The Naples Players’ 73rd spans large-scale musicals, intimate plays, classic works, new productions, and student performances. They reflect the organization’s continued commitment to building community through exceptional access to the power of theatre. Artistic Director Phillip Fazio says they’re also united by a common theme.
“The theme for the season is stories that unite us, and at this moment in time, there's nothing more powerful and magical than the communal theater experience,” said Fazio. “It's unlike any other art form out there. Audiences come together to enjoy a story, to laugh, to cry, to share this experience together. And now more than any other time in our history, we need to come together.”
Fazio provides a sneak peek into Season 73’s shows.
“Our season starts with ‘Les Mis’ this summer,” Fazio noted. “Then we transition into a family comedy called ‘Over the River and Through the Woods.’ Then in November, we're doing the Tony Award-winning musical ‘Come From Away.’ In the new year, we launch with Agatha Christie's ‘Murder on the Orient Express.’”
But Fazio admits to looking forward most to the Season 73 ending show.
“We're going to close out our season with a story about how Shakespeare's plays were preserved for centuries to come with ‘The Book of Will’ by Lauren Gunderson. It's absolutely intriguing,” said Fazio. “After Shakespeare passed away, his work was at risk of being lost forever. His plays were starting to have copycat productions, but things were being left out or misinterpreted. So, Shakespeare's best friends and fellow artists all collaborated together to make sure that his plays were preserved just as he wrote them.”
The Naples Players’ Season 73 is designed to engage audiences across generations.
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Season 73’s main stage and black box productions include:
- “Les Misérables” (June 24–July 26);
- “Over the River & Through the Woods” (Oct. 7–25);
- “Rocket Man” (Oct. 21–Nov. 22);
- “Come From Away” (Nov. 18–Dec. 20);
- “Murder on the Orient Express” (Jan.13–Feb. 14, 2027);
- “The Glass Menagerie” (Feb. 3–March 7, 2027);
- “Hello, Dolly!” (March 10–April 11, 2027);
- “Constellations” (March 31–May 2, 2027); and
- “The Book of Will” (May 5-23, 2027).
“This season represents a real moment of momentum for our theatre,” said Bryce Alexander, CEO and executive artistic director of The Naples Players. “Season 73 reflects how far we’ve come as an organization and where we’re headed next. These stories are about people showing up for one another, and that idea mirrors the way theatre functions at its best.”
Fazio adds that people who’ve never been or haven’t been to a Naples Players production in a while are in for a real treat.
“When people walk through our doors for the very first time, they are awestruck,” said Fazio. “We're located right in the heart of downtown Naples on Fifth Avenue. Our lobby has just been completely renovated. Our theater went through a gut renovation, and the space has been transformed. There's wide aisles, tons of leg room. There's not a bad seat in the house thanks to the range from the audience to the stage. The acoustics are out of this world, and it provides an opportunity for our community to come together and share in the magic of theater."
The Naples Players has received the prestigious Grand Aurora Award for Best Rehabilitation Project for its $22 million theater renovation. Spanning 12 states and more than 60 categories, the Aurora Awards celebrate excellence in architecture, interior design, and construction across the Southeast.
It’s all about the audience experience, says Bryce Alexander.
“Audiences have been over the moon about the new experience,” said Alexander. “People walk through the doors and go, ‘Oh my gosh, this is a world-class place in the middle of little Naples, Florida.”
In addition to the Aurora Award, the renovation was recently highlighted on the nationally broadcast series “America by Design.” The feature showcased how the project redefines the role of a theater in modern society not just as a performance space, but as a cultural hub for education, wellness, and community partnerships. Viewers across the country were introduced to TNP’s innovative design, its 700-strong volunteer community, and its mission of building community through exceptional access to the power of theater.
For more, read “The Naples Players receives Grand Aurora Award for $22 million theater renovation.”
In addition to its main stage productions, Season 73 is deeply connected to The Naples Players’ education and community outreach programs. Performances by TNP Academy students, Readers Theatre productions, and new works sit alongside the major season, reinforcing the organization’s belief that theatre thrives when artists, students, and audiences learn and grow together.
Founded in 1953, The Naples Players engages more than 850 volunteers annually and reaches over 70,000 audience members and students through high-quality productions, inclusive education programs, and innovative community partnerships.
The Naples Players is home to the Baker Day School of the Academy of Dramatic Arts, the only full-time performing arts school in Southwest Florida.
Season 73 marks Artistic Director Phillip Fazio’s first season under CEO and Executive Artistic Director Bryce Alexander.
Fazio previously served as producing artistic director at Duluth (Minnesota) Playhouse and an artist in residence at The Phoenix (Arizona) Theatre Company. At TNP, he is working to implement its artistic vision, ensure high artistic standards for the theater’s productions and programs, and work for stronger relationships with artists, staff, audience and community stakeholders.
Fazio’s work as a director includes Off-Broadway plays such as “The Book That I’m Going to Write,” By Judy Garland (Jerry Orbach Theater) and “Gay Camp” (Players Theatre). He has directed regional theater, as well, including “Follies,” “August: Osage County,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Ragtime, “The Sound of Music,” “Kinky Boots,” “Grey Gardens” and “Cabaret.”
Fazio earned a BFA in musical theatre from The Boston Conservatory and an MFA in directing from Pennsylvania State University. He is a native of Tempe, Arizona.
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.
