Neighborhoods

A Romantic Comedy is part of the Historic Theatre’s 100th Season A Dual Critics Review by Dick Kerekes and Leisla Sansom Theatre Jacksonville opened “Love Quest,” the third show of its 100th Season, on February 21, and will remain through March 8, 2020. This contemporary romance, which brings new insights into today’s tactics for seeking a mate, was written by Mary Maguire and Steven McGraw; both were in the audience on opening night. Theatre Jacksonville is a city treasure founded in 1919. Afterward, Philanthropist Carl S. Swisher donated land and financing for the construction of the company’s historic San Marco …

by Madeline DeLorie (photos by Rachel Pontarolo) The Island Theater has brought a comic and quick version of the history of America to its stage in this new comedy sure to have you laughing throughout its two hour run time.  You may even have the chance to participate in this fun show put on by the energetic cast. If you are unfamiliar with Abridged shows – you may not know what to expect. However, if you enjoy satire and take a joke – you will be entertained. The three players of the show include Liane Barkley, Cindy Baker and Tricia …

With the news of closing in , a lot of people were pretty upset. Mudville has been a Jacksonville institution since 1994, so this felt like the end of an era (the location is still open, so don’t fret). Luckily, this sad news came with a nice silver lining. It was announced that the owners would transition Mudville into a new seafood concept, Southern Coast Seafood. They currently own , which is a commercial fishing business, so they will be serving their fresh catches in the restaurant. My husband and I visited on a Sunday night. We were seated and …

When the now-defunct announced it was closing its doors with an unrealized production of an all-female production of Romeo & Juliet in the works, it took the spirit of collaboration to help bring the story to life Players by the Sea partnered with , artistic director of Self Produced Theatre, Romeo & Juliet Director Amy Canning Love and Assistant Director to create a space for this groundbreaking production. Romeo & Juliet will be staged Feb. 20-23 at in (www.playersbythesea.org). “I knew the directors and the leads were passionate about the project, so I never had doubts that they were going …

It’s not hard to understand why ’ paintings are in such high demand. With subject matter as diverse as neon dive-bar brands, Hindu deities and Catholic saints, run-on catch phrase sentences, pop culture portraits, and under-water vignettes, Briggs has created a niche for himself that defies all definitions of the word ‘niche’. His style extends beyond the reach of any singular mode of painting because he is continually experimenting with his craft, and has become quite comfortable in the all-encompassing art land of what next?  Over the past three years, Briggs has made his presence known more so as a …

EU Talks with Bandstand’s Rob Clove Before each performance of the award-winning Bandstand: The Musical, Rob Clove takes pause to tap into the struggles facing young African American men returning home from war in 1945. He digs deep into the pressures of working hard to rise above the societal pressures and make a meaningful mark on the world. Clove found inspiration in his character, Jimmy Campbell who discovers music as a way to  cope with the horrors of war in his generation. “I have a ritual. At the beginning of each show, I just take a moment to myself and …

Jacksonville has quite a few ice cream and frozen custard shops, but there is only one place serving delicious, homemade gelato. Bambino Scoops is located in the Cobblestone shopping plaza in East , at the intersection of Monument and McCormick. Owners Maria Gallo and Manuel Ponce have been operating the shop since June of 2019, after buying the name from the previous owner. The inside of the shop is very whimsical with various posters and action figures throughout. “We brought our favorite characters,” Manuel explained. He collects figures from The Simpsons and various other comics, so they wanted to incorporate …

Art, in all it’s forms, is the common denominator that helps bring people together. The divisive nature of the current climate helped inspire a new Ritz Chamber Players music series designed to unify audiences for the love of music. Hosted by the Ritz Chamber Players, “We The People” is the group’s 18th mainstage concert season dedicated to creating public conversation centered around such challenging topics as race, religion, gender, and war. All the main stage concerts are held at 7:30pm at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church. The performances are free and open to the public. Tickets for all main stage performances …

The Jacksonville Film & Television Office is hosting the Jacksonville Television, Digital Media & Music Forum on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 12:30 p.m. in the Main Library’s Hicks Auditorium (303 N. Laura St. – 32202.) This free event includes the following panels of television and music industry professionals: • A Producer’s Journey: MTV’s SIESTA KEY: from Sizzle Reel to Worldwide Television Sensation • Movies, Entertainment and Music: Secrets to Getting Your Music Produced and on the Radio • Music Scoring and Licensing Panelists include: • Warren Skeels, an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker; Creator, Executive Producer and Director of MTV’s ‘SIESTA …

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW Jacksonville University’s Department of Theatre has staged three performances of “In The Heights” at the during January 17 -19, 2020. The musical was a blockbuster, with book by Quiara Alegria Hudes and music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. A Broadway opening in March 2008 garnered a Pulitzer prize nomination for Drama, thirteen Tony nominations and four awards: Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, Best Orchestration. And as you probably know, Miranda didn’t stop there – he wrote and starred in “Hamilton,” which was nominated for sixteen Tonys in 2016, won eleven awards, and received the …