Michael Mendez News

Rehearsals are officially underway for the upcoming Broadway musical Water for Elephants. Check out photos from inside the first day of rehearsals here!

We've got your first look at the cast of the upcoming Broadway musical Water For Elephants! Check out photos of the cast, led by Grant Gustin and Isabelle McCalla, here!

The full cast has been announced for the Broadway premiere of the new musical WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. Find out who is joining the cast, plus watch a brand new music video here!

 For Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s 24th anniversary fall gala, “Groovin’ on the Soul Train 2,” the arts organization celebrated the music from the #1 television platform for R&B and soul music.

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe presents 'Joyful! Joyful!' - a holiday musical revue featuring new takes on traditional holiday tunes, gospel-infused classics, and pop songs. Don't miss this joyful celebration from November 29-December 30, 2023.

Later this month, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will present “Harry Belafonte: King of Calypso,” an original musical revue featuring popular WBTT artist Michael Mendez.

Merrily We Roll Along officially opens tonight, Tuesday, October 10, but the show held its red-carpet Opening Night celebration on Sunday, October 8. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the big night and and you can check out photos of the VIP guests arriving on the red carpet here!

In celebration of The Bay's first year as a beloved and sustainable gathering place for the community, there will be five days of free activities, programs and events from October 18-22. Learn more about the upcoming programming here!

For Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s 24th anniversary fall gala, “Groovin’ on the Soul Train 2,” the arts organization will celebrate the music from the #1 television platform for R&B and soul music. Learn more about the event and find out how to attend here!

See photos of Ryan Vasquez, Isabelle McCalla and more in the world premiere of Water for Elephants at Alliance Theatre.

The Alliance Theatre world premiere musical, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is now on stage. What did the critics think? Based on the critically acclaimed and best-selling novel, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS takes audiences on an adventure filled with romance, deception, and a little bit of magic.

The Alliance Theatre has announced the cast and creative team of its world premiere musical, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. See who is starring, performance dates, and how to purchase tickets!

Florida Studio Theatre presents the original music revue, Reel Music, celebrating the movies that helped create the soundtrack to the last century.  Featuring classics like “Singin' in the Rain,” “Circle of Life,” and “My Heart Will Go On,” this new Cabaret traces how films—and the music highlighted in them—have evolved over the past one hundred years.

Opening Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe's 23rd anniversary season will be one of the most produced musicals in history, “Guys and Dolls.”

A sneak peek presentation of the new musical WATER FOR ELEPHANTS will be held this June and we've got the full scoop on the show. The musical is directed by Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo), with a book by Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher), and music & lyrics by the award-winning PigPen Theatre Co.

In this musical production, based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks animated film, unlikely hero Shrek finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude, and more than a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Shrek the Musical is irreverent fun for the whole family.

On April 4, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe presented its lively and music-filled fundraiser, the April Fools Fête, in the ballroom at Michael’s On East. This year’s country-themed celebration was a sold-out success, with 300 community members in attendance – most of them wearing cowboy and cowgirl-appropriate attire. The event raised more than $200,000 in support of WBTT’s education programs.

For more than a decade, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe offered the lively and music-filled fundraiser, the April Fools Fête, in the ballroom at Michael's On East. In 2020, due to the pandemic, the event was presented virtually and, in 2021, WBTT presented the event to a smaller crowd outdoors on its campus. This year, the popular arts organization is thrilled to be back at Michael's On East for a country-themed celebration on April 4.

Back by popular demand – from its world-premiere run during the summer of 2017 – Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will present “Broadway in Black,” updated for 2022. In this musical revue created and adapted by WBTT Founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs, WBTT will salute Broadway musicals with songs that span decades and a wide variety of musical styles that will appeal to audiences of all ages.

The first Verna Safran Prize ($1,000) has been awarded to Jake Pettingell, a Sarasotan who attends Saint Stephen's Episcopal School, for his play THE REAL WORLD, set in a post-nuclear war era about a family of four living together in a military bunker. Directed by Blake Walton, the play was performed at the festival by actors Owen DeMaio, Jude DeMaio, Ann Morrison (who, with a day's notice, replaced an actor who became ill), and Tony Boothby.