Drew Eberhard - Page 8

We all know the beloved classic story written by J. M Barrie that had us all wishing we could never grow up, and reaching to find a way, "second star to the right, and straight on till morning." What if however, there was a different side to the story? A story stripped of all the Disney magic and theatrics and left with a guttural, heartbreaking tale, of love, loss, and the unique idea that even when you don't want to grow up…we all have a way of doing so in the end.

How does a book so grounded in popularity in Young-Adult fiction, that was then translated to a 2 film series, transition its magical storytelling to the stage? These and more are the questions I asked myself upon entering Morsani Hall Tuesday evening for the opening of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. As a fan of the book series, and having seen the films a few times, I was skeptical at best. Upon finding my seats and purusing the program I found 10 actors making up the subsequent company of the show before me. Little did I know that each character minus Percy, would be doubling as several other characters throughout the night. At a talk-back immediatelty following the show, one actress said she had upwards of 21 costume changes throughout the show which can be an astounding feat. Having little knowledge of the music in the show I sat back and was ready to embrace the adventure. Usually I find myself listening to the Cast recordings prior to seeing shows, however with this one I wanted every surprise available to me.

Everyone knows the story, and or has seen the classic film starring a young Christian Bale. A group of boys left to live on the street, or find ways to scrounge up a little money to feed their parents, and their only source of notable income is to sell papers. With a money-hungry tyrant raising the cost of papers, the boys decide to go on strike to change the ways in which society is run and hopefully for once make it past, or above the fold to the front page of the paper! Change the headline, change society that is the scene set forth by Jack Kelly and the Newsies for this explosive Disney Musical that was a smash on Broadway, and that which has now taken Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center by storm and left the audiences singing and dancing all the way home, and for some even after the show has closed.

In the traditional sense, dance, and art-forms alike are put on stage to evoke feeling and emotions from the audience. However what happens, when a Professional Company who gained major popularity from their show stopping performances on America's Got Talent, turn the tables on their dancersartist as well?

Before the high-flying, energetic production of Newsies put on by the Patel Conservatory takes the stage at Ferguson Hall, I had the chance to sit down with Director Suzanne Livesay and Student Performer Jaden Waz and discuss the show and what makes it memorable to all who see the show.

[St. Petersburg, FL] - This summer, freeFall will be closing out their 20182019 season with the classic Broadway musical Pippin. Long a contender for inclusion in our season, Artistic Director, Eric Davis is excited to present a new staging of this beloved musical which features an energetic, funny, and moving score by Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz and was originally directed on Broadway by the legendary Bob Fosse.

A high flying, high kicking romp of a good time comes full steam ahead back to the Straz Center in Tampa for three days only from May 17-19, 2019. A true story set in North Hampton England just a stones throw from London centers its story around the plight of a burgeoning entrepreneur whom was just bequeathed the family business. Price&Sons is known for their comfortable and dependable classic shoes for men. When sales plummet and stock is filtering back in by the truck load it is up to Charlie the heir to the shoe factory to pull the company back on its struggling feet and restore the name of Price &Sons to its glory. How does one do that you may ask?

The setting strikes a chord with the audience upon entering the space. Hardwood floors, a simple flat set to the backdrop of the Brooklyn Skyline. The time is the 1950's the season, fall. Five actors/actresses tell the plight of this family in a struggling neighborhood in Brooklyn, and the events that envelope them truly show the heart, and passion inside each and every one of its' centralized characters.

Seven Performers enter, a Pianist is introduced. Set to the backdrop of the history of the Great White Way from past to present, and set to a gut punching-hilarious score based off of one of the greatest musicals to date Spamilton took off full speed ahead. From hilarious lyrics devised by the great minds behind Forbidden Broadway, and including a Lin-Manuel look a-like the audience experienced 90 minutes of unadulterated laughter, song, and dance.

What happens when you combine six guys who look like every-day average men, close to over 40+ years of dance training and performance, two incredible musicians, and a whole lot of moving parts and set pieces? That is the experience and feelings the audience embraced Friday night as TapDogs took Morsani Hall at the Straz center by storm, and leaving nothing in their wake. 31 incredibly powerful dance numbers and one exciting encore made this evening of tap truly exceptional.

'Strikingly beautiful,' 'ghost-like,' are just two adjectives that make up the mood in which Agatha Christie's Mousetrap, leaves on it's audiences which can witness this 'who-dunnit' now on-stage at Stageworks Theatre in the heart of downtown Tampa. At least that was the first and lasting impression I received upon entering the space Saturday night for a mere sold out performance, that was so stunning I still think about it days later. After all as one character proclaims, 'First impressions are so important,' and this bone chilling first impression still has me gasping for air.

After a 14 year hiatus the bad boys of Shakespeare took to the stage and command the stage they did. For the next 90ish minutes the audience was thrust into a world of side-splitting head over heels laughter. Jobsite's Artistic Director David Jenkins entered the space with a hilarious curtain speech. One of the most memorable moments was when he said, "We are in a small space, so if you're talking and thinking you can't be heard you can… and if anyone came with a child shut the little bastard up and let them fend for themselves." Introducing the facts that over the next hour and a half the audience will be thrust into a world unknown to some, a place of Elizabethan England; Stratford on Avon to be exact, and thus he went forth and introduced all of the players that would be seen that evening.

A classic musical based on a novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow, with a stunning book by Terrance McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens is something of a poignant resonance that the audience of Friday evening's performance was to bear witness to. Leading the cast of a whopping 45 people was Orchestra Conductor Joseph Scarborough. From the moment the overture began you were swept away into a moment in history not much unlike the current climate in which we find ourselves today. The actors hit the stage donning varying shades of white period pieces and they looked stunning. Props to the costume crew and Beverly Mercer for the stunning display that carried on throughout the production, donning actors/actresses in period wear is no easy feat and this is one truly worth commending.

A Blank stage is set to adorn a combination of a house on one side and what will soon become the work stations of the women in this production. On the projection behind the set were words written to strike a chord with incoming audience members, "If one woman were to tell the truth about her life, the world would split open." These wise words from Muriel Rukyster were the only thing standing between the audience and the works to be portrayed on the stage this night. In the program, Founder and Director Fran Powers wrote, "Directing These Shining Lives has been a project of the heart. "It is vitally important to keep honoring courageous women who sacrificed so much for others." This is the foundation of the Powerstories Theatre mission."With that the scene is set and a whirlwind 90 minutes set to no intermission was about to unfold in front of us.

Set to a backdrop of great men and women throughout history, the audience is immersed in a brief moment of history while seated looking at a grand staircase as the focal point for the room. As a usual theatre endeavor guest were checked in at the door, and some made their way to the concession area. Offered amidst the array of beer, wine and coffee was what seemed to be a delightful offering of chicken salad or house made chips. Opting for the Pinot Noir I made my way forth to the room adjacent which housed the grand staircase in which tonight's performance would be taking place.

A BRONX TALE is a musical adapted from a film that was once a one man show written by Chazz Palminteri. The Broadway Smash premiered with previews on November 3, 2016, and officially opened December 1, 2016 at the Longacre Theatre. Launching its North American Tour in the Fall of 2018 the musical features music written by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Glenn Slater and book written by the original one man show stopper Chazz Palminteri. While on its tour stop in Tampa at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, we as the opening-night audience were truly thrust into Old City New York full of Mobsters and Italian lessons to boot.