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July 18, 2008 |
Issue # 66 |
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Viva Miami
World premiere musical explores the Miami-Cuba connection
By Leslie Pariseau
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| Everlayn Borges and JenCarlos Canela, stars of Miami Libre |
“Miami Libre is more than just a theatrical production—the stage, the sets, the costumes, the excellent lighting—it’s an experience,” says Scott Shiller, vice president of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
Set in present-day Cuba and Miami, this original dance-musical promises, literally, to sweep the audience off its feet in a whirlwind of extravagant sets, vibrant costumes and the universal passion of music. This is a story for Miami.
“There are two important pieces to this show,” explains Shiller, who is also Miami Libre’s producer. “First, is the great extravaganza on stage.”
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The Novel Lie
John Dufresne’s new novel will make readers question literary labels
By Tina Koenig
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| In his new book, author John Dufresne blurs the lines between fiction and memoir |
Requiem, Mass. (W.W. Norton, $24.95) is local author and creative writing professor, Dufresne’s seventh book. He calls it a “false memoir” or the fictionalized version of his childhood. The title’s clever wordplay is appropriated from the Catholic mass performed for remembrance. The word remembrance is a synonym for the French, memoir.
Requiem, Mass. is the fictional name of Worcester, Massachusetts, where Dufresne grew up. The story is about a son’s unconditional love for his parents; and the struggle to keep his family together within that crazier-than-thou community called Requiem, where no character is immune from the author’s wry humor. It is also a book about writing a book.
In the story, young Johnny Boy’s mother, Frances, believes her children are alien substitutes for her real kids. Dad is a pathological liar and long-haul truck driver maintaining a multi-family lifestyle. His sister, Audrey, can read her cat’s mind and follows the self-help secrets of one Dr. Valentine Bondurant. |
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