The Asolo Rep’s world premiere only partly lives up to its promise.   By Kay Kipling   Playwright Jason Wells’ Men of Tortuga was an intriguing and exciting addition to the Asolo Rep’s lineup a couple of seasons ago, with a dark comedic viewpoint of the extremes to which men in power will go to [...]

Georges and Albin are together again in the Manatee Players’ La Cage. By Kay Kipling  Two productions of Jerry Herman’s St. Tropez-and-transvestites musical La Cage aux Folles in one local season? Ooh-la-la, mes amis.   The Golden Apple Dinner Theatre provided a strong production of the show earlier this season; now it’s the Manatee Players’ [...]

There’s not much flavor in Venice Theatre’s Willy Wonka. By Kay Kipling   The opening number in the musical stage version of Willy Wonka is Pure Imagination, and you’ll have to use yours pretty liberally to summon up much magic in the classic Roald Dahl tale. One understands that an onstage version of the piece, [...]

Time for one more ’70s trip with WBTTs Dynamic Duets at Art Center Sarasota.  By Kay Kipling Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is closing out its “Soulful Serenade” season with the current show, Dynamic Duets of the ’70s. It’s not the strongest of the three-show season (which included a production featuring hits by female singers of [...]