Matthew McGee News

Every so often in our lives along comes a musical full of heart. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is a musical comedy with Music & Lyrics by William Finn, with a book by Rachel Sheinkin. The Broadway Production opened in 2005 and was directed by James Lapine. Since its opening, many productions both locally and regionally have been produced throughout the United States. Spelling Bee was nominated for 6 Tony Awards, winning two including Best Book. This fast-paced musical comedy features 6 adult performers playing children in a local annual spelling bee competing for the top prize, and a savings bond for furthering their education. At the judge’s table and moderator for the events of the bee are past spelling Champion Rona Lisa Peretti, who is also a local Real-Estate Agent, and Vice Principal Douglas Panch. The unique aspect of the show is that four audience members are invited on stage with the performers in the show to compete in the bee. The Announcer and Moderator switch off by ad-libbing mixed sentences and various definitions for the words often to hilarious ends. One by one the performers playing middle school-aged children take their turn at the mic and perform their unique form of spelling by talking into their hand, writing the word on the floor with their foot, or drawing the word on their arm all competing to make sure each word is spelled correctly.

A Skeptic and a Bruja by Rosa Fernandez makes its world premiere with Urbanite Theatre in Sarasota, and in Cooperation with freeFall Theatre Company across the bay. The last time freeFall worked in conjuncture with another company was their collaboration with the Hippodrome and their production of Lone Star Spirits, and more recently with their staging of Ebony Rep’s Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. In speaking with Matthew McGee, freeFall’s Marketing Coordinator, he mentioned this is something the folks at freeFall will continue to explore with future seasons. I for one can attest with first-hand knowledge that this is something that freeFall should continue to do.

Murder on the Orient Express a stage adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel was written and adapted by Ken Ludwig and premiered in New Jersey in 2017. Based on the Christie novel that was first published in the United States in February 1934, and originally published under the name Murder on the Calais Coach. The twisted plot is full of a wild cast of characters. As Poirot puts it, “It was like a painting by Pablo Picasso.” We open the play in Istanbul at the Tokatlian Hotel, as we meet Poirot we understand he is due in London in three days' time due to the delivery of a telegram, and he runs into his old friend Bouc. His friend then arranges a trip on the Orient Express which he is the owner, and the two climb aboard with Poirot hoping he makes it to London on schedule. Upon boarding the Orient Express one by one Poirot meets an oddity of characters much like boarding a train to Carnival. As the train departs the station amidst the snowy conditions like an onion we see the layers of each of the passengers peeled back one by one.

Winners have been announced for the 2021 BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards. The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

I Love to Eat invites you to meet the man described as “the face and belly of American gastronomy” in this play by James Still that imagines a late night in Beard’s Greenwich Village home.

This is the last chance to vote for the 2021 BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards! The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

Time is running out to vote for for the 2021 BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards! The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

Our readers set the nominees, and now voting is open for the 2021 BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards! The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

Our readers set the nominees, and now voting is open for the 2021 BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards! The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

Under Matthew's direction, The Night Before stars actors/musicians Hillary Lewis, Sara DelBeato, James David Larson, and Michael. It tells the tale of these four friends

freeFall Theatre's all-new holiday offering is a world-premiere musical comedy written by Michael Raabe and Matthew McGee. There's no place like home for the holidays. It's snowing in sunny Florida when a group of friends and a surly house cat named Stephen Sondheim gather around the piano for a night of fun, music and games.

freeFall's most ambitious season ever will offer special events for the month of November including an all-new cabaret starring Alison Burns and Lulu Picart and a screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan hosted by Matthew McGee. 

The small cast is made of fantastic tap dancers. It features Kyra Smith (Ruby), Alex Jorth (Dick), Ephie Aardama (Joan), Tyler Fish (Captain/Hennesy), Erick Ariel Sureda (Lucky), and Kristina Huegel (Mona Kent). The production is designed by Tom Hansen, costumes by Costume World Theatrical, sound design by Steve Kraack.

It has everything you want in a show: Laughter, tears, bizarre stories, memorable characters, and even a dog on the loose. Don't miss it!

After over a year, Natalie is excited to see her play finally having its global debut at American Stage. The St. Petersburg-based playwright developed the play in collaboration with American Stage leadership and artists, selected from 2019's 21st Century Voices: New Play Festival to be a part of the 2019-2020 American Dreamscape season.

freeFall Theatre Company announces their 2021/2022 season. The 6 mainstage shows are Dames at Sea, The Night Before, Fatboy, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, A Skeptic and a Bruja and a summer production to be announced very soon.

This unique, interactive walk-through (fully accessible) experience will let you step into Block's stunning retellings of nine classic fairy tales. Through a series of nine spaces, designed by a team of scenic designers, audiences will have the opportunity to interact with the environments in surprising ways. Guests will move through the experience with their own party.

“She wanted them the way she needed the earth and the flowers and the sky and the sea from her tower room and food and sleep and warmth and light and nights by the fire and poetry and the stories of going out in the world and almost being destroyed by it and returning to find comfort and the real meaning of freak.” -an excerpt from SNOW from THE ROSE and THE BEAST Throughout the last year, freeFall Theatre who is no stranger to inventive staging found a way to make use of their performance space by providing Outdoor Musical Revues. Allowing the company to recoup some lost revenue due to the global shutdown, freeFall took to the streets so-to-speak and provided the surrounding community with joy through song. By implementing a Drive-In aspect to live performance a stage was constructed in the parking lot adjacent to the courtyard, and patrons could purchase tickets or a “parking spot” and by dialing in on their car radio be able to hear what was being presented on stage.

Tampa Bay‘s favorite (and only) mother and son nightclub act perform an all new, socially distanced extravaganza with live band and special guests via satellite. This irreverent and topical look at what it takes to make a buck in this day and age will have your sides splitting and your toes tapping.

freefall's drive-in concert series returns with Scott and Patti: Get a Real Job! playing January 22 – February 14, 2021.