Films, Actors, Writers, Directors, red carpet…. it must be the 29th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. The stars shown brightly Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale as the 29th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) kicked off with LUCKY STIFF, marking the first time the fest debuts with a musical comedy. Stars Jason Alexander and Pamela Shaw attended the screening at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts’ Amaturo Theater.
Book writer/lyricist, Lynn Ahrens adapted her clever 1988 New York stage hit for the screen with additional songs written by she and composer Stephen Flaherty. The film, directed by Christopher Ashley and produced by J. Todd Harris and Victor Syrmis, also stars Dominic Marsh, Nikki M James, and the late Dennis Farina.
The plot, which shares a writing style and production design with LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, follows a young down-and-out British shoe salesman named Harry Witherspoon (Marsh) who takes his dead uncle to Monte Carlo for the best time of his life – a week of fun, dancing, gambling and sun. If the young man fulfills his uncle’s request to the letter, he will inherit the $6 million left to him. If he doesn’t, the money will go to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn.
As Harry races from casino to nightclub to beach to bedroom with his dead Uncle, he is chased by a desperate optometrist (Alexander), an avaricious showgirl, a mysterious Italian playboy (Farina) and a trigger-happy murderess (Shaw), as well as a young woman (James) dead set on getting that money for the dogs. Guns go off, disguises go on, champagne corks pop, nightmares come to life, romance blossoms, dogs bark, and everyone sings! It’s a zany, frothy, colorful and fast-paced musical comedy with a very happy ending.
In addition to the grand opening, FLiFF honored Jason Alexander with a Career Achievement Award.
Other notables on the carpet. Director Robert Adanto and our very own Producer Gabriel Tyner for the documentary “City of Memory, Actor Barbie Castro “The Patient Killer”, Actor The Amazing Randi “An Honest Liar”, Director/Writer Justin Weinstein “An Honest Liar”, Director Janice VillaRosa “Shunned”, and Director Jared Hillman “The Listing Agaent”
