On Stage

 wasn’t even born when Flashdance first danced onto the silver screen and into our collective pop consciousness, but the young performer feels like she was destined to play the role of Alex Owens. Mueller plays the lead role, first brought to life by Jennifer Beale in the stage adaptation of the classic 1983 film. The show celebrates the 30th anniversary of the film and is presented of the  in Jacksonville Dec. 10-15 in the Moran Theater at the . The national tour of Flashdance – The Musical tells the story of a Owens, a young Pittsburgh steel worker with dreams …

by LIZA MITCHELL Jillian Mueller wasn’t even born when Flashdance first danced onto the silver screen and into our collective pop consciousness, but the young performer feels like she was destined to play the role of Alex Owens. Mueller plays the lead role, first brought to life by Jennifer Beale in the stage adaptation of the classic 1983 film. The show celebrates the 30th anniversary of the film and is presented of the Artist Series Broadway in Jacksonville Dec. 10-15 in the Moran Theater at the Times-Union Center for the Arts. The national tour of Flashdance-The Musical tells the story …

by Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom OPTC and The Tom Nehl Fund of The Community Foundation are presenting Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” on stage till December 22nd in Orange Park. Call (904) 276-2599 or see opct.org for information and reservations. If you want to enjoy a wonderful warm and festive evening of Christmas sentimentality than by all means don’t miss this production, and, of course, take the kids. They will love it. This musical debuted in 2004 and was inspired by the movie “Holiday Inn” which originally came out in 1942 with Bing Crosby and then was remade in 1954 …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The Douglas Anderson Theatre Department presented its annual musical from November 21-24, 2013 on the Main Stage Theatre on the school’s Southside campus. “Ragtime, The Musical,” has often been described as one of the greatest American Musicals and was an excellent choice for the School of the Arts, providing both an education about American culture and social issues in the 1900s, and a marvelous opportunity for students to stage this spectacular show, either as actors or crew members. The novel “Ragtime” was penned by E. L. Doctorow in 1975. It was made into a …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The Bolles School annual musical was presented on the San Jose Campus from November 21-24, 2013. The musical is an all-school event, and this year, almost 100 members of the Bolles community of all ages participated. The year’s selection was the delightful Annie, considered by many to be the greatest family musical to come from Broadway. It was revived in New York in 2013 and was once again a great success. The 1977 Tony Award-winning musical has songs that are now so familiar you can sing along with the cast. Songs like “Hard Knock …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM In December, as sure as you are going to see those red kettles and hear those ringing bells and pass those Christmas tree lots, you can be sure there will be more than one version of the classic “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. The Dual Critics had the opportunity to see and hear a special performance of Jacksonville actor Jason Woods’ original one-man play that he adapted from the enduringly popular 1843 novel. He will be performing it this holiday season at Christ Episcopal Church in Ponte Vedra Beach. Show times are 3 …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The Sikes Theatre on the Jacksonville campus of The Episcopal School was the scene of four performances of Tony Award winning playwright Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” on stage November 13 – 16. It had been a number of years since we last saw a play at the Sikes Theatre and it has been extensively renovated with remarkably comfortable seating, making it an excellent 130-seat setting for theatrical productions. Audience members familiar with Shakespeare’s classic “Hamlet” would likely have recognized the two sublime nobodies, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who had the job of …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM Dramaworks of Florida State College at Jacksonville presented the Florida premiere of Arlene Hutton’s LETTERS TO SALA, at The Wilson Center on the South campus of FSCJ. The play ran from November 7 – 10 for only one weekend. “Letters to Sala” is subtitled “A Young Woman’s Life in Nazi Labor Camps” and was conceived by Ms. Hutton using the book “Sala’s Gift,” written by Ann Kirschner, the daughter of Sala Garncarz, a Jewish woman from a large extended Polish family, who survived the Holocaust. The book was written several years ago, but the …

When the new Alhambra Theater & Dining opens it’s production of Bruce Allen Scudder’ Christmas Carole, it will mark the 21th time in the last 23 years for the Christmas classic at the nation’s longest running professional dinner theater. The Alhambra will celebrate the start of its fifth season under the management of Theatre Partners LLC and the leadership of Managing Partner, Craig Smith. In November of 2009, Smith opened the iconic theater after a brief hiatus, and launched his first campaign with Christmas Carole. Since then, the Alhambra has alternated between Christmas Carole and other holiday classics. Last season …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM Jacksonville Beach’s Players by the Sea opened its final production of 2013, with Matthew Lopez’s powerful drama, “The Whipping Man.” The drama will be on stage at 106 Sixth Street North until November 23. Call 249-0289 for reservations or visit www.playersbythesea.org. If you are a theatergoer who wants an excellent script, a director who thoroughly understands the intent of the playwright, soul stirring and flawless staging, and a stellar cast, then “The Whipping Man” is for you. Indeed, besides being a seamless blend of writing, direction, and acting, it is an educational journey. The …