Jonathan Larson a name synonymous with American Musical Theatre in the 90s penned this phenom of a Musical based on the Puccini Opera La Boheme. Featuring a rock and roll score unlike anything heard on Broadway at its time, Rent received critical and mass acclaim following the untimely passing of its creator, who passed prior to its premiere.
With such recognizable songs as, “Take Me or Leave Me,” “Will I,” “Out Tonight,” and probably the biggest musical theatre anthem of its time “Seasons of Love,” Rent went on to achieve Tony and Pulitzer claim and won the world over with its unique score and storyline of unlikely characters who were mirror images of very real people in its time. Still a musical that has many outdated references manages mass appeal today.
As the final play written by the great Neil Simon, Rose & Walsh previously entitled Rose’s Dilemma ran in Los Angeles and Off-Broadway in 2003. Originally starring Mary Tyler Moore in early previews, Moore left the production when Simon sent a letter citing her to learn her lines. Neil Simon’s works include the very popular Eugene Trilogy (Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, Broadway Bound), and other great works including Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, I Ought to Be in Pictures, among many other prolific pieces both onstage and onscreen. Spanning a career writing more than 30 plays and numerous screenplays, Simon has received more Oscar and Tony Award Nominations than any other writer. Simon passed away on August 26, 2018, leaving behind a legacy as one of the great Stage and Screenwriters of his time. Rose & Walsh makes its premiere at freeFall Theatre Company on July 30, 2022, boasting an exceptionally strong cast, this production will be one you want to see multiple times over.
What did our critic think of Calendar Girls at Des Monies Playhouse? The people in our lives have a significant impact on us, and sometimes we don’t know their impact on us until they are gone. How we reflect on them can sometimes lead us to do extraordinary things. “Calendar Girls,” which opened on June 3 at Des Moines Playhouse, asks us to reflect on how we remember the people in our lives and what we do to commemorate their memory.
This classic dance musical with incredible choreography and live music is set in 1960s New York. SWEET CHARITY tells the story of Charity Hope Valentine, a dance hall hostess with the worst luck with men. She vows off dating until she meets what may be a proper gentleman she hopes won't break her heart.
In 1946 before Julia Child rose to fame James Andrew Beard became the first “celebrity”
cook with the premiere of his NBC cooking show, “I Love to Eat.” Television sets were
still black and white back then and there may have been 1000 sets total in all of Metropolitan New York, but between Howdy Doody and the 9 o’clock hour, you could experience the culinary delights of James Beard.
Sisters, Cassie and Kathryn, have had little communication since Kathryn left for college. Upon their mother’s death, Kathryn, long absent, returns home to help Cassie, the primary caregiver, sort through their mother’s hoarded possessions. As they unpack boxes, they encounter their younger selves and unearth truths about their mother’s illness and father’s secrets. Unpacking allows each sister to exorcise the demons that shaped their adult lives so they can meet on the other side, open to a new relationship.
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.
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.
freeFall opens their 2021/2022 season with the classic musical comedy Dames at Sea directed by Eric Davis, musically directed by Michael Raabe and choreographed by Kristie Kerwin (Broadway's Dames at Sea 2015).
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.
This innovative, cutting-edge experience will allow guests to explore Francesca Lia Block's bestselling novel. This summer, step into an experience like none other. Through visual storytelling, theatre design, multimedia, and augmented reality – enter the world of The Rose and The Beast.
The nominees have been announced for the 2020 Theatre Tampa Bay Awards! 25 plays and 5 musicals were eligible for nomination before the remainder of the 2019-2020 season was cancelled in March.
Northern Kentucky University's School of the Arts will present DANCE '20, an evening of new works by guest artists, faculty, and students. Twelve dynamic dances will add up to an evening of concert pieces that highlight various styles of dance, including ballet, modern, jazz, musical theatre, tap, and dance theatre. Performances take place March 6-7 at NKU's Corbett Theatre. The production is coordinated by the artistic team of Frankie Montazemi, Anna Gortner, Sylvia Chervus, DJ Bruggee, and Tracey Bonner.
The Hippodrome Theatre in Gainesville and freeFall Theatre in St. Petersburg and have joined forces to co-present LONE STAR SPIRITS opening January 24 and closing February 16. The Hippodrome will then transfer the production to freeFall for performances at their venue opening on February 29 and running through March 29.
There's just one final week to submit votes for the 2019 BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards, brought to you by TodayTix! Vote today to make sure your favorite local theatre's achievements and performers are recognized!
We're heading into the final week of voting for the 2019 BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards, brought to you by TodayTix! Vote today to make sure your favorite local theatre's achievements and performers are recognized!
