The Cummer Museum’s Jan. 2020 schedule is here

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

2019 St. Augustine Celtic Music and Heritage Festival

Eight of the world’s top Celtic entertainers will be featured on the main stage of the “9th annual St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival”, which is how it earned the title of the finest Celtic festival in the U.S.  The event takes place March 8-10 at Francis Field in downtown St. Augustine.

Dublin City Ramblers, an international band favorite, who has appeared in every St. Augustine Celtic Festival since 2011, will perform on Saturday and Sunday.

Albannach, making their 8th Festival appearance, also appears on Saturday and Sunday.

Other international performers returning to the main stage include: award-winning Irish tenor Emmet Cahill, Canadian Celtic bands Steel City Rovers and Poor Angus, and Seven Nations – celebrating their 25th Anniversary.  New this year are sister bands Screaming Orphans from Ireland and The Gothard Sisters, an American Celtic group from Washington state who sing and dance.

Chad Light, a local actor, director, painter and sculptor, will be Emcee for the Festival Main Stage. See the full schedule below.

The St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival has been voted Best Concert/Event in the “Bold City Best” in the Jacksonville region and Best Festival in St. Augustine for 2 years in a row.  Find the CELT in YOU in America’s Oldest Celtic City.  The event begins on Friday, March 8 with a pre-festival Whiskey Tasting, and continues Saturday and Sunday with live performances on the main and second stages.  It also features The St. Augustine Highland games, Celtic artisans, spirits and food, and kids’ games.  The world’s original St. Patrick’s Day parade, begun in 1601, takes place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 9.

The St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival is produced by Romanza – St. Augustine and is funded in part by St. Johns County Tourist Development Council, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural, Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and by Visit Florida.  For tickets and further information: CLICK HERE!

Main Stage Music Schedule:
Saturday, March 9, 2019
10 —11 a.m. St. Patrick’s Day Parade
10 a.m. Festival Gates Open
11:15 —11:45 a.m. Bagpipe Jam
12 — 12:15 p.m. Parade Awards
12:30 — 1:15 p.m. Albannach
1:30 — 2:30 p.m. Emmet Cahill
2:45 —4:15 p.m. Screaming Orphans
4:30 — 5:30 p.m. Dublin City Ramblers
5:45 — 7:15 p.m. Steel City Rovers
7:30 —9:00 p.m. Poor Angus
9:15  —10 p.m. Albannach

Sunday, March 10
10  a.m. Festival Gates Open
10:30 — 10:45 a.m. Clan Parade & Awards
11  —11:45 a.m. Albannach
12 noon —1 p.m. Dublin City Ramblers
1:15 —2:45 p.m. Seven Nations (25th Anniversary)
3 —4:30 p.m. Poor Angus
4:45 —6 p.m. The Gothard Sisters
6:15 —7 p.m. Albannach

Alhambra Theatre and Dining reveals their 2019 season

In August of 2009, the then-named Alhambra Dinner Theatre was all but shuttered and on the edge of extinction.  In came Jacksonville native Craig Smith and his business partners to purchase the nation’s longest-running dinner theater and return the community’s cultural gem to glory.  Now called the Alhambra Theatre & Dining, with an equal nod to its critically acclaimed culinary experience, Smith and his Theatre Partners LLC are celebrating their 10th season at the helm. Smith and partners are proud to introduce the Alhambra’s slate of shows for the 2019 theatrical season:

Godspell          January 9  February 10
Mid-Life! Crisis The Musical February 20 March 24
Big The Musical       March 27  May 5
Ain’t Misbehavin’      May 8    June 9
Disney’s The Little Mermaid June 12   July 28
Mamma Mia!        August 7   September 15
Brighton Beach Memoirs   September 18 October 13
Jekyll & Hyde       October 23  November 24
It’s a Wonderful Life    November 27 December 24

Said Smith, “We’ve got something for everyone in 2019 and everything for many.  It’s really a fun mix of classic shows like Ain’t Misbehavin’ and some titles that we haven’t done before like Big The Musical.” Smith noted that the theme of this season was picked to really tie in the Alhambra’s culinary success. Six years ago, he changed the food service from a buffet to table service, creating a more fluid and relaxed experience.  “People come here for a mini vacation.  They don’t want to get their own food at a buffet.  Our job is to make memories, and that speaks to the dining portion of the Alhambra as well as the shows.  We committed 10 years ago to an enhanced guest experience from the moment one arrives until they depart, and now food and show are equal stars.”

Sales numbers would indicate Smith and his partners – Bill Barnett, Karl Frisch and Fraser Burns – have delivered on their promise.  In 2009 the theater seated less than 50,000 guests and had fewer than 1200 subscribers.  In 2017, the iconic theater welcomed more than 110,000 guests and now has nearly 5,000 subscribers, now referred to as Season Partners.  The Alhambra celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017, complete with a Mayoral Proclamation on its official birthday, December 15.  The Alhambra employees more than 70 people.  In addition to its Broadway-quality shows, under Smith’s watch, the Alhambra has added a sub-brand called Alhambra After Dark, which features a live music series as well as comedy and magic shows.  The Alhambra is often rented during the day for business meetings and conferences and has hosted weddings and birthday parties.  The Alhambra is reputed in the industry as one of the best small theaters to play for actors, having recently hosted the likes of Mike Farrell, Morgan Fairchild, Michael Learned, Barry Williams and Loretta Swit.

“Time really does fly when you’re having fun.  This was the fastest decade of my life,” added Smith.  “I have met so many wonderful people.  It is amazing how this theater has touched the hearts of its guests and been a memorable part of their lives for three generations.  The future is bright for this old girl, and we are all as enthusiastic today as we were 10 years ago.”

The Alhambra Theatre & Dining is located at 12000 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Alhambra tickets start at just $38 and include a three-course meal that changes for each show, a Broadway-style performance and complimentary parking.  Tickets can be purchases on line or by calling (904) 641-1212.

Artist Series JAX upcoming shows for 2016 and 2017

Update: November 19, 2016
If you thought it was too early for Christmas, well, we’re going to enlighten you about some of the happenings around Jacksonville, Florida.  Start thinking about taking family members, holiday visitors and friends out for a show after lunch or dinner.  Or how about getting tickets now for those Christmas Stocking Stuffers?

Below is the schedule for the 2016/2017 FSCJ Artist Series calendar.  Descriptions, times, dates and locations will be published closer to each show.  Subscribe to Around Town With Ms. “V”, to stay informed.

Dates:     Event:
Sept. 20-25 The Capitol Steps
Oct. 13   School House Rocks (school performances)
Oct. 14   ArcAttack-Engineering Rules (school & public shows)
Oct. 20   Celtic Thunder
Nov. 6   The Aluminum Show
Nov. 21  Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis
Dec. 2   Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Christmas

Dec. 3   Fame
Dec. 7   Jigsaw Jones (school performance)
Dec. 8-9  Decades Rewind
Dec. 19   A Christmas Carol
Jan. 6   Swan Lake: The State Ballet Theater of Russia
Jan. 12   Glen Miller Orchestra
Jan. 12-14  Men are from Mars/Women are from Venus
Jan. 17-24  The Book of Mormon
Jan. 24   Elvis Lives!
Jan. 26   The Adv. of Belle & Harry-London (school performance)
Jan. 27-29  Riverdance
Jan. 28   In the Mood
Feb. 4   The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra
Feb. 5-7  Shanghai Circus (school & public shows)
Feb. 10-11  Let’s Go Science Show (school & public shows)
Feb. 14-19  Jersey Boys

Feb. 21   Turandot Opera
Feb 23   Twyla Tharp
Feb. 28   Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue
Mar. 4   Close to You: Music of the Carpenters
Mar. 9-12  Graeme of Thrones
Mar. 10   Celtic Woman
Mar 15   Rainbow Fish (school performance)
Mar. 21-26  Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Mar. 28   Drumline
Apr. 1   Price is Right Live!
Apr. 3   The House at Pooh Corner (school performance)
Apr. 6   Charlotte’s Web (school performance)

Apr. 7-8  One Woman Sex & the City: A Parody
Apr. 20-23  MJ Live!
May 2-7   Kinky Boots
May 11   Doktor Kaboon! Live Wire (school performance)
May 11-14  Menopause the Musical
June 13-18  Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella

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

TICKETS: on sale NOW and may be purchased online at FSCJ Artist Series, sponsored by Chase (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 group sales.  All sales are final. A ticket is required for babies and children of any age unless otherwise specified above.

       OR

LOCATION: Wilson Center for the Arts:
      Florida State College at JAX So. Campus
      11901 Beach Blvd.
      Jacksonville, FL 32099

TICKETS: are available at the Wilson Center Box Office between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday – Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., at (904) 646-2222 or 24/7 Online.  Parking is always free at the Wilson Center.  Discounts are available for groups of 10 + by calling (904) 442-2947 or Email.  All sales are final.  A ticket is required for babies and children of any age unless otherwise specified above.