The hit musical written and directed by Bill Leavengood with music, lyrics and musical direction by Lee Ahlin about St. Pete’s famous drug store returns to the Palladium in a concert format.

In 1999, the Pinellas County Millennium Celebration commissioned Leavengood and Ahlin to create a new musical based on the life and times of J. E. “Doc” Webb, the colorful St. Petersburg entrepreneur called the “P.T. Barnum of Retail.” In 1925, Webb opened a tiny drug store on Ninth Street and over the next five decades transformed it into a 77-store complex covering ten city blocks. In its heyday, Webb’s City attracted 60,000 visitors per day.

Webb’s City, the Musical premiered in 2000 at both Ruth Eckerd Hall and the Mahaffey Theater. The show was such a hit that a new non-profit arts organization, LiveArts, was created to bring it back to the Mahaffey Theater in 2001, where it broke their box office records, selling more than 10,000 tickets. A community theatre production was mounted at St. Petersburg Little Theatre a few years later where it broke their box office records as well.

Now, the Palladium Theater and American Stage, with underwriting by Jim and Suzanne MacDougald and Larry and Joyce Beltz, present this brand new multimedia concert version featuring all of the great music from the original musical, expertly woven together with narration, scene highlights and iconic images from five decades of St. Petersburg and Webb’s City history. The show reunites original production’s creators and directors, Bill Leavengood and Lee Ahlin.

CAST
Doc Webb: Jim Sorensen
Aretta Webb: Emilee Dupre
Leo Kerns: Terrence Jamison
Frank Hubert: Charles Reynolds
Marie Webb: Emilia Sargent
Breadline Betty: Stephanie Roberts
Bunie Webb: Michael McGuigan
Jimmy Webb: Mitch Marois
Ensemble: Susie Rayburn, Josh Moody, Olivia Sargent, Charlotte Leavengood, Senna Prasatthong-osoth, Will Hess, Ari Weiss, Shannon Wright, Reilly O’Neill, Erin Wilson, Oliver Hess

The hit musical written and directed by Bill Leavengood with music, lyrics and musical direction by Lee Ahlin about St. Pete’s famous drug store returns to the Palladium in a concert format.

In 1999, the Pinellas County Millennium Celebration commissioned Leavengood and Ahlin to create a new musical based on the life and times of J. E. “Doc” Webb, the colorful St. Petersburg entrepreneur called the “P.T. Barnum of Retail.” In 1925, Webb opened a tiny drug store on Ninth Street and over the next five decades transformed it into a 77-store complex covering ten city blocks. In its heyday, Webb’s City attracted 60,000 visitors per day.

Webb’s City, the Musical premiered in 2000 at both Ruth Eckerd Hall and the Mahaffey Theater. The show was such a hit that a new non-profit arts organization, LiveArts, was created to bring it back to the Mahaffey Theater in 2001, where it broke their box office records, selling more than 10,000 tickets. A community theatre production was mounted at St. Petersburg Little Theatre a few years later where it broke their box office records as well.

Now, the Palladium Theater and American Stage, with underwriting by Jim and Suzanne MacDougald and Larry and Joyce Beltz, present this brand new multimedia concert version featuring all of the great music from the original musical, expertly woven together with narration, scene highlights and iconic images from five decades of St. Petersburg and Webb’s City history. The show reunites original production’s creators and directors, Bill Leavengood and Lee Ahlin.

CAST
Doc Webb: Jim Sorensen
Aretta Webb: Emilee Dupre
Leo Kerns: Terrence Jamison
Frank Hubert: Charles Reynolds
Marie Webb: Emilia Sargent
Breadline Betty: Stephanie Roberts
Bunie Webb: Michael McGuigan
Jimmy Webb: Mitch Marois
Ensemble: Susie Rayburn, Josh Moody, Olivia Sargent, Charlotte Leavengood, Senna Prasatthong-osoth, Will Hess, Ari Weiss, Shannon Wright, Reilly O’Neill, Erin Wilson, Oliver Hess

THE ROYALE by Marco Ramirez
A Tampa Bay Area Premiere
September 20 – October 15, 2017

WE THE PEOPLE…WILL FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTFUL PLACE
Charismatic African-American boxer Jay “The Sport” Jackson has a burning desire to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But it’s 1905, and in the racially segregated world of boxing, his chances are as good as being knocked out. When a crooked boxing promoter hatches a plan for “the fight of the century,” “The Sport” just might land a place in the ring with the reigning white heavyweight champion. This stylized and stunning play about the life of an outsider in American culture explores one man’s struggle while reflecting a much broader one.

“…(a) breakthrough saga for a new generation.” – Los Angeles Times

“….captures both the beautiful frenzy of boxing and the volatile state of race relations in America.” – The Telegraph

THE ROYALE by Marco Ramirez
A Tampa Bay Area Premiere
September 20 – October 15, 2017

WE THE PEOPLE…WILL FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTFUL PLACE
Charismatic African-American boxer Jay “The Sport” Jackson has a burning desire to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But it’s 1905, and in the racially segregated world of boxing, his chances are as good as being knocked out. When a crooked boxing promoter hatches a plan for “the fight of the century,” “The Sport” just might land a place in the ring with the reigning white heavyweight champion. This stylized and stunning play about the life of an outsider in American culture explores one man’s struggle while reflecting a much broader one.

“…(a) breakthrough saga for a new generation.” – Los Angeles Times

“….captures both the beautiful frenzy of boxing and the volatile state of race relations in America.” – The Telegraph

THE ROYALE by Marco Ramirez
A Tampa Bay Area Premiere
September 20 – October 15, 2017

WE THE PEOPLE…WILL FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTFUL PLACE
Charismatic African-American boxer Jay “The Sport” Jackson has a burning desire to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But it’s 1905, and in the racially segregated world of boxing, his chances are as good as being knocked out. When a crooked boxing promoter hatches a plan for “the fight of the century,” “The Sport” just might land a place in the ring with the reigning white heavyweight champion. This stylized and stunning play about the life of an outsider in American culture explores one man’s struggle while reflecting a much broader one.

“…(a) breakthrough saga for a new generation.” – Los Angeles Times

“….captures both the beautiful frenzy of boxing and the volatile state of race relations in America.” – The Telegraph

THE ROYALE by Marco Ramirez
A Tampa Bay Area Premiere
September 20 – October 15, 2017

WE THE PEOPLE…WILL FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTFUL PLACE
Charismatic African-American boxer Jay “The Sport” Jackson has a burning desire to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But it’s 1905, and in the racially segregated world of boxing, his chances are as good as being knocked out. When a crooked boxing promoter hatches a plan for “the fight of the century,” “The Sport” just might land a place in the ring with the reigning white heavyweight champion. This stylized and stunning play about the life of an outsider in American culture explores one man’s struggle while reflecting a much broader one.

“…(a) breakthrough saga for a new generation.” – Los Angeles Times

“….captures both the beautiful frenzy of boxing and the volatile state of race relations in America.” – The Telegraph

THE ROYALE by Marco Ramirez
A Tampa Bay Area Premiere
September 20 – October 15, 2017

WE THE PEOPLE…WILL FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTFUL PLACE
Charismatic African-American boxer Jay “The Sport” Jackson has a burning desire to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But it’s 1905, and in the racially segregated world of boxing, his chances are as good as being knocked out. When a crooked boxing promoter hatches a plan for “the fight of the century,” “The Sport” just might land a place in the ring with the reigning white heavyweight champion. This stylized and stunning play about the life of an outsider in American culture explores one man’s struggle while reflecting a much broader one.

“…(a) breakthrough saga for a new generation.” – Los Angeles Times

“….captures both the beautiful frenzy of boxing and the volatile state of race relations in America.” – The Telegraph