Shanti M Kennedy recently moved to the Cultural Gold Coast. She is stepping into the role of Lead Contributing Editor for Broadway World and feels that all her life experiences to date have culminated to prepare her for just this!
She grew up in the City of Big Shoulders, Chicago. The arts have always been a significant part of her life. In her youth she studied voice and sang Opera competitively, as well as studying dance and ballet throughout her life. She has traveled extensively to attend art shows at leading art museums around the world. She earned her degree in Creative Writing from Roosevelt University in Chicago. It was here that she successfully started her yearly goal of reading 100 books, per year. Shanti is passionate about art education and bringing the arts to the masses. She loves getting other people just as excited about the arts as she is!
Spring Awakening, with music by Duncan Sheik and Lyrics by Steven Sater, takes audiences on a wild ride through the tumultuous seas of adolescence. Exploring themes of attraction, desire, insecurity, and the rollercoaster of young adult life, this electrifying show is a must-see for anyone looking to relive the highs and lows of growing up. So, buckle up, grab your teenage angst, and get ready for a journey you won't soon forget!
Making its World Premiere, OAK is presented at our own Urbanite Theater. When entering the black-box space random hip-hop music is playing, but on closer observance, everything is placed with intention. The mix of music used throughout the story, from old TLC through Tyla’s current Billboard hit Water, made it hard to place what time this story is set, the 90’s, 2020’s? The elusiveness of this is effective, as this could be any southern town, even today. Playwright Terry Guest, a 3-time Jeff Award winner, expands his talents with this Southern Gothic Horror that was commissioned by Urbanite Theatre in 2020 and was created and designed specifically with the Sarasota audience in mind.
What did our critic think of TWELVE ANGRY MEN at Asolo Repertory Theatre?
WestCoast Black Theatre Troupe revives one of their most popular original shows, Marvin Gaye: Prince of Soul. Created, adapted, and directed by WBTT’s founder, Nate Jacobs, Gaye’s story is told through the narration of his family and friends. Of course, peppered throughout is the enchanted music that made Marvin Gaye an icon and what continues to make him a legend. Originally written in 2011, this time around WBTT is more refined and developed.
What did our critic think of TROUBADOUR at Florida Studio Theatre?
What did our critic think of DIAL M FOR MURDER at Asolo Repertory Theatre?
Another Florida premiere brought to us in Florida Studio Theatre Bowne’s Lab, White Chip brings highly charged raw emotion to the stage. No stone is left unturned in the trials of our main character, Steven, and his journey from being a wild young party boy to a full-blown alcoholic and back to sobriety, all within 90 minutes.
What did our critic think of LITTLE WOMEN, THE MUSICAL at Van Wezel? Little Women, the Musical, based on Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel, focuses on the relationship of four sisters while their father is away serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. Loosely based on Alcott’s life, this beloved story is brought to life on the stage with music and a new melodramatic flare.
Set in 1905, a young African-American woman travels to New York City to become an independent lady. Limited in ladies’ trades, Esther paves a grand way in life with her expert sewing and is able to navigate a wide world that New York has to offer. She falls into the confines of societal norms, i.e. marriage and fails miserably, but is able to get herself back up with the help of her friends.
What did our critic think of JAGGED LITTLE PILL at Van Wezel?
J. Robert 'Bobby' Spencer spends a lot of time in airports. He has been traveling for the last 13 years with The Midtown Men all over this country and while doing so has become a part of the million-mile-club. While that says something about him having allegiance to one airline, that is not the only place you can see he is a very loyal person! He took a small reprieve, waiting for a flight of course, to catch up with us at Broadway World Sarasota.
Following the story of The “Classic Five” Temptations, this 2017 musical brings to life the powerhouse group that we all know, love, and recognize. From their origination in Detroit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we are taken through how they each met, their personal afflictions and everything in between that tore the group apart.
Born with Teeth premiered in May 2022 and has been making the rounds! After their stint at Asolo Repertory Theater they are going on to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Born with Teeth has won a number of awards, including best new play and best actors from Houston’s Theater Awards and the Edgerton Foundation.
The Lehman Trilogy is a three-act play written by Italian playwright Stephano Massini. The story follows the lives of the Lehman immigrant brothers, from their arrival in America to the famous collapse of their company in 2008, after being in business for 158 years. At the time, this was the largest commercial bank collapse in history.
A Soldier’s Play was originally performed off Broadway, opening in November 1981 through January 1983 after 468 performances. The original cast included Adolph Caeser, Denzel Washington, Larry Riley, and Samuel L. Jackson.
What did our critic think of UGLY LIES THE BONE at Florida Studio Theater?
What did our critic think of INHERIT THE WIND at Asolo Reperatory Theater?
Taking a short break from his busy schedule of touring and cutting a new studio album (to be released soon) and a Live album to be released later this month, I got a chance to catch up with Nick, the lead singer of Yacht Rock Revue. If he sounds like he is busy now, just wait till you hear what he has been doing the last few years.
Cher, the pop-icon, diva, actress, fashion icon, winner of over 300+ awards, including an Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar, is now a Broadway Musical! “The Cher Show” tells the story of Cher’s 60-year boundary breaking career. Cher has lived such a full life (and still rocking) that it takes 3 women to play her. Performing 35 of her songs over the course of the show, they interact and support each other onstage to tell one woman’s life story.
What happens when two leaders in their respective fields of Improvisational Comedy and Hypnosis come together through Second City? There is a joke in there somewhere, but I am no comedian! However, when I interviewed Colin Mochrie (“Whose Lins is it Anyway?” and who some consider the “World’s leading improv-otier”) and Asad Mecci (World Renowned Hypnotist and Peak Performance Coach), I was laughing the entire time.
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