Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: Florida - Southern

2011-2012 Pride Series
At the Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Also see John's coverage of Live at Lynn

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts rings in the inaugural season of their 2011-12 Pride Series with theater icons Leslie Jordan and Varla Jean Merman, the special holiday return of the dragapella beauty shop quartet The Kinsey Sicks and Jon and Juan's Wedding, a uniquely South Florida interactive comedy of colliding cultures and lifestyles. Mark's List and Jump on Mark's List are the proud media partners of the new Broward Center 2011-12 Pride Series.

Jon and Juan's Wedding: From the multicultural menu of noodle kugel and salad alongside black beans and rice, ropa vieja and plantains, to the wedding cake topped by two grooms, Jon and Juan's Wedding makes interactive comedy hip again as the series opener. Audiences will take part in the ceremony and outrageous reception for Jon Silverman and Juan Rodriguez joining in the fun, mixing and mingling with the couple's outspoken Jewish and Cuban families, distraught ex-boyfriend and spaced-out best man. Tickets to the flamboyant, outrageous music, food and dance-filled extravaganza are $59.50 and include the wedding dinner and cake. Performances in the Abdo New River Room at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts are Wednesday, October 12 through Sunday, October 23 with show times Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6 p.m.

Oy Vey in a Manger: It's time to don your gay apparel and celebrate the season as The Kinsey Sicks returns in Oy Vey in a Manger. Combining a cappella singing, over-the-top drag and plenty of Jewish angst, the Kinsey Sicks turns its considerable talents to the global effort to stamp out holiday cheer. A cross between Capitol Steps and Sex in the City, the performance will feature holiday parodies such as "Harried Little Christmas," "Jews Better Watch Out," "Macaroona," "God Bless Ye Femmy Lesbians," "A Lay in a Manger," "Papirossen" and the new Christmas cuisine standard, "Soylent Night." Tickets are $35, with performances on Saturday, December 3 at 6 and 9 p.m. in the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

An evening with Leslie Jordan and Varla Jean Merman: Leslie Jordan has charmed and entertained audiences with his signature style of southern humor and LGBT material in his Off-Broadway hit My Trip Down the Pink Carpet, in indelible performances such as his Emmy Award-winning role as Beverly Leslie on "Will and Grace," and his signature role as Brother Boy in the film and television versions of Sordid Lives. Varla Jean Merman's alter ego Jeffery Roberson has played the role of Mary Sunshine in Chicago on Broadway, opened for Jennifer Holiday, and his shows featuring Merman have filled concert halls and cabarets across the world including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, New York Public Theater and London's Soho Theatre. Tickets are $40 and $50, with performances on Saturday, April 7 at 8 p.m. at Parker Playhouse.

These productions contain adult language and subject matter, and have performance dates which may be subject to change. Subscriptions range in price from $114.50 to $123 and, if purchased prior to October 23, offer a savings of 15 percent on each ticket. Subscribers to the full three-show series also may purchase single tickets prior to public sale to La Cage Aux Folles (June 12-24), a presentation of the Bank of America Broadway Across America-Ft. Lauderdale and Florida Theatrical Association in partnership with the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District at 201 SW Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts houses the Au-Rene Theater, the Amaturo Theatre, and the Abdo New River Room, and has affiliated venues at the Parker Playhouse, the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center, the Miramar Cultural Center and the newly opened Aventura Arts & Cultural Center.

Presentations at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts are sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Support is also contributed by the Broward Performing Arts Foundation, Inc. The Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment Consortium is a cultural partnership between the Performing Arts Center Authority, Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, Florida Grand Opera., Fort Lauderdale Historical Society and The Historic Stranahan House Museum. It is supported by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Visitors Bureau. For any of the offerings of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts you may contact them by phone at 954-462-0222 or online at www.browardcenter.org. A telecommunications device (TTY) is open during regular box office hours by calling 954-468-3283.


See the current theatre season schedule for southern Florida.

-- John Lariviere