PIAF | Boca Raton Tribune Review

                                                                                                       

Victoria Lauzun is Piaf

By Skip Sheffield

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Women are at the forefront of two new plays that opened this week in Delray Beach.

“Piaf” is a dramatization of the life of French torch singer Edith Piaf. This play with music runs through Dec. 14 at Delray Square Performing Arts, 4809 W. Atlantic Ave. at Military Trail.

There is a romantic, idealized view of the tragic chanteuse, and Edith Piaf certainly fits that description.
The best thing about “Piaf,” a 1978 Tony Award-winning play by Pam Gems, is its star, Victoria Lauzin. Ms. Lauzun embodies the soul of the “little sparrow,” who was born in 1915 and died of liver disease in 1963 at age 47. This comes as no surprise, considering Piaf’s reckless lifestyle. Piaf was the embodiment of “live fast, die young.”
“Every damn fool thing you do in this life you pay for,” were her famous last words. Yet “Piaf” is not a downer. It is more a salute to an indomitable spirit, known by her signature song “La Vie en Rose.”

While that rosy song is what is most people associate with Edith Piaf, my favorite is "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" (No, I Regret Nothing). No, me neither.

Playing Edith's best gal pal and confidante Toine is Courtney Poston, familiar to patrons of Boca Raton's Slow Burn Theatre Company.

Like Edith, Toine is a woman of "easy virtue" in a demi-monde of seedy characters.

Providing super-human musical support is pianist Phil Hinton, who is obscured onstage behind a panel. Musical Director Hinton is at least as important as the characters. I think he should be front, if not center, but that decision is up to director Gary Waldman, who also plays Leplee and a doctor and contributed English lyrics to the French songs.

With the exception of Victoria Anderson as famed cabaret singer Josephine Baker, the rest of the cast is young and a bit uneven. But hey it's live theater in a converted movie fourplex, and if Edith Piaf is your thing, this is well worth a look.

Tickets are $37.50 ($30 group). Call 561-880-0319 or go to www.delraysquarearts.com.

PIAF by Pam Gems | Runs through December 14, 2014 at Delray Square Performing Arts

PIAF, rarely staged revival of Pam Gems’ Broadway bio-epic to kick off Delray Square Performing Arts’ 2014-2015 Season

French singer and cultural icon Edith Piaf is celebrated in this powerful musical drama following her rise from the streets of Paris to the international stage.
The life and career of Edith Piaf was as unique and disparate as her distinctive singing style. Although the details of her early life were never quite clear and completely undocumented, legend has it that the young Edith Gassion was raised in a brothel by her grandmother while her parents worked as performers. She sang in public for the first time in 1929, aged 14, when she joined her father in his acrobatic street shows. The years that followed were spent as a street singer and it was in 1935 that she was discovered by nightclub owner, Louis Leplee and starting her career in his exclusive Cluny Club off the Champs-Elysees.
It was Leplee who coined the Piaf moniker as he saw her as the ‘little sparrow’, for her petite frame and extreme nervousness at singing on stage, her fragile appearance creating a striking contrast against her powerful and mesmerizing voice. And it was the murder of Leplee by gangland thugs and acquaintances of Piaf that actually catapulted her career, even though she was quickly dismissed as a suspect in the slaying. Still, as her popularity and fame increased so too did the drama that was to shape her life. Connections to the French Resistance, addictions to morphine and alcohol, a  dramatic love life that was to end in tragedy all to contribute to her enigmatic and ill-fated life.
PIAF was performed for the first time in 1978 at the RSC before moving to the West End and then transferring to Broadway where Jane Lapotaire’s portrayal of Piaf won her the 1981 Tony Award as Best Actress. The show had two West End revival productions, the first in 1993-94 starring Elaine Page, and another from 2008-2010 starring Argentinian actress /singer, Elena Roger who won the Olivier Award for her portrayal. PIAF is very, very rarely presented in a regional theater setting.
The Delray Square Performing Arts production, helmed by director, Gary Waldman is considered a re-working of the piece using elements of the original West End and Broadway scripts and sections of a revamped script by Gems written for the 2010 West End revival shortly before her demise in 2011. As all of the music in PIAF is taken directly from the chanteuse’s songbook (there are no “original” songs in the score hence the reason it is generally referred to as a ‘play with music’ as opposed to a traditional musical), Waldman has also made some adjustments to the score and has added a major new element with his English translation of many of the lyrics.  Waldman’s credits as a published lyricist go span over twenty-five years and include his five original musical-comedies and the literally hundreds of Yiddish-to-English translations he has penned over his celebrated career in the ‘American-Jewish-Yiddish Theater’.
The Delray Square production will feature VICTORIA LAUZUN in the iconic Piaf role. Lauzun is a recent south Florida transplant with several New York credits including regional and off-Broadway productions of Ragtime, Urinetown and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change!
South Florida favorite, COURTNEY POSTON plays Piaf’s oldest friend and confident who comes in and out of her life at various stages. Other well know figures include VICTORIA ANDERSON as Josephine Baker (a close friend and confidant of Piaf’s who toured with her extensively in the 1950’s), WALDMAN in a cameo role as Leplee, RICHARD FORBES (seen in almost every Delray Square production to date) who will portray World middleweight champion boxer, Marcel Cerdan, the love of Piaf’s life who was killed in a plane crash while returning to Paris to see her. JACOB GRANT ALEXANDER, SCOTT GUNNER, JONATHAN EISEL, LISA GLASSMAN and JUSTIN SCHNEYER make up other characters in Piaf’s life as the show spans a period of about thirty-five years from her discovery until her death at age forty-seven.
Featuring the iconic torch songs, La Vie En Rose, Ne Me Quitte Pa, Non, Je ne Regrette Rien and about a dozen others performed live on stage with Hinton’s accompaniment, PIAF vividly portrays the rise and fall of this charismatic and unforgettable performer.

PLEASE NOTE: PIAF contains some very strong language that some may consider objectionable. Some customers might consider this play to be unsuitable for children.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

PIAF – by Pam Gems

Reduced-price previews: November 7th – 9th

Official Run of Show: Nov 12 – Dec 14, 2014
Wednesdays – Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm

DELRAY SQUARE PERFORMING ARTS
4809 W. Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, 33445

Box Office: 561-880-0319    
Website: www.DelraySquareArts.com

Presented by: Delray Square Performing Arts, Florida Theater Productions, Inc., Jamison Troutman & Gary Waldman, Producers

Music Director: Phil Hinton
Production Stage Manager: Joseph Long
General Manager: Margot Burrall
Assistant Director: Lisa Glassman
Set/Technical Direction: Richard Forbes
Executive Producer: Jamison Troutman

Directed by GARY WALDMAN

Tickets: $37.50 p/p (3 or 4 part series $30/performance)

Discount for Groups of 10+

WHAT I LEARNED IN FALLSBURG |Palm Beach Arts Paper Review

‘Fallsburg’ a personal, poignant look back at Borscht Belt

Written by Palm Beach Arts Paper Staff on 09 October 2014.

By Dale King

Gone, sadly, are the nostalgic “Borscht Belt” days when visitors to the Catskills used to roar with laughter at comedians named Red, Lenny, Rusty, Mort, Zero and Herschel, among others. Yes, even The Three Stooges and Joan Rivers.

Delray Square Performing Arts Center partner Gary Waldman remembers that era well – because he lived it. He and his family were part of the bungalow brigade that made the annual summer trek to north New York for Jewish humor, fun and food. Inspired by those legends, he took to singing and dancing on stage at the age of 6. And he only looked back once — to say goodbye to those kitschy lodgings in the late 1970s.

As the self-proclaimed, fourth generation “American-Jewish kid from Queens” approached 50, he gathered up recollections of his 35-plus years as a producer, director, performer and composer in a mélange of musical memories called What I Learned in Fallsburg. The show opened for a two-week run in September and has been extended through Oct. 19.

The autobiographical production gives Waldman a musical license to hit the high notes of his career that extends from Fallsburg, N.Y., in the heart of the Catskills, to South Florida, in the heart of Dixie. The combination of songs and skits includes Yiddish melodies, yuk-able song parodies and a few smooth tunes with pinpoint harmony, with help from other performers. Songs from recent Waldman-written revues that drew from the noteworthy portfolios of Barry Manilow and Paul Simon are also staged.

Joining him are Aminah Cox, a Brooklynite and dance student, and Michael Wallace, who has already notched a few musicals.

Waldman weaves stories about his life into this very personal pastiche. The Yiddish tunes catch fire with many of the New York transplants in the audience. And while the words may not mean much to you, the singer who spent 18 months learning the Germanic-sounding tongue modulates his voice to evoke laughter, sadness, sorrow and joy. In this way, the music truly tells the tale.

One thing is clear. Waldman’s got powerful lungs. His tunes sometimes threaten to overpower the sound system. But in typical showman style, he is controlled, but still passionate about pleasing the gallery.

Before he enters the Yiddish vein, Waldman delivers a well-heeled tune from Cab Calloway’s binder, “Minnie the Moocher.” As he walks the sparsely decorated stage, he comes up with another old-timer, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

Before he leaves the Catskills, he invokes audience participation, asking folks who were also part of that era to recall some of the towns and hotels that once populated the mountain resort. He’s not finished with New York yet. This time, he heads for Brooklyn, specifically, the Loew’s Pitkin Theatre on Pitkin Avenue. He mentions more historic names, to the crowd’s delight, and recalls his first musical, which he wrote at age 29,Meet Me at the Pitkin.

He then offers up a parody that gets his audience laughing. It’s a tale about a comedian who gets whacked by the mob. Called “Blame it on La Cosa Nostra,” it’s sung to the tune of “Blame It on the Bossa Nova.”

The show’s conclusion is an interesting mix. Waldman talks of his own arrival in Florida where he has written shows and songs. He skewers property associations with his song, “Al Shapiro, the condo commando.” He also vocalizes tunes from his Manilow revue and “Sounds of Simon,” reprising his role as the homeless man from that production.

Waldman’s look-back becomes particularly poignant with his tender rendition of “Yesterday When I was Young.”

Music for the show comes from the Delray Square Band, a talented trio that includes musical director Phil Hinton on piano, Roy Fantel on drums and Dave Tomasello on bass. Like Waldman, all have musical roots that touch many big-name performers.

The show runs for two hours with no intermission, so plan accordingly.

What I Learned in Fallsburg will be performed the weekends of Oct.10 and Oct. 17 at the Delray Square Performing Arts Center, 4809 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. For tickets, call 561-880-0319.

Delray Square Performing Arts Announces its 2014-2015 Musical Theater Season and a Fall 2014 Special Event …

A 3-Musical Subscription Series + a Very 

Special Event in September make for an 

especially exciting 

2014-2015 Musical Theater Season!

*** SPECIAL EVENT Fall, 2014 ***

Gary Waldman

WHAT I LEARNED IN FALLSBURG

Music Director: PHIL HINTON Conducting the Delray Square Band

And Featuring VICTORIA ANDERSON & RICHARD FORBES 

for a Truly Unique Evening

September 12th - 21st Only! Extended thru Oct 19th

Fri & Sat at 8pm, Sun at 2pm

Tickets only $27.50 with discounts for GROUPS of 10+

An evening of hits from Waldman's 35+-year career including lots of YIDDISH favorites, songs by Jewish composers, and an array of special treats performed by one of south Florida's most prolific veteran singer/actor, director, composer, lyricist, producer and stage directors.

A truly unique evening of music and 'shtick' from one of the area's favorite and best reviewed performers:

GREAT VOICE, dynamic energy and whirlwind personality that knocks down all barriers, ethnic or linguistic, to an evening of SHEER PLEASURE. - Sun-Sentinel

Gary Waldman faced a skeptical audience and immediately won them over! His new show gave him the opportunity to display his histrionic and singing abilities to their best advantage! - Jewish Journal

An EXCELLENT VOICE! Uniquely interesting! - Palm Beach Arts Paper

Gary Waldman is a man of MANY TALENTS! - Entertainment News

**********************************************************************

All season performances Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm

THE BEST PROFESSIONAL MUSICAL THEATER VALUE IN S. FLORIDA!

Individual Shows $37.50 each, per person … 3-Show Season $90.00

GROUP RATES

Individual Shows: Groups of 10+ receive a 10% discount – Groups of 20+ receive a 20% discount

3-Show Season (10+) $80.00 ... 3-Show Season (20+) $75.00

(all prices subject to 6% Florida sales tax - exempt organizations excluded)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SHOW #1 - "PIAF"

Reduced-Price Previews November 7th - 9th
OFFICIAL RUN OF SHOW:
November 12th - December 14th

Pam Gems extraordinary, 12-person Broadway musical vividly captures the glamour & squalor, the rise & fall of the complex, fragile, and enigmatic performer Edith Piaf, who continues to be remembered and revered for her exceptional voice and extraordinary life.

The skillful, indeed subtle, combination of the Piaf songs and the scenes from Piaf's origins make up an enthralling evening. 
- New York Post

With power & velocity Piaf leaps at us right from the gutter. - Newsweek

Tony Award Winner!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SHOW #2 - "SHENANDOAH"

Our In-Season Featured Broadway Smash Hit Musical!

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE 12/31/2014 NEW YEAR'S EVE! (9:30 PM) 

(NYE not eligible for subscription inclusion)

Reduced-Price Previews - January 2nd - 4th
OFFICIAL RUN OF SHOW - January 7th - March 4th
Tony Award Winner!

This colorful and dramatic saga with an INCREDIBLE SCORE centers on a strong willed Virginia farmer trying to keep his family neutral as the Civil War rages. The family's story is a heart-warming & heart-rending portrayal of the upheaval that left wounds on the land and its people for generations to come.

This rarely produced GEM of a Broadway musical has been compared to so many others including OKLAHOMA & has even been referred to as the American south's answer to FIDDLER ON THE ROOF for its heart & depiction of how war and hatred can take such a huge toll on the traditions of a family that has embraced its way of life for generations.

The show will star Delray Square Performing Arts Producing Artistic Director, Gary Waldman whose excitement for this project can be summed up with his quote: If there’s anything with which I can delight in getting older it is this … the opportunity to finally play a role I’ve wanted to perform since I was a teenager!

A vocally forceful performance with a historical resonance. The score has many beautiful songs! - New York Times

A first rate show, an antiwar musical with heart and humor … not afraid to believe in the goodness in man. – NBC News
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SHOW #3 - "SOPHIE, TOTIE & BELLE"

Reduced-Price Previews - March 20th - 22nd

OFFICIAL RUN OF SHOW - March 25th - May 17th

One of the most popular musical comedies ever to play in south Florida 

(our 2000 production moved directly from Ft. Lauderdale to Theater4 off-Broadway!), SOPHIE, TOTIE & BELLE is a riotously funny musical based on a fictional meeting between legendary & ground-breaking female performers, Sophie Tucker, Totie Fields 

and Belle Barth. 

With a full-out belt score & some of the best comedic material ever written (mind you, Belle Barth, referred to as the female Lenny Bruce was not for the shy or prudish among us), this delightful musical promises to be among the most fun you will have this season!

An R-rated Act Made in Heaven! The playhouse is rollicking like the old Miami Beach clubs that Fields and Barth frequented, and Tucker was known to visit.  - Sun-Sentinel


_____________________________________________________________________________________

BOX OFFICE OPEN EVERY DAY

(561) 880-0319

4809 W. Atlantic Avenue (NE corner at Military Trail)

www.DelraySquareArts.com

_____________________________________________________________________________________

For review ticket requests, photos, information, interview requests, etc., please contact: MARGOT BURRAL: (561) 800-0319 or margo@DelraySquareArts.com