Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe anounces 2012-13 season

Nate Jacobs

The Sarasota-based  Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe 2012-2013 season, announced today, features three musical revues and an award-winning drama by August Wilson.

Founding Artistic Director Nate Jacobs' "50s Jukebox Revue" kicks off the season Nov. 16, followed by Wilson’s "Jitney," "Soul Crooners 2" (also adapted by Jacobs), and closing the season is the Tony Award-nominated "It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues."

Subscription prices are still $75 for four shows. Individual tickets will be available later this fall and will remain priced at $28. Each production will run for five weeks as opposed to the previous four-week run

“Our amazing success this past year created a wonderful challenge,” Jacobs said in a statement. “How can we accommodate the tremendous demand for tickets? Almost every show this year was sold out, one expanded before we opened the doors. Lengthening the runs seemed to be the logical answer. We are very excited about the upcoming season and the chance to introduce more people to our unique and talented Troupe performances.”

Jacobs’ "50s Jukebox Revue," running Nov. 16 through Dec. 16, celebrates the music of such pioneering rock 'n' roll and blues artists as Fats Domino, Little Richard and Muddy Waters. "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," "Stagger Lee" and "Shake, and Rattle and Roll" are among the musical numbers to be performed.

Wilson's "Jitney" will be presented Jan. 4 through Feb. 3, 2013. Winner of the 2001 Drama Critics Circle Award and the 2002 Laurence Olivier Award, the play is set in Pittsburgh of the 1970s, centering around a group of unlicensed cab drivers as they strive to find honor and accomplishment in the harsh world around them.

"Soul Crooners 2" features the cast of the original smash with a new repertoire of songs from the 1970s. From Feb. 22 to March 24, 2013, Charles Manning, Leon Pitts, Mikeyy Mendez, Jacobs and Sheldon Redon will be back to sing some of the greatest soul songs of all time.

Closing out the season will be the four-time, Tony-nominated "It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues" (April 12-May 12, 2013). This musical revue takes the audience on a journey through the evolution of the blues with songs written and/or made famous by Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker and Huddie "Lead Belly" Leadbetter.

For more information or to purchase season subscriptions, visit the website at www.wbttsrq.org. or call the box office at 941-366-1505.