TheatreZone is in for a bumpy ride this season - at least in January, when Producing Artistic Director Mark Danni brings “Grumpy Old Men the Musical” to the stage.
“I have been toying about it for a while, whether to do it or not,” said Danni. “When I announced it in front of my audiences during our last production, people cheered and laughed and everything. So I'm very thankful that it was a good pick. It's a fun story. It's gonna be great music for that.”
TheatreZone follows that with two enthusiastically inept playwrights in “Gutenberg: The Musical,” plus “The Buddy Holly Story” and (“Oom Pah Pah”) “Oliver,” the musical masterpiece that brings to life Dickens' timeless story about the boy who asked for more.
“It's a great classic show that's not really been done in a while, and we're looking forward to finding some very talented kids and a talented Oliver,” Danni said. “So that's our main stage Broadway theater lineup.”
It all kicks off in December with TheatreZone’s seasonal show, “Home for the Holidays.” This annual variety show sells out every year well in advance of the opening for two reasons. It’s really well done. And it’s completely different each year.
“Every year you get a new show,” Danni said. “Hopefully some of your favorites will still be in there, and then something that you may not have seen in a few years or may not have seen ever before. So it's always a fresh show every year.”
TheatreZone performs in the G&L Theatre at the Community School of Naples.
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TheatreZone enters its 21st season.
There are only four performances of “Home for the Holidays.”
Danni changes “Home for the Holidays” in a variety of ways. He shuffles where the musical numbers are performed. He drops some songs and adds new numbers, sometimes with songs that have rarely or never been performed. The cast changes, of course, as do the sets and costumes.
“Grumpy Old Men the Musical” follows two curmudgeonly neighbors who have been feuding for 50 years. Their rivalry escalates when they both fall for a charming and eccentric woman named Ariel who moves in across the street. As these two cantankerous competitors fire off one-liners and hilarious songs in equal measure, they might just find a resolution to their long-standing differences.
The musical is based on the classic 1993 Warner Brothers film starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret. The stage adaptation is unexpectedly engaging and heartwarming, capturing these lovably crotchety characters through twinkling humor, great songs, and the affectionate depiction of a small Midwestern town and its quirky residents.
Music is by Neil Berg with lyrics by Nick Meglin.
“I saw ‘Gutenberg the Musical’ on Broadway a couple years ago,” said Danni. “It's very funny. It's about two guys who are really naïve who rent a theater to give a presentation (of) a musical about the inventor of the printing press, and they're trying to get a producer for their show.”
The playwrights are Bud and Doug, two best pals who’ve written a new musical, which they perform themselves at a backer’s audition. With an unending supply of enthusiasm, Bud and Doug sing all the songs and play all the parts in their crass historical epic, with the hope that one of the producers in attendance will give them that elusive Broadway contract.
“You need two really funny actors who are also a good duo,” Danni noted. “The only reason I'm doing this is that I have two very big fan favorites here who have agreed to do it, have signed up. One is Adolfo Blair, who our audiences know. The other is Larry Alexander. They’re two great veterans of the stage and Broadway veterans who our fans love. They are gonna be hysterical in this. It's such a funny show.”
“Gutenberg! The Musical” premiered on Broadway at the James Earl Jones Theatre on October 12, 2023. Directed by Alex Timbers, the Broadway production starred Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells. Scott Brown and Anthony King originally developed Gutenberg! at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City, where it ran for over a year, starring the authors and Ken Keech with direction by Charlie Todd and musical direction by Barry Wyner.
The show was part of the 2005 and 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival and ran at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London in January 2006. “Gutenberg! The Musical!” opened off-Broadway at 59E59 on December 3, 2006, transferring to The Actors’ Playhouse on January 16, 2007. It received nominations for the 2007 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical” and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book. It was also nominated for a Best Revival Tony in 2024.
“In March, we're doing “The Buddy Holly Story,” said Danni. “I really believe our audiences right now love that late ‘50s, early ‘60s music and stories. I love rock bio stories. So I'm getting excited to cast that. It's a great story. It's a tragic story, but it's a great story. And wonderful music.”
“The Buddy Holly Story” explores the life and music of one of rock 'n' roll's pioneers, from his humble beginnings in Lubbock, Texas, to his meteoric rise to fame. Holly’s life has become the stuff of legend and "The Buddy Holly Story" celebrates the humor, ambition, charm, and sheer talent that was Buddy Holly. With hits like "Peggy Sue" and "That'll Be the Day," this musical captures the essence of Holly's unique sound and enduring legacy, and will leave audiences toe-tapping and hand-clapping all the way home.
An early example of the jukebox musical, “Buddy” ran in London's West End for over 12 years, playing 5,140 performances.
“Oliver” features young, orphaned Oliver Twist as he navigates London’s underworld of theft and violence, searching for a home, a family, and — most importantly — for love. When Oliver is picked up on the street by a boy named the Artful Dodger, he is welcomed into a gang of child pickpockets led by the conniving, but charismatic, Fagin. When Oliver is falsely accused of a theft he didn’t commit, he is rescued by a kind and wealthy gentleman, to the dismay of Fagin’s violent sidekick, Bill Sikes. Caught in the middle is the warm-hearted Nancy, who is trapped under Bill’s thumb, but desperate to help Oliver, with tragic results.
“Oliver” has a sensational score that includes “Food Glorious Food,” “Consider Yourself,” “You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two,” “I’d Do Anything,” “Oom Pah Pah” and “As Long As He Needs Me.”
Lionel Bart wrote the book, music and lyrics for the show.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.