Cessy Newmon

Gypsy is on show at the Alhambra

August 25, 2024

Words by Cessy Newmon Rove over to the Alhambra for an evening of GYPSY for a wonderful time. Take a colorful memoir, add a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and you get the fascinating fable that exceeds the infamy of the original character of Gypsy Rose Lee. While not biographical, the story

On Stage·Theatre·Uncategorized

A SIDE-SPLITTING EVENING with THE GOLDEN GIRLS

You don’t need to be a die-hard fan of the ’80s to have a side-splitting evening with THE GOLDEN GIRLS, THE LAUGHS CONTINUE, at the Performing Arts Center downtown. It’s fun for all ages and genders – over 18. It’s a very raunchy spinoff of its namesake sitcom that ran

Urine Good Hands at the 5andDime

Urinetown: The Musical, the quirky satirical musical comedy with music by Mark

Downtown we will rock you with THE ULTIMATE QUEEN CELEBRATION

This Friday (10/18), Jacksonville rock fans are going to get a special

A Seasonal Miracle at 34th St at the Alhambra

November 25, 2023

Feature·On Stage·Theatre

Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical focuses on a man named Kris Kringle, who claims to be Santa Claus (Pete Clapsis), and his interactions young Susan Walker (Kat DeCicco) and her mother, Doris (Sarah Middough). Doris works for Macy’s and hires the kindly Kris as the store’s Santa. At Macy’s

A SWEET EVENING AT THEATRE JACKSONVILLE WITH JUST DESSERTS

November 11, 2023

On Stage·Theatre·Uncategorized

A recently-released show (2021), JUST DESSERTS A Musical Bake-Off is a sweet little heart-felt musical mixed with a little mystery, romance, and comedy. In a parody of baking show competitions, five strangers battle it out to reign as Jefferson County’s prize baker. With reputations on the line, some will do

(Bend and) SNAP ON OVER to the ALHAMBRA for LEGALLY BLONDE

October 2, 2023

On Stage·Theatre·Theatre Reviews

First came the novel, then the movie, then the second movie, and finally LEGALLY BLONDE the MUSICAL, Music & Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and Book by Heather Hach, debuted first in San Francisco, transitioning to Broadway a month later. The show garnered seven Tony nominations, but no

FIDDLER hits all the right notes at the Alhambra

August 7, 2023

On Stage·Theatre·Uncategorized

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, winner of nine Tony Awards and the first show to surpass 3,000 performances on its inaugural run, opened at the Alhambra Theatre this week. Having had a sneak peek before the opening, I had high hopes, and the show did not disappoint. Set in the mythical

A Fiddler on the Roof… at the Alhambra

July 29, 2023

Feature·On Stage·Theatre

A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? This is the opening line to one of the longest-running and most-revived musicals in Broadway history. Based on a set of stories written in Yiddish (a cross mostly between German and Hebrew) by Sholom Aleichem, it is based on Aleichem’s personal experiences in their

A BEAUTY AND A BEAST AT THE ALHAMBRA

June 12, 2023

Feature·On Stage·Theatre·Uncategorized

A Beauty in a little town with a Beastly secret hidden in the neighboring woods. What more could you want as the premise for a family show? How about incredible music and voices that make you want to sing along with the beloved score? BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is the

LITTLE SHOP brings HORRORS and laughs to Orange Park

June 7, 2023

On Stage·Theatre

For dark comedy to work well, the actors have to be truly committed. And the cast of THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is certifiable at Orange Park Community Theatre. Considering the proliferation of stock and amateur productions of Little Shop (which have spread across the globe more aggressively than the

NEXT STOP BROADWAY!

May 15, 2023

Music·Theatre

Do you have a youngster between 10-17 who thinks they might want to tread the boards? NEXT STOP BROADWAY may be just the ticket! With no experience required, all with an interest in a glimpse of a Broadway process are welcome. Headed by Broadway veteran Tony Parise, NEXT STOP BROADWAY

OH, WHAT A NIGHT! WITH JERSEY BOYS AT THE ALHAMBRA

April 29, 2023

Feature·Music·On Stage·Theatre

JERSEY BOYS, The Story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, is a bounce-in-your-seat, hum, or sing-along, fun evening. Three of the four core members were interviewed to write the play, and the primary writing duo for the band did the music (Bob Gaudio) and lyrics (Bob Crewe). The show

MEAN GIRLS PUT ON A MEAN SHOW

April 27, 2023

Feature·On Stage·Theatre

MEAN GIRLS is the story of Cady Heron (English Bernhardt), who has been raised in Kenya, Africa, and homeschooled all her life. When her mother gets a job in Chicago, Cady’s in a very different jungle from the one she left. It merits pointing out that Heather Ayers, who portrays