FST takes a comedic look at life in ‘The Flip Side’ cabaret revue
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Florida Studio Theatre is going laughs with a point of view in its final cabaret show of the season “The Flip Side.”
Created by Richard Hopkins and Rebecca Hopkins, with musical arrangements by Jim Prosser, the show is a tribute to comedic musicians and songwriters like Randy Newman, Shel Silverstein and Jerry Reed among many others.
Rebecca Hopkins said the show is special because “it really does celebrate what a gift this thing is we call life. We spend so much time worrying about the weirdest things. The show digs into that and faces the fact that our kooky obsessions define us as individuals.”
Among the songs featured in the show is “I’m My Own Grandpa,” a 1947 song by Dwight Latham and Moe Jaffe that has been recorded by a diverse array of artists including Ray Stevens and Willie Nelson. It also will feature the Bob Gibson-Silverstein collaboration “Killed by a Coconut” and “The Ballad of Sigmund Freud,” which was recorded by the Vhad Mitchell Trio in 1960.
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Rebecca Hopkins said these “are my favorite kind of songwriters. They aren’t afraid to poke fun and show us how absurd we really all are.”
The production, which begins Feb. 7, is directed by Associate Artist Catherine Randazzo, who has staged more than a dozen of the company’s original music revues. The cast features returning artist William Selby, who was seen in “shakespeare’s Greatest Hits” and “Older Than Dirt,” and two newcomers to the theater, Chris Richie and Marcel Werder. Darren Server is the music director and the production is choreographed by Vanessa Russo.
“The Flip Side” runs through June 16 in FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St., Sarasota. Tickets are $18-$46. 941-366-9000; floridastudiotheatre.org
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Comedic songwriters explore ‘The Flip Side’ of life in FST cabaret
