All stories by Bill Hirschman on BroadwayStars

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Report From New York: Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt Questions Assimilation by Bill Hirschman

Leopoldstadt's breathtaking scene of a family's debate whether to flee the Third Reich -- ended by a knock on the door -- is only one facet in Tom Stoppard's borderline masterpiece that trac…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 05:48PM
Thursday, December 15, 2022

Aesop’s Fable-ous Xmas Tree Gifts Tales To Celebrate by Bill Hirschman

In Aesop’s Fable-ous Christmas Tree at Main Street Players, Aesop’s fables receive a holiday spin in vignettes illuminating important life lessons by reinventing the classic fables. Humo…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 10:06AM
Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Wick Cinderella Is a 21st Century Reboot of the Classic by Bill Hirschman

Charm bubbles throughout the Wick Theatre’s lush production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, a very 21st Century riff on the classic musical that can legitimately be promoted as …

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 10:54PM

Cast of Region’s Top Actors Triumph in 12 Angry Men by Bill Hirschman

A baker’s dozen actors we’ve seen in myriad roles over the past decade or more submerge themselves so deeply in their characters that they are nearly unrecognizable. An unequalled assemb…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 01:06PM
Sunday, December 11, 2022

Ethics, People Are Dispensable In Hnath’s Scathing Red Speedo by Bill Hirschman

A tattoo of a sea serpent is playwright Lucas Hnath’s damning metaphor for the grip of ambition to the point that betrayal of anyone is an accepted expedient in the scathing Red Speedo fr…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 03:18PM
Friday, December 9, 2022

Misfit Nerds Spell ‘Winning” In MNM’s Putnam Spelling Bee by Bill Hirschman

That every hero and heroine in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a misfit we secretly recognize from the bathroom mirror explains how this musical has thrived 17 years. Add to su…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 11:24AM
Thursday, December 8, 2022

New City Players’ It’s A Wonderful Life Is Indeed by Bill Hirschman

In the 21st Century, the adjective “merry” has fallen out of use except in conjunction with a holiday. But “merry” is precisely the right word to describe the brew of warmth and humo…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 06:03PM
Tuesday, December 6, 2022

City Theatre’s Constitution May Be Season’s Most Important Play by Bill Hirschman

The contradictions of what we say the Constitution is, what we want it to be, and what it really is, what it really does are at the heart of one of the most timely and important pieces of t…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 12:06PM
Saturday, December 3, 2022

Welcome the Circus at Maltz Theater’s Funny Thing Happened by Bill Hirschman

The circus has come to town with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. In this time of upheaval and uncertainty, sometimes what you need is a dose of s…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 01:54PM
Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Report From New York: & Juliet Lands Even If You Don’t Know Any Katy Perry Hit Songs by Bill Hirschman

While the younger audience at & Juliet is beyond delighted how more than 30 beloved 21st Century standards were slipped into the plot, you don’t have to have a scintilla of familiarity…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 08:36PM
Monday, November 28, 2022

Justice Is Only Part of the Goal in Dramaworks’ 12 Angry Men by Bill Hirschman

Actors and other artists are huddling at Palm Beach Dramaworks in preparation for a timely revival of 12 Angry Men that looks at interpersonal interplay as well as justice. The post Justice…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 09:36AM
Saturday, November 26, 2022

Report From New York: Race Expands Death of a Salesman by Bill Hirschman

The newest edition of Death of a Salesman emanates an unique vibe, not simply because the Loman family is African-American. Racial overtones inarguably add an extra topspin on the socio-econ…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 02:32PM
Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Hamilton Rises Up at Broward Center Even Better Than Before by Bill Hirschman

Has the mega-hit musical Hamilton lost its sheen since it opened in 2015 before embarking on tours? It has not. Now playing at the Broward Center, this rendition actually is a stronger produ…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 05:32PM
Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Dorothy’s Dictionary at Theatre Lab Is Entry Worth Looking Up by Bill Hirschman

In a time when so much theater and film seem dependent on sling-shots of unexpected left turns there’s a quiet life-affirming pleasure in a work that follows precisely the arc you expect …

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 12:12PM
Monday, November 21, 2022

Brinin’ Back The Quartet With Holiday Holly and Spangles by Bill Hirschman

Elvis, Carl, Johnny and Jerry Lee return for the Million Dollar Quartet Christmas at Actors' Playhouse with the same virtues and flaws as the previous editions: impressive musicians with wi…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 12:12AM
Friday, November 18, 2022

2022 Remy Awards Named By South Florida Theatre League by Bill Hirschman

The South Florida Theatre League has announced the 2022 Remy Awards recipients to be given at a live ceremony Dec. 5. The post 2022 Remy Awards Named By South Florida Theatre League first ap…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 09:54AM
Thursday, November 17, 2022

Report From New York: Almost Famous Is Pleasant If Not Memorable Musical by Bill Hirschman

There’s nothing badly constructed or even half-baked about the pleasant Almost Famous based on the film, but only Boomers will see it as much more than a mildly diverting curiosity. It’s…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 05:32PM
Thursday, November 10, 2022

Remembering Jan McArt Next Week by Bill Hirschman

A large crowd of fans and colleagues from all over the country are expected to gather next week for the memorial for The First Lady of South Florida Theater Jan McArt who died in January 202…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 09:54AM
Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Race & Diversity Honored in Return of Live Carbonell Awards by Bill Hirschman

Concerns about race and diversity in South Florida theater – issues that absorbed its leaders’ attention during the pandemic – garnered considerable attention at the 45th annual Carbon…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 12:54AM

Winners, Nominees and Stats for the 45th Carbonell Awards by Bill Hirschman

Winners and Nominees of the 25 Annual Carbonell Awards competitive categories The post Winners, Nominees and Stats for the 45th Carbonell Awards first appeared on Florida Theater On Stage.

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 12:54AM
Monday, November 7, 2022

Seniors Revitalize Their Lives In The Savannah Sipping Society. by Bill Hirschman

The Savannah Sipping Society from Pigs Do Fly Productions is a hilarious, moving, and rejuvenating play about older women determined to live life to the fullest by seeking out new adventures…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 01:54PM
Saturday, November 5, 2022

‘Thin Place’ Explores a Conduit ‘Tween the Living & the Dead by Bill Hirschman

The hard truth is that virtually no live theater is really chilling. A moment might make you jump, but a production likely will not haunt you. Okay, the London production of The Woman in Bla…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 06:03PM
Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Not the Retelling of the Elian Saga You Might Expect by Bill Hirschman

The world premiere Elián at Miami New Drama is not remotely what you expect. Elián is not really about Elián. It’s about the political, social and moral firestorm fueled by ego, pride a…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 04:48PM
Monday, October 31, 2022

Uncertainty is the Desired Hallmark in Heisenberg by Bill Hirschman

There is a delightful irony to Heisenberg, GableStage’s enthralling play about uncertainty: When you leave it, you’re not quite sure what it was really about. The reward is you can debat…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 06:54PM
Sunday, October 30, 2022

Like the Jersey Boys Sang, ‘Oh, What A Night’ at the Maltz by Bill Hirschman

Much of the audience at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s opening night of Jersey Boys was its traditional well-heeled well-coiffed crowd. But their increasingly unfettered applause, then cheers…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 09:13AM
Saturday, October 29, 2022

Blow, Winds: Florida Theaters Return After Hurricane Ian by Bill Hirschman

Hurricane Ian inflicted severe multi-million-dollar damage to the Florida Repertory Theatre in Fort Myers and the Venice Theatre as well a some damage to Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples. But a…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 10:13AM
Friday, October 28, 2022

Butterflies Are Free Once Again at Riverside In Vero Beach by Bill Hirschman

Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach opened its 50th season with Butterflies Are Free, a charming romantic comedy harkening back to the years of the theater’s beginning. While it may not be the…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 03:33PM
Tuesday, October 25, 2022

A Musical Beauty ‘Pageant’ Like None You’ve Seen – Probably by Bill Hirschman

The musical comedy Pageant at Island City Stage delivers a lush array of talented contestants in carefully coifed wigs and gowns -- except they're all men. The post A Musical Beauty ‘Pagea…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 12:13PM
Monday, October 24, 2022

Attend the Tale Once Again of Sweeney Todd at PPTOPA by Bill Hirschman

But the complexity of Sweeney Todd with tongue-twisting lyrics and a breakneck score is, far more difficult to master than most civilians appreciate. So render props to Pembroke Pines Theatr…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 09:55AM
Sunday, October 23, 2022

Director Explores Reinventing Jersey Boys for the Maltz by Bill Hirschman

When director-choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge agreed to lead the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s edition of the much-seen Jersey Boys, the challenge was to invest the familiar production with a…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 12:03PM
Saturday, October 22, 2022

Sensory-Rich, Physicalized Production of Mlima’s Tale by Bill Hirschman

Zoetic Stage’s Mlima’s Tale is a theatrically-lush indictment of illegal ivory trafficking and shared responsibility for the slaughter of animals, not so much for the artistic trinkets t…

SOURCE: Florida Theater On Stage at 01:07PM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic
TBA: Ragtime