“Peter Nason is one of my favorite reviewers because he tells it like it is. Some critics are too cruel. Others love everything they see. Mr. Nason strikes the perfect balance.” Jim Russell, Managing Director of the Carrollwood Players Tampa Bay is 1100 miles from Broadway, and the local theatre there is alive and thriving in a place more famous for its sports teams than its greasepaint and curtain calls. The book 1100 MILES OFF BROADWAY features the theatre reviews of the past decade by Peter Nason, renowned drama teacher, actor, director, and one of the local critics for Broadway World. In his theatrical critiques, Nason is notorious for being both fair and honest, tough and kind, serious and funny, with an element of wit, wisdom and wackiness. Plays and musicals like THE SOUND OF MUSIC, LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, IN THE HEIGHTS, RENT, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, FUN HOME, THE NORMAL HEART, HAIRSPRAY, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, VAMPIRE LESBIANS OF SODOM, SWEENEY TODD, Disney's ,BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and the August Wilson Century Cycle are just some of the shows included, where Nason casts his eagle-eye on the good, the bad and the extremely bizarre. In this collection, he has included more than150 shows that meant the most to him or the reviews that he believes resonate the most, whether the production was worthy or infamously wretched. And when it comes to barbs, few writers can cut you up on paper with a smile still on his face like Peter Nason. Some of his quips are notorious. On WEST SIDE STORY: "The Jets and the Sharks do not come across as menacing enough…They would have trouble taking on a middle school soccer team.” On ANNE FRANK AND ME: “ANNE FRANK AND ME is really two shows in one: A Nineties era sit-com and a serious re-creation of the Holocaust…It's like Night and Fog as written by John Hughes.” Or EVITA: “[The lead actress’] voice did not properly tackle the belting numbers...We want Eva to be bitchy, not pitchy.” Some of the Bay Area theatre companies reviewed in the book include freeFall, American Stage, Jobsite, Stageworks, Asolo Rep, Urbanite, Manatee Players, Eight O'Clock Theatre, Carrollwood Players, Richey Suncoast, West Coast Players, Stage West, Mad Theatre of Tampa, SPC, New Tampa Players, Lab Theater Project, Steinbrenner High School, Land O'Lakes High School, River Ridge High School Royal Knight Company, Patel Conservatory, Arts in Motion, Tota, and many more. “Peter Nason exemplifies so much of what I believe a theatre critic can be: a herald that shines light on potentially unseen artists (both onstage and behind the scenes), a mentor-guide that uses praise and criticism to remind even veteran artists to remember their audience, and most importantly (in my mind), a champion for the community who creates local celebrities through the simple act of celebrating their accomplishments.” J. Elijah Cho, Actor and Writer “I am forever a fan of Peter Nason’s reviews that reveal his tremendously insightful knowledge, commitment, and passion for theatre.” –Kerry Park, Playwright “Few reviewers are as skilled as Peter Nason. I'm amazed how, in just one viewing, Peter is able to cognize ideas, themes, subtext and artistic intent that even those of us who have been working on the show for months can sometimes barely grasp. I not only appreciate his scrutiny of storytelling and performance, but his contextualization and comparison that allow the reader (and the actor) to come to a larger understanding of the work and its place in the theatrical world. And the cherry on top of Peter's wordsmithing is the fact that he also writes from the gut. Peter not only shares why a piece will make you think, he'll also give notice to how the show makes you feel.” Jim Sorensen, Artistic Producer, Tampa Repertory Company 1100 MILES OFF BROADWAY throws the Bay Area theatre scene into the spotlight where it belongs.