Brian Zealand News

Celebration Theatre Co. continues its 2022 Season with 'tick, tick...BOOM!', running February 16 - 19 at The Abbey.

A single-act show, it could use an occasional shot in the arm. Some of the songs drag and none are especially memorable. As bus stories goes, the pacing is a long, long way from Speed. The central love triangle between Violet and two boys on the bus (military officers Monty and Flick) feels all too familiar, and its engagement with the theme of interracial romance (Flick is African-American, Monty and Violet are white) feels underserved in a show that is ultimately about self-shame and misguided faith. Still, the show...

There's honey in the bushes, Lord, and water in the wella?? Garden Theatre's 12th season continues with the folk musical Violet. Directed by Tara Kromer, the production will transport Winter Garden audiences to 1964 Appalachia, where a young woman decides to take a trip that could change her future. Violet runs January 24 - February 9, 2020. 

Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF's season-opener, Evita, featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics and book by Tim Rice, runs from September 4 - October 6, 2019. Tickets (starting at $35) are available now by phone (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, online at orlandoshakes.org, or in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 East Rollins Street).

Dance like you've never danced before! Flashdance the Musical tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of 18-year-old Alex, a welder by day and 'flashdancer' by night, who dreams of becoming a professional dancer. When a romance complicates her ambitions, she harnesses it to drive her dreams.

From Orlando-based writers Elaine Pechacek and Katie Hammond, New Generation Theatrical presents SEASONS THE MUSICAL. SEASONS will play at the Dr. Phillips Center's Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater September 12-21.

The '80s are coming back to Winter Garden this summer during Garden Theatre's production of Flashdance the Musical! Directed by Jani Walsh-Weber, Flashdance will take to the Garden stage from July 5 - 28, 2019 with passion, fierce talent, and of course, the iconic rain scene. 

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.

Orlando Repertory Theatre (Orlando REP) is proud to A Year With Frog and Toad(September 4 - 30, 2018). This production is presented by Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs, and Disney. Orlando REP's 2018 - 2019 season is sponsored by Florida Hospital for Children.

The Studio Theatre continues its inaugural season with Jason Robert Brown's THE LAST 5 YEARS. The musical follows the five-year relationship between Cathy and Jamie, from their first date to their divorce. I talked with Whitney Morse (Cathy) about the rehearsal process, her inspiration, and the challenges of telling a story backwards. 

Joy. Pride. Jealousy. Sadness. Pain. These words and so much more describe the relationship between THE LAST FIVE YEARS' Jamie, an up-and-coming successful novelist, and Cathy, a struggling actress, as they navigate the story of falling in love, getting married, and then drifting apart. Jason Robert Brown's quintessential love-gone-wrong tale is performed wonderfully by Brian Zealand and Whitney Morse at the Village's Studio Theatre at Tierra Del Sol. The telling of this musical is interesting in own right - Cathy tells the story from the end of their relationship, when she discovers that Jamie wants a divorce, while Jamie starts from the beginning when he meets Cathy and falls head over heels.  

This month, The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol (806 San Marino Drive, The Villages, FL) will continue its inaugural season with the musical The Last 5 Years, composed by three-time Tony Award winner, Jason Robert Brown.

Next month, The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol (806 San Marino Drive, The Villages, FL) will continue its inaugural season with Private Lives, the award-winning romantic comedy about two couples that are intertwined in more ways than one.

The Studio Theatre, a new black box theatre, under the Artistic Direction of Whitney Morse, presents its inaugural season: A Model Home: Peer Beyond The Facade.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. It's a Super September Preview! We've got the low-down on 16 musical productions you will want to see this month, from city to suburbs, big theaters to small, premieres and old favorites galore! 'Side Show,' 'Dogfight,' 'Next To Normal,' 'Oklahoma!,' 'Spamalot,' 'Blood Brothers,' 'October Sky,' CST's 'Ride The Cyclone' and much more!

Three Cat Productions presents the world premiere production of the CHICAGO IS! A HOMETOWN MUSICAL REVIEW at the Chicago Park District's Berger Park Coach House Theater at 6205 N. Sheridan Road (Edgewater by Granville el stop on Red Line).

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Omaha Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of November 25th.

The Omaha Community Playhouse honored its top volunteers at the annual Awards Night ceremony held Monday evening. Awards Night is a tribute to the thousands of volunteers who contribute their time and talents to OCP. Awards are given for outstanding service in front-of-house areas; in backstage areas involving costuming and technical assistance; and for excellence in performing.

Evil Dead: The Musical runs Friday, February 8 through Sunday, March 17, 2013 in the Omaha Community Playhouse's Howard Drew Theatre. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!