Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: Florida - Southern

Broadway Cabaret Series
Christian Hoff

Also see John's review of Sweeney Todd


Christian Hoff
The Cultural Trust of the Palm Beaches is proud to announce their new 2008 Broadway Cabaret Series, featuring a dynamic collection of award winning and critically acclaimed performers.  The concept behind the series is to produce a showcase of intimate concerts with current Broadway headliners who will leave the stage in New York for one-night-only performances here in Florida. "We are excited to offer our patrons access to the top names on Broadway today and usher in a stellar concert series," commented Manuel Bornia, Chief Artistic Officer of the Cultural Trust. This event launches a new initiative to bring Broadway to Wellington as a part of the programs at The Cultural Campus. The Broadway Cabaret Series, presented by Harris Private Bank, hopes to be the most exciting new performance series in Palm Beach.

Tony Award winner Christian Hoff will kick off the season and the series on January 19, at 8pm.   Hoff is currently starring on Broadway as founder of the Four Seasons Tommy DeVito in the Tony Award winning musical Jersey Boys.  This concert features what the media has dubbed Hoff's "signature charismatic style" supported by a collection of musicians direct off the Jersey Boys stage.

Christian Hoff began his stage and screen career at age eight. When he was eleven, he followed his father and brother into music, and bought his first guitar.  By age twelve he was a member of three professional actors' unions: Actors Equity Association (AEA), the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

Christian's first break on screen was dancing a pas de deux with Shirley Maclaine in her television special "Every Little Movement."  His first break on stage was in the original Los Angeles company of Evita under the direction of Harold Prince. Christian balanced a family life in San Diego and his theatrical career in Hollywood, while bridging the transition from child actor to young adult. During those years he utilized his talent and experience to continue doing what he loved best with guest appearances and regular roles in television and film, commercials and regional stage productions.

His most notable career highlights on screen include portraying Walt Disney in One Man's Dream, providing the voice of Richie Rich in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series of the same name, hosting the cable series "Eyes and Ears Inside Disney," and playing Shelley Winters' bad-boy step-son in her sitcom "Shelley."  On stage he replaced David Arquette as Frank 'N' Furter in the Los Angeles production of The Rocky Horror Show  and toured as King Herod with Sebastian Bach in Jesus Christ Superstar. His Broadway debut was in The Who's Tommy (original cast album) with Michael Cerveris, and his Broadway return was starring as Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys (original cast album).  Christian has been a guitarist and singer in a number of bands, and has performed on "The Today Show," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "The Late Show with David Lettermen." Christian is father to the Eli, Erika and Baby Elizabeth and husband to actress Melissa Hoff.

The Broadway Cabaret Series will be held at the Grand Marquee at the Cultural Campus located adjacent to the Mall at Wellington, at 2175 Wellington Green Dr., in Wellington, FL.  The Grand Marquee is a 8,200 square. ft. theatrical pavilion with over 500 seats, and gourmet concessions for food/beverage that will be the new temporary home for the entire 2008 program series by The Cultural Trust.  The collection of events is expected to sell out quickly, but series tickets are available. For more information and/or tickets, please call the box office at 800-514-3849 or go to www.culturaltrustpb.org.


See the current theatre season schedule for southern Florida.

-- John Lariviere