Florida Studio Theatre Extends its Comedic and Imaginative Production of "The Blue-Sky Boys"

SARASOTA, Fla. (February 5, 2026) — Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is thrilled to announce that the Southeastern premiere of The Blue-Sky Boys has been extended through March 15, 2026. Written by Deborah Brevoort, this inventive and high-energy play invites audiences inside the extraordinary imagination behind the race to the moon.

Critics applaud The Blue-Sky Boys for its originality and boundless creativity. The Observer calls the production a “mind-bending journey of joyful exploration,” while BroadwayWorld describes it as a "roller-coaster ride of challenges, triumphs, and remarkable feats.” Sarasota Magazine hails the show as both “entertaining” and “exhilarating” as Jay Handelman of ArtsBeat applauds the play as “lively,” “rambunctious,” and “brilliant.”

When President Kennedy vowed to put a man on the moon, the task landed in the hands of a band of maverick engineers – once the misfits of American science. With no rulebook, they embraced “blue-skying,” drawing inspiration from Buck Rogers, Greek myths, Louis Leakey, and even Snoopy and the Red Baron.

"When the moon mission was announced, we saw pictures of guys in lab coats with slide rules, when in fact there was an imaginative engineering process that was taking place behind the scenes,” explains playwright Deborah Brevoort. “The guys were drawing inspiration from Buck Rogers comic books, Snoopy cartoons, Greek mythology, African paleontology, on and on."

The Blue-Sky Boys is directed by FST’s Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, who has helmed over 40 productions in FST’s five theatres and has received numerous awards, including the Arts Leadership Award from the Sarasota Arts Council and the Richard G. Fallon Award for Artistic Excellence from the Florida Professional Theatre Association.

 “Music, set design, costumes, projections – the work is all wildly original,” says Hopkins. “I think it’s because the play invites our talents to go off the rails in the best way. I knew [the play] was powerful when I read it, but I didn’t expect it to resonate so deeply with so many people.”

The cast features Greg Balla* as Buck Rogers/Dr. James Towers/Tycho Brahe/Icarus, Danny Bernardy* as Jed Berman, Gil Brady* as Apollo/Louis Leakey/Snoopy, Howard Kaye* as Galileo/The Red Baron/Reporter, Patrick Noonan* as Howard Haggerty, Johnny Shea* as CJ Caldwell, and Kraig Swartz* as Vencel von Volp.

Making up the creative team is Richard Hopkins (Director), Kate Alexander (Associate Director), Music Composer (Jim Prosser), Isabel & Moriah Curley-Clay (Scenic Design), Rob Perry (Lighting Design), Nicholas Christensen (Sound Design), Janice Pytel (Costume Design), Dylan Uremovich (Projection Design), Choreographer (Ben Liebert), Dialect Coach (Paul Meier), Ian Scheele (Specialty Props), Shira Lebovich* (AEA Stage Manager), Ashley Nolt (Stage Management Intern), Lexy Hatch (Assistant to the Director), and Tori Martinson (Rehearsal Stage Management Fellow).
*Indicates members of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Blast off with The Blue-Sky Boys, now playing through March 15, 2026. Single tickets start at $39. For more information, visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org or call (941) 366-9000.

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Sponsors

Florida Studio Theatre is grateful to its sponsors of the 2025-26 Winter Mainstage Season: Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax, The Shubert Foundation, Florida’s Cultural Coast, Florida Arts & Culture, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Sarasota Magazine

About Florida Studio Theatre

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is Sarasota’s contemporary theatre. Founded in 1973, FST has grown to a village of five theatres located in the heart of downtown Sarasota. Each theatre is small in size and large in impact – providing intimate and engaging settings for high-quality, professional performances.

Today, FST has established itself as a major force in American Theatre. FST is the largest subscription theatre in the state of Florida and among the largest in the country, serving more than 225,000 live attendees each year across its diverse programs: Mainstage, Cabaret, Stage III, Children’s Theatre, Improv, The FST School, and New Play Development.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to as many people as possible. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. Hip and historical, entertaining and challenging, we are where everyone is welcome to engage in the art of theatre.