On Stage

This show is filled with comedy and razzle dazzle numbers! A Dual Critics Review by Dick Kerekes and Leisla Sansom The Alhambra Theatre opened “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” on February 20th, 2020, which remains on stage through March 22nd.  This power house production, with songs and lyrics by Frank Loesser, debuted in 1961 and garnered seven Tony awards along with the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; a film adaptation was released in 1967. Director and producer Tod Booth has done a marvelous casting job in his selection of the twenty actors who bring the frenzied world …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Company, a 1970 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, was among the first musicals to deal with adult themes and relationships and is not for young audiences (cautions on language and subject matter).  To quote Sondheim, “Broadway theater has been for many years supported by upper-middle-class people with upper-middle-class problems.  These people really want to escape that world when they go to the theatre, and then here we are with Company talking about how we’re going to bring it right back in their faces.”  The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six. Returning to …

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 …

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW by Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom “Forum” is based on the comedies of long-ago Greek playwright Plautus (251-183 BC), with a modern-day book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. An interesting little-known fact about the show occurred during pre-Broadway tryouts when it wasn’t doing well. Jerome Robbins was consulted; he advised presenting the show as a wild, ribald comedy, and got the talented Sondheim to write “Comedy Tonight” for the opening number. That did it: after opening on Broadway in 1962, it remained for almost 1,000 performances, garnered six …

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW Jacksonville Beaches is always coming up with new ideas. Last year, they created a “Second Season” to expand their offerings. The plays, most with limited sets and costuming, are staged in the Studio Theatre, which has about eighty seats. The first play of this venture was “Memories of Ruby Mae” in September, 2019. Players did not sell tickets for the play but did accept donations. This year they staged “The Immigrant,” during January 9 – 11. “The Immigrant” was written in 1985 by multi-talented Mark Harelik, an American television, film, and stage actor, and playwright. The play …

Love Letters: A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW  Jacksonville Florida’s opened “Love Letters” on January 9th, 2020, which remains on stage through February 9th, and is the first of nine golden oldies in the Alhambra’s 2020 season. The play, written by A.R. Gurney, premiered in New York in 1988 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.  Casting is easy as the play has only two characters: Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III. Throughout the play, they sit at separate tables on opposite sides of the stage and read cards, notes and letters they have sent to each other over the …