“There is nothing that compares to an unexpected round of applause…” FEBRUARY 2024 ISSUE 17 West Coast Players FIRST DATE February 2 - 4, 2024 Francis Wilson Playhouse SOMETHING ROTTEN February 15 - March 3, 2024
Hoping 2024 is so far being good to you. Lots of shows going on! If you aren’t in one, try to get out and see one! Remember, if you are in a show, pass the word to new cast members in the area about sending their emails to receive APPLAUSE to: [email protected] AND
Love changes everything: Hands and faces Earth and sky Love Love changes everything: How you live and How you die “Love Changes Everything” Dunedin Showcase Theater (DST) Venue Actor Studio (VAS) c/o Mike Cote 5124 9th Avenue N 1920 Pinehurst Road St. Petersburg, FL 33710 Dunedin, FL 34698 727-822-6194 727-417-0035 [email protected] [email protected] West Coast Players (WCP) Eight O’Clock Theatre (EOT) 21905 US 19 North Central Park Perf. Arts Ctr. Clearwater, FL 33765 105 Central Park Drive 727-437-2363 Largo, FL 33771 wcplayers.org PO Box 297, Safety Harbor, FL 34695 727-587-6751 SAGES Theater (SAGES) [email protected] c/o Linda Goldman www.eightoclocktheatre.com 727-536-7076 [email protected] Francis Wilson Playhouse (FWP) sagestheater.org 302 Seminole Street Clearwater, FL 33755 Tarpon Springs Performing 727-446-1360 Arts (TA) franciswilsonplayhouse.org 324 Pine Street Cultural Center The Ghostlight Young Company (GYC} 101 S. Pinellas Avenue c/o Rachel Fennell Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 3010 51st Street South 727-942-6605 Gulfport, FL 33707 tarponarts.org (978) 930-3804 www.ghostlightyc.org Richey Suncoast Theatre (RST) 6237 Grand Blvd. Gulfport Community Players (GCP) New Port Richey, FL 34652 1619 49th Street S 727-842-6777 Gulfport, FL 33707 richeysuncoasttheatre.com gulfportcommunityplayers.org St. Petersburg City Theatre (SPCT) 4025 31st Street South St. Petersburg, FL 33712 727-866-2059 spcitytheatre.org “ASPECTS OF LOVE” (1989)
AUDITIONS THEATRE: EIGHT O’CLOCK THEATRE PLAY/MUSICAL: SWEENEY TODD MORE INFO: Audiitions held on February 25 & 26 @ 7PM @ Central Park Performing Arts Center, 105 Central Park Drive, Largo, 33771. Production dates are May 3 - 12, 2024. Rehearsals begin March 3rd. Additional information at www.eightolocktheatre.com Please prepare 16 bars of a song (in your key) that showcases your voice. Bring sheet music; a pianist will be provided. No a capella or recorded music. Wear or bring proper dance attire (no sandals or flipflops). There may be readings from the script. Bring a current resume and headshot if you have them. Be prepared to provide any conflicts you may have during the rehearsal period. Rehearsals are Monday – Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons. DIRECTOR/MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Jason Tucker ALL ROLES ARE OPEN AND UNPAID. Characters must present as the gender written per the licensing company; however, Actors are not restricted to audition for roles based on gender identity. SWEENEY TODD: (Leading Role, Male-presenting, 40-55) A wrongfully imprisoned barber seeking to right the wrongs committed against him. He is Johanna's father, singularly focused on taking bloody revenge. Our story's tormented protagonist. Vocal range: F2-Gb4
AUDITIONS MRS. LOVETT: (Leading Role, Female-presenting, 35-50) An entrepreneurial and amoral meat pie shop owner. She falls in love with Todd and turns his desire for revenge into a profitable business venture. Vocal range: G3-E5 ANTHONY HOPE: (Featured Role, Male-presenting, 20-30) A naïve and youthful sailor returning to London. He helps Todd return to London and unexpectedly falls in love with Johanna. Vocal range: Bb2-F4 JOHANNA: (Featured Role, Female-presenting, 18-21) A spritely girl, full of innocence, constantly yearning for freedom. Todd's long-lost daughter and Turpin's ward. Vocal range: Bb3-A5 TOBIAS RAGG: (Featured Role, Male-presenting, 12-18) A poor youngster apprenticed to Pirelli. He finds a surrogate family in Todd and Lovett. Vocal range: Bb2-Ab4 JUDGE TURPIN: (Featured Role, Male-presenting, 50-65) A lecherous public official who portrays himself as a sanctimonious authoritarian. He takes advantage of his position in the city and is responsible for imprisoning Todd. Vocal range: E2-Gb4 THE BEADLE: (Featured Role, Male-presenting, 40-55) A pompous public official. He is deeply loyal to the corrupt Turpin. Vocal range: D3-D5 BEGGAR WOMAN: (Featured Role, Female-presenting, 35-50) A deranged and schizophrenic woman who harbors a dark, surprising secret. Vocal range: Ab3-F5 SWEENEY TODD (cont’d)
AUDITIONS SWEENEY TODD (Cont’d) ADOLFO PIRELLI: (Featured Role, Male-presenting, 30-45) A flamboyant Italian rival barber; a charlatan with a secret past. Vocal range: Tenor/Baritone JONAS FOGG: (Featured Ensemble Role, Male-presenting, 35-60) The owner of Fogg's Asylum. He sells the hair of madmen to wigmakers. Vocal range: Any ENSEMBLE: Townspeople; Policemen; Lunatics. Vocal Range: All Pursuant to EOT's Mission, actors with disabilities and actors of all ethnicities and gender identities are strongly encouraged to audition.
AUDITIONS THEATRE: DUNEDIN SHOWCASE THEATRE PLAY/MUSICAL: DRINKING HABITS By Tom Smith AUDITION DATES & LOCATION: February 12 and 13, 7-9 pm at the Dunedin Community Center, 1920 Pinehurst Rd. Dunedin. DIRECTED BY: Mike Cote MORE INFO: Production Dates are May 3-5 and 9-11, 2024 Director Mike Cote is looking to cast the following roles: Sister Philomena, Sister Augusta, George, Mother Superior, Paul, Sally, Sister Mary Catherine and Father Chenille. Varied ages range from 20’s to 60’s Synopsis: Accusations, mistaken identities, and romances run wild in this traditional, laugh-out-loud farce. Two nuns at the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing have been secretly making wine to keep the convent's doors open, but Paul and Sally, reporters and former fiancees, are hot on their trail. They go undercover as a nun and priest, but their presence, combined with the addition of a new nun, spurs paranoia throughout the convent that spies have been sent from Rome to shut them down. Wine and secrets are inevitably spilled as everyone tries to preserve the convent and reconnect with lost loves. For more information, contact Mike at [email protected]
AUDITIONS THEATRE: TARPON ARTS PLAY/MUSICAL: ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID By Jones, Hope, and Wooten AUDITION DATES: Auditions will be by video submission. Please submit a 1–2-minute monologue no later than February 10 to the director at [email protected] DIRECTED BY: Jamie Bierchen MORE INFO: Tickets On Sale Now! Call 7272-942-5605 or order online at tarponarts.org Performance Dates: Friday, May 3, 2024, 7:00 pm Saturday, May 4, 2024, 2:00 pm Sunday, May 5, 2024, 2:00 pm Friday, May 10, 2024, 7:00 pm Saturday, May 11, 2024, 2:00 pm Sunday, May 12, 2024, 2:00 pm Tarpon Springs Cultural Center 101 S. Pinellas Ave Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 Character Descriptions (all female): Kari: 20s, a kind-hearter, spirited Southern charmer Libby: 40s, hopeless romantic, sweet country woman, plain-spoken and guileless Monette: 40s, kinda flashy, kinda trashy, Southern-to-thebone flirt Charlie: 40s, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, acerbic Southern free spirit Deedra: 40s, headstrong with a dry wit, no-nonsense Northern transplant Sedalia: 60-ish, gregarious, energetic Virginia hostess and life-force
AUDITIONS Show summary: In this hilarious comedic romp, four friends have sworn to keep the promise they made on the night of their Senior Prom: to be in each other’s weddings ... no matter what. Many years later, these friends-for-life are still making “the long walk” for each other, determined to honor that vow. Libby Ruth, the hopeful romantic with the perfect marriage, believes - in spite of all evidence to the contrary - that her friends can find the very same happiness. Headstrong Deedra’s “rock-solid” union hangs by a thread when she discovers her husband of many years has not only a wandering eye but the hands to match. Monette, flashy, high-spirited and self-involved, continues to test her friends’ love and patience with all-too-frequent trips down the aisle. And salt-of-the-earth, tree-hugging Charlie discovers - the hard way - that marital bliss is not the end of her rainbow and panics in outrageous style when the opportunity presents itself. Hop on this marriage-go-round for a laugh-out-loud journey with these beleaguered bridesmaids as they navigate the choppy waters of love and matrimony. Libby Ruth, Deedra, Monette and Charlie are committed to the notion that careers, waistlines and even marriages may disappear, but real friendships last a lifetime. Forsaking all others, in sickness and in health, they repeatedly struggle to stage the perfect wedding in spite of fistfights at the altar, runaway brides and the mistaken, and unfortunate, release of a flock of white doves on the first day of hunting season. Always A Bridesmaid is the rollicking tale of four loyal and determined women who definitively answer the question, “Just how far are you willing to go to keep a promise to a friend?” ALWAYS A BRIDESMAIID (cont’d)
AUDITIONS THEATRE: FRANCIS WILSON PLAYHOUSE PLAY/MUSICAL: A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC By Stephen Sondheim & Hugh Wheeler AUDITION DATES: Auditions are Sunday March 3rd and Monday March 4th at 7pm. Performance dates are May 2nd to 19th, 2024 at the Playhouse (302 Seminole Street – Clearwater) DIRECTED BY: Jason Fortner MORE INFO: An accompanist will be provided for your singing audition: please bring sheet music for your prepared 32 bars from a stylistically similar show or selection from the Play. There will also be a short movement educational opportunity (don’t panic), and you may or may not be asked to read from the script. We ask that on your audition form you please list the specific roles are willing to accept and please list all known scheduling conflicts for rehearsal planning purposes. About the Show Set in 1900 Sweden, A Little Night Music explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress, Desirée Armfeldt, and the men who love her: a lawyer by the name of Fredrik Egerman and the Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm. Based on the classic Ingmar Bergman film Smiles Of A Summer Night. Character Breakdown A Little Night Music features a cast of complex characters, each with their own distinct personalities and storylines. All age ranges are approximate. Please do not let the age range keep you from auditioning for a part you are passionate about! The Liebeslieder (the Quintet): - These are a group of singers who play multiple roles and serve as a sort of Greek chorus, providing commentary and comic relief throughout the show, reflecting on the characters and their situations.
AUDITIONS Our intention is to have them move and dance while they are singing. Complex, demanding music! - Age Range: 20s to 50s - Vocal Ranges: - Mrs. Nordstrom: Soprano – G♯ 3 -E 6 - Mrs. Anderssen: Mezzo – G♯ 3 -A♯ 5 - Mrs. Segstrom: Mezzo – G♯ 3 -G♯ 5 - Mr. Erlanson: Tenor – G# 2 -A♯ 4 - Mr. Lindquist: Lyric Baritone – G 2 -G♯ 4 Desirée Armfeldt: A self-absorbed, once-successful actress now in a traveling show. A mature and experienced woman, she becomes entangled in a love triangle with the Count and Fredrick. - Age Range: Late 30s to 50s - Vocal Range: Alto/Mezzo – F♯ 3 –A♭ 4 Fredrik Egerman: Middle-aged lawyer who is married to his much younger second wife, Anne. He is conflicted about his love for Desirée and his responsibility to his family. - Age Range: Late 40s to 60s - Vocal Range: Baritone – A 2 –E 4 Anne Egerman: Naive and innocent 18-year-old young woman and Fredrik’s new wife. She is still a virgin after 11 months of marriage. Anne represents youth and inexperience. - Age Range: Late teens to early 20s - Vocal Range: Soprano – G♯ 3 –A 5 A Little Night Music (cont’d)
AUDITIONS Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm: Vain, arrogant, and a military officer in his prime. He is Desirée’s newest lover but intensely jealous of Desirée’s past and relationships with other men, particularly Fredrik. - Age Range: 30s to 50s - Vocal Range: Dramatic Baritone – G 2 –F♯ 4 Countess Charlotte Malcolm: The Count’s manic depressive, mistreated, and downtrodden wife. Self-loathing and a borderline alcoholic, she is practical and sharp-witted. She loves her husband despite his infidelity. - Age Range: Late 20s to 50s - Vocal Range: Mezzo – G 3 –F 5 Henrik Egerman: Fredrick’s gloomy son from his first marriage. He is serious but confused as he studies for the Lutheran priesthood. His sexual repression is a great cause of his conflict. - Age Range: Late teens to early 20s. - Vocal Range: High Tenor (or Tenor with a good falsetto) – G 3 –B 4 Madame Armfeldt: Desirée’s elderly mother; brutally honest and a veteran of discreet encounters with the crowned heads of Europe. Her character serves as a storyteller, providing perspective and wisdom throughout themusical. - Age Range: 60+ - Vocal Range: Low Alto (truth be told, more of a Tenor/Bari range) – C 3 –F♯ 4 A Little Night Music (cont’d)
AUDITIONS A Little Night Music (cont’d) Fredrika Armfeldt: Desirée’s witty daughter who observes the adults’ romantic entanglements, often questioning the complexities of love and relationships. Her name “Fredrika” may be a clue about her parentage. - Age Range: Early to mid-teens - Vocal Range: Soprano – C 4 - E♭ Petra: Anne’s brash and flirtatious maid and closest confidante. She is unapologetic about her own desires, and as such, she is quite different from the other, more reserved characters. - Age Range: 20s to 30s - Vocal Range: Mezzo with a strong belt – F♯ 3 –F 5 Frid: Madame Armfeldt’s manservant. Has a tryst with Petra. - Age Range: late 20s to 50s - Vocal Range: Speaking role - May be double cast with Quintet members Malla, Osa, Bertrand: Servants- Age Ranges: Any - Vocal Ranges: Any - May be double cast with Quintet members
AUDITIONS THEATRE: WEST COAST PLAYERS PLAY/MUSICAL: EXIT LAUGHING By Paul Elliott AUDITION DATES: February 18th at 7:00 pm and February 19th at 7:00 pm. West Coast Players, 21905 US-19 North, Clearwater, FL 33759 Note: A GPS may not provide accurate directions. Please visit our website wcplayers.com for directions. DIRECTED BY: Melody Craven MORE INFO: Exit Laughing is a play about when the biggest highlight in your life for the past 30 years has been your weekly bridge night out with the “girls” and what you do when one of your foursome inconveniently dies. Director Melody Craven is looking for 4 women and 1 man to join the cast of this comedy about a whole new way of looking at life.Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. No actors paid. Show dates are April 26 – May 12, 2024. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. All roles available: RACHEL ANN – early 20’s/college age, a young woman who seems to have issues with life and men CONNIE HARLAND – 55-year-old mother of Rachel, who finds out life doesn’t end at 55 LEONA – One of Connie’s closest friends and a member of the bridge club for over 30 years. A woman who’s a beautician by profession and a rather caustic lush by preference. MILLIE – Another of Connie’s friends and a long-standing member of the bridge club. A woman who moves to her own special drummer, even though she’s the only one who can hear him. POLICEMAN/BOBBY – early 20’s/college age, a young man of many talents and they all come to “bare” on the ladies’ bridge night. Must be comfortable doing a striptease down to a speedo.
THEATRE: FRANCIS WILSON PLAYHOUSE PLAY/MUSICAL: SOMETHING ROTTEN By John O’Farrell Wayne & Karey Kirkpatrick CAST LIST MORE INFO: Performances are February 15th through March 3rd, 2024 at Francis Wilson Playhouse, 302 Seminole Street, Clearwater, FL 33755, 727-446-1360, franciswilsonplayhouse.org DIRECTOR: Jason Fortner MUSIC DIRECTOR: Emi Stefanov CHARACTER ACTOR CAST Nick Bottom Alex Lodge Nigel Bottom Josh Miccio Shakespeare TJ Howsare Nostradamus Jeffery Lukas Bea Natalie Ness Portia Marissa Nicole Koch Brother Jeremiah Stu Sanford Minstrel Mackenzie Comer Shylock Rick Kistner Lord Clapham Steven Halstead ENSEMBLE Kristie Affolter Grace Maggio Janet Ando Jeffery Preil Debbie Cascone Ann Rhody Lee Catalfomo Talia Rosche Shaun Cleppe Madison Schatz Sarah Duncan Emma Tighe Paul Foisy Nick Wilbur Paulina Gary Ethan Wilson Elli Harmon Leila Wilson Matt Kosinski Amanda Wood Taylor Landau Nick Yakimovich Nicole Lodge
THEATRE: SAGES PLAY/MUSICAL: PHONEY BALONEY By Linda Goldman CAST LIST MORE INFO: Performances will be Sunday, March 10th 2:00-3:30 pm at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd, Tampa), Saturday, March 16th TBA, Saturday, March 23rd 2:00-3:30 pm at the Ruth Eckerd Hall Murray Theatre (1111 McMullen Booth Rd, Clearwater), and Saturday, March 30th 2:00-3:00 pm at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center (4951 78th Ave N, Pinellas Park). DIRECTOR: Kelly McGuire STAGE MGR.: Scott Hodges CHARACTER ACTOR CAST Sgt Moe Monday Bill Vargas Jessica Filcher Sandi Sunter Nick Mark Margolis Nora Mary Hart Claire JoEllen Christenson Pat Jeanne Botz Ralph Jeff Holstein Mary Martha Leah Conway Scammer 1 Tony Barbetta Scammer 2 Candice Kruse Scammers are targeting older adults as “easy marks,” but the friends in this Senior Center Dominoes Club know their game. Discover how they expose the dirty rotten scammers and protect themselves from losing everything. FREE admission, reservations recommended at: www.sagestheater.org (click red ribbon at the top).
THEATRE: EIGHT O’CLOCK THEATRE PLAY/MUSICAL: JIMMY BUFFET’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE Music/Lyrics Jimmy Buffet - Book - Greg Garcia & Mike O’Malley CAST LIST CHARACTER ACTOR CAST Tully Steven Fox Brick Matthew Morris Rachel Kayley Jewel Tammy Emma Foroutan Marley Syeeta Robinson-DeBerg JD Rick Nymeyer Jamal Hallie DelHagen Chadd Austin Allison ISLANDERS - Austin Allison, Aidan Anderson, Ashton Cote, Paige Crockett, Jay Heatherly, Arbie Ignacio, Emma Kubly, Emily Molinaro, AJ Quenell, Rico Navedo, Emily Sklaver, and Michelle Stratton PARROTHEADS - Rose Gillespie, Gloria Moranski, and David O’Brien DIRECTOR: Domenic Bisesti MUSICAL DIRECTOR: David Estevez MORE INFO: Performances are March 1 - 10, 2024 at Central Park Performing Arts Center. Eight O’Clock Theatre is excited to bring Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville to the Central Park Performing Arts Center on March 1-10. Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville is a musical comedy featuring the most-loved Jimmy Buffett classics, including “Cheeseburger in Paradise”, “Margaritaville,” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Fins,” “Volcano,” and many more. When Tully, a part-time bartender and singer at a run-down hotel in the Caribbean, meets Rachel, a work-minded tourist from Ohio, sparks fly. When a local volcano threatens to erupt, chaos ensues. Will Tully and his buddies discover the rumored buried treasure? Will Rachel receive the funding for her experiment to use potatoes as an energy source? With a book by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia (“My Name is Earl,” “Raising Hope”) and Emmy nominee Mike O’Malley (“Survivor’s Remorse,” “Shameless”), this hilarious, heartwarming musical is the party you’ve been waiting for! Visit www.eightoclocktheatre.com for more information.
THEATRE: TARPON ARTS PLAY/MUSICAL: ART by Yazmina Reza CAST LIST MORE INFO: Tickets On Sale Now! Call 7272-942-5605 or order online at tarponarts.org Friday, March 8, 2024, 7:00 pm Saturday, March 9, 2024, 2:00 pm Sunday, March 10, 2024, 2:00 pm Friday, March 15, 2024, 7:00 pm Saturday, March 16, 2024, 2:00 pm Sunday, March 17, 2024, 2:00 pm Tarpon Springs Cultural Center, 101 S. Pinellas Ave Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 CHARACTER ACTOR CAST Marc David Malloy Serge Trevor Rockwell Salmon Yvan Yvellise Cedrez Wallace THE STORY: How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who the painter was? Would it be art? One of Marc’s best friends, Serge, has just bought a very expensive painting. It’s about five feet by four, all white with white diagonal lines. To Marc, the painting is a joke, but Serge insists Marc doesn’t have the proper standard to judge the work. Another friend, Ivan, though burdened by his own problems, allows himself to be pulled into this disagreement. Eager to please, Ivan tells Serge he likes the painting. Lines are drawn and these old friends square off over the canvas, using it as an excuse to relentlessly batter one another over various failures. As their arguments become less theoretical and more personal, they border on destroying their friendships. At the breaking point, Serge hands Marc a felt tip pen and dares him: “Go on.” This is where the friendship is finally tested, and the aftermath of action, and its reaction, affirms the power of those bonds. DIRECTOR: Laura Lane
THEATRE: WEST COAST PLAYERS PLAY/MUSICAL: THE DINING ROOM by A. R. Gurney CAST LIST MORE INFO: March 8 - 24, 2024; Friday & Saturday at 7:30 PM; Sunday at 2:00 PM CHARACTER ACTOR CAST Actor 1 Bill Martin Actor 2 Max Carley Actor 3 Ray Remillard Actress 1 Cynthia Hoffman Actress 2 Barbara Carter Actress 3 Erin Laugen Synopsis: Set in the dining room of a typical well-to-do household, the place where the family assembled daily for breakfast and dinner and for any and all special occasions, the action is a mosaic of interrelated scenes—some funny, some touching, some rueful. The actors change roles, personalities and ages with virtuoso skill as they portray a wide variety of characters. Dovetailing swiftly and smoothly, the varied scenes coalesce, ultimately, into a theatrical experience of exceptional range, compassionate humor and abundant humanity. DIRECTOR: Victor Carr STAGE MGR: Tianne Sweat
THEATRE: WEST COAST PLAYERS PLAY/MUSICAL: FIRST DATE By: Austin Winsberg, Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. CAST LIST MORE INFO: Shows are January 19 - February 4 on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. There is a special Gala performance on Friday evening, February 2. Visit wcplayers.com for more information or to purchase tickets. The cast includes: Makailyn Barr Ramiro Capano Charlie Lane Owen Stewart Ethan Treiser Aurora Williams Can there ever be a good first date? Meet Aaron, a blind date newbie, and Casey, a serialdater, who are set up for a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant. As the date unfolds in real time, those around them sing and dance them through ice-breakers, appetizers and potential conversational land mines. Can this couple turn what could be a dating disaster into something special before the check arrives? DIRECTOR: Ashlie Timberlake MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Lindsey Collins
THEATRE: FRANCIS WILSON PLAYHOUSE PLAY/MUSICAL: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG By: Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer CAST LIST MORE INFO: Shows are April 4 - 14, 2024 at Francis Wilson Playhouse, 302 Seminole Street, Clearwater, FL 33755 727-446-1360, [email protected] CHARACTER ACTOR CAST The applause-loving Drew Street Max who plays the Lover Cecil Actor Robert who Michael Briggs* assays the role of the highly suspicious Thomas The harried Stage Shelly Fowler Manager, Annie The Director Chris, who Alex Lodge also portrays the Inspector Bad Actor Dennis and Blake Boles* Butler Perkins Actor Jonathan and Christopher Rogers* hapless victim, Charles Actor Sandra and Jennifer Lauriello* Vamp Florence Distracted Sound Man, Nick Yakimovich Trevor Plus, the talented Jordan Young* and Danny Tyrawa* as Understudies & Crew *Francis Wilson Playhouse Debut DIRECTOR: Jason Fortner
SHOW REVIEW THEATRE: GULFPORT COMMUNITY PLAYERS PLAY/MUSICAL: SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS You’re never too old to take some dance lessons, right? And that’s what Lily thinks too in Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks. Lily is played by Paula Broadwater. If you have ever seen Ms. Broadwater perform, you were most certainly accustomed to hearing her beautiful singing voice. She of the beautiful, angelic, waterfall tones that pour from her being. To hear her is to love her, but… I digress. This show is about dancing - and I mean the learning of dancing steps. Rob Romero serves up a smooth, Italian Stallion in the character of Michael. He is the one there to teach Lily everything she needs to know about the art of the dance. From the Swing to the Tango… from the Waltz to the Foxtrot. And the ChaCha to Contemporary thrown in for good measure. This couple is like ketchup on eggs. An unlikely pairing, but a lot of individuals like it. You have to try before you shake your head “no”. They meld together with the steps and you think, maybe if I add a little salt & pepper, I think they would grow on me. Yup, they’re in the groove. Look at them go. I’m feeling them. Boy, they are GOOD! That’s the way you see them in this production. And you get to know them, this - Lily & Michael. In fact, you get a little more than you bargained for, which is a bonus of its own. Ms. Broadwater spills her emotions with a heartwrenching story and we see her rescue the memory from the quicksand that is her life. Mr. Romero brings out his own repressed flashback, somehow releasing his locked away anger and hate, if even for a short while. See, these lessons are more than mere steps. More than comraderie. Therapeutic maybe? Cathartic? Who knows? Who cares? Let’s boogie! Let’s twist! Let’s dance the night away! I feel like dancin’! Dancin’! Dance the night away! Thank you to director Ron Zietz! Mwah!
SHOW REVIEW THEATRE: FRANCIS WILSON PLAYHOUSE PLAY/MUSICAL: WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? Have you seen a good stage drama lately? I mean a REALLY good drama? Well, unless you saw Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? at Francis Wilson Playhouse with the stellar cast they had, then you ain’t seen nothing! When you see a good comedy, your sides hurt from laughing at the end. If you’re serious about drama, your brain should hurt afterward - ‘nuff said. This foursome of a cast could not have been more specially selected. They have to have been the crème of the crop. Beginning with the fantabulous Shannon T. Luster as George. His written lines just spouted so quick and seething I was afraid they would scalp their way through other cast members’ lines. And so, who would be a worthy opponent cast as his wife, Martha? Cherie Albury. Exquisite. Ms. Albury was a choice to reckon with as Martha. She gave as good as she got with George. From the slithering sensual walk and talk with Nick to the drunken/sunken defeated “mother” who never was. The two of them were flawless together during their fights. Nick, portrayed by Alex Lodge, was great as the needingto-climb-the-ladder college biologist. Seeing this visit as his chance to schmooze with the older, wiser college professor, was he in for a shocker night! Picking the couple from Hell, he found himself fending off the “charms” of Martha, all the while trying to ingratiate himself with a professor who just wanted to keep his wife in check and get rid of the young couple. Mr. Lodge was admirable in his role and kept the ball in the air during difficult conversation scenes. Chloe Adair, playing innocent Honey, did so charmingly. She showed the emotion-changing realm between sober little Honey and drunken Honey, blurting out the recent, sad news of the death of their baby. You could see the depth of her sadness as she related the story. It may have been the only time she did so. Kudos to all for their fine acting. This was a theatre evening to remember.
DICK BUDIN February 28, 1939 - December 27, 2023 A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, February 11, 2024 1:00 - 4:00 PM Gulfport Community Players Backdoor Theatre 1619 49th Street Gulfport, FL 33707
Attention Experienced And Budding PLAYWRIGHTS! SAGES announces a new Readers Theatre program to workshop short 5-15 minute one-act plays/skits submitted by local playwrights on topics of aging; its joys and challenges. The workshop conducted at senior centers in both North and South Pinellas County will ensure the plays selected align with the SAGES mission to engage, educate and empower older adults. Readers Theater Workshop participants will vote on the one-act plays/skits to be included in the SAGES production of S.O.A.P.S. (Short One Act Plays for Seniors) in November 2024. A helpful ZOOM class on creating successful Plays with Purpose on positive aging will be offered, at a minimal fee, in February. More information for local playwrights submitting plays, the benefits of the Zoom class for new or experienced playwrights, and the workshops for seniors, will be sent to all interested parties by email. Contact [email protected] to be added to that email group. SAGES looks forward to collaborating with you!
Paula Broadwater and Rob Romero “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” Gulfport Community Players
Bill Vargas as Sgt. Moe Monday and Sandi Sunter as Jessica Filcher discovering scams that target us by phone in PHONEY BALONEY at SAGES
YOUR SCRIPTS! Gulfport Community Players is accepting scripts (PDF) for the Summer 2024 One-Acts competition. Submissions will be accepted now through March 15, 2024 or the first 300 scripts (whichever comes first). Submit plays electronically only. Complete rules and guidelines can be found on the Player's website at www.gulfportcommunityplayers.org. Submit plays (PDFs) to [email protected]. A Stipend of $50 will be paid for any one-act the Players produce. Applicants will be notified of decisions by April 15, 2024. Plays will be presented July 11-21 at the Hickman Theater of Gulfport.
WEST COAST PLAYERS - FIRST DATE What does a person expect out of a blind date? The 2012 musical First Date takes the audience through the first meeting of Casey and Aaron, two 30-ish New York City singles set up by friends and family. With a contemporary rock score, First Date gleefully pokes fun at the mishaps and mistakes of blind dates and gives hope that there could be that one perfect moment. Performances Jan 19 - Feb 4, 2024 Directed by Ashlie Timberlake wcplayers.org FRANCIS WILSON PLAYHOUSE - SOMETHING ROTTEN Set in 1595, the story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find success in the theatrical world as they compete with the wild popularity of their contemporary, William Shakespeare. Performances Feb 15 - Mar 3 2024 Directed by Jason Fortner franciswilsonplayhouse.org ON THE BOARDS! 2/1 - 2/10 TA - Auditions - Video Only - ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID 2/2- 2/4 WCP - Production - 7:30 PM - FIRST DATE 2/11 1:00 - 4:00 PM - Celebration of Life for Dick Budin 2/12 & 13 DST - Auditions - 7:00 - 9:00 PM - DRINKING HABITS 2/15 - 3/3 FWP - Production - 8:00 PM - SOMETHING ROTTEN 2/25 & 26 EOT - Auditions - 7:00 PM - SWEENEY TODD
Ashton Sarlo, February 3rd Ron Regan, February 4th Steven Fox, February 5th Tom Hansen, February 5th Stan Gurvitz, February 7th Eileen Rae, February 8th Ronnie Demarco, February 8th Samantha Parisi, February 11th Mona Lim, February 14th Joel Moranski, February 14th Steven Halstead, February 17th Rob Smithers, February 17th Carmilina Alford, February 18th Pam Heatherington, February 19th Stefanie Lehmann, February 19th Brian Yarbrough, February 20th Vicki Flores, February 20th Keith Surplus, February 21st Taryn Holzhauer, February 21st Joel Ramsdell, February 22nd Michael Potts, February 24th Christine Hamacher, February 24th Sam DePriest, February 25th Velda Gauthier, February 25th Rick Bronson, February 26th Alexander Komarov, February 26th Francesca Guanciale Jay, February 27th Margaret Boylan, February 27th Miguel Rodriguez, February 28th (List formed from Facebook Listing)