Piano Men
November 30, 2016 - April 23, 2017 | Goldstein Cabaret
From honkytonks to magnificent concert halls, the men of Piano Men performed on a variety of stages, lived diverse lifestyles and most importantly, wrote about their experiences. A tribute to the virtuosity and elegance of the “piano man,” Piano Men features the works of the 20th Century’s best pianists and songwriters such as Billy Joel, Elton John, and Barry Manilow. Featuring songs such as “Piano Man,” “Your Song,” and “I Write the Songs.”
The running time for Piano Men is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. It is performed with an intermission.
Piano Men by Richard Hopkins and Catherine Randazzo with Caroline Kaiser and Arrangements by Jim Prosser.
To view a large print version of our playbill, click here.
To read the forum booklet, click here.
Do you need a ride to the theatre? Click here to find out more about our partnership with iTN Suncoast.
CREATIVE
Director | Catherine Randazzo
Music Supervisor | Darren Server
Costume Designer | Susan Angermann
Lighting Designer | John Eckert
Sound Designer | Toby Algya
CAST
John Grieco
Brian Walters
BAND
Sax | Greg Amos
Drums | Tony Bruno/Donn Foster
Guitar | Chuck Davis
JOHN GRIECO Regional: Murder for Two (Marcus) at Depot Theatre, Million Dollar Quartet (Jerry Lee Lewis) at Croswell Opera House, Oklahoma (Curly) at Ocean City Theatre Company, Les Misérables at Fulton Theatre, South Pacific at Riverside Theatre, Phantom at Gateway Playhouse, The Secret Garden at WPPAC, Carousel (Billy Bigelow), Brigadoon (Tommy), and Sweeney Todd (Anthony). NY: West Side Story (Tony) at Harbor Lights Theatre, Three Wishes for Jamie (Musicals Tonight!), and Martha (Liederkranz Opera Theatre). www.johngrieco.com
BRIAN WALTERS is making his Florida Studio Theatre debut in Piano Men. Brian recently starred as Marcus in the musical comedy Murder for Two at TheatreSquared and Mason Street Warehouse. In New York, he appeared as Bart in The 12: a new rock musical (Signature Theater). Other credits include Tommy in The Who’s Tommy (West Virginia Public Theater), Jim Farrell in Titanic (Nat’l Tour), Young Soldier in Parade (4th Wall Theater). Brian tours the US and Caribbean year round in concert, and has worked alongside Michael Feinstein with the PBS Broadcast of One Singular Sensation: Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch at Lincoln Center. Pace University BFA Musical Theater. Proud member of AEA. www.brianwaltersonline.com
GREG AMOS (Band/Sax) is a multi-woodwind player who over the years has worked with groups and artists The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Steve Laurence and Eydie Gorme’, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Crystals, The Mills Brothers, Kay Starr, regional and local groups. As a woodwind player Greg’s musical theatre experience includes having played more than 50 different broadway style musicals including the world re-premiere of Richard Adlers Kwamina in the late 90’s. This is Greg’s second season at FST having also played Hairspray.
TONY BRUNO (Band/Drums from 12/11 through 1/31) began his professional drumming career at age 17 in FST’s 1988 production of No Way To Treat A Lady. Since then, Tony has drummed for 52 different musicals across the country. He has completed twelve national tours. Not limited to show drumming, Tony has shared the recording studio and/or stage with Ben E. King, The Tokens, Fabian, Jr Watson, BB King, Bobby Haggard, Johnny Varro, June Garbar, Bowzer, Steve Guyger, Terry Hank, Jesse Yawn, and Dick Hyman.
DONN FOSTER (Band/Drums from 11/30 through 12/11 and from 2/1 through the end of the run) served with the United States Navy band for 24 years, a White House support unit. Performances include inauguration parades, capital hill reception for British parliament, and events in Europe, Cuba, Bermuda and through out the United States. He performed for the Florida Studio Theatre production of Smokey Joe’s Café and other local productions.
CHUCK DAVIS (Band/Guitar) is thrilled to be a part of the Cabaret Series. A long time resident of New York he recently moved to Florida and has settled on the Sun Coast permanently. He started his musical career playing guitar in rock bands, Top 40 cover bands, and show bands. Chuck was the lead guitarist for “The Happenings”, the band behind “See You in September” (1966) and “I’ve Got Rhythm” (1967). He toured with the band in its later years. Once “off the road” he built a recording studio in the Hudson Valley where he produced and recorded local artists. He also taught and continues to teach guitar and bass guitar to aspiring musicians of all ages. He led a grants based Saturday enrichment program in New York called “Guitar Stars” for urban youth ages 7 to 10. Chuck also plays the harp guitar. His performances are focused on rock, standards, classical and original instrumentals.
CATHERINE RANDAZZO (Developer/Director) is thrilled to work with the talented team of Piano Men. This season she also directed Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves. Last season she directed FST’s Winter Cabaret Yesterday: A Tribute to the British Invasion. For the past twenty-five years she has worked professionally as a performing artist appearing in plays, musicals, cabarets, new play readings, voice overs, commercials, fund raisers, and touring in national and international productions. She is the recipient and nominee of various awards for education, national arts awards, and local performance awards including “Best Actress in a Musical” for her performance as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. She was named one of “Sarasota’s Funniest People” for her comedic styles seen in Sarasota’s original political comedy group, License to Bash. Catherine joined FST in 2014 as Associate Artist. She serves as Literary Manager, in-residence director, teaching artist, and professional actor. Catherine is a graduate of Otterbein University in Ohio with a BFA in performance, and she is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
DARREN SERVER (Musical Director) is thrilled to be back at FST for his second season. He recently music directed Million Dollar Quartet and Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves for the FST stage. Music directing One Man, Two Guvnors and Laughing Matters last season was a fun and rewarding experience. Also last season, he music directed and arranged the vocals for Ah, Wilderness! at the Asolo Repertory Theatre and at the Players Theatre of Sarasota, he music directed and conducted La Cage Aux Folles. For the past twelve summers, he has been the resident musical director at Totem Pole Playhouse in Fayetteville, PA. Here’s an interesting fact about Darren, his grandfather is “Curly” Howard of The Three Stooges and his great-uncles are Moe and Shemp Howard. This has always been a source of pride and inspiration for Darren. See Darren in the film: Atlas Shrugged-Part II, the role of ‘Richard Halley’ and follow him on his family’s website:www.thegrandstooges.com.
REBECCA LI GRADY (Sound and Light Board Operator) recently stage managed The Velveteen Rabbit as part of FST’s WRITE A PLAY season. Rebecca served as an ASM for the Delaware Theatre Company’s Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life, Playing the Assassin, Nureyev’s Eyes, and The Explorers Club. Other credits include The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and Anyone Can Whistle. She has also completed two other internships in Development at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and The Wilma Theater.
SUSAN ANGERMANN (Costume Designer) started her career in costuming in New York designing and constructing costumes for various productions in theatre, opera, film, and television. In 1993 she moved to Sarasota, and designed several productions at FST. She returned to FST as Costume Shop Manager from 2009 to 2016. Recent designs include Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves; Yesterday; Soul Mates: A Journey to Hitsville; American Pie; Chapatti; Becoming Dr. Ruth; Pump Boys and Dinettes; Too Darn Hot; Freud’s Last Session; Poems, Prayers and Promises; The Prima Donnettes; By Gershwin; That’s Life Again; Night Train to Memphis; Shake, Rattle and Roll; Urban Cowboys and Let’s Twist Again: with the Wanderers.
JOHN ECKERT (Lighting Designer) New York: The Wedge Horse, At The Table, Breathing Time, From White Plains (Fault Line Theatre). Tennessee Williams 1982 (PCTC). Consent (Cohen, Feldman). If Colorado Had An Ocean, Soulographie (La Mama). Mary-Kate Olson is in Love (The Flea). Regional: Trinity Rep, Merrimack Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Sledgehammer Theatre, Peterborough Players, Gulfshore Playhouse. Two New Hampshire Theatre Awards and an LA Weekly Award. Artistic Associate of Fault Line Theatre. MFA from CalArts. www.jeckert.com
TOBY ALGYA (Sound Designer) NYC: In The Room, Widower’s Houses, Dark Vanilla Jungle/Tonight With Donny Stixx, H2O, Hard Love, Abundance, Natural Affection, Lost In Yonkers, Awake and Sing!, Philip Goes Forth, Tender Napalm, Whida Peru, Mosaic, Rosmersholm, Ringmaster, Human Variations, Pratfalls, Where’s My Money, The Invested, Hamlet, Fantasy Football: The Musical?. Regional: Hartford Stage, Barrington Stage Company, Northern Stage, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, City Theatre - Pittsburgh, Portland Stage, People’s Light and Theatre, WHAT, Asolo Rep., South Coast Rep., La Jolla Playhouse. MFA UC San Diego.
RICHARD HOPKINS (Lead Developer) is the Producing Artistic Director of Florida Studio Theatre. Mr. Hopkins has fostered the development of FST’s Mainstage and Cabaret productions. His many directing Mainstage credits include: Inspired Lunacy, The Best of Enemies, Next to Normal, Race, Ruined, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Boleros for the Disenchanted, Permanent Collection, and Metamorphoses among numerous other plays. Mr. Hopkins led the development of FST’s Cabaret productions of The Prima Donnettes, Too Darn Hot, and By Gershwin. Mr. Hopkins also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Florida Studio Theatre. This includes overseeing the creation and implementation of all FST programming, including Mainstage, Cabaret, Stage III, New Play Development, Education, and Touring. Since his arrival at FST in 1980, Mr. Hopkins has guided the theatre from a small touring company to a nationally recognized regional theatre which impacts over 200,000 adults and children annually. He created the New Play Development Program, The Cabaret Series, FST’s award winning WRITE A PLAY Program, and he has directed the design and renovation of all FST’s theatres. Mr. Hopkins is the recipient of numerous awards including the Arts Leadership Award from the Sarasota Arts Council, the Richard G. Fallon Award for Artistic Excellence from the Florida Professional Theatres Association, and the 2012 Cultural Champion Award from the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County.
REBECCA HOPKINS (Developer) has been actively involved in development of FST’s Cabaret productions since Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits in 1999. This season she was the lead developer on Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves and co-developer of Piano Men and Older Than Dirt. Previously she was the lead developer on Yesterday, American Pie, and Poems, Prayers, and Promises. She has been the head writer on all five Laughing Matters shows. Some of her favorite shows she helped develop include: The Prima Donnettes, That’s Life; The Wanderers; My One and Only Gershwin; Hot and Cole; Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits; The British Invasion; The Flip Side; and Outlaws and Angels. In addition, she is the founder and producer of FST Improv and the Sarasota Improv Festival. Mrs. Hopkins serves as Managing Director for Florida Studio Theatre, and as such, is the Chief Operations Officer. Mrs. Hopkins is responsible for oversight of FST’s Administration, including the Business Office, Development, Marketing, Box Office, Front of House, Restaurant, budgeting, and maintaining the overall quality of FST’s internal management. Nationally, Mrs. Hopkins is President of the National New Play Network and serves on the Executive Board for the League of Resident Theatres, and on the Board of Theatre Communications Group. In 2012, the Arts & Cultural Alliance awarded Mrs. Hopkins the Cultural Champion Award in recognition of her many years of accomplishment and growth with Florida Studio Theatre.
JIM PROSSER (Arrangements) This season marks Jim’s 22nd season as resident pianist in FST’s Cabaret, where he has arranged and co-developed many shows including Dancing In The Street, By Gershwin, European Cabaret, That’s Life Again, British Invasion, Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits, Harry Who?, Too Darn Hot, last season’s production of Laughing Matters, and this season’s production of Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves. He has also served as composer/music director for FST’s Education department, writing numerous songs and scores for children’s shows such as Androcles and the Lion, RAP-Punzel, The Velveteen Rabbit, and the WRITE A PLAY elementary tours. Jim is also a music director for FST Improv, for which he has played many shows including the improvised musical When X Meets Y.
CAROLINE KAISER (Developer) is the Producing Assistant and Director of Children’s Theatre at Florida Studio Theatre. Piano Men marks her very first foray in cabaret development with FST. Prior to FST she served as Associate Artistic Director of TheatreworksUSA, one of the nation’s largest theatres for young audiences. In addition to her work with children, she has been the Casting Director on over fifty touring, regional, and New York productions. A Pittsburgh native, she holds a degree from Point Park University in Musical Theatre.
The Goldstein Cabaret is located next to the Keating Theatre on Palm Avenue. For GPS purposes use the address of 1241 N. Palm Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236. To see a list of our buildings and shows, please see below. For more information please call the FST Box Office at (941) 366-9000.
Do you need a ride to the theatre? Click here to find out more about our partnership with iTN Suncoast.
For those who require additional assistance or handicap parking/drop off, please see the map below. Handicap parking is reserved for patrons with a handicap tag and is in the lot across from the Hegner Theatre Wing. The area for drop off of handicap passengers/patrons for the Court Cabaret is along the corner of First Street and Cocoanut Avenue. If handicap parking is not available and you are dropping off a passenger, our lobby concierge would be happy to wait with them until you return. For any questions regarding handicap parking please call the box office at (941) 366-9000.
