Sarasota's Florida Studio Theatre extends 'Dancing Lessons'

   Mark St. Germain is a favorite playwright of Sarasota audiences. His plays “Freud’s Last Session,” “Becoming Dr. Ruth” and “Best of Enemies" have all been big hits with patrons of Florida Studio Theatre.
   FST has another hit on its hands with St. Germain's latest play, "Dancing Lessons."

  Vanessa Morosco and Jason Cannon
 in "Dancing Lessons" (Photo by Cliff Roles)

The romantic comedy-drama about two damaged loners -- an academic with Asperger's Syndrome and a dancer with a physical injury -- has been extended for a second time.

   It's now slated to run through March 14 in FST's Keating Theatre. Single tickets range from $18 to $49. Call 941-366-9000 or go to FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

'Hairspray' extended through Jan. 24 in Sarasota

"Hairspray" Photo by Maria Lyle.

  Florida Studio Theatre's production of "Hairspray" was supposed to end this weekend. It was so popular that FST extended the run for a week.
 Even that apparently wasn't enough to satisfy the demand. FST has announced that it's holding over "Hairspray" for two more weeks, until Jan. 24. But it's absolutely, positively going to close then.
   "Hairspray"  is the musical version of a classic John Waters film about an indomitable teen girl in 1950s Baltimore who tries to integrate her favorite TV dance show. It's full of catchy song (including the show-stopper “Can’t Stop the Beat”).
   Show times are 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $18-$49. Call 941-366-9000 or go to floridastudiotheatre.org.

Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota extends "Freud"

   Florida Studio Theatre's production of "Freud's Last Stand" just opened a few days ago, but it's so popular that its run has already been extended.
    It's now set to run through March 30 in FST's Keating Theatre.

FST's "Freud's Last Session"

   The drama by Mark St. Germain revolves around a hypothetical meeting between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis, played by George Tynan Crowley and Jeffrey Plunkett. It's set at the end of Freud's life, and he and Lewis, two of the leading intellectuals of their era, discuss the existence of God and other big issues.
   Tickets range from $32 to $34. Call 941-366-9000, or go to online at www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
   FST is at 241 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota.



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Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota changes schedule

  Florida Studio Theatre has made a change in its mainstage season.
   The fourth show was supposed to be "Two Point Oh," drama about a technology mogul who virtually returns to life after a fatal car crash. That's out and in its stead is the world premiere of "Tom Jones" by Mark Brown, the writer of "Around the World in 80 Days." It's based on Henry Fielding's comic novel "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling."
  It will open in the Gompertz Theatre April 9 and run through June 1, which is exactly the same time "Two Point Oh" was supposed to run. Single tickets range from $18-$36. Go to www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org or call 941-366-9000.

Sarasota's Florida Studio Theatre extends "Spamalot" again

  People in the Bradenton-Sarasota area obviously like "Spamalot" a lot.
   The Florida Studio Theatre production of the Monty Python-inspired musical was originally supposed to run through Jan. 15. Then it was extended until Jan. 19. 

FST's "Spamalot"
(Photo by Maria Lyle)

   Now FST has added another full week of "Spamalot." It's now slated to run through Jan. 25 at the Gompertz Theatre at 241 N. Palm Ave. in Sarasota.
   The show, by John Du Prez and Python's Eric Idle, is essentially a reworking of the film "Monty Python and the
Holy Grail," with some other classic Python bits, a lot of pokes at the conventions of musical theater and some hilarious songs. It's a load of fun.
   Tickets are $42-45. Curtain times vary. Call 941-366-9000 or go to www.floridastudiotheatre.org for more details.
   Here's a review of the production: www.bradenton.com/2013/11/28/4856767/spamalot-succeeds-in-sarasota.html

Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota extends "Spamalot"

    The Florida Studio Theatre production of "Monty's Python's Spamalot" is very funny.
It's also very popular.

FST's "Spamalot"

  So the people at FST have extended the run for a few days. It's now slated to run through Jan. 19 at FST's Gompertz Theatre, 241 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota. 
   Tickets are $42-$45. Curtain times vary. Call 941-366-9000 or go to www.floridastudiotheatre.org for more details.
   Here's a review of the production: www.bradenton.com/2013/11/28/4856767/spamalot-succeeds-in-sarasota.html

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/11/28/4856767/spamalot-succeeds-in-sarasota.html#storylink=cpy

Sarasota's Florida Studio Theatre announces 2013-14 seasons

   Florida Studio Theatre had already announced that it would kick of its mainstage season with "Monty Python's Spamalot." Now FST has unveiled the rest of the show in it its 2013-14 mainstage and cabaret seasons. After Mainstage Season "Spamalot," Nov. 13-Jan. 4, the mainstage season continues in the Keating Theatre with "Thurgood," George

Stevens Jr.'s play based on the life of Justice Thurgood Marshall, Dec. 11-Feb. 15. Following in the Gompertz Theatre is "Daddy Long Legs," Feb. 5-April 5, an adaptation of the novel by Jean Webster. The season ends with "Two Point Oh" by Jeffrey Jackson, a multimedia play about the effects of technology. That will run April 9-June 1.
   The Cabaret Season starts in the John C. Court Cabaret with "The Prima Donettes," Oct. 23-Feb. 1, about female singing groups of the '50s and '60s, developed by Richard Hopkins and Jim Prosser. Opening next in the Goldstein Cabaret is "Poems, Prayers and Promises," celebrating the American music and storytelling developed by Hopkins and his wife Rebecca, set for Jan. 1-April 12. Closing out the season Feb. 19-June 7 in the John C. Court Cabaret is "Too Darn Hot," also developed by Prosser and Richard Hopkins and featuring music by Cole Porter.
   Subscriptions for all four mainstage shows are available for $45 and up' for the cabaret shows, subscriptions start at $35. You can stop be the box office at 1241 N. Palm Ave. in Sarasota, call 941-366-9000 or go to www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Season tickets availble now for Sarasota's FST

   Season tickets are now on sale for the Florida Studio Theatre's 2013-14 mainstage season.
   They'll run you between $45 and $75 and they'll get you into all four mainstage shows.
   Season tickets holders get big discounts, but they also get first choice of seats and other benefits.
   FST will announce the other three shows in mainstage season on Sept. 22.
  That's also the day that single tickets for  "Spamalot," the first show of the mainstage season, go on sale. The single tickets will set you back $18-$49.
   "Spamalot," one of the most popular and acclaimed musicals of the past decade, opens Nov. 15 in the Gompertz Theatre. It's the Tony Award-winning musical based on "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." It's directed by Bruce Jordan, who recently directed FST's hit staging of Steve Martin's "The Underpants." "Spamalot" will run through Jan. 5.
  You can order tickets by calling 941-366-9000, by visiting  www.floridastudiotheatre.org, or by visiting the FST box office

"The Underpants" extended again at Sarasota's FST

   "The Underpants" is such a huge hit that Florida Studio Theatre is extending its run for a second time. It's now set to run through Aug. 11.
   Steve Martin took a 100-year-old German play and adapted it into a farce with some hilarious moments and a hint of social commentary. (Don't let that scare you off, though; it's essentially merriment, not message.)

A scene from "The Underpants"

   The story's about a beautiful young married woman who's watching the king pass by in a parade. When she rises up onto her toes to get a better look, her underpants fall to the ground. It causes a minor scandal, and two men become obsessed with her.
   FST is
at 1241 N. Palm Ave. in downtown Sarasota. Tickets are $18-$24. Call 941-366-9000 or go to www.floridastudiotheatre.org.

More of Steve Martin's "Underpants" in Sarasota

   Florida Studio Theatre's staging of the "The Underpants," a farce adapted by Steve Martin from an obscure 100-year-old German play, is such a hit that FST has added more shows. It's now set to run through Aug. 3.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/06/20/4575252/sarasota-hosts-steve-martins-underpants.html#storylink=cpy

   The story has to do with a woman who's watching the king pass by in a parade. She rises up onto her toes to get a better look, and her underpants fall to the ground. Two men who see it happen become obsessed with her.
   It has messages abut feminism and celebrity, but director Bruce Jordan says that at its heart it's meant to be pure comic entertainment.
    Tickets start at $32. Call 941-366-9000 or go to www.floridastudiotheatre.org.

Sarasota's Florida Studio Theatre announces summer season

   Performing arts pickings get a bit slim in the summer, but Florida Studio Theatre is making sure you can sate your appetite for quality stage offerings.
   On Monday, FST announced a three-show summer season that includes a Kander and Ebb revue, a Steve Martin farce and a Miami-based satire.

Steve Martin

   The summer season starts May 29 with "And the World Goes 'Round," a revue based on the songs of Kander and Ebb. Their best-known shows are "Cabaret" and "Chiacgo," so there are plenty of numbers from those two shows, as well as familiar songs from "New York, New York" and other Kander and Ebb works. It runs through June 30.
   Next up is the "The Underpants," Steve Martin's adaptation of the classic hundred-year-old German farce "Die Hose." The story's about a woman who accidentally exposes herself in public, which sets off string of circumstances that, according to reviews from a round the country, are hilarious. June 28-July 28.
   Finally there's "South Beach Babylon," a 2010 comedy by South Florida playwright Michael McKeever, that pokes fun at Miami's people and the lifestyle of Miami. That one runs July 26-Sept. 1.
   Single tickets run $18-$49. A subscription to all three shows  start at $39. Information: 941-366-9000 or wwwfloridastudiotheatre.org.

REVIEW: FST’s ‘Next to Normal’ is crazy good

From left Ashley Picciallo, Leo Daignault, Stacia Fernandez, Mike Backes in FST's winning production of 'Next to Normal.'

Its finger right on the pulse of the real modern family, the one with madness always bubbling near the placid surface, “Next to Normal” works tremendously well on an abnormal number of levels.

Featuring music by Tom Kitt with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama recipient and winner of three Tony Awards is a rock musical that manages to deftly make the most of melancholy, with sharp satire, smart observations, provocative questions and endearing humor.

Credit Florida Studio Theatre for not just doing an excellent job with an intricate show of often cleverly matched vocals performed from a tight stage and three risers over the rousing sonics of an accomplished live band but taking a chance:

The subject matter is heavy and the characters sing or say just about every dirty word George Carlin ever rifffed on.
But this cussing isn’t without purpose.
Just like nothing in the potent production isn’t without purpose.

Even if at the end audience members are forced to find his or her own definition of “normal” — or decide if it’s OK to just be “next to normal.”
Or maybe conclude “normal” is a silly, way-too subjective and hurtful word, one that deserves banished from the lexicon.

The mother Diana (Stacia Fernandez) grapples with bipolar disorder that manifests itself in a most frightening way at times. Namely in the form of her son Gabe (Mike Backes), resulting in a jolting surprise to anyone not paying close attention.

Natalie (Ashley Picciallo) plays the neglected, good girl daughter who begins to stray from her high school studies after meeting pot-smoking boyfriend Henry (James LaRosa). She quickly leapfrogs his occasional bong blasts for drugs-n-clubs benders largely fueled by Mom’s powerful, prescription stash.

Dan (Leo Daignault) is the father forced to make tough decisions regarding his wife’s well being. Scott Guthrie plays both doctors charged with treating Diana.

The show is sans flat characters — save for the doctor, who makes the most of his relatively perfunctory but often hilarious role — and the other actors shine in their juicy, largely unprecedented parts. The songs interweave wonderfully with just enough spoken lines salted throughout to create an even stronger ebb and flow.

“Next to Normal” might not be for everybody but it’s must-see performance art for anyone interested in what the exciting possibilities are in musical theater.

Details: Nov. 2-Jan. 1, FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota. Tickets: $29-$39. Information: 941-366-9000 or www.florida studiotheatre.org.

Nirvana, Ringling Museum of Art and Florida Studio Theatre

Here's what I have running in today's Bradenton Herald.

New FST season is anything but 'normal'Bradenton Herald Having taken his Sarasota company from a small touring group to one of the top professional theaters in the ... Bradenton Herald

Greatest shrine on earth: Ringling Circus Museum reveals major ...Bradenton HeraldOn Saturday, Ringling Circus Museum's Tibbals Learning Center, which already houses the planet's largest ... Bradenton Herald

Buzz worthy: 'Nevermind': the last rock landmarkBradenton Herald ... grab the masses by the throat like “Nevermind.” Wade Tatangelo, features writer/columnist, can be reached at (941) 745-7057. Bradenton Herald

REVIEW: 'The 39 Steps' at FST in Sarasota

PHOTO PROVIDED Sheffield Chastain, Curran Connor, Letitia Lange and Michael Frederic in Florida Studio Theatre’s production of “The 39 Steps.”

Ever wonder what an Alfred Hitchcock film would be like remade as slapstick for the stage?

Click to read my review, "FST gets silly with '39 Steps,'" which ran in print Sun., Dec. 12.

Hitchcock's 'The 39 Steps' on stage at Florida Studio Theatre

PHOTO PROVIDED Sheffield Chastain, Curran Connor, Letitia Lange and Michael Frederic in Florida Studio Theatre’s production of “The 39 Steps.”

Patrick Barlow's stage adaptation of Alfred Hitchock's "The 39 Steps" features 150 characters, 30 locations and a mere four actors.

As you might imagine, it's a tough play to pull off.

"The 39 Steps" opens at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota on Dec. 8 (previews) 10 (opening night).

I recently spoke with director Eric Hissom, who starred in the national tour of the play, and actor Curran Connor about the difficulties of transforming the Hitchcock thriller into a laugh-out-loud stage farce.

CLICK TO READ "HITCHCOCK THRILLER '39 STEPS' COMES TO STAGE."