Tag Archives: Leonard Alterman

St. Augustine’s Limelight Theatre opened a revival of “Cabaret” (September 20 – October 21, 2018) on the Matuza Mainstage. The theatre is located at 11 Old Mission Avenue; ample free parking is available. Visit limelight-theatre.org or call 904-825-1164 for reservations. John Kander and Fred Ebb created this enduring musical, which received eight Tony awards after opening on Broadway in 1966. A film adaptation followed in 1972, which received eight Academy Awards. The story explores the rise of the Nazi Party in pre-World War II Germany, and is as relevant today as when it debuted over fifty years ago. As you …

By Madeline DeLorie Fleming Island’s The Island Theater opened Bus Stop by William Inge on August 10, 2018.  The production will run from August 10 through August 19 on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. Bus Stop by William Inge is a classic play known best by area audiences for the movie adaptation starring Marilyn Monroe.  The play itself was written and set in 1955.  The setting is not ignored by set designers Tricia Williams, Dave Baker and Whit Williams as they have created a working 1950’s diner mixed with rural touches of the Kansas Plains …

THEATRE JACKSONVILLE REVIEW A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW by Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom has opened a wonderful production of “,” by . The play opened on Broadway in 1997, received the 1997 Tony for Best Play, and ran for almost 600 performances. “Ballyhoo” is the second of Uhry’s “The Atlantic Trilogy,” which includes “Driving Miss Daisy” (1998 Pulitzer for Drama) and “Parade” (1999 Tony for Best Book). TJ’s production opened January 12, and will run through January 28, 2018, at 2032 San Marco Boulevard. Call 396-4425 for reservations. The play is set in Atlanta in 1939, and begins in the …

  Billed as an “Avant-Garde Musical Fable,” tells the story of a young Orphan who stumbles upon the home of Edgar Allen Rich, who is the wealthiest man in the world, on what is revealed to be a magical New Year’s Eve. Among the guests of Mr. Rich is the beautiful fallen Angel, who becomes the subject of a ritualistic battle for her love. Celebration runs Jan 20–Feb 5 at the . (249-7177, www.abettheatre.com) directs the ABET stage debut with musical director and choreographer . Celebration stars , , , and features Brian Keith Champion, Lucas Hopper, Matt Krieger, Kimberly Cooper …

ATLANTIC BEACH EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE REVIEW A BY DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM [email protected] Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre () presented a special staged reading of the thought-provoking “” during August 12 – 14, 2016. The production wasn’t part of ABET’s regular season, but was a welcomed addition to our local theatre offerings. ABET’s staging was the Florida premier of the drama, by , which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2001. The playwright’s inspiration was based on memories of his grandmother’s struggles with illness in her later years. The play is set in New York City, in Greenwich …

isn’t taking retirement sitting down. The 89-year-old founder of the is returning to the theatre she created with tonight’s opening of . Directed by Jack Barnard, the reading will be staged Aug 12-14.  “Celia wanted to do something to celebrate our 25th anniversary and she thought it woud be fun to drag me out of retirement,” says Merry Baillie. “I was ready to go, honey. I miss it like crazy. You can never to be sure somebody my age can still do it so we had to make sure I was still able to do it. The mind is still …

Northeast Florida Conservatory Theatre Review Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom [email protected] Jacksonville’s Theatre celebrated its first year of presenting the greatest American Musicals with the groundbreaking classic “,” by , with performances staged during November 19 – 22, 2015. The musical is based on “Tales of the South Pacific,” a collection of short stories written by based on his wartime experiences. The book, published in 1947, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction the following year. The musical adaptation, which opened in 1949, ran for 1,925 performances and also won a Pulitzer Prize, along with ten Tony Awards. While well …

NORTHEAST FLORIDA CONSERVATORY REVIEW Jacksonville’s presented a six-performance run of ’s Tony Award Winning musical “” during July 16-19, 2015. The Conservatory, established in 2010, has presented three previous musical theater classics at their facility in Mandarin, which included “,” “,” and “.” Lionel Bart, born in 1930, was a British composer, who, after achieving modest success as a pop song-writer during the fifties, wrote a couple of little-known musicals, followed in 1960 by “Oliver!” his only notable success, but a real blockbuster. The play had long runs in London and New York, with many successful revivals and tours, and …

            The made its North Florida debut February 27 to March 1 2015, at the in downtown Jacksonville. This brand new festival, which hopes to grow into an annual event, was the collaboration of Jacksonville playwright and the Ritz Theatre.             A full stage production of ’s Pulitzer Prize winning ground breaking play, “”, was an excellent choice to launch this new adventure in theatre. Wilder also won a Pulitzer for his “” (1942), and wrote the “” in 1954. The latter was to be transformed into one of the most popular musicals of all time, “”.             I attended …