Happy New Year!
I have some things to tell you that I’m very excited about.
Hey, I’m News 6 producer Brooke Savage, the writer behind this Setting The Stage newsletter.
Let’s take a look at how Central Florida is starting off 2026. ⤵
💘 *NSYNC’s Joey Fatone returns to Orlando for ‘& Juliet’
*NSYNC icon and Orlando native Joey Fatone is marking a special homecoming! Right now, in the City Beautiful only, he is on stage with the touring cast of “& Juliet” at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
He’s reprising his role as Lance. I saw the show on Tuesday and his character was hilarious! As you can imagine, he had a strong singing voice too. The rest of the cast also did amazing, especially Fabiola Caraballo Quijada, who plays Juliet, and fellow Orlando native, Daniel Tracht, who plays Shakespeare.
“& Juliet” is a twist on William Shakespeare’s famous “Romeo and Juliet.” Shakespeare’s wife encourages her husband to change the ending, and make it so Juliet decides to stay alive in the end. The show takes you through her journey of self-discovery. It’s a jukebox musical with some popular hits from Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and of course, *NSYNC.
The show runs through this weekend. This one has definitely been added to my list of favorite musicals. See Lisa Bell’s review.
🕰 Did you know this actor in ‘Stranger Things’ is from Orlando?
Just as Netflix wraps up the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things,” an actor from right here in Central Florida is making his mark in 1980s Hawkins, Indiana.
Clayton Royal Johnson portrays basketball player Andy, an antagonist featured in the 4th and 5th seasons of the show. His character is even in the very first episode of the newest season.
I had the chance to chat with him last week, and it was seriously such an interesting interview, maybe one of my favorites.
He shared some cool behind-the-scenes tidbits, everything from training to play basketball, not being allowed to cut his hair, and doing several takes of Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin, spitting in his face with fake blood. Clayton told me he got sick two days later! See the full interview.
🎭 Check out Orlando Fringe’s 10th anniversary Winter Mini-Fest
Right now, Orlando Fringe is running its 10th anniversary “Winter Mini-Fest,” a condensed version of its annual May festival. It goes through this weekend inside Orlando Shakes.
The Winter Mini-Fest, formerly known as FESTN4, offers a curated, small-scale Fringe experience designed to bridge the gap between the organization’s larger spring festival.
The 2026 lineup features more than 20 shows over four consecutive days, including returning favorites, new works from established Fringe artists and pieces from emerging creators scouted from national and international Fringe circuits. Digital Journalist, Jacob Langston, posted all of the details.
🎶 What’s happening in showbiz:
🏀 Saturday: The Harlem Globetrotters at Addition Financial Arena at UCF
💀 Saturday: Monster Jam at Camping World Stadium
🎤 Jan 14: Hannah Stokes and Lucy Clearwater at Raised Eden
✨ Jan. 15 - Feb. 16: “Hairspray” at Titusville Playhouse
♥ Jan. 16-18: “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” at Daytona Playhouse
👼 Jan. 16 - Feb. 1: “Angels in America” at Theater West End in Sanford
🏡 Jan. 16 - Feb. 8: “The Cottage” at Sonnentag Theatre at the IceHouse in Mount Dora
🔵 Jan 20-21: Blue Man Group at Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach
🎙 Jan 24: Say Anything and Motion City Soundtrack at House of Blues at Disney Springs
🌱 Jan. 29 - Feb. 15: “Little Shop of Horrors” at Ocala Civic Theatre
That’s a wrap for this week’s “Setting The Stage” newsletter.
If you have any story ideas on the theatre and arts scene, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at bsavage@wkmg.com.
Also, let me know if there are any local theatres you want me to cover more often.
- 🎭 Brooke