The Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

FSCJ Artist Series Brings the 20th Anniversary Tour of RENT to Jacksonville

Liza Mitchell January 15, 2020 Downtown, Feature, On Stage, Theatre 1,468

Interview with RENT cast member Cody Jenkins It has been over 10,518,984 minutes since RENT first measured the value of friendship, the weight of artistic integrity, and the struggle to keep them intact while living and loving fiercely among the rising tides of addiction and the AIDS epidemic. The 20th anniversary tour of the groundbreaking musical by the late Jonathan Larson celebrates the friendship of seven young artists struggling to pursue their dreams without selling out. The tour stops in Jacksonville January 14-19th at the (www.artistseriesjax.com). Ground breaking, inspiring, hopeful, celebratory – all are descriptors used to measure the impact …

The Magical Part of Playing Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked

Liza Mitchell November 19, 2019 Downtown, Feature, On Stage, Theatre 842

Interview with Touring Broadway Actress Allison Bailey It has the bones of the classic of good vs. evil, but, at its core, Wicked is the story of an unlikely friendship between Elphaba and Glinda, long before Dorothy dropped in to the magical Land of Oz. The musical sensation opens the 2019-20 Broadway Series November 20-December 1 at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. You can purchase tickets at www.artistseriesjax.com. EU Jacksonville caught up with Allison Bailey, who stars in her “dream role” as Glinda the Good Witch. The Pensacola native is thrilled for the homecoming of sorts and excitedly …

Stay Hungry: Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco Comes to Jacksonville

Liza Mitchell December 28, 2018 Comedy, Downtown, Feature, On Stage 2,094

For someone who lives by the motto “Stay Hungry,” Sebastian Maniscalco has a lot on his plate. The top-selling comedian is back on the road after a dizzying few years in which he became a first-time father, penned a best-selling book, sold out a record breaking five nights at Radio City Music Hall and filmed a movie with a cast so Italian it looks like a Goodfellas reboot. Maniscalco is enjoying the taste of success with his book and current stand-up tour. Both are aptly titled “Stay Hungry” as a reminder to take nothing for granted and to appreciate the …

mannheim steamroller, chip davis, fscj artist series, jacksonville

Holiday Magic: Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Comes to Jacksonville

Liza Mitchell November 20, 2018 Downtown, Feature, Holidays, Music, On Stage 1,308

Exploring the history and mystery behind Mannheim Steamroller is like a musical advent calendar. Behind every window is a new story, a different instrument, or an inspirational moment waiting to be discovered. Mannheim Steamroller delivers a special holiday performance one night only on November 20th at the Moran Theater (www.artistseriesjax.com). The program will include interpretations of holiday classics and a 20-minute segment of material from the beloved Fresh Aire series. EU Jacksonville had the opportunity to speak with creator Chip Davis from his home nestled deep in hilly, tree-lined Nebraska about finding joy in the little things and harnessing the …

The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Story, Belinda Davids, EU Jacksonville

The Whitney Houston Story: Interview With South African Vocalist Belinda Davids

Liza Mitchell July 13, 2018 Downtown, Feature, Music, Musician Interviews, On Stage, Spoken Word, Theatre 2,468

The Greatest Love of All Like thousands of little girls with big dreams, South African vocalist wanted to grow up to be like . Six years ago, she realized her dream, cast as the principal vocalist in The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Story. The two-hour production is equal parts live concert and stage show. Davids is center stage in the role she’s held since the show’s inception. The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Story is presented by the for one night only July 21 at the (www.artistseriesjax.com). Featuring such songs as “I Will Always Love …

Making Diana: Motown The Musical Comes to Jacksonville

Liza Mitchell March 6, 2018 #904Giveaways: Contests From EU Jacksonville, Downtown, Feature, On Stage, Theatre 206

Even before she auditioned to inhabit the role of Diana Ross, already felt a connection to the legendary artist. She’d studied her song catalog and pored over a biography in preparation for her own tribute to the Motown queen, when opportunity called to join the cast for the final run of Motown the Musical. “It just so happens that two years ago, I wanted to do a tribute on my own. I started researching then. I was kind of familiar with her backstory. When I auditioned in Los Angeles, I decided to do a bit deeper,” says the Grammy-nominated artist. …

“THE LION KING” Roars at Times-Union Center

Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom February 3, 2018 Downtown, Dual Critics, Feature, On Stage, Theatre, Theatre Reviews, Uncategorized 248

FSCJ ARTIST SERIES BROADWAY IN JACKSONVILLE REVIEW A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW by Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom Disney’s The Lion King, the world’s # 1 musical, is back in town until February 11, 2018 at the Times Union Center. For tickets call (904) 632-5000 or visit fscjartistseries.org. The Broadway version debuted in 1997 and was based on Disney’s 1994 animated film version. The film was immensely popular, and holds the world record for the highest grossing animated film of all time. We know that many of our readers saw this show when the brought it to Jacksonville in 2007 and …

The Sound of Music, FSCJ Artist Series, Jacksonville, Florida, The Mother Abbess 2. Photo by Jeremy Daniel and Matthew Murphy

The FSCJ Artist Series is Alive with the Sound of Music

Liza Mitchell October 27, 2017 Downtown, Family, Feature, On Stage, Theatre 658

When The Sound of Music debuted on Broadway in 1959, audiences fell in love with the von Trapp family and the chorus of children who sang their way into our hearts. For half a century, The Sound of Music has echoed through time as one of the most beloved musicals in history. The FSCJ Artist Series presents The Sound of Music October 31-November 5 at the . The production features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp. The cherished story …

The Best of The Second City

Richard David Smith III January 27, 2015 Comedy, On Stage, Theatre 416

Comedian Casey Whitaker and friends give you a sentimental glimpse into the glory days of the heralded improv troupe Venue: The Times-Union Center – Terry Theater Date: January 31st at 8pm Tickets: $50 Contact: www.artistseriesjax.org *********** Positioned in a city famous for hundreds of different things and having seemingly a thousand different nicknames, it is no small feat that the improv group has become a Chicago institution and landmark standard bearer of comedy greatness for the past six decades. The company has launched the careers of Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Gilda Radner, and countless other comedy giants who …