John Perez News

Read our critic's review! Over the years and throughout the History of the stage musical, certain shows come along and start as films before moving into an adaptation for the stage. Shows such as Grease, The Bodyguard, Ghost, and more recently Moulin Rouge, Beetlejuice, and Back to the Future. One thing is true to most if not all of these....they sell tickets!

After two years of being shuttered due to the pandemic, American Stage in the Park is back at Demens Landing with the toe-tapping musical FOOTLOOSE from April 6- May 8, 2022.

After a two-year delay American Stage in the Park iwill welcome the full cast and crew of Footloose, based on the 1984 film. Originally set for April of 2020, American Stage is proud to finally be able to safely produce a Park show after the delay of the Covid-19 pandemic.   

American Stage Education is excited to announce enrollment is now open for Summer Camp for kids grades kindergarten-12. Each Summer Camp session is a week-long and held at the Admiral Farragut Academy. 

Somewhere in a world on a road less traveled, between the likes of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, American Psycho, Carrie, and the more recently conceptualized Beetlejuice lies the twisted campy world in which the characters of Evil Dead the Musical reside. First performed in 2003 in Toronto, this campy rock-filled musical made its transfer to Off-Broadway at New World Stages in 2006. In 2012 a production opened in Las Vegas as a 4-D Experience and complete with a 100 chair “Splatter Zone,” and as of 2017 making it the longest-running theatrical experience on the strip. With Book, Lyrics, and Music by George Reinblatt, Evil Dead the Musical brought Sam Raimi’s characters to life in a true blood-filled fashion. In partnership with the University of Tampa, Stageworks Theatre and Producing Artistic Director Karla Hartley made the decision to open their 2021/2022 season of Emerge with this blood-soaked campy rock-fest complete with “Splatter Zone” for the 40th anniversary of the Sam Raimi film. As theatres slowly but steadfast begin their “Emerge” out of the darkest times in recent history Karla Hartley promised one thing with Stageworks new season, “I made the conscious decision to bring you a 2021-2022 season that was big and bold. Every show this season is big. Big casts. Big sets. Big everything. Big risks. Big rewards.” As I sat in the almost completely full audience on Friday’s opening night, I can say with full confidence that Karla and friends over at Stageworks have done just what they promised and more. It would be incredibly remiss of you if you happen to find yourself without a ticket to Evil Dead the Musical as it is deathly good, and I’ll be damned if you find something any better than this for some time to come.

American Stage Improv  is ready to LOL together again at the theatre! Imagine it: a group of humans laughing at a group of humans, who are laughing!

To celebrate the return of in-person theatre to the community, American Stage is presenting Pop-Up! Performances: Uncaged on May 14-16 at The Factory St. Pete’s outdoor venue, an ideal backdrop for live entertainment in a safe outdoor setting.

Award-winning Latina actress Jessica Carmona leads a diverse cast in a virtual reading of PECKING ORDER by Robin Rice, a big city love story…with hawks, at Goddard Riverside's 6th Annual WHAM Festival on Wednesday, March 16 at 7:30pm, and streams through March 20 on the Goddard YouTube channel.

The LA Times reports that following reports that following allegations of inappropriate behavior by former board chairman and former West Hollywood Mayor John Duran has furthered financial troubles for the L. A. Gay Men's Chorus, which currently has a deficit of $400K.

UConn Dramatic P.A.W.S. is presenting Heathers, November 9th and 10th at 7:00 PM and November 11th at 2:00 PM. BroadwayWorld has an exclusive look at the production's promotional images, below!

INNA has released a new single called “Gimme Gimme”. This is a fresh new song written by INNA herself with David Ciente (“Dale Papi” - Lariss), Marco & Seba (Marcel Botezan & Sebastian Barac) who composed most of INNA's biggest hits, Breyan Isaac (worked with David Guetta, FloRida, Pitbull) and Vasile Elena Luminita.

Summer may be winding down, but Verboten's StageONE outdoor festival series continues strong with two more events. Returning to 50 Kent Avenue on Sunday, September 6, Maceo Plex takes over with DJ Tennis, David August [live], Rebolledo and special guest DJ Koze, followed by the official afterparty at the Verboten club featuring back-to-back sets from Maceo Plex and Rebolledo, DJ Tennis and DJ Koze. Odd Parents warms things up at both the day and night events.

Returning to the Brooklyn waterfront at 50 Kent Ave, Verboten's StageONE Festival presents the second edition of its top-notch four-event summer series on Sunday, August 23 with a first-rate lineup of talent, striking production of lighting and visuals, and its luscious menu of food and beverages. With his highly acclaimed debut solo album In Colour released earlier this summer, prolific beatmaker and producer Jamie xx joins Verboten resident Maya Jane Coles, a live set from Matador, German superhouse duo andhim, Ukrainian sensation Nastia, and Verboten mainstays Bedouin. The event is hosted by THUMP.

'Home' means many different things to many different people. For some, it is the physical structure in which they grew up; for others it is a town, state, or region; for others it is with the people that they care about most. No matter how you define the word, everyone is looking to find, maintain, or return to the 'home' that allows them to feel safe and loved and be the best version of themselves. In one way or another, all of the characters in Lin-Manuel Miranda's bi-lingual, hip-hop infused musical IN THE HEIGHTS, are striving to get 'home.' Set in Miranda's beloved New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights, this cutting-edge show won four Tony Awards in 2008, including Best Musical. Now, the Greater Orlando Actors Theater and Baggy Pants Theater have collaborated on the Central Florida premiere of this deceptively challenging show, running through June 14th at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. While this engaging production never achieves the crispness of the Broadway original, the heart and love that makes IN THE HEIGHTS special is evident from the first note; this passionate ensemble has created a work that should be the example for what Orlando's professional theatres strive to achieve in musical storytelling.

Grammy-winning artist Mark Ronson will play his first DJ set back in the 'city that musically raised him' at Verboten tonight, April 30.

Grammy-winning artist Mark Ronson will play his first DJ set back in the 'city that musically raised him' at Verboten this Thursday, April 30.

Get into the holiday spirit with The Big Brooklyn Holiday Toy Drive taking place from today, November 14 through December 15, with a special event at Verboten on December 11.

Get into the holiday spirit with The Big Brooklyn Holiday Toy Drive taking place from November 14 through December 15, with a special event at Verboten on December 11.

Verboten CMJ Music Marathon has announced its 2014 lineup.

Verboten CMJ Music Marathon has announced its 2014 lineup.