Sarasota area community theaters open new musicals

Three of the area’s community theaters are opening new productions this week, one a satirical look at Broadway and the others musical biographies of singer Billie Holiday and silent film star and director Charlie Chaplin.

Aaron Castle, who was seen in the Manatee Players productions of “Newsies,” “Cabaret” and “West Side Story,” stars in the title role of “Chaplin,” created by Christopher Curtis and Thomas Meehan. Rick Kerby is directing and choreographing the theater’s version of this 2012 Broadway musical that looks at the life of a man who knew how to make the world laugh but struggled to find happiness in his personal life.

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The production also stars Sarah Cassidy as Chaplin’s mother, Hannah; Dan Yonko as his half brother, Sydney; Karli Gundersen as gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, Mike Nolan as director Mack Sennett and Maddie Cashen as Oona O’Neill, Chaplin’s last wife.

“Chaplin” opens Thursday and runs through Jan. 30 at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton. For ticket information, call 941-748-5875 or visit manateeperformingartscenter.com.

At the Players Centre for Performing Arts, a group of mostly familiar local artists will be taking on Broadway hits and stars in Gerard Alessandrini’s “Forbidden Broadway: Greatest Hits Vol. 1.” For decades, Alessandrini took songs from current and past Broadway hits and crafted new lyrics to poke fun at various shows and the artists who made them famous.

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Amanda Heisey is directing the production, which features Nancy Denton, Chris Caswell, Shawn Spears, Brett Anglin and Brenna Griffith. The show will be presented in the company’s temporary home at Studio 1130, at the Crossings at Siesta Key shopping center, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130, Sarasota.

Performances begin Wednesday and continue through Jan. 30. Tickets are $29.50 ($26.50 for the Wednesday preview) and $14 for students. 941-365-2494; theplayers.org.

On Friday, DaNiesha Carr takes the stage at Venice Theatre in the mostly one-person show “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.”

She is joined by musical director William Coleman, who plays Holiday’s accompanist Jimmy Powers.

Carr, who has been featured at the theater in “Race,” “Once On This Island” and “Ragtime,” stars as Holiday, joined by musical director William Coleman, who plays her accompanist Jimmy Powers. Kristofer Geddie directs the production, which runs through Feb. 20 in the Pinkerton Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice. Tickets are $32 for adults, $20 for college students and $15 for youth.

For more information, call 941-488-1115 or visit venicetheatre.org.

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota area community theaters open new musical productions