Are you ready to ‘RENT’ some space at the Times Union?

Who owes RENT?  Who forgot to pay the RENT?  Why did they name this fabulous operatic musical - “RENT”?  Well, the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts Moran Theater is hosting this show in Jacksonville, FL this week.  You might deduce the answers to these questions if you’ve purchased your ticket.  Please let me know your answer (you may want to read page three of your program to get a clue to Who’s Who).

The singing, acting, stage presentation, sound, costumes, lighting and choreography are straight from Broadway; well done and well presented.  The orchestra is slightly concealed onstage and this five-member ensemble is phenomenal.  Kudos go out to the members of the band - Bravo!

A Little About the Opera: “Based on Puccini's 'La Boheme', 'Rent' tells the story of one year in the life of friends living the Bohemian life in modern day East Village, New York City, 1989-1990. Among the group are our narrator, nerdy love-struck filmmaker Mark Cohen; the object of Mark's affection, his former girlfriend, Maureen Johnson; Maureen's Harvard-educated public interest lawyer and lesbian lover Joanne Jefferson; Mark's roommate, HIV-positive musician and former junkie, Roger Davis; Roger's new girlfriend, the HIV-positive drug addicted S&M dancer, Mimi Marquez; their former roommate, HIV-positive computer genius Tom Collins; Collins' HIV-positive drag queen street musician/lover Angel; and Benjamin Coffin III, a former member of the group who married for money and has since become their landlord and the opposite of everything they stand for. Shows how much changes or doesn't change in the 525,600 minutes that make up a year.” —Anonymous, IMDb

“RENT”

DATES:  &  TIMES
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

‘RENT’ is coming to JAX for 8 performances

“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

Kinky Boots is coming back to the Times Union Center - don’t miss it!

In April of 2017 “Kinky Boots” came to town for eight delightful engagements.  This year the show will be back in JAX, but for one performance only!  You’ve heard the magnificent review from the many shows that graced the Times Union stage before, so it would behoove you to get your tickets before its too late to see it for the first time or relive this sensational musical once again.

Kinky Boots, produced by TROIKA Entertainment, is the smash-hit musical that brings together four-time Tony^® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (Book) and Grammy^®Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper (Tony Award-winner for Kinky Boots Best Score).  The winner of six 2013 Tony® Awards, including Best Musical, Kinky Boots features a Tony® Award-winning score by Cyndi Lauper, a book by Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, and direction and choreography by Tony® Award-winner Jerry Mitchell.

Kinky Boots tells the uplifting and heartwarming tale of Charlie Price, a young man reluctantly taking over his family’s struggling shoe factory and looking for a fresh idea.  Charlie meets and finds inspiration in Lola, and together they discover that it takes a good friend to make a great pair of friends and boots.

Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots takes you from a gentlemen’s shoe factory in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan.  Charlie Price is struggling to live up to his father’s expectations and continue the family business of Price & Son.  With the factory’s future hanging in the balance, help arrives in the unlikely but spectacular form of Lola, a fabulous performer in need of some sturdy new stilettos.

Kinky Boots has won every major Best Musical Award and is represented around the world with the Tony Award-winning Broadway company now in its fifth year, an Olivier Award-winning production in London, an Australian production that opened in October 2016, and an upcoming production in Germany.  Other previous productions include a past US National Tour that played more than 80 cities, an Award-winning extended run in Toronto, two productions in Korea, and a Japanese language production.  The Grammy Award-winning Original Broadway Cast Recording of Kinky Boots is available on Sony Masterworks Broadway.

The National Tour of Kinky Boots is produced by TROIKA Entertainment.  The creative team includes Tony^® Award nominee David Rockwell (Scenic Design), Tony^® Award-winner Gregg Barnes (Costume Design), Tony Award-winner Kenneth Posner (Lighting Design), Tony^® Award-winner John Shivers (Sound Design), Josh Marquette (Hair Design), Brian Strumwasser (Make-up Design), Joy Dewing Casting and Wojcik/Seay Casting (Casting), DB Bonds (Associate Director), and Rusty Mowery (Associate Choreographer).  KINKY BOOTS features Musical Supervision by Roberto Sinha, and Arrangements and Orchestrations by Tony and Grammy Award-winner Stephen Oremus.

The Broadway production of Kinky Boots is produced by Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig, James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Independent Presenters Network, CJ E&M, Jayne Baron Sherman, Just for Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams, Yasuhiro Kawana, Jane Bergere, Allan S. Gordon & Adam S. Gordon, Ken Davenport, Hunter Arnold, Lucy and Phil Suarez, Bryan Bantry, Ron Fierstein and Dorsey Regal, Jim Kierstead/Gregory Rae, BB Group/Christina Papagjika, Michael DeSantis/Patrick Baugh, Brian Smith/Tom and Connie Walsh, Warren Trepp and Jujamcyn Theaters.

“Kinky Boots”
DATE: Wed. May 15, 2019
TIME: 7:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Times Union Center Performing Arts
      Moran Theater
      300 West Water St.
      Jacksonville, FL 32202

SHOW TICKETS: start at $39, and may be purchased online or at their 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 are available for groups of 10+ by calling (904) 632-5050.

'Kinky Boots' walks all over JAX with style

Talk about having a figure better than some females, the ‘Angels’ of “Kinky Boots” (Joseph Anthony Byrd, Tony d’Alelio, John J. Dempsey, Ian Gallagher Fitzgerald, Xavier Reyes and Andy Richardson) can kick higher, sing better and perform to the upmost of their ability in showbusiness.  Talk about ‘Legs for Days’, these actors are stacked and quite fit.  Some of the JAX cast are the spitting image of the cast on Broadway.  Take a look at the video and see if you can tell who’s who in the U.S. Tour cast.

In the orchestra pit is an eight-piece band that carries the music for the entire show.  The guitarists playing “Take What You Got” really stands out - almost as a soloist.  It’s not entirely a musical, nonetheless, the musical numbers are fabulous and very entertaining throughout the night.

Now let’s discuss the magnificent choreography, costumes, and makeup.  As stated above, the dancers jump, spin and strut-their-stuff throughout the evening.  Makeup has to be extra special when transforming a man into a spectacular beautiful woman, and their transvestite makeup is impeccable.  The costumes of “The Angels” and Lola are dazzling and the finale will attest to that fact.

Curt Hansen (Charlie Price) also had to be physically fit as he ascended and descended the stairs of Prince & Son; and let us not forget his donning a pair of stiletto red boots at the end.  As the collaboration between this shoemaker and the Kinky Boot designer (Lola) unfolds, the characters come up with a solution for a failing business.

Timothy Ware (Lola and Simon) has an impeccable British accent, his acting is superb and visual presence as a woman is lovely.  It was noticed that Lola did not have long nails, but how could he when the role called for so many wardrobe changes during the two-act play.

Kudos go out to the factory workers especially Aaron Walpole (Don) who appears to be the foreman of the factory, and he almost sacrifices his honor in a battle of fisticuff with Lola.  What a spectacular dance routine when the cast maneuver back and forth on moving treadmills.  It’s a sight to see.  There are also many funny lines and dance numbers from those in the factory.

 
This show may have many people speculating what type of crowd and what type of people will be attending, nevertheless, it is not recommended for children (even though there are two child actors at the beginning and in the end of the show.  The subject matter may be controversial, yet the actors are wonderful.  You probably seen this production advertised on every local TV channel and guest appearances on some local shows, so you might want to add some tickets for this weekend.


“Kinky Boots”
DATES:        TIMES:
Tues., May 2, 2017   7:30 p.m.
Wed., May 3      7:30 p.m.
Thurs., May 4     7:30 p.m.
Fri., May 5       8 p.m.
Sat., May 6      2 & 8 p.m.
Sun., May 7      1:30 & 7p.m.

LOCATION: Times Union Center Performing Arts
      Moran Theater
      300 West Water St.
      Jacksonville, FL 32202

SHOW TICKETS: start at $38.50, and may be purchased online at FSCJ Artist Series (the official presenter of the Jacksonville show), or by calling (904) 442-BWAY (2929) between 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday.  Discounts are available for groups of 10+ by calling (904) 442-2947 or emailing groupsales@fscj.edu.

'Kinky Boots' stomps into JAX for a limited engagement

Kinky Boots, the smash-hit musical, opens in Jacksonville, Florida, at the Times-Union Center with eight shows.  The show, which is sponsored by the Vy Star Credit Union, brings together four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (Book), and Grammy® Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper (Tony Award-winner for Best Musical Score for Kinky Boots).

Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots takes you from a gentlemen’s shoe factory in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan.  Charlie Price is struggling to live up to his father’s expectations and continue the family business of Price & Son.  With the factory’s future hanging in the balance, help arrives in the unlikely but spectacular form of Lola, a fabulous performer in need of some sturdy new stilettos.

Directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots has won every major Best Musical Award.  It is represented around the world with the Tony Award-winning Broadway company now in its fourth year.  The show had a North American First National Tour that launched in September 2014, a London production that opened in September 2015 (where it won the 2016 Olivier Award for Best Musical), and an Australian production that opened in October 2016.  Previous productions include: an extended run in Toronto, two Korean productions and a Japanese language production.  The Grammy Award-winning Original Broadway Cast Recording of Kinky Boots is available on Sony Masterworks Broadway.

Kinky Boots took home six 2013 Tony Awards, the most of any show in the season, including: Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell), Best Orchestrations (Stephen Oremus) and Best Sound Design (John Shivers).  The show also received the Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Broadway.com Awards for Best Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Album, along with many other accolades.

“Kinky Boots”

DATES:        TIMES:

Tues., May 2, 2017   7:30 p.m.

Wed., May 3      7:30 p.m.

Thurs., May 4     7:30 p.m.

Fri., May 5       8 p.m.

Sat., May 6      2 & 8 p.m.

Sun., May 7      1:30 & 7p.m.

LOCATION: Times Union Center Performing Arts

      Moran Theater

      300 West Water St.

      Jacksonville, FL 32202

SHOW TICKETS: start at $38.50, and may be purchased online at FSCJ Artist Series (the official presenter of the Jacksonville show), or by calling (904) 442-BWAY (2929) between 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday.  Discounts are available for groups of 10+ by calling (904) 442-2947 or emailing groupsales@fscj.edu.