Heather Vollman - Page 2

Remember way back when (okay, it was 5 weeks ago) when I said I would start pairing restaurants with can't miss shows for date night? The time has COME, friends. Let's do this. Here's this weekend's Vital 5 in Jacksonville (June 9-11th).

The 5 & Dime held an evening of song at BABS Lab in Riverside Friday and Saturday night. Some of Jacksonville's finest took the stage in a themed 'Miscast' Cabaret, and I was there to speak with the cast and audience members post-performance.

An instant classic upon its publication in 1987, Robert Harling's STEEL MAGNOLIAS is a story that will make you laugh until you cry, and the Alhambra Theatre's current production of this timeless piece is no exception.

Summer is right around the corner for Jacksonville students, and that means sun, fun, and…summer camp! If you're looking for a week-long adventure for your children this summer, you'll want to consider Shortstack Theatre Company's Acting and Musical Theatre Camp offerings, hosted by The 5 & Dime in Jacksonville's urban core.

With tear stained cheeks, the 2017 graduating Musical Theatre class at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts took their final bows in the DuBow Theatre last Thursday night at the Spring Musical Theatre Showcase, directed by David Loudermilk. In his first year at Douglas Anderson, Loudermilk directed a phenomenal performance of PARADE in the fall, which was met with high acclaim and appreciation, and set the tone for a diverse and compassionate season.

There was an energy buzzing throughout the black box theatre at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts last Wednesday night. A thoroughly packed house, full of family, friends, and students awaited the final theatre projects of the graduating class of 2017. The evening was stuffed with two movement pieces, 12 monologues, five duet scenes, and four ensemble scenes, and I experienced so many emotions.

THREE TALL WOMEN at Players by the Sea, A NEW BRAIN at The 5 and Dime, STEEL MAGNOLIAS at Theatre Jax, MR. TOAD'S WILD EXPEDITION by Jason Woods, and DREAMGIRLS at the Alhambra!

Ron Shreve's vision for this show is stunningly complimented by Erin Barnes' musical direction. Intricately staged, every movement is purposeful to the story. The acoustics at The 5 and Dime are swell, and this cast of ten posesses a full, awe-inspiring sound. Rarely a missed note was uttered, and not once did I catch an early execution of a line.

If you are like me and were practically raised in Truvy's Beauty Parlor, when STEEL MAGNOLIAS hits the stage, you're in the front(ish) row, trying to get Shelby to drink her juice. If you're not like me, you might check it out because it has become a classic and you want to know why. Whichever your stance, you're in luck, because Theatre Jacksonville opened STEEL MAGNOLIAS Friday night, and it will play through May 7th.

Brilliant costumes and catchy, well-written songs cannot salvage this provoking concept that ultimately misses the mark. This is not my story or your story, and no one in the room is encouraged to see themselves in Todrick's story (unless we are one of the ensemble dancers). Todrick knows that, acknowledges it in the pricey playbill, and his fans do not seem to mind one bit.

'Whattya wanna do?' 'I dunno, what do YOU wanna do?' 'I dunno, what do YOU-' Stop the madness, y'all. Jacksonville is the smallest big town I've ever seen, and although there is so much to do, it can be overwhelming trying to narrow it down. The Vital 5 is here to help you decide. This weekly feature breaks down my top 5 theatrical picks for the upcoming week. Share this to help your friends, and we can then all avoid the frustration of having to choose (well, kind of - you're on your own for dinner plans!)

The northeast Florida premiere of William Finn and James Lapine's A NEW BRAIN (1998) opens April 21st at The 5 & Dime's new, permanent space off East Adams Street in Jacksonville's core. A NEW BRAIN carries risks, much akin to that of the lead character's brain condition, but Josh Waller's soaring voice as Gordon Schwinn complemented by the fluid sound of a strong ensemble should top your to-do list next week.

A.R. Gurney's THE DINING ROOM, a play in two acts, presents the audience with a series of vignettes with nearly 60 characters, all played by only 7 actors. Covering decades of family life for North Eastern "WASPS"s (white Anglo-Saxon Protestants), this disappearing upper middle class is poked fun at in moments, revered in others, and delectably exposed in Douglas Anderson School of the Arts' production of this Pulitzer nominated piece.

The curtain set sail as the orchestra led an overture riddled with recognizable tunes. Two rows behind me, an adorable little girl clad in turquoise fins and a long red wig bounced up and down in her seat, eager for the show to begin. From behind a brilliantly dressed proscenium, Diana Huey popped out through playful bubbles, singing "This is where I belong!" to open the 5th Avenue Theatre's touring production of Disney's The Little Mermaid. Huey, who leads as Ariel, is absolutely accurate in her first lines. Masterfully assuming the role of the stubborn little mermaid with a show-stopping voice, Huey is joined by a stellar cast of theatrical strength.