Asolo Rep's 2024-25 season includes Ken Ludwig world premiere

Josh Rhodes, currently making his Broadway directorial debut with "Spamalot," will return to the Asolo Repertory Theatre to direct the rock musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" for the 2024-25 season. 

Rhodes was scheduled to direct "Crazy For You" this season at Asolo Rep, the largest Actors Equity theater in Florida, but bowed out for the Great White Way. He was replaced by Denis Jones for what became the smash hit of the season. 

In addition to the May 14 to June 15 run of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's "Jesus Christ Superstar," Asolo Rep will present five shows at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts in its upcoming season.

The highlight is the world premiere of Ken Ludwig's "Lady Molly of Scotland Yard," which will be directed by Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein from Jan. 17 to Feb. 8. A prolific playwright, Ludwig is best known for writing "Crazy for You" and "Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express." 

The other shows in Asolo Rep's 2024-25 season are:

• "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," the Broadway and London hit about the legendary singer/songwriter, to be directed by Shelley Butler with music direction by Angela Steiner from Nov. 16 to Jan. 5;
• "Anna in the Tropics," Nilo Cruz's tale of how a copy of Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" electrified a town in 1920s Florida, to be directed by Marcela Lorca from Feb. 21 to March 13; 
• "Dancing at Lughnasa," Brian Friel's Tony Award-winning play about an annual ritual of five Irish sisters, to be directed by Joe Dowling from March 19 to April 19. ; and 
• "Good Night, Oscar," Doug Wright's Broadway show about the troubled musical genius Oscar Levant, to be directed by Peter Amster from April 4-27.

"We are thrilled to create a season of stories that span oceans: from Ybor City, Florida to County Donegal, Ireland, and on to Jerusalem; stories about revolutions that forever changed the course of history to quiet moments that illuminate the recesses of the human heart; stories about songwriters and cigar-rollers, detectives and concert pianists, soldiers and saints," Rothstein said in a statement.

Continued Rothstein: "I hope this season has something for everyone, and inside this array of characters we both see ourselves and come to understand each other."

As a holiday gift to Sarasota, Asolo Rep is joining forces with The Ringling Museum's Art of Performance series for a special holiday performance of Rothstein's "All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914." 

The show, about enemies on the front lines of World War I who collaborate on an unforgettable rendition of "Silent Night," will be directed by Rothstein.

"All Is Calm" will run from Dec. 6-22 in The Ringling's Historic Asolo Theater, which has been dubbed "The Hat." The jewelbox theater in The Ringling Museum is a sought-after venue in Sarasota.

 "The soldiers of the Christmas Truce have become my personal heroes. It is an honor to tell their story and to stage it in the Historic Asolo, where this theater began 66 years ago," Rothstein says.

Having a theater company with the same name as a nearby theater sometimes leads to confusion among snowbirds and newcomers to Sarasota. Fortunately the Hat and the FSU Center are next to each other.

Rothstein said he began work on the upcoming season as soon as he arrived at Florida Studio Theatre last year to take the reins from Michael Donald Edwards, who had been producing artistic director since 2006.

Retiring at the same time as Edwards at the end of June 2023 was Linda DiGabriele, who worked at the Asolo in one form or another for a staggering 50 years and had served as managing director since 1989. Taking DiGabriele's place is Ross Egan.

During a presentation to subscribers and donors, Rothstein noted that many other regional theater companies across the country haven't bounced back from Covid interruptions as well as Asolo Rep has, and thanked the audience for their support.

Asolo Rep season tickets can be renewed now. New subscriptions go on sale on May 13 and single-show tickets will go on sale in September. For more information, visit AsoloRep.org.