Jordan Higginbotham - Page 4

Pedro Ka'awaoa is honored to be bringing King Mongkut to life in The King and I's national tour. He has a BA in Music from Harvard University. Regional: The Fantasticks, South Pacific, Evita, The Addams Family, The Producers, Jesus Christ Superstar, White Christmas, The Odd Couple Female Version. MDConductor: Cabaret, First Date, Seussical, Putnam Spelling Bee, The King and I, Les Miserables School Edition. Pedro is also a choir conductor, pianist, musician, teacher, and composer. He is also a fitness and mindfulness enthusiast. Aloha and IMUA!  Ka'awaoa spent some time talking with BroadwayWorld to discuss his road to The King and I and their upcoming journey to Jacksonville.

Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? has opened at the Alhambra in Jacksonville. The show follows a group of eight students who grow up in catholic school. The audience will experience a show that has many elements they can relate to, such as elementary school crushes, being picked on, dating in high school, or prom catastrophes.

'Another Op'nin, Another Show' at The Alhambra Theatre and Dining. Kiss Me, Kate portrays the story of a company performing Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. This company is a complete mess, with different relationships bringing their problems to the stage, or gangsters requiring money from the actors. With so many different story lines mixing throughout the performance, one would worry that the audience could get lost. However, the show is so wonderfully written and portrayed, that the audience was left laughing and awestruck after each number.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Ian Fleming's classic musical has hit the Alhambra. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is centered around a widowed father, Caractacus Potts, who is determined to raise his two children in a world full of excitement. His children, Jeremy and Jemima are greatly imaginative, for example racing a broken-down car. Caractacus does everything in his power to buy the piece of junk car and fix it up for his children.  Meanwhile, the Vulgarian spies, Doris and Goran, are plotting to steal the car for Baron Bomburst. Unbeknownst to the Vulgarians, the car known as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has special abilities. As the spies continue to try and steal the car, it magically floats and flies to get the Potts family out of danger. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a great spectacle of dance, music, and entertainment!

Chicago is grand, great, swell, and fun! The iconic show is on its 20th Anniversary tour and has stopped here in Jacksonville for a weekend run. The cast is extremely phenomenal and will leave audiences speechless.

'Nobody got into this business to play it safe.' The perfect description of the stress put on individuals in show business. A Chorus Line represents the story of dancers in 1975, many of whom are looking to break out onto the Broadway stage. Each dancer is asked to give a brief description of themselves. Some stories left the audience laughing hysterically. Some stories left them heartbroken, but all achieved the impact of the journey these dancers would take to make it to the stage. The performance was incredible and brought light to the performers who are not always in the spotlight.

More often than not, I go to a show and sit through the entire thing with the biggest grin on my face. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical was no exception. The musical is the type where I did not want it to be over as the curtain closed. The Tony nominated musical chronicles Carole Klein's, later known as Carole King, early music career as a composer at the young age of 17. She meets Gerry Goffin in college where they form not only a musical partnership, but a romantic relationship. The duo wrote some of the most iconic songs of the 50's and 60's, so much so that the audience was cheering when just a few notes were played from these songs. Beautiful depicts the growth of careers, beginnings of friendships, and end of relationships in the most extraordinary way. Every performance was absolutely stunning and wonderful.

'Beware.Brother.Beware' Five Guys Named Moe is in Jacksonville! The Tony Nominated show based on music by Louis Jordan follows Nomax, played by Jereme Raickett, who has stumbled upon hard times. Suddenly, five guys named Moe appear to show him the error of his ways. The live music, the talent, the humor made this show such a great experience, not to mention the numerous moments of interaction between the actors and the audience.

Little Shop of Horrors was a great experience, especially for someone who knew absolutely nothing about the show. The entire cast made the experience so enjoyable, leaving the audience laughing after almost every scene.

Motown the Musical is a musical unlike any other. The history of Motown Records takes place between 1957 and 1983. Audience members will recognize the music whether they were a part of this time period or not. I was born in 1996 and went into the production not knowing the history of Motown Records, but I could name a number of the songs included. On the other hand, there were audience members who were singing along to the entire musical and remembered moments from it. As an audience member who did not know the history of Motown, the production opened my eyes to the impact the music has had. A musical that brings generations together through music, history, and unity of humankind.

'There is no place like home'. A quote that has rung true for generations, but for theatre fans even more so. The theater is an escape from the outside world. A place to enjoy the arts, to watch characters each and every person can relate to, and to experience incredible talent. The Wizard of Oz provided nothing less.

Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini is a beautiful show full of so much emotion and talent. The beautiful story, in which Miss Saigon is based on, is intriguing and heartbreaking leaving audience members to reflect on what they hold dear. A story of a young girl who believes in love so much she will do whatever it takes to keep a dying and  one-sided marriage alive.