GUEST ARTIST PACKET
LINK TO DIGITAL PLAYBILL HERE
LINKS TO PHOTOS
• PHOTOCALL PHOTOS HERE - Credit Nick Adams Photography
• PR PHOTOS & GRAPHICS HERE
• PREVIEW PHOTOS HERE - Credit Joe Dafeldecker/Florida Rep
PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS
• Promotional Video “Mockumentary”: HERE
• Behind the Scenes Reel: HERE
• Social Media Video Promotion: HERE
• Social Media Video Promotion – “Contraband”: HERE IN THE NEWS
• Broadway World: Spotlight: BEN BUTLER at Florida Repertory Theatre
• Florida Weekly
o What To Do, Where To Go - October 16
o Little-known history maker
o What To Do, Where To Go - November 6
• Happenings Magazine: Florida Repertory Theatre presents Ben Butler
• NBC-2 REVIEW: Dave's 2's review: 'Ben Butler' at Florida Repertory Theatre
• ABC-7: 'Ben Butler' now playing at the Florida Repertory Theatre
• News-Press: Gabriel Iglesias, Fair at Fenway South: Best things to do in Fort Myers
PATRON COMMENTS…………………………………….…………...Page 2
PRINT ADVERTISING SAMPLES..…………………….….….….…Page 6
Thank you for making history interesting and fun! Best Wishes!
Deborah Jonsson, Marketing Director djonsson@floridarep.org
BEN BUTLER
PATRON COMMENTS
Comments pulled from post-show surveys…
“My wife really enjoyed the show”
“Great to return for another season”
“Play was great”
“Play was very enjoyable, theater was very cool!”
“Delighted to see new carpeting in the aisles, a necessity after recent flooding again!!”
“The play was excellent and exceeded my expectations.”
“The woman box office was especially delightful.”
“As always so polite and helpful.”
“Great production.”
“Always a great experience with the arcade”
“Great actors and good show!”
“Always great”
“Wonderful as usual!!!”
“We I LOVED the play.”
“Excellent performances.”
“This play was fantastic. I loved it.”
“Ben Butler was excellent theater. The writer of this play was clever in that he drew the audience in to expose the seriousness of the era by using humor and hoped the audience would perceive the depth.”
“Enjoyed the play. Lots of good humor.”
“Always enjoy!”
“Great play.”
“Another enjoyable evening at The Rep!”
“Excellent show. It took a serious topic and gave a new perspective and offered many laughs.”
“Outstanding cast, production and venue.”
“A delightful play!!! Would recommend it to anyone”
“So enjoyable and as usual everything was top notch”
“Terrific and hilarious show!”
“It was an excellent show and a great set.”
“Fabulous, interesting, well performed show! Keep stuff like this on the agenda.”
“Ben Butler production was outstanding each actor was brilliant and we thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and have been telling friends to go go go”
“Loved Ben Butler”
“As always I had a wonderful time. Florida Rep is THE BEST OF THE BEST!!”
“Season 2024/25 is off to a great start!!!”
“We were unfamiliar with the play, but we found it captivating and fun. I'm sure we will be back for future productions.”
“We loved the play Ben Butler. We always love the entertainment at Florida Rep. We also saw Forever Plaid. It was great!”
“Great show! Acting, set, script superb.”
“Saw this play before and loved the performance again!”
“If “Hogan’s Hero’s” was set in the Civil War, this would be it. Funny and well acted.”
“Pure drama with humor. Loved the Ben Butler performance and that it is based on history, too!”
“Humor”
“Wonderful play, clever”
“Excellent acting and directing, good set and a delightful, engaging storyline.”
“Enjoyed the rapid dialog. Well done”
“My favorite play so far. Actors were right on key.”
“Excellent! Loved all the cast! The poor LT, the fumbling General, and the "demanding" slave!”
“Fun, witty performance. I very much enjoyed the performance.”
“We enjoyed the laughs and intelligent dialogue.”
“Great show! Very entertaining.”
“Loved Mallory”
“I was pleasantly surprised on the subject matter and the outstanding performances. I knew little about the play, Ben Butler, but it was excellent.”
“Loved the last toast. That made the show.”
“This performance was hysterical!!! We loved every minute. The actors were superb.”
“Great acting”
“Flawless dialogue, excellent performance”
“Beautifully done. Loved it was based on something true. It definitely kept my attention; the time went fast!”
“Performers very good. Great entertainment.”
“The humanity coming through which is what we're missing today.”
“Race issues handled so well”
“Well done and the actors were all so well suited for their parts”
“Good moral lesson and civility.”
“Actors were excellent with facial gestures and lines recited in the play.”
“More comedy than expected”
“Wonderful acting and historical content”
“The play was well”
“I always expect Fl Rep shows to be good, and Ben Butler was.”
“This show was wonderful. Acting was great.”
“The pace and dialogue. The actors were exceptional.” “I loved the entire production”
“Period piece, educational, male oriented.”
“Great acting.”
“Professional performances.”
“The acting from everyone was incredible. I loved the sarcasm and the comedy.”
“The whole production.”
“The cleverness of the play”
“Loved the performance.”
“Talented cast”
“The actor who played Shepard Mallory was spectacular.”
“The acting was great and the ending was a surprise.”
“Touchie subject handled with dignity and humor.”
“Terrific actors”
“Our expectations for Florida Rep productions is very high. We were not disappointed. The show is excellent.”
“The show selection was fantastic, as was the performance and every detail! Absolutely fantastic!”
“What can I say. This play was excellent!”
“The acting was great”
“Loved it!”
“Really didn’t know what to expect”
“I loved the second act.”
“Acting and script were wonderful.”
“The actors were brilliant. The set was fabulous.”
“Play was well”
“Excellent performers and excellent play. Told all my friends.”
“Very professional, the actors' diction was very good”
“The performers were excellent”
“The acting and directing was very good. The storyline was of historic interest. The staging/setting itself was very well done.”
“The actors were so professional. They had so many lines and excelled at them.”
“The acting was impressive.”
“Excellent performance dealing with a sensitive subject.”
“Very Good show, acting was Excellent. I would see it again!!!”
“We LOVED this performance! The acting was exceptional and the storyline very entertaining and informative. We laughed during the whole show. Highly recommend this show.”
“The main characters were excellent (as was the set and all other aspects of the production). Every time I replayed portions of the performance in my mind, I had to laugh again.”
“The script was terrific”
over 100 volunteers for the festival. We feed our volunteers and give them event shirts and tickets to another day to enjoy the concerts.”
The festival is anticipated to attract over 10,000 attendees each day, with a venue capacity of nearly 12,000. The festival is said to be wheeling in the largest mobile stage in the nation, standing 90 feet tall with dual 30-foot screens and a 40-foot backdrop display.
“No matter where you are, it will be like sitting in your living room watching the show,” Bradley Maloney said.
Festivalgoers are invited to enjoy the music-filled weekend with camping, various vendors and on-site food trucks. The Charity Pros team stated that they received an overwhelming number of food and vendor applications. They also shared details about the event’s layout, noting that the “Festival Village” will open two hours before the performances and showcase live bands and shopping opportunities, including artwork from different Seminole tribes.
“We will accept cash for retail purchases and both cash and cards for exchanges to our festival currency, which will be poker chips that can be used for food and drinks,” said Bradley Maloney.
The Charity Pros team highlighted that the campsite is within walking distance, allowing fans to easily travel between their accommodations and the festival. While privately owned food and beverages are permitted at campers, vans and pop-ups, they are prohibited within the “Festival Bowl.” The camping area can accommodate around 300 campers but does not warrant tent camping and will feature restrooms and showers for added convenience.
“We will also have off-site parking and shuttles for those who do not want to drive a personal car out to the casino,”
Bradley Maloney said. “Just make sure to
grab your lawn chairs.”
The festival welcomes those of all ages; however, individuals under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and alcohol
consumption is restricted to those 21 and older. General admission tickets start at $79, offering reserved, lawn and bleacher seating choices. VIP tickets are available in three tiers, with the highest tier featuring a dinner-style buffet and an open bar.
“As a nonprofit, The Charity Pros operate our event ticketing differently. We don’t sell tickets; we accept donations,” said Megan Maloney. “The higher the donation level, the better the seat you get. The Charity Pros donation program eliminates sales tax and the big fees associated with concert tickets. Nobody likes the big fees. We can make the event affordable and provide a tax donation as well.”
Bradley Maloney added, “Instead of selling tickets like a typical promoter or online site that has a fee of 36 percent, ours is only 13 percent. Plus, it goes to charity and our community. It is great for everyone.”
Festival tickets, including weekend passes and single-day options, are available online at thecharitypros.org for the new dates while supplies last.
“We are really excited for this,” said Bradley Maloney. “It is the biggest charity event and concert ever held in this area.”
In the KNOW
Harvest Nights Music Festival
· When: Jan. 10 through Jan 12, 2025
· Where: John Jimmie Rodeo Grounds; 1195 Seminole Crossing Trail, Immokalee
· Tickets + Camping Information: thecharitypros.org
Train is the headlining act for the first night - Friday, Jan. 10 — of the Harvest Nights Music Festival.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Tyler Hubbard is scheduled to perform Jan. 12.
Fall equals apple crisp and ice cream
Apple crisp
Makes 9 servings
For the Filling:
4 medium apples, cored and thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
3⁄4 cup cane sugar
12 teaspoon ground cinnamon
14 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons of whole wheat pastry flour
For the Topping:
112 cups rolled oats
12 cup whole wheat pastry flour
12 cup cane sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2⁄3 cup unsweetened applesauce
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. To prepare the filling, combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and toss until well coated. Transfer the apples to a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Cook over low heat until the apples start to release their juices in about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the apple mixture and cook until the filling thickens in about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to an 8-by-8 baking dish and set aside.
3. To prepare the topping, in a medium bowl whisk together the oats, flour, sugar and cinnamon. Add the applesauce and stir to blend. Spread the mixture over the apples in the baking dish (scatter if using half of the topping ingredients).
4. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the filling starts to bubble in about 15 minutes more. Serve hot or warm.
Cindy Gewecke has been a vegan for nine years and grows organic produce in her elevated garden beds when she isn’t dancing or volunteering.
Cindy Gewecke Special to Iowa Press-Citizen USA TODAY NETWORK
Did your grandma’s house feel warm and cozy all the time? Did your conversation with your grandma go something like this: What are you baking, Grandma? Apple Crisp is in the oven. Can we have ice cream with it, Grandma? Sure.
I look forward to fall and making all the best comfort foods vegan style. Desserts are the most fun. Apple crisp is a dessert worth all the time you spend slicing the apples, slow cooking them, and topping them with golden goodness. But the best part is the smell in your kitchen.
Vegandessertrecipesareeasytofind in a cookbook, on a website, or ask one of your vegan friends. This is one of those recipes that does not require modifications to make it vegan. Applesauce works great as a substitute for butter in the topping and it adds so much more flavor too. If you want to scatter the topping, then cut the ingredients for the topping in half.
Your preference for apples is up to you. Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious or Pink Lady –there are so many options – and each one will give the crisp a little bit of variety. The best part of a whole food, plantbased diet is enjoying the produce and not adding too many spices – just use whatever the recipe lists. And I have some more good news. This recipe works well if you substitute peaches or pears for the apples, so go crazy.
What goes well with apple crisp? Ice cream! Non-dairy ice cream options can be found at any local grocery or specialty food store. Check out the freezer section for many dairy-free brands. Those brands offer assorted flavors, too, not just vanilla.
But if you want to compliment the apple crisp, there is only ONE way to do it. Grab some vanilla non-dairy ice cream and top it with cinnamon. Plus, one more thing – warm up the apple crisp first of course.
I invite you to make a pan of apple crisp, top it with non-dairy ice cream, and go sit by the fireplace. Enjoy this easy, vegan apple crisp to stay warm on a cool fall night.
Columnist Cindy Gewecke offers a vegan take on the classic apple crisp recipe. PROVIDED BY CINDY GEWECKE/SPECIAL TO IOWA PRESS-CITIZEN
Perfect Cup
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gyro,chickenortunacroissantsandfish or shrimp tacos.
The fresh mahi mahi sandwich was another table favorite.
“Ourluncheshavepickedupsincewe took over,” Chalupsky said. “That was one of our goals.”
The Perfect Cup has a lot of regulars, especially off-season.
“Thank God for our locals,” Chalupsky said. “They keep us going.”
Off season, you can usually stroll in and find a table in one of the two seatyourself dining rooms. Booths and tables are comfortably spaced in the homey restaurant with some of the friendliest service around.
During season it gets trickier with a wait on the weekends.
But don’t let that deter you.
“We turn tables pretty quickly here,” Chalupsky said.
And even if they didn’t, it’s well worth the wait.
The Perfect Cup, 4548 Pine Island Road,Matlacha;open6a.m.to3p.m.daily; (239) 283-4447; follow on Facebook
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
The Perfect Cup’s décor matches the artsy Matlacha community.
Crabby eggs Benedict from The Perfect Cup is a well-deserved customer favorite. ROBYN GEORGE PHOTOS/THE NEWS-PRESS