Florida Studio Theatre's Winter Cabaret Season to Open with 'SOUL MATES', 10/16

FST presents the songs of legendary Rhythm & Blues artists in SOUL MATES: A JOURNEY TO HITSVILLE, by Bill Castellino with Human Nature and David Rudder. The first production in FST's Winter Cabaret season opens in the John C. Court Cabaret on Friday, October 16, 2015.

Subscriptions for all three Cabaret shows can be purchased for as little as $39. Single tickets range from $30-$36. Tickets may be purchased online at FloridaStudioTheatre.org, by phone at (941) 366-9000, or by visiting the Box Office.

It's the greatest memories and music of the sound that changed America forever. Rhythm & Blues had an irresistible force of social change through generations by groups such as the Temptations, The Jackson 5, The Commodores and more. Featuring songs such as: "My Girl," "ABC," "I'll Be There," and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

Having worked first-hand with legends of the Rhythm & Blues world such as Mary Wilson of the Supremes and members of The Four Tops, Co-Creator and Director Bill Castellino speaks to the inspiration behind this feel-good revue stating, "I worked with the Australian pop band called Human Nature when they moved their show to the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. Theirs is a story of young men learning about Motown music while in high school in Sydney. With the 'Humans' support and input, I crafted an American version of their story illuminating the literal and spiritual journey of young Americans learning about the beauty, importance, and impact of the Motown sound on global culture. My generation grew up with this music and it is an honor to reframe and reintroduce this powerful and 'soulful' music to a new audience while asking the rest of us to hear it again for the first time."

Castellino is no stranger to FST's Cabaret series. His FST credits include Hula-Hoop Sha Boop and Reflections. Making their FST debut are cast members Jordan Craig, Ryan Connolly, Andrew Mauney, and Luke Minx. Craig's previous credits include Spring Awakening and Next to Normal. Connolly's credits include Miss Saigon and Rent. Mauney's previous work includes South Pacific and Hairspray. Minx's credits include Music Man and West Side Story.

These charismatic crooners all share a passion and connection to this music. Mauney states, "I have been working on this show now for over a year since its first workshop. I came into that first workshop knowing these songs, but not really knowing how or why. Now I hear them everywhere and can't get enough. The music is just so fun. It's timeless in how it talks about life and love, but really, it's just fun music!"

Castellino concludes stating, "Soul Mates is an American story. We investigate the impact of Motown on a whole nation (and personally for these four singers) in the way only great singers in a cabaret setting can - in an inventive, heartfelt, and intimate theatrical production."

SOUL MATES: A JOURNEY TO HITSVILLE opens in the John C. Court Cabaret on Friday,
October 16, 2015. Subscriptions for all three Cabaret shows can be purchased for as little as $39. Single tickets range from $30-$36. Subscriptions and single tickets may be purchased online at FloridaStudioTheatre.org, by phone at (941) 366-9000 or by visiting the Box Office.

Known as Sarasota's Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company then acquired the former Woman's Club building, becoming the first permanent venue. Shortly after Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins arrived, the building was purchased and renamed The Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio Theatre established itself as a major force in American Theatre, presenting contemporary theatre in its five theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the Gompertz Theatre, the Parisian style Goldstein Cabaret and John C. Court Cabaret, and Bowne's Lab Theatre.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience. FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. As FST grows and expands, it continues to provide audiences with challenging, contemporary drama and innovative programs.

To post a comment, you must register and login.