The Bard Takes Broadway

Presented in cooperation with Orlando Shakespeare Theater

Let there be no noise made, my gentle friends;
Unless some dull and favourable hand
Will whisper music to my weary spirit.
—William Shakespeare, Henry IV Part 2

Shakespeare’s world was as thoroughly permeated with popular music as our own. Chanteuse Laura Hodos (accompanied by UCF professor Brian Hoffman) creates an elegant and effervescent evening of music showcasing the Bard’s influence on the Great White Way! Laura and Brian will be bringing you the best of Broadway—as creatively sparked by Will Shakespeare himself. Enjoy songs you know, songs you don’t, and some songs that will make you wonder how Shakespeare did it! Including hits from Kiss Me, Kate, The Boys From Syracuse, Hair, Something Rotten and more, it’s an event you won’t want to miss! The intimate cabaret setting of the Pugh Theatre creates the perfect marriage and celebration of the Orlando Shakespeare Theater and it’s partnership with UCF.

CAST

Laura Hodos
Brian Hoffman
Special guests from the UCF School of Performing Arts

PRODUCTION/CREATIVE TEAM

Stage Manager: George Hamrah
Producer: Jim Helsinger
Written and created by Laura Hodos
Musical Arrangements by Laura Hodos and Brian Hoffman
Music Director: Brian Hoffman

Laura Hodos (Cabarista) is an award-winning singer, actor, improv artist, and cabarista. She has been honored with the New Times, Broadway World, and Silver Palm awards, as well as being a six-time Carbonell Award nominee. Laura has written and performed ten solo cabarets, the latest of which, JULIE AND MARY AND ETHEL AND BABS, performed to sold out houses in Maine, North Carolina, and Florida. She’s been a soloist with the Orlando Philharmonic, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Sarasota Orchestra, and the Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra, as well as performing cabaret at the Citrus Club, the Orlando Cabaret Festival, The Duplex and don’t tell mama cabaret theatres in New York City, and at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, CT. Laura has joyfully sung at Radio City Music Hall and Lincoln Center, and is proud to be the voice of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival and Starbright Holidays at Disney Springs. She’s a fierce amateur baker, an aspiring photographer, a Dickinson College and AMDA grad, and a proud member of Actors’ Equity. www.LauraHodos.com

Dr. Brian Hoffman (Pianist/Music Director) Assistant Professor of Music Theory at UCF. Brian holds a Ph.D. in music theory from Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Michigan. He has music directed for several regional theatres and universities in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Oklahoma and his arrangements have been heard in New York, England, and aboard cruise ships throughout Europe and the US.  He has presented his musical-theatre research at national, and international research conferences including the Society for Music Theory national meeting. Much love and thanks to his wife Daniella, his pumpkin pie, Kira, and best bud, Tyce.

Jim Helsinger (Producer) Mr. Helsinger is the Artistic Director of the Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF. He produced last year’s Patrick Doyle’s Music of Shakespeare and directed 2015’s Shakespeare Swings for UCF Celebrates the Arts.  Directing credits for Orlando Shakespeare Theater include West Side Story, Spamalot, Nicholas Nickleby, Henry V, Pericles, Hamlet, and others. Other directing credits include Prague Shakespeare Company, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Florida Studio Theatre, Cape May Stage, Florida Repertory Theatre, Actor’s Playhouse and Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. He is a member of Actor’s Equity Association, the National Theatre Conference, the National New Play Network, and is Past President of the Shakespeare Theatre Association. He holds a BA from Miami University (Ohio) and an MFA from University of Alabama.

About the Orlando Shakespeare Theater – Founded in 1989, Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF produces classic, contemporary, and children’s plays. Now celebrating its 28^th season,  Orlando Shakes has grown into one of the region’s most acclaimed professional theaters, garnering national recognition from NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, American Theatre, and The Wall Street Journal.  Performing in the beautiful Lowndes Shakespeare Center in Loch Haven Park, and with ambitious, high-caliber productions like West Side Story, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Les Miserables , Henry V, and Macbeth, (as well as  the recent Angel Wing Project in response to the Pulse Tragedy) the theater continues to provide innovative world-class theatrical experience to its guests, showcasing William Shakespeare’s legacy as the cornerstone of the company. Orlando Shakes also offers immersive educational programming that serves Central Florida schools and the local community at large.

About the Partnership Orlando Shakespeare Theater boasts a multifaceted, long-term partnership with the University of Central Florida. In addition to designating representatives to the Theater’s Board of Directors, UCF provides us with necessary philosophical and financial support each season. In return, the Theater provides a thriving Acting/Education Internship program which gives UCF students the opportunity to fulfill their MFA and undergraduate BFA requirements. University faculty and students may also participate as actors, designers, and directors for various projects, adding professional credits to their university experience. Additionally, our Artistic Director teaches classes and serves as a faculty member for Theatre UCF.

University of Central Florida students, faculty, alumni, and administrators have donated their time, energy, and resources to the Theater, and for that, the Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF is truly appreciative.