Jacksonville Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations

Review: Psychological Horror Comes to Life in Players by the Sea’s JEKYLL & HYDE
by Ray Hollister - October 24, 2024

Cole Marshall’s riveting portrayal of the dual roles and a talented ensemble turn Players by the Sea’s 'Jekyll & Hyde' into an unforgettable theatrical experience....

Review: SIX: THE MUSICAL at Jacksonville Center For The Performing Arts
by Jordan Higginbotham - April 02, 2024

“Welcome to the show to the history remix.” Six: The Musical is unlike anything I have ever seen. The unique rock musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, reveals the lives of King Henry VIII’s six ex-wives is captivating from the minute the curtain drops to the final bows....

Review: HADESTOWN at Jacksonville Center For The Performing Arts
by Jordan Higginbotham - February 07, 2024

“Because here is the thing, to know how it ends and still begin to sing it again, as if it might turn out this time.” Every Broadway fan can relate to this sentiment. We watch musicals and /or plays and brave the second act heartbreaks and conflict. We know exactly how it will end each time, but we ...

Review: LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL at Alhambra Theatre and Dining
by Jordan Higginbotham - October 07, 2023

The entire cast was supremely talented and did a wonderful job bringing a classic movie turned stage musical to Jacksonville audiences....

Review: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at Alhambra Theatre and Dining
by Jordan Higginbotham - August 06, 2023

Fiddler on the Roof premiered at Alhambra Theatre and Dining on August 4th, “ya ba diba diba diba diba diba diba dum!” The musical, which first premiered in 1964, takes place in Anatevka in 1905 just before the Russian Revolution. The musical is beautiful and a great experience for Jacksonville audi...

Review: BEAUTY AND THEY BEAST at Alhambra Theatre And Dining
by Jordan Higginbotham - June 18, 2023

The Alhambra welcomes guests to the summer show Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The musical based on the 1991 film. The audience observes the characters attempt to break the curse by bringing Belle and the Beast together. Audiences will recognize the iconic songs from the 1991 movie, and additional s...

Review: JERSEY BOYS at Alhambra Theatre and Dining
by Jordan Higginbotham - April 29, 2023

“Oh What a Night” at the Alhambra Theatre and Dining for the opening of Jersey Boys on April 28th! I have been to many shows at the Alhambra Theatre and Dining, and I am not sure the last time I saw so many audience members so excited to hear such iconic songs. Jersey Boys follows the creation and d...

Review: MEAN GIRLS at Jacksonville Center For The Performing Arts
by Jordan Higginbotham - April 28, 2023

Cady, the new student who learns that high school is like the jungles of Africa. She “Meets the Plastics” the top of the high school hierarchy, and learns how cruel queen bee, Regina George, is and her friends Janice and Damian create a “Revenge Party” to bring Regina down. We see each characters' g...

Review: ARSENIC AND OLD LACE at Alhambra Theatre And Dining
by Jordan Higginbotham - March 28, 2023

Arsenic and Old Lace opened at Alhambra Theatre and Dining on March 24th! The play was written by Joseph Kesselring and published in 1941 and follows the Brewster family including the responsible Mortimer Brewster, the eclectic Teddy Brewster, and the brother Jonathan Brewster, as well as the seemin...

Review: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at Jacksonville Center For The Performing Arts
by Jordan Higginbotham - March 22, 2023

Jesus Christ Superstar opened at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday March 21st. The groundbreaking Andrew Lloyd Webber musical first opened in 1971 and has been rocking theatre since. The musical is roughly based on the Gospel’s accounts of the events leading up the crucifixi...

Review: THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE at Alhambra Theatre And Dining
by Jordan Higginbotham - March 02, 2023

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the second show of the 2023 season at the Alhambra Theatre and Dining, opened on February 10th. The audience observed wonderful storytelling as the actors revealed how “The Chicken Ranch” got its start and was ultimately shut down when it was revealed to be a bro...

Student Blog: Beating the Back to School Blues
by Student Blogger: Noelle Gardiner - February 20, 2023

The first few weeks of the spring semester probably make up my least favorite time of year. You have to battle homesickness, force yourself to wake up early again, get used to a new class schedule, and face the fact that you won’t get another break for the next 3 months—all while it’s freezing cold ...

Review: PRETTY WOMAN at Jacksonville Center For The Performing Arts
by Jordan Higginbotham - February 16, 2023

Pretty Woman is stoppin’ awhile at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. Pretty Woman is based on the popular 1990 movie of the same name. Jacksonville audiences were completely nostalgic for the musical. Audience members could be heard making comments like “it’s the same dress!” or “look...

Review: ALADDIN at Jacksonville Center For The Performing Arts
by Jordan Higginbotham - January 11, 2023

The audience follows Aladdin on a journey from street rat to Prince Ali of Ababwa. He believes now that he is a prince, Princess Jasmine will fall in love with him (Senzel Ahmady). What he does not understand is she would love him simply for who he was, not because he was a prince. The musical was i...

Review: ELF: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts
by Jordan Higginbotham - December 08, 2022

The musical is a fun time for the whole family!...