The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 135

WEDNESDAY MAY 5 1993 THE MIAMI HERALD 5E Skillful presentation lifts Blithe Spirit By GEORGE CAPEWELL Special to The Herald The New production of Nod elegant farce Blithe Spirit bespeaks care and class in every department While the style may not be for all tastes even dissenters are likely to be swept up by this first-rate production Blithe Spirit is set in thq world of chatter cocktails and country houses populated by thebrittle sophisticated English upper class They are charming people who are victims of their own selfishness and misplaced values they use ironic detachment to hide their muddled emotions As the play begins novelist Charles Condomine (Andrew Noble) is engaged in verbal jousting with his second wife Ruth (Lisa Morgan-Patrick) about the nature of their rather sedate marriage Into this placid setting skepticism and laughter Charles and Ruth encourage the gregarious Madame Arcati to stage a seance The event summons back first wife Elvira (Kathryn Byrne) who has been dead for seven years The still-mischievous Elvira torments and seduces the startled but delighted Charles reminding him of the days and nights they spent together in carefree slightly intoxicated bliss At first only Charles can see her but eventually Ruth is convinced that Charles is not Losing his mind Elvira conjures up a ghostly plot that she hopes will make life in the spiritual world more appealing Not all works as planned and Charles soon finds himself accused of astral bigamy The plot turns momentarily dark but there is a blithe conclusion to this cockeyed farce fanciful concoction is still a model of comedic construction and Rafael de Acha directs this production with bravura and efficiency Noble plays the befuddled Charles with the right touch of drawing-room polish and assured control perfectly conveying the skewering of social silliness Morgan-Patrick portrays Ruth with an acute edgmess as well as a winning mix of elegance and vulnerability Byrne plays the feisty Elvira with appealing warmth and clarity Daniel is wonderfully over the top as the blissfully out-of-control Madame Arcati and Holly Iglesias uses nicely understated shrugs and darting eyes to capture the demure new maid Blithe Spirit offers an artful blend of social satire and snowballing farce while remaining throughout a polished theatrical entertainment THEATER REVIEW BLITHE SPIRIT Cast: Lisa Morgan-Patrick Andrew Noble Kimberly Daniel Kathryn Byrne Holly Iglesias Credits Playwright: Noel Coward Director: Rafael de Acha Set Design: Stuart Brown Lighting Design: Mikuni Ohmae Costume Design: Svetlana Yanovsky At the New Theatre 65 Almena Ave Coral Gables performances 8 pm Thursday-Saturday 5 pm Sunday 443-5909 arrives the eccentric breezy medium Madame Arcati (Kimberly Daniel) who has been invited to help Charles learn the language of the occult for his upcoming novel Barely able to conceal their a wild and woolly theatrical spoof NO KICK: Chuck Norris can fight but lacks screen personality Chuck Sidekicks too boring predictable Irma Vep By GEORGE CAPEWELL Special to The Herald Before his untimely death in 1987 Charles Ludlam catered expertly to the specialized taste for theatrical camp His wild and woolly spoofs of old Hollywood conventions are awash with stereotypical characters (usually dressed in drag) who become caught up in melodramatic melees that are both surprising and engagingly silly The best of everything that earned Ludlam his name comes together in The Mystery of Irma Vep a work filled with quirky charm wicked one-liners and out-of-control camp Although slightly out of sync with the absurdist bent the Florida Theatre production is highly entertaining Stephen England and Paul Thomas portray an array of the melodramatic extremes Paul Thomas manages to shift personalities with a quickness that would make Sybil dizzy but is boorish and far too seriously dramatic as the blustery Lord Edgar Eric staging needs more zip Despite its flaws the Florida Playwright's production of Irma Vep delivers the madcap frivolity along with enough laughs to satisfy even the most diehard fans of the genre A dreamer and a champion An unbeatable team SidekickS TRIUMPH pg-SS 3S'0N MOVIE REVIEW SIDEKICKS (PG) Cast: Chuck Norris Jonathan Brandis Beau Bridges Mako Julia Nickson-Soul Danica McKellar Director: Aaron Norris Producer: Don Carmody Screenwriters: Donald Thompson Lou lllar Cinematographer: Joao Fernandes Music: Alan Silvestri A Vision International release Running time: 100 minutes Violence Playing at: Area theaters INDECENT PROPOSAL FdW UUMtTC0mMC(T10HPWW Tw tonUGOTGlff I B) Ptf Wl VI PIITI lb WT l) 111 MoHMliUN ED Wf veunm rnuiu WUWCIVV 9 AMC THEATRES KENDALL TOWN OMN1 10 A COUNTRY 10 Cl Tpyc MILLER RD 6 KENDALL DR 137THAV6 271-9196 387-3464 HILLER SQUARE 6 OHM INTERNATIONAL 356-2304 By RENE RODRIGUEZ Herald Staff Writer Between Bruce death in 1973 and Arnold rise to super-stardom in the Chuck Norris became popular in action films starring in a string of moderately successful B-pictures like A Force of One and The Octagon The problem with Norris evident even then is that he has no personality He can certainly fight but who cares about him as a character? As a hero a zero With Sidekicks Norris pursues the kiddie market and a sad sight a sense of desperation about the whole thing: Norris and brother-director Aaron charged with salvaging flailing career came up with a load of self-aggrandizing fluff Jonathan Brandis (Ladybugs) stars as Barry Gabrewski a frail asthmatic high school student who daydreams about co-starring with Norris in action scenes When his teacher (Julia Nick-son-Soul) begins to worry about lack of concentration she asks her uncle Mr Lee (Mako) to help train the boy in the martial arts while father (Beau Bridges) signs him up for a karate class taught by the bullying Kelly Stone (Joe Piscopo in a wretched bit of overacting) Sidekicks is competently made and Norris has fun playing his tough-guy image for laughs But the movie constantly reminds you of better efforts (like The Karate Kid) fantasies clever or inventive and the plot is so tired and predictable that even the target kiddie audience will sense its by-the-numbers feel Three Lives Divided by Fate NOW SHOWING! arc COCO WALK 8 3015 GD AVENUE WOMfTCO BAY KARB0R ST Of OX 6WiH8CH 66-2441 GEnALQNEUA PEMBROKE P94ES 8 SW Pints 01 v0 I FLAMINGO RO 437 7790 erre MARK I StZ wnuiowkcamw mmc SHERIDAN PLAZA 4998 Sheridan st muwd GENERAL CINEMA RIVIERA 1560SC1E UGHWAY 644-4513 WOMETCO hIVUfl LAKES 10 MA LUOLAM 556-3610 CHECK THEATRE TME CLOCKS FOR SHOWTtMES NO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT the newly married and very inquisitive Lady Enid Hillcrest a flamboyant Egyptian guide and the elusive recently deceased Irma Vep Ludlam did go a bit overboard with expository blather and plot twists but he made up for it in the biting interactions between the bizarre characters England (as Nicodemus Lady Enid and the Egyptian guide) captures the tongue-in-cheek parody style required while switching genders perfectly illustrating £2B3S2 THUMBS EBERT Indian ummer htfhi trumh Rt Utrtunii to The Hcl Sionnu of Hit ir 1 Ire 13 AMC THEATRES KENDAU TOWN COUNTRY 10 FLA TPKE AT KENDAU DR 271 8198 NOW SHOWING UNITED ARTISTS MOVIES AT HIALEAH 780 WEST 49TH ST 826 7242 AMC MALI OF THE AMERICAS PALMETTO X-WAY6 836 266 6646 GENERAL ONEUAS NTRACOASTAliKATO SUNNY ISLES UVD 3701 NE I63ROST MIAMI BFACH 945 7416 AMC THEATRES COCO WALK 8 3015 GRAND AVE 448 6641 AMC THEATRES BAKERY CENTPE 7 US I AT RED RO (57TH AVE 662 4841 WOMETCO MIRACLE 4 280 MIRACLE MILE CORAL GABLES 443 5201 AMC THEATRES OMNI 10 OMNI INTERNATIONAL 356 2304 WOMETCO UNIVERSITY 7 SW I07THAVE OPP FIU 223-2700 AMC THEATRES SHERIDAN PLAZA 12 4999 SHERIDAN ST HOLLYWOOD 987-4680 WOMETCO MIAMI LAKES 10 AT MAIN LUOLAM 556 3610 AMC THEATRES OCEAN WALK 10 333 HARRISON ST HOLLYWOOD EACH 920 6330 GENERAL CINEMAS PEMBROKE PINES 8 SW PINES BLVD 6 FLAMINGO RO 437 7790 WOMETCO BAY HARBOR 4 96 ST OF COLLINS MIAMI BEACH 866 2441 AiSG wuwQio uae fa Mvir at eorijWit Cooe Sawgiass CotaiSajore Peru Snodowoua 'Vift'Kft r) ii-rldiM i JAPANESE TANI PLACE Miami Herald Miami Review Din Res Sugg Open til 12Mid Fri Sat 2224 NE 123 St NM 892-6744 (6) PERUVIAN FAROLITO El Nuevo Excels in Peruvian Cuisine" Specialties incl Seafood Meats Lunch Dinner 2885 Coral Way 446-4122 (2) STEAK SEAFOOD CHRISTINE LEE'S GASLIGHT World famous restaurant lounge Hand picked Prime steaks live Maine lobster and Chinese specialties Daily TWILIGHT SPECIAL 4:45 til Nightly Entertainment Featuring: Leonardo The Orch Man also: Dameon Maria -Piano Song Thunderbird Hotel 18401 Collins Ave Miami Beach 931-7700 or 932-1145 Credit Cards (5) THAI DUSIT THAI A Open Mothers Day 3PM Try Volcano Shrimp Chili fish 7348 SW 117 Ave TJ Maxx Plaza 274-7423 CALL CLASSIFIED 376-2780 THEATER REVIEW THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP Cast Stephen England Paul Thomas Credits Playwright: Charles Ludlam Director: Eric Bedenbaugh Scenic design: Stephen England Set and lighting design: Paul Thomas Costume design: Adrian At Florida Playwrights' Theatre 1936 Hollywood Blvd HOLLYWOOD performances 8 pm Friday-Saturday 2 pm Sunday $10 adultsseniors $5 students through May 16 925-8123 pointedly silly characters including a hunchback with a wooden leg named Nicodemus Underwood a wildly jealous maid the perpetually stuffy Lord Edgar PEMBROKE PINESB Mdn UMmiMy 0rl4M urn laubmtf 435-3700 BOUND BY HONOR (R) 1 00 4 30 8 15 WHO THE MAN (R) 1 10 3 5 10 7 15 9 30 INDECENT PROPOSAL (R) 1 30 4 20 7 10 9 30 THIS BOYS LIFE (R) 1 20 4 00 7 00 9 20 BENNY AND JOON (PG) 1 00 3 0b 1 0 7 23 9 30 COP AND A HALF (PG) 1 00 3 i 5 20 7 20 9 2d SANDLOT (PG) 2 00 1 0 7 00 9 5 UNFORGIVEN (R) 2 CO 5 1 5 8 00 FALLING DOWN (R) 1 1 1 4 1 7 0b 25 ul SIDEKICKS (PG) 12 50 3 00 00 7 ib 9 30 THREE OF HEARTS (R) 12 50 3 00 5 10 7 20 9 45 THE NIGHT WE NEVER MET (R) 1 1 0 3 00 00 7 40 9 bO THE DARK HALF (R) 1 40 4 40 7 20 9 4b INDECENT PROPOSAL (R) 1 ib 4 15 7 ib 9 bC INDIAN SUMMER (PG 13) 1 30 4 00 7 00 9 1 BOILING POINT (R) 1 10 3 10 00 7 30 9 40 UNFORGIVEN (R) 1 00 3 4b 6 lb 9 20 THE CRYING GAME (R) 1 30 4 30 7 00 9 1 SCENT OF A WOMAN (R) 1 45 00 8 00 1(G) 12 4b 2 4d 4 4b 7 00 8 4b TEENAGE MUTANT NINA TURTLES PART III (PG) I2b0 2 4d 4 bO 7 00 9 20 POINT OF NO RETURN (R) 1 4b 4 30 7 30 10 00 12 00 CB4 (R) i nmLf' SlIliiHIS INDIA AKASH OF LONDON 11730 Bisc Blvd New New Times Lunch specials $595 Spectacular Sunday Buffet $750 891-9919 Miami Review Exceptional Miami Herald Alhambra CirCG 448-9691 Bisc Blvd 895-8345 HOUSE OF INDIA Miami Herald Still exotic in an age of brand new taste Miami's favorite luncheon buffet and dinner 7 days 22 Merrick Way Coral Gables 444-2348 KEBAB REST Miami Herald Open Daily Lunch Dinner Lunch $450 Early Bird Only $595 514 NE 167 St NMB 940-6309 (6) ITALIAN MAMA Since 1972! 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