BRASSY BROADS OF BROADWAY Comes to Florida Studio Theatre, Now thru 2/24

She's back! Brassy Broads of Broadway featuring Kathy Halenda comes to Sarasota for a limited engagement beginning tonight, February 19, 2013 in the Goldstein Cabaret. From wistful ballads to show-stopping Broadway classics, Ms. Halenda combines her powerful vocal style and energetic personality to create a performance that will touch as well as tickle her audience.

Brassy Broads of Broadway is a musical tribute to the larger-than-life characters of American musical theatre - the women who put the 'broad' in Broadway - featuring the show-stopping performance of Kathy Halenda. Her 'ladies' include Mame Dennis from Mame, Mama Rose from Gypsy, Fanny Brice from Funny Girl, Dolly Levi from Hello Dolly, Reno Sweeney from Anything Goes, Miss Mona from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Annie Oakley from Annie Get Your Gun and Sally Bowles from Cabaret - with the zany playfulness of Ms. Halenda herself thrown in.

This show was created and developed by Ms. Halenda in upstate New York and has been performed at Danny's Skylight Room in Manhattan, the Mac-Haydn Theatre in NY and numerous benefits nationwide. Some of the classic Broadway tunes featured in the show include "Some People," "My Man," "Life is a Cabaret," "Falling in Love is Wonderful," "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "Don't Rain on My Parade." Ms. Halenda is a raucous bundle of Ethel Merman, Bette Midler, Lanie Kazan and Carol Burnett all rolled into one dynamic powerhouse.

Ms. Halenda has previously appeared in the FST productions in all three of FST's productions of Sophie Tucker, as well as No Way to Treat a Lady, Shakespeare's Greatest Hits, Inspired Lunacy, and The Robber Bridegroom. A professional actor and singer for over twenty-five years, Ms. Halenda has performed in over 180 productions, including seventeen national tours in cities across the globe. Favorite roles include Nancy in "Oliver", Mae West in "Ziegfeld", Mama Rose in "Gypsy", Miss Mona in "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" Miss Hannigan in "Annie" and the title roles in "Mame", "Hello, Dolly" "Evita" and "Annie Get Your Gun".

Brassy Broads of Broadway will begin performances tonight, February 19, 2013 and run for a limited engagement through February 24, 2013 in FST's Goldstein Cabaret. Single tickets range from $29 to $32 and may be purchased from the FST Box Office in person, by calling (941) 366-9000 or online at www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org. FST is located in historic downtown Sarasota at 1241 North Palm Avenue, Sarasota, Fla.

Known as Sarasota's Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company eventually settled down into a permanent home, acquiring the former Woman's Club building - now renamed the Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio Theatre established itself as a major force in American theatre, presenting Contemporary Theatre in its four theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the Goldstein Cabaret, the Gompertz Theatre and the John C. Court Cabaret.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience. Under Richard Hopkins, Artistic Director and CEO, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. As FST grows and expands, it continues to provide audiences with challenging, contemporary drama and innovative programs.

Brassy Broads of Broadway runs tonight, February 19, 2012 -February 24, 2013. Tickets: $29-$32.