Steven Skelley

Nudist resorts don't have negative impact Written by  Steven Skelley (appeared in Florida Today newspaper at  http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120709/OPINION/120706027/Letter-Nudist-resorts-don-t-negative-impact ) The arguments against Fawlty Towers Resort in Cocoa Beach offering clothing-optional recreation are ludicrous at best.  #1: We can’t allow this to happen in Florida? There are dozens of clothing-optional resorts, beaches and clubs legally operating in Florida. They have been here for decades. They have never promoted drug abuse or prostitution.  The major cruise lines have offered clothing-optional cruises from multiple Florida ports for years. #2: Clothing-optional businesses lower property values? Key West has a clothing-optional bar located on some of the most expensive property in the state.  Fort Lauderdale’s dozens of clothing-optional resorts are on multimillion-dollar beachside properties. #3: Clothing-optional recreation

OKLAHOMA! (by Steven Skelley for   http://www.edgeonthenet.com/ ) In an educational era where the FCAT test preparation monopolizes the entire school year and arts programs have often been sacrificed, The Summer Musical Theatre Project collaboration between the King Center for the  Performing Arts, Brevard Community College and The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse is a valuable asset to Florida Space Coast’s youth and young adult community. The Summer Musical Theatre Project’s production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s "Oklahoma!" highlights the impressive skills of the Space Coast’s young actors. If you enjoy seeing young people shine on stage, this show is for you! For four weeks, the King Center for the Performing Arts, Brevard Community College and The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse offered theater workshops to area high school and college age actors which culminated in the July 13-15 production of "Oklahoma!" at the King Center. The youngest youth in the pr

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN by Steven Skelley (This review first appeared in EDGE MAGAZINE at  http://www.edgeonthenet.com/  ) When Mary Shelley wrote her horror masterpiece "Frankenstein" in 1818, she could not have imagined that a comedic genius named Mel Brooks would bring it back to life 156 years later as a riotously risqué, award-winning movie and play. I was 11 years old when Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" hit the theaters with its irreverent humor and an amazing cast including Gene Wilder, Cloris Leachman, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn, and Marty Feldman. Film critics have called it one of the funniest movies of all time. The musical version of "Young Frankenstein" was enjoyed on Broadway for nearly 500 performances and is now on national tour. I wondered, quite honestly, if the stage production could match the wonderful, madcap silliness of the classic movie that I remembered so fondly. There was nothing to worry about. The stage production of

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Steven Skelley (This review first appeared in EDGE MAGAZINE at  http://www.edgeonthenet.com/  ) Even 50 years after it debuted on Broadway in 1962, the irreverent and bawdy humor of "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" stands the test of time and fills theaters with roars of laughter. The Titusville Theater production of the Tony Award winning, Stephen Sondheim classic hits all the right notes in this legendary musical farce. The storyline follows the misadventures of a Roman slave named Pseudolus who connives to win his freedom by helping the son (Hero) of his master (Senex) gain the love of a virginal courtesan named Philia. The plan is complicated by the fact that Philia has already been sold to Captain Gloriosus, a deadly soldier who unsheaths his sword at the slightest provocation. As if that isn’t enough of a recipe for comedy, the house of Senex is located directly between the house of E

Titanic: The Musical by Steven  Skelley (This review first appeared in EDGE MAGAZINE at  http://www.edgeonthenet.com/ ) The sinking of the "unsinkable" RMS Titanic on her maiden voyage on April 15, 1912, and the tragic death of more than 1,500 of her passengers in freezing North Atlantic waters has captivated humanity for the last 100 years. The heartbreaking stories and intriguing myths dominated worldwide headlines at the time, spawned the 1958 classic film "A Night To Remember," inspired one of the most successful movies of all time: James Cameron’s "Titanic," launched multiple Titanic museums around the world, and led to a Broadway play that earned five Tony Awards including Best Musical. The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse, which opened just 12 years after the Titanic disaster, is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the disaster, "in loving memory of those who were on this voyage 100 years ago, on April 15 1912." Th

Psycho Beach Party by Steven  Skelley (This article first appeared in EDGE MAGAZINE at  http://www.edgeonthenet.com/ ) What happens when you take the silliness of a Gidget beach movie and mix in a healthy dose of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" erotic insanity? You’d get the Emma’s Attic Titusville Playhouse production of the Charles Busch indie classic  "Psycho Beach Party." For those unfamiliar with Charles Busch, he is the author of many Off-Broadway productions including "Psycho Beach Party" and "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom," which ran for five years in New York and became one of the longest running plays in Off-Broadway history. Both plays were made into movies. "Psycho Beach Party" is the story of little Chicklet Forrest, portrayed in drag at Emma’s Attic by Walter LeBlanc. Chicklet is a Gidget-like character straight out of the 1960s beach themed B-movies. She is a late blooming, wide-eyed innocent trying to fit in

Cabaret by Steven  Skelley (This article first appeared in EDGE MAGAZINE, www.EdgeOnTheNet.com) As current news is dominated with daily headlines of religious and political forces demanding laws that restrict the basic civil liberties and equal rights of certain citizens, I can think of no modern theatrical production more relevent today than the groundbreaking and heartbreaking classic called "Cabaret." The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse has bravely stepped into the firing line and created an excellent production that can’t help but share the message that everyone deserves individuality and dignity and when we don’t stand up for freedom, society will surely suffer. Executive Director Dr. Anastacia Hawkins-Smith said, "’Cabaret’ is a very adult production. The theme of ’Cabaret’ reminds us of the terrible things that happened to the Jewish people and homosexual people during that time period." The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse producti

Key West’s Miss Firecracker Pageant Raises $6,500 for AIDS Help by Steven  Skelley (as published in EDGE Magazine at  http://www.edgeonthenet.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=local&sc2=features&sc3=&id=134878  ) With drag artists galore, the 2012 Miss Firecracker Pageant in Key West proved once again that under those campy outfits beat hearts of gold that want nothing more than to see a cure for everyone suffering from HIV/AIDS. This year, the pageant raised $6,489 for AIDS Help. "It’s a great amount of money and it was a lot of fun. We like to do it for the community, and they always respond very generously to us," said Joe Pais, executive director of AIDS Help. The 2012 Miss Firecracker Pageant was held in La Te Da’s upstairs Crystal Room on Duval Street, produced by Smyrna Emphezema, and hosted by Just Whitney and Mark Watson. In addition to a special 10th anniversary tribute to former Miss Firecracker, Kitty Kazwell, the event featured a special