Star Shine Brings Money, Talent

All those TV and movie stars on Broadway this season helped gross a total of $1.02 billion during the 09-10 season, according to The New York Times.

The revenues are up despite a slight decrease in attendance, perhaps attributable to the non-reporting of numbers for “Young Frankenstein” because of that show’s policies.

But the stars are bring in more than box office revenues; they’ve got talent, too.

Consider that all five of the Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play nominees are better known for their movie work:

Jude Law, “Hamlet
Alfred Molina, “Red”
Liev Schreiber, “A View From the Bridge:
Christopher Walken, “A Behanding in Spokane”
Denzel Washington, “Fences”

In the Best Actress in a Play category, sit-com vets Valerie Harper and Linda Lavin were both nominated for “Looped” and “Collected Stories.” (Laura Linney, nominated for “Time Stands Still,” is equally at home in TV/film and on stage.)

In the Best Actor in a Musical category, Kelsey Grammer for “La Cage aux Folles” and Sean Hayes for “Promises, Promises” successfully made the switch from sit-coms to Broadway.

Add Catherine Zeta-Jones, Leading Actress in a Musical nominee, and Scarlett Johansson, Leading Actress in a Drama nominee, and you can see the tremendous impact these double- and triple-threat performers had.

See the Tony Awards on June 13 at 8 p.m on CBS. – MKilgore

$10 off Cirque Dreams Illumination

Save $10 off tickets to see Cirque Dreams' newest creation, Illumination, when the show comes to the Straz Center for one week, March 23-28. The discount is valid on the Tuesday and Wednesday performances only. Just use promo code SOCIAL when ordering tickets.

Limit 4 tickets. Tuesday and Wednesday, price levels 1, 2 and 3 only. Not applicable to prior sales. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Subject to availability.

If you can't decide which performance, we might be able to help...

Tuesday has a special post-show talkback with members of the cast.

If you join us Wednesday, it's Broadway Family Night with special pre-show activities for the kids. Plus we have a different discount offer for families. You receive a free child's ticket (12 and under) when you purchase a full priced adult ticket. (Sorry, you can combine the offers.)

Mary Poppins pre-sale

Tampa's premiere engagement of Disney & Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins is coming to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, May 20-June 6, 2010. Starting today Culture Shock readers have priority access to some of the best seats before they go on sale to the public! And if you order by Nov. 5 you can save more than $15 on select performances and locations. Use promo code SHOCK when ordering. For discount details and to purchase tickets, click here http://bit.ly/ZxGH4

*Not applicable to prior sales. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Subject to availability. Other restrictions may apply.

Interview with the director of SOUTH PACIFIC

The Lincoln Center Theater Production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC is coming to the TBPAC in January. If you'd like an inside look at the new tour, then check out an interview with the director, Bartlett Sher, on KQED's (NPR) "Forum" with Michael Krasney this afternoon at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT). You can listen to the interview online or if you miss it you can pick-up the podcast.

In the Heights goes on sale Sunday!

The TBPAC's 2009-2010 season is getting ready to kick off in a big way... with the launch of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning IN THE HEIGHTS. Not only does IN THE HEIGHTS open the TBPAC's season, but Tampa is the opening city for the first national tour. That means we're double excited!

Single tickets go on sale this Sunday, Sept. 13, at the TBPAC Ticket Office. Season tickets are also still available.

To learn more about IN THE HEIGHTS, visit the TBPAC website or you can check out the show's website for videos, downloads, widgets, e-cards and more!

The Producers host something Wicked

Last night I attended the All Access Backstage Event here at the TBPAC hosted by The Producers with my boyfriend. It was a nice intimate gathering of young professionals in the Tampa Bay area to explore backstage, mingle, and have some fabulous appetizers catered by Bone Fish Grill.

The toughest decision of the night was whether to go with ‘The White Rabbit’ or ‘Wicked-tini’ cocktail (hey – I’m of age!). Of course, I had to try the ‘Wicked-tini’ (because it was pink) and explore.

Many of the upcoming show banners were hung around the space: In the Heights, Wonderland, Wicked, Mary Poppins to remind guests of our 2009-2010 Broadway season kicking off in October. There were also cast members from Respect and South Pacific walking around with guests to promote the shows. Guests also got to go on the stages of the Carol Morsani and Ferguson. How cool is that?

As I stood center stage of Carol Morsani (a dream come true for anyone who calls themselves a performer) and looked out into the 2,610 empty seats I had to catch my breath. Sure, I’ve been in the audience plenty of times, we will actually be there again in two week for the O.A.R. concert, but who else can say they have done that?

Overall, great event, great experience, great company, and I was in a great dress! Not bad for a Thursday night!

For more information on The Producers or to become a member, visit theproducers@tbpac.org.

- AP Intern

Test Drive Your Seat

You know what we love to do more than anything else in the TBPAC marketing department?

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That's right! We like to wake up early and work on a Saturday morning!

Actually that's a lie. A big old lie. But we do care enough for you to have the best seat possible for the 2009-2010 Bank of America Best of Broadway season.

That's actually true. We really do care. We care so much that we are going to be in the Carol Morsani Hall tomorrow morning from 9:30 - 11 a.m. to answer your questions and help you find the perfect seat for you and your friends, loved ones and/or the people you have in your life that quietly sit with you and suffer your love of Broadway.

It's okay. We like people like you. We also like that there are people in your life that like you enough to buy another seat and suffer for you all season.

Come on by tomorrow morning - we'll be here. Hopefully we'll be standing upright, but be prepared for a couple of ponytails and baseball caps in the mix. Marketers are night owls. We only do this for you good people.

Points if you bring us coffee. Just sayin.

-Kari G.