On Stage

Marcus Kinney's Anton-Rocamora by LIZA MITCHELL A timeless musical masterpiece celebrates 25 years of success with a stage production infused with a modern technological twist. The producers of Les Misérables, which is based on the beloved novel by Victor Hugo, breathed new life into the play using high-definition projectors to create a multi-dimensional backdrop based on Hugo’s own illustrations. Presented by the Florida State College at Jacksonville Artist Series, the 25th-anniversary production of Les Misérables will be staged May 1-6 at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available through The Artist Series at www.artistseriesjax.org. Cast member Andrew …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM It was all aboard Friday April 20th at Theatre Jacksonville as they presented the North Florida Premier of the zany comedy “Twentieth Century.” The show will run through May 5th at 2032 San Marco Boulevard. For reservations, call 396-4425 or visit www.theatrejax.com The title refers to the famous Twentieth Century Limited passenger train operated by the New York Central Railroad from 1902 to 1967, which traveled between Chicago and New York in a lightning fast sixteen hours. The original play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur opened in 1934. A very popular movie followed, …

by Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom This is an exciting time of the year, when local universities and colleges finish up the school year. Those seniors majoring in musical theatre and the vocal arts find it especially exciting; this is the time for a carefully prepared recital presented as a Senior Showcase. The recitals are designed to display each student’s full range of musical talent, and instructors issue grades based on performance. On April 17, we attended the showcase of Nikki Spies at Terry Hall on the campus of Jacksonville University, presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM Ponte Vedra’s Christ Episcopal Church opened a two-weekend run of the classic Fiddler on the Roof on Friday April 13. Three more performances remain on April 20 – 21. Fiddler opened on Broadway in 1964 and there have been many performances in the North Florida area, although none in recent years. Fiddler is certainly one of the most popular musicals of all time and as tradition is the heart and message of the show, it has become a tradition to take children and grandchildren because of what it teaches us about yes, tradition, but …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The South Campus of the Florida State College of Jacksonville presented a four-performance run April 12-15 of Lanford Wilson’s “Book of Days” in the studio theatre at the Wilson Center for the Arts. Ken McCulough, Professor of Theatre and head of the Florida State College’s Theatre Performance Program at the South Campus, always manages to present new and exciting plays each year. The final play of this school year is no exception and Mr. McCulough took on the directing chores as well. While a groundbreaking playwright, the late Lanford Wilson’s work has not been …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The Jacksonville University College of Fine Arts presented its final production of this school year April 12, 13, 14 at Swisher Theatre on the campus grounds. The Gilbert and Sullivan operetta “The Gondoliers” was given a majestic production with gorgeous costumes, a cast of twenty-four and a twelve-piece orchestra. This lavish creation was made possible by the sponsorship of the Mayo Clinic. The Gondoliers, the last collaboration by the team of Gilbert and Sullivan to achieve great popular success, was selected by Robert Tudor, Head of Opera and Music Theatre and Chair of the …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The Artist Series presents the unique adult comedy “Robert Dubac’s The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron?” as part of the Off-Broadway Series at the Wilson Center for the Arts, on stage through Sunday April 15th. Order tickets at 632-3373 or online at www.artistseriesjax.org. What women want from men and what men expect from women has been a timeless relevant question in many books, movies, plays, and television sitcoms. Sometimes the theme is treated very seriously but in this one-man show written and performed by Robert Dubac, ninety minutes of humor is king (or queen) with …

Lexi Carter as BirdieStock and Steve Jones as Snoopy Laurel Seymout as Sally and Charlie Porter as Charlie Brown Lisa Allen plays Schroeder to Tori Smith's Lucy Christopher May-Russell as Woodstock and Lexi Carter as BirdieStock by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The UNF Opera Ensemble under the Direction of Dr. Krzysztof Biernacki and the UNF Orchestra conducted by Dr. Simon Shiao presented a staged concert version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” for four performances from March 30 to April 1 in the Lazzara Performance Hall on the campus of the University of North Florida. “The Mikado” and “The …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM Players by the Sea opened a two weekend run of “Bug,” a comic and creepy play by Pulitzer Prize/Tony Award winning playwright Tracy Letts. If you look at the published season for PBTS you won’t see “Bug” on the list, as it is an attraction added when some time in the Studio Theatre was available in an already busy season. No doubt the decision to do this was influenced by last December’s successful production of “Superior Donuts” by Letts. Remember if you are itching to see “Bug” that the last two performances are March …