Florida Studio Theatre Embarks on a Musical Comedy Adventure with Lucky Stiff
Opening musical of Winter Mainstage Season begins Nov. 5
Florida Studio Theatre (FST) kicks off its 2025-26 Winter Mainstage Season with Lucky Stiff, a delightfully madcap musical comedy created by the Tony-winning duo behind Ragtime and Seussical. With Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lucky Stiff is a fast-paced romp of murder, mistaken identities, and Monte Carlo mischief. Previews begin Nov. 5, officially opening Nov. 7, with performances running through Dec. 28, 2025 in FST’s Gompertz Theatre.
In this zay caper, mild-mannered shoe salesman Harry Witherspoon must escort the embalmed body of his murdered uncle on a “vacation” to Monte Carlo. If Harry succeeds in passing his uncle off as alive, he’ll inherit six million dollars. If not, the fortune goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn – or worse, into the hands of his uncle’s gun-toting ex! Complete with diamonds, disguises, and a wheelchair-bound corpse, this musical mystery is what Broadway World calls “hilarity in motion.” DC Theater Arts praises the show as “impeccable” and “exceptional,” noting “the odds are in your favor that you will have an uproarious time!”
“Lucky Stiff is a perfect storm of wackiness and heart,” said Director and FST Associate Artist Ben Liebert. “It’s the kind of show where you’re laughing one moment at the sheer absurdity of it all, and the next you’re rooting for Harry and his unlikely companions to find love, happiness, and a huge inheritance. I think audiences will leave with their hearts full, grinning ear to ear.”
Liebert’s work as a director and choreographer includes FST’s Jersey Boys and Waitress as well as productions like Into the Woods, The Producers, and Ordinary Days. As an actor, he has appeared on Broadway in Wicked, as well as in off-Broadway and regional productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Little Shop of Horrors, and Chicago.
Making up this lively cast is Barrett Riggins* as Harry Whitherspoon (FST debut), Amanda Rose* as Annabel Glick (FST debut), Laura Yen Solito* as Rita La Porta (FST debut), Scott Cote* as Vinnie Diruzzio (The Play That Goes Wrong), James Patterson* as Luigi Gaudi/Anthony “Tony” Hendon (Something Rotten), Sarah Hund* as Woman 1 (Once, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Take It to the Limit, Blue Eyed Bettys), Soraiah Williams as Woman 2 (FST debut), Jason Pintar* as Man 1 (Waitress, Network, The Wanderers), and Brad Myer as Man 2 (FST debut).
Adding a special local twist, ABC7 Meteorologist John Scalzi makes his FST debut as “The Body.” A Sarasota household name since 1995, Scalzi has delivered weather forecasts on television and radio for three decades. Before launching his career in meteorology, he trained as an actor at the N.C. School of the Arts and even played the magician on Captain Kangaroo.
The creative team includes Ben Liebert (Director), Nathaniel Beliveau (Music Director), Isabel & Moriah Curley-Clay (Scenic Design), Ben Rawson (Lighting Design), Nicholas Christensen (Sound Design), Harry Nadal (Costume Design), Nicholas Ryan (Sound & Light Board Operator), Shira Lebovich* (AEA Stage Manager), Emilia Hernandez Ciotti* (AEA Assistant Stage Manager), Ashley Nolt, Sage Brown, and Mariana Villarreal (Stage Management Interns)
*Indicates members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Prepare for the delightfully absurd Lucky Stiff, playing November 5 to December 28, 2025. Previews are November 5 and 6, with opening night on November 7, 2025. Single tickets start at $27.
Lucky Stiff is part of FST’s four-show Winter Mainstage subscription, which also includes A Tailor Near Me, a tale of connection between two aging men; The Blue-Sky Boys, an imaginative story about the engineers behind the moon landing; and Birthday Candles, a touching and humorous exploration of what it means to be alive. Subscriptions are on sale now for as little as $79, and single tickets start at $27. For more information, visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org or call (941) 366-9000.
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