Katie Swider McCloskey – Folio 2.0 / EU Jacksonville

The 5 & Dime, Falsettos, Maya Adkins Photography

‘Falsettos’ on The 5 & Dime’s Intimate Stage is an Unusual Love Story, Heart-Rending Masterpiece

Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom June 19, 2019 Downtown, Dual Critics, Feature, On Stage, The Elbow, Theatre, Theatre Reviews 561

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 …

DUAL CRITICS REVIEW: ‘How I Learned to Drive’ at The 5 & Dime Theatre

Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom August 13, 2018 Downtown, Dual Critics, Feature, On Stage, The Elbow, Theatre, Theatre Reviews 1,069

The 5 & Dime, Jacksonville’s downtown theatre, has opened “How I Learned to Drive.” This 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama written by Paula Vogel opened on August 10 and remains on stage through August 26, 2018. 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. “Drive” is a memory play; a dark coming-of-age story with mature themes mixed with humor at times. It’s a familiar story: these days, the news is filled with reports of powerful figures (almost all male) having used their positions …

DUAL CRITICS REVIEW: “Company” at 5 & Dime Theatre

Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom April 23, 2018 Downtown, Dual Critics, Feature, On Stage, The Elbow, Theatre, Theatre Reviews 98

Downtown Jacksonville’s The 5 & Dime Theatre went back to 1970 – almost five decades ago – to present Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Company,” which opened on April 20th, 2018. Remarkably, this Tony Award winner is just as relevant today as when it first opened on Broadway. The production runs through May 6th, 2018, with evening performances on Fridays and Saturdays, a matinee on Sunday, April 29th, and both a matinee and an evening performance on Sunday, May 6th. See their Facebook page for tickets and additional information and tickets. “Company” revolves around Bobby, a New York man-about-town who is celebrating his …

Ron Shreve Brings “A NEW BRAIN” to the 5 & Dime

Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom April 26, 2017 Downtown, Dual Critics, Feature, On Stage, The Elbow, Theatre, Theatre Reviews 47

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 …

DUAL CRITICS REVIEW: Merrily We Roll Along at ABET

Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom September 14, 2016 Atlantic Beach, Dual Critics, Feature, On Stage, The Beaches, Theatre, Theatre Reviews 269

ABET THEATRE REVIEW DUAL CRITICS REVIEW BY DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM [email protected] The opened the Florida premier of the musical “” on September 9, 2016. The production will be onstage through September 26. The musical, which debuted on Broadway in 1981, is based on a 1934 play by and . It hasn’t been staged frequently, probably because it is so challenging for the actors, musicians, and directors. But as far as we know, director embraces challenging works, and this play was no exception. He was ably assisted by actor/director . The book is by , while the music and …

Y-BAG ALUMNI CABARET REVIEW

Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom August 4, 2016 Dual Critics, Feature, On Stage, Theatre, Theatre Reviews, Uncategorized 749

DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSON [email protected] went to a fabulous show at the on San Pablo Road in Jacksonville, Florida on July 28th, 2016. The show, which was repeated on July 29th, was a reunion celebration of the . During 1981 – 2005, Y-BAG produced twenty-five full-scale musicals; an annual event for performers aged ten to twenty. The program began in 1980 when friends Judy Hulett and Jane Bull conceived the idea of staging a summer musical as a creative activity for the youth of the beaches. They approached Jacksonville Beach Mayor and Recreations Director about sponsoring it, and Y-BAG …

“RED, WHITE AND SCREWED” – AWKWARD SILENCE

Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom July 19, 2016 Atlantic Beach, Comedy, Dual Critics, Feature, On Stage, The Beaches, Theatre, Theatre Reviews 650

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW by DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM [email protected] Awkward Silence JAX, a sketch comedy troupe founded in 2014, presented its latest Jacksonville performance during July 16-17, 2016 at to sold out audiences. They have previously performed in a number of shows in Northeast Florida, and branched out with an appearance at the 2015 Orlando Fringe Festival. For , they presented twenty-five skits of varied lengths on varied subjects; many were focused on political topics and seemed ripped directly from current news headlines. Of course, , Republican presumptive presidential nominee, received much of the attention (presumptive, as we …

5 & Dime Theatre Cabaret: An Evening of Song

Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom April 19, 2016 Downtown, Feature, On Stage 328

presented a two-night benefit cabaret on April 14 – 15, 2016 at their theatre home at 700 East Union Street, in Jacksonville, Florida. This was the finest evening of song we have ever heard in thirty-six years of covering the theatre scene in this area. Oh, we have seen some fine cabaret shows over the years but none with TEN featured singers performing! Before we comment on the show, just a few words about this event and similar productions by community theatres in North Florida. The cost of everything is going up, and that includes the cost of putting on …

“ORDINARY DAYS” is delightful, snappy & fast-paced

Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom January 24, 2016 Atlantic Beach, Dual Critics, Feature, On Stage, The Beaches, Theatre, Theatre Reviews 610

Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre Review Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom [email protected] opened up its first show of 2016 with a New Year’s present to theatre lovers with “,” a delightful musical making its North Florida premier. It opened on January 20th and will be on-stage in Atlantic Beach through February 7th. The musical was created by composer and lyricist , who has been involved with several musicals, with this being the most successful. It is playing not only across the country but worldwide. Why? We all know that musicals are the most popular form of theatre for the majority of …