IN “THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE Show Business,” the lyrics name a number of things that might happen to disrupt a performance, but insists, “Let’s go on with the show.”
But one thing it doesn’t name is a hurricane like the one that tore through Southwest Florida on Sept. 28 — the monster Category 4 storm Hurricane Ian.
It hit local theaters with a powerful blow, though not necessarily a knockout one.
Depending upon where they were located, theaters varied in how they were affected.
Some had to cancel shows, others had to postpone them. Some fortunate venues weren’t adversely affected but had to postpone shows due to the inability of actors to return to the stage. Some actors had left the area, some had damaged homes or lost them completely.
The hurricane comes on the heels of having to deal with shutdowns from the pandemic. Venues were just beginning to get back on their feet when Hurricane Ian hit.
Here’s a look at how storm affected various local theaters.
For The Florida Repertory Theatre, it was a horrible start to its 25th anniversary season. Located in downtown Fort Myers, just a block from the Caloosahatchee River, it was adversely affected by storm surge. Over four feet of water rushed into its lobby and theaters, damaging its main theater, studio theater and administrative offices.
But “It is all intact, no structural damage at all,” says Florida Rep producing artistic director Greg Longenhagn. “I am so heartened and revived by the spirit of our Florida Rep team who jumped in immediately to remedy situations and worked their tails off to clear spaces so our remediation team could work faster to remedy the property.”
Actors who were supposed to reprise a Florida Rep production of “Driving Miss Daisy” at Shell Point’s Tribby Arts Center, stayed in town, but left post-Ian. The performances were cancelled.
Performers in “Lady Day at.
The Alliance of the Arts graciously offered the use of its Foulds Theatre stage for performances; “Lady Day” will play there through Oct. 29.
Florida Rep plans to open its next play, “Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help,” on its main stage Oct. 28.
“We’re going to be ready to go on opening night,” promises Mr. Longenhagen. “We have a great cast and have been rehearsing virtually. It’s a fun play.”
Theatre Conspiracy’s performances of August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” and the kids’ performance of “Aladdin” will be rescheduled.
The Laboratory Theater of Florida was unscathed, but its props and costume building and education building were destroyed.
“The roofs came off and it stormed inside the buildings,” says artistic director Annette Trossbach. “It’s all ruined. There is mold all over the place. Fifteen years of work. How will we recoup all this loss?”
An actor has started a Kickstarter page for the theater, to raise money.
But with permission from the licensor, the theater offered two free performances to the community on Oct. 8 and 9, wanting to share the much-needed gift of laughter.
It also extended the run of the play for two weeks, through Oct. 23.
Broadway Palm in Fort Myers sustained some damage in its parking lot with lost foliage and a downed light, but the theater itself was unharmed.
It was in the last weeks of “Broadway Palm Thru the Decades,” a revue celebrating its 30th anniversary, but the storm caused the venue to close the show prematurely.
Its performances of “A Chorus Line” were delayed until Oct. 13. “Not Now, Darling,” a comedy in its black box, The Off Broadway Palm, also started on Oct. 13. Owner and executive producer Will Prather says patrons have been showing up at the theater already, wanting to see shows.
Broadway Palm was going to have a special gala celebration on Saturday, Oct. 8, to celebrate its anniversary. In its place, it held a casual happy hour party with light appetizers.
The New Phoenix Theatre in Fort Myers did not suffer damages. Its performances of “Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical,” however, have been delayed, as it contains a large cast and actors were affected to various degrees. According to founder and board president Brenda Kensler, “Jekyll & Hyde” will open on Oct. 20, a week after its originally scheduled date.
Players Circle Theater in North Fort Myers was not damaged at all. It will open “Murder at the Howard Johnson’s” on Nov. 1, instead of its planned date of Oct. 25, and will run through Nov. 20. The theater’s weekly Monday-night shows of the Danny Sinoff Trio saluting the American Songbook will resume on Nov. 7 with “Sinatra – The Early Years.”
In Collier County, The Studio Players’ venue at the Golden Gate Community Center wasn’t affected by Hurricane Ian either. It was able to reopen “Beer for Breakfast” for a closing weekend.
Although located in downtown Naples, The Sugden Community Theatre, home to the Naples Players, was undamaged. The venue opened “Blithe Spirit.” It runs through Oct. 23.
TheatreZone, at the G&L Theatre on the campus of The Community School, was not adversely affected by the storm and its schedule was not affected. According to a press release from Founding Artistic Director Mark Danni, “We were very fortunate that our came through unscathed, save for some landscape disarray.”
Its first show of the season is “Home for the Holidays,” set to open Dec. 9.
Gulfshore Playhouse has cancelled its first production of the season, “26 Miles.” “due to infrastructure damages and city-wide damage.” A note posted on the theater’s website also notes that half of the apartments in which it houses actors were decimated by storm surge and actors had to be relocated.
Gulfshore Playhouse is also in the middle of building a theater; unfortunately, one of its mainstage walls collapsed and foundation washed away. It will delay the opening of its new space.
“We don’t know the total extent of the damage yet and are waiting to hear how long it may take to recover and the influence it will have on our budget,” Founder and Producing Artistic Director Kristen Coury wrote in an email.
Though “26 Miles” has been cancelled, “Steel Magnolias” is still slated to open Nov. 12 and run through Dec. 4.
Also, as a result of power outages, school closures and loss of actor housing, Gulfshore Playhouse was forced to cancel its annual school partnership with the Naples Philharmonic. This season’s show was “Midsummer,” a fully orchestrated adaptation.
“This year, we would’ve served 6,900 students, the entire 11th and 12th grades of Collier County Public Schools,” wrote Ms. Coury. “I’m hopeful we will find a way to reschedule this.”
The Charlotte Players in Port Charlotte did not respond to repeated phone calls and do not have any post-hurricane information listed on their website, though it lists new dates for its next play, “Blithe Spirit.” (Oct 28-Nov. 13)
In Venice, the Venice Theatre suffered major damage with the loss of the theater’s back wall and fly loft. In an update sent out by Executive Producing Director Murray Chase, he notes that they’ve already met on site with an architect, engineer and contractor. Forty volunteers came and helped clear the theater and a professional company came to fight mildew and moisture.
“We will need funds,” he wrote. “… Even with good insurance, we will need several million dollars.”
However, Venice Theatre recently announced that its original musical version of “A Christmas Carol,” an annual tradition for 20 years, will happen, despite damage to its major performance space. The musical will take place in The Raymond Center from Dec. 2-19. That is the new name of the former Hamilton Building, which was most recently the temporary Venice Public Library. It is on the north end of the theater’s three-building campus and is slated to be its Arts Education Center. It will be a temporary 128-seat thrust theater.
Conversely, a few miles north, the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota didn’t suffer any damage, other than loss of power for a few days. There weren’t any significant delays to their preparation for their main stage shows.