Kelli McGurk

Welcome to the sixties, or rather to the 15th year of Encore!  Comprised entirely by Walt Disney World cast members and their families, the mega-team of volunteers took the Walt Disney Theater by storm on their opening night.  With a monstrous orchestra of over 40 musicians and a choir boasting more than 70 stellar singers, the electric energy from Tracy's iconic "Oh, oh, oh's"  at the start of the opening number, "Good Morning Baltimore," flew throughout the 2,700+ seat theater and bounced off the walls for the entirety of the show.

Heathers: The Musical, based off of the 1980's movie with the same name, has developed an even larger cult-following since it's premiere Off-Broadway at New World Stages in 2014.  Since then, the licensing of the production has resulted in the dark musical turning up in all pockets of the United States, including our own backyard at Young Artists Theatre.

Urinetown, the witty, clever, satirical Broadway comedy musical at the regal and historic Annie Russell Theatre at Rollins College on April 21, 2017.

Stephen Belber's dark comedy Tape takes over the small black box studio at Theater on the Edge, and not only invites the audience to become a part of the story, but demands it. By trapping viewers in the four walls of the Motel 6 room in Lansing, Michigan, spectators have no choice but to become one with the characters, and internalize their confusion, anger, humor, and acceptance (or lack thereof).

Gatsby? What Gatsby? When you hear this charming protagonist's name, what images flash through your head?  Lavish parties dripping with elegance?  An atmosphere of abandoned care filled to the ceiling with social climbers?  Pearls, fringe, and feathers that drape over the silhouettes of dancing women?  Smoke and mirrors that orchestrate a timeless vortex of pure magic?  'The Great Gatsby' has extended beyond the realm of high school reading curriculum, and has become an iconic entity synonymous with the 1920's.  The 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald has inspired certain adaptations including ballets, television episodes of popular shows, computer games, and most famously the 2013 film adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire.  The Orlando Shakepeare Theater continues this legacy with their production of the stage adaptation by Simon Levy which opened on February 8th.  

'Why Do Fools Fall in Love?' takes us back to the year 1966 to our protagonist, Millie's impromptu bachelorette party thrown by her friends Sally, Florence, and Dee Dee (who tags along, but is quickly adopted into the friend group).  The evening kicks off with alcohol, gossip, alcohol, junk food, and oh, did I mention? More alcohol.  Trouble begins to arise in paradise when Sally reveals that she sent Millie an anonymous note with some troubling news regarding her fiance.  Hilarity, arguing, and lots and lots of singing ensues, and we are left with a strong impression of the 'sisters before misters' mantra.  That is, guys will come and go, but best friends last forever.  

What does it mean to watch a parent suffer from an illness that there is no known cure for?  What does it mean for someone who prides themselves on being capable and proactive to feel helpless and out of control?  What does it mean, as an actress, to navigate these emotions and deliver them to an audience almost entirely by yourself, for ninety minutes, six times a week?

Christmas time is here, indeed, with A Charlie Brown Christmas at the Garden Theatre. Adapted for the stage by Eric Schaeffer, this live-action transfer is almost an exact carbon copy of the beloved television special.