“RENT 20th Anniversary Tour” will return to Jacksonville due to popular
demand. In 1996, an original rock
musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway… and forever changed the landscape
of American theatre. Two decades later,
Jonathan Larson’s "RENT" continues to
speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the
world. And now, this Pulitzer Prize and
Tony Award®-winning masterpiece returns to the stage in a vibrant 20th
anniversary touring production. A
re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, “RENT” follows an unforgettable year in
the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling
out. With its inspiring message of joy
and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and
creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly
matters—love.
The show received its world premiere off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop
on February 13, 1996 to ecstatic reviews and transferred to Broadway on April
29, 1996. “RENT” won the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical as well as the
Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Based on original direction by Michael Greif (Tony and Drama Desk
Nominations, RENT), Evan Ensign re-stages the 20th anniversary tour. Original Broadway creatives Marlies Yearby
(Choreography), Angela Wendt
(Costume Design), and Tim Weil
(Music Supervision and Additional Arrangements) are joined by Jonathan Spencer (Lighting
Design), Keith Caggiano
(Sound Design), MiRi Park
(Associate Choreographer), and Matthew
E. Maraffi (adapting original scenic design by Paul Clay) to make up the creative
team for the tour. Casting for the tour
is by Wojcik | Seay Casting.
The RENT 20th Anniversary Tour is produced by Work Light
Productions whose other touring productions include: the 2016 Olivier
Award-winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar, Irving Berlin’s White
Christmas, Bandstand, and the upcoming tour of the TONY award winning
musical Ain’t Too Proud.
“RENT”
DATES: & TIMES
Tues., Jan. 14 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 15 7:30 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 16 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 17 8 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 18 2 & 8 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 19 1:30 & 7 p.m.
TICKETS: for RENT
20th ANNIVERSARY TOUR start at $48.50, plus applicable fees. Tickets can be
purchased at our box office from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, by
calling (904) 632-5000, or online 24/7 at fscjartistseries.org. Discounts for
groups of 10+ may be available by calling (904) 632-5050.
LOCATION: Times Union Center Performing Arts
Moran Theater
300 West Water St.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
It’s starting to get a little brisk outside, and
then again, it might be 70º
later in the week; nonetheless, there will be heat or air conditioning inside
the exquisite Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. Why not bring the family down for a visit?
The
Art Of Pop: A Warhol Dinner Party
January 16, 2020; from 6 to 9 p.m. Celebrate
the start of 2020 and the Museum’s recent acquisition of works by artist and
pop-culture icon, Andy Warhol. This is
the first dinner in our Dinner Party Series.
Ticket pricing varies | Registration required
Family Open Studios from1 to 3 p.m. Free drop-in art-making activity in Art
Connections. Free with admission | No
registration required.
January
19, 2020
February
16, 2020
Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day
January 20, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Join
the Cummer Museum, in partnership with the Ritz Theatre and Museum, for a
special day to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event features art engagement and special
commemorations, with free admission for all.
Free | No registration required.
Pop
Up Art Shop 0pening with artist, Overstreet Ducasse
January 31, 2020 from 6 to 8 p.m. The Pop-Up
Art Shop spotlights local artists while connecting artists and collectors. Free | No registration required.
Ponce
De Leon Society opening for Striking Power: Iconoclasm in Ancient Egypt
January 29, 2020 from 6 to 8 p.m. Free
for Ponce de León members | Registration required.
Member
events for Striking Power: Iconoclasm In Ancient Egypt
January 30, 2020 - Preview from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Free for Members | No
registration required
Opening, 6 to 8 p.m. | Free for Members, Non-Members $40 | Registration
required.
Cummer Museum of Art &
Gardens
829 Riverside Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32204
(904) 356-6857
Hours of Operation & Admission
Players by the Sea Theatre
will host a fundraiser on January 18th to raise money for “Romeo &
Juliet” that takes the Main Stage in February. The special fundraising event begins at 6 pm
with a silent auction. Attendees can
expect opportunities to win reserved tickets to the show, have a show night
dedicated to them or someone special, and more. There will also be a stage fight
demonstration, much like what will take place on stage for “Romeo &
Juliet”.
Amy Canning Love and Ashley Jones are directing the show. All funds collected from this special event
will go towards cultivating their magical, futuristic vision. Romeo & Juliet will feature a cast of 20
women. All parts are played by female
actors.
“Much like we never know why the two households are at war with each other;
we are never sure where the men in the play are located or even if they even
exist at all—we can only speculate that the women were able to survive without
them… the one gender cast in Shakespeare is a modern tradition- but only to be
celebrated when executed with fidelity and purpose. We have such purpose and that purpose will
sharpen even more as we prepare,” say Canning Love and Jones about their
production.
“Romeo & Juliet” will show at Players on February 20, 21, 22, and 23. Tickets are available now at playersbythesea.org
or by calling the Box Office at (904) 249-0289. Season Membership packages cannot be applied
to this show.
About Players by the Sea - For over fifty-three years, Players by the
Sea has brought quality creative and classic theatre to the Jacksonville
community. Players mission is to enrich
the community through excellence in theatre. The nonprofit community theatre welcomes all
creative artists to participate in making the magic of theatre come to life,
whether on stage, through advocacy or assisting backstage.
For one performance only, The National Ballet
Theatre of Odessa comes to Jacksonville’s Times-Union Center. On January 10, 2020 at 8 p.m., come experience
their production of “Romeo and Juliet”!
This full-scale production, set to the music of Sergey Prokofiev and based on
William Shakespeare’s timeless tale of tragic love, follows young lovers Romeo
and Juliet through warring families and forbidden love. The National Ballet Theatre of Odessa,
Ukraine will bring 55 of Ukraine’s most talented and brightest ballet stars to
present the most passionate romantic tragedy in history.
“Romeo
& Juliet”
DATE: Friday,
Jan. 10, 2020 TIME: 8 p.m.
LOCATION: Times
Union Center Performing Arts
Moran Theater
300 West Water St.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
TICKETS: start at $25 for adults and $12.50 for children
(12 and under), plus applicable fees, and may be purchased at their box office, by calling (904)
632-5000 between 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday, or online 24/7 at fscjartistseries.org. If you’re interested in purchasing 20 or more tickets
please contact Group Sales at (904) 632-5050.
Christian music’s premiere multi-artist annual outing, the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, steps into a new decade
with a fan-favorite headliner, GRAMMY®-nominated singer/songwriter Crowder. With such recent hits as “Red Letters” and
“All My Hope,” the genre-spanning artist—who has sold more than 3 million units
and appears regularly on the Grand Ole Opry—leads a star-studded 2020 lineup
featuring some of the biggest names in Christian music.
Winter Jam, which is hallmarked annually by its musical diversity, central
focus on the Gospel, and a "no ticket required"/$15 donation at the
door, will hit a total of 42 cities around the country next year. Highlighted by a time of worship each
evening, international chart-toppers Hillsong Young & Free are set to
make their Winter Jam debut in 25 cities, while renowned
worshippers Passion, as well
as acclaimed pastor/author/speaker and Passion Movement
founder Louie Giglio, will be featured on all other tour
stops.
“It’s crazy to think this is my first time speaking on Winter Jam, one of
the most influential tours of the last few decades,” says Giglio. “I’m
pumped, and really excited to share the nights with our fam—Crowder and
Passion!"
“We can’t wait to get out on Winter Jam 2020,” echoes Crowder. “There is
nothing like it and 2020 is going to be just insane! Too much goodness in one
place.”
Winter Jam 2020’s lineup also showcases Reach Records hip-hop recording artist
and producer Andy Mineo; Dove Award-winning pop hitmakers Building
429; GRAMMY®-nominated rockers RED; Dove
Award-nominated singer/songwriter Austin French; GRAMMY®-nominated
Winter Jam creators and tour hosts, NewSong; and Dare2Share speakers Greg
Stier and Zane Black. Additionally, the PreJam opening set will feature 2019
New Artist of the Year Dove Award-nominee Riley Clemmons and will
introduce singer/songwriter and evangelist Billy Ballenger, as well
as emerging rap/hip-hop recording artist Zauntee.
Kicking off January 10 at Jacksonville, Florida’s VyStar Veterans Memorial
Arena, Winter Jam 2020 is slated to hit Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena; State
Farm Arena in Atlanta; Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena; Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints
Arena; Banker’s Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis; Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake
Energy Arena; Kansas City, Missouri’s Sprint Center; and PNC Arena in Raleigh,
North Carolina, among numerous other leading venues around the country, before
concluding March 29 at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland.
"I’ve never been more excited about Winter Jam than I am for 2020,” says
NewSong founding member and Winter Jam creator Eddie Carswell. “The lineup is
amazing and the desire to see Jesus change lives remains our top priority.
Bring your friends, bring your youth group— just don't miss it."
In addition to the tour’s popular Jam Nation membership, which allows attendees
advance venue entry among other special perks, Winter Jam is introducing a
limited number of Jam Nation Ultimate Access passes for 2020. This
exclusive pass includes a backstage meet & greet with Crowder,
premium reserved Jam Zone seating, and free Jam Nation entry to any other 2020
Winter Jam date.
The Winter Jam 2020 Tour Spectacular is produced by Premier Productions and sponsored
in part by Holt International, Liberty University, "A Week Away:
The Musical" and Destiny Rescue.
Created and hosted by one of Christian music’s most influential bands, NewSong,
the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular exploded from a single show in 1995 to become
the genre's benchmark tour. Throughout two decades, the tour has
regularly ranked among Pollstar's top first quarter outings.
Showcasing the best and brightest in Christian music, Winter
Jam provides a powerful platform for the Gospel in major arenas
nationwide.
For further information, visit jamtour.com or turningpointpr.com.
Follow Winter Jam on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
On January 12, 2020, Players by the Sea will welcome local talent
to audition
for August Wilson’s, “Two Trains Running”, a play that will appear in the Studio Theatre in March of
2020. Auditions will start promptly at 1
p.m. with registration beginning at 12 noon. Auditions will be held at the Theatre.
Director Brian Niece, who was last seen at Players directing True West,
spoke about his expectations for the cast. “We are looking for a cast who is willing
to challenge themselves physically and emotionally, and work in an ensemble
fashion to create meaningful moments.”
Actors are asked to prepare a 1-minute monologue. They should be prepared to read cold-readings
from the script. Actors should wear
something they are comfortable in as there will be a short movement session. Headshots and resumes are not required but
highly recommended. Actors should provide a list of conflicts from January 13
through March 29, 2020.
Full rehearsals will begin on February 3 and run Monday through Thursday from
6:30 pm - 9:30 pm (depending on actor availability).
All roles are to be played by African American actors. Visit playersbythesea.org/auditions to learn more about the characters in the show.
In August Wilson’s masterpiece, history unfolds around everyday lives against
the backdrop of the civil rights movement. Long-time regulars gather at the local diner
in Pittsburgh’s Hill District to gossip, flirt and play the numbers. Now the owner must decide whether to let the
city take over his building or sell it to a shrewd, local businessman. Part of Wilson’s trailblazing American Century
Cycle, “Two Trains Running” paints a compassionate and unforgettable
portrait of ordinary people in the midst of transformation.
“I have a rare opportunity to help tell this powerful story; a truthful
black story; an American story that looks for beauty in brokenness. It is
humbling to be able to serve August Wilson’s vision as a storyteller,” said
Niece.
“Two Trains Running” will begin its run on March 13 and close on March
29. Shows will take place Friday and
Saturday of opening weekend and continue on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday for the following two weeks. Thursday through Saturday night shows start at
8 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m.
TICKETS
are now on sale. Visit Players By The
Sea for more information.
LOCATION:
Players By The
Sea Theatre
106 6th Street North
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
(904) 249-0289
Having grown up in the Alhambra Theatre, Jessica Booth has played in just about
every role from a child performer in Christmas Carole to leading lady as Jovi
in Elf…the Musical. Now she takes on an
entirely new role as Director of the acclaimed Broadway hit, “Love Letters”.
To make it just a little more
challenging (or perhaps interesting), Ms. Booth will be directing her parents,
Lisa Valdini-Booth and Tod Booth. Mrs.
Booth has been in more than 200 Alhambra performances and was once knowing
widely as the “voice of Winn-Dixie Supermarkets,” and Mr. Booth is the
Alhambra’s former owner and current Creative Director, himself having directed
more than 200 shows at the iconic theater.
A play by A. R. Gurney, “Love Letters” was a finalist in 1988 for the Pulitzer
Prize for Drama. The play centers on two
characters, Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, who sit side by side
at tables and read the notes, letters and cards – in which over nearly 50
years, they discuss their hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments,
victories and defeats – that have passed between them throughout their
separated lives.
Since its debut on Broadway in 1988, “Love Letters” has been performed by a
who’s who of celebrities including: Carol Burnett with Brian Dennehy, Mel
Gibson with Sissy Spacek, Robert Wagner with wife Stefanie Powers, Larry Hagman
and Dallas co-star Linda Gray and in 2006 with I Dream of Jeannie co-star and
Alhambra alumna Barbara Eden. In 2013
Ali McGraw performed beside Love Story co-star Ryan O’Neal and in 2016, Tom
Hanks performed with wife, Rita Wilson. Even Elizabeth Taylor took a turn, with James
Earl Jones in 2007.
Said Managing Partner, Craig Smith, “Amazingly, the Alhambra has never shown
Love Letters, and it’s only appropriate that we do so with our very own stars,
Lisa and Tod.” Smith noted,
commenting that the Alhambra is really in the business of creating memories, “Having
Jessica direct her parents in her leadership debut is really monumental for the
Alhambra family and for the Booth family. That girl was pretty much raised under this
roof. Not many families get to celebrate
such moments.”
Said actor-turned director Jessica Booth, laughing, “This experience could
be really fun or really vengeful, or perhaps a little bit of both, depending on
your point of view.” She went on,
“I really think directing my parents will be a great way to get feedback on my
first directing opportunity. I’ve seen both of them work on stage and behind
it, and I know I’ve learned from the best. The bar is quite high, and I also know they
won’t at all sugar-coat their feedback. Why
start now, right?”
“Love
Letters”
DATES: January 9, 2020 through February 9, 2020
SHOW TIMES: Evening shows Tuesday
through Friday start at 7:50 p.m. Doors open
at 6 p.m., and dinner is served until 7:30 p.m.
Saturday Matinees begin at 1:15 p.m. Doors open at 11 a.m. and the brunch
served until 12:30 p.m. Sunday Matinees
are at 1:50 p.m. Doors open at 12 p.m.
and the meal is server until 1:50 p.m.
DRESS: “Gala Night” (Friday January
10, 2020. Doors open at 5:15 p.m.)
attire is “Dressy/Formal/Black Tie”. All
other shows could be “Business Casual”, or “Sunday Best”. There is always complimentary Champagne and
Hors d'oeuvres served in the lobby before dinner, on Gala evening and special
pastries served after the show.
TICKETS: Prices range from $38 – $66, but for “Love
Letters”, the Alhambra is offering a special pricing package in honor of this
Booth family moment, two tickets for just $89.. Often
following a show, the cast will make an appearance in the main lobby for an
informal meet and greet. Ticket prices include: a plated three-course
meal that changes for each show, and is served directly to your table; a
Broadway-style performance and complimentary parking. Tickets may be purchases on line, or by calling (904) 641-1212.
**Prices do NOT include gratuity,
professional photos, nor orders from the bar**
LOCATION: Alhambra Theater & Dining
12000 Beach Blvd.
Jacksonville, Florida 32246
(904) 641-1212
