LIVE FROM JACKSONVILLE! with Amadeus
99.9 Gator Country morning show host Amadeus shares stories that did not make it on the air, and he takes a deeper dive into those that did make the cut. Fans of Your Hometown Morning Show will enjoy a more behind the scenes look at what goes into the making of a country radio morning show. Listen daily for this PG-13 version of the top stories making pop culture headlines, artist interviews, and much , much more.
LIVE FROM JACKSONVILLE! with Amadeus
Comedians, Broadway Stars, and Concert Announcements: Your Jacksonville Entertainment Fix
Grab your calendars because Jacksonville's entertainment scene is absolutely exploding with must-see shows and performances! From legendary rock stars to Broadway sensations, comedy headliners to musical icons, we've got the inside scoop on everything coming to The River City's finest venues.
The biggest news? Sting is heading to Daily's Place, and tickets are vanishing fast! Meanwhile, Rascal Flatts is reuniting for their Life is a Highway Tour at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, bringing all their greatest hits back to the stage. The St. Augustine Amphitheater isn't holding back either, with Chicago, Warren Zeiders, Travis Tritt, and Wilco all performing throughout April.
We dive deep with comedian Angela Johnson-Reyes, who's bringing her Family Reunion Tour to Florida Theater. Angela shares her hilarious and heartfelt journey into motherhood at age 41, discussing how becoming a "geriatric" mom (yes, that's actually what doctors call it!) has transformed both her life and her comedy. Angela explains, giving us a glimpse into how parenthood has enriched her already stellar performance style.
Broadway fans won't want to miss Les Miserables running April 1-6 at Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. We chat with Jake David Smith who plays Marius, about this reimagined production described as "a Les Miz for the 21st century." Jake reveals how they're incorporating modern technology and contemporary perspectives while honoring the timeless story that audiences have loved for generations.
Whether you're a theater enthusiast, concert-goer, or comedy fan, Jacksonville's stages are lighting up with world-class entertainment. Listen now for all the dates, insider details, and exclusive conversations with the performers themselves! Which show will you be rushing to see first?
Welcome to another episode of Live from Jacksonville. I'm your host, amadeus Morning show, host of 99.9 Gator Country and promotions director of Gator Country and 96.1 WEJZ and because of my job I'm always telling people about what's coming to Jacksonville. Someone suggested maybe there should be a podcast, so we are on the last episode. I mentioned that daily's place had a huge concert announcement coming and if you aren't following our live from jacksonville facebook page you may have missed that. Sting is coming to daily's place on november 11th. Tickets went on sale already and this thing is almost sold out. Get to daily's placecom if you want to be there for this show. I mean there's like it's almost sold out. Get to dailiesplacecom if you want to be there for this show. I mean there's like it's almost sold out. It's selling really, really well. As I mentioned before, dailies is kind of silent for the month of April but they'll kick back up in May with some great shows coming this summer. Again, dailiesplacecom to check out all those shows Coming up right next door, pretty much much at Vice Star Veterans Memorial Arena.
Speaker 1:Saturday, april 5th, rascal Flats Life is a Highway Tour. This is going to be a show. These guys broke up right around COVID time and had decided to get back together. They have a Greatest Hits album coming out. That's also all their greatest hits with duets of other artists and it looks like it's going to be a great tour, a lot of fun. If you're a casual Rascal Flatts fan or a Rabid fan, I recommend not missing this show. Kane Brown will be at the arena on Friday April 25th and American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Marino will be at the arena on April 26th.
Speaker 1:For April, the St Augustine Amphitheater has coming up Chicago on Sunday April 13th. I feel like Chicago is having some kind of weird resurgence right now. Like I don't know. They're hotter than ever. Warren Ziders will be at the Amp on Saturday April 19th, travis Tritt on Thursday April 24th and Wilco on Wednesday April 30th. Theampcom is their website for more shows and tickets. Over in Orange Park, the Thrasher Horn Center has Pretty Woman, the Musical, on Monday April 14th. And don't forget, william Shatner will be there on August 3rd for a Q&A immediately following a screening of Star Trek III, the Wrath of Khan thcenterorg for info and to purchase tickets for that event. I mean, come on, william Shatner, live on stage answering your questions. That's going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 1:All right, my first guest is coming to the Florida Theater. Quickly, let's run down what's happening there before we get to it. Monday, april 7th it's the world's greatest Chicago tribute, leonid and Friends. This one's almost sold out too. Like I mentioned before, chicago's having some kind of weird resurgence, so even these tribute bands are doing well. Leonid and Friends comes to the Florida Theater, I think almost every year. They'll be back Tuesday, I'm sorry, monday April 7th, and again, that show's almost sold out. Tuesday April 8th is Old Crow Medicine Show. Friday, april 11th it's Air Supply. If you've never seen Air Supply before, this is a must-see show. They are so great live. They love the Florida Theater. They come back every tour and this is one I highly recommend.
Speaker 1:Sunday, april I believe it's 12th or 13th. It's Dog man, the musical. I didn't know much about Dog man until the Dog man movie came out a few months ago and I went to see it just because I love movies and it was actually pretty good. I actually kind of liked the whole premise. So the musical should be a lot of fun. On Saturday, april 5th, comedian Angela Johnson Reyes will be at the Florida Theater. You know her from her stand-up. You know that great nail salon bit. She got her start way back on MADtv. I got a chance to speak with her a few weeks ago and started out by saying well, welcome back to Jacksonville.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. I'm excited to be back. Every time I come to Florida, it's always a good time.
Speaker 1:What I'm excited to be back Every time I come to Florida. It's always a good time. What's?
Speaker 2:new. What's the family reunion tour all about? Oh man, let me tell you, lots of change for me since the last time I was there. I have a family now, like an actual kid. I have one of those. You know what I mean. I joined the club and I waited a long time because I'm in my 40s. I had my first kid at 41. Like that's wild, because most of my friends in high school you know they had their kids in high school.
Speaker 1:Wow, but I feel like more and more people are waiting longer to have their kids, which I think is a good thing. I think a lot of people don't even really grow up until they get in their 30s.
Speaker 2:That's what I think too. I'm like, I'm glad I waited until I was considered geriatric, you know.
Speaker 1:You're not geriatric.
Speaker 2:That's what happens if you get pregnant at the age of 35. They consider you a geriatric pregnancy Is that real.
Speaker 2:Is that a real thing? Yeah, no, that's a real thing. Like they consider you geriatric pregnancy after 35. And it's like you know, there's pros and cons to waiting this long to have a baby. Like pro, I live my life, I traveled, I did what I wanted to do and then con is like now, when I pick up my daughter from high school, all her friends are going to be like Rosie, your grandma's here and I'll deal with it.
Speaker 1:I guess when you start thinking about, by the time they get like 16, 17, 18, you will be a little bit older.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm curious as to what that's going to be like.
Speaker 1:But you know what I feel like 60 is the new 40 anyway. I'll take it. Yeah, I mean, I'm getting up there in age and I still feel like I'm 19 years old in my head.
Speaker 2:Same. That's the thing is. When am I going to realize I'm not her anymore? You know what I mean. I still feel like not my 20s. Still feel like not my 20s. That's a little too young, but I feel like I'm like 30. I am not.
Speaker 1:I'm in my 40s, but you get to this age where you're happy and I feel like mentally you stay at that age, no matter how much further along you go. You're just in this space where you're happy, where you are, and you just, kind of like, stay there.
Speaker 2:That makes a lot of sense and I think that could be it Like wherever you are happiest, that's where your mind stays. You know what? When I was 32, I was banging let's stay 32.
Speaker 1:Same here, absolutely. How has having a kid changed your comedy?
Speaker 2:More material, which is great, more things to talk about, more stories, more experiences. I feel like I can relate and connect with people on a different level that I wasn't able to before, where that's always been my brand is I want to connect with you and relate to you. I want to share with you stories about my marriage that you're going to go oh my gosh, same girl, me too. And so now I'm going to be sharing stories about being a mom that some people may be like oh my gosh, same me too. So it's really just for me a different way to connect with people.
Speaker 1:It's funny, I feel like you may even open yourself up to like a whole new audience that you may not have had before.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure. And I feel like I've always been a girl who connect with people and relate on some level. Like whatever I talk about, you may not connect with that piece, but then the next joke, that one you'll connect with. And then the next joke, oh, that one's not for me. And then the next show. Actually I do connect with that Same thing, like when I talk about my marriage. I'm sure there's some single people in the audience that are like, well, I'm not married, but that's funny and I get it. You know what, the way to my forties I could listen to jokes about somebody being a mom and what you know their teenager is doing and how it's annoying. Like I don't have a teenager yet, but I can imagine that's pretty annoying. Every comedian that I watch I'm like, yeah, I'm actually not out there, you know wiling out doing all this crazy stuff, but it's fun to hear you talk about it.
Speaker 1:Who are some comedians that you like right now?
Speaker 2:Oh, nate Bargetzi he's crushing it right now. I'm so proud of him. He actually used to open for me years ago and it's so awesome to see him just thriving. I love Nate Bargetzi A lot of my friends, like the guys who opened for me. Mal Hall he's my opener. He's been my opener for years and this guy is crushing it. He's about to come out with a special and I'm just like I like watching the next generation come up and they're so talented and so funny. And then, of course, I love my friends who are also headlining. Joe Coy he's amazing. I love watching Joe Coy. Eliza Schlesinger, my friend, christella Alonzo Just really, really funny people out there.
Speaker 1:I have the worst crush on Eliza Schlesinger. Like you don't even know.
Speaker 2:Uh-oh.
Speaker 1:I don't know what it is about her. She's got that edge that just. I just love it. But I'm like you. I grew up on comedy, I love comedy. I think I was 11 or 12 when Saturday Night Live first came out and I would stay up late just to watch the comedy. I love comedians. It's such an art.
Speaker 2:It is, and it's fun and it brings you joy and it's great. There's nothing else like it.
Speaker 1:I love the documentary. I think it was a doc that Jerry Seinfeld did, where after the show was over, he just went and hit nightclubs late at night, not even telling people and just testing new material.
Speaker 2:That kind of stuff is so much fun to watch. Oh yeah, and that's kind of what it is like doing comedy in hollywood. Like on the lineup it's maybe some names that you've never heard before, but guarantee you somebody's gonna pop in and surprise you all of a sudden it's here's chris rock, here's adam sandler like it's wild to think that that could happen and you're like, oh my gosh, I'm watching Chris Rock work out a brand new joke and sometimes it's going to be hilarious and sometimes like you're seeing the beginning of it and you get to see the process of it. A lot of times the comics that are hosting award shows will go around town and practice their opening monologue around town, so people get a little sneak peek about what the jokes they're going to do, for you know, hosting the Golden Globes or whatever it is.
Speaker 1:I never thought about that, but I guess it would be good to test those jokes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh yeah, for sure they're testing them all around town. Even when Nate was hosting Saturday Night Live and he does his opening monologue, he is all around town testing those. It was great to watch it and see it happen.
Speaker 1:Do you aspire to do things like the Golden Globes?
Speaker 2:No, oh my gosh, that's such a hard job. I don't want anything to do with that. No, thank you, I would like to be there. Yeah, I'd like to be in the audience, but no, I don't want that pressure, that's not.
Speaker 1:You're good doing nightclubs and the occasional Netflix special.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let me get some theaters in there, Let me tour a little bit like hosting award shows. That's a whole different beast. That's not my jam.
Speaker 1:I'm sure that it is Well, angela. Thank you so much for your time today. You're going to be back in town at the Florida Theater my favorite venue in town on Saturday April 5th. Tickets are on sale now at floridatheatercom and it looks like this show is going to be a sellout, so don't wait around on this one. The 25-26 season of the FSCJ Artist Series Broadway and Jacksonville lineup was announced this week. They've got some great shows coming up later this year it's Clue in November, miss Doubtfire in February of next year, moulin Rouge the Musical in March, a Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond story in April and Beetlejuice in May of 2026. But coming up this week running April 1st through Sunday, April 6th, it's Les Miserables. I got a chance to speak with one of the actors from the touring show named Jake David Smith. Here's some of our conversation.
Speaker 3:We had a stretch in Florida last spring and the audiences were absolutely lights out, and so I anticipate more of the same in Jacksonville.
Speaker 1:Was that with Les Mis or a different show?
Speaker 3:Yeah, with Les Mis.
Speaker 1:I went on your Instagram page when I knew I was going to be talking to you and saw you've been in Frozen and West Side Story and, by the way, your costume in Between the Lines was amazing. Oh, thank you. That must have been a fun show to do.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh. Yeah, but Between the Lines was a dream come true to originate a character like that and to work with a team that really trusted me and allowed me to put a lot of myself into that character. And now high schools across the country can license that show and perform it. While doing Les Mis across the country, I've met a bunch of kids who are doing between the lines of their high school or their community theater and some kid will walk up to you and say I'm Prince Oliver right now at my high school and he'll want to take a picture with you. And it's just so cool to leave that kind of legacy.
Speaker 1:I never thought about like I'm in radio and my first job. I got to work with a guy that I listened to growing up, so I remember every morning putting my headphones on, thinking there's some seventh grader out there listening to me. Now that one day will be me, and so for you to be on tour and meeting kids that are playing roles that you did, that must be really gratifying.
Speaker 3:Yes, absolutely, that's the perfect word. It's a surreal experience and I never get tired of it.
Speaker 1:That is really cool. So I was reading that this version of Les Mis is quote a Les Mis for the 21st century.
Speaker 3:How? So I would just say that you know we utilize some technology in our show, in sort of the stagecraft element that's updated since the last time most of the audience members might have seen the show, and I think that you know we're taking the current social and political landscape into consideration when we're making art and we're letting the sort of world that we live in today color the way that we interpret the lyrics of Les Mis and so that it can resonate with the modern audience and a new generation of theater goers.
Speaker 1:That's really, really interesting. And you play Marius, right, that's correct. This is a role for those who haven't seen the play that Eddie Redmayne played in the movie right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, I love it. Marius has a lot to do in this show and goes through a huge journey. Basically, I like to say that Marius goes from a boy to a man in this show, and so to play a character with such a clear and defined arc and to really get to experience a whole breadth of human emotion, from elation to joy, to despair, to feeling the need to defend people and fight for people and you know I get to round all the bases it's a lot of fun.
Speaker 1:Speaking of rounding all the bases, very nice, you also play softball, right.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, I have that in my bio. I like to include at least one non-theatrical fact about me, and at the time of writing the bio, I had played in the Broadway Softball League over the summer and I had played third bass. Was that in New York? Yeah, in Central Park, some of the Broadway shows get together and they all field a team. Yeah, in.
Speaker 1:Central Park, some of the Broadway shows get together and they all field a team. Oh, that is so cool. I wish I'd known I was up there. Well, it wasn't baseball season, but I was up there for Moulin Rouge in February and I was walking all through. I hadn't been to Central Park in like 15 years and I spent like an entire day there because it was gorgeous.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's easy to get lost there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no doubt about it, but that's a pretty cool thing to do outside of your what I would call your job, which you probably love, like it's a hobby, but also to have that other hobby for softball circumstance or playing any sort of different character.
Speaker 3:So I like to get out there and mix it up and play pickleball, play ultimate Frisbee or you know, go to museums or what have you. And we like to get out in these towns that we travel to on tour and experience the country so that we can bring it into the show that night.
Speaker 1:Well, if you like jet skiing and kayaking, Jacksonville's the place for you.
Speaker 3:Oh, I love it. I am actually already on the schedule. I can't wait to jet ski.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, man. I guess you've done that before, I haven't. It'll be my first time actually. Oh my gosh, you're going to love being on the water. You're going to end up wanting to move to Jacksonville. Everyone does.
Speaker 3:I'll trust you on that one.
Speaker 1:The FSCJ Artist Series production of Les Miserables is coming to the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts Tuesday, April 1st through Sunday, the 6th. Eight performances total two on Saturday and Sunday FSCJartistsseriesorg for tickets. Jake, thank you so much for your time today. I really appreciate it. Oh, thanks for having me. It was a blast. We're looking forward to seeing the show. All right, see you there. By the way, the FSCJ Artists Series presentation of MJ the Musical is April 22nd through the 27th. That is another fantastic show you won't want to miss. Check out fscjartistseriesorg for all the information on that and all the upcoming shows. Thank you for hanging out. We'll bring you another episode soon to keep you on top of what's happening live from Jacksonville.