This Summer in FST's Cabaret: Iconic Artists, Newly Reimagined

As our Winter Season comes to a close, our Summer Cabaret Series is starting to ramp up! Featuring music from the ‘60s to today, the Summer Cabaret Series lineup is brought to life by new and returning artists who give each song a one-of-a-kind twist.

THE SURFER BOYS

Opening the Summer Cabaret Series is The Surfer Boys, a spirited tribute to the band credited for creating pop music’s iconic “California Sound.” Four impressive vocalists will bring The Beach Boys’ greatest hits to life with slick choreography and smooth harmonies as they celebrate all things surfer rock.

This vibrant Cabaret was created by Brian Noonan, the same man behind The Jersey Tenors, an FST audience favorite known for blending iconic opera classics with Rock & Roll hits. Audiences across the country have called Noonan’s salute to The Beach Boys “Wonderful,” “Energetic,” and “Absolutely fantastic.”

“When we created this show, we wanted to start encompassing other genres and influential bands into our repertoire,” said Noonan. “Almost instantly, our creative team suggested The Beach Boys. We knew how intricate and difficult it would be to pull off such a task, given the incredible talents of Brian Wilson and the rest of the band, but at the end of the day, we all decided that we were up to the challenge.”

Four top-notch performers will deliver genre-defying arrangements of classics like “I Get Around,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” and “God Only Knows.”
This summer, head to FST for some “Fun, Fun, Fun” with The Surfer Boys, which begins playing June 13 in FST’s Goldstein Cabaret.

DIVAS THREE

Next up is Divas Three, an original Cabaret featuring three powerhouse female vocalists delivering four decades of hits by some of music’s most influential women. The group has traveled across the country with this dynamic music revue, and now, Divas Three makes its Sarasota debut. Featuring such iconic songs as “We Are Family,” “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” and “It’s Raining Men,” this bold Cabaret celebrates music by women with big personalities and even bigger voices.

“I was inspired to create Divas Three when I transitioned from performing, which I had done for over 20 years, into producing full time,” said Nancy Allen, creator and original producer of the show. “At the time, I saw a lack of really good female groups on the market. So, I decided that I was going to create one that had a bit of Broadway, a hint of Vegas, and a bit of pop.”

With original musical arrangements, Divas Three pays tribute to the artists whose musical impact has earned them the coveted title of “Diva,” like Donna Summer, Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion.

Divas Three begins playing July 11 in FST’s Court Cabaret.

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REMIXED!

Rounding out the Summer Cabaret Series is Creedence Clearwater Remixed!, a high-energy musical salute to Creedence Clearwater Revival, also known as “CCR.” Featuring the group’s biggest hits, including “Fortunate Son,” “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?,” and “Proud Mary,” this new music revue was created by another familiar face for FST audiences: Vaden Thurgood, last seen in The Jersey Tenors - Part II in 2022.

“Coming back to Sarasota feels a bit like coming home,” said Thurgood. “This will be my third time performing here and it’s always a joy!”

Creating a Cabaret about CCR was an easy choice for Thurgood, who loves telling the story of the only band who was bigger than The Beatles in 1969. But he didn’t want to imitate the band’s lead vocalist, John Fogerty, or try and copy the group’s sound outright.

“We’ve taken many of the hits and transformed them so they’re done a cappella, performed acoustically, or mashed up with similar songs,” said Thurgood. “The story of Creedence Clearwater Revival has staggering highs and heartbreaking lows, so I thought that the style of the different songs should reflect that.”

Creedence Clearwater Remixed! begins August 22 in FST’s Goldstein Cabaret.

From the soaring harmonies of The Beach Boys’ greatest hits and songs made famous by some of the most impactful female vocalists of all time to a salute to Southern country rock, this season we have a little bit of everything to get your toes tapping and put a smile on your face in the Summer Cabaret.

For more information about FST's Summer Cabaret Series and how to subscribe, click here.

Header Image: Brian Noonan, Allan Snyder, Ryan Ratliff, and Don Brewer. Photo by Simon Pearl.