FST Presents Off the Charts

FST Presents Off the Charts

(Sarasota, FLA)– Florida Studio Theatre (FST) will take audiences on a nostalgic musical journey, with Off the Charts, an original cabaret of jukebox pop favorites by Rebecca Hopkins and Richard Hopkins & Sarah Durham with musical arrangements by Jim Prosser. Previews begin on October 2, opens on October 4 and runs through February 9, 2025, in the Court Cabaret, located in the Hegner Theatre Wing at FST.

In 1958, the Billboard Top 100 debuted and began to track the most popular hits week by week and the music industry changed forever. Off the Charts celebrates the biggest hits of this revered list from the 50’s through the 90’s.  Featuring hits such as “My Girl,” “When A Man Loves A Woman” “The Greatest Love of All” and “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.”

“The pop genre is a captivating blend of irresistible hooks and memorable melodies that truly connect with listeners,” said Catherine Randazzo, Off the Charts director and FST’s Associate Artist and Literary Manager. “These Billboard Top 100 artists didn't just create the soundtrack for the 20th century and beyond; they revolutionized the music industry. Pop is an ever-evolving sound, continuously shaped by American subcultures. It's fascinating how history repeats itself through music, as listeners constantly rediscover and embrace the hits of their past.”

Off the Charts explores the innovation of pop music in the United States beginning with artists like Elvis, The Beatles and The Temptations into our more recent pop musicians like Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and George Michael.

A four-person ensemble will bring this distinctive sound to life in FST’s Court Cabaret: Carson Collins (FST Debut), Jarius Miquel Cliett (FST debut), Joyce Paulino (FST Debut), and Katelyn Bowman (Little Shop of Horrors, 2023). Jacquelyne Ambrosio (Up on the Roof, 2023) will replace Katelyn Bowman starting on December 10. FST’s Resident Pianist, Jim Prosser, will provide musical accompaniment on the piano.

The production’s creative team includes Catherine Randazzo (Director), Darren Server (Music Direction), Ben Liebert (Choreography), Chelsea Allen (Costume Design), Andrew Gray (Lighting & Scenic Design), and Nicholas Christensen (Sound Design).

Buckle up for the musical ride in Off the Charts and discover the stories behind iconic pop hits from the Billboard Top 100 from October 2 to February 9, 2025. Previews are October 2 and 3, with opening night on October 4, 2024. Single tickets start at $37.

Off the Charts is part of a three-show subscription package. Also included in the Cabaret subscription package is 59^th Street Bridge, a tribute to the early folk-rock artists in the 60s and 70s, along with Divas: Time After Time, a celebration of dynamic women with fierce vocals. Subscriptions for all three Winter Cabaret shows can be purchased for as little as $59. Subscriptions and single tickets are now on sale at 941.366.9000 or FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

 SPONSORS

Thank you to our sponsors. The show sponsor for Off the Charts is Sarasota Herald-Tribune LOCALiQ. FST’S 2024-25 Winter Mainstage Season Sponsors are Gulf Coast Community Foundation, The Exchange, the Shubert Foundation, and Florida’s Cultural Coast.

About Florida Studio Theatre

Known as Sarasota’s Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Artist Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company then acquired the former Woman’s Club building, becoming the first permanent venue. Shortly after Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins arrived, the building was purchased and renamed The Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio Theatre established itself as a major force in American Theatre, presenting contemporary theatre in its five theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the Gompertz Theatre, the Parisian style Goldstein Cabaret and John C. Court Cabaret, and Bowne’s Lab Theatre. 

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience.  FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world.  As FST grows and expands, it continues to provide audiences with challenging, contemporary drama and innovative programs.

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