Meet Dora the Explorer!

Dora the Explorer will be in Tampa this Saturday, July 17th!

Meet Dora the Explorer, one of the stars of Nickelodeon's newest, biggest and most exciting live shows ever - Storytime Live! There will also be crafts, prizes and more!

Storytime Live! is playing at the Straz Center July 31 - August 1. Come play along with your favorite preschool pals live on stage. Leap into Fairytale Land with “Dora the Explorer,” journey through Filthingham with “The Backyardigans,” hop into Wonderland with “Wonder Pets!,” and join the Monkey King’s celebration with “Ni Hao, Kai-lan.” Hosted by Moose and Zee, Nickelodeon’s musical adventure, STORYTIME LIVE! features four of the top-rated preschool shows on television today and is sure to be the hit live show you and your family have been waiting for! For more information, visit nicklivetour.com.


Meet Dora on Saturday, July 17th at:
Westshore Plaza, 11a-1p, M&G and storytime.

Platt Regional Library, 2p, storytime. For more information please visit: http://www.hcplc.org/hcplc/happenings/dora/index.html

And the winner is...

Dreams do come true…Cirque Dreams Illumination and the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts have teamed up to make one aspiring local teen’s dream come true. On Saturday, Feb. 27, Tampa contestants auditioned to “Run Away with Cirque Dreams” at an open casting call at the Westshore Plaza. Today it was announced that 13-year-old Caroline Hamby of Tampa has been chosen to perform on stage with Cirque Dreams Illumination when the show plays at the Straz Center, March 23–28.

Caroline is about to experience her first professional showbiz opportunity. Cirque Dreams Illumination will mark her theatrical debut in a highly entertaining Broadway-style production. Jill Winters, Broadway star and Musical Director of Cirque Dreams, has written a song exclusively for Caroline to showcase her vocal skills when she performs live Thursday, March 24 at the Straz Center. Caroline will train, rehearse and be staged in a custom designed costume appearing alongside Cirque Dreams’ ensemble of some of the best athletes, gymnasts and artists in the world including So You Think You Can Dance phenomenon, Robert Muraine.

“Caroline’s vocal skills are unique for a 13-year-old and have enabled us to create a special role for her in the show” said Broadway producer and Cirque Dreams creator Neil Goldberg. “Her performance and vocal maturity will captivate audiences at the Straz Center as it did our creative team when she auditioned at Westshore Plaza. It’s just passing the dream forward.” Goldberg added, “I too was once that dreamer who imagined one day being part of a professional Broadway experience…now it’s Caroline’s break.”

Caroline is an eighth-grader at Martinez Middle School where she performs with her school choir. An excellent student, she recently applied for the International Baccalaureate program at Hillsborough High School. Her goal is to eventually attend New York University for musical theater. Caroline has been singing since the age of two and performs regularly with Curtain Call Theater after school. The “Run Away with Cirque Dreams” contest marks her first ever professional audition and stage performance.

Casting call for Cirque Dreams Illumination

The creative team from Cirque Dreams will hold a casting call, limited to the first 100 dreamers, on Saturday, Feb. 27, beginning at 11 a.m. at WestShore Plaza and encourage aspiring performers, acrobats, gymnasts, musicians, dancers, singers and anyone else with a special talent who has ever dreamed of performing in a Broadway show, to audition for their chance to perform with the internationally renowned Cirque Dreams company.

Each participant will have up to 2 minutes to impress the cirque experts with their skills. Performers requiring music should bring their own CD. In addition, performers from Cirque Dreams Illumination will be on hand to give a sneak peek of the show.

The winner of the “Run Away with Cirque Dreams” competition will be trained locally by the Cirque Dreams design team for their debut performance in Cirque Dreams Illumination (at the Straz Center, March 23-28) and will receive six complimentary tickets to their debut performance.

For more information about the audition, click here.

Don't want to audition but you'd still like to have some fun? The show will have special sneak peek performances, giveaways and activities & workshops for the kids.