Fran Thomas - Page 4

Bill Taylor planned to hold the first ever Fringe Festival in Fort Myers in 2020, but a pesky disease called Covid19 stopped the event before it could get off the ground. Undaunted, Taylor rescheduled for June 2023.

What did our critic think of FOOTLOOSE at Broadway Palm?

What did our critic think of NUNSENSE at Music & Art Community Center?

What did our critic think of ARTS@FSW CONCERT at B. B. Mann? Florida SouthWestern State College Symphony Orchestra, String Ensemble, and College Choirs offered an inspiring evening of music on April 19, 2023. The program included carefully selected works spanning a wide variety of composers and styles.

If there is a shortage of sequins in Fort Myers, blame it on Broadway Palm. John P. White, costume designer for Sister Act, has filled the stage with visual sparkle. The energetic cast provides an equal amount of performance sparkle.

What did our critic think of THE MIRACLE WORKER at Pine Island Playhouse?

What did our critic think of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT at Broadway Palm?

What did our critic think of BROADWAY PALM THROUGH THE DECADES at Broadway Palm?

What did our critic think of THE WIZARD OF OZ at Broadway Palm?

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre often presents family-friendly shows. Parents, be warned. Rock of Ages isn't one of them. The sex, drugs, and rock and roll of the 1980s are on stage for all to see.

Broadway Palm Theatre is throwing a beach party this month in conjunction with its production Jimmy Buffett's Escape to Margaritaville. All the elements are in place. The staff are attired in tropical shirts. Beach balls float overhead. And although I spotted no tourists covered in oil, margaritas flowed freely from the makeshift tiki bar in the corner of the lobby.

I'm happy to report this stage version is just as exuberant as the classic MGM movie. A stage full of folks tapping their hearts out is irresistible. Director and choreographer Amy McCleary has done it again.

Broadway Palm's seasonal production, Holly Jolly Christmas, hits all the Christmas cliches. I don't mean that as a criticism. Cliches are cliches for a reason. They are familiar, and we relate to them. And that's what holidays are all about.

Broadway Palm's production of The Sound of Music is a delight from the moment Melissa Whitworth as Maria does that iconic twirl, arms outstretched to embrace us. And really. Who among us can resist a stage full of kids? Or nuns?

If you are a Broadway fan as I am, you probably have hundreds of thousands of song lyrics stored in your brain. And if, like Victor Legarreta, you are tasked with putting together a musical revue, how do you choose the songs?

I want to offer heartfelt thanks to Broadway Palm for giving me the opportunity to relive my formative years without the angst of having to go through high school again. The current production, Beehive, embodies the 1960s through the words and melodies of the female singers and 'girl groups' of that era. And what an era it was.

Broadway Palm is blurbing A Bronx Tale as a combination of Jersey Boys and West Side Story. Huh? I wasn't quite sure what I was about to see.

It's easy to see why the plot of She Loves You has seen so many iterations. All the tropes are there: enemies to lovers, curmudgeonly boss, bumbling sidekick, upwardly mobile messenger boy, sleazy villain, girl who always picks the wrong guy, and, in this version, a lot of music in three-quarter time.

Mark Sanders took time from helping his parents celebrate their 59th anniversary to talk with me about his role of Sipos in the production of She Loves Me opening March 26 at Barbara B. Mann Hall. Sanders is performing with the Gulf Coast Symphony under the direction of Maestro Andrew Kurtz.

With relatively few local cases of COVID-19 in Southwest Florida so far, local venues and performing arts organization are taking the attitude the show must go on. They are, however, urging anyone who doesn't feel well or has concerns to stay home and offering to exchange tickets for future dates.