Tag Archives: Erin Barnes

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 …

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW Downtown Jacksonville’s has opened Falsettos, an award-winning musical. The production opened June 14, and will remain on stage through June 30, 2019. The theatre is located at 112 East Adams Street; additional information is available on the company’s Facebook page. For reservations, call (904) 637-5100 or visit www.The5andDime.org. Falsettos opened on Broadway in 1992, was nominated for seven Tonys, and won Best Book and Best Original Score; a 2016 revival was nominated for five Tonys. The play toured throughout the county during February 2018 -June 2019. The book is by James Lapine, with music, lyrics, and book …

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW Jacksonville Beach’s Players by the Sea opened its first production of 2019 with “The Bridges of Madison County” on January 25th, which runs through February 16th. The theatre is located at 106 6th Street North in . For reservations call 904-249-0289 or visit playersbythesea.org. The musical is based on a novella of the same name by Robert James Waller, published in 1992.  Many theatre-goers will be familiar with the story. The book was on the New York Times bestseller list for over three years, has sold over sixty million copies worldwide, and a 1995 film adaptation …

When Suzanne Hudson Smith first stepped into her new role as executive director of Players by the Sea, she was adamant that despite her theatre background, she had no plans to direct a show unless it was the right piece. When a last-minute calendar change added The Bridges of Madison County to the season schedule, she knew it was the opportunity she was waiting for. “Bridges of Madison County is a very intimate story that has so many little pieces to it. It’s what theatre does, in that we are able to present a story and the last piece that’s …

The newly rebranded All Beaches Experimental Theatre launches its 27th season tomorrow at its new Neptune Beach home with the musical “James and the Giant Peach.” The show runs through Sept 30 (www.abettheatre.com). Director says the family-friendly musical based on the beloved children’s book by Roald Dahl was the perfect choice to christen ABET’s new stage. “I think the story really resonates because it talks about finding your family and finding your home,” he says. “And that’s really what ABET is doing right now. It’s finding its place and finding its home, so I think this story works well right …

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW The Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre has opened the first show of its 26th season with “Floyd Collins,” a haunting musical based on true events. The show will be on stage through September 24th at 716 Ocean Boulevard in . For reservations, call (904) 249-9177 or visit abettheatre.com. The musical, with book by Tina Laundau and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, was directed by ; Aaron DeCicco was the musical director. The story is that of William Floyd Collins, who was a cave explorer in Central Kentucky where miles and miles of underground caverns exist within …

5 & DIME THEATRE REVIEW A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW BY DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The  opened its very first musical in their new location at 122 Adams Street. The company and sponsors Rob & Donna Banks opened the Florida premier of the dynamic musical “A New Brain” on April 21, on stage until May 7, 2017. We wonder if anyone has written a book about where composers and playwrights find their subjects. If yes, the story of “,” which debuted in 1998, certainly would be included in that book. When composer experienced dizziness and partial paralysis in 1992 (the …