FST Announces Cast for All New Music Revue, Vintage Pop!

March 12, 2021 – Sarasota

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) returns to live performance with Vintage POP!, da brand new musical revue exploring the evolution of popular music from the 1920s to the 1980s. Created by FST Cabaret favorite Carole J. Bufford, Vintage POP! is FST’s first live theatrical production since it was forced to shut down in mid-March of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to popular demand, Vintage POP! has been extended twice, and is now playing from March 24 to May 2, 2021, in FST’s Keating Theatre for socially-distanced, limited capacity audiences. Tickets are now on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org, or at 941.366.9000. 

 The show’s creator and frontwoman, Carole J. Bufford has been called “One of Cabaret’s brightest rising stars” by TimeOut New York and “A showstopper and a true force of nature” by Danielle Micelli (NewYorkCabaretToday.com). Bufford is an award-winning vocalist who most recently enjoyed a 10-month solo run at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club in New York City. She is the creator and lead performer of several critically acclaimed Cabarets, including two shows that FST has presented in past Summer Cabaret Series—Come Together: When the ‘60s Met the ‘70s and ROAR! The Music of the 1920s and Beyond. 

Joining Bufford onstage are Isaac Mingus (Bass) and Jim Prosser (Piano). Mingus makes his FST debut with Vintage POP!. He is a full-time member of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Venice Symphony, in addition to several jazz groups in the greater Tampa Bay region. A cellist and bassist currently based in Sarasota, Mingus has performed with American jazz pianist Dick Hyman, award-winning vocalist Alexis Cole, and Florida-based trumpeter James Suggs. 

 Jim Prosser has been FST’s Resident Pianist for over 25 years, mostly recently appearing in Light My Fire and That’s Amoré!. He has arranged and co-developed over 50 Cabarets for FST, including the smash hits Outlaws & Angels, Unchained Melodies, and Blue Suede Shoes. Prosser has served as Composer/Music Director for the FST School, in addition to FST’s Children’s +Theatre and WRITE A PLAY programs for over two decades. 

 FST Associate Artist Catherine Randazzo will provide Artistic Oversight for Vintage POP!, supervising technical rehearsals and giving artistic feedback. Randazzo has directed over ten Winter Cabarets for FST, including Guitar Girls, The Wonder Years: The Music of the Baby Boomers, and Mack the Knife: The Bobby Darin Songbook. She is part of the theatre’s Cabaret Development team, and oversees FST’s Summer Cabaret Series. 

The creative team includes Bruce Price (Scenic Coordinator), Nick Jones (Lighting Design), Thom Korp (Sound Design), and Shira Lebovich (Stage Manager). 

FST will operate in compliance of all CDC guidelines, and Vintage POP! will perform for socially-distanced, limited capacity audiences. The theatre has taken additional safety measures, including installing MERV-13 air filters and temperature checks. The full list of actions that FST is taking to ensure the safety of its patrons, staff, and guest artists can be found at FloridaStudioTheatre.org.