-Sarasota Herald-Tribune
After 20 years of producing Shakespeare at Demen's Landing, American Stage kicks off a new tradition in the park with Crowns, Regina Taylor's soul-stirring, hip-swaying musical, running April 5 thru May 7.
Adapted from the beloved book, "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats," Crowns tells the story of Yolanda, a street wise kid from Brooklyn sent to live with her grandmother in South Carolina. Through uplifting music and hilarious yet moving stories about love, men and perseverance, Yolanda's grandmother and her female friends (who all believe that with the right 'hattitude,' any hat can be a crown and its wearer a queen) help Yolanda find inner strength and her own unique voice in the world.
The Oakland Tribune said, "Crowns is the sort of experience that changes you…so joyous and full of life that it's impossible to resist."
The all-star cast includes Sharon Scott, ranney, Yolonda Williams, Rose Bilal, LaDonna Burns, Annie Lee Moffett and Fredena Williams. CROWNS is directed by Producing Artistic Director Todd Olson.
"Over the past two decades, Shakespeare in the Park has become one of the Tampa Bay area's most beloved institutions, having attracted over 20,000 patrons a year," said Olson. "After speaking with our audience, we decided that after 20 years, it was time to start a new tradition."
Although we will now be producing musicals during American Stage in the Park, Olson plans to bring Florida's Gulf Coast something they won't receive from other theaters in the area.
"The musicals we will do in the park will still be uniquely American Stage; you will likely not see things you would see in the Broadway series at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center or Ruth Eckerd Hall, nor will you see concerts like at the Vinoy," said Olson.
Shakespeare purists can take heart as Olson has promised to bring the Bard indoors every spring as part of the mainstage season.
"Shakespeare is better suited to an indoor venue where one can hear the beauty of the language much more clearly," said Olson. "Bringing the Bard indoors also allows us to choose from a part of his canon that we have neglected before, namely the tragedies and histories that were ill-suited to an outdoor audience of over 1,000 people."
Tickets prices are $25 for reserved chair seating and $20 for premium blanket seating. General admission lawn seats are $10 for Thursday and Sunday performances and $13 for Friday and Saturday performances.
Wednesday performances are Pay-What-You-Can nights. Kids 12 and under are free on the lawn.
To bid on a high-qulity replica of the an official hat from Crowns, Click Here!
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