by Barbara Storer
Society Editor and Columnist

Coconut Grove Playhouse Celebrates its
50th Anniversary Season with Standing Ovations

The Coconut Grove Playhouse opened its 50th Anniversary Season to standing ovations and three curtain calls for Harold Gould and his co-star Dominic Fumusa, in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher.
 
Producing Artistic Director Arnold Mittelman was presented with a proclamation by Robert Parente from the City of Miami, commemorating the Coconut Grove Playhouse’s nationally renowned work for the past 50 years.

 
Many of Miami’s local celebrities attended the glittering event, including NBC 6 anchors Bob Mayer and Lonnie Quinn and Miami City Ballet artisticdirector Edward Villella. Many members of the board of directors attended the opening, including chair Shelly Spivack, Lynn Martenstein, Jack Admire, Lilia Garcia, Hay Pelham, Betsy Kaplan, Bernard Wolfson, Senator Gwen Margolis and Charlene Esserman, who attended with her husband Ron.
 
After the performance, more than 200 guests enjoyed a buffet dinner at the Wyndham Grand Bay in Coconut Grove. Arnold Mittelman welcomed the guests and introduced Harold Gould, Dominic Fumusa and director Michael Montel to the crowd. The guests had a chance to chat with the stars and congratulate them on a successful opening night.
 
The Coconut Grove Playhouse’s production of Tuesdays with Morrie will launch a 12-city Clear Channel Broadway Across America National Tour with engagements in Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, Indianapolis, Washington D.C., Nashville. Atlanta, Louisville, Minneapolis, Appleton and Ft. Lauderdale.
 
 
 
PHOTO IDS
 
1. Edward and Linda Villella and Michael Montel
2. Publishers of Entertainment News & Views Mavis and Howard Salus
3. Norman Edelcup, Mayor of Sunny Isles, Eva and Dr. Lucien Gordon and Miami-Dade Commissioner Gwen Margolis
4. Shelly Spivack, Chairman of Coconut Grove Playhouse and the Artistic Director Arnold Mittelman
5. Wendy and Dr. Ira Rothfield
Photos by Sergio Alsina

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