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Guest Writer

From Broadway to Naples: Mark and Karen Danni’sTheatreZone Celebrates 20 Years in 2025


Karen and Mark Danni

 

TheatreZone is Naples’ Premier Professional Musical Theatre Company


Mark Danni, an acclaimed director, conductor, and percussionist, and Karen Molnar Danni, an actress and choreographer, established Naples’ TheatreZone in 2005 and are celebrating the 20th season of the theatre company in 2025.


The Dannis’ Naples connection began in 1999 as busy theatre professionals in New York City. That year, Mark was playing percussion on the national tour of Fame: The Musical, when the show came to the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts (former name of Artis-Naples). Karen Danni came down for a visit. She recognized Naples as a booming town and the couple bought a house in Naples Park as a vacation home and an investment property.


They were happy with their life in New York City and had no plans for a permanent move to Naples. Then, Mark’s career expanded into directing while conducting on the national tour of Les Misérables (1996-1998). The show’s director noticed his natural talent with directing performers and started teaching him the ropes. Directing became a passion, and he began working steadily in regional and Off-Broadway productions.


With Mark’s career as a director taking off, the Naples connection was renewed when the Naples Players offered the Dannis to direct and choreograph its production of the 2001 Oklahoma.


A volunteer assistant stage manager for Oklahoma was also the director of admissions for the Community School of Naples, which was looking to expand its arts curriculum. He introduced the Dannis to the headmaster of the school, who offered them the opportunity to create a theatre program for the students. “But we were still happy in New York with our professional lives,” Mark recalled.


Karen Danni’s intuition was at it again when she nudged Mark awake one night in New York with an exciting idea: agree to start the theatre program in Naples in exchange for creating a theatre company that would be in residence at the school’s beautiful 250-seat G&L Theater. The school’s headmaster agreed, and the Dannis moved to Naples — pregnant with twins!


The Dannis got busy with creating TheatreZone. “We liked the idea of being ‘in the Zone’ when you came to our productions,” Mark explains. Their first task was securing a contract with the Actors’ Equity Association to ensure access to the finest musical theatre talent from throughout the country. Another milestone was establishing TheatreZone as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) theatre in 2005.


The Dannis brought passion and fire to Naples when creating TheatreZone and have attracted musical theatre luminaries to its stage from the outset.


“We’ve been fortunate to cast incredible talent in our musicals, including celebrities and Broadway veterans,” Mark said. Highlights include Gary Sandy (WKRP in Cincinnati); Donna McKechnie, Tony Award-winning star of A Chorus Line and TV's Fame; Eddie Mekka, Laverne & Shirley; Georgia Engel, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Everybody Loves Raymond; Andrea McArdle, Broadway’s original Annie; Nancy Dussault, Too Close for Comfort and the original Broadway production of The Sound of Music, and many more.


In 2025, the 20th season musical lineup continues the Dannis’ flair for selecting a bold and vibrant mix of a big Broadway splash (Jersey Boys) and three edgier gems – the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Once, Kander and Ebbs’ The Rink, and Ghost: The Musical, based on the hit film.




 

Learn more at www.Theatre.Zone.

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