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Thursday, February 28, 2008
Breaking News ...
The Jersey Boys take over Tampa. The critics have said, “Brilliant. Jersey Boys delivers a thrill. An artful mix of music, story, talent, staging and design” and “Oh, what a night! You don’t need to travel back to late December 1963 to have that elated feeling once again.”
Jersey Boys, the Tony® Award-winning Best Musical that tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, opened to critical acclaim on Friday, Feb. 15 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Morsani Hall, where it will play through March 15.
The Jersey Boys are (left to right) Andrew Rannells (plays Bob Gaudio), Erik Bates (plays Tommy De Vito), Christopher Kale Jones (plays Frankie Valli) and Steve Gouveia (plays Nick Massi).
PB
Jersey Boys, the Tony® Award-winning Best Musical that tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, opened to critical acclaim on Friday, Feb. 15 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Morsani Hall, where it will play through March 15.
The Jersey Boys are (left to right) Andrew Rannells (plays Bob Gaudio), Erik Bates (plays Tommy De Vito), Christopher Kale Jones (plays Frankie Valli) and Steve Gouveia (plays Nick Massi).
PB
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Brand-new commands for our texting service!
We've been using our new SMS system, graciously sponsored by Agile Communications, for a few months now and we feel it's a benefit.
We rolled it out with two comands - EVENTS and INFO. If you text EVENTS to the short code 82722 (which spells TBPAC, nifty!), you get back a message with all the shows on stage for that week. Text INFO to TBPAC (82722) and in return you'll get our hours, location, exit info, important numbers and more.
As of today we will begin offering two more commands - NEWS and SAVE.
Text NEWS to TBPAC (82722) and you'll be added to the list to get updates of when we book new shows as well as other important announcements from TBPAC. Say we booked Seinfeld and he goes on sale Friday, or the building needs to shut down for a storm or they shut down the Howard Frankland - we can let you know about it!
Text SAVE to TBPAC (82722) and you'll be added to the list to get hot deals and offers as they become available. There's actually already an offer up, so you can get a deal right now by texting SAVE to TBPAC. Get on the list and SAVE!
There are two other commands. HELP sends you a list of all available commands, and STOP removes your number automatically from the system.
It's important to us we only send you the information you want, and that we stop when you don't want it any longer. We'll also never share your information with anyone.
We're still figuring all this out, but we think it's pretty nifty (even coming from the guy who doesn't text) and has value for our patrons!
We rolled it out with two comands - EVENTS and INFO. If you text EVENTS to the short code 82722 (which spells TBPAC, nifty!), you get back a message with all the shows on stage for that week. Text INFO to TBPAC (82722) and in return you'll get our hours, location, exit info, important numbers and more.
As of today we will begin offering two more commands - NEWS and SAVE.
Text NEWS to TBPAC (82722) and you'll be added to the list to get updates of when we book new shows as well as other important announcements from TBPAC. Say we booked Seinfeld and he goes on sale Friday, or the building needs to shut down for a storm or they shut down the Howard Frankland - we can let you know about it!
Text SAVE to TBPAC (82722) and you'll be added to the list to get hot deals and offers as they become available. There's actually already an offer up, so you can get a deal right now by texting SAVE to TBPAC. Get on the list and SAVE!
There are two other commands. HELP sends you a list of all available commands, and STOP removes your number automatically from the system.
It's important to us we only send you the information you want, and that we stop when you don't want it any longer. We'll also never share your information with anyone.
We're still figuring all this out, but we think it's pretty nifty (even coming from the guy who doesn't text) and has value for our patrons!
Show the love for the sweater!
When I was a kid we only had PBS and Saturday morning cartoons. No singing dinosaurs, Wiggles or Doras. Those were the good old days of Sesame Street, 3-2-1 Contact and of course Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.
I use to love singing along to his theme song "... I always wanted to have a neighbor like you so, let's make the most of this beautiful day, since we're together we might as well say..." well, you get the idea. There was the trolley that went to the Land of Make-Believe and of course you can't forget to feed the fish. Mr. Rogers loved music, loved the arts, loved to imagine and of course loved to teach kids.
So needless to say I was quite sad when we all learned of his death five years ago. I have the book "The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember." It sits on my bookshelf next to my copy of "It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider."
So what brought on my nostalgia? I just found that March 20 is "Sweater Day." If you know the show, you know that Mr. Rogers started each show by changing into his "play clothes"... a cardigan sweater and sneakers. March 20 would have been Mr. Rogers' 80 birthday so the Family Communications Inc. of Pittsburgh (the company Fred Rogers created to produce his show) has asked everyone to celebrate by wearing a sweater.
I know, we live in Florida, but come on... he's an icon. You can count on me to be sporting a Mr. Rogers' sweater.
And thanks for letting me take a walk down memory lane. :)
I use to love singing along to his theme song "... I always wanted to have a neighbor like you so, let's make the most of this beautiful day, since we're together we might as well say..." well, you get the idea. There was the trolley that went to the Land of Make-Believe and of course you can't forget to feed the fish. Mr. Rogers loved music, loved the arts, loved to imagine and of course loved to teach kids.
So needless to say I was quite sad when we all learned of his death five years ago. I have the book "The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember." It sits on my bookshelf next to my copy of "It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider."
So what brought on my nostalgia? I just found that March 20 is "Sweater Day." If you know the show, you know that Mr. Rogers started each show by changing into his "play clothes"... a cardigan sweater and sneakers. March 20 would have been Mr. Rogers' 80 birthday so the Family Communications Inc. of Pittsburgh (the company Fred Rogers created to produce his show) has asked everyone to celebrate by wearing a sweater.
I know, we live in Florida, but come on... he's an icon. You can count on me to be sporting a Mr. Rogers' sweater.
And thanks for letting me take a walk down memory lane. :)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Podcast with Rosanne Cash
Several months ago, our own VP of Marketing Michael Kilgore interviewed Rosanne Cash. We posted it as a podcast right here at CULTURE SHOCK. I wanted to draw some attention back to it as we're within a week of the show.
It's really important to note here that not only is this the first concert for Ms. Cash following her surgery, but it's the first time that Mark O'Connor and she has even performed these works outside of NYC. Couple that with how truly vital this piece is to the legacy of Johnny Cash and it could make for a really special night.
If you're a fan of any of these folks, I hope you get a chance to check out the show on Sunday night.
It's really important to note here that not only is this the first concert for Ms. Cash following her surgery, but it's the first time that Mark O'Connor and she has even performed these works outside of NYC. Couple that with how truly vital this piece is to the legacy of Johnny Cash and it could make for a really special night.
If you're a fan of any of these folks, I hope you get a chance to check out the show on Sunday night.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Jersey Boys makes The Bot
Follow this link and drag the timeline to about 2:18 in order to listen to Curtis Ross' musical tribute to Jersey Boys.
Good times.
Good times.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Second City - "The first family of comedy"
If you've made it to TBPAC over the past few years to see Second City's 45th anniversary tour, or their collection of material titled Sex in the Second City, you know first-hand how good these folks are live.
If you've pretty much watched anything funny in the last 50 years, odds are someone from Second City had something to do with it. Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell, Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, Amy Sedaris - all second city alumni currently working their tails off. Go back a bit further and you see Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Mike Myers, Dan Castalleneta or Bonnie Hunt. Dig further to find John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Murray or John Belushi. Can you still go back further? Try Harold Ramis, Joe Flaherty, Fred Willard, Alan Arkin or Joan Rivers. Joan Rivers? Yep. Even Joan Rivers. That's five decades of some of the best writers and comedians that the country has seen.
And that's one of the things that makes seeing Second City's live show such a joy. You could come out and see them this Saturday night, laugh til it hurts, then in two or three or 10 years see a face on TV. You know it, you're positive of that. After digging for your program from that show you saw back in '08, you realize you saw them live on stage.
Ok, so it's completely possible that no one in the show is going to go on to be the next Belushi or Carrell, but you can't write the possibility off. And in any event, you're sure to laugh. And laugh. And laugh some more.
Second City plays TBPAC's Ferguson Hall on Saturday night (live!) with their show One Nation, Under Blog.
If you've pretty much watched anything funny in the last 50 years, odds are someone from Second City had something to do with it. Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell, Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, Amy Sedaris - all second city alumni currently working their tails off. Go back a bit further and you see Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Mike Myers, Dan Castalleneta or Bonnie Hunt. Dig further to find John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Murray or John Belushi. Can you still go back further? Try Harold Ramis, Joe Flaherty, Fred Willard, Alan Arkin or Joan Rivers. Joan Rivers? Yep. Even Joan Rivers. That's five decades of some of the best writers and comedians that the country has seen.
And that's one of the things that makes seeing Second City's live show such a joy. You could come out and see them this Saturday night, laugh til it hurts, then in two or three or 10 years see a face on TV. You know it, you're positive of that. After digging for your program from that show you saw back in '08, you realize you saw them live on stage.
Ok, so it's completely possible that no one in the show is going to go on to be the next Belushi or Carrell, but you can't write the possibility off. And in any event, you're sure to laugh. And laugh. And laugh some more.
Second City plays TBPAC's Ferguson Hall on Saturday night (live!) with their show One Nation, Under Blog.
Monday, February 18, 2008
New iTunes mix for the 0809 Broadway season!
If you read the Times or the Trib yesterday, you likely saw our 0809 Broadway season announcement. (Didn't see them? Follow the links!)
My boss, Michael Kilgore, has taken to creating some pretty spiffy iTunes iMixes for various series, and I got word of this one this morning. Check it out!
My boss, Michael Kilgore, has taken to creating some pretty spiffy iTunes iMixes for various series, and I got word of this one this morning. Check it out!
Into the blue: The future of live arts
Ben Cameron, program director for the arts at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, earlier today evangelized about the challenges facing arts organizations, including the collapse of social planning beyond 48 hours and the time/energy drain.
Cameron provided the keynote speech at the 16th annual Performing Arts Managers Conference in Phoenix.
He woke up the early-morning audience with an impassioned delivery that noted today's audiences are looking for personalized and customized experiences, and that we're in an industry that demands attendance on a certain day and a certain time. Unfortunately, you can't timeshift live theater. Yet, anyway.
He also noted that young people increasingly want to be part of the creative process. Anybody with a computer can compose a song or make a poster or edit a movie.
Although official arts education is down in many schools, he sees a bright side:
"We're in a golden age of arts education," he said. "The difference is that it's no longer the 'we will teach, and you will learn' model."
He said arts education takes place every day, peer to peer and in social networks, and that nimble arts organizations will try and figure out how to enlist that creativity as "activators, engagers and harvesters of culture."
Cameron ended by reminding us of the importance of the arts, that the arts connect us, provide a means of understanding ... provide "our family photos" of shared history and culture.
As always with conferences, attendees take away kernels of knowledge or inspiration and then try and plant them at home in their organizations.
It's too early to know what we'll do with Ben's thoughts, but when we do, you folks here at Culture Shock will be the first to know. -- MichaelK
Cameron provided the keynote speech at the 16th annual Performing Arts Managers Conference in Phoenix.
He woke up the early-morning audience with an impassioned delivery that noted today's audiences are looking for personalized and customized experiences, and that we're in an industry that demands attendance on a certain day and a certain time. Unfortunately, you can't timeshift live theater. Yet, anyway.
He also noted that young people increasingly want to be part of the creative process. Anybody with a computer can compose a song or make a poster or edit a movie.
Although official arts education is down in many schools, he sees a bright side:
"We're in a golden age of arts education," he said. "The difference is that it's no longer the 'we will teach, and you will learn' model."
He said arts education takes place every day, peer to peer and in social networks, and that nimble arts organizations will try and figure out how to enlist that creativity as "activators, engagers and harvesters of culture."
Cameron ended by reminding us of the importance of the arts, that the arts connect us, provide a means of understanding ... provide "our family photos" of shared history and culture.
As always with conferences, attendees take away kernels of knowledge or inspiration and then try and plant them at home in their organizations.
It's too early to know what we'll do with Ben's thoughts, but when we do, you folks here at Culture Shock will be the first to know. -- MichaelK
CALL TO ARTISTS - 2008 Best of Tampa Bay Art
The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is looking for local Tampa artists to create a vibrant and colorful one of a kind piece of art for the 2008 Best of Tampa Bay Auction.
The Best of Tampa Bay includes over 50 area restaurants, 5 local bands, libations and attendance of over 1700 people. Each piece of artwork will be auctioned off that evening and all proceeds from the auction will benefit the programs of TBPAC. The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center presented 909 performances last year and had a $98 million dollar economic impact on the Tampa Bay region.
Medium: Choose from one of the three categories – Ceramic, Glass or Textile
Requested themes:
If you want more information about TBPAC and more ideas of what to create you can check out our website at www.tbpac.org
* Please note: we will not accept art with mature content
A panel of local celebrity judges will choose the Best in Show of each category. TBPAC will place the winning images on a poster, TBPAC website, in CenterStage, the quarterly magazine and other marketing tools.
Artist Benefits:
Thank you for your support of our efforts on behalf of Best of Tampa Bay and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center!
The Best of Tampa Bay includes over 50 area restaurants, 5 local bands, libations and attendance of over 1700 people. Each piece of artwork will be auctioned off that evening and all proceeds from the auction will benefit the programs of TBPAC. The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center presented 909 performances last year and had a $98 million dollar economic impact on the Tampa Bay region.
Medium: Choose from one of the three categories – Ceramic, Glass or Textile
- Ceramic - plates, platters, bowls
- Glass - wine bottles, wine glasses, decanters
- Textile - aprons, chef hats, dish towels, pot holders
Requested themes:
- Food, wine, & chefs
- Theme of Best of Tampa Bay is the musical Jersey Boys & the 60’s
- Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
- The Performing Arts- Broadway, Ballet, Cabaret, Opera, Music, Comedy
- Patel Conservatory- Performing Arts Students
If you want more information about TBPAC and more ideas of what to create you can check out our website at www.tbpac.org
* Please note: we will not accept art with mature content
A panel of local celebrity judges will choose the Best in Show of each category. TBPAC will place the winning images on a poster, TBPAC website, in CenterStage, the quarterly magazine and other marketing tools.
Artist Benefits:
- Opportunity to have your work displayed and auctioned at the Best of Tampa Bay on April 18
- Opportunity to be present to meet the public
- Entrance into the Best of Tampa Bay- an $80 value
- Biography and description of art work displayed at the event
- Recognition in the Best of Tampa Bay Program
- Recognition in CenterStage, TBPAC’s quarterly magazine distributed to over 5,000 members
- Chance to have your artwork on a Best of Tampa Bay poster
- Commitment form due: Monday, March 3, 2008
- Final artwork submission & biography/description form due: Friday, March 28, 2008
Thank you for your support of our efforts on behalf of Best of Tampa Bay and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center!
Friday, February 15, 2008
But who will play 'Shrek'?
The New York Times reports that Sutton Foster has signed to star in "Shrek the Musical," opening in NYC on Broadway in previews on Dec. 14.
Shrek and Donkey have not been cast. -- MichaelK
Shrek and Donkey have not been cast. -- MichaelK
FREE film fest this Sunday!
Don't forget that we have a FREE film festival here at TBPAC on Sunday, starting at 1pm. Check out 18 hand-selected short films from the southeast.
AND IT'S FREE!!!
More details here.
AND IT'S FREE!!!
More details here.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
From our teen correspondent
I recently had to opportunity to see The Drowsy Chaperone at TBPAC. It didn't take 30 minutes of watching for The Drowsy Chaperone to quickly climb to the top of my favorite Broadway shows list! Between the clever script, phenomenal cast, and creative scene changes, it's easy to get hooked! At the opening of the show I fell in love with the narrator reminiscing about a "record" that often played at his house throughout his childhood. Soon, the whole stage breaks out into song, dance, and banter. The production as a whole reflects the traditional Broadway style. Each of the characters is quirky and unique which makes the show very intriguing. The Drowsy Chaperone is a musical suitable for audiences young and old as the plot is not complicated, yet witty and colorful. Although The Drowsy Chaperone has left TBPAC for this year, you'd better pray it comes back next season so you don't miss out twice!
I am now gearing up to see Jersey Boys! I learned this music listening to oldies stations, and now I can't stop listening. It doesn't matter what age you are, Frankie Valli speaks to you!
- Madeline V.
I am now gearing up to see Jersey Boys! I learned this music listening to oldies stations, and now I can't stop listening. It doesn't matter what age you are, Frankie Valli speaks to you!
- Madeline V.
Turtle Island String Quartet wins Grammy
You can congratulate them personally when they play here on April 26.
Soweto Gospel Choir, who we hosted just last year, also took home a Grammy for Best Traditional World Music Album and the original cast recording of Spring Awakening won for Best Musical Show Album.
See, there was a lot more going on than Kanye West talking about his mom or Amy Winehouse giving shout-outs to her incarcerated husband. Personally, I was happiest that Foo Fighters took home the trophies for Best Rock Album and Best Hard Rock Performance, and that The White Stripes nabbed Best Alternative Rock Album and Best Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Monday, February 11, 2008
And the Grammy goes to...
Ok, I'm sure you were distracted with the performances by Kanye, Tina Turner and Ms. Winehouse, but for those of you interested... the winner of the 2008 Grammy for Best Musical Show Album went to Spring Awakening. The album was up against the revivals of A Chorus Line and Company, Grey Gardens and the 50th Anniversary Decca Broadway tribute to West Side Story.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Life after "Annie"
I receive a monthly email from The Broadway League called "Broadway Fan Club" which gives you the update on Broadway shows and other Broadway related stories (you can sign up for it too). Here's a story from the email about new documentary. Looks pretty interesting...
"What do Sarah Jessica Parker, Alyssa Milano and Molly Ringwald have in common? They all began their careers as child actresses appearing in the hit musical Annie!
The award-winning documentary 'Life After Tomorrow' by Julie Stevens and Gil Cates, Jr. reunites more than 40 women who played orphans in the original Broadway production of Annie and reveals the highs and lows of their experiences as child actresses in a cultural phenomenon.
Featuring Dara Brown, Martha Byrne, Martin Charnin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Allison Smith, Julie Stevens, and Charles Strouse, "Life After Tomorrow" is a true insider's glimpse of the Annie experience. Once the curtain came down, many found it could be a hard-knock-life, fraught with out-of-control stage mothers, separation anxiety and, worst of all, prepubescent growth spurts leading to replacements by smaller, younger child actresses just waiting in the wings. As one cast member in the film remarks, "The younger ones are coming to take your place and you're 12. It's not like you're getting downsized at 50 -- you're 12!" While their lives have moved on, the impact of the experience remains."
More information is available at lifeaftertomorrow.com.
"What do Sarah Jessica Parker, Alyssa Milano and Molly Ringwald have in common? They all began their careers as child actresses appearing in the hit musical Annie!
The award-winning documentary 'Life After Tomorrow' by Julie Stevens and Gil Cates, Jr. reunites more than 40 women who played orphans in the original Broadway production of Annie and reveals the highs and lows of their experiences as child actresses in a cultural phenomenon.
Featuring Dara Brown, Martha Byrne, Martin Charnin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Allison Smith, Julie Stevens, and Charles Strouse, "Life After Tomorrow" is a true insider's glimpse of the Annie experience. Once the curtain came down, many found it could be a hard-knock-life, fraught with out-of-control stage mothers, separation anxiety and, worst of all, prepubescent growth spurts leading to replacements by smaller, younger child actresses just waiting in the wings. As one cast member in the film remarks, "The younger ones are coming to take your place and you're 12. It's not like you're getting downsized at 50 -- you're 12!" While their lives have moved on, the impact of the experience remains."
More information is available at lifeaftertomorrow.com.
Daniel Tosh - on sale 2/9 at noon!
Comedian Daniel Tosh plays Ferguson Hall on April 5 at 8pm. The show goes on sale this Saturday - tomorrow - at noon.
I spent a chunk of time on YouTube trying to find a video of his stand-up that was clean enough to post on this blog. Wow. That was a challenge.
I ended up finding a clip of him on a radio show, where he actually talks about the difficulty of airing his comedy in the land of very stiff FCC fines. Check it out.
Also, after a bit of digging, it seems many young fans of comedy are dividing up into camps - one who claims Tosh is king, the other who feel that honor belongs to Dane Cook.
I might argue that honor belongs to the likes of Carlin, Pryor, Foxx, Bruce or even Hicks - but maybe I'm showing my age.
I spent a chunk of time on YouTube trying to find a video of his stand-up that was clean enough to post on this blog. Wow. That was a challenge.
I ended up finding a clip of him on a radio show, where he actually talks about the difficulty of airing his comedy in the land of very stiff FCC fines. Check it out.
Also, after a bit of digging, it seems many young fans of comedy are dividing up into camps - one who claims Tosh is king, the other who feel that honor belongs to Dane Cook.
I might argue that honor belongs to the likes of Carlin, Pryor, Foxx, Bruce or even Hicks - but maybe I'm showing my age.
Monday, February 04, 2008
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