Watch the Compton and Bennett Trey Radel parody video!

Video not playing? Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6tLfUObYNk

---

Greed, glowing lips and goose-induced fatalities are three sure signs that
Rick Compton & Betsy Bennett are home for the holidays.

Betsy Bennett (of Compton & Bennett fame) checked in last week. (They let them out?)

Tonight is the final week for "Grandma's" Christmas Goose," their annual holiday merriment. But the kicker - the duo have cooked up a Trey Radel parody song. The title - which is all Betsy would reveal - is "They Don't Serve Coke in Rehab."

I can only imagine. "Grandma's Christmas Goose" plays at Fred's Diner, located at 2700 Immokalee Road in the Greentree Shopping Center (the one with Jason’s Deli). Dinner is at six, with the show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.95, plus drinks, tax and tips. Limited show-only tickets for each performance ($15 each). For reservations, leave a message at 239-431-7928, or email ComptonAndBennett@aol.com. Confirmation will follow.

Casting: Naples Players announce cast for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

Here's the cast for the Naples Players production of "The Drowsy Chaperone." Debi Guthery told us back in October that she wanted to play the title role - and she got it.

Guthery will re-team with several members of the completely sold-out 2012 spring musical "Hello, Dolly!"  Elizabeth Marcantonio will play Janet, along with semi-professional actor Jim Heffernan as the "Man in Chair." Other faces from "Dolly" returning as part of the ensemble include Jake Hanson, Joyce Austin, Gaston Edmond, Jacob Hartman, Joe Loiacono, Megan Ruhl and Paula Mercer.

The same creative team from "Dolly!" "Producers" and "Les Miserables" returns. Dallas Dunnagan will direct, with choreography by Dawn Lebrecht Fornara and musical direction by Charles Fornara.

"The Drowsy Chaperone" runs March 5 - April 5, 2014 at the Naples Players. Tickets are $40. Call (239) 263-7990 or naplesplayers.org.

Cast & photos: DEATH OF A SALESMAN at the Lab Theater

Mitch and Joann Haley as Willy and Linda Loman
Courtesy The Laboratory Theater of Florida

Here's the cast for the Lab Theater's production of Arthur Miller classic "Death of a Salesman."

Mitch and Joann Haley as Willy and Linda Loman
Courtesy The Laboratory Theater of Florida

Louise Wigglesworth directs, with Nykkie Rizley as assistant director.

Mitch Haley as Willy Loman
Joann Haley as Linda Loman
Rob Green as Biff
Stu Colon as Happy
Rick Sebastian as Charley
Bill Molesky as Ben
WITH: Mary Powell, Jeffrey Schmitt, David Jennings, Caitlynn Crawford, Ken Bryant and Taylor Adair Nave.

"Death of a Salesman" plays at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday from Jan. 10 - Feb. 1. There will be one 2 p.m. matinée on Sunday, Jan. 26, with an audience talk-back following.  Tickets are $12 for students, $18.50 for seniors and military on Thursdays, and $22 for adults. Buy online here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/391652

Auditions: ART at the Marco Players

Auditions for the Marco Players show "Art" will be held from 7-9 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20 & Tuesday, Jan 21. Roles are available for three men of any age.

Jim Corsica, who just finished a run in the Naples Players production of "Our Town," will direct. He also appeared in the Marco Players production of "The Last Romance" this spring.

The Yasmina Reza play examines the complicated dynamics among three friends, one of whom has just purchased an enormously expensive painting that is nothing more than an all-white canvas. A bit of dialogue calls it "a piece of white s***." The show debates the nature of art, the limits of friendship and how adults are really just bigger, meaner kids.

Gulfshore Playhouse produced "Art" last season as part of its "Reza in Rep" duo with "God of Carnage." (review | preview)  Florida Rep did the show in 2000-01 and the Naples Players in 2003-04.

"Art" runs March 19 - April 6, 2014. Performances are 8 p.m. Wednesday - Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $23 & $25; call (239) 642-7270 or themarcoplayers.com.

Get the cast for Marco Players show THE FOX ON THE FAIRWAY

My third time teeing off with farce "The Fox on the Fairway" will be in a few days as The Marco Players tackle the Ken Ludwig comedy. Gulfshore Playhouse and the Off-Broadway Palm previously tackled the show.

We've got a cast (see below) and a director (Beverly Dahlstrom). And a spiffy email.

Here's the cast:

Jesse Heindl – Justin, 25, is off beat, sweet, anxious and a bundle of nerves with unruly hair.
Sean O’Shea – Bingham is 50ish, stuffy and proper.
Alex Costello – Dickie, in his 40′s and an unpleasant man full of bonhomie in a ugly bright yellow sweater.
Bianca Nova LaRochelle – Louise, 23 a leggy, good natured waitress who is a little ditzy.
Carole Musgrave – Pamela is 39, beautiful, tanned and very sophisticated.
Cheryl Johnson – Muriel, in her 50′s, is a sturdy women with a porkpie hat.

Before too long, I fully expect every single professional and community theatre in the area code to have produced this play. It combines golf, comedy and exactly the types of personalities found in every country club from Marco Island to Cape Coral. Everybody knows someone who's one of the characters on stage.

And it is a proven money-maker. There are four (4) Ken Ludwig farces in seasons around the area. I just wish I liked Ken Ludwig's writing better…

"The Fox on the Fairway" plays Jan. 8-26 at the Marco Players. Performances are 8 p.m. Wednesday - Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $23 & $25; call (239) 642-7270 or themarcoplayers.com.

Review: THE SANTALAND DIARIES at Florida Rep

Jason Parrish in "The Santaland Diaries."

Leave it to David Sedaris to rescue Christmas. Bravo. Read the full review...

Ever since Thanksgiving Day, I've felt like this will be the year that we look back and think "Christmas disappeared." Tinsel hit store shelves in July, decorations peeked from behind pumpkins in October and reindeer ran down Thanksgiving like it wasn't even a bump in the road.

Hold your candy canes, back that sleigh up and stop fighting over towels (FREAKING TOWELS, YA'LL!!) in the aisles at Wal-Mart. "Santaland" has something to say about our bad attitudes at Christmastime. 

It's all in the delivery. Jason Parrish wanders around telling stories. He sounds weary, destroyed even - as if the desperate consumerism of the holidays have beaten the will to live from him.

Director Chris Clavelli kept some of the best impersonations. My favorite is the noxious ghetto customer that demands "a Santa of culuh, m'kay?" Parrish shifts into the character, then gives the audience a long, feel-my-pain, "can you believe this?" look that communicates volumes. Read the full review...

"The Santaland Diaries" runs through Dec. 29 with a special 2 p.m. matinée and 7 p.m. twilight closing performances on Dec. 29. All tickets are $25. Call 239-332-4488 or floridarep.org.

Review: HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR at BIG ARTS Herb Strauss Theater

"Holiday Spectacular" at BIG ARTS.

If you're going to call your holiday show "Holiday Spectacular," it better be pretty darn spectacular. I told John Ramsey that I wanted to see drag queens with blue lipstick belting carols at the top of their lungs. He and Bobby Logue do way, way better. Pray get thee to Sanibel, like now.

READ THE COMPLETE REVIEW...

"Holiday Spectacular," the Christmas offering from BIG ARTS Herb Strauss Theater, (wisely) dispenses with a plot. Twenty-one tunes rain down like presents falling from a drunken Santa's sleigh. There are problems (oof, those what-were-they-thinking modern dance sequences), but "Spectacular" more than lives up to its name.

Elizabeth Urbanyck opens the show with a powerhouse rendition of "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Mariah Carey has nothing on these pipes. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Dear BIG ARTS - this should be your video Christmas card.

"Spectacular" also reaches back to find a few unexpected gems - songs you might not think of in the context of a "Christmas revue." Freres delivers the night's knockout performance, crooning a sublime version of Joni Mitchell's "River." Taken from 1971's "Blue" album, the lover's lament feels tender, longing and oh-so-gorgeous in her sultry voice.

READ THE COMPLETE REVIEW...

"Holiday Spectacular" plays at 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday through Dec. 30 with a 2 p.m. matinee on Dec. 26; a 4 p.m. twilight show on Dec. 29 and a special 7 p.m. New Year's Eve show at 7 p.m.

For tickets ($35 for adults, $5 for students, kids) call the BIG ARTS Marks Box Office at (239) 395-0900, Strauss Theater box office at (239) 472-6862 or bigarts.org. The BIG ARTS Herb Strauss Theater is located at 2200 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel, opposite the Island Cow restaurant. READ THE COMPLETE REVIEW...

Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the Lab Theater

"A Christmas Carol" plays at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and
2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday.

Dear old Charlie Dickens has seen his tale of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge adapted hundreds of times. Disney added a money bin to create Scrooge McDuck. Sci-fi program "Doctor Who" updated "A Christmas Carol" with time travel and flying sharks. The Lab Theater offers yet another.

Read the complete review...

Ken Bryant's one-man show offers a taste of what Dickens' own public readings may have been like. Audiences can get lost in the sing-song cadence of the prose, backed by Bryant's sonorous voice and strong delivery. Listening to him regale us with ghosts, spirits and tales of Cratchits, Fezziwigs and more, you realize that "Carol" really is a Christmastime story for the ages.

The show's best moments come as Bryant simply sits and reads, especially the fate of old Scrooge as he faces the Ghosts of Christmas Present and Future. If Bryant had just read or recited, the night might have been magical. Instead, the show lacks polish and any real sense that it was created with an audience in mind.

Read the complete review...

"A Christmas Carol" plays at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and  2p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $12 for students and children, $18.50 for seniors (Thursday performances) and $22 for adults. Buy tickets online: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/391650.

Reviews: WE WILL ROCK YOU national tour at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall (2)

UPDATED with Charles' review.

"We Will Rock You" is fantastic. Fantastic, campy trash that probably sent Freddie Mercury rolling in his grave. At least a few times. Then the checks started rolling in and he realized it was all a glorious acid-fueled music video starring Tina Turner and David Bowie. Oh, you're gonna love it.

Read the complete review...

Really. This is the tremendous, baby boomer-nostalgia-inducing, rock and roll musical that "Mamma Mia!" wishes it could be. This. Thing. RAWKS.

Still, it's total manipulative, cash-a-big-fat-check, sell-out trash, right down to saving "Bohemian Rhapsody" for the unannounced encore. Really?

 It's a fun time, although a half-hour too long. I just wish the concept weren't so nakedly craven, especially in the way the show forces the audience to wait until act two for Queen's most memorable hits.

Read the complete review...

• "We Will Rock You" runs Dec. 17-22. Tickets are $34-$69. Call (239) 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com.
• BBMann has a limited time offer - use code CHAMPION and get 50% off your tickets. Buy tickets for "We Will Rock You" online here: http://www.bbmannpah.com/performance.php?id=555.
  
• Charles Runnells (The News-Press): Queen musical delivers tunes, little else
  The bar is already set quite low for jukebox musicals, but “We Will Rock You” manages to sink even lower. Its bong-hit of a plot combines sci-fi gibberish, desperate pop-culture references, cartoonish characters, obvious jokes and unashamed audience pandering (there’s even a clap-along). All on a cheap-looking set with screen projections that look like something from a bad ‘80s music video — probably intentional, but still not much fun to watch. (read the complete review)

Give 'em the old "razzle-dazzle" during Lester's January musical-comedy showcase

Eddy Lester is set to "razzle-dazzle" us again, with "Razzle-Dazzle 2014," a musical-comedy showcase that plays one night only at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21 at Sugden Community Theatre. Impersonator Peter Salazar, singing comedienne Cindy Miller and jazz artist Rio Clemente, plus Argentine sensation Duo Romantico will take the stage. For tickets, $35, call (239) 263-7990 or stop by the Naples Players box office.

Complete press release below:

Reviews: JACOB MARLEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL at Gulfshore Playhouse (2)

Cody Nickell in "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol."

UPDATED WITH NANCY'S REVIEW.

It's magically delicious.

Cody Nickell turns in a tour de force performance as Jacob Marley (and 17 other characters) in the Gulfshore Playhouse production of "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol."

Nickell, director Kristen Coury and a first-rate design team create a phantasmic theatrical experience equal to something Dickens himself would have been proud to attend.

Audiences hear the shrieking whistle of wind, the tinkling of chimes, see the twinkle of bright stars and all but feel the resounding thump and clang of Marley's chains. You live inside this tale - from Marley's first horrific awakening to the inevitable redemption.

Be warned. Playwright Tom Mula has a feel for Dickensian prose. Every second amazes, although I wish curtain time came closer to ten than to eleven.

Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol," an alternate take on the Dickens Classic, runs at 8 p.m. through Dec. 22 at the Norris Center in downtown Naples, with 3 p.m. matinées on Dec. 8, 15, 21 & 22. Tickets are at $33-$45. Call 866-811-4111 or gulfshoreplayhouse.org. (read the preview) | Read the complete review.

More coverage:

Nancy Stetson (Florida Weekly)
Review: Go to hell and love every second with Jacob Marley

Chris Silk (Naples Daily News)
Preview: Cody Nickell and Kristen Coury talk 'Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol'

Nancy Stetson (Florida Weekly)
Preview: To hell and back - One-man play tells the story of Jacob Marley’s journey

Bill O'Neill (Collier Citizen)
Curtain Up: Catch these seasonal treats at Sugden and Gulfshore theaters

Two memorial services set for Barbara B. Mann

Barbara B. Mann, 100, died Sunday. Her legacy lives on, both in the performing arts hall that bears her name and the countless people she has inspired across the arts landscape in this corner of Florida. (read the complete story)

Frank Mann Sr. remembers his mother's "boundless energy;" he says it was the key to her accomplishing "so much" for Southwest Florida.

"I never saw my mother take a nap," he said.

There will be a formal memorial service for Barbara B. Mann at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, located at 2438 Second Street in downtown Fort Myers.

At Barbara Mann's request, a "light-hearted" reception for friends of the family and the entire membership of the Fort Myers Community Concert Association will be held from 4-6 p.m. Friday at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.

Frank Mann Sr. spoke also of her determined attitude and forthright nature.

"It was work with her or get out of the way," Mann said. "Our family is very proud of her legacy."

Then-state Sen. Franklin B. Mann Sr. coaxed about $6.5 million dollars out of the Florida Legislature in 1984. The cash was split between the then-Edison Community College and the University of South Florida satellite campus to build a performing arts hall. The building would cost around $50 million today. It was renamed to honor Mann's efforts in steering the bill through the legislature and opened Jan. 12, 1986.  (read the complete story)


More coverage:
(Naples Daily News) Barbara B. Mann, leading lady of the arts, dies at 100

(The News Press) A Tribute to Barbara B. Mann
(The News Press) Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall shines bright
(The News Press) What Southwest Florida had to say about Barbara B. Mann

(The News Press) Performing arts icon Barbara B. Mann passes away at 100
(The News Press) Barbara Mann's show still goes on

Arts leader Barbara B. Mann dies at 100

Barbara B. Mann has passed away at the age of 100. NBC-2 first reported the story.

Please contact me with memories or favorite moments you might like to share of how Barbara B. Mann changed the arts landscape in Southwest Florida.

updated| Reviews: MY THREE ANGELS at Florida Rep (3)

Joel Reuben Ganz in "My Three Angels."

Who on earth could possibly want to spend Christmas in 105-degree weather?

Well, nobody actually does. But you'll want to after watching Florida Rep's "My Three Angels."

Three convicts come down from the roof in Cayenne, French Guiana on Christmas Eve. They provide everything. Except morals.

Director Chris Clavelli senses that audiences might want a true Christmastime comedy this year. Graham Smith, Michael Edwards and Joel Reuben Ganz play the convicts - the titular angels. The casting could not be better. The acting could not be better. The show could not be better.

When real life features knock-down fights over towels and toasters in Wal-Mart at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day itself, the charming Dulcotels make for a special treat.

"My Three Angels" plays at 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday with matinées at 2 p.m. Wednesday & Sundays through Dec. 22. Tickets are $40 & $45. Call 239-332-4488 or floridarep.org. | Read the complete review

ALL REVIEWS:

Chris Silk (Naples Daily News)
Florida Rep opens charming holiday parcel 'My Three Angels'

Charles Runnells (The News-Press)
Christmas takes a dark turn in Florida Rep's 'My Three Angels'

Nancy Stetson (Florida Weekly)
There’s some heavenly holiday humor at Florida Rep

updated with previews | Ticket Special: Half-off tickets to "We Will Rock You" in Fort Myers (plus more photos!)

"We Will Rock You" runs Dec. 17-22. Tickets are $34-$69. Call (239) 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com. For more information on the show, visit wewillrockyou.com and schoolswillrockyou.com.

We've also got a special deal on tickets to "We Will Rock You." BBMann has a limited time offer - use code CHAMPION (now where did that come from?) - and get 50% off your tickets. Now that's a real deal!

Buy tickets for "We Will Rock You" online here:
http://www.bbmannpah.com/performance.php?id=555.

Here's my preview:
Chris Silk (Naples Daily News)
Music of Queen promises Fort Myers: 'We Will Rock You' next week!
Tracey Flye has loved the music of Queen since high school. "They have such a huge canon," she told me. No surprise then that she's been with Queen musical "We Will Rock You" since its North American debut in 2007. Wait. A Queen .. MUSICAL? (read the full preview)


Charles Runnells (The News-Press)
The Queen musical 'We Will Rock You' opens Tuesday at Mann Hall
He steps into the spotlight, electric guitar in hand, and launches into the face-melting solo from “Bohemian Rhapsody.” At the moment, he’s more than just Tristan Avakian, guitarist. He’s a rock god. Or, more specifically, he’s the Spirit of Rock ‘n’ Roll. (read the full preview)

I'll be there Tuesday night - come find me - and tell me what you think of the show!
In the meantime, enjoy all these photos from the show!

Baker Museum to host Art After Hours on Dec. 18; (free art!)

Frederick J. Whiteman
Four Figure Abstraction, 1934
Oil on canvas
Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. 2000.15.257. Museum purchase.

Christmas bonus! Because the last Wednesday of the month falls on Christmas day this year, the Baker Museum's "Art After Hours" will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

And I get to attend this month! I never get tired of free art - even though I've seen everything there twice now. Free art is cool.

The Baker Museum will be open - for free - to the public from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18. There will be a band and refreshments available from Cafe Intermezzo (congratulations Jeremy B., who named the cafe).

Please take this opportunity to view the Hanneke Beaumont sculptures. Those really are the star of the fall season. Sculpture speaks to people in different ways - but I love the cool gaze on her figures.

If you get a chance, wander through the third floor as well. The modern pieces from the Ahmet Ertegün collection (and some from vaults) offers an interesting perspective on a period in American art. Go left after you get up the stairs, then cross the staircase and go into right-most galleries. Finish at the end of the Chihuly tunnel and what I call the "sexy room," with works that are more figurative and less abstract.

If you take the exhibit as a whole, you can see modern art moving slowly from frenzied to something more controlled; the artists harness their anger and power. Walking through the rooms, taking in the works, I get the sense of a kind of breaking free of bounds - or maybe finding an opening out of oppression. I'm not an art critic - but that's what I get out of the show.

Albert Swinden
Untitled, 1937
Oil on board
Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. 2000.15.278. Museum purchase.

Auditions: FRANKENSTEIN at the Island Theater Company

Not everyone can be in "The Drowsy Chaperone." What about a musical that is a little more … (re)animated?

The Island Theater Company will hold auditions for "Frankenstein: A New Musical" from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Marco Lutheran Church, located at 525 North Collier Boulevard on Marco Island. Show dates are March 7-9; contact Pattie Ziesig at (239) 394-0080 for more information or to schedule an alternate audition time..

**The Island Theater Company will partner with Marco Lutheran Church on this community theater project.

Treat yourself to a little something spooky for the holidays!

Naples Players Video Spotlight: Volunteer Danna Paglino

Here's the Naples Players latest "Volunteer Spotlight" video, on Danna Paglino. Paglino has worked behind the scenes, although she was a finalist in the "Sylvia" essay contest in 2010.

TheatreZone announces cast for January's "Whistle Down the Wind"

Here's the cast list for TheatreZone season opener "Whistle Down the Wind."

Gerritt VanderMeer as The Man
Brigid Kegel as Swallow
Alxander Jon as Amos
Paige Miles as Candy
Steven Geyer as Boone
Ledarian Townsend as Edward
Billy Sharpe as the Revival Preacher
Greg Jensen as Earl
Michael Freshko as The Sherriff
Stephen Ray as the Minister
Jessica Daniels as Brat
Elliott Needle as Poor Baby
Dawn Lebrecht - Ensemble
Sharon True - Ensemble
Laura Needle - Ensemble
Juliet Jewett - Ensemble

"Whistle Down the Wind" runs Jan. 9-19, 2014. To purchase tickets, call 1-888-ZONE-FLA (1-888-966-3352); visit the onsite Box Office Wednesdays from 10 a.m. - noon or review seating chart and purchase tickets online at theatrezone-florida.com.

If you're not familiar with "Whistle Down the Wind," here's the Wikipedia entry on the show.

Sculptor Hanneke Beaumont to offer "walk & talk" lecture Monday at Artis–Naples

Artis–Naples is offering the rare opportunity for patrons to get up close and personal with sculptor Hanneke Beaumont.

The artist, whose impressive, moody, introspective (and a host of other adjectives) sculptures are currently on display in and around the first floor of the Baker Museum in the exhibit "Connected & Disconnected: The Sculpture of Hanneke Beaumont." The artist will give a "Walk & Talk" lecture at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16.

Tickets are $20; space is EXTREMELY LIMITED. Purchase online here: https://tickets.artisnaples.org/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=15489

Ghostbird hopes to raise funds (and raise the roof) at Frosty Swamp Stomp '13

Ghostbird Theatre Company presents their inaugural Frosty Swamp Stomp, a holiday fundraiser, on Dec. 21 at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers.

Doors open at 7 p.m., entertainment (provided by Pearlie Mae and the Crawdaddy Boys) starts at 8 p.m. Find a silent auction, skits, songs and carols, along with hors d’ouevres, various refreshments and of course a cash bar. For tickets ($25), go to www.sbdac.com or facebook.com/GhostbirdTheatreCompany.

Or buy tickets online here: https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?w=b3dc8b65e2fb56788dedc1c7dbc81786&t=tix


Complete press release below.

---

Florida Rep has a place for your wild howler monkey over the Christmas holiday - Wild Winter Arts Camp!

To enroll, visit Florida Rep's Education Department online at
www.FloridaRepEducation.org, or by calling 239-332-4665x36

Here's the press release for Florida Rep's "Wild Winter Arts Camps." Like, I wish I could have done such fun things when I was little.

Complete press release below.

---

Enrollment Now Open for Wild Winter Arts Camps!

Florida Rep and the Alliance for the Arts are pleased to announce that enrollment is now open, and slots are filling up for Wild Winter Arts Camps for students ages 5-17!

Four fun-filled sessions offer something for every student! The two-day intensive camps run Dec 23-Jan 3 and will allow students to experience a wide variety of theatre fun!

Auditions: Director casting for "It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play"

Dan Lombardo is casting for a production of "It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play." Inspired by the classic American film, "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" is performed as a 1940s live radio broadcast in front of a studio audience. Eight actors perform the dozens of characters in the radio play as well as produce the sound effects.

Performances (Feb. 11-13) will be held in February at Saint Leo the Great Catholic Church to benefit the Rotary Club of Bonita Springs Foundation. Dan Lombardo, artistic director of the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater in Massachusetts is directing.

Casting will be done via Skype or video. Email Dan Lombardo at lombardo.alfa@gmail.com or call 413-336-0764.

BIG ARTS announces cast for "Holiday Spectacular," opening Dec. 19

"Holiday Spectacular" runs through Dec. 31. For tickets ($35), call the BIG ARTS Marks Box Office at 239-395-0900, the Herb Strauss Theater Box Office at (239) 472-6862 and at BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel or purchase online at BIGARTS.org.

Here's the latest press release for the spectacular-spectacular "Holiday Spectacular" out at BIG ARTS. We also finally get a cast list. I'm so excited to see big-voiced divas Elizabeth Urbanczyk and Annie Freres on the same stage. Please let there be a diva-off. Please?

BIG ARTS Herb Strauss Theater unwraps its original Christmas revue "Holiday Spectacular" on Dec. 19. The show will be co-written, co-directed and co-choreographed by Bobby Logue and John Ramsey. An array of stars from previous shows will return, including Elizabeth Urbanczyk, Sami Doherty, Annie Freres and Jessica Humphrey.

"Holiday Spectacular" runs through Dec. 31. For tickets ($35), call the BIG ARTS Marks Box Office at 239-395-0900, the Herb Strauss Theater Box Office at (239) 472-6862 and at BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel or purchase online at BIGARTS.org. | Buy tickets here: http://www.bigarts.org/theatre.php

updated with photos | Marco Players Children's Theater telling "A Christmas Story"

Hey, we've got photos (two) from the Marco Player's Children's Theater production of "A Christmas Story." Check out the latest email update here.

Just a reminder,  "A Christmas Story" plays at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21 with a 3 p.m. matinée on Sunday, Dec. 22. Tickets are $10 for children, $20 for adults. Call (239) 642-7270 or themarcoplayers.com. Or click here.

Yep, it's little Ralphie Parker and his quest for a genuine Red Ryder BB under the tree. Gina Sisbarro directs the play, taken from Jean Shepherd's memoir of growing up in the 1940's Midwest.

Opera Naples sets sail for Nog & Grog 2013

The Opera Naples Guild invites friends and opera lovers for goodies, nog, grog, fun and a bit of singing aboard the Naples Princess for Nog & Grog 2013 on Thursday, Dec. 19.

Ship boards at 4:30 p.m. w/7 p.m. return. Tickets are $75 with cash bar and heavy hors d'oeuvres. RSVP to (239) 963-9050.

More holiday theater and events.

Barbara B. Mann adds second show to Dave Chappelle stop

Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall announced Friday afternoon that the venue had added a second performance to comedian Dave Chappelle's Sunday, Dec. 15 stop. Chappelle will now perform sets at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Tickets to the 10 p.m. show will go on sale at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6. Tickets cost $55. Fees are $7 and tax is $3.30 per each ticket. Call (239) 481-4849 or online at bbmannpah.com.

Buy tickets online here: http://www.bbmannpah.com/performance.php?id=624.

I want to see a show!

OPENING:
"Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol"
Cody Nickell stars in the Gulfshore Playhouse production of "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol," an alternate take on the Dickens Classic. The show runs at 8 p.m. through Dec. 22 at the Norris Center in downtown Naples, with 3 p.m. matinées on Dec. 8, 15, 21 & 22. Tickets are at $33-$45. Call 866-811-4111 or gulfshoreplayhouse.org. (read the preview)


"My Three Angels"
Florida Rep opens "My Three Angels" on Dec. 6. Three convicts in the tropics, spying on a family with too many problems. It was an old
Humphrey Bogart film, 1955's "We're No Angels." "My Three Angels" opens in previews Dec. 3 and runs through Dec. 22. Tickets are $40 & $45. Call 239-332-4488 or floridarep.org.

"The Nutcracker Goes Pop!"
KidzAct, the youth theatre program of The Naples Players, presents "The Nutcracker Goes Pop!" December 4-21 in the Tobye Studio at Sugden Community Theatre. More than 100 students sing and dance their way through a modern song and dance version of the beloved classic. Performances are at 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 p.m. on Saturdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students 21 and under. Call 239-263-7990 or come by the Naples Players box office.


THIS WEEKEND ONLY
The Lab Theater presents its second 24-hour Playwriting Project Saturday. Playwrights get a theme and a few required lines Friday night. They've got 18 hours to write a ten-minute play - and they won't meet the actors until noon Saturday! The curtain goes up at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. Get tickets ($12) at laboratorytheaterflorida.com or at the door. Seating is limited.

The Island Theater Company presents "Three Wise Men and a Baby" from Dec. 5-8. All four shows will be free; the production is sponsored by APM Custom Homes as their Christmas gift to the community. "Three Wise Men and a Baby," a humorous, musical twist on the Nativity aimed at children, features many local youths and asks "What do you give someone whose birthday is the very reason for the season?" "Three Wise Men and a Baby" plays in the Rose History Auditorium at the Marco Island Historical Society. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Doors open 1/2 hour before showtime.




NOW PLAYING:

"Becky Shaw" closes continues its run at Theatre Conspiracy. The play takes five people and asks this: Every person has their own truth. What happens when the truths diverge? Equity actress Kim Crow and Tera Nicole Miller deliver standout turns. Interesting, fascinating and worth a look. Tickets are $20. Anyone under 30 can get their ticket for just $10. Call 239-936-3239 or theatreconspiracy.org. | REVIEWS

"Our Town"  plays 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 21 at the Naples Players. Tickets are $35. Call (239) 263-7990 or naplesplayers.org. "Our Town" runs three acts with two ten-minute intermissions. | REVIEWS

Don't miss the Fosse-inspired version of "Nutcracker"
in Broadway Palm's "Swingin' Christmas."

"Swingin' Christmas" runs Tuesday through Sunday evenings with selected matinées through Dec. 25. Tickets run $22-$55, with show-only seats available for just $18. Call 239-278-4422 or broadwaypalm.com. | REVIEWS

"Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas" plays through Dec. 25 in the Off-Broadway Palm. This time the Church Basement Ladies are in the midst of holiday preparations and planning the Sunday School’s Christmas Program. Performances are Tuesday - Sunday evenings with selected matinées. Ticket prices range from $28 to $49. Call (239) 278-4422 or BroadwayPalm.com. (read the review)

My schedule through Jan. 3: Eleven more shows in 2013!

"We Will Rock You" runs Dec. 17-22.

Ok kids, here's my schedule for the rest of the year. If you see something missing, give a yell. You just can't have a Friday. Every Friday until April 4 is booked. Like, for real.

Also, please don't freak out, but I've been accepted into the Google Glass Explorer program. I got mine on Tuesday. I'll be wearing my pair of Glass at shows this weekend. And yes, you can try them on.

Friday, Dec. 6 - "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" at Gulfshore Playhouse
Saturday, Dec. 7 - "My Three Angels" at Florida Rep

Wednesday, Dec. 11 - "Private Lives" in cinemas
Friday, Dec. 13 - "A Christmas Carol" at the Lab Theater
Sunday, Dec. 15 - "Dashing Thru the Snow" at the Firehouse Community Theatre

Tuesday, Dec. 17 - "We Will Rock You" at Barbara B. Mann
Thursday, Dec. 19 - "Holiday Spectaclar" at BIG ARTS Herb Strauss Theater
Friday, Dec. 20 - "The Santaland Daries" at Florida Rep

Thursday, Dec. 26 - "West Side Story" at Artis–Naples
Friday, Dec. 27 - "Into the Woods" at BIG ARTS Herb Strauss Theater
Saturday, Dec. 28 - "South Pacific" at Broadway Palm

Friday, Jan. 3 - "Relatively Speaking at Theatre Conspiracy

For the curious, "South Pacific" will be the 111th review of the calendar year. I usually don't count reviews that way, because our "seasons" follow more of a tourist season pattern. Here's to 2014!

Dave Chappelle to play Fort Myers on Sunday, Dec. 15

Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall announced today that Dave Chappelle will perform one night only at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15.

Tickets ($55) went on sale at 10 a.m. today. Fees are $7 and tax is $3.30 per each tickets. Call (239) 481-4849 or online at bbmannpah.com.

Buy tickets online here: http://www.bbmannpah.com/performance.php?id=624.

Chappelle will also play the Jackie Gleason Theatre at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Dec. 13 and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on Dec. 17.

Chappelle had difficulty during an August event at the Funny or Die Oddball Comedy Tour in Hartford, Conn.  A rowdy crowd and/or an upset Chappelle caused him to abandon his set early.

The music of Queen comes to Fort Myers as "We Will Rock You" hits on Dec. 17

Jacqueline Arnold in the national tour of We Will Rock You. © Paul Kolnik

"We Will Rock You" kicks off the Broadway season at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Really, we don't count "Mamma Mia!" Seriously.

The show uses the songs of Queen - attached to a book from the writer of "Mr. Bean." Yeah. And it is billed as a "rock theatrical." I. Cannot. Wait. It has run for 12 years in the West End. Let's hope Fort Myers is ready for a "Bohemian Rhapsody!"

Here's my preview:

© Paul Kolnik

Music of Queen promises Fort Myers: 'We Will Rock You' next week!
Tracey Flye has loved the music of Queen since high school. "They have such a huge canon," she told me. No surprise then that she's been with Queen musical "We Will Rock You" since its North American debut in 2007. Wait. A Queen .. MUSICAL?

Heroes Galileo and Scaramouche find a statue of Freddie Mercury, which leads to an electric guitar. After a medley of "Tie Your Mother Down," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are the Champions," rock music is saved and the evil Killer Queen is defeated.

Flye admits that maybe a jukebox musical with the music of Queen isn't the first thing you might think of as a blockbuster hit. But remember, this one has played five continents. It just hasn't played Broadway. "Nothing surprises me anymore," she laughs. "I worked on 'Mamma Mia!" (read the full preview)

"We Will Rock You" runs Dec. 17-22. Tickets are $34-$69. Call (239) 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com.  For more information on the show, visit wewillrockyou.com and schoolswillrockyou.com.

Complete press release below.

---

Auditions: "Little Shop of Horrors" at Center for the Arts Bonita Springs

The Center for the Arts Bonita Springs Teen Theater program will hold auditions for "Little Shop of Horrors" from 5-7 p.m. Dec. 16 & 18.

Auditions are open to students age 13-21. Be prepared to sing a song and read from a script. Call (239) 495-8989 to schedule an audition time.

Rehearsals are 5-7 p.m. MWF and selected Saturdays. Performances are February 21 & 22. "Little Shop" will be the inaugural teen performance in the organization's New Performing Arts Center.

Audition: THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES

Open auditions for a 2014 production of "The Vagina Monologues" will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Fort Myers.

The church is located at 13411 Shire Lane, off Daniels between Six Mile Cypress and I-75. For more information, contact director Patti Chamness at (239) 839-5775 or producer Marcie Kaveney at (239) 333-8292 or mkaveney@actabuse.com.

Complete press release below:

Do Christmas the Detroit way with BBMann's Motown Holiday Spectacular on Dec. 13

I like Motown. That is all. Here's a press release. Oh. Here's the hook for the show. "features an all-star line-up of vocalists and musicians assembled from the ranks of the Capitols and the Miracles and former members of the Temptations."

The Motown Holiday Spectacular plays Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13. For tickets ($42, $53, $63) call (239) 481-4849, bbmannpah.com or motownholiday.com. Or you can buy online here.

updated | Holiday Theater in the 239

GRANNY'S GOT A GOOSE - AND IT SURE IS COOKED!
 Greed, glowing lips and goose-induced fatalities are three sure signs that Compton & Bennett are home for the holidays. Catch them in "Grandma's Christmas Goose," playing Dec. 5, 12 and 19 at Fred's Diner. "Grandma’s Christmas Goose" is a tribute to the excess, duress and unfulfilled desires that simmer within us all at this time of year. Rick and Betsy even suggest donated organs as stocking stuffers! Dinner and show is $39.95 (plus tax, tip and drinks). Limited show-only tickets are available ($15 each). For reservations, leave a message at 239-431-7928, or email ComptonAndBennett@aol.com. Fred’s Diner is located at 2700 Immokalee Road in the Jason’s Deli Shopping Center.

A WHOLE NEW CHRISTMAS CAROL
Cody Nickell stars in the Gulfshore Playhouse production of "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol," an alternate take on the Dickens Classic. The show runs at 8 p.m. through Dec. 22 at the Norris Center in downtown Naples, with 3 p.m. matinées on Dec. 8, 15, 21 & 22. Tickets are at $33-$45. Call 866-811-4111 or gulfshoreplayhouse.org. (read the preview)

ANGELS AND CONVICTS AT CHRISTMAS
Florida Rep opens "My Three Angels" on Dec. 6. Three convicts in the tropics, spying on a family with too many problems. It was an old
Humphrey Bogart film, 1955's "We're No Angels." "My Three Angels" opens in previews Dec. 3 and runs through Dec. 22. Tickets are $40 & $45. Call 239-332-4488 or floridarep.org.

THE SANTALAND DIARIES
Starring Florida Rep regular, Jason Parrish, "The Santaland Diaries" follows the outrageous exploits of an unemployed writer who desperately takes a job as a Macy's Elf and exposes the underside of the Christmas season. Written by bestselling humorist and NPR and New Yorker contributor, David Sedaris, "The Santaland Diaries" is a hilariously funny and bitingly honest portrait of the Christmas season that Sedaris spent working as an Elf.  "The Santaland Diaries" runs Dec. 18-29. All tickets are $25. Call 239-332-4488 or floridarep.org.

Island Theater Company and APM Custom Homes gifts "Three Wise Men and a Baby" to community

The Island Theater Company presents "Three Wise Men and a Baby" from Dec. 5-8. All four shows will be free; the production is sponsored by APM Custom Homes as their Christmas gift to the community.

"Three Wise Men and a Baby," a humorous, musical twist on the Nativity aimed at children, features many local youths and asks "What do you give someone whose birthday is the very reason for the season?"

"Three Wise Men and a Baby" plays in the Rose History Auditorium at the Marco Island Historical Society. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Doors open 1/2 hour before showtime.

Preview: Cody Nickell takes on Dickens in Gulfshore's "JACOB MARLEY"

Cody Nickell.

It's the day before Thanksgiving. I'm sitting on the patio at the Norris Center with Cody Nickell and Kristen Coury. He's starring as Jacob Marley in "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" and she's directing.

I wanted to do one of those Entertainment Weekly-style "Three Drinks with Cody & Kristen" interviews, but rehearsal schedules got in the way.  Kristen is having a grande extra-hot Americano, I'm having my usual salted caramel hot chocolate and Cody doesn't quaff coffee. Instead of three drinks, we're gonna do three questions.

Here's a teaser from the interview. You can subscribe and read the whole thing now, or wait for the dead trees later this week.

Read the preview: Cody Nickell and Kristen Coury talk 'Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol'

Cody Nickell.

1) Why Jacob Marley? What makes this version special? What is in it that
isn't in any other version of "A Christmas Carol?"


"We know Scrooge and we don't know Marley at all." This is from Kristen Coury. We compare notes. Cody and I like Scrooge McDuck; Kristen prefers 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol."

On a side note - and this didn't make it into the story - the Scrooge McDuck mention led down the road to "Duck Tales," and then more Disney cartoons. Anyone passing by the Norris Center that afternoon was treated to Cody and I duetting the theme to "Gummi Bears." Truth.

2) What is the most difficult part of telling such a well-known (and
beloved) story with just one actor?

"I'm standing on Scrooge right now!" Cody Nickell said.

3) What have you already discovered about "A Christmas Carol" that you
didn't know before? What do you think will surprise audience members?

Cody Nickell takes flight. But Kristen Coury refuses to reveal how or why.

Cody Nickell stars in the Gulfshore Playhouse production of "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol," an alternate take on the Dickens Classic. The show runs at 8 p.m. through Dec. 22 at the Norris Center in downtown Naples, with 3 p.m. matinées on Dec. 8, 15, 21 & 22. Tickets are $33-$45. Call 866-811-4111 or gulfshoreplayhouse.org. Buy tickets online here: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/920126.

Read the preview: Cody Nickell and Kristen Coury talk 'Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol'

Auditions: APARTMENT 3A at the Marco Players

The Marco Players will hold auditions for "Apartment 3A" from 6-7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2. Greg Madera directs this play about a PBS worker who threatens to hold Big Bird hostage until she finds a reason to live again. The show runs Feb. 12 - March 2, 2014. Call (239) 404-5198 for more information.

Lab Theater preps for Saturday's second 24-hour Playwriting Project

 

Carmen Crussard (far right) won the Critic's Choice award
at last year's event with "Zeus's Erotic Massage Parlor."

The Laboratory Theater of Florida lifts the curtain on its second 24-hour Playwriting Project at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7.

Playwrights get a theme and a few required lines on Friday night. They have 18 hours to write a ten-minute play - and they won't meet the actors until noon Saturday!

Playwrights include last year's winners Carmen Crussard and Char Loomis as well as Laura Lorusso, Michael Tomes, Taylor Adair Nave and John Fry.

The 24-hour Playwriting Project debuts at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7; doors open at 7:30. Tickets ($12) are available at laboratorytheaterflorida.com (buy online here) or at the door. Seating is limited.

Alas, I can't attend this year, (I judged last year's contest), as I'll be a few blocks away watching the convicts in "My Three Angels" at Florida Rep.

Complete Press Release Below:

"Deck the Halls" with Gulf Coast Symphony at BBMann Saturday

Gulf Coast Symphony will "Deck The Halls" at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. Carols, Santa, sing-alongs and seasonal favorites from the symphony dot the program. For tickets ($22), call (239) 481-4849 or bbmannpah.com.

Here's the direct ticket link: http://bbmannpah.com/performance.php?id=580

Review: HAMLET {solo} at BIG ARTS Herb Strauss Theatre

Canadian actor Raoul Bhaneja does a one-man
version of Shakespeare's great tragedy.

Angels and minister of grace defend us, there's something stinky on the sands of Sanibel. Canadian actor Raoul Bhaneja imports a brilliant "Hamlet {solo}" to BIG ARTS Herb Strauss Theater.

Then, as if the melancholy Dane didn't deliver enough drama, theatre-goers got a second helping Saturday night. Two rude (and apparently bored) patrons whispered (loudly) to each other throughout the first half before standing up and walking out (again, loudly).

Art took that opportunity to imitate life.

Bhaneja, performing the scene in Act II where Hamlet plots with actors to expose a guilty Claudius in the death of his father, seizes the moment. He walks coolly to the row, lolls back in the seat, crosses his legs and lounges. He holds his wrist cocked, as if enjoying a refreshing beverage or an expensive cigar.

He's the picture of bored royalty (Claudius & Gertrude) gamboling on their playground, unaware of the viper (Hamlet) within. He strikes, with perhaps the most fortuitously timed dialogue in all of Shakespeardom.

"That guilty creatures sitting at a play…"

The Bard of Avon himself could not have planned it better. The Old Globe could not have staged it with more style. Bravo.

Now, "Hamlet {solo}" still delivers - even if you don't get a bonus floor show. There's a 4 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Dec. 1. Additional shows are 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday at the BIG ARTS Herb Strauss Theater, located at 2200 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel. Tickets are $35 for adults, $5 for students. Call the BIG ARTS Marks Box Office at (239) 395-0900, Strauss Theater box office at (239) 472-6862 or bigarts.org.

Read the complete review:
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/dec/01/review-big-arts-raoul-bhaneja-hamlet-solo-tickets/

Read the preview (from Charles Runnells)
One actor, 17 roles: 'Hamlet' at BIG ARTS Herb Strauss Theater

Read the full text of "Hamlet" - http://shakespeare.mit.edu/hamlet/full.html

Reviews: SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS at Broadway Palm (2)

It's the day after Thanksgiving, so cue the Christmas theater. Broadway Palm has something for everyone here with "Swimgin' Christmas," an original pastiche cooked up by Victor Legaretta. No plot, no story, but lots of Santas, elves, tinsel, dancing, singing and fun, fun, fun.

Seriously. If you've ever wanted to see Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" as interpreted by Bob Fosse in glam 1920's Jazz Age costumes, choreographer Amy Marie McCleary has. Got. You. Covered.

Much of the show is inconsistent and jerky (or filled with gooey sentiment and fruitcake-dreadful puns), but the shining holiday spirit comes through with a thousand-watt glow.

"Swingin' Christmas" runs Tuesday through Sunday evenings with selected matinées through Dec. 25. Tickets run $22-$55, with show-only seats available for just $18. Call 239-278-4422 or broadwaypalm.com.

Read the complete review: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/nov/30/review-broadway-palm-swingin-christmas-tickets/

OTHER REVIEWS:

Charles Runnells (The News-Press)
Broadway Palm heats up a holiday classic in 'Swingin' Christmas'
“The Nutcracker” is many things. But sexy? Hardly. Until now, that is. Broadway Palm heats up the holiday classic in one of the most memorable segments of its jazzy new musical, “Swingin’ Christmas.” And the result will get your chestnuts roasting in no time. (read the review)