Hello. Is there anybody in there? There is something you should know about. I have figured out the key to time travel—well of sorts. It’s really easy. Just close your eyes, or keep them open for that matter, but just listen, and you’ll be whisked away to years gone by…say 1979. This grand invention is called music, really well done music. Apparently it’s been around for a while I hear, but this kind of music, courtesy of the Canadian troupe Classic Albums Live, has super powers. Classic Albums Live is not a tribute band. They are not a cover band. They are an experience. Taking our favorite classic rock albums, they re-create them live on stage complete with every drum beat and guitar riff perfectly placed like a carbon copy of the original. There are no cheesy costumes or over flamboyant singers and absolutely no creative freedom with the songs. CAL performances are the...

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Almost every day, I get to work with the same cast of characters, all of whom enrich this experience in one way or another. Each one of us has our own part to play to make sure the show does go on. The leads can take the spotlight most often, but it is the ensemble that deserves the recognition also. Within this ensemble is a special group of men and women who gladly volunteer their time to this theatre as ushers. Not one show goes by without a team of ushers manning the doors, taking tickets and assisting the patrons and staff. They allow for our events to run smoothly. The service provided by each usher warrants recognition. They have their own jobs, their own lives, their own stories—where this theatre is only one chapter. With all of this, they appreciate this place that much to take time out of their busy lives to help with our mission. For that we hold an Usher Appreciation...

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Wednesday, August 2, 2006 Most of the time, the audiences we welcome to the Florida Theatre are rather calm and collected, fitting for the particular event, but there are times when the event beckons for a crowd with a bit more enthusiasm—heart pounding, tail wagging, paw stomping enthusiasm. The August Art Walk at the Florida Theatre was a tribute to our four-legged friends. Art Walk Pet Walk was graciously sponsored by PetGuard and garnered a fabulous turnout of both man and mutt…oh and not to forget the occasional feline. Seriously, it hadn’t been more than 30 minutes until I heard the phrase I had been anticipating ever since the drive to the theatre. “Man, this place has really gone to the dogs,” one man remarked with a grin of satisfaction on his face. I wonder how long he had been waiting to say that. But clichés aside, I have never quite been surrounded by so many well dressed animals. One dog was all dolled up in her rock star sweater and black feather boa. The Art Walk must have fallen on another dog’s basketball night as he was all geared up for a game—jersey, shorts, ball and all. There were tutus. There were tiaras. There were denim dresses and patterned vests. And the rest of them, well, they were just naked I guess. ...

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Alright I'm not going to lie here. As a person with a rather busy schedule, it is not often I have the ability to take two hours out of my day to spend sitting in a dark room with eyes glued to a movie screen. I love movies--don't get me wrong--it is just that my mind works a mile a minute. That mile may not always be in a straight line, but it's working none the less, and with that said, a two hour silent movie theater experience is just the perfect opportunity for my brain to be thinking that I could be doing about 15 other things during this time. But when I was told I should come see this past Sunday's movie, which happened to be the original "Rocky", I decided that if it was for the Theatre, I would do it. I'm not much of a sports fan, so I don't really follow basketball or football, and boxing is certainly never Tivo-ed. Knowing this was a boxing movie, I was even more hesitant, but to my pleasant surprise, I found myself chuckling here and there. I never expected there to be such a sense of humor to...

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The Theatre was much tamer than I expected when I arrived Friday evening about 20 minutes before show time. The lobby was full of fresh faced teens and an occasional parent, quite a repectful crowd waiting patiently for things to get underway. I easily made my way backstage to see if that destination was offering any extra excitement. What I found there was the opening band, Band Marino, an awesome group of guys from Orlando, and the impromtu opportunity to announce them. While lead singer Nathan Bond scribbled a few directional notes for me on a sheet of loose leaf, my brain did some mental scrambling to figure out what I was going to say. I was able to avoid an appearance on stage, opting for the mysterious "man behind the curtain" announcement and ushered Band Marino on to the sounds of an energetic crowd. I enjoyed the rest of the show as one of the audience. Band Marino was a spunky opening act, quite the crowd pleaser with their assortment of instruments as well as the infectious hoedown that ended...

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You know, when you’re young and you watch your favorite movie, you play for the next three hours as if you were a certain character living the scenes from the film. You repeat the dialogue over and over, don a cape and frolic around the house with that glimmer of youthful exuberance in your eyes. All of this behavior comes from a pure excitement from the experience of the movie; you just don’t want to let that excitement stop, so you relive it as best you can. Well, my movie wasn’t on the big screen. It wasn’t even just on the stage. It was in my mind, projected onto the worldly screen through my eyes. The whole day was quite a production. I followed the stage crew and Theatre staff all day long to see the development of a big show, which just happened to be Jason Mraz, a musician who I have listened to and enjoyed for years. Fast forward to sound check. Here is where the plot...

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I am still recovering from my bellyache last night. Sinbad partnered with the Community Asthma Partnership (CAP) to provide unstoppable laughter for their annual fundraiser. It is a rare occasion to see such a great celebrity come to town and be as real and down to earth as Sinbad. It all started when he arrived at the Jacksonville International Airport and well, the limo waiting for him at the airport couldn't locate the 6ft+ stunner. So what did he do? He got in a taxi cab and went to his hotel. Before the event there was a reception for sponsors with Sinbad. I was anxious to greet him and take him safely into the theatre. I try not to be so star crazy when guests come here, but I have been a huge fan for many years (I loved him on Night at the Apollo). Plus, our new office "Wall Of Fame" has his picture on it several times from the previous years he has been here. When his car pulled up, it was like slow motion. His legs swung out of the car and his feet touched the ground with purpose. He was dressed in...

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Although Art After Dark has been held at the Theatre for 10 years, this was my first experience with the event. My excitement for this event had been building as we put together the displays for the silent auction. I had really enjoyed working on that project, so I knew that the actual event, the product of everyone's labor, would be well worth all the planning. My task for the evening was to take care of the sales for the night's featured and student artists. It was a fabulous job because I finally got to put faces to the names of all the artists as I went around to hand out the sale folders at the beginning of the night. I spoke with many of the artists and their assistants, all of which were very warm, charming people. Each floor was a different experience. The aroma from the food was all you needed to be lured up the stairs to each of the level's different buffets. The...

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The Florida Theatre has recently renovated our Web site to usher in the New Year with a brand new look. This revamped site will give you access to event and ticket information, as well as a history of the Theatre itself.

Please check the Blog often for updates and reactions to the shows from our staff.