Florida Studio Theatre Announces Its 2024-25 Winter Season Lineup

September 9, 2024 | Sarasota

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is proud to announce the lineup for its 2024-25 Winter Season, featuring a four-show Mainstage Series and a three-show Cabaret Series. The Mainstage Series features a Broadway musical with an award-winning original score, a touching comedy about life for recently immigrated Americans, a thoughtful drama about systemic cancellation, and a jukebox musical that tells the story of the rise of one of the biggest groups in the 20^th century. The Cabaret Series features three new musical revues celebrating the lyric poets of the 20^th century.

“Florida Studio Theatre’s 2024-25 Winter Season reflects a rare year on the Mainstage when we received the rights to TWO marquee musicals and very new, wonderful plays,” said Richard Hopkins, FST’s Producing Artistic Director. “The Cabaret Series reflects the very best of our contemporary lyric poets. Combined, these two series promise a sea-change in the rapidly changing evolution of the NEW AMERICAN THEATRE, and FST is proud to take the lead.”

Waitress,by Jessie Nelson with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Sara Bareilles, kicks off FST’s 2024-25 Winter Mainstage Series on November 6, 2024, in FST’s Gompertz Theatre. Broadway World calls this Tony and Olivier Award-Nomination for Best Musical, “Universally appealing” and, “A blend of sugar, spice, hilarity, and feel-good feminine power.” Waitress tells the story of Jenna, an expert pie maker and waitress stuck in a loveless marriage. When a nearby baking contest offers her the chance to escape, Jenna seizes the opportunity to reclaim her long-forgotten self. Supported by her fellow waitresses and unexpected romance, Jenna begins to find the courage to follow her dreams. A delicious blend of friendship, the family we choose, and the magic of a well-baked pie.

Next on the Mainstage is the regional premiere of The Heart Sellers by Lloyd Suh. On Thanksgiving 1973, two young women, Jane and Luna, run into each other at the grocery store.  In this heartwarming comedy they soon discover they have much in common; both are recent Asian immigrants, homesick and lonely with hardworking absentee husbands, trying to adjust to a new country. Over a bottle of wine (or two) and a questionable frozen turkey, they dream of Disneyland, learning to drive, and the future as they share their hopes and fears in making a new home in a new land. Called a “Pure, honest depiction of female closeness,” by Broadway World, The Heart Sellers will begin playing December 11, 2024, in FST’s Keating Theatre.

Following this heartfelt comedy is a new play, The Cancellation of Lauren Fein, a thought-provokingdrama by Miami playwright Christopher Demos-Brown. Lauren Fein is at the top of her game. Happily married with a foster son, she is a world-renowned scientist and tenured professor at an elite university.  She’s on the verge of a breakthrough in her life’s work when she runs afoul of the university’s “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies. Suddenly, her groundbreaking research, her tenure, and even her family are all put in danger.The Cancellation of Lauren Fein, which Florida Weekly- Palm Beach Edition called “Provocative,” and “Insightful,”will begin playing on January 22, 2025, in FST’s Gompertz Theatre.

FST’s 2024-25 Winter Mainstage Series will close with the Tony and Olivier Award-winner for Best Musical, Jersey Boys!With music and lyrics by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, go behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. From their New Jersey roots to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, this electrifying show captures their journey from a groundbreaking sound to international stardom, revealing a story of fame and personal struggles that continues to captivate audiences. Jersey Boys will run in FST’s Gompertz Theatre starting March 26, 2025.

FST Cabaret will present three original music revues in the 2024-25 Winter Season. The cabarets honor the artists who transformed music in the 20^th century and redefined what it means to be a music star.

“We are very excited about the upcoming Cabaret Season with three shows that will take us on a journey through the second half of the 20^th Century,” said Rebecca Hopkins, FST’s Managing Director and Lead Developer of Off the Charts and 59^th Street Bridge. “The Cabaret allows us to explore how much music really captures who we are as people at different points in history. Whether you discuss the impact of the artists like Motown and Madonna, folk rockers such as Simon and Garfunkel and Bob Dylan, or the powerhouse women like Cher and Celine Dion, all of these artists are still relevant and influential, proving both their timeliness and timelessness in the music industry and culture. These truly are the lyric poets of our time.”

Opening FST’s Winter Cabaret Series is Off the Charts. Take a musical ride through the biggest pop hits of the 20^th Century. In 1958, the Billboard Top 100 debuted and began to track the most popular hits week by week and changed the music industry forever. Off The Charts celebrates the biggest hits of this revered list from its debut in the 50’s through the 90’s. Featuring hits such as “My Girl,” “When A Man Loves A Woman” “The Greatest Love of All” and “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me,” Off the Charts will begin playing October 2, 2024 in FST’s Court Cabaret.

Next in the Cabaret Seriesis 59^th Street Bridge,which will play in FST’s Goldstein Cabaret starting November 20, 2024. In the 60’s and 70’s, a new sound came into mainstream music that changed the scene forever. Led by early folk-rock artists like John Denver, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez, this musical revue celebrates their top hits and the songs that transcended generations.  59^th Street Bridge is a celebration of the timeless music such as, “Annie’s Song,” “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” and “Both Sides Now.”

FST’s Winter Cabaret Series culminates with Divas: Time After Time, which begins playing in FST’s Court Cabaret on February 12, 2025. Celebrate the women who have captivated the world with their dynamic personalities and fierce vocals. Starting in the 60’s female artists such as Cher, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion have been pushing boundaries and shattering records with hits such as, “Turn Back Time,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and “My Heart Will Go On.”

With its mission to make theatre accessible to as many people as possible, FST offers all four Mainstage shows for as little as $79, and all three Cabarets for as little as $59. Subscriptions are now on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or at 941.366.9000.