Curry, Neel Shukla and Rupert Ziawinski are a powerhouse of sharps and flats  as they offer some 40 unforgettable songs of 1960-65 vintage.

But, it would be inexcusable to forget the vocalists who one by one capture the nostalgia of the era when kids actually had curfews, went to drive in movies and had a favorite burger joint.

This group of five are basically some kind of wonderful!  And, the only fair way to discuss their brilliant vocalizing is to do it alphabetically:

Irene Adjan, a South Florida gem, goes kooky (sunglasses and all) as she delivers Patsy Kline’ s Crazy and Neil Sedaka’s Breaking Up is Hard to Do.  She is a steamroller of energy as she belts out her numbers…….Tenor Eric Collins – making his South Florida debut – is amazingly true to life as he does more than justice to Travelin” Man or an Elvis Presley rendition, His range is truly a gift……Dana Dawson, direct from New York,  belts out At Last  and It’s My Party as if she had been there 45 years ago, She is sensational…..Michelle Pereira does Besame Mucho and Moon River  with such emotion that the audience had to cheer loudly.  She is a powerhouse singer….and Barry J. Tarallo, another South Florida beloved vocalist, has never been better,  Not only is his voice superb but he shows off his talent as a guitarist in Your Cheating Heart and The Girl from Ipanema (a variation which would make Sinatra proud). Tarallo – in any other show – would be the show-stopper!!  He is dy-no-mite!!!

Just to witness the talents of these five singers is reason enough to head to Manalapan!

Richard Crowell’s simple set emphasizes the music; Erin Amico ‘s costume design seems to have come out of the 60s complete with two-tone shoes and vibrant colors, and Jim Hunter’s lighting genius  and Matt Kelly’s sound tuning become extra-important in several scenes.

Call 561-585-3433 or outside Palm Beach county at 1-800-514-3837.