Apex Theatre Studio releases Summer Series

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The Apex Theatre Studio Inc., in partnership with the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and The Amp, will present the Apex Theatre’s sixth annual summer theater series on select dates between June and July. Tickets for all events are currently on sale. 

 The season will begin with the return of the Ultimate 80s Dance Party on Friday, June 7, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. Guests can expect to hear a variety of 1980s pop and soul favorites during the three-hour event, which will include a live DJ, a silent auction and retro-themed dance lessons. 

The event will spark memories of moussed hair, ragged tees and the restless beat of soundtracks from movies such as “St. Elmo's Fire,” “The Breakfast Club” and “Sixteen Candles,” as well as memorable dance tunes from artists such as Whitney Houston, George Michael, Depeche Mode, Yaz and more. Guests are encouraged to don clothes that create the sparkle, grunge and humor of the era. 

"Torn jeans, fishnets, gloves and denim are all welcome,” Managing Director Ian Mairs said. “The hair needs to rise and shine." 

Tickets for the event are $30. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Apex Theatre Studio summer productions.   

Roxie and Velma, the duo from the hit Broadway show, “Chicago,” will take center stage at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall June 20-30, while an enchanting gallery of fairies, foresters and fools people take over the Backyard Stage at The Amp in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” July 16-17.

 The Fosse-inspired musical, “Chicago,” examines fame, fortune and faking it with non-stop dance moves, witty banter and a sentimental nod to the days of vaudeville. The production is under the direction of AJ Allegra, artistic director for the NOLA project, a professional, regional theater in New Orleans. It features Ponte Vedra resident (and a rising junior in Florida State University’s musical theatre program) Gena Heylock as Roxie, the darling but deadly femme fatale, and Kayelin Leonhirth (University of Florida) as Velma Kelly, her partner in crime.  

 The company’s Bard Bus offering (a Shakespearean production), “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” renders an 80-minute, high energy version of a romantic rave, replete with music, magic, puppetry and clowning.  

“For me, the play explores the games we all play to give and receive love in its many forms,” remarked Raines Carr, artistic director for the production. 

Pre-show performance activities include food trucks, improv games and opening sets from Northeast Florida bands Bad Dog Mama (July 16) and Folk Is People (July 17).  Last year, the production played to capacity, so guests are encouraged to arrive early.  On each evening, the pre-show performance starts at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors.

Apex Theatre’s annual summer series features a company of young artists from Northeast Florida schools, seasoned pros and a group of visiting young artists from the top college theater programs in the country who make St. Johns County their temporary summer home.  

For young artists between the ages of 8-14, the Apex Theatre Studio Inc. is the only training program in Northeast Florida that provides a challenging and enriching training program specifically for the intermediate to advanced level theater student through challenging interactions with an expert faculty, a range of programming and a commitment to excellence. 

 Tickets for Apex Theatre Studio summer productions are currently available at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and The Amp Box Offices, ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets.