Lady Day Playbill by gulfshoreplayhouse

MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS BY DANNY HOLGATE

Thank you to our Supporters

Season Angels

Jane & Steve Akin

Patty & Jay Baker

Glenda & Rich Struthers

Karen & Gary Gregg

Nancy Lauridsen

Sandi & Tom Moran

Susan Regenstein & Barry Frank

Ralph & Shelly Stayer

Season Ambassadors

Grampy’s Charities - Jim & Jonatha Castle

Bev & Art Cherry

Mary F. Drazan

Christine & Terrance Flynn

Nancy & Tom Gallagher

Marguerite Hambleton

Jenny & Rich Housh

George & Patricia Kraus

Pamela & Bob Krupka

James & Brigitte Marino

John & Carol Walter

Jane & Dave Wilson

Debbie & Bruce Yarde

E xecutive Producers

Anonymous

Mary & Phil Beuth

Lee & Peter Bewley

Richard & Jane Borchers

Patricia & Jim Bosscher

Cheryl & Randall W. Byrnes

Bob & Laurie Champion

Robert & Joan Clifford

John & Patricia Cochran

Norman & Suzanne Cohn

Margaret Cox

Jim & Shirley Curvey

Kyla & Rich de Asla

Bobbi & David Drobis

Dyan Fazzone

Kathleen & Brendan FitzGerald

The Gialamas Family

The Habbershon Family

Matthew Hagan

The Harold Alfond Foundation

Ken & Karen Heithoff

Vicki Herche & Graeme Murray

Mitchell Hertz & Anne Carlucci

Jean & Leo Hertzog

Steven & Sarah Jackson

Sabrina & Craig Jensen

Liz & Jim Jessee

Sarah Raup Johnson

Catelyn Juliano & David Deutsch

Heidi & James Kargman

Diane Landgren

Dolly & Jenny Lenz

Laird A. Lile

Jody & Gerald Lippes

Barbara K. Lupient

Simone & Scott Lutgert

Debra & Vince Maffeo

Phil McCabe

Carolyn & Don McCulloch

Gerry McGraw

Bettina McKee

Pat & Tony McMunn

Dan & Ann Meyer

Joanne & Jeffrey Miller

Kristin & John Miller

Geraldine Moss

Kimberly Moss & Bob Fisher

Season Benefactors As of 2/20/25

F.E. & Jack Nortman

Dear Friends,

It is with joy and gratitude that I welcome you to Gulfshore Playhouse at the new Baker Theatre and Education Center! It’s hard to believe that we are getting close to bringing the curtain down on our inaugural season. What a whirlwind it has been! It is truly a dream realized to walk into the building and find it bustling with activity at all hours of the day with people from near and far experiencing art and community within these walls. Thank you so much for being a part of it.

There is still so much left in store this season. Be sure to get your tickets to Sweet Charity on the Moran Mainstage; tickets have been flying out the door! And for any children in your life, be sure to check out the exciting Gulfshore Playhouse Education programs coming this summer.

I also want to make sure you know that we’ve officially announced our 2025-2026 season! Flex Passes are now available to purchase. This allows you to choose your dates and seats to the shows you want to see at the best prices. I would highly encourage you to consider purchasing one if you plan on coming back to us next season, I hope you will because it’s a not-to-be-missed lineup.

Louise & Larry Ost

Joan & Mahendra Parekh

Gail Kern Paster

Anthony & Beverly Petullo

Ann Ratner

Dottie & John Remondi

DeAnna & Rick Rondinelli

Kathy & Ned Sachs

Pam & Fred Sasser

Cynthia & Mike Scholl

Alice & Charles Simons

Sharon & Paul Stein

Patricia Sweet & Bill Marsh

Janet & Peter Swinburn

Roberta & Rodger Taylor

Julie & Steve Vanderboom

The Vincent Von Zwehl Memorial Fund

Julie & Phil Wade

Kathy & Paul Weaver

Tereska & Jerry Whitson

Michael Wilens & Carolyn Longacre

Julie Wyman

Kristen & Michael Wynn

Joanne Wyss

Kicking off in the fall of 2025, experience Edward Albee’s iconic drama Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in the Struthers Studio and then get in the holiday spirit with the classic musical with a score that’ll have you tapping your toes, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas in the Moran. In 2026, join us in the Moran for Agatha Christie’s thrilling mystery The Mousetrap, Oscar Wilde’s timeless comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, and finally the Broadway smash hit Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. In the Struthers Studio, experience the world premiere of Circle Forward by Deb Hiett, a fan favorite from our New Works Festival, and last but by no means least, the heartfelt World War II romance, Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise.

My dream has always been to create an iconic, elegant building to serve the city with world-class art, engagement and educational opportunities, rental spaces for community groups, peaceful gardens, and gorgeous architecture. Every choice we made was in service to this goal, and each day we work to serve you and all of those in our region. Gulfshore Playhouse is truly your home for professional theatre.

Thank you and enjoy the show!

With gratitude,

Kristen Coury Founder, CEO & Producing Artistic Director

Thank you to our Supporters

C orporate Season Ambassadors

Corporate Executive Producers

Grants and Endowments

Dear Friends,

As the Chairman of the Board, I am honored to welcome you to the 20242025 season on behalf of the entire Board of Directors. Whether you are a long-time supporter or a first-time patron, I am thrilled you are joining us for this most auspicious season, our first in the Baker Theatre and Education Center.

Thank you for being an essential part of our community. We look forward to sharing more magic with you in the seasons to come!

From attending performances to spreading the word about our productions, your enthusiasm and passion inspire us every day. It is your belief in the power of professional theatre that drives us to push boundaries and strive for excellence.

Gulfshore Playhouse has accomplished an incredible feat both locally and nationally with the construction of this building. It is a stunning reflection of the dedication and support of this community. I look forward to seeing how its presence shapes our entire region in the years to come.

Producing theatre of this magnitude is no simple task; it has required significant growth of the budget, staff, and resources of the organization. Everyone at Gulfshore Playhouse works tirelessly to create exceptional theatrical experiences. All of it is made possible through the excellence of the organizational leadership, the knowledgeable, generous, and engaged Board of Directors, the incredibly talented and ever-growing staff, the generous donors, and the curious and dedicated audience who make it all happen.

You may also notice that this building’s name is the Baker Theatre and Education Center because it is home not only to staged productions but also an expansive and growing education department. Gulfshore Playhouse Education serves thousands of people both in our community and nationally each year, through a variety of theatre-based programs. If you are curious about opportunities for yourself or the children in your life, I would encourage you to see what is being offered this season.

This is a difficult time for the arts in our nation, so it is especially incredible to see Gulfshore Playhouse thriving, and that is thanks to your continued support. The arts are a vital part of a flourishing community both culturally and economically. The impact of the Baker Theatre and Education Center will be felt across Southwest Florida and our nation as the organization continues to grow.

I hope you find this season inspiring, entertaining, and healing. Thank you for your continued support of Gulfshore Playhouse.

Enjoy the show!

Sincerely,

Steve Akin Chairman of the Board

Cody Nickell, Ian Peakes, and Geoffrey Cantor in the Gulfshore Playhouse production of The Lehman Trilogy. Photo by Nick Adams.

Welcome to the

OCT. 21 -NOV. 23

PREVIEWS: OCT. 21, 22

JAN. 27-MAR. 1

PREVIEWS: JAN. 27, 28

Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? By Edward Albee

Directed by Kristen Coury

Welcome to George and Martha’s where both whiskey and love are on the rocks.

Circle Forward - World Premiere By Deb Hiett

Directed by Jeffrey Binder

What goes around comes around…again.

NOV. 11-DEC. 21

PREVIEWS: NOV. 11, 12 & 13

Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Directed by Dann Dunn

Choreographed by Sara Brians

Based on the Paramount Pictures Film

Written for the Screen by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, & Melvin Frank

Music & Lyrics by Irving Berlin Book by David Ives & Paul Blake

MAR. 1-APR. 4

PREVIEWS: MAR. 1, 3 & 4

The Importance of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde

Directed by Kristen Coury

A very good comedy of very bad manners.

Original stage production director by Walter Bobbie | Orchestrations by Larry Blank

Vocal & Dance Arrangements by Bruce Pomahac

JAN. 11-FEB. 15

PREVIEWS: JAN. 11, 13 & 14

Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap By Agatha Christie

Directed by Laura Kepley

Don’t just see it. Solve it.

MAR. 24-APR. 26

PREVIEWS: MAR. 24, 25

Ken Ludwig's Dear Jack, Dear Louise By Ken Ludwig

Directed by Risa Brainin

A heartwarming romance between two perfect strangers.

APR. 26-MAY 31

PREVIEWS: APR. 26, 28 & 29

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Book by Douglas McGrath

Words and Music by Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil

Music Arrangement by Sony Music Publishing Orchestrations, Vocal and Incidental Music Arrangement by Steve Sidwell

Additional Music Arrangements by Jason Howland

Directed by Matt Lenz

Choreographed by Dann Dunn

As a not-for-profit organization for the greater good, Gulfshore Playhouse relies on the support of generous donors.

With your support and passion, we hire exceptional talent to perform on our stage, foster new voices, and enhance the lives of the 80,000 patrons we welcome each year. Over 16,000 children engage in the art of theatre each year through our robust and ever-growing education department.

You play a vital role. By supporting Gulfshore Playhouse, you are transforming a region and transforming lives.

Have questions or wish to make a gift?

Contact Chief Advancement Officer, Lisa Halsey at lhalsey@gulfshoreplayhouse.org or call at 239.261.7529 ext. 203.

Join the Director's Circle for the 2025-2026 Season!

Be at the heart of Gulfshore Playhouse and experience theatre like never before by joining our exclusive Director's Circle. Your support unlocks unparalleled benefits and ensures that professional theatre and educational programming thrive in Naples.

Exclusive Benefits Include:

Tickets for the Entire Season

Secure your seats for every unforgettable performance!

Extra Tickets for Friends & Family

Share the magic of live theatre with your loved ones.

Concierge Service & Priority Booking

Enjoy personalized assistance and early access to the best seats in the house.

Invitation to Opening Nights

Celebrate the start of each show with cast, crew, and fellow patrons.

Sponsor Dinners & Exclusive Directors Circle Events

Network and mingle at elegant gatherings curated for our most dedicated supporters.

Access to the Founder's Lounge

Relax in style with premium amenities before the show and during intermission.

Invitation to Our 'Art Everywhere' Trip to London in 2026

Join us on an extraordinary journey celebrating world-class theatre in the heart of London.

And So Much More!

Your support at this level fuels the magic on and off the stage:

• Bringing world-class professional theatre productions to Naples.

• Offering educational programming that inspires and engages audiences of all ages.

Become a champion of the arts and help create unforgettable moments for our community.

Join the Director's Circle today and be part of the magic! ✨

Lisa Halsey lhalsey@gulfshoreplayhouse.org or 239.261.7529 ext. 203

Sarah Owen sowen@gulfshoreplayhouse.org or 239.261.7529 ext. 205

Brandon Horwin bhorwin@gulfshoreplayhouse.org or 239.261.7529 ext. 214

cast of the Gulfshore Playhouse production of Anything Goes. Photo by Matthew Schipper.

Art Everywhere New York City Trip, 2023.

BY LANIE ROBERTsON

MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS BY DANNY HOLGATE

Starring

Billie Holiday .................................................................................................................................

Tracey Conyer Lee Jimmy Powers ........................................................................................................................................ Levi Barcourt

Scenic Designer Marcelo Martínez García**

Lighting Designer Jason Lynch**

Movement

Costume Designer Kirche Leigh Zeile

Stage

Sound Designer Victoria Deiorio**

Casting by Michael Cassara, CSA Music Director Levi Barcourt* Director of Production Ray Inkel

COO & Managing Director Joel Markus

CEO & Producing Artistic Director Kristen Coury

Director Marshall Jones III

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill was first produced in New York by the Vineyard Theatre.

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com

(*) Denotes members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. (**) Denotes member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 with Levi Barcourt*

The Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.

Upright Bass Player ........................................................................................................................................... JR Erb

90 minutes with no intermission.

S etting

Emerson's Bar and Grill in south Philadelphia, March 1959.

Special Thanks

The Producers wish to thank Goodspeed Musicals Costume Collection & Rental for its assistance in this production. Thank you to Bobbie Zlotnik for the creation and rental of the wig in this production.

Warnings

Herbal cigarettes will be used throughout the performance.

Gulfshore Playhouse operates under agreements between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), a consortium of regional theatres throughout the nation; Actors Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States; the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), an independent national labor union; and United Scenic Artists (USA), a union of scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre, founded in 1985, is a not-for-profit organization serving the musical theatre community. The 165 organizational members and 75 individual members, located throughout 33 states and abroad, are some of the leading producers of musical theatre in the world, and include theatres, presenting organizations, higher education programs and individual producers.

Gulfshore Playhouse is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network.

Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) was founded in 1913 as the first of the American Actor unions. Equity’s mission is to advance, promote and foster the art of theatre as an essential component of our society. Today, Equity represents more than 40,000 actors, singers, dancers and stage managers working in hundreds of theatres across the United States. Equity members are dedicated to working in the theatre as a profession, upholding the highest artistic standards. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans for its members. Through its agreement with Equity, this theatre has committed to the fair treatment of the actors and stage managers employed in this production. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. For more information, visit www.actorsequity.org.

Tracey Conyer Lee*

Wigs by Bobbie Zlotnik

Coordinator Dann Dunn

Manager Kelli Karen*

Musical Numbers

"I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone"

"When a Woman Loves A Man"

"What a Little Moonlight Can Do"

"Crazy He Calls Me"

"Gimme A Pig Foot"

"God Bless The Child"

"Foolin' Myself"

"Somebody's On My Mind"

"Easy Livin'''

"Strange Fruit"

"T'Aint Nobody's Biz-ness"

"Them There Eyes"

"Don't Explain"

"Deep Song"

Scan here to listen to our Spotify playlist featuring the music in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill

Director's Note

“Pops [Louis Armstrong] had the most beautiful feelin’ and I wanted that feelin’. And I also wanted Bessie’s big sound, but my voice wasn’t big like that. So between the two of them I sort of got Billie Holiday.”- Billie Holiday

“Pops Armstrong and Bessie Smith … was sort of Mom and Pop to me.” - Billie Holiday

Mid-way through the play Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, a slightly inebriated Billie Holiday utters those words above, which in a nutshell, defines the major contribution of one of the iconic musical jazz figures in the 20th century.

What’s ironic is that Ms. Holiday did not consider herself as a blues singer, despite the title of her autobiography Lady Sings the Blues, and also the same title of an award-winning movie starring Diana Ross and produced by Motown Records. However, what is notable is that Lady Day introduced the blues to jazz. She notes above as she metaphorically says Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong were her “mom and pop.”

Lady Day’s signature singing style conveys emotionally raw and deeply expressive blues feeling within the sound of jazz. Early in her career she was the featured vocalist for Count Basie and Artie Shaw. The lyrics of several of her tunes have themes of heartbreak and struggle yet deep inside she always captures resilience and inner-strength.

Our production is conceived to capture her resilience coupled with her overwhelming desire to connect with her audience. Indeed, Elenora Fagan was able to courageously navigate the rather crappy hand that she was dealt at birth in 1915 – the oppressive grip of early 20th century racism, childhood poverty, harassment from law enforcement, drug addiction, abusive relationships, and corrupt managers.

Indeed, as performed by the skillful and talented Tracey Conyer Lee, this production portrays Ms. Holiday’s peaks and valleys, triumphs and tribulations in a 90-minute emotional journey through her life and career. Notably, this marks Miss Lee’s—whom I affectionately call “Lady Lee”—ninth time bringing this role to life. Our goal is to build upon her previous eight portrayals, combining her deep understanding of the character with the virtuosic skill of pianist Levi Barcourt and the artistry of our top-flight design team: Marcelo Martínez García (sets), Jason Lynch (lights), Kirche Leigh Zeile (costumes), and Toy Deiorio (sound). Together, we transport you back to the final year of the Eisenhower administration to experience Lady Day’s final, triumphant performance.

Enjoy!

Marshall Jones III Director

About the Playwright

Lanie Robertson (Playwright) first plays The Insanity of Mary Girard and Back County Crimes are frequently performed by schools and community theatres. His play about Billie Holiday, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, was produced on Broadway and in London’s West End with Audra McDonald. Many of his works are about iconic artists and the societal issues they faced: Nasty Little Secrets (Joe Orton), Woman Before a Glass (Peggy Guggenheim), Alfred Stieglitz Loves O’Keeffe (Georgia O’Keeffe), Nobody Lonesome for Me (Hank Williams), The Gardener (Claude Monet) and Blythe Coward (Noël Coward). His works have been produced at the Alley Theatre, the Alliance Theatre, Annenberg Center, Arena Stage, Barrington Stage, the Edinburgh Festival, Festival d’Avignon, George St. Playhouse, Kennedy Center, Old Globe, Primary Stages, Playwrights Horizons, Theatre de la Huchette, Theatre Petit Montparnasse, Theatre Silvia Montfort, Vineyard Theatre, Virginia Stage, the Walnut Street Theatre, Westside Arts Theatre, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. His first novel is to be published in 2024. He is a member of the Dramatist Guild, the Society des Auteur et Compositeurs Dramatiques and the Writers Guild, East.

About the Cast

Tracey Conyer Lee (Billie Holiday) is a multi-hyphenate artist living in New York. She last performed in FL at Palm Beach Dramaworks’ 2024 New Works Festival and, in 2023, received rave reviews playing Baneatta in Asolo Rep’s Chicken & Biscuits. Ms. Lee has originated roles Off-Broadway and regionally, performing in over 80 professional productions across the globe, yielding Carbonell, NAACP and Barrymore Awards. This marks Ms. Lee’s 9th production as the indomitable Lady Day. Her on screen performances include the recurring role of Det. Ross on the seasons 3-6 of "FBI" on CBS as well as roles on "The Path," "SMASH," "L&O: Criminal Intent," "Ed," "All My Children," and "Guiding Light." An MFA playwright, Ms. Lee's plays and musicals have been optioned, produced or developed in New York, New Jersey, Boston, DC, Vermont, Florida, Colorado, Nashville, Atlanta, and Chicago. She has been published by Bloomsbury/Methuen. She lends both her voice and her writing skills to her beloved service choir, Broadway Inspirational Voices, with whom she performed at the White House for President Joe Biden’s 1st annual Juneteenth Celebration. Directing credits include Off-Broadway’s Sistas! The Musical (2022), Rabbit Summer at Mile Square Theatre, the Obie Award winning Fire This Time Festival, the Downtown Urban Arts Festival and Vanguard Theatre’s Illuminating New Voices festival. Her passion is grooming new plays and musicals in development. Ms. Lee is a proud corporate coach, leadership and communication trainer with Ovation and an enthusiastic audiobook narrator. She dedicates #9 to her parents, Barbara and Henry, who inadvertently introduced her to jazz music and have supported her career with a humbling awesomeness. For more www.traceyconyerlee.com

Levi Barcourt (Jimmy Powers/Music Director) began studying piano at the age of 8 and earned four piano competition scholarships by the time he was 16. He graduated from the renowned High School of Music & Art in New York before attending the Hartt College of Music at the University of Hartford and the Purchase Conservatory of Music, where he received both his Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees. Barcourt has toured Italy, performing in cities like Sicily, Rome, Messina, and Genoa, and has played at some of New York’s most prestigious venues, including Lincoln Center, Town Hall, The Apollo Theatre, The Schomburg Center, and Symphony Space. He has also performed with various Symphony Orchestras across the United States, such as the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and the Carson Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his performing career, Barcourt arranged a string quartet version of Joni Mitchell’s 'Both Sides Now,' recorded with a rhythm section including piano that drove the body and pulse of the song that has captivated audiences worldwide with his bravado style. He also performed at the South African Jazz Festival as a guest pianist for Bakiti Kumalo, known for the famous 'Graceland' Grammy CD. Mr. Barcourt’s composition 'The River Nile' was featured and performed by the world bassist. Levi Barcourt has had the honor of working with multi-Grammywinning songwriters Ashford & Simpson, serving as their pianist and Musical Director for several West Coast tours, including stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Foxwoods Resorts. He performed on their final west coast tour before Nick Ashford’s passing. Additionally, Barcourt is currently the pianist and Musical Director for Grammy Nominee and Tony®-winner Melba Moore.

JR Erb (Upright Bass Player) born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, JR Erb is a seasoned string bassist with a distinguished career spanning performance, military service, and music leadership. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Performance with a focus on Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas in 1990. Erb dedicated 29 years to the United States Air Force, retiring in 2022 as a Chief Master Sergeant. As an Air Force musician, he performed and led ensembles at installations across the country, including Hanscom AFB (Massachusetts) and Hickam AFB (Hawaii). He served as the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of the Concert Band for the Heritage of America Band at Langley AFB (Virginia) before becoming the Band Manager for the Band of Flight at WrightPatterson AFB (Ohio). In 2013, Erb led Full Spectrum, a 10-piece ensemble, on a deployment to the Middle East as the premier musical unit for United States Central Command. The band performed across eight countries, uplifting coalition troops and strengthening diplomatic relations through music in partnership with the U.S. Department of State. Now based in Naples, Florida, Erb serves as Music Director for the Gulf Coast Big Band, which performs regularly at Cambier Park. He is an active collaborator with local jazz artists, including Lew Delgato, Stu Shelton, and Danny Sinoff. Beyond music, he enjoys golf and spending time with his wife, four adult children, and two dogs.

About the Creative Team

Marshall Jones III (Director) is excited to return to Gulfshore Playhouse to direct once more but now in a stunning brand-new facility. After 2 years of development work, Marshall directed the world premiere of The Refugees by Brent Askari last season. His other Gulfshore credits include the critically acclaimed production of August Wilson’ Radio Golf starring Joseph C. Phillips (“Cosby Show”) and Mud Row by Dominique Morisseau. After being on the faculty in the Theater dept at his alma mater since 2002, effective July 2022, Professor Jones transitioned to an administrative role in the newly created position of Associate Dean of Equity for the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Although he has nearly 40 years of producing experience, directing plays is Marshall’s first love. For 13 years (2007-2020), he was the Producing artistic director for the Tony® Award-winning Crossroads Theatre Company where he directed several shows including the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center’s inaugural production – Paul Robeson. Selected other directing credits include the world premiere of Walter Mosley’s Lift, which later played Off-Broadway; and Nikkole Salter’s Repairing a Nation, which was recorded for TV broadcast on WNET’s Theater Close-Up Series. In the spring of 2018, Marshall served as the Creative Consultant (replacement director) for the Off -Broadway production of Little Rock, about the famed Little Rock Nine of 1957, which received NY Times Critic Pick. Marshall enjoys serving the community and the field as he proudly serves as the president of the NJ Theatre Alliance. Marshall is a proud 2020 Inductee in the Rutgers University African-American Hall of Fame. Much love to the four ladies in my life – my Ma, my daughters, and my brilliant bride.

Marcelo Martínez García (Scenic Designer) is a proud Mexican Scenic Designer and Architect. OffBroadway: Manahatta (The Public Theater), The Wind and The Rain (EnGarde Arts & Vineyard Theater). Regional: Dial M for Murder (Alley Theater & CPIP), Sandra (TheaterWorks Hartford), The Garbologists (TheaterWorks Hartford), Torera (Alley Theater), The Woman in Black (Weston Theater Company), Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles (Yale Repertory Theater). Associate/Assistant Credits: SUFFS (Broadway), Lempicka (Broadway), Scene Partners (Vineyard Theater). Upcoming: AZAD (Golden Thread & Hakawati NGO), Fools’ Paradise (Thrown Stone). Martínez holds a degree in Architecture from ITESM MTY, a specialization in Scenic Design from CENTRO CDMX, and an MFA in Theater Design from Yale School of Drama. www.marcelomg.com / @marcelomgdesigns

Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer) is a Chicago-based lighting designer for theatre, dance, opera, and other live performance art, and makes his Gulfshore Playhouse debut with this production. Regional: Alley Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, City Theatre Company, Court Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, Denver Center Theatre Company, George Street Playhouse, Geva Theatre Center, Goodman Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, The Guthrie Theater, Huntington Theatre Company, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Northlight Theatre, The Old Globe, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Seattle Repertory Company, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Trinity Repertory Company. He was the recipient of the 2022 Equity Jeff Award for his work on Choir Boy at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the 2019 Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award, which recognizes emerging theatrical designers within the Chicago area. Jason is also honored to have his work on the Goodman Theatre’s real-time, online ‘Live’ series (The Sound Inside, Ohio State Murders, and I Hate It Here) and an immersive 360° production of The Wild Party at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts featured in American Theatre Magazine. Lynch is represented by The Gersh Agency. jasondlynch.com @jasonlynch.design

Kirche Leigh Zeile (Costume Designer) Off-Broadway credits include Long Story Short, Amazons and Their Men, and The Last Word. Regionally, she has designed for Gulfshore Playhouse, Weston Theatre Company, AMAS, Syracuse Stage, Southern Rep, Rivertown Theater, Tulane Shakespeare Festival, Two River Theater, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, and the Sharon Playhouse. She designs for academic institutions both regionally and in NYC, including Columbia University, Marymount Manhattan College, Tulane University, and NYU. She holds an MFA from NYU and is a Portfolio Development Advisor for Ringling College of Art and Design. Kirche is also a prolific fine artist whose paintings have shown in galleries throughout New York and Connecticut.

Victoria Deiorio (Sound Designer) is thrilled to be debuting the studio theatre with Gulfshore Playhouse after composing and designing for Barefoot in the Park, She Loves Me, and Anything Goes. Off-Broadway: Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors (New World Stages); Nine Circles (Sheen Center); A Christmas Carol (St. Clements); Two Point Oh (Primary Stages); Arnie the Doughnut (The Pearl); Cassie’s Chimera (Joe’s Pub-The Public); The Bluest Eye with Steppenwolf (The Duke Theatre); and others. Regional: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Goodman, Steppenwolf Theatre, Hartford Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Cleveland Playhouse, Indiana Repertory, and many others. Victoria has won 7 Jeff Awards, 2 After Dark Awards, and a SALT Award. She was the head of Sound Design at DePaul University for 15 years. For more information visit bio.site/VictoriaDeiorio.

Dann Dunn (Movement Coordinator) has created and maintained professional works as a Director/ Choreographer, Associate, Dance Captain, Educator, Producer, and Live Events Coordinator around the world. NYC: Sesame Street On Broadway (Madison Square Garden), Miracle On 34th Street (MSG), The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer (Symphony Space), First Date (Revised National Tour Workshop). National Tour: CATS, The Music Man, The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer, Sesame Street Live!. International: CATS, The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber, La Traviata. Regional: Fiddler On The Roof (w/ Eddie Mekka), Mame (w/ Lea Delaria, Bucks County Playhouse), Chicago (w/ Justin Guarini), Hello, Dolly! (w/ Andrea McArdle, Media Theatre), Spamalot (w/ Sally Struthers, Riverside Theatre), The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (w/ Loretta Swit, Forestburgh Playhouse), Walnut Street Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company, Fulton Opera House, Arden Theatre, The Kennedy Center, The Kimmel Center, Ogunquit Playhouse, Cardinal Stage, Sierra Rep, Weathervane Rep, PEG, Totem Pole Playhouse, Jenny Wiley Theatre, Society Hill Playhouse, Resident Theatre Company (Barrymore Nomination), The Eagle Theatre (Barrymore Nomination), and Ocean City Theatre Company. Contributing Choreographer: Norwegian Cruise Lines, The Red Cross, Modell’s Sporting Goods, Merck Pharmaceuticals, The National Liberty Museum, Circus Circus Las Vegas, Sesame Street Workshop, Macy’s, and The X Games. Dancer: Mariah Carey, Mark Kanemura (Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, So You Think You Can Dance?). TV/Film: “Good Morning America,” ‘The Today Show,” The Emmy Award-winning PA Cardiovascular Health Project, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, “Repetition Rhapsody.” Proud Member, Actor’s Equity Association.

Kelli Karen (Stage Manager) Credits Off-Broadway: Fly (The New Victory Theater), Selected Regional Credits: Every Brilliant Thing, She Loves Me, The Refugees, Morning After Grace, Mud Row, Radio Golf (Gulfshore Playhouse) School Girls (American Stage), Freedom Rider (Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Crossroads Theatre Company), Production Team for A Night With Denzel Washington (Crossroads Theatre Company), Fly (Pasadena Playhouse, Crossroads Theatre Company, Oprah Winfrey Theatre Smithsonian), Handle With Care, Straight White Men, Clever Little Lies, Fly, Taking Shakespeare, Daddy Long Legs, Monty Python's Spamalot, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Perfect Wedding, Next Fall, Next To Normal, Shear Madness, Beehive: The 60's Musical,The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The 39 Steps, and Edward Albee's Occupant (Florida Studio Theatre). This performance is dedicated to my parents, Chakoo and The Patterson Foundation family.

Michael Cassara, CSA (Casting Director) casts theatre and film in New York City and is thrilled to return to Gulfshore Playhouse for a 16th season, having cast over 70 productions here since 2009. Recent credits include American Eclipse (Michael John LaChiusa, dir. Bill Rauch), An American In Paris (Int’l Tour, dir Christopher Wheeldon), Spamilton (NYC/Chicago/Pittsburgh CLO/tour), Forbidden Broadway (last five editions/albums), and over 750 plays and musicals since 2003. Regional credits include Weston Theater Company, Argyle Theatre, Hangar Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Denver Center, Asolo Rep, and many more. Resident casting director for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) since 2013. Michael is a native Clevelander and serves on the BFA faculty at Wright State University. Member, Casting Society of America (CSA). BFA, Otterbein University. MichaelCassara.net /@michaelcassara

Joel Markus (COO & Managing Director) is thrilled to be in his seventh season as Gulfshore Playhouse’s COO & Managing Director. Joel enjoys working side by side with Kristen to produce Broadway caliber theatre while focusing on cultivating a great staff and culture. In his time at Gulfshore Playhouse, Joel has helped grow and quadruple the theatre’s budget, triple the staff, has co-managed the design and construction of the new $72M Baker Theatre and Education Center, the production shop construction project, has been instrumental in joining LORT (most recently, being on the negotiating committee for LORT and Actors’ Equity Association), and navigated and guided the organization through the pandemic and Hurricane Ian. Joel’s thirty year career has taken him to some of our nation’s leading professional regional theatres. He most recently spent seven seasons at America’s oldest theatre, Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Joel has played integral roles in the production of hundreds of plays over ten seasons at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, four years at Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, NY, five summers at the Weston Playhouse in Vermont, American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin, and North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts. Joel is a graduate of Indiana University and originally from Miami, Florida.

Kristen Coury (CEO & Producing Artistic Director) is the CEO and Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse. She founded the Playhouse in 2004, after moving to Naples from New York City. Under her leadership, the Playhouse has grown to a staff of nearly 100, an annual budget of $12M with no debt. She led the charge to create a $72M state-of-the-art Theatre and Education Center at the gateway to downtown Naples. As part of this project, Coury ignited a public/private partnership with the City of Naples, donating an acre of land upon which to build a public parking garage. While in New York, she worked on Broadway for Walt Disney Theatrical’s production of Beauty and the Beast, both nationally and internationally, and for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s company, The Really Useful Group, working on Sunset Boulevard and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Kristen made her feature film directorial debut with Friends and Family a comedy starring Tony Lo Bianco, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and Tovah Feldshuh, which was released around the US and Europe. Kristen has directed several new works, produced a CD, and worked on a variety of musicals in various stages of development. Kristen is also a frequent investor in Broadway productions, most recently The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise. Kristen has directed over 40 productions for the Playhouse. Including a ten person, 2 piano My Fair Lady, world premieres, the world premiere of The God Game by Suzanne Bradbeer and The Butcher by Gwydion Suilebhan. Kristen was named one of the “Top 40 Professionals Under 40” by Gulfshore Life Magazine in 2008, a “Star in the Arts” by the United Arts Council of Collier County in 2011, and was named one of the Men and Women of the Year twice by Gulfshore Life in 2013 and 2024. She served two terms on the board of Theatre Communications Group, the national advocacy group for professional theatres. She is a member of the board of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, and was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Business Leaders in Collier County in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Most recently, she received the Murray Hendel Civic Achievement Award and was appointed to the Florida Council for Arts and Culture by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.

Dramaturgical Notes

by Audrey Zielenbach, Line Producer and Dramaturg

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill is a fictionalized version of a real performance that jazz singer Billie Holiday gave at Emerson’s Bar in Philadelphia on March 14, 1959, just four months before she died. When we meet her in the play, Billie’s years of struggle with drug addiction had taken a toll on her health, career, and finances. But no matter what, Billie never stopped singing and that is her greatest triumph. Today, she is widely celebrated as the greatest jazz singer and one of the twentieth century’s most influential and enduring artists.

Billie Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan on April 5, 1915 to unmarried teenage parents. Her father, Clarence Halliday, left when she was very young to pursue a music career. Though her mother, Sadie, was more present, Billie was often cared for by various family members while her mother worked.

Holiday suffered a tumultuous and traumatic childhood. She was sexually assaulted at ages ten and twelve and spent time at a Catholic reform school for truancy. As a teenager, she moved to Harlem where her mother was living and working. She took cleaning jobs and it was in the houses and businesses she worked that she first heard the music of her two biggest musical inspirations, Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith.

It was around 1929 that she began performing in Harlem nightclubs under the stage name “Billie Holiday,” adapting a different spelling of her father’s surname and the first name of her favorite actress, a Ziegfeld chorus girl turned silent film star named Billie Dove.

When she was 18, record producer John Hammond heard her sing at a club and quickly brought her into the studio to make her first recordings with clarinetist Benny Goodman. Her first hit was the ‘Riffin’ the Scotch.’ Her popularity steadily climbed thanks to several popular recordings with Teddy Wilson such as ‘What a Little Moonlight Can Do.’ Holiday performed regularly with saxophonist Lester Young, a lifelong friend who dubbed her with her famous nickname, ‘Lady Day.’

In 1937, she toured with pianist Count Basie and his swing band. In 1938, she toured with Artie Shaw, making her one of the first Black female musicians to play with an all-white orchestra. They toured throughout the segregated South, and she was often subjected to racial harassment and barred from places open to her white bandmates.

Continued on the next page

Billie Holiday performs with Count Basie Photo : medium.com

In 1939, she returned to New York to perform regularly at the Café Society, New York’s first integrated nightclub. It was here that she was introduced to ‘Strange Fruit,’ a protest song about the lynching of Black Americans in the South. The song was written by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish high school teacher from the Bronx, after he saw a photograph from 1930 of a double lynching in Indiana. Immediately following the performance, she received a warning from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) to never perform the song again. The FBN, under the leadership of Henry Anslinger, targeted and pursued her for the rest of her life. Despite this, Holiday courageously risked her career, her life, and her freedom to continue performing ‘Strange Fruit.’ The song became one of her best-selling records and is one of the most enduring parts of her legacy.

In 1941, Holiday had a falling out with her mother who had been borrowing large sums of money from her daughter to keep her newly opened restaurant afloat. It was this that inspired Holiday to write “God Bless the Child,” which was the same year she married Jimmy Monroe. Though Holiday had been a drug user for some years prior to this, it was Monroe who introduced her to heroin, an addiction she would battle for the rest of her life.

The 1940s was an extremely fruitful decade for her career. She signed with Decca Records and recorded more pop songs like the best-selling ‘Lover Man.’ In 1947, the peak of her career, she divorced Monroe and later was arrested for narcotics possession. During her trial, she pleaded with the judge to send her to a hospital to receive treatment for her addiction, but she was sentenced to a year in prison instead. Upon her release, her New York Cabaret Card was revoked, so she couldn’t perform in venues where alcohol was sold. However, in 1948, she performed a soldout concert at Carnegie Hall.

By the early 1950s, her consistent usage of drugs and alcohol was significantly affecting her health. Still, she continued performing and touring all around the world, and she released her (ghostwritten) autobiography Lady Sings the Blues. In 1956, she once again performed to a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall and was still releasing recordings through Clef Records.

“Miss Holiday stepped from between the curtains into the white spotlight awaiting her, wearing a white evening gown and white gardenias in her black hair. She was erect and beautiful; poised and smiling. And when the first section of narration was ended, she sang with strength undiminished—with all of the art that was hers. I was very much moved. In the darkness, my face burned, and my eyes. I recall only one thing. I smiled.”

- Critic Gilbert Millstein for The New York Times on watching Holiday perform at Carnegie Hall in 1956.

“With few exceptions, every major pop singer in the US during her generation has been touched in some way by her genius. It is Billie Holiday who was, and still remains, the greatest single musical influence on me. Lady Day is unquestionably the most important influence on American popular singing in the last twenty years.”

- Frank Sinatra for Ebony in 1958

In 1959, she was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver while coping with a deteriorating financial situation thanks to her abusive husband’s spending and a lack of adequate record compensation. She performed some of her final concerts at Emerson’s Bar in Philadelphia before she was hospitalized in May. Despite the severity of her condition, she was placed under house arrest for narcotics possession and her loved ones were barred from visiting her during her final days of life. She died on July 17th, 1959 in New York.

Billie Holiday performing 'Strange Fruit' at Café Society in New York.

Photo: Gjon Mili, 1939

Billie Holiday.

Photo: Don Hunstein/Getty Images

An Interview with Playwright Lanie Robertson

Conducted by Audrey Zielenbach, Line Producer and Dramaturg

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Where did the idea to write ‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill’ come from initially?

The germ of the idea came from my first lover, an architect in Philadelphia, who saw Billie Holiday perform about ten years before on a rainy Saturday afternoon at a small club in North Philly. There were only seven people in the bar to hear her. She came out carrying her dog and tripped on the wire to the microphone. There was a water glass on the top of the upright piano filled with liquor that she never touched. She sang about 12 songs, and then she left.

That image haunted me because she was one of America’s major artists, and she remains so to this day almost 70 years after her death, but there were seven people there to hear her perform maybe six weeks before she died. How a major artist like that could be so ignored in our country stuck with me and haunted me, and I thought that is such a dramatic image, but it’s a static image, so how do you make it a play?

A few years went by, and I moved to New York City. I went to see a play about Edith Piaf called Piaf by Pam Gems. In the play, the character is told that her lover has been killed in a plane crash, and the actress passed from downstage left to a microphone upstage right, and she sang ‘My Man.’ It hit like this: oh my God, if I can make the audience know what is in Billie’s mind when she sings, then the whole thing will be an inner monologue, and the songs will be an expression of what she is going through in her life.

I bought every LP I could find, read her book several times, and researched at the Schomburg Center in Harlem. I interviewed one of her pianists and a woman who knew Billie in London. I began listening to Billie night and day.

I had written all of the stories, but I didn’t have the voice. I was in bed asleep, and I heard a voice saying the words, so I ran into the living room, and I began writing the play, and I wrote it in two days.

Billie has dozens of hit songs that we still recognize today. How did you go about selecting which songs to include in ‘Lady Day’?

Billie Holiday never sang the same song in the same way twice. They differ because she was a quintessentially alive to the moment artist.

For me, the music was like the skeleton of the piece. Billie hated Philadelphia because she was taken to prison from there. My idea was she doesn’t know where she is. She’s been taken there by Jimmy, and she’s brought from her dressing room, the lights come up, and she’s in front of a microphone. She starts singing the opening song and it’s like a shot of heroin, and suddenly she knows where she is.

The songs I chose either lead to a story or lead out of it. In the play, she is working against and with Jimmy, her piano player, because he starts certain songs that she’s not in the mood to tell.

‘God Bless the Child’ is one of those. He starts the song, and she has to tell this whole long story about her mother in order to get to the start of the song.

‘Lady Day’ was first produced in 1986. How has your relationship with the play and maybe with Billie herself changed in the years since then?

I’m eternally grateful that it has taken off the way it is. It’s been a success in any number of countries. When the play was done in ‘86, there was objection to the play from some African American church groups in Harlem that a play was being done about Billie Holiday who they viewed as a prostitute, a drug addict, an alcoholic, a fallen woman.

When Audra McDonald did the Broadway production in 2014, New York Mayor Dinkins, U.S. Representative Charles Rangel, and several Harlem church groups presented Audra, the director, and I with keys to the city of New York. That shift happened in Harlem. Yes, she was all of those things they had called her back in the 1980’s, but she was also a fighter for Civil Rights.

What is something about Billie Holiday that you feel it’s important for the audience to know?

That she was an American artist. As magnificent an artist she was, she was totally abused by our society and our country. Those two things need to be recognized.

Our production will coincide with Billie’s 110th birthday (April 7, 1915). If you could give Billie a birthday message, what would it be?

I would kiss her fingertips. I’ve seen many women in my lifetime, like my own mother, take on that spirit of bravery that she had. So for her birthday, I would just say thank you Billie for being the magnificent artist you will always be. Q: A: Q: A:

Gulfshore Playhouse Education provides programs that enhance the lives of students of all ages through transformative theatrical experiences.

Pre-professional training through theatre productions, classes, and camps.

Available for all ages.

Designed specifically for our region, this program infuses theatre-based pedagogy with curriculum standards to enhance learning.

Our community partnership program strengthens the fabric of our region by bringing the transformative power of live theatre and education to communities.

ThinkTheatre pairs core curriculum with performing arts education. By introducing theatrebased pedagogy, our professional teaching artists engage students’ creativity, encourage teamwork, and boost self-confidence while enhancing their understanding of curriculum content. If you are seeking ways to energize your classroom through fun, creative, and learning-focused residencies, be sure to check out our offerings.

John and Mary were very vested in their teaching and I as a teacher truly appreciated their enthusiasm as well as knowledge of what they were teaching!

Melissa Zizzo, Kindergarten, St. Ann School

Students always enjoy a break from the normal routines in their schedules. The work did not seem like work for them and some students really enjoyed working in groups.

We currently offer ThinkTheatre residencies for grades K-12 in the following subject areas:

• English/Language Arts

• Social Studies

• Science

• Mathematics

• Theatre

If your organization is interested in creating a partnership with Gulfshore Playhouse, contact Director of Education, Steven Calakos at 239.261.7529 ext. 207 or scalakos@gulfshoreplayhouse.org.

Sarah Anzuelda, Eighth Grade, ICA

The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Photo by Matthew Schipper.

Are your kids passionate about being on stage?

Adult Classes

Through acting classes, painting classes, vocal lessons, and lecture series, lifelong learners experience professional training and theatrical experiences that expand horizons and inspire artistic growth. Broaden your understanding of the work we do on stage while getting to know Gulfshore Playhouse and fellow theatre lovers.

Young Actors (Ages 8-13)

Mondays, March 24-May 5, 2025

5:30PM-7:30PM Tuition: $300

Teen Directors (Ages 13-18)

Mondays, March 24-May 5, 2025

5:30PM-7:30PM Tuition: $300

Broadway Bootcamp: Once Upon a Time (Ages: 5-7)

Wednesdays, April 2-30, 2025

5:30PM-7:30PM Tuition: $150

Story Explorers: Jumanji (Ages: 8-13)

Wednesdays, April 2-30, 2025

5:30PM-7:30PM Tuition: $150

Teen Conservatory Cabaret (Ages 13-18)

Rehearsals: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays April 15-May 9, 2025

5:00PM-8:00PM

Performances: May 12 & 13 7:00PM Tuition: $300

At the Conservatory at Gulfshore Playhouse, we offer pre-professional training through exciting theatre productions, engaging classes, and fun-filled camps for students of all ages. Scan here to learn more about our Youth and Teen Classes Spring Summer

Story Explorers: Inside Out (Rising 1st-3rd grade)

Monday-Friday, June 2-6, 2025

1:00PM-4:00PM Tuition: $250

Story Explorers: The Jurassic Era (Rising 1st-3rd grade)

Monday-Friday, June 9-13, 2025

1:00PM-4:00PM Tuition: $250

Broadway Bootcamp: Trolls (Rising 4th-6th grade)

Monday-Friday, June 2-6, 2025

9:00AM-12:00PM Tuition: $250

Broadway Bootcamp: Descendants (Rising 4th-6th grade)

Monday-Friday, June 9-13, 2025

9:00AM-12:00PM Tuition: $250

Paint ‘n Sip

April 4, 2025

6:00PM-8:00PM

Tuition: $100 (includes 3 drink tickets)

Founder Friday

Offered once per month: April 4, May 2, 2025

10:00AM-11:00AM Tuition: $25

Wellness Offerings:

Yoga

Monday - Thursday, Saturday at varying times

Flow, Sculpt, and Beginner Yoga Tuition: $20

Broadway Zumba!

Every Monday through May 26, 2025

9:00AM-10:00AM

Tuition: $15 drop-in, 10-class package for $135

Chair Fitness: Move & Groove

Every Monday starting January 20

10:00AM

Tuition: $15 per class

To register and for more information, Call our box office 239.261.7529 or visit our site at gulfshoreplayhouse.org

The Lecture Series

Explore the world of theatre with The Lecture Series at Gulfshore Playhouse – a monthly series of insightful discussions about theatre and the arts.

Songwriting for the Stage with David Cohen (A Three-Part Series)

March 27, Apr. 3, Apr. 10, 2025

10:30AM-12:00PM Tuition: $135

Directing the Stage April 17, 2025

11:00AM-12:00PM

Stage Stories: Celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage in Theatre with Dan Bacalzo May 15, 2025

11:00AM- 2:00PM

Scan here to see our Adult Classes

Gulfshore Playhouse Education is proud to forge community partnerships with other local cultural institutions such as the Holocaust Museum, Artis—Naples, and the Collier County Public Schools to bring unique theatrical experiences to thousands of students across Collier and Lee Counties.

Remember: The Story of Abe Price

Remember: The Story of Abe Price by Jeffrey Binder, an original play based on a true story, is brought to you in partnership with The Holocaust Museum and Cohen Education Center.

At just 16-years-old, Abraham Piasecki’s life is uprooted by the Nazi invasion of Poland. From living in the ghetto of Kielce to imprisonment at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Remember brings to life the harrowing true story of a Holocaust survivor who escaped Nazi captivity five times.

So Much Drama: Midsummer

So Much Drama is a collaboration between Gulfshore Playhouse, the Naples Philharmonic, and Collier County Public Schools, offering free musical adaptations of Shakespeare classics to over 3,000 eleventh-grade students. This partnership enhances students’ understanding of Shakespeare’s work while providing them the rare opportunity to experience performances by professional actors and musicians.

Drama-Based Corporate Training

Led by skilled facilitators, our tailored sessions infuse dynamic drama techniques into corporate settings, enhancing team building, communication, leadership, and creative problemsolving. Unleash the power of drama in your workplace, equipping your team with practical skills through engaging, customizable workshops.

• Presentation Skills: The Art of Public Speaking

• Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace

• The Power of Teamwork: Ensemble Building

Gulfshore Playhouse creates special student matinee performances for each of our mainstage productions so students in our region can experience live professional theatre free of charge.

These educational opportunities are made possible thanks to the Anthony and Beverly Petullo Endowment for Student Matinees and VIP Experiences.

Jim Corsica, Victor Caroli, and Sue Schaffel in Remember: The Story of Abe Price Photo by Matthew Schipper.

Carolina Miranda, Brian Nelson Jr., and Angie Janas in Midsummer Photo by Matthew Schipper.

• Groups of 200 or more people, contact Patron Services for tailored pricing.

• Groups of 100-199 people, save $15 per ticket

• 50-99 people, save $10 per ticket

• 20-49 people, save $7 per ticket

• 10-19 people, save $5 per ticket

How It Works

• Elect a group leader who will reserve a block of seats. Seats may be booked in advance and approved by the Group Leader.

• For medium groups and larger (20 or more people), a deposit of 50% of the total is due at the time of the reservation to hold your seats.

• For small groups, payment is due in full at time of reservation to secure your seats.

• For medium/large groups, if the number of seats in your group changes, we can add/ subtract tickets up to one month prior to your chosen performance, depending on availability.

• For medium/large groups, the remaining balance is due one month before your performance date.

• The Group Leader arranges payment for the group:

• For medium/large groups, original deposit: 50% of the total due at booking

• For medium/large groups, the second payment: Remaining balance due one month prior

• For small groups, payment: due in full at time of reservation

By reserving your group tickets now, you lock in your discounted price for any future additional tickets for the performance, protecting against any price increases due to demand!

*Group discounts not valid on previews, Opening Night performances, or Value seating. For more information, Contact Patron Services at 239.261.7529 or visit our site at gulfshoreplayhouse.org

A place to Breathe, Unwind and Refresh. Bayfront Inn: Where mornings start with sunrise views and breakfast at Bambu Tropical Bar & Grille, followed by a day of poolside relaxation, marina adventures, and tropical escapes.

Playhouse production of She Loves Me

Photo by Matthew Schipper.

We are thrilled to announce our new Dining Partnership!

Enjoy an elevated evening pairing a stellar dining experience at handselected restaurants with a visit to Gulfshore Playhouse, your new home for professional theatre.

For a list of our Dining Partners with links to their websites, scan here

*Please visit our Dining Partner’s websites for any special offerings they may be crafting for Gulfshore Playhouse ticket holders.

LADY

Kathy Abrams

Frank Agitali

Jackie Aldridge

Elizabeth Allen

Larry Allen

Pam Ammar

Ruth Anderson-Zabre

Maria Lane Arends

Lisa Auclair

Kim Babcock

Teresa Bacchi

Dianne Bacon

Doris Balconi

Gary Balconi

Melody Bales

Carla Bardagjy

Angela Barris

Anne Barongo

Lori Beckworth

Maria Bello

Jeanette Benfante

Monique Berlinger

Howard Bernie

Kay Bernie

Ron Bieganek

Jodie Birch

Shawn Blackley

Judi Bloom

Marta Bogater

Cate Boniello

Tammy Bower-Yorty

Pat Bradford

Alice Brady

Jeanine Brakefield

Marlene Bridge

Katie "KT" Brill

Joseph Buhain

David Burns

Frank Caccamise

Vivian Calis

Onetia Cameron

Tony Cancelliere

Pat Carl

Lori Carr

J Carroll

Connie Carter

Maureen Casey-Coe

Nancy Castonguay

Bob Castonguay

Donna Caughman

Cynthia Chandler

Myah Charlton (Lee)

Danielle Chapman

Gail Chazanovitz

Melanie Chiani

Lisa Chiesa

Corinne Cione

Lorraine Clark

Art Collins

Bonnie Cousineau

Fran Coyle

Laureen Coyne

Maureen Crichton

Stuart Crichton

Helen Cuda

Leona Curzi

Nancy Daras

Shirley Day

Elizabeth Dean

Sherry Dean

Wanda Debella

Rich Debella

Cathy DeMartis

Zeke DeMartis

Alyce Demma

Cindy Deschenes

Daniel Doczi

Michele Doczi

Bruce Dolin

Sandra Dolin

Kathleen Donelli

Lora Donia

John Donohue

Barbara Donohue

Moira Dougherty

Rich Dougherty

Janine Dowdle

Janet Dubeau

Jennifer Duffy

Linda Duggan

Dot Dunbar

Robert Dunbar

Beverly "Bev" Duncan

Suzanne Eastman

Katie Ekker

Debbie Elliot

Jan Ellis

Greg Ellis

Celene Evans

Karen Evans

Carrol Ewert

Larry Ewert

Carol Fahl

Steve Fapka

Joanne Farwell

Betsy Fellers

Vasiliy Finley

Gail Fitch

Karen Forberg

Natalie Frakenburg

Linnea Fraser

Linda Friis

Steve Fuller

Claudia Fuller

Suzanne Fundingsland

Marie Gannatti

Alivia Gardner

Joe Gargiulo

Jerry Gargiulo

Bunny Gartner

Anneke Geldenhuys

Maureen Gerrity

Matthew Giagnorio

Kathie Gilginas

Deborah Giso

Carole Glowacki

Nathan Goebel

Craig Goeske

Cheryl Goldberg

Chris Goldhorn

Thomas Golonksi

David "Dave" Golya

Hector Gonzalez

Charlene Gould

Nancy Greener

David Greener

Mrs. Ray Grimmon

Diane Hackem

Lori Hajec

Holly Hamilton

Tammy Harris

Nancy Harrison

Laraine Herbst

Pamela Heringhaus

Alexandra Hernandez

Cliff Hogen

Steve Holtz

Linda Horwitz

Peter Hubley

Peggy Hunt

Bob Huffman

Linda Icenogle

Ariella Irizarry

Linda Johnson

Lori Joyce

Shelagh Joyce

Keven Joyce

Sarah Jurney

Rose Kalba

Sue Kaplan

Gloria Kas

George Kas

Barbara Kay

Beth Keenan

Cathy Kelley

James Kelley

Carlyn Kelly

Robin Kennedy

Carolyn Kerl

Mary Jo Killoran

Mary Beth King

Billie Kirkpatrick

Linda Knight

Liese Kolb

Eileen Komanecky

Jackee Krauss

Mary Ellen Kucharik

Peter Kucharik

Frances (Fran) Lang

Karen Lang

NancyLee Langerman

Ron Lanning

John Lawton

Dale Leibowitz

Helane LePort

Robert Leverte

Michael Levine

Jane Levine

Gabriel Lewis

Joe Libertelli

Betty Liming

Dan Liming

Shirley Lopes

Faith Lopez

Rashida Loya

Nancy Lucey

Pam Lugo

Heather Mackenzie

Angela Maguire

Andrea Maldegan

Sandy Maggiacomo

Renee Marino

Rita Maroldo

Lorel Martens

Daniel Martin

Donna Martin

Mary Martini

Lisa Mash

Leslie Mason

Lola Mason

Marybeth Mastrianni

Lisa Mathe

Carol Matyniak

Brenda Maxey

Irene McAllister

Victoria McCally

Teresa McCallum

Debron McCartney

Harry McCartney

Connell McGeehan

Cindi McKnight

Dave McKnight

Nancy McLaughlin

John McLaughlin

Kathryn McMullen

Bob McNulty

Layza Medina

Elizabeth Mellon

John Minerva

Ken Moffat

Kathy Monti

Laurie Mountford

Nancy Moylan

John Murphy

Deborah Musiol

Karen Natalizio

David Mario Nal

Craig Nayhouse

Catherine Nelson

Rich Nemerson

Allison Newman

Debra Noons

Helena Novak

Nancy Oakes

Rod Oakes

Leslie O'Connell

Laura Odette

Maureen O'Keefe

Nancy O'Leary

Kathie O'Leary

Deborah (Debbie) Olsen

Michele Olsen

Robin Orme

Tarah Orme

Zackery Orme

Nora Ousley

Ray Palmer

Linda Palmer

Julie Panagakos

Mary Parelli

Doris Parker

Jean Paskalides

Karen Patrico

Maria Pentakis

Bob Phelan

Barbara Picardi

Amy Picotte

Bob Picotte

Gerry Pierce

Mike Pietrucha

Elaine Pilver

Susan Polastri

Angelo Polizzi

Ashley Pollard

Orest Poluch

Joanne Poluch

Steve Popp

Cynthia (Cindy) Popp

Cecelia Price

Dolores Pytlik

Tom Quinn

Bob Ray

Linda Ray

Kriki Read

Randy Read

Jean Rechenmacher

Gail Reifsnyder

June Reeves

Susan Reville

Lynda Reymann

Suzanne Rhea

Judith Rhyne

Bill Rhyne

Barbara Ridings

Wendy Rieger

Kaitlyn Rispoli

Cheryl Ritchie

Gail Riva

Samuel Roberts

Trenton Rocco

Kathy Rogers

Marie Roosendaal

Tracy Rosen

Maggie (Margaret) Ross

Debbie Rough

Maria Rozo

Carol Ruset

Wyatt Russo

Sharon Sabo

Charles Sabo

Donna Santamarina

Jennifer Schmidt

Alicia Schwartz

Mary Scioscia

Neil Scioscia

Diane Scribner

Nancy Sekulich

Jully Seybert

Randy Seybert

Pat Shea

Mike Shea

Robbie Short

Carol Simpson

Sharon Slack

Tom Smillie

Hollie Smillie

Beverly "Bev" Smith

Jeannie Smith

JoAnne Sottile

Christine Spangler

Lyn Spinella

Michael Stanek

Bonnie Stedronsky

Mary Steffan

Sandra Stephens

Karen Stone

Leslie Strauss

Maureen Sullivan

Sharon Sutton

Dave Sutton

Sharon Swinton

Judy Switzky

Peter Szafir

Kimberly Szymanski

Andrea Tanner

Deb Taylor

Rich Taylor

Sharon Thoemke

Calvin Thomas

Candi Tipton

Ann Todd

Dorothea "Dottie" Tormey

Amy Toussaint

Rob Toussaint

Patrick Trapp

Suzanne Trevors

Fran Tucker

Stan Tucker

Sue Turner

Janis Upton

Eric Uthus

Jackie Uthus

Lynne Vannelli

Marilyn Varcoe

Barbara Vegter

Diana Veksler

Carole Veringa

Susan Vigliante

Lucinda VonRomer

Margaret Walos

Margaret Walrod

MJ Wann

Eileen Warren

Joanne Weber

Julie Weber

Stephanie Weber

Karen Weinman

Eric Weinstein

Anne Welton

Daphne Whitman

Kate Wilde

Rob Wilde

Libby Wiliams

Nancy Willis

Sharon Wilson

Adrienne Woodward

Nancy Woodward

Nancy Woolf

Suzanne Worthington

Sharon Yeske

Natalie Younger

Yelena Yurinets

Patricia Zicht

Paula Zipfel

David Zipfel

Season Angels

($250,000+)

Jane & Steve Akin

Patty & Jay Baker

Glenda & Rich Struthers

Season Benefactors

($100,000-$249,000)

Karen & Gary Gregg

Nancy Lauridsen

Sandi & Tom Moran

Susan Regenstein & Barry Frank

Ralph & Shelly Stayer

Season Ambassadors

($50,000-$99,999)

Bayfront Inn

Grampy’s Charities - Jim & Jonatha Castle

Bev & Art Cherry

Dentons Cohen & Grigsby

Mary F. Drazan

Christine & Terrance Flynn

Nancy & Tom Gallagher

Marguerite Hambleton

Jenny & Rich Housh

George & Patricia Kraus

Pamela & Bob Krupka

James & Brigitte Marino

Moran Wealth Management

Porsche Naples

John & Carol Walter

Jane & Dave Wilson

Debbie & Bruce Yarde

Executive Producers

($25,000-$49,999)

Anonymous (x3)

Aielli Group

Mary & Phil Beuth

Lee & Peter Bewley

Bigham Jewelers

Richard & Jane Borchers

Patricia & Jim Bosscher

Cheryl & Randall W. Byrnes

Bob & Laurie Champion

Ciccarrelli Advisory Services

Robert & Joan Clifford

John & Patricia Cochran

Norman & Suzanne Cohn

Margaret Cox

Jim & Shirley Curvey

Kyla & Rich de Asla

Bobbi & David Drobis

Dyan Fazzone

First Horizon

Kathleen & Brendan FitzGerald

The Gialamas Family

The Habbershon Family

Matthew Hagan

The Harold Alfond Foundation

Gulfshore Life / Naples Press

Ken & Karen Heithoff

Vicki Herche & Graeme Murray

Mitchell Hertz & Anne Carlucci

Jean & Leo Hertzog

Steven & Sarah Jackson

Sabrina & Craig Jensen

Liz & Jim Jessee

Sarah Raup Johnson

Catelyn Juliano & David Deutsch

Heidi & James Kargman

Diane Landgren

Dolly & Jenny Lenz

Laird A. Lile

Jody & Gerald Lippes

Barbara K. Lupient

Simone & Scott Lutgert

Debra & Vince Maffeo

Phil McCabe

Carolyn & Don McCulloch

Gerry McGraw

Bettina McKee

Pat & Tony McMunn

Dan & Ann Meyer

Joanne & Jeffrey Miller

Kristin & John Miller

Geraldine Moss

Kimberly Moss & Bob Fisher

Naples Illustrated

F.E. & Jack Nortman

Louise & Larry Ost

Joan & Mahendra Parekh

Gail Kern Paster

Anthony & Beverly Petullo

Quality Enterprises USA Inc.

Ann Ratner

Dottie & John Remondi

DeAnna & Rick Rondinelli

Kathy & Ned Sachs

Pam & Fred Sasser

Cynthia & Mike Scholl

Acadia Wealth Management - Tennille & Aaron Sevigny

The Shubert Foundation Inc.

Alice & Charles Simons

Sharon & Paul Stein

Patricia Sweet & Bill Marsh

Janet & Peter Swinburn

Schipper.

Roberta & Rodger Taylor

The Dock at Crayton Cove - Mimi & Doug Traina

Julie & Steve Vanderboom

The Vincent Von Zwehl Memorial Fund

Julie & Phil Wade

Kathy & Paul Weaver

Tereska & Jerry Whitson

William C. Huff

Michael Wilens & Carolyn Longacre

Wilmington Trust

Julie Wyman

Kristen & Michael Wynn

Joanne Wyss

Spotlight Sponsors

($10,000-$24,999)

Barron Collier Companies

The Betsey Harris Fund, Collier Community Foundation

Jeannelle & Brian Brady

The Calleja Group - Gisselle & Jorge Calleja

Collier Community Foundation

Scott & Rebecca Curvey

Davies Duke

Janine & Timothy Dowdle

Jeanette & Herbert Evert

Fidelity Wealth Management

Gilbane Building Company

Kathleen Glass

Judith & Martin Isserlis

Jack Miller Family Foundation

Jay & Stuart Kaye

Lisa & Patrick Kelly

Nancy Marriott - The Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation

Jennifer & David Miller

Moorings Park Group

John & Barbara Morgan

Susan Mullin

Karen Nally

Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau

Beth & Bill Reid

Lois & Bruce Selfon

Robert Simpson

Karen & F. Samuel Smith

Julie & Steven Smith

Jenny & Kermit Sutton

State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs

Bruce Tomason & Susan Rosen

Gulf Coast International Properties - Tim & Stephanie Savage

$5,000 - $9,999

Robin Bache Gray

Susan & William Brock

Brown and Brown

Erica & James Buchweitz

Azul Cosmetic Surgery and Medical Spa

Joyce & Patrick Coughlan

Jerry Coury

Hanna & Andrew Cummins

Richard Cuneo

Judith Davis & Kim Gordon Davis

District

Dougherty Family Foundation

Kathleen & William Farley

Jeanie & Tony Figg

Jane & Neal Gelfand

Dave Gibbons

Mary Graham

Florida Blue

Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation

Carole & Tom Guyette

Myra Hackel

Stephan Hall

Johanna & Tony Hess

Mary & Robert Hoyer

MPM Wealth Advisors

Bruce Kirchhofer

Marc Kozin

Mary & James Lande

Kristine C. Lenrow

Jo & Dick Liddy

Ken Love

Rebecca & Robert McLennen

Lynn & Ken Melkus

Ned & Elvy Milenkovich

Laura & Leo Montgomery

Myfifident Foundation

Naples Bay Resort

Nick & Linda Penniman

Marcus Peperzak

Timothy Petersen

Laurie & Ric Phillips

Penny & Stephen Pomeranz

Maureen A. Raub

Betty & Leo Schwartz

Leslie Schwartz

Laura Scott

Second Chance Fund

Cherry Smith

Soluna

Beth Stewart

Fred Stratton

Sharon & Rich Struthers

Joy & Jack Timken

Enid & Jerry Weygandt

Warren American Whiskey Kitchen

Myra & Van Zandt Williams

Marlene & John Yasinsky

Harriet & Donald Young

Denise Zutz

$2,500 - $4,999

Kay Albertie

Rosann & Gregory Anselmi

Roger & Paula Baker

Jeffrey Binder in the Gulfshore Playhouse production of Every Brilliant Thing. Photo by Matthew Schipper.

LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL

Create an indelible legacy

Join the Standing Ovation Society

We understand that the choice to designate a planned gift is a deeply precious and personal one, and we thank you for your consideration. When you become a member of the Standing Ovation Society, you are joining an ensemble of thoughtful and imaginative visionaries who believe, as you do, in the transformative power of world-class professional theatre and educational opportunities in our region. Your gift will touch the lives of all who walk through our doors and ensure our ability to carry out our mission.

Benefits of Joining:

Annual recognition in the Gulfshore Playhouse playbill

Invitation to periodic events honoring members of the Standing Ovation Society

Invitation to other Gulfshore Playhouse special events

Standing Ovation Society Members

Mary & Phil Beuth

Kristen Coury

Tom & Nancy Gallagher

Elizabeth & Jim Jessee

Glenda & Rich Struthers

Ms. Patricia Sweet & Mr. Bill Marsh

Jane & Dave Wilson

By including Gulfshore Playhouse in your estate plan, you are supporting Gulfshore Playhouse’s longterm fiscal stability and leaving a lasting legacy that will allow us to create, engage, and inspire for many years to come.

If you would like to notify us of your intent or discuss your options, please contact Lisa Halsey at 239.261.7529 ext 203. or lhalsey@gulfshoreplayhouse.org