On Stage

A-Train Live: The Experience makes history as being the first and only comedy series to take residence at the historic Ritz Theatre & Museum. This unique comedy experience will allow guests an opportunity to enjoy a pleasant atmosphere, as A-Trainplays host to some of the funniest comedians from around the country. He will also conduct brief Q&A sessions with each featured act at the end of each show. These Q&A sessions will allow audience members to gain a more intimate understanding of the men and women behind the jokes. Jacksonville native and resident, comedian A-Train hosts the ultimate entertainment experience …

STAGE AURORA THEATRE COMPANY REVIEW DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM [email protected] Downtown Jacksonville was a busy place on Sunday afternoon on June 19, 2016, as the presented an original musical, “Harlem of the South,” on the stage of the Hicks Auditorium in the downtown public library. A large and enthusiastic Father’s Day audience was entertained by a vibrant cast of singers and dancers in a show conceived by , CEO/Executive Director of Stage Aurora. The show was possible as Stage Aurora was a recipient of a Spark Grant and was sponsored in part by The Cultural Council of Jacksonville and …

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM [email protected] held a gala fundraiser show at the on June 20, 2016. This mission group was started several years ago by and , while students at . After planning a trip to Africa, they invited others to join them. The focus of their work was teaching theatre arts — acting, singing, and dancing — to children from an orphanage and nearby schools in Bondo, Kenya. Two trips to Africa in 2011 and 2014 were followed by a trip to Costa Rica in 2015. This year, it’s back to Bondo, with …

A Dual Critics Review by Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom [email protected] The Alhambra Theatre has scheduled a summer show that is family-friendly and will appeal to theatre goers of all ages. This year’s treat is the ever-popular smash hit musical “,” which opened on June 15 and will be on stage through July 31, 2016. If you read no further than this, let it be known that the production is top-notch, filled with peerless voices, delightful dancing, and magnificent costumes. Many readers are familiar with this French fairytale that debuted as an animated musical Disney film in 1991. A stage …

Mental Brothers, Murderous Aunts and 13 Dead Bodies in the Cellar: Normal Family Affairs in “Arsenic and Old Lace”    A single teaspoon of arsenic mixed in wine. Not in tea, as it leaves a suspicious odor, calmly advises sweet old Aunt Martha her astounded nephew Mortimer of her deadly concoction. The quiet inanity of the whole scene provokes laughter. In fact, that belly-hurting amusement is all I can recall from the first time I saw Arsenic and Old Lace, a 1941 play by Joseph Kesselring. I was with a bunch of university friends – all of us cheering for …

With a rich history of family-friendly musical theatre, Peach State Summer Theatre (PSST!) might be one of the best kept secrets in the south. For 27 years, the Jekyll Island Musical Theatre Festival and Peach State Summer Theatre has staged an annual trifecta of summer musicals that has become the toast of the town. In 2005, the summer theatre was relocated from Jekyll Island to the campus of Valdosta State University, where it continues to thrive. Managing Director Duke Guthrie says he still hears that faint chorus of, ‘We didn’t know you were here,’ despite packed houses and the program’s …

THE LITTLE MERMAID THEATRE JACKSONVILLE REVIEW DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM [email protected] Theatre Jacksonville and sponsor Acosta Sales & Marketing opened the final show of its 96th season on June 10th, 2016, with Disney’s “,” a crowd-pleaser for audiences young and old. Performances will continue through June 26th, at 2032 San Marco Boulevard. Call 904-396-4425 or visit www.theatrejax.com for additional information and reservations. Note that tickets are going fast for this colorful and delightful musical. The original “Mermaid” was a very successful 1989 film that is still shown on television from time to time and is available at local libraries. …

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM [email protected] The Dual Critics took a four-hour trip to Las Vegas on June 8, 2016 but never went beyond the city limits of Jacksonville. Instead, we went to our first experience at . The Alhambra’s owners have presented ten such special events in recent years, with most of the programming featuring recreations of the performances of famous entertainers from the past in a nightclub setting. The Rat Pack — Live and Swingin! featured , , and , three of Vegas’ most acclaimed crooners, all of whom have passed on to …

LIMELIGHT THEATRE REVIEW DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM [email protected] St. Augustine’s opened a unique, possibly a once-in-a-lifetime theatre experience on June 3, 2016 by using separate theatres to stage two one-act comedies, “” and “. ” Texas playwright (1951-2011) was known for “The Day They Shot John Lennon” and “Wild Oats,” but these two companion pieces he wrote in the 1970s have been even more successful and are still frequently performed. How it works: you will begin by seeing “Laundry & Bourbon,” which is about one hour long, on Limelight’s Matuza Main Stage. At intermission, you will enter the lobby …

Starring: Brandon Leoparti as J. Pierrepont Finch Tim DeBorde as J.B. Biggley Breanna Shuman as Rosemary Pilkington Courtney Russell as Smitty Jacob Taylor as Bud Frump Theresa Buchanan as Miss Jones Steve Cohn as Mr. Twimble Steve Conrad as Wally Wompee Aimee Low as Hedy LaRue Evan Bowen as Mr. Bert Bratt Tom DeBorde as Mr. Milton Gatch Music & lyrics by Frank Loesser Book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert Based on the book by Shepherd Mead “Orange Park Community Theatre is a family that plays together.” How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is based …