Clive Cholerton’s life-changing moment sounds like a scene from High School Musical.
Like Zac Efron’s character, Cholerton was a square-jawed jock who excelled at every sport. One year, the school’s music teacher approached members of the football team about appearing in a stage production of Oliver! for a class credit.
“The teacher needed more guys in the show,” Cholerton recalled. “But I never desired to be in theater and I was a decent student who didn’t need the credit.” Read the full story
Ron Paolillo as Arnold Horshack
How do you go from class clown to class teacher?
Ask Ron Palillo.
The former Welcome Back, Kotter star, who played the goofy Arnold Horshack on the hit ABC sitcom, has joined the staff of G-Star School of the Arts as a ninth grade acting teacher.
Don’t laugh.
This isn’t the 60-year-old Palillo’s first time in front of students. In fact, he’s a seasoned educator who has lectured at high schools and colleges around the country. He also started the popular class, Acting for Film and Television at the University of Connecticut, his alma mater.
“I am so excited to be back in the classroom, especially teaching aspiring actors and actresses at such a young age,” Palillo said in a statement. “G-Star and their students are just exceptional.”
Palillo has appeared in more than 150 TV shows, including Ellen, Murder, She Wrote and One Life to Live. He has also starred on stage in such productions as Amadeus, Guys and Dolls and Camelot.
Greg Hauptner, G-Star founder and CEO, said Palillo asked to join the charter school after working with the students on the film Dog Gone Tale: Destiny’s Stand.
“I almost fell out of my chair,” Hauptner said. “I said, ‘Oh my God, yes! I’d take you in a heartbeat.’”
Palillo will teach entry-level acting his first year, Hauptner said. The following year, he’s scheduled to run the school’s adult education program.
The veteran actor, who couldn’t be reached for comment, is no stranger to Palm Beach County, having served as artistic director for the Cuillo Center for the Arts where he directed and acted in A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline and The Phantom of the Opera.
But he’ll always be remembered as the funny looking kid with the curly ‘fro and in the green jacket who kept raising his hand in class and shouting, “Ooooh! Ooooh! Ooooh! Pick me Mr. Kotter!”
Now G-Star has.
Some shows take time to reel you in. Others never do.
The Whipping Man grabs you by the throat almost instantly and never lets go. In the opening scene of Matthew Lopez’s terrific play, a wounded Confederate soldier returns to his abandoned Virginia plantation where his gangrenous leg is amputated by the loyal ex-slave who served his Jewish family for years.
The scene is horrific and chilling, but never gratuitous under Clive Cholerton’s careful direction. The scene also works on two levels: It immediately gets your attention and sets the stage for an absorbing 90 minutes of theater you shouldn’t miss.
The Whipping Man isn’t a feel-good play. Although there is some humor sprinkled throughout, you won’t leave the theater humming or skipping to your car. But you will leave feeling satisfied after having seen a top-shelf production punctuated by the show’s exceptional three-man cast. Lopez has crafted a juicy yarn about faith, dark secrets, the horrors of slavery and how dark secrets have a tendency to inevitably creep to light and wreck lives in the process.
It’s the last day of the Civil War as a badly injured Caleb (Nick Duckhart) comes home with a bullet hole in his leg. He begs his long-time black slave, Simon (John Archie), to nurse him back to health. While Simon is more than happy to oblige, John (Brandon Morris), a Nat Turner-like former slave, doesn’t understand how Simon can be so kind to a man who owned — and whipped — him. But Simon has long since adopted his Jewish faith, including celebrating Passover and praying in Hebrew even though he can’t read.
“I could write the history of this house,” Simon bellows in defiance.
“If you could write,” John replies angrily.
Over the next two days, the lives — and fates — of all three men will change forever as family skeletons are unearthed and long-held truths are revealed.
All three actors turn in bravura performances. Morris is particularly mesmerizing as he recalls the days he was sent to the Whipping Man, vividly described as a man who reeked of whiskey and sweat. With a thundering stomp and clap, Morris skillfully commands the stage and will make you feel his character’s pain much like Denzel Washington did in the movie Glory as that single tear slowly spilled down his cheek.
As Caleb and John, Duckhart and Morris enjoy a witty, rat-a-tat-tat banter that is almost the male equivalent of Rory and Lorelai Gilmore on the old TV show, Gilmore Girls. And Archie is magnificent in a role that requires him to morph from loyal, Uncle Tom-ish ex-slave to an angry free man desperately searching for his place in a brave new world.
Meanwhile, Tim Bennett’s dilapidated plantation set design is spot-on. Lighting and sound effects are also perfectly utilized, particularly during the grisly amputation scene that will leave you feeling horrified — and glad you bought a ticket to see The Whipping Man.
The Whipping Man
A
Where: The Caldwell Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton
When: Through Aug. 30
Tickets: $38-$47.50
The verdict: A thoroughly absorbing and brooding saga that represents local theater at its best.
It’s almost that time again.
No, not the start of school.
Dancing with the Stars is almost here! Yes, the ninth season is scheduled to start on Sept. 21. This morning the cast was revealed on Good Morning America.
Donny Osmond: Following in his sister Marie’s danceprints, adorable Donny attempts to prove if he’s still One Bad Apple. Let’s hope there are no horrid doll routines.
Macy Gray: Even if the funky R&B star doesn’t do well, at least we know her hair will be entertaining.
Melissa Joan Hart: The former Sabrina the Teenage Witch cutie recently made headlines by losing 42 pounds of baby fat weight. (She looked terrific on the cover of People.) Hoofing on Dancing is a fine way to keep it off.
Kathy Ireland: Hot models haven’t fared so well on Dancing. Something tells me Kathy won’t change that trend.
Mya: Ummm…ummm…ummm. Translation: Mya’s fine and I hope the sultry R&B star sticks around for a long time.
Mark Dacascos: Known mostly as “The Chairman” on Iron Chef America. He’s also a martial arts expert. Which means if the judges give him low scores, Mark can karate chop them to death. Kinky Bruno may like that, though.
Ashley Hamilton: Paris Hilton’s ex. Made a steamy sex video. Is George Hamilton’s kid. That’s his resume. In that order.
Michael Irvin: It wouldn’t be a true Dancing with the Stars without a former football player who also happens to be African-American. If Irvin’s feet move as fast as his mouth, the NFL Hall of Famer will go far.
Tom DeLay: The one-time House Majority Leader and my early pick to be the first star hoofer sent packing.
Natalie Coughlin: Who? Lemme check the press release. OK, Natalie is an Olympic swimming gold meadlist. There’s no water this time, though.
Joanna Krupa: Again…who? Lemme check the, oh, you know the rest. Joanna’s a Polish model/actress no one knows. That’s gonna change. Good career move, Joanna.
Debi Mazur: If this show was called Cursing with the Stars, Debi would win in a landslide. Her sky blue eyes always kinda freaked me out. What? I’m just sayin.
Kelly Osbourne: It’s been a few years since The Osbournes. Kelly was obviously suffering from reality TV withdrawal.
Aaron Carter: Has the teenybopper vote on lock.
Chuck Liddell: If Chuck can’t dance — and I’m guessing he can’t — put the beefy ultimate fighter in a steel cage with Mark Dacascos and let ‘em duke it out to the death. Wait…that show will be on Fox in the fall.
Louie Vitto: Another Who? Oh, he’s a professional snowboarder. OK. Guess that explains why he’s on the show.
Mad Men isn’t an easy show to review.
You never want to give away too much story or plot while reviewing AMC’s deliciously brooding drama.
Mad Men returns tonight (10 p.m.) for a third season and it no longer can fly under the radar as “The Little AMC Show That Could.”
When your show wins a best drama Emmy, nabs consecutive Golden Globes for best TV drama and earns 16 Emmy nominations, well, viewers are going to start paying attention and wondering what all the fuss is about.
The cast of Mad Men
Mad Men isn’t an easy show to review.
Not because it’s bad. It isn’t. Far from it, in fact, as the show’s recent Emmy and Golden Globe awards attest.
AMC’s deliciously brooding drama is hard to review because we critics must always choose our words extremely carefully while reviewing it. You never want to give away too much story or plot for fear of some AMC suit kidnapping your firstborn for committing such an unforgivable sin.
It’s like writing about Lost in that way. Or The Sopranos when HBO’s gritty mob series was the watercooler show everyone was talking about.
Theater is often used as an escape, a way to transport oneself to another world or universe while temporarily forgetting the stress that every day life brings.
Ever since its London debut in 1999, Mamma Mia! has delighted audiences around the globe and served as the perfect mind-freeing destination for those seeking a night of bouncy, disco-filled fun.
It’s no accident that over 40 million people have chosen to see Mamma Mia!, which is based on the hit songs of the Swedish pop group ABBA, or that it has earned more than $2 billion at the box office.
As part of its national tour, Mamma Mia! made its Kravis Center premiere Tuesday night. While the show unquestionably remains the lovably kitschy, candy-colored concoction it’s always been, it fell somewhat short of all the hype surrounding it.
(For more information, click on our event listing).
The story, however, still tugs at the heartstrings and leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy. And many of the songs (Dancing Queen, S.O.S., Honey Honey,) may have you dusting off your bell-bottoms and polyester suits and boogeying.
The plot goes like this: A spirited 20-year-old woman named Sophie (Liana Hunt) is about to get married on the idyllic Greek island where she lives with her headstrong single mom, Donna (Michelle Dawson). Sophie wants her father to walk her down the aisle, but unfortunately she doesn’t know her father’s identity.
The only clue is her mom’s diary in which she writes about three men — Sam (John Hemphill), an American architect; Bill (Martin Kildare), a brassy Aussie travel writer and Harry (Michael Aaron Lindner), a stuffy Brit — who could be her dad. So, without her mom’s knowledge, Sophie invites all three men to her wedding. Not surprisingly, that’s when Mamma Mia! turns into a Lifetime-ish dramedy, only one with catchy songs, more colorful costumes and one very strange dream sequence involving scuba gear.
Mamma Mia! doesn’t work as well as it could have mostly because at times it’s difficult to understand the lyrics written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. The orchestra had the annoying tendency of drowning out the actors’ singing voices. This happened way too often to Dawson, who has a lovely voice when you could actually hear it. That only made it harder to emotionally invest in the characters when you actually wanted to.
Also, Bill and Harry, who serve as good comic relief, came off a little too goofy. Kinda like cardboard characters on a sitcom. When it came time to flex their dramatic muscles, neither actor was really up to the task and their moments with Sophie fell a little flat.
Meanwhile, Rachel Tyler and Kittra Wynn Coomer almost steal the show as Donna’s gal pals, Rosie, a horny carefree sort and Tanya, the thrice divorced rich chick who has some pretty impressive dance moves.
As for Hunt, not only does she possess a powerful pop belter’s voice, she’s also a wonderful bundle of energy and enthusiasm. Hunt easily makes you feel Sophie’s hopes, frustrations, joy and pain. You definitely want to root for her — and her show.
Mamma Mia!
B-
Where: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. West Palm Beach
When: Through Sunday
Tickets: $25-$90
The verdict: A good production of the popular musical that could’ve been a better if the band didn’t drown out the actors’ singing voices.
Event details: Directions, parking info, more
Very often local theaters stage fun, upbeat productions during the summer months. The Caldwell Theatre recently did that with Vices: A Love Story.
But it’s going in a completely different direction with The Whipping Man, a somber drama by Matthew Lopez. In the show, a badly wounded Confederate soldier returns to his plantation on the last day of the Civil War. He sees his former slaves and, in a twisted case of irony, begs them to take care of him. Read the full story
It’s no secret that Mamma Mia! has become an international sensation since its London debut 10 years ago.
For more information click on our event listing
Over 40 million people worldwide have seen the feel-good stage musical. The show has grossed over $2 billion – yes, billion! – at the box office. Four new foreign language productions are scheduled to open this year.
Even a lousy (but pretty to look at) film adaptation couldn’t slow the show’s momentum.
Remember that awful Mamma Mia! film? The one panned by most critics?
The Kravis Center sure hopes you’ve forgotten. That’s because the beloved Broadway musical is coming to South Florida for a six-night run, starting Tuesday. Read the full story
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