Inaugural Fundraising Gala
Celebrating a Decade on Stage
The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra
Autumn Gold
Singing Servers
Aerialist
Cheryl Cox
Inaugural Fundraising Gala
Celebrating a Decade on Stage
An evening that promises dazzling entertainment, fine dining, and a celebration of 10 years of artists, community, and impact. It's a moment to reflect on our journey, honor our supporters, and look ahead to the future of arts in our community.
04.26.25 | 5:30pm | $150
We’re counting down the days until our Inaugural Fundraising Gala – and there’s still time to join the celebration!
This isn’t just any night, it’s a one-of-a-kind evening featuring:
• Exclusive Live Performances –Including the incredible The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra
• Premium Open Bar & Gourmet Bites –Savor award-winning cuisine
• Exciting Auctions & Games of Chance –Your opportunity to win luxury prizes
More than a party, this night fuels fundraising efforts to continue building upon the future of live theatre. Every ticket supports bold storytelling and artist-driven work at The Sharon and The Studio Theatre.
Reserve your seat today –we’d love to celebrate with you!
THANK YOU to our sponsors:
THE SCOOP Gala inaugural
April Shows
Change the World 2 Lobby Lounge Cabaret
The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
Tap Into Soul One Night of Queen
The Sharon Kids Summer Camps Qualia
Announcing Season 10
A Maestro Bill Doherty Production
Change the World 2:
songs of inspiration, love, & hope for world peace
JOIN US FOR THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN
OF
CHANGE THE WORLD,
with two performances featuring Maestro Bill Doherty, Billie Thatcher, Mary Jo Vitale, Kathleen Kane, Angie Rose, members of The Villages Charter School 4th and 5th grade choir, and many other talented local artists as they sing songs of Inspiration, Love, and Hope for World Peace.
Uplifting songs from this performance will include renditions of songs such as:
What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong) You Raise Me Up (Josh Groban)
Greatest Love of All (Whitney Houston) For Good (Wicked)
Partial proceeds from this concert filled with good-will and joy will benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Don't miss the return of the concert that was called "A triumph of community, and a glorious example of how music can heal the soul".
Two Leading Men, One Night of Broadway
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN a five-piece band, two leading men, and several fabulous guest singers gather in the Sharon Lobby? They perform all their favorite selections from the long history of Leading Men on Broadway!
With songs ranging from Les Misérables and The Secret Garden to The Muppet Movie, this concert will be sure to sweep you off your feet. Even the Cello player will want to dance to tunes made famous by Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Barbara Streisand. Grab a drink, grab your seat, and get ready for an unforgettable night of hit songs, sung with passion on The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center Lobby historic stage.
Featured artists include: Leading Men Russell Stephens and Ryan Loeckel
Supporting singers: Sara DelBeato and Marcie Samuelson Winter
Beloved Band Members: Chris Conner on Drums, Christopher Mewhinney on Bass, Gary Powell on Piano, Jean-Marie Glazer on Cello, and Miles Randolph on Guitar
Prime seating is available for this performance! Prime guarantees you access to seating closest to the stage, on the most comfortable seats in the house, and each tickets includes one complementary drink of your choice at the Sharon Bar. Please note, seating is still general admission, not assigned, within the Prime area, so plan to arrive right when the doors open at 6:30pm if you have a favorite lounge!
FEATURING:
PASQUALE VALERIO, MAESTRO
THE VILLAGES PHILHARMONIC IS A PROFESSIONAL ORCHESTRA PRESENTING THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE STANDARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MUSICAL PERFORMANCE SINCE 2003. Most members live in the Orlando area but we have regular members who come from as far afield as Jacksonville, Tampa, Daytona and St. Petersburg. The Philharmonic gives 13-15 concerts per year and so we don't provide full time employment for any of the players. Our players are comprised of resident and international artists who collaborate with symphonic and operatic companies at large. Although most orchestra members are not Villagers, there are two professional orchestra members who are Village residents and there are six amateurs who train each Saturday so that they can meet the standards required to play with the Philharmonic.
Sunday, Aug 31.................................... Labor Day Celebration Pops
Tuesday, Oct 14 .................................. American Italian Celebration
Friday, Nov 21 ................................................................... Messiah
Monday, Dec 16-17 ......................................... Holiday Celebration
Wednesday, Jan 28 ..... Rhapsody in Blue and Dvorak Symphony #8
Saturday, Feb 14 .................... American Music: Celebration of Love
Tuesday, Mar 10 .................... Mozart & Beethoven Piano Concertos
Thursday, Apr 2 ..................................... Schumann Piano Concerto
Saturday, May 16 ...... Opera Gala: Magic Moments of Opera Scenes
AUG 31-MAY 16 ON SALE NOW
CHOOSE AT LEAST 4 SHOWS & GET 10% OFF GET ALL 9 SHOWS & GET 15% OFF
SUBSCRIPTION RENEWALS WITH NO CHANGES APRIL 16
SUBSCRIPTION RENEWALS WITH CHANGES MAY 7 NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE
FOUNDED IN 1974 by a group of ballet enthusiasts for the purpose of presenting a playful, entertaining view of traditional, classical ballet in parody form and en travesti, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo first performed in the late-late shows in Off-Off Broadway lofts. The Trocks, as the dancers are affectionately known, quickly garnered a major critical essay by Arlene Croce in The New Yorker which, combined with reviews in The New York Times and The Village Voice, established the company as an artistic and popular success.
The original concept of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo has not changed. It is a company of professional male dancers performing the full range of the ballet and modern dance repertoire, including classical and original works in faithful renditions of the manners and conceits of those dance styles. The comedy is achieved by incorporating and exaggerating the foibles, accidents, and underlying incongruities of serious dance. The fact that men dance all the parts – heavy bodies delicately balancing on toes as swans, sylphs, water sprites, romantic princesses, or angst-ridden Victorian ladies – enhances, rather than mocks, the spirit of dance as an art form, delighting and amusing the most knowledgeable, as well as novices, in the audiences.
After recent appearances on ABC News and for the Prince of Wales on the Royal Variety Show, the dancers of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo have become more well-known than ever.
BLENDING MULTI-OCTAVE VOCALS and worldclass tap dancing on a soulful setlist featuring both classic and contemporary chart-topping hits, Solomon Jaye's TAP INTO SOUL offers an exciting new take on a timeless genre of music. From "I Feel Good" (James Brown) and "Let's Stay Together" (Al Green) through "Superstition" (Stevie Wonder) and "September" (Earth, Wind & Fire) to "Shape of You" (Ed Sheeran) and "Uptown Funk" (Bruno Mars), the incredible music featured in this high-energy show (accompanied by Jaye's frenzy of fast footwork and even some surprise instrumental solos) transports listeners from the 1950s to today in the blink of an eye! Audiences may have previously seen or heard him via collaborations with a parade of Grammy winners and nominees, including Pentatonix, Jessie J, Robin Thicke, Jazz phenom Mindi Abair, and Broadway stars Shoshana Bean and Alyssa Fox… but if you haven't yet experienced the incredible cross-genre mashup of music, dance, and electrifying energy created every time Solomon Jaye steps onto the stage, it's time to TAP INTO SOUL!
FOR
OVER 20 YEARS GARY MULLEN AND THE WORKS have been performing their worldrenowned One Night of Queen live concert.
Gary Mullen & The Works featuring Gary Mullen on vocals, David Brockett on guitar, Malcolm Gentles on keyboards, Jon Halliwell on drums and Alan McGeoch on bass guitar will have you dancing in the aisles during their show, while the band pays tribute to the stage theatrics, showmanship, and music of arguably the greatest rock band of all time: Queen.
In 2000, Gary Mullen won the Granada TV programme "Stars in Their Eyes" with his performance as Queen's lead singer: Freddie Mercury. Mullen's embodiment of Freddie Mercury resulted in him gaining 864,838 votes in the show's Live Grand Final. The number of fans who voted for Mullen was more than double that of the runner-up, thus setting the all time record number of votes in the history of the programme.
For over two decades, Gary Mullen & The Works have performed to audiences around the world, playing more than 2,500 live shows to audiences in over 20 countriesperforming and selling out many of the same venues that Queen have, all around the world. As of 2023, they are the most successful tribute band in France, playing to over 250,000 people!
They WILL ROCK YOU and are GURANTEED TO BLOW YOUR MIND! Don't miss your chance to celebrate One Night Of Queen with Gary Mullen & The Works!
The Show DOES go on!
JUNE 2 - JUNE 7 WEEK 1
GRADES 3-8 GRADES 1-2
FINAL PERFORMANCE JUNE 7TH | $15 | 2:30PM
JUNE 9 - JUNE 14 WEEK 2
GRADES 3-8 GRADES 1-2
FINAL PERFORMANCE JUNE 14TH | $15 | 2:30PM
BEHIND THEcurtain tour
Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of your favorite shows at The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center? Want to share footprints with some of the world’s biggest stars? Our Behind The Curtain Tour is for you!
Join a group of like-minded members of your community and your tour guide for a look at the history of The Sharon, her namesake, and the systems and people that make your hometown Performing Arts Center world-class.
You’ll see, hear about, and have the opportunity to ask questions about:
• Sharon L. Morse, the matriarch of the Morse Family, and in many respects, The Villages itself.
• The History of The Sharon (and Church on the Square).
• A brief overview of the inner workings of the commercial theatre business.
• Audiovisual systems, including digital audio networks and workflows.
• Lighting systems, including conventional and intelligent lighting fixtures and electrical distribution and control.
• Rigging systems, including the world’s first fully automated fly system.
• Theatrical cast, crew, and patron safety.
• Backstage areas, like the scene shop, green room, and dressing areas.
Visit SignificantProductions.org for more information.
SEASON 9
QUALIA A POST NUCLEAR PLAY
BY ASHLEIGH ANN GARDNER
Qualia, a post-nuclear play by Central Florida playwright and Studio Theatre veteran, Ashleigh Ann Gardner, is a dystopian story set 100 years in the future. The world has been decimated by toxic radiation save a few lingering humans. Alex lives alone safely tucked away in a bunker made by her doomsday prepping parents. Her only companion is Dom, a compassionate AI program engineered by her late mother. Alex and Dom are the only sentient creatures for miles. Until one day a knock outside the bunker door turns their safe world upside down. This intelligent and modern play explores the formula for being human. Is using logic, expressing emotion, and feeling love enough; or is a traditional corporeal form also required? Join us for this funny and honest science fiction play about finding what it means to be human in an isolated world.
PERFORMANCES / $40
APR 4TH-26TH, 2025
ASL PERFORMANCE
APR 22ND, 2025
SEASON
9
PLAYWRIGHT &DIRECTOR QA
Join us for an exciting evening with the creative minds behind the acclaimed play Qualia: a post-nuclear play. This lively Q&A session will feature Ashleigh Ann Gardner, the brilliant playwright, and Sara Oliva, the visionary director who first brought Qualia to life.
Ashleigh Ann Gardner
SARA Oliva
Ashleigh Ann Gardner is an Orlandobased playwright whose works include the award-winning Qualia, produced in both Orlando and Chicago. She also created The Not: a Midwestern Gothic horror, which premiered in 2023. Ashleigh holds a Master's Degree in Literary, Cultural, and Textual Studies with specializations in Victorian and Gothic literature, gender studies, and psychoanalytic theory from the University of Central Florida.
Sara Oliva is an Orlando-based director, actor, and producer who directed the first reading of Qualia in 2019. Her award-winning short film has been a hit at over 65 international festivals. Sara has received multiple acting awards and holds an MFA in Acting from Brandeis University.
Don't miss this chance to engage with Ashleigh Ann Gardner and Sara Oliva and gain unique insights into the creation and direction of Qualia.
APRIL 24TH | 1PM
ON SALE NOW
BY ASHLEIGH ANN GARDNER
SEASON 10 SEASON 10 announcing ECHOES OF THE PAST, VISIONS OF THE FUTURE
JOIN THE STUDIO FAMILY &
become a subscriber today!
THE PERKS OF BEING A SUBSCRIBER...
• Secure all four shows at a discounted rate.
• Choose your seats before individual ticket buyers.
• Each Subscriber will receive a complimentary Subscriber Decal for display in their car or golf car!
• Discount on this year’s Mini Summer Vacation.
ON SALE NOW:
Inaugural Subscriber Renewals
Subscriptions Renewals*
Mini Summer Vacation Add-Ons
ON SALE APRIL 23RD: New Subscriptions
Individual Tickets
Mini Summer Vacation Add-Ons
$89.50 INAUGURAL SUBSCRIBERS RENEWALS
$140 NEW & RENEWED SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS
$70 MINI SUMMER VACATION 2025 SUBSCRIBER ADD-ON
$75 MINI SUMMER VACATION 2025 NON SUBSCRIBER ADD-ON
$35 MINI SUMMER VACATION 2026 ADD-ON
*All of The Villages box offices and phone lines open at 10am. Subscription Renewal is not available online at this time.
2025 Mini
PREVIEWS / $35
MAY 28TH-29TH, 2025
PERFORMANCES / $45
MAY 30TH-JUN 28TH, 2025
TALKBACK
JUN 18TH, 2025
ASL PERFORMANCE
JUN 17TH, 2025
I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE
Music by Jimmy Roberts
Book & Lyrics by Joe DiPietro
Dating, love, marriage, and everything in between.
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a celebration of the game of love. This long-running off-Broadway revue reveals the truths and myths behind that contemporary conundrum known as “the relationship.” Through sketches and songs, this hilarious adventure explores the journey from dating to marriage, the agonies and triumphs of in-laws and newborns, trips in the family car, and funeral-friendly pick-up lines. This comical and relatable musical pays tribute to those who have loved and lost, those who have fumbled at any chance of romance, and those who have dared to ask, “Say, what are you doing Saturday night?” Join us for this endearing, funny, and heartwarming ride on the rollercoaster of relationships.
Summer Vacation
PREVIEWS / $30
JUL 29TH-31ST, 2025
PERFORMANCES / $40
AUG 1ST-23RD, 2025
TALKBACK
AUG 21ST, 2025
SUITE SURRENDER
By Michael McKeever
Glamour, gossip, and guffaws
ASL PERFORMANCE
AUG 12TH, 2025
It is 1942, and two of Hollywood's biggest divas, Claudia McFadden and Athena Sinclair, have descended upon the luxurious Palm Beach Royale Hotel. The stars bring with them two assistants, two sets of luggage, two overblown egos, and one legendary feud. Everything seems to be in order for their benefit performance for the troops—until they are mistakenly assigned to the same suite. Can two bumbling bellhops, two steadfast secretaries, and a stuffy hotel manager keep these fierce rivals apart? Or will this benefit performance end in a delicious disaster? Check into the Palm Beach Royale Hotel and check out mistaken identities, double entendres, a nosy gossip columnist, disappearing roses, dramatic door slamming, and a pampered, pocket-sized pooch named Mr. Boodles.
Settle into your Suite and Surrender to this hilarious love note to the classic farces of the '30s and '40s.
SEASON 10
PREVIEWS / $35
SEP 23RD-25TH, 2025
PERFORMANCES / $45
SEP 26TH-NOV 1ST, 2025
TALKBACKS
OCT 9TH, 23RD, 2025
ASL PERFORMANCE
OCT 14TH, 2025
NEXT TO NORMAL
NEXT TO NORMAL Music by
Tom Kitt
Book & Lyrics by
Brian Yorkey
Side effects may include... dysfunction.
Dan is an architect; Diana rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their children are bright, wise-cracking teens. They may seem like a typical American family, but their lives are anything but normal – Diana has been battling bipolar disorder for 16 years. Containing a thrilling contemporary score by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, Next to Normal is an emotional powerhouse of a musical about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other. Join Significant Productions as we celebrate our 10th season with this reimagining of our debut production. Whitney Morse is reprising her critically acclaimed role as Diana, who Chicago critics hailed as “rueful but free of self-pity, funny without resorting to stereotype, and all-around engaging.” – Kelly Kleiman. Don’t miss the show, The New York Times called "Much more than a feel-good musical; it is a feeleverything musical."
BOOK & LYRICS BY BRIAN YORKEY
BY TOM KITT
PREVIEWS / $30
NOV 25TH-26TH, 2025
PERFORMANCES / $40
NOV 28TH-DEC 20TH, 2025
TALKBACKS
DEC 4TH, 18TH, 2025
ASL PERFORMANCE
DEC 2ND, 2025
ADA & THE ENGINE
BY LAUREN GUNDERSON
ADA & THE ENGINE
By Lauren Gunderson
Love letters in numbers.
Set in the Victorian era among the houses of intellectual elites, we find Ada, a young female mathematician whose invention of binary code shapes our modern world today. Ada and the Engine, written by America's most produced living playwright, Lauren Gunderson, composes the story of Ada Byron Lovelace, poet Lord Byron's daughter. This lyrical play details the life of Ada as she struggles between the traditional demands of her mother and the pull of her mathematical ambition. Ada sees the creative potential in "The Engine" created by her mentor, the scholar Charles Babbage. As pressures mount and feelings grow, these two form a partnership that will change the course of the future. Jane Austen meets Steve Jobs in this poignant pre-tech romance heralding the computer age. In celebration of our 10th season, come along with us as we recalculate this music-laced story of love and friendship, the patrons’ pick: Ada & The Engine.
SEASON 10
PREVIEWS / $30
JAN 27TH-29TH, 2026
PERFORMANCES / $40
JAN 30TH-MAR 14TH, 2026
TALKBACKS
FEB 5TH, 19TH; MAR 5TH, 2026
ASL PERFORMANCE
MAR 3RD, 2026
KIM’S CONVENIENCE
BY INS CHOI
KIM’S CONVENIENCE
By Ins Choi
Humor and heart on every aisle.
Mr. Kim, a first-generation Korean immigrant, dispenses fatherly wisdom, history lessons, and potato chips from behind his convenience store counter in the up-and-coming Regent Park neighborhood of Toronto. With new luxury buildings popping up around the convenience store and a Walmart preparing to move in, Mr. Kim receives an unexpected offer for his property. He now has a difficult decision to make: keep the cash or keep Kim’s. But Kim’s Convenience is more than just his livelihood — it is his legacy. Follow Mr. Kim as he tries desperately, and hilariously, to convince his daughter Janet, a budding photographer, to take over the store. Wholly original, hysterically funny, and deeply moving, Kim’s Convenience tells the story of one Korean family struggling to face the future amidst the bitter memories of their past. But no matter what, humor and heart find their way onto every aisle in this award-winning play that is now a hit series on Netflix.
PREVIEWS / $30
APR 7TH-9TH, 2026
PERFORMANCES / $40
APR 10TH-MAY 9TH, 2026
TALKBACKS
APR 16TH; MAY 7TH, 2026
ASL PERFORMANCE
APR 28TH, 2026
ONLY SOME OF GOD'S CHILDREN OR MISSISSIPPI MAGNOLIAS
BY PARIS CRAYTON III
ONLY SOME OF GOD’S CHILDREN OR MISSISSIPPI MAGNOLIAS
By Paris Crayton III
Will roots grow on Promised Land?
Best friends, John Curtis and William “Cochise” Brown, return home to Plantersville, Mississippi after taking part in the 1963 March on Washington. Inspired by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders, the two men contemplate if they want to spend the rest of their lives in the south. Betty, John’s wife, is anxious to leave Mississippi after their son Ezekiel is attacked at a sit-in protest. Meanwhile Cochise’s wife, Hattie Mae, a local juke joint singer, is excited at the prospects of singing in northern nightclubs. She willingly leaves the decision to Cochise, but Cochise only looks to John. The hope of owning the Promised Land, worked on by generations of John’s family, further complicates the decision of whether to leave Mississippi. Where will these two close families choose to grow their roots: in new northern lands, or the fertile southern soil they know so well? Only Some of God's Children or Mississippi Magnolias is a beautiful, yet terribly honest story of five different flowers just waiting to bloom.
2026 Mini
NIGHTSWEAT
By Natalie Symons
Pre-Elderly Girls Gone Wild
PREVIEWS / $30
JUN 16TH-20TH, 2026
PERFORMANCES / $40
JUN 20TH-AUG 8TH, 2026
TALKBACKS
JUN 25TH; JUL 9TH, 23RD; AUG 6TH, 2026
ASL PERFORMANCE
JUL 21ST, 2026
Britney Cox, a washed-up actress has been canceled on social media! To hide from the haters her anxious young assistant, Maude Bender, has booked a girl’s murder mystery weekend at a Berkshires Airbnb. Joining the fun is Tawny Fitzsimmons, a tired mom, and ex-cop and security detail Dale James. Comic mania ensues when the girl’s weekend goes awry. Between pipe bombs, appliances that don’t work, slashed tires, a mysterious landlady, and news of a serial killer hunting “pre-elderly women,” what more could go wrong? “Bridesmaids” meets “Friday the 13th” in Natalie Symons’ hilarious new farce, Nightsweat, as it pokes fun at wokeness, Florida, pronouns, Ozempic, white privilege, “don’t say gay,” horror movie tropes, fake news, and, of course, Hall & Oats. Book your stay at McCurdy’s Haunted Airbnb where murder, mayhem, and belly laughs are behind every door.
Summer Vacation
Playwright & Director
Join us for an exciting afternoon with the creative minds behind the hilarious thriller: Nightsweat. This lively Q&A session will feature Natalie Symons, the award-winning playwright and best-selling novelist, and Anne Hering, the visionary director who most recently directed Exit Laughing at The Studio Theatre. Check into the haunted Airbnb where Pre-Elderly Girls Go Wild!
Natalie Symons, Playwright
Anne Hering, Director
Natalie Symons, originally from Buffalo, New York, now living in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her plays have been developed and produced at theatres across the county. Most recently, one of her plays made its world premiere at American Stage and received the Broadway World Regional Award for Best Original Script of the Decade.
Anne Hering is an Orlando-based director and actor, currently serving as Education Director for Orlando Shakes. Over the course of her career, she has directed Shakespeare, contemporary plays and children's theatre. Anne is a member of AEA and SAG/AFTRA and has an MFA in Acting from The Ohio State University.
Don't miss this chance to engage with Anne Hering and Natalie Symons and gain unique insights into the creation and direction of Nightsweat.
JUL 7TH, 2026
$15 NON-SUBSCRIBERS
$10 SUBSCRIBERS
Significant Productions is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity that operates The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center (The Sharon) and The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol (The Studio).
SignificantProductions.org | #SigPro marketing@significantproductions.org 1051 Main Street, The Villages, FL 32159
The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center has a mission to curate and present a variety of world-class performing arts in order to enrich the cultural offerings of The Villages® and surrounding communities.
TheSharon.com | #TheSharon 1051 Main Street, The Villages, FL 32159
Our mission is to inspire the residents of Central Florida to examine relevant issues by elevating them through innovative and intimate storytelling. Think outside the box, inside the box at The Studio Theatre™.
TheSharonStudio.com | #TheStudioTheatreTDS 806 San Marino Dr, The Villages, FL 32159