Behind the Velvet Curtain

Backstage at the Gershwin Theatre, far from the prying eyes of spectators, the lead actress of Wicked dons a garish gypsy robe, marshals the cast, and bestows blessings upon her fellow thespians. This bohemian opening night ritual seems pretty handy since many Broadway virgins are bedeviled with scorching reviews by head-swollen critics (whadda they know, anyway?). Well, drama doc ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway gets unprecedented access to the trajectory of four musicals -- from the hellishly nail-biting premiere to the hyper-skittish Tony awards -- all energetically collaged by director Dori Berinstein. Among the profiled shows are the burlesque memoirs of Boy George in Taboo, the Sesame Street-for-twentysomething-stoners puppet show Avenue Q, and Tony Kirshner’s envelope-pushing civil rights drama Caroline, Or Change. Yeah, troupers also slather on green greasepaint for Wicked (and your little dog, too!) This gritty and scintillating portrait of NYC’s stardom-or-bust musical Mecca screens at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Lake Worth Playhouse (713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth). Tickets cost $6 to $8. Call 561-586-6410, or visit www.lakeworthplayhouse.org.