Neighborhoods

There is a new addition to the that will complement the city’s skyline and boost the city’s profile as an entertainment destination. Daily’s Place Amphitheater is a 5,500-seat venue opening Memorial Day weekend at at the south end of the , creating a cohesive link between the two facilities. Grammy Award-winning artists – and Jacksonville residents – Tedeschi Trucks Band, led by and , perform the opening concert event May 27. The amphitheater is expected to be used year-round and will host an estimated 30-40 concerts per year. A concert will be staged the night before every Jaguars home game. …

Love him or hate him, has always been a character. His speech patterns, mannerisms and unnatural pigment bordered on the ridiculous, even before he finagled his way into the Oval Office. Comedian has always been drawn to characters and has made a career out of doing spot-on impressions of some of Hollywood’s most recognizable voices. He also stars as the resident Trump impersonator on Comedy Central’s Nightly Show. DiBuono brings his act to the May 25-27 (https://www.jacksonvillecomedy.com). DiBuono does a legit impression of Trump, but he does more than just mimic the myriad absurdities by injecting humor into a routine …

ATLANTIC BEACH EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE REVIEW A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre has opened a terrific Southern comedy at 716 Ocean Boulevard in Atlantic Beach Florida. “” opened on May 5 and will run through May 21, 2017. Call 249-7177 or visit abettheatre.com for additional information and reservations. “The Hallelujah Girls,” written by the team of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jaime Wooten, is the funniest play we have seen so far this year. The playwrights (sometimes known collectively as Jones Hope Wooten) have written numerous successful comedies; several have made their …

The is the perfect fit to christen the stage of the new . Not only is guitar prodigy a Jacksonville native, the new 5,500-seat venue adjacent to fuses two of his favorite passions; live music and Jaguars football. “I’m pretty excited about it. I would never ask but when I heard about it being built, always in the back of my mind I was like ‘that would be fun to open up’,” says Trucks. “We’ve been season ticket holders from year one so it’s exciting to be there. It should be fun. Susan played the kick-off party for Tortugas in …

Nicole Holderbaum’s fascination with murals stems from a simple reason. “I like to paint really big,” she says. “It’s nice to have a huge canvas to go crazy on.” The artist has been committed to painting and facilitating street art in the Jacksonville area for the past four years. She snagged the attention of the Landing’s directors and event coordinators last year when she organized the Jax Kids’ Mural Festival. They later approached her about spearheading a mural project in the Landing’s indoor shopping area. “They talked to me about potentially painting the walls,” she says. She decided to turn …

The invites autistic children to a morning of creating. Their Art Aviators Family Workshop is geared toward children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families. heads Family and Children’s Programs at . He organizes the Art Aviators workshop to encourage children with Autism Spectrum Disorders to get creative on their own terms. “Folks on the spectrum can’t always communicate verbally or through the written word,” says Aiuppy, “so giving them access to drawing and painting is a way for them to get their thoughts and feelings out in a really safe space.” With Art Aviators, the MOCA educational staff strives …

The closes out its 25th season with an ensemble production celebrating the bond of friendship. Directed by ABET’s artistic director , Hallelujah Girls by , and is a southern comedy about five feisty females from Eden Falls, Georgia who come together in SPA-DEE-DAH!, an abandoned church-turned-day-spa to overcome their obstacles and launch their new, improved lives. “This season has been an important landmark season for . I’m extremely proud of the cultural enrichment we have been able to bring to the audiences over these past 25 years,” said Frank. “In planning this season, I wanted it to be varied, challenging, …

FSCJ ARTIST SERIES BROADWAY REVIEW A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW BY DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The opened “” on May 2, which will be onstage through May 7, 2017 at the Times Union Center in downtown Jacksonville. This musical won six Tony awards in 2013, including Best Musical. For tickets and additional information, call (904) 442-2929 or visit fscjartistseries.org. Those who love exciting theatre will love “Kinky Boots,” a show with a message of learning to accept others for who they are, which includes superb voices, superb dancing, and an upbeat ending. The musical was based on the 2005 British …

PLAYERS BY THE SEA THEATRE REVIEW A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW BY DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM Jacksonville Beach’s , with support from sponsors Scott and Nancy McLucas, has opened a revival of “,” the 1994 Pulitzer Prize winning play by the late Edward Albee (1928 – 2016). The opening was on April 28, and the production will remain on stage until May 13, 2017. Visit playersbythesea.org or call 249-0289 for reservations and additional information. This is only one of the many great plays written by in a career which included “The Zoo Story” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (which …

Red Hot Chili Peppers tore up the Veterans’ Memorial Arena on Monday night, April 24 The band’s set opened with improvised saxophone, setting the tone for the largely ad libbed show. Original bassist cut in with a thumping bass line, along with the band’s long-time drummer, , and guitarist, . The trio jammed for an entire song before frontman took the stage. Under an army of hanging glowstick lights cresting together as a wave, Kiedis raked in the applause. Watching the band live, it’s clear how Flea got his name. He jumped around the stage constantly, from place to place. …