Neighborhoods

DramaWorks at Florida State College Jacksonville, South Campus, presented a four-day run during November 13 -16, 2014 of “Jacques Brel is Alive and Living in Paris,” a musical featuring the work of the Belgian songwriter and singer. Over the years, we have seen a number of unique plays and musicals staged by , which has brought our community many exciting selections. The Brel musical, “,” debuted off-Broadway in 1968 and ran for over 1,800 performances. Brel wrote and sang in French, but the musical was almost all in English thanks to the translation and production concept of  and . Brel, who was …

Jacksonville’s newest theatre presented its second show of 2014 during the weekend of November 14 -16 with Meredith Wilson’s affectionate slice of Americana, “The Music Man.” The production was a winning mix of nostalgic laughs, enthusiasm and delightful songs. , with his marvelous vibrato vocals and charmingly arrogant con man attitude is Professor Harold Hill, a traveling salesman who arrives in River City, Iowa in 1912 and persuades the townsfolk that their town is on the road to ruin because the local billiard parlor is installing a new pool table. To divert the youth of the town from this wickedness, …

Jacksonville’s Episcopal School presented the World Premier of “Father to Son: An Odyssey” from November 13 – 15, 2014 at the Munnerlyn Center Theatre on campus. This play was written by award-winning playwright , who was also the Director and Sound Designer. She is an English teacher at Episcopal, and wrote her version of this story over the summer to assist her students with their studies of ’s work, using language and concepts to make the work more accessible to both students and adults. The story is that of the King of and his prolonged and difficult journey home after …

St. Augustine’s Limelight Theatre opened one of the hottest plays now on stage in the USA with “Clybourne Park,” by Bruce Norris. The play won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2012 Tony for Best Play. Norris has based the framework of the story on “,” by . Hansberry’s 1959 classic was made into an 1961 movie. The play was revived in the Jacksonville area last year by Stage Aurora, and on Broadway with Denzel Washington. In Hansberry’s play, Lena Younger, a widowed African-American, purchases a home for her family in Clybourne Park, a white Chicago neighborhood. Karl …

Theatre Jacksonville opened its 95th season with the wartime comedy, “Love Goes to Press,” on November 7, 2014. It will be on the stage through November 22 at the Howard K.Smith Playhouse, 2032 San Marco Boulevard in Jacksonville Florida. Call (904) 396-4425 for reservations or visit theatrejax.com.  is only one of three theaters to do a revival of the 1946 comedy written by  and , two female war correspondents. “” opened in London in 1946 and was well received. It opened on Broadway in 1947, but only played five performances. The play was all but lost forever until 1992, when , …

WHAT: Tab Benoit with the Devon Allman Band WHERE: Ponte Vedra Concert Hall WHEN: Nov 12 at 8pm Tickets: $24.50-$34.50 INFO: pvconcerthall.com or 209-0399 It’s hard to deny the power of DNA, especially with an enviable rock ‘n roll pedigree, but  is his own man. Growing up in Texas, Allman lived the typical suburban life, playing soccer, working at , and hocking guitars at a music store. He has long since made peace with the man that once was just a framed 5×7 on his childhood dresser and what it means to chart a course all on his own. “I …

The future’s looking bright for Jacksonville’s world-class symphony orchestra. For one thing, the financials are in the black for the first time in recent memory. For another, they’ve just brought on board an exciting new Music Director Designate,  (the main conductor, in laymen’s terms). Lewis is replacing the departed Fabio Mechetti, who held that position for fourteen years. While still maintaining a heavily classical sensibility, Lewis has brought a youthful spark and innovative programming to Jacoby Hall along with a rockstar appeal of sorts to the . With his dashing good looks and prestigious symphony pedigree, he’s one of those …

Saturday, November 8, the  welcomed to the stage

The defining feature of downtown Jacksonville is the . There is no better place to visualize the tremendous potential of our city than while cruising on our downtown . We often take this vessel for granted, while failing to take advantage of the benefits it could provide. Currently, our River Taxi serves a very limited and utilitarian purpose. It transports people from one side of the river to the other and helps to alleviate traffic on game days and major events. What if, instead, the River Taxi expanded by offering commuter transportation, taking people to desirable destinations, and providing tours …