Drama Queen

A different Eden

Anyone who knows Paul Rudnick's plays realizes that this is a writer who seldom plays it straight or serious.  Consider The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Rudnick's take on the creation and evolution of man (and woman).  In Rudnick's world, Adam and Eve become Adam and Steve (Ricardo Rodriguez and Larry Fields).  Cain and Abel both get a sex change, morphing into Jane and Mabel (Martica De Cardenas).

The four time-travel, surviving the great flood, toiling as slaves in Egypt, eventually winding up in present-day New York where (from the looks of some unpublishable production photos) a wild Christmas party takes place.

The bawdy action takes place at (where else?) Oakland Park's Rising Action Theatre, 840 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Dec. 12-Jan. 18.  Performances are 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday.  Tickets are $30 (but on New Year's Eve, you get champagne and little appetizers too, so you pay $39 then).  For info, call 1-800-595-4849 or visit the theater's web site.

The Caldwell's show goes on

Boca Raton's Caldwell Theatre Company has endured more than the predictable amount of drama with its current production of the romantic musical She Loves Me. Leading man Benjamin Schrader, playing the role of the perfume shop clerk Georg in the Joe Masteroff-Sheldon Harnick-Jerry Bock musical, soldiered through a flu bug during rehearsals and previews.  But he felt so terrible by opening night Nov. 14 that the cast had to do a concert version with another actor subbing that evening.  Schrader got better, returned, and the show has been doing well ever since.

Now comes the news that Schrader has nabbed a role in the touring production of Avenue Q (which, coincidentally, will be coming to the Broward Center Dec. 30-Jan. 11), and he has had to depart She Loves Me  The Caldwell and director Michael Hall got lucky with a new choice for Georg:  As of tonight, Terry Hardcastle plays the man who fights with and falls for Amy Miller Brennan's Amalia.

Hardcastle is a veteran, award-winning leading man in both plays and musicals.  He has worked at the Caldwell often (that's him, with Kim Ostrenko, in the Caldwell's Lend Me a Tenor), and is in demand all over the region.

She Loves Me is at the Caldwell, 7901 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton, through Dec. 14.  Performances are 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday (some additional matinees and Sunday evening shows).  Tickets are $38 and $42.  Call 1-877-245-7432 or visit the theater's web site.

New World collaborates on 'Millie'

A Tony Award-winning Broadway smash is utilizing the talents of students from both the musical theater and music divisions of Miami's New World School of the Arts.

Thoroughly Modern Millie, the Jeanine Tesori-Richard Morris-Dick Scanlan musical about an independent-minded flapper who takes New York City by storm in 1922, will showcase the talents of 30 high school music theater students, including Courtney Arango (pictured here) in the title role.  Jeff Hess from the theater division handles musical direction, with guest director Kim St. Leon staging the show and guest choreographer Karin Bejerano creating the dance numbers.  Both high school and college students from New World's music division will make up the orchestra.

Performances of Millie will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday Dec. 5-14.  The show happens in the Louise O. Gerrits Theatre at New World, 25 NE Second St.  Tickets are just $12 (students and seniors pay only $5).  For information, call 305-237-3541 or visit the school's web site.