By Michael Nichols and Lydia Baxter Blending smooth vocal harmonies with powerful solos, FST’s Summer Cabaret, Who Loves You: Musical Tribute to Frankie Valli and Beyond, celebrates one of the most successful acts in music history. A feel-good show from beginning to end, Who Loves You takes the memorable songs of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and performs them in a new, captivating way. … Continue reading Big Men in Town
By Michael Nichols and Lydia Baxter With entertainment just a click away, it can be tempting to leave kids – literally – to their own devices. While smartphones and tablets may provide hours of distraction, live theatre excites, educates, and inspires creativity in ways that no other medium can. At Florida Studio Theatre, children – and their favorite grown ups – are able to experience … Continue reading Five Reasons to Introduce Your Children to Theatre
By Irene Martinko In The Swingaroos: Hollywood Serenade, The Swingaroos put their own swingin’ twist on songs from some of the top movies of the ’30s and ’40s. Scroll down to learn a little more about the movies that introduced audiences to songs like “At Last,” “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” and “Hooray for Hollywood.” Hollywood Hotel – 1937 Hollywood Hotel made history by featuring … Continue reading Behind the Glamour: 1940s Hollywood
By Becca Jennings Back by popular demand, The Swingaroos, NYC’s swing-era territory band, return to FST this summer with an all new show, The Swingaroos: Hollywood Serenade. Inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood, this musical revue pays tribute to such icons as Frank Sinatra, Cab Calloway, and Fred Astaire – all with The Swingaroos’ signature swingin’ spin. “I wanted to capture the thrill that … Continue reading Swingin’ and Singin’ in Style
Sandy Rustin’s sexy comedy The Cottage opens on Sylvia Van Kipness (played by Hanley Smith) basking in the glow of her annual rendezvous with her lover, Beau (played by Greg Balla). Described as “perhaps the best looking man in Britain,” Beau is a dashing, debonair lawyer who has his fair share of secrets – until they all unravel in front of him and everyone close to him. Greg Balla … Continue reading Conflicted in Comedy
Hanley Smith is no stranger to comedy – she is on the board of a New York City comedy troupe, played Cecily in Gulfshore Playhouse’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest, and switched effortlessly between three leading ladies in The 39 Steps at Gretna Theatre. Making her FST debut in the Regional Premiere of Sandy Rustin’s The Cottage, Hanley is thrilled to play Sylvia Van Kipness, the … Continue reading There’s Something About Sylvia
When Sandy Rustin was a sophomore in college, she starred in a production of Hay Fever by Noël Coward, and immediately fell in love with period pieces. When she couldn’t find any new plays that reflected Coward’s writing style, she decided to write one herself: The Cottage. In The Cottage, hopeless romantic Sylvia Van Kipness chooses to expose her secret love affair to her husband, Clarke. What ensues is a … Continue reading Playwright Spotlight – Sandy Rustin
By Jenna Tonsor and Becca Jennings Sandy Rustin jokes that her career path as a playwright and actress has been percolating since the sixth grade, when she was assigned to write her autobiography. “Sandy hopes to grow up to be an actress and playwright,” wrote 11-year-old Sandy. As it turned out, that single homework assignment would be more prophetic than little Sandy could have ever … Continue reading Sandy Rustin: She Wrote Her Biography, Then Lived It
By Michael Nichols and Becca Jennings A well-kept garden, scenic views, and a beautiful patch of countryside – an English cottage provides the perfect setting for family vacations, reunions, and, of course, the occasional smoldering affair. Sandy Rustin’s comedy of manners, The Cottage, sets the stage for a whimsical tale of romance that quickly unravels into one of revenge. Set in 1923 in the English … Continue reading “The Cottage” – A Comedic Rendezvous
Ethel Waters’ determination and dynamic voice enabled her to escape the slums of Philadelphia and become a Broadway and Hollywood star. The road to success was anything but easy – she overcame racism, abuse, and violence along the way. FST favorite Jannie Jones brings Larry Parr’s powerful musical biography Ethel Waters: His Eye is on the Sparrow to life this summer in a performance critics … Continue reading Bringing Ethel to Life
