Stephen Lima

Behind the spectacle, sets, large casts and costumes of many classic musicals are the relatable, human stories, the conflict, the hope and the pure joy of life. Often, however, as audience members we don’t see those things as clearly when distracted by falling chandeliers or giant dance numbers. But there is something emotionally raw and fulfilling when given the chance to see a story you know so well stripped down to its essence – exposing the beauty that has always been there. This was my experience seeing Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Theatre South Playhouse – a beautiful story performed by a talented cast in a simple but immensely effective staging.

Josie and Grace explores the friendship of Josephine Baker and Grace Kelly, the Oscar-winning actress and Princess of Monaco. A chance encounter at New York’s fabled Stork Club leads to a lifelong friendship between two talented, headstrong women who dared challenge the system. Rachel Comeau portrays Grace Kelly.

Virtual ShakesBeer: As You Like It Edition is a free Facebook Live event produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF, directed by Mark Routhier, and adapted by the cast. During the comedic, abbreviated Shakespeare performance, the narrator and 'drinking guide' will guide viewers-and the performers-through a fun and silly drinking game.

Virtual ShakesBeer: As You Like It Edition is a free Facebook Live event produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF, directed by Mark Routhier, and adapted by the cast. During the comedic, abbreviated Shakespeare performance, the narrator and 'drinking guide' will guide viewers-and the performers-through a fun and silly drinking game.

Playwright Michael Wilson has turned all of Act I into a walk down the 'yellow brick road' of London, where Scrooge meets three vendors who will resurface more translucently later that night. It's as eye-rolling as it sounds and even more boring than you can imagine. Heads were nodding all around me. Only my coffee kept mine upright.

Can a trio of Christmas spirits change the greedy ways of Ebenezer Scrooge? Directed by Jeremy Seghers, A Christmas Carol-A Ghost Story of Christmas will enchant Central Florida audiences with Michael Wilson's adaptation of the 1843 novel. Garden Theatre guests will enjoy Dickens' classic characters of Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and Jacob Marley alongside a new ensemble of ghosts.

DEATHTRAP gets off to a slow start, but by Scene Two - when the third of five characters enters the action - it's off to a fast-paced saga of twists, turns, and fatalities... Hilarity and homicide ensue, but in ways you won't see coming, with so many plot twists and misdirects that even an audience with ESP might gasp, as the Garden's sold-out house did all night long. Well, most of the theater...

Those who know 1984 will anxiously await a big twist, and let me tell you, I couldn't have dreamed of a better execution. It was so startling and dramatic that I physically jumped in my seat, even though I knew what was coming...

What if one thought cost you everything? Following a wildly successful Broadway run, the nerve-jangling stage adaptation of 1984, George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece, opens at Garden Theatre on March 1, 2019. Directed by Bobbie Bell, the Central Florida premiere of Winston's fight to remember the past and protect the future will run from March 1 - 17, 2019 on the Garden stage.

There's just one month left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Orlando Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just one month left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Orlando Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

Mad Cow Theatre is thrilled to announce the cast and creative team of George S. Kaufman & Edna Ferber's classic comedy, The Royal Family which will take the Harriett stage Sept. 21- Oct. 14, 2018 as the first production of Mad Cow Theatre's Season 22.

Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF (Orlando Shakes) produces a new adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Little Mermaid by Brandon Roberts in the Goldman Theater from June 14 - July 29, 2018. Tickets ($9 - $20) are available now by phone (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, online orlandoshakes.org, or in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 East Rollins Street).

Mad Cow Theatre is thrilled to announce the cast and creative team of Arthur Miller's stunning drama A View from the Bridge, which will take the Harriett stage March 23, 2018 as the sixth production of Mad Cow Theatre's Season 21. 

The Garden Theatre (160 W Plant St.) is proud to present both the male and female versions of Neil Simon's award-winning comedy, The Odd Couple, showing October 13 - 29, 2017.

The Garden Theatre (160 W Plant St.) is proud to present both the male and female versions of Neil Simon's award-winning comedy, The Odd Couple, showing October 13 - 29, 2017.

The Garden Theatre (160 W Plant St.) is proud to announce the outrageously funny Destiny of Desire, An Unapologetic Telenovela in Two Acts, showing March 17 - April 9, 2017. The media sponsor for Destiny of Desire is Telemundo Orlando, and supporting sponsors include Outdoor Living Products and Toole's Ace Hardware. This project is made possible by a grant from Duke Energy through United Arts of Central Florida.

After a week a heartache and pain in The City Beautiful, going to the theatre to see a whimsical show is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Set in an enchanted castle in a far away land, Beauty and the Beast spins a magical tale where a young beauty has been locked away by a terrible beast. The young woman's honest and enduring love for the unsightly Beast ultimately becomes a gift of kindness that brings magical results. BroadwayWorld has a look at the production - check out photos below!

?Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF kicks off its 2016-2017 Children's Series with the beloved fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. Adapted by Brandon Roberts (2015's The Frog and the Princess and 2014's Rapunzel), the family-friendly production will play from June 16 - July 24, 2016 in the Goldman Theater. Tickets ($9 - $18) can be purchased by calling (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, online at www.orlandoshakes.org, or in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 E. Rollins St.).