Southside

Date: Every other Wednesday Venue: Jacksonville Comedy Club Tickets: Contact Comedy Club Contact: Burk Shields 477-0395  is a booking agent, but it would be easy enough to confuse the burly fella with a plain ole bookie. You know, the take your bets and then come to collect his money with a baseball bat type bookie. “Some people had to go,” explained Hapi. Don’t worry, Hapi wasn’t talking about anything nefarious. He was referring to the band split-up that led to the creation of , a local band that he represents. In reality, Joe “Mr. Hawaii” Hapi is an affable gentleman …

That penny-pinching old skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge is back in residence with the Alhambra’s Christmas Carole until Christmas Eve, as the original musical of Charles Dickens’ classic by Bruce Allen Scudder and Janie Newell makes its 23rd appearance on the stage where this version was born. The Dual Critics usually write reviews to enlighten the public about what to expect in the show and hopefully to encourage them to see it. Well, that is not the case with this review, since all 51 performances are SOLD OUT! If you want to see it, you can call the theatre, give them a date, and …

Music, dance, and rollicking fun await you in the Alhambra’s Crazy For You which will be onstage through May 5, at 12000 Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville. Call (904) 641-1212 for reservations. Crazy For You debuted in 1992 and won the Tony for Best Musical. The Alhambra’s production is an energetic fast-paced show that you will want to see again and again. It is filled with great Gershwin songs including “Embraceable You”, “Someone to Watch Over Me”, and “I Got Rhythm”. The show is set in the 1930s and is an adaptation of “Girl Crazy”, a musical which played on Broadway …

The Alhambra Theatre opened Alfred Uhry’s popular and Pulitzer Prize winning play, Driving Miss Daisy and it will run through March 17th. It stars Emmy Award winning actress MICHAEL LEARNED of The Waltons and LANCE NICHOLS of HBO’s currently running drama “Treme.” Set in Atlanta in 1948, the plot revolves around a 72 year old cantankerous and independent Jewish widow, Daisy Werthan, who is at odds with her son Boolie (MICHAEL EDWARD HODGE) over his advice about her driving. Despite recently hitting a building and totaling her automobile, Daisy refuses to give up driving. Over her objections he hires a full-time black …

The Alhambra Theatre kicked off its 2013 season on December 28th with the North Florida premier of the Richard Maltby Jr. musical Ring of Fire – The Music of Johnny Cash. The show opened on the 28th so the Alhambra could feature it for the annual New Year’s Eve event. The official gala opening is January 4th, and this is a rare opportunity to read a review and make gala reservations. (Galas are lots of fun, with free champagne and hors d’oeuvres offered by the roving wait staff before the show and some goodies after the show along with a …

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? A Christmas that includes softly falling snow? Not much chance of that in Jacksonville, although we came close in 1989. Does anyone remember? If you’re dreaming of a theatrical White Christmas, then the musical stage version of the 1954 Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye movie is now at the Alhambra and will remain until December 24. However, even experiencing the fluffy stuff vicariously may remain a dream unless you already have reserved seats, as the show has been sold out since Halloween. You can ask to be put a waiting list; perhaps you’ll …

Traditional good old country music is alive and well on the stage of the Alhambra Theatre and Dining in the hands of country music star Jason Petty and his show Hank & My Honky Tonk Heroes. Originally scheduled to run through August 19, it has been extended until August 26. In this tribute to Hank Williams, one of the most popular shows to ever come to the Alhambra, Petty recreates Hank’s iconic stage presence. A terrific four-piece backup band includes Mark Baczynski (fiddle), Rory Hoffman (electric guitar), Eric Lewis (steel guitar) and David Martin, who is the bandleader and on …

Some early results are in for the 2012 election year. The Alhambra Theatre decided to choose its summer play based on the votes of its fans and patrons, and The Wizard of Oz was the winner of the popular vote. The musical has now opened and will be playing through July 23rd. It’s not a surprise that it won; the novel by L. Frank Baum that inspired the play has had a strong following since it was first published in 1900, 112 years ago. In 1939, an Academy Award nominated film starring Judy Garland was made. The Wizard of Oz film …