High Notes

Falsettoland, the 26th Street Theatre's baby step out of the South Florida mainstream, pays off

Comments (0) By Mia Leonin Thursday, Jul 26 2001

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What's in a song? The lives of a circle of friends, circa 1980, and a mysterious illness killing gay men

Details

Book by William Finn and James Lapine; music and lyrics by Finn. Through August 5, 954-344-7765.

26th Street Theatre, 1444 NE 26th St., Wilton Manors

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As Marvin and Whizzer, Kelley and Tanner have a good connection onstage. Yet at times in the second half, when Whizzer becomes chained to a hospital bed, the duets between Tanner and Kelley feel slightly stiff. Their interaction could use more affection and physical intimacy. As Jason, the bar mitzvah candidate, the twelve-year-old McCoy is a standout. Besides being a cute kid, McCoy has a well-developed singing voice and range of emotion. This is a challenging role for a young actor, and McCoy gives an excellent performance. (It isn't surprising that he was recently cast to do a national tour of Ragtime.)

Previously Stage Door's 26th Street Theatre was home to the Wilton Playhouse, a venue that produced sexy male-revue-style shows catering to Wilton Manors' large gay community. Broward Stage Door took over the space this year and spent approximately $150,000 renovating it. Falsettoland was the perfect play for Stage Door to try early in its tenure here -- somewhat risky material in a tried-and-true format. But this production will be the exception, not the rule. The 26th Street Theatre will continue to produce chiefly musical revues and Jewish comedies. Although this has been the formula for success to date, it will be interesting to see if this programming works as well in the new neighborhood as it does in Coral Springs.