The Alhambra Theatre opened the 2nd show of its 51st season with the classic “Little Shop of Horrors” the l982 Off-Broadway musical by and which in turn was base on Roger Corman’s l960 movie. It has remained very popular over the years after running for five years in New York. This show run through March 25 20l8, call 641-1212 for reservations. is located at 12000 Beach Blvd in Jacksonville Florida. This is the story of a nebbish flower shop guy Seymour () who unknowingly cultivates an “unusual” new plant that brings him good fortune and wealth to the skid row …

The 5 & Dime, Jacksonville’s downtown theatre company, opened its first play of 2018 with “The Walls,” by Lisa Dillman. The production opened on February 16th and will remain on stage through March 4th. Playwright Dillman has written several plays; this is the first performed in Jacksonville. s staging is the second production of this play, which debuted in 2009 at Ms. Dillman’s homebase, the Rivendell Theatre Ensemble in Chicago. The play’s title refers to the walls around people with mental illness; sometimes it’s possible to break down the walls, often it’s not. The play has two stories than run …

Jacksonville University’s College of Fine Arts Performing Arts Series opened the pop-musical “Aida” at on their Arlington campus on February 16, 2018; additional performances are scheduled on February 17, 23 and 25. The musical is based on ’s opera of the same name, with music by and lyrics by . “Aida debuted in 2000 on Broadway and was not a favorite of New York critics. But the public loved it and it ran for 1,800 performances. “Every Story is a Love Story,” the opening song, informs us that “Aida” is a story of love that flourished in a time of …

ORANGE PARK COMMUNITY THEATRE REVIEW OPCT opened a delightful version of “Kiss Me Kate” with its first show of 2018, for a run from February 9 – March 4. The theatre is located at 2900 Moody Avenue, in Orange Park, Florida. For reservations, call 904-276-2599 or visit ShowTixNow.com.   For additional information, see www.opct.info.  “” is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” and is a play within a play. The show is set in Baltimore in the 1940’s and tells the story of Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, a divorced couple who have been brought together …

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW by Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom Elvis Presley was back, on stage at during February 7 – 11, 2018, where the legendary entertainer was portrayed by Kevin Mills. Eager fans throughout the area gathered to see and hear an artist who is considered one of the best at recreating the legend of The King. The entire run was sold out.  began his journey in this role back in Memphis, Tennessee when he entered the “Images of the King” contest. His performance was so well received that it launched his career. He performed at Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration, …

Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Review A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW by Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom The opened its first show of 2018 with the comedy “” on February 1. Additional run dates are February 7, 8, and 9. Anton was written by the pseudonymous and debuted in 2000 at the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville; it was selected by the American Theatre Critics Association as the best play of the year. Extensive speculation about the playwright’s identity has continued for years within the theatre community; John Jory, a past artistic director at …

FSCJ ARTIST SERIES BROADWAY IN JACKSONVILLE REVIEW A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW by Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom Disney’s The Lion King, the world’s # 1 musical, is back in town until February 11, 2018 at the Times Union Center. For tickets call (904) 632-5000 or visit fscjartistseries.org. The Broadway version debuted in 1997 and was based on Disney’s 1994 animated film version. The film was immensely popular, and holds the world record for the highest grossing animated film of all time. We know that many of our readers saw this show when the brought it to Jacksonville in 2007 and …

Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre Review A Dual Critics Review by Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom ABET opened its first production of 2018 on January 19th with Sarah Ruhl’s comedy “The Clean House.” It will run at 716 Ocean Boulevard in Atlantic Beach, Florida through February 4th. For reservations, call (904) 249-7177 or visit abettheatre.com. Award-winning playwright has been a popular playwright in the North Florida area. “Eurydice” was staged at Players by the Sea and Jacksonville University. “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” played at St. Augustine’s Limelight Theatre and Gainesville’s Hippodrome, while “In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play” was …

THEATRE JACKSONVILLE REVIEW A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW by Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom has opened a wonderful production of “,” by . The play opened on Broadway in 1997, received the 1997 Tony for Best Play, and ran for almost 600 performances. “Ballyhoo” is the second of Uhry’s “The Atlantic Trilogy,” which includes “Driving Miss Daisy” (1998 Pulitzer for Drama) and “Parade” (1999 Tony for Best Book). TJ’s production opened January 12, and will run through January 28, 2018, at 2032 San Marco Boulevard. Call 396-4425 for reservations. The play is set in Atlanta in 1939, and begins in the …

Jacksonville’s Alhambra Theatre opened its 2018 Season with the North Florida premier of “The Marvelous Wonderettes.” The musical, which runs through February 4, 2018, is the first of nine shows included in the Alhambra’s schedule this year; eight are musicals. “Wonderettes” was written by who has created a number of jukebox musicals in the past. It debuted in 2007 and has delighted audiences throughout the country with trips down memory lane. The first act is set in 1958, when four talented girls with stand-up microphones are on stage at Springfield High School (Go Chipmunks!) on Prom Night. They are dressed …