BROOKSVILLE — The Live Oak Theatre Company will stage eight productions in its 2026-27 season, the most in the company’s history, as booming interest in its youth programs pushes the Brooksville theater to make room for more young performers.
“Eight shows. Can you believe it?” said Vince Vanni, the company’s vice president, marketing director and primary acting teacher.
The slate is one more than the previous season, and the growth is being driven almost entirely from the ground up. Interest in the youth theater program has skyrocketed, Vanni said. Last year’s parent meeting filled the theater, and organizers cut off the guest list at 110 RSVPs.
“We’ve got to have enough shows so that as many kids that come out, we can put them in something,” he said.
Vanni calls the approach “layering.” Young actors are cast according to experience, with veterans taking the larger roles while newer students learn the craft in smaller parts.
“We’re just getting too much interest in it,” he said.
About 40 to 50 children will appear in “Annie Jr.,” and 35 to 40 in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Jr.” A third program, Acorn Theatre, lets younger students learn and perform at the same time. Its production will be “The Hobbit.”
Training from within
Live Oak has trained young actors for years, and Vanni has been there long enough to watch two of them, who started at ages 4 and 6, grow into directors in their 20s.
“They’re directing ‘Anastasia,’ which is already cast,” he said. “We don’t bring in any outside directors. Sometimes we’ll use a parent, but that parent has been with us for three, four or five years.”
Vanni is advising one of the company’s young directors. He also serves as acting coach on every Live Oak show, filling in where needed. Performers regularly ask him what they can do to improve.
There is no shortage of young talent looking for a break, he said. The company received 81 video auditions for “Anastasia,” which has 35 roles. Twenty-one auditioned for the title role alone; two were cast, because Live Oak double-casts its productions.
The full “Anastasia” cast will be announced soon.
The season
On the main stage, “The Diary of Anne Frank” runs Sept. 11-13.
Main stage musicals include “Anastasia” on Oct. 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25, and “My Fair Lady” on April 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18, 2027.
Youth musicals are “Annie Jr.” on Nov. 12-15 and 19-22, and “Bye Bye Birdie Jr.” on May 6-9 and 13-16, 2027.
Youth plays are “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Jr.” on Dec. 10-13; “The Hobbit Jr.” on March 19-21, 2027; and “A Little Princess Jr.” on May 27-30, 2027.
Tickets and passes
Season passes are on sale. They allow patrons to buy admissions at a discount for use at any in-season production, main stage or youth, with the buyer choosing which performances to attend.
Individual tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children 13 and younger with the purchase of an adult seat.
Three-admission passes are $70 for adults and $25 for children. Five-admission passes are $110 for adults and $40 for children. Seven-admission passes are $145 for adults and $55 for children. Children’s prices require the purchase of an adult pass. Patrons who attend all eight shows receive a steep discount on the eighth.
Seating is not guaranteed at a specific performance until a reservation and performance choice are made with the box office.
Reservations can be made at liveoaktheatre.org/current-production, by email at marie@liveoaktheatre.org or by phone at 352-593-0027. The theater is also on Facebook at facebook.com/LiveOakTheatre.