On Stage

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM Theatre Jacksonville closes out its 93rd Season with the North Florida premiere of “9 to 5: THE MUSICAL” sponsored by Acosta Sales and Marketing. This hilarious musical will be on stage at 2032 San Marco Avenue until June 22nd. Call (904) 396-4425 for reservations. “9 to 5” is based on the very popular 1980 movie starring Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Jane Fonda. The musical opened in 2009 and received four Tony award nominations and fifteen Drama Desk award nominations. While full of laughs and a lot of fun, it is a look back …

by Katie Gile “Laugh, and the whole world laughs with you.” A lot has been said about the therapy of laughter and sharing that makes the entire experience contagiously healthy. Jacksonville will certainly be smiling this June; quite a variety of comedy is coming to town. Comedy Zone With decades of history to its name, the Comedy Zone (located inside the Mandarin Ramada) just feels like “funny.” From the moment a crowd fills the club, high-energy music and announcements of incipient acts permeate the dull roar. Like the best comedians, the venue doesn’t try too hard to please, yet effortlessly …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM Gainesville’s Hippodrome Theatre opened its annual summer musical with the 2004 Tony Award winner “AVENUE Q” by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. The play was on Broadway for over 2,500 performances, then moved to Off-Broadway and is still going strong in New York. “Q” is scheduled to run at the Hippodrome Theatre in downtown Gainesville until June 23, but if it is like any of the previous summer blockbuster shows, it may very well be extended. We attended a Sunday matinee along with an excited and enthusiastic audience. The Hipp’s theatre is the perfect …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM “DO BLACK PATENT LEATHER SHOES REALLY REFLECT UP?” opened at the Limelight Theatre, and will run through June 30th at 11 Old Mission Avenue in downtown St. Augustine. For information call (904) 825-1164 or visit limelight-theatre.org. Although “Shoes” was not considered sophisticated enough for commendation by New York critics and had only a very short run on Broadway in 1982, it ran for over four years in Chicago and had two long runs in Philadelphia. It has been a favorite of community, regional, and dinner theatres over the years and in fact has been …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The months of June and July 2013 will be alive and filled with music as the Peach State Summer Theatre(PSST!) presents its always fabulous summer musical theatre program in Valdosta, Georgia at Valdosta State University. The three musicals on this summer’s agenda will be performed in repertory beginning June 1, until July 14. PSST! is known for excellence and lavish productions, and has put together an interesting mix of entertainment. The Sound of Music, based on the true-life story of the Austrian Von Trapp family will be familiar to almost everyone. The sophisticated romantic …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM Players by the Sea and One World Foundation present Horton Foote’s “The Trip to Bountiful” at 106 Sixth Street North in Jacksonville Beach until June 8th. For reservations call (904) 249-0289 or visit playersbythesea.org. According to the words of a well-known song, love is lovelier the second time around. The same can be said of many things in life, like fashions and homecomings. And plays. When “The Trip to Bountiful” debuted on the New York stage in 1953, it played less than 100 performances despite an all-star cast. An Off-Broadway production in 2005, on …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSON The Dual Critics traveled up the coast to Fernandina Beach, Florida to catch the final performance of John Logan’s “Red”, which was onstage from May 11 through May 18. When “Red” won six Tony awards, including Best Play, in 2010, we weren’t able to see it in it in New York. We were hoping a theatre in Florida would do it, but never in a million years thought it would be on the schedule of the 36-seat Fernandina Little Theatre. Director Amelia Hart took on the challenge of this complex play, and was able …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM May will be a month of mystery at the Alhambra, as Bob Barry’s comedy “Murder Among Friends” will be on the boards until June 9 at 12000 Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville. Call 641-1212 for reservations and information. The Alhambra continues to bring stars to their intimate stage and this show features a repeat visit by one of the most popular performers with the return of Loretta Swit, whose appearance in 2010 set an attendance record for the theatre. And while the title of the play sounds somewhat ominous and the script does have large …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM ABET presents Tennessee William’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “A Streetcar Named Desire” on stage at 716 Ocean Boulevard in Atlantic Beach, Florida until May 26. Tickets are $15.00; call 904-249-7177 or visit abettheatre.com for reservations. This revival of William’s classic is moody, muscular, and a masterpiece with a solid cast under the inspired direction of DAVE ALAN THOMAS and is not to be missed. Although to our knowledge it has not been done in the North Florida area in recent years, many are familiar with this play which opened on Broadway in 1947, where it …

by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM Students from the Players by the Sea School of the Arts under the direction of Barbara Colaciello presented a one performance staged reading of local playwright Kelby Siddons’ latest play, “War Paint” on Saturday May 11. As critics, we usually don’t review staged readings since more often than not they are works in progress. The Players’ production incorporated an unusual approach and we therefore felt it merited a review. Since the play is a work in progress for Ms. Siddons, we will only briefly mention the plot. “War Paint” is about teenagers and although …