Entertainment

Popular song-and-dance man, Bruce Adler, passed away July 25th. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2004 and chose to keep this a personal matter, never allowing his audiences to be aware. He is survived by his widow, theater director Amy London, and his two step-children Emily and A.J. and his much-adored newest addition, son Baby Jacob.

SOUTH FLORIDA SALUTES BRUCE ADLER

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Sunrise Lakes Phase 4
10102 Sunrise Lakes Blvd.
Sunrise, FL, 33322
Time: 2:30 P.M.
Box Office: 954-748-3230

Ticket Price $20.00

BRUCE ADLER

Any additional donations should be made payable to the London/Adler Family Trust.

Stars who have volunteered to perform in memory of their close friend, include:

Entertainer Bruce Adler has an extremely loyal, appreciative following in South Florida, which knows his song-and-dance act and seems perfectly content to go see it, year after year.

Although he makes a point of giving it a slightly new spin with each return visit, it is his highly familiar, high-energy, often Yiddish-based patter numbers that gain the most approval from the crowd.

Certainly that was the case at Saturday evening's Royal Poinciana Playhouse opening of Song and Dance Man, his latest one-man, perform-till-the-audience-is-exhausted-watching nostalgia fest. For while the first act included plenty of selections he had not done previously, loosely structured into a salute to musical performers of the past, it was not until Adler tossed that concept aside with such signature numbers as the nimble-toed Romania, Romania and the joke-laden Chutzah-zah that the audience responded enthusiastically.

It is not that Adler's cover versions of songs associated with Fred Astaire (Stepping Out With My Baby, Cheek to Cheek) are less than first-rate. Or that his up-tempo Old Black Magic in the style of Sammy Davis Jr. is less than magical. Or that his Sinatra tribute (One For the Road), complete with raincoat draped over one shoulder, is anything but ring-a-ding-ding. But, frankly, these could be delivered just as persuasively by any of a dozen easy-listening vocalists.

What sets Adler apart from other entertainers working today is the trip-hammer novelty material, like his accelerating rendition of The William Tell Overture, which ping-pongs back and forth between a nearsighted Tell and his understandably nervous, apple-wearing son. Or his faux-Russian comic turn, The Palace of the Tsar, complete with acrobatic choreography, reminiscent of Danny Kaye at his cavorting best.

But even those potential show-stoppers do not connect with the audience like the numbers in Yiddish, which dominate the second half of the evening. Adler recreates a Sunday-morning Yiddish-culture radio broadcast including the adventures of Kalman, the Kosher cowboy, the inevitable reminiscence of the caloric excess of the Catskills (The Last Glass of Tea) and such Old World/New World blends as Alexander's Ragtime Band sung in his mother tongue.

Call it the vaudeville equivalent of comfort food. Perhaps in these uncertain times there is an added yearning for the familiar, from the songs to the jokes, most of which you are likely either to know the punch lines or to see them coming long before they arrive.

Never let it be said that the ingratiating Adler does not know his audience. There have been years where he tried to push the bounds of his material and met with resistance. So who could blame him for keeping them happy with the same old song and dance?

SEAFARER AT MOSAIC THEATRE:

AN EXTRAORDINARY PRODUCTION

By Ron Levitt

Florida Media News

“The Seafarer,” -- Colin McPherson’s latest successful Irish yarn filled with boozing and clever bantering – has come to the tiny Mosaic Theatre in Broward and thanks to brilliant direction, a terrific ensemble cast, perfect scenery, makes the transition from Broadway a spectacular leap.

Much to the credit of artistic director Richard Jay Simon, this production – one of the earliest since Seafarer closed in New York – is a dramatic treat. Five of Florida’s top actors teamed with Director Simon to once again showcase a theatre which despite its small venue at American Heritage School in Plantation continues to lead Broward in professional productions. The extraordinary cast: Ken Clement, Dennis Creaghan, John Felix, Christian Rockwell, Gregg Weiner. Remember all of these names when local acting awards come due!

McPherson has repeated the basics of his successful career by presenting a group of colorful characters who drink much to much with a backdrop of the devil hovering closer than they realize. Yes, The Seafarer is about a mysterious individual who defines Hell in a different manner than the fire and brimstone we have heard about. Hell is where “you see all the people who seem to live in another world ……and you just walk and walk and walk and you’re on your own and nobody knows who you are.” Furthermore, “self-loathing” is a kind of hell you could be offered if you make a deal with the devil.

Pretty deep and serious subjects, but McPherson – and director Simon – make the theme less weighty with stimulating, sometimes humorous dialogue, a storyline which intrigues, and a staged fabrication which defies this size of this theatrical venue.

It’s about two working class brothers -- one blind (Creagan) and the other, an unsuccessful, self-destructive man who is acting as a caretaker (Weiner) . They reside in their cozy but somewhat pathetic males-only house in a small town near Dublin, They and their friends gather for some pre-Christmas boozing, blarney and poker. Two pals (Felix and Rockwell) arrive, both already well filled with drink. Then cometh a stranger (Clement) – who doesn’t much like Christmas and seems to know a lot about the younger brother and what sins he may have committed in the past. The idea of a drunken Irishman as the devil is just a part of the humor which is injected into this vibrant script.

We hate to lavish too many superlatives (we may need them for the future) but the technical aspects of this production deserve mention, The cottage which seem to be the favorite hangout for these drinking buddies was created by scenic designer Sean McClelland, Jeff Quinn did the lighting and Matt Corey the sound design. All three should take a bow along with the creative acting ensemble.

The second act – featuring a poker game in which one man may be playing for his very soul – is wrenching. Just when we figure the devil has won his due, the room is filled with light and heavenly and religious signs provide the happiest finale one may find among the many writers of Irish literature. Makes one want to toast the good guys!!!!

The Seafarer plays through December 14.

Popular song-and-dance man, Bruce Adler, passed away July 25th. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2004 and chose to keep this a personal matter, never allowing his audiences to be aware. He is survived by his widow, theater director Amy London, and his two step-children Emily and A.J. and his much-adored newest addition, son Baby Jacob. SOUTH FLORIDA SALUTES BRUCE ADLER Sunday, December 7, 2008 Sunrise Lakes Phase 4 10102 Sunrise Lakes Blvd. Sunrise, FL, 33322 Time: 2:30 P.M. Box Office: 954-748-3230 Ticket Price $20.00 BRUCE ADLER Any additional donations should be made payable to the London/Adler Family Trust. Stars who have volunteered to perform in memory of their close friend, include: LEE ROY REAMS SAL RICHARDS FREDDIE ROMAN DICK CAPRI MAL. Z. LAWRENCE HOLLY LIPTON STEVE SOLOMON VIC ARNELL AVERY SUMMERS JUDY SCOTT NYK-Rapp Enterprises presents this tribute with loving wishes to the memory of one of their favorite artists/friends. Says Alison Chaplin, “Bruce will be missed on many levels. He was first and always a gentleman and the consummate performer.” Bruce Adler’s Bio Entertainer Bruce Adler has an extremely loyal, appreciative following in South Florida, which knows his song-and-dance act and seems perfectly content to go see it, year after year. Although he makes a point of giving it a slightly new spin with each return visit, it is his highly familiar, high-energy, often Yiddish-based patter numbers that gain the most approval from the crowd. Certainly that was the case at Saturday evening's Royal Poinciana Playhouse opening of Song and Dance Man, his latest one-man, perform-till-the-audience-is-exhausted-watching nostalgia fest. For while the first act included plenty of selections he had not done previously, loosely structured into a salute to musical performers of the past, it was not until Adler tossed that concept aside with such signature numbers as the nimble-toed Romania, Romania and the joke-laden Chutzah-zah that the audience responded enthusiastically. It is not that Adler's cover versions of songs associated with Fred Astaire (Stepping Out With My Baby, Cheek to Cheek) are less than first-rate. Or that his up-tempo Old Black Magic in the style of Sammy Davis Jr. is less than magical. Or that his Sinatra tribute (One For the Road), complete with raincoat draped over one shoulder, is anything but ring-a-ding-ding. But, frankly, these could be delivered just as persuasively by any of a dozen easy-listening vocalists. What sets Adler apart from other entertainers working today is the trip-hammer novelty material, like his accelerating rendition of The William Tell Overture, which ping-pongs back and forth between a nearsighted Tell and his understandably nervous, apple-wearing son. Or his faux-Russian comic turn, The Palace of the Tsar, complete with acrobatic choreography, reminiscent of Danny Kaye at his cavorting best. But even those potential show-stoppers do not connect with the audience like the numbers in Yiddish, which dominate the second half of the evening. Adler recreates a Sunday-morning Yiddish-culture radio broadcast including the adventures of Kalman, the Kosher cowboy, the inevitable reminiscence of the caloric excess of the Catskills (The Last Glass of Tea) and such Old World/New World blends as Alexander's Ragtime Band sung in his mother tongue. Call it the vaudeville equivalent of comfort food. Perhaps in these uncertain times there is an added yearning for the familiar, from the songs to the jokes, most of which you are likely either to know the punch lines or to see them coming long before they arrive. Never let it be said that the ingratiating Adler does not know his audience. There have been years where he tried to push the bounds of his material and met with resistance. So who could blame him for keeping them happy with the same old song and dance? SEAFARER AT MOSAIC THEATRE: AN EXTRAORDINARY PRODUCTION By Ron Levitt Florida Media News “The Seafarer,” -- Colin McPherson’s latest successful Irish yarn filled with boozing and clever bantering – has come to the tiny Mosaic Theatre in Broward and thanks to brilliant direction, a terrific ensemble cast, perfect scenery, makes the transition from Broadway a spectacular leap. Much to the credit of artistic director Richard Jay Simon, this production – one of the earliest since Seafarer closed in New York – is a dramatic treat. Five of Florida’s top actors teamed with Director Simon to once again showcase a theatre which despite its small venue at American Heritage School in Plantation continues to lead Broward in professional productions. The extraordinary cast: Ken Clement, Dennis Creaghan, John Felix, Christian Rockwell, Gregg Weiner. Remember all of these names when local acting awards come due! McPherson has repeated the basics of his successful career by presenting a group of colorful characters who drink much to much with a backdrop of the devil hovering closer than they realize. Yes, The Seafarer is about a mysterious individual who defines Hell in a different manner than the fire and brimstone we have heard about. Hell is where “you see all the people who seem to live in another world ……and you just walk and walk and walk and you’re on your own and nobody knows who you are.” Furthermore, “self-loathing” is a kind of hell you could be offered if you make a deal with the devil. Pretty deep and serious subjects, but McPherson – and director Simon – make the theme less weighty with stimulating, sometimes humorous dialogue, a storyline which intrigues, and a staged fabrication which defies this size of this theatrical venue. It’s about two working class brothers -- one blind (Creagan) and the other, an unsuccessful, self-destructive man who is acting as a caretaker (Weiner) . They reside in their cozy but somewhat pathetic males-only house in a small town near Dublin, They and their friends gather for some pre-Christmas boozing, blarney and poker. Two pals (Felix and Rockwell) arrive, both already well filled with drink. Then cometh a stranger (Clement) – who doesn’t much like Christmas and seems to know a lot about the younger brother and what sins he may have committed in the past. The idea of a drunken Irishman as the devil is just a part of the humor which is injected into this vibrant script. We hate to lavish too many superlatives (we may need them for the future) but the technical aspects of this production deserve mention, The cottage which seem to be the favorite hangout for these drinking buddies was created by scenic designer Sean McClelland, Jeff Quinn did the lighting and Matt Corey the sound design. All three should take a bow along with the creative acting ensemble. The second act – featuring a poker game in which one man may be playing for his very soul – is wrenching. Just when we figure the devil has won his due, the room is filled with light and heavenly and religious signs provide the happiest finale one may find among the many writers of Irish literature. Makes one want to toast the good guys!!!! The Seafarer plays through December 14.
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