|
Add a night at the Saenger Broadway Season to your calendar this spring
By Scott Musmansky
Special to
Splash!
If you have not checked out the Broadway Season at the Saenger Theater this year, you still have three chances left to take advantage of the talent offered by this great program.
“Contact” will hit the stage March 16. Winner of 2000's coveted "Best Musical" Tony Award; Contact has been stunning audiences all over the country. It has been called a "musical extravaganza" and consists of three thematically linked short stories told by dance. "Swinging","Did you move?" and "Contact" are the three pieces which are set to music varying from Tchaikovsky to Robert Palmer and the Beach Boys. Contact has been an instant hit with critics and audiences alike with beautiful costumes and colorful scenery lighting up the stage with an indescribable energy like no other.
Crazy for You follows on April 3, bursting with original talent. Crazy For You is the story of a young, stage-struck playboy from the mining town in Nevada who experiences romance and mistaken identity in this nothing but fun musical-comedy. Crazy For You features musical hits such as "Bidin' My Time" and "Embraceable You." With its vibrant costumes and outstanding humor, this show is not one to miss. Crazy For You has won three Tony Awards in its run on Broadway.
Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance was moved to April 20 from October due to Hurricane Ivan. The 40 dancers of Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance have entertained more than 50 million people worldwide in less than five years. Traditional Irish dancing, exciting numbers and colorful, unique costumes fill the stage with endless energy from the start of the show to the end. Lord of the Dance has broken ticket box office records in over 30 countries, winning hearts and smiles from all ages and backgrounds.
Fiddler on the Roof dazzled Pensacola crowds in November, and Hal Holbrook starred as Mark Twain in January. The Tony Award winner and Emmy Nominated actor Hal Holbrook made Mark Twain come alive in his one-man show. Patrons of the Saenger Theatre were transported back to the days of Vaudeville, gaslights and chorus lines during the show which celebrated Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain: adventurer, writer and humorist of the late 19th and early 20th century. Twain was the author of the first American Novel "Huck Finn." Holbrook delivered a masterful portrayal of Mark Twain.
Dressed in period costume with the ever-present cigar, he looked as if he had stepped out of a photograph and off the Mississippi Queen for his Pensacola venue. Twains irascible wit and introspective look at American society are as timeless and moving today as it was in 1905. The performance began with Twain's observations on America's political and religious culture, the esteem that journalist's hold for themselves and the moral and personal vices that Twain enjoyed his entire life.
Holbrook's quotes included; "It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them."
Twain particularly enjoyed barbs directed at the press and politicians with such quips as "Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please," and "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
Mr. Holbrook personally thanked the audience for their attendance and fortitude following the aftermath of hurricane Ivan.
Take a night off from Ivan recovery and enjoy the rest of the Broadway Season at the Saenger. To purchase tickets, please contact the Saenger Theatre Box Office at 850-595-3880.
| 
