Macbeth: "So fair and foul a day I have not seen" goes the famous line, and may it be said, so fair and foul a play can now be seen at New Theatre. Shakespeare's shortest tragedy is one of his most magnificent and most produced works, but it's quite a task to stage, perform, and watch. According to theater lore, the play is jinxed, but director Rafael de Acha's stark, modern-dress staging solves at least some of the play's formidable problems. Purists may grit their teeth at the many textual cuts and revisions, and those unfamiliar with the story may find some aspects a bit confusing. Playing Shakespeare's most powerful female character, Lady Macbeth, Bridget Connors commands attention whenever she is onstage. In the title role, Keith Cassidy brings a modern intensity and physical power. -- Ronald Mangravite Through August 28. New Theatre, 4120 Laguna St., Coral Gables; 305-443-5909.
Sisters of Swing: The Andrews Sisters, who rose to megastardom during the World War II big band era, were the Dixie Chicks of their time. That is, if you replace the Chicks' antiwar sentiment with patriotism and then add an unbridled popularity no girl group since the Andrews Sisters has ever quite matched. Okay, so they weren't the Dixie Chicks of their time; they were the Andrews Sisters. To many, LaVerne, Maxene, and Patty were the home front. Getting behind the home-front-girl iconography is the musical's well-realized intention. Among the production's many surprises -- besides an excellent supporting six-piece band, a retro big band orchestra set, and clever musical arrangements -- is the ambitious legwork of the play's two male costar Everymen. The talented cast and crew of this play have caught that energy and are having as much fun giving good show as the real Andrews Sisters certainly had. -- Dave Amber Through August 28. Florida Stage, 262 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan; 561-585-3433.
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