This week, four shows open, four shows close and 17 others continue their runs at equity and community theaters from Marco Island to Sarasota.
“Alice in Wonderland” [Venice Theatre]: Alice’s rabbit-hole adventures into a fantasy world of unusual creatures and riddles come to life in this family friendly production featuring young performers. “Alice in Wonderland” is based on the novel by Lewis Carroll and adapted for the stage by Alice Gerstenberg. Performances are Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. There are no performances on Easter Sunday. For tickets, telephone 941-488-1115 or visit https://venicetheatre.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/events/a0SUQ000006INFe2AO.
“Comedy Roulette” [Florida Studio Theatre]: FST Improv’s "Comedy Roulette" is a show about chance, skill, and high stakes. Join a team of four experienced improvisers as they bet the house (the house being the audience) that they can deliver a fast-paced show like you’ve never seen before. Featuring a mashup of short form, long form, and musical improv, audiences get the best of the art form when styles and techniques collide. No matter which way the wheel spins, odds are, you’re in for a great time at FST Improv’s "Comedy Roulette." Performances are in Bowne’s Lab on Saturday, April 19 at 8:30 p.m. For tickets, telephone 941-366-9000 or visit https://www.floridastudiotheatre.org/events-and-tickets/2024-25-fst-improv/comedy-roulette.
“Dancing at Lughnasa” [Asolo Repertory Theatre]: Music and memory draw you back to the 1930s in this lyrical, effervescent portrait of five fierce sisters holding onto each other through the joys and sorrows of life in rural Ireland. Their missionary uncle has sparked a town scandal, their means of employment are looking doubtful, and their country is caught between ancient traditions and Catholic expectations. Still, no problem is so great that it can’t be faced with hard work, family loyalty, and once a year: dancing at the annual harvest festival of Lughnasa. Brian Friel’s Tony and Olivier-award winning memory play is a modern classic that the New York Times declares “does exactly what theater was born to do. Performances are Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 17 at 1:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 19th’s closing 1:30 p.m. matinee. There are no performances on Sunday, April 20. For tickets, visit https://www.asolorep.org/events/detail/dancing-at-lughnasa or telephone 941-351-8000 or 800-361-8388.
“Divas: Time After Time” [Florida Studio Theatre]: Celebrate the women who have captivated the world with their dynamic personalities and fierce vocals. Starting in the 1960s, female artists such as Cher, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion have been pushing boundaries and shattering records with hits such as, “Turn Back Time,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and “My Heart Will Go On.” Directed by Catherine Randazzo, “Divas” stars Jannie Jone s, Dakota Mackey-McGee and Aja Goes. Performances are in the John C. Court Cabaret at 1265 First Street in Sarasota. This week’s performances are sold out except Friday, April 18 at 9 p.m. For tickets to performance dates later in the run, telephone 941-366-9000 or visit https://www.floridastudiotheatre.org/.../winter.../divas.
“Good Night, Oscar” [Asolo Repertory Theatre]: There’s a fine line between genius and insanity, and Oscar Levant erased it. A multi-hyphenate talent famous for his film appearances in “An American in Paris” and “The Band Wagon,” Levant was a fearless truth teller, a brilliant pianist, and an over-medicated neurotic mess -- a unique cocktail that made him a difficult person and a brilliant talk show guest. Battling network executives, his 1958 appearance on “The Tonight Show” could make him a legend, if he manages not to unravel first. Fresh from a hit Broadway run, Entertainment Weekly raves that “Good Night, Oscar” is “a gold mine of witticisms.” Performances of this regional premiere are Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. (with Talkback to follow); Wednesday, April 16 at 1:30 p.m. (with Talkback to follow); Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. There are no performances on Easter Sunday. For tickets, telephone 941-351-8000 or 800-361-8388 or visit https://www.asolorep.org/events/detail/good-night-oscar.
“Hadestown: Teen Edition [The Naples Players Academy]: With book by Anaïs Mitchell and music and lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell, this intriguing and beautiful folk opera delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience. Following two intertwining love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of immortal King Hades and lady Persephone – “Hadestown” invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Inspired by traditions of classic American folk music and vintage New Orleans jazz, Mitchell’s beguiling sung-through musical pits industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. Closing performance in Kizzie Theatre on Monday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, visit https://naplesplayers.org/show/hadestown-teen-edition/ or telephone 239-263-7990.
“Half Baked” [Off Broadway Palm]: From the pen (or PC) of local playwright Joe Simonelli, Half Baked” follows two retired brothers and their wives who move to Florida to open a café. When the business starts failing and they run out of cash, they take drastic action including murder for life insurance money and baking cannabis into the appetizers to ‘stimulate’ business. But when an old boyfriend and a loan shark show up, things get complicated, and hilarious! Opens Friday, April 18 with shows at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Performances continue Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 20 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. [Lunch service begins at 11:30 a.m. for matinees, with dinner service beginning at 5:30 p.m. for evening performances.] For tickets telephone 239-278-4422 or visit https://broadwaypalm.com/shows/half-baked/.
“Into the Woods” [The Sarasota Players]: James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone’s favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece… and a rare modern classic. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching. Directed by Brian Finnerty with musical direction by Michelle Kasaofsky. Performances are Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 19 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, April 20th’s closing 2 p.m. matinee. For tickets, telephone 941-365-2494 or visit https://purchase.theplayers.org/EventAvailability?EventId=313&ref=bookNow&scroll=timeAndDates.
“Jerry’s Girls” [Southwest Florida Theatre at Gulf Coast Symphony]: “Jerry’s Girls” is a dream for any lover of musical theater. It is a “greatest hits megamix” of truly iconic Broadway shows beautifully tied together through expert direction and creative staging as three terrific performers tackle a songbook boasting some of the greatest songs ever performed on stage. From solos, duos and trios, the show is a light, fun and charming romp through the magical world of Jerry Herman’s music. For a preview of the show, listen on WGCU to "'Jerry's Girls' at the Music & Arts Community Center a dynamic revue of Jerry Herman songs. Performances are Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m.; Thursday, April 17 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 19 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. There are no performances on Easter Sunday. For tickets, visit https://my.gulfcoastsymphony.org/events or telephone 239-277-1700.
“Jersey Boys” [Florida Studio Theatre]: Go behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. From their New Jersey roots to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, this electrifying show captures their journey from a groundbreaking sound to international stardom, revealing a story of fame and personal struggles that continues to captivate audiences. Performances are in the Gompertz Theatre on Tuesday, April 15 at 8 p.m. [SOLD OUT]; Wednesday, April 16 at 8 p.m. [SOLD OUT]; Thursday, April 17 at 8 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 19 at 3 p.m. [SOLD OUT] and 8 p.m. [SOLD OUT]; and Sunday, April 20 at 2 p.m. [SOLD OUT] and 7 p.m. [SOLD OUT]. For tickets, telephone 941-366-9000 or visit https://www.floridastudiotheatre.org/events-and-tickets/winter-mainstage-series-2024-25/jersey-boys.
“Jesus Christ Superstar” [Arts Bonita Center for the Performing Arts]: Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Based on the Christian Gospels, it follows Jesus Christ and his apostles during the last week before Jesus’ execution. A timeless work, the rock opera is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary and universally known series of events but seen, unusually, through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. Loosely based on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Superstar follows the last week of Jesus Christ’s life. The story, told entirely through song, explores the personal relationships and struggles between Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, his followers and the Roman Empire. Listen/read this preview on WGCU: "Female Judas Iscariot cast in Arts Bonita's production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar.' Performances are Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 19 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.’s closing performance. For tickets, telephone 239-495-8989 or visit https://artsbonita.org/single-event/jesus-christ-superstar/.
“Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” [Gulfshore Playhouse]: Pull up a chair, order a delicious drink, and turn back the hands of time as Gulfshore Playhouse transforms the Struthers Studio into a swanky nightclub for an evening with legendary songstress Billie Holiday. Revel in unforgettable songs like “God Bless the Child” and “Strange Fruit” and stories from the remarkable life of the lady who sings the blues. Funny and heartbreaking, this play with music is a testament to one woman’s ability to mine humor from hardship—and to the transformative power of song. N.B. Herbal cigarettes will be used throughout the performance. Performances are Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 17 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 19 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. There are no performances on Easter Sunday. For tickets, visit https://www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org/buy-tickets/5565/18202 or telephone 239-261-7529.
“No One is Forgotten” [Urbanite Theatre]: U.S. citizens Lali and Beng are being held prisoner in a small, dirty cement cell. Where have they been taken? How much time has passed? Are they alive? Has their story been broadcast to the world? How did they get here? What will happen to them? Inspired by true accounts of the plight of captured and detained journalists and aid workers, “No One Is Forgotten” is a story about intimacy, surrender, and the will to live for someone else. Performances are Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, April 20 at 2 p.m. For tickets to the play or the conversation, telephone 941-321-1397 or visit https://ci.ovationtix.com/34772/production/1204838.
“Sex Please, We’re Sixty” [Charlotte Players]: Mrs. Stancliffe’s Rose Cottage Bed & Breakfast has been successful for many years. Her guests return year after year. Her neighbor, silver-tongued “Bud,” believes they come to spend time with him in romantic liaisons. Reluctantly, Mrs. Stancliffe accepts the fact that “Bud the Stud” is, in fact, good for business. Throw in a retired chemist who has developed a blue pill to increase the libido of menopausal women, three female guests, and a mix-up between the blue pills and Viagra, and you’ve got a perfect formula for laughter with this new musical. Performances are Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 19 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. There are no performances on Easter Sunday. For tickets, visit https://charlotte-players.ticketleap.com/sex-please-were-sixty-the-musical/dates or telephone 941-255-1022.
“Shedding a Skin” [Florida Studio Theatre]: When Myah punches her boss in the nose and walks out of a soul-crushing corporate job, her life unravels in ways she never expected. Crashing into the spare room of an older woman with her own hidden wounds, Myah embarks on an unpredictable transformation. Filled with raw emotion and poignant storytelling that captures the painful process of letting go, finding connection, and embracing change. Performances are in Bowne’s Lab on Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 19 at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.; and Sunday, April 20 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. For tickets, telephone 941-366-9000 or visit https://www.floridastudiotheatre.org/events-and-tickets/2024-25-stage-iii-series/shedding-a-skin.
“Sweet Charity” [Gulfshore Playhouse]: Hapless but unflappable Charity Hope Valentine desperately seeks love and a better life in 1960s New York City in this exuberant, groovy, hilarious musical comedy. Featuring a book by Neil Simon and musical theater standards like “Big Spender” and “There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This,” this sparkling Tony-winning musical was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Shirley MacLaine. Enjoy pure musical theater delight in this classic that captures all the energy, humor, and heartbreak of life in the Big City for an irrepressible optimist. Performances are Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 16 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 19 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. There are no performances on Easter Sunday. For tickets, telephone 239-261-7529 or visit https://www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org/buy-tickets/5551/18601.
“Syncopated Avenue” [Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe]: Created, adapted and directed by Nate Jacobs, “Syncopated Avenue” is WBTT’s first tap dance revue. In this original, historical musical journey through the captivating and entertaining world of tap dance, the musical takes audiences to an avenue where all things flourish with rhythm, style, and class. This innovative musical features unique arrangements on popular jazz tunes by iconic composers and new songs arranged and created by Nate Jacobs, Lamont Brown and Louis Danowsky. Previews are Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. [SOLD OUT]. Opens Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m., with performances continuing on Sunday, April 20 at 2 p.m. For tickets, visit https://westcoastblacktheatre.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket#/events/a0SRg000001PgzZMAS or telephone 941-366-1505.
“The Business of Murder” [Players Circle Theatre]: In the tradition of Agatha Christie, nothing is as it seems and as the plot twists and turns, it becomes clear, they are all in the same business… murder. This Richard Harris psychological thriller ran on the West End for eight years. Listen on WGCU to ‘The Business of Murder’ at Players Circle Theater inspired by a true story on Gulf Coast Life Arts Edition with John Davis. Discounted previews are Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. Opens Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. Performances continue Saturday, April 19 at 3 p.m. and Sunday, April 20 at 3 p.m. For tickets, telephone 239- or visit https://playerscircletheater.com/series/the-business-of-murder/.
“The Half-Life of Marie Curie” [The Naples Players]: In 1911, Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her discovery of the elements radium and polonium. By 1912, she was the object of ruthless gossip over an alleged affair with the married Frenchman Paul Langevin, all but erasing her achievements from public memory. Weakened and demoralized by the press lambasting her as a “foreign” Jewish temptress and a homewrecking traitor, Marie agrees to join her friend and colleague Hertha Ayrton, an electromechanical engineer and suffragette, at her summer home in England. From the pen of Lauren Gunderson, “The Half-Life of Marie Curie” revels in the power of female friendship as it explores the relationship between these two brilliant women, both of whom are mothers, widows, and fearless champions of scientific inquiry. Performances are in the Studio Theatre on Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. [SOLD OUT]; Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. There is no performance on Easter Sunday. For tickets, visit https://naplesplayers.org/show/the-half-life-of-marie-curie/ or telephone 239-434-7340.
“The Learned Ladies” [Venice Theatre]: Translated into English verse by Richard Wilbur, Moliere’s witty classical verse comedy skewers the haughty pretensions of a women’s self-educating salon amid love triangles that scandalize the household. Performances are in the Pinkerton Theatre on Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. There are no performances on Easter Sunday. For tickets, telephone 941-488-1115 or visit https://venicetheatre.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/events/a0SUQ000006IMDA2A4.
“The Minutes” [Laboratory Theater of Florida]: This scathing new comedy from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Letts (“August: Osage County”) is about small-town politics and real-world power. It exposes the ugliness behind some of our most closely held American narratives while asking each of us what we would do to keep from becoming history’s losers. Performances of this Southwest Florida premiere are Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, April 20 at 2 p.m. For tickets, visit https://www.purplepass.com/events/284273-the-minutes-apr-9th-2025 or telephone 239-218-0481.
“The Winter’s Tale” [Asolo Repertory Theatre]: “The Winter’s Tale” is one of William Shakespeare’s final plays. It was first performed in 1610 or 1611. Along with “Pericles,” “Cymbeline” and “The Tempest,” it is one of the genre-defying later plays that are usually referred to as romances, or tragicomedies. Each of these plays has a happy ending that sets them apart from earlier histories and tragedies. Each also emphasizes the danger and power of evil in the world, as well as death—which while never finally victorious, is an ever-present force in the stories. This week’s performances are Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. There are no performances on Easter Sunday. For tickets, visit https://www.asolorep.org/events/ or telephone 941-351-8000 or 800-361-8388.
“The Wolves” [FGCU TheatreLab]: Young women with the common goal of being the best high school soccer team in the region weave together a fabric of community from the strings of each other’s fears, confusion, loves and losses. Sometimes goofy, sometimes catty, the players’ raw adolescent gamesmanship spills effortlessly from the playing field and onto the practice field in this athletic play about what it means to come of age in the crucible of sport. Directed by Barry Cavin, “The Wolves” opened April 11 and closes April 27. However, there are no performances during the week of April 14. For tickets to next week’s performances, telephone 239-590-1000 or visit https://www.fgcu.edu/theatrelab/thewolves24-25.
“Venus in Fur” [Florida Repertory Theatre]: Sexy, provocative, and witty, “Venus in Fur” is an exploration of the power dynamics between men and women. The story follows Thomas, a director-playwright, who after a long day of abysmal auditions of potential leading ladies for his adaptation of a 19th century German erotica novel, is suddenly confronted by Vanda, a crass, pushy actress seeking consideration for the role. What Thomas discovers is Vanda not only shares the name of the lead character in his play, but also has a surprising understanding of the material. As the pair work through the script, the roleplay becomes intense, erotic, and less like acting as the lines between reality and theatrics become increasingly blurred. “Venus In Fur” is an intoxicating, romantic drama full of witty, risqué humor. The play premiered on Broadway in 2011 and has since played in regional theatres across the country. Chris Clavelli directs David McElwee and Kathleen Simmonds. Opens Tuesday, April 15. Performances continue through May 18. For tickets, telephone 239-332-4488 or visit https://www.floridarep.org/the-season-tickets/l.
“Waitress” [Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre]: The heartwarming musical of Jenna, a small-town waitress with a talent for baking pies. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Jenna finds solace and strength in her pies and dreams of a better life. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, Jenna embarks on a journey of self-discovery, supported by her quirky coworkers and a new doctor in town. With a stirring score by Sara Bareilles, Waitress serves up a story of resilience, friendship, and the pursuit of happiness. [Content Guide: Waitress The Musical contains mature content, including strong language, domestic violence, and sexual situations. Rated PG13] Hear/read preview on WGCU: "'Waitress' at Broadway Palm is a spellbinding musical about female empowerment." Performances are Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 16 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 18 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, April 20 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. [Lunch service begins at 11:30 a.m. for matinees, with dinner service beginning at 5:30 p.m. for evening performances.] For tickets telephone 239-278-4422 or visit https://broadwaypalm.com/shows/waitress/ .
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.