Cyber Monday 2010

We have Cyber Monday Savings on Nov. 29, 2010! One-day-only ticket offers!

Happy Holidays from the Straz Center!

Enjoy these one-day-only special ticket offers on holiday performances and some of the great shows coming up in the new year!

Use promo code CYBER on Monday, Nov. 29, from midnight to 11:59 p.m. to take advantage of any of the offers noted below.

Offers are valid online, by calling 813.229.STAR (7827) (outside Tampa Bay 800.955.1045) or by visiting the Straz Center Ticket Office. All offers are limited to 4 tickets per show title per household. Not applicable to prior sales. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Subject to availability. Service charges apply.

White Christmas Nov. 30 – Dec. 5 Save 25% off the Tuesday and Wednesday performances in price levels 2 and 3.

Forbidden Broadway ON STAGE NOW! 50% off all December performances.

The God of Isaac Dec. 2-19 Save 25% off all Thursday and Friday evening performances.

Fiddler on the Roof Dec 11 & 12 Save 25% off all performances in price levels 1, 2 and 3.

Cirque Dreams Holidaze Dec. 17-19 Save 25% off the Friday performance in price levels 2 and 3.

Straight No Chaser Christmas Cheers Dec. 21 Save 25% off all price levels.

The Nutcracker Dec. 22 & 23 $15 off all performances in price levels 2, 3 and 4.

Wonderland Jan. 4-16 Save 25% off Tuesday and Wednesday performances, excludes VIP and price level 1.

The Color Purple Jan. 8 Save 25% off all performances in price levels 1, 2 and 3.

The Improvised Shakespeare Company Jan 14 & 15 Save 25% off all performances and price levels.

Los Vivancos Jan. 26 Save 25% off all price levels.

Billy Elliot The Musical Feb. 2-20 Save 25% off Feb. 2, 3 and 6 evening performances in price levels 1, 2 and 3.

West Side Story March 1-6 Save 10% off Tuesday and Wednesday performances in price levels 2 and 3.

Jobsite Theater 30% off a mini-season ticket package ($68.60 + one $10 handling fee per order) which includes The Odd Couple, Yellowman, reasons to be pretty and The Taming of the Shrew. This ticket special is only available by phone or in person.

Test Drive Your Seats

COME VISIT US. TOUR OUR 5-THEATER COMPLEX.

Take some seats for a spin and find the perfect one to enjoy all of the magic live theater has to offer.

WHILE YOU'RE HERE, SUBSCRIBE to the Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay Series, Opera Tampa's season, Club Jaeb Series presented by Merchants Association of Florida or to the Jobsite Theater Play Series. Introduce your family to live theater through our Kid Time or Wee Folk series.

From Billy Elliot or The Merry Widow, from Mindgame or singer/songwriter Jeffrey Foucault – there's a season ticket package, and a price point, that will fit your budget and your busy schedule.

Use your season tickets as a family outing, or that much needed date night! Come to the theater to be swept away to another world – worlds of imagination, intrigue, laughter, learning and passion.

Jobsite Theater's What the Butler Saw - on stage now!

Jobsite Theater is the theater company in residence in the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center. What the Butler Saw is the second offering in their 2009-2010 season and it's doing great! Here's an update from Jobsite's Artistic Director, David Jenkins:

We've had 5 sold-out shows and two sensational reviews so far, not to mention scads of great feedback from patrons for What the Butler Saw. Head over to our media page to check it all out for yourself, then grab a ticket to one of this weekend's shows! We're on stage now through Jan. 29!

Jobsite Theater has strong attendance on Friday and Saturday nights, so advance ticket purchase is recommended. You can purchase tickets through the Straz Center ticket office, by calling 813.229.STAR, visiting http://www.strazcenter.org/ or visiting the ticket window.

If you're looking for a bargain, Thursday night and Sunday matinee performances of Jobsite Theater productions are usually great times to take advantage of their student/military/senior rush. $10 tickets as of 30 minutes w/ cash and valid ID, window only.

Of course rush is always subject to availability but it's a great bargain for a show Creative Loafing called, "One of the funniest performances I’ve seen in years... I can heartily recommend it to lovers of intelligent lunacy – and of laughter."

Here's their promotional video:




(Full disclosure: I'm a board member of Jobsite Theater as well as a Straz Center employee).

-Kari G.

And Baby Makes 7

The best thing about the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is that our five theaters allow for live performance in all shapes and sizes. Whether you are getting excited for the spectacle that is Wicked in the 2600 seat Carol Morsani Hall (tickets go on sale Sept. 19th!), or you can’t wait for Spanish Lyric Theater's Anything Goes in the Ferguson Hall (Oct. 10) or the kick off of Club Jaeb with Anne McCue on Sept. 28 - you'll find there is something for everyone! It’s like Goldilocks and the Three Bears – some theaters might be too big for you, some might be too small, but I guarantee you’ll find one that is juuuuuuust right.

I’m biased, as a board member, performer and director of the Jobsite Theater, my favorite space is the Shimberg Playhouse. This black box space is the smallest at TBPAC with around 100 seats. In my mind, it’s the biggest stage in town. So much happens on the Shimberg Stage and so many local actors have once-in-a-lifetime opportunities in the space. In addition to the Jobsite Theater, Stageworks has been a regular company that has performed in the space. Of course, Stageworks is getting ready for their big move to their brand spanking new theater in the Channel District, but I bet if you asked Anna Brennan, she’d have some fond stories of the Shimberg. (If you want to see Stageworks in action – don’t miss the acclaimed My Children! My Africa! in its closing performances this weekend).

The Shimberg is a busy little space. With not a week off in between productions, Jobsite Theater will mount And Baby Makes 7 on Sept. 24. Anna, Ruth and Peter await the arrival of their newborn child, but first they must rid the crowded apartment of their three imaginary children. Hilariously startling and brilliantly funny, Paula Vogel (The Mineola Twins, How I Learned to Drive) redefines the meaning of family and completely blurs the lines between illusion and reality, power and subjection, friendship and love, female and male.

Come out and try the little theater with the big heart and support local theater!

-Kari G.

Rock Musicals - From Berkeley,California to Tampa, Florida!

Rockers rejoice! Playbill announced today that Tony Award-winning actor John Gallagher, Jr., will reunite with his Tony-winning director from Spring Awakening to star in Berkeley Repertory Theatre's world premiere of American Idiot, the musical drawn from the Grammy Award-winning neo-punk album by Green Day. American Idiot previews begin Sept. 4 for a run to Oct. 11.

Don't have the scratch to fly all the way out to California? That's okay - we've got our own world premiere rock musical just for you! Jobsite Theater presents Pericles a rock musical based on the play by William Shakespeare. Music and lyrics by local rock legend Joe Popp and the Hornrims and book by local playwrights Neil Gobioff and Shawn Paonessa. Pericles previews this Wed. Aug. 5 for a run to Aug. 23.

(Full disclosure - I am a board member of Jobsite Theater and had the privilege of seeing a technical rehearsal yesterday. I was officially rocked!)



-Kari G.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore - a bloody good hit in the Shimberg Playhouse

The Lieutenant of Inishmore has been getting great reviews for the past two weeks from critics, bloggers and patrons alike. Check out what they're saying:

"I was warned ... violence, gunshots, blood, gore, loud music, cat murder(s) ... Part satire, part farce, part murder mystery, Jobsite delivered on the promise. Yet heed the warning: "This play is not for the easily offended ... It's funny, it's sexy, it's a bloodbath -- it's like a Tarantino movie, but not as pretty. Blood isn't just spattered here and there -- it's smeared and splashed on walls, windows, floors and bodies, alive and dead, human and feline." - Creative Loafing (this week's cover story, to boot)

“Full serving of gore, horror and hilarity.... Gruesomely violent as it is, Inishmore is almost slapstick.... David Jenkins and his cast (almost all Jobsite regulars) amp up the violence and humor... and blood flows profusely (in extremely effective special effects by Chris Holcom).... The entire cast does fine work.... Lots of people like blood, guts and mayhem, and they're the ones this production aims to please.” – St. Petersburg Times

“In this comedy of devastating errors, with enough extreme carnage to make Quentin Tarantino queasy, bumbling characters shoot, maim, slice and dice one another with abandon and little remorse.... At the play's end, the stage is drenched, eliciting sickening sounds as the actors left standing tread the saturated floorboards.... The easily offended might not appreciate the absurd overkill and outrageously misplaced values. But for everyone else, it's hilarious.” – The Tampa Tribune

“The production was very well acted, especially the parts of Padraic and Mairead. There's real chemistry between the characters and they develop an almost Mickey and Mallory Knox-like bond.... This play is also not for the squeamish, as the blood continues to pile up through the final act.” – MyTampaLife.com

“All of the acting is superb. Irish accents are spot-on, and the cast works well as an ensemble.... Martin McDonagh’s plotting is immaculate.... Even though I usually don’t like violence at all, it was humorous in the context of the play.... I would definitely recommend this play.” – ARTS NET, Tampa Bay

You can read all the feedback Jobsite's received on the show at their website.

This play only has eight more performances before it is gone for good! It must close April 12.

Full disclosure: I am also Jobsite Theater's producing artistic director as well as the director of the production. I might be shilling a tiny bit here.

Guns and gore coming to TBPAC

From the Oscar and Tony Award nominated writer of In Bruges and The Pillowman ...





The Lieutenant of Inishmore contains violent scenes that some may find disturbing, loud gunfire and music, extremely graphic blood violence, adult language and adult situations. This play is not intended for the easily offended. No real cats will be harmed in the creation of this production.

Jobsite opens Blackbird tonight

Jobsite Theater, resident theater company in the Shimberg Playhouse, opens David Harrower's provocative and intense drama Blackbird tonight at 8pm. Blackbird was commissioned for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and won the 2007 Olivier Award for Best New Play.

From the show website:

Una and Ray had a relationship that resulted in disastrous consequences. Ray moved on with his life, ensuring that they would never set eyes on each other again. Fifteen years later, Una has found Ray.

Never has a more thought-provoking play been written about such a taboo subject. The play explodes with unresolved and possibly irresolvable concerns that make it one of the most daring new plays in recent theater. Blackbird is a brilliant, unnerving and controversial play that taunts us with the limits of our own language and our conceptions of love, abuse and that much-abused neologism "closure".

Blackbird stars Paul J. Potenza and Caitlin Eason under the direction of Karla Hartley, who is also the Producing and Artistic Manager of the Shimberg Playhouse. The scenic design is by United Scenic Artists member Scott Cooper. Karla and Scott previously collaborated together on the Jobsite production of Mamet's Boston Marriage.

The show is also the start of Jobsite's 10th anniversary season. Though Jobsite has performed at TBPAC during each of their previous seasons, they were named resident theater company in 2003 and have performed all of their plays here since.

Here is a preview on the show that ran in today's St. Pete Times.

Blackbird is on stage through Sept. 28. This show is intended for mature audiences only.

*disclosure - I am also the Producing Artistic Director of Jobsite.

A Dream Play opens tonight

Jobsite Theater, TBPAC's resident theater company in the Shimberg Playhouse and winner of four 2007 Creative Loafing Best of the Bay Awards, is opening Caryl Churchill's adaptation of August Strindberg's 1901-penned A Dream Play tonight.

"Everything can happen, everything is possible and probable. Time and place do not exist." So said August Strindberg in his preface to the original play. Following the logic of a dream – in which images and characters merge and separate, locations change in an instant, and a locked door recurs obsessively – A Dream Play is a potent mix of Freud plus Alice in Wonderland. The play itself is a dream about Agnes, a girl from another world. Quite possibly an angel or even a goddess, Agnes comes to Earth and becomes caught up in the sufferings and cruelties of mankind.

You can read stories written on the production from various sources here. You can also learn all about the cast and crew here.

A Dream Play runs through June 29.

PLEASE NOTE: A Dream Play contains adult language, brief nudity and fog effects.

(full disclosure: I am also the Producing Artistic Director of Jobsite Theater)

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern a huge hit!

Jobsite Theater, TBPAC's resident theater company is entering their second weekend of performances for Tom Stoppard's Tony Award-winning play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Modern film buffs may not know Stoppard the playwright, but likely know his words as an Oscar-winning writer of Shakespeare in Love.

The show has drawn stellar reviews, and has already had four sold-out performances. They just announced an extension of the show through April 27.

Creative Loafing: Dead Brilliant

Tribune: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is Frivolous Fun

Times: Absurdity Meets History ...

Full disclosure: I am the Producing Artistic Director for Jobsite, as well as Rosencrantz in the show.

Cross-shilling

As I've stated before, in addition to my duties here at TBPAC in the marketing department, I have a whole separate other job I'm holding down as the producing artistic director for Jobsite Theater, TBPAC's resident theater company.

Jobsite opens their 9th season on Thursday with Gorey Stories, a collection of 18 short stories, poems and groups of limericks from the weird and wild world of the inimitable Edward Gorey. Head over to Jobsite's blog to see entries on this production. In fact, this link will take you directly to all entries tagged with 'gorey stories.'

Shakespeare (banned)!

Check out this story on how a school district pulled the plug on a performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) that was being used as a class field trip.

TBPAC's own resident theater company, Jobsite Theater, has become very well-known for tackling these (abridged) plays - Shakespeare in particular, which we have performed since 2001. The audience? Largely high school and college kids - every time.

Best of the Bay at TBPAC!

There was a lot at TBPAC that ended up being chosen as Best of the Bay by Creative Loafing. Take a look!

Best Artistic Director: Judith Lisi

Best Theater Company: Jobsite Theater (TBPAC's resident theater company, Shimberg Playhouse. Also a finalist for the Reader's Poll award, the winner of which will be announced at the awards ceremony on 9/24. Jobsite has now been named Best Theater Company in '04, '06 and '07.)
Best Actor: Steve Garland (The Pillowman, Jobsite Theater)
Best Actress: Ami Sallee Corley (Woman in Mind, Jobsite Theater)
Best Costume Designer: Katrina Stevenson (Jobsite Theater)

Best Play: Frozen (Stageworks in the Shimberg Playhouse)
Best Director: Anna Brennen, Stageworks (The Sisters Rosensweig and Frozen in the Shimberg Playhouse)
Best Set Designer: R. T. Williams, Stageworks (The Sisters Rosensweig, The Mystery of Irma Vep in the Shimberg Playhouse)

Between the body of work contributed by both Jobsite Theater and Stageworks, our very own Shimberg Playhouse had the work of seven Best of the Bay Award winners!

Other Reader's Poll finalists include Ryan McCarthy, Larry Buzzeo and Richard Coppinger for Best Actor; Ami Sallee Corley and Eileen Koteles for Best Actress and Patel Conservatory Instructor and Jobsite Theater performer "ranney" as Best Local Comedian

CONGRATS TO ALL!

(Disclosure: I am also the producing artistic director of Jobsite Theater, but am genuinely exceedingly proud of all that TBPAC has to offer, expecially the most mightiest of mites in the building in our own beloved Shimberg Playhouse.)

0708 Play Series podcast

Check out the latest podcast, voiced by yours truly, on the upcoming 0708 Jobsite Theater Play Series. While you're there you can also sign up to get these podcasts automatically, which we hope to make available every other week through the season.

Got an idea for a podcast? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Disclosure: I am also the Producing Artistic Director of Jobsite Theater. Blahblahcakes.

Final Jobsite Theater play of 0607: Hurlyburly

Jobsite Theater, resident theater company at TBPAC, previews the final show of their 0607 season tonight - David Rabe's Hurlyburly.

Hurlyburly is a gritty comedy-drama about some bit players in the Hollywood scene circa 1984. From Jobsite's release:

Eddie's world exists at the very juncture where Hollywood meets the mountains, where the almost-rich and not-yet-famous live on cheap thrills and heady ambition while searching for true love and redemption. Here, Eddie and his three best friends engage in a wild life of witty repartee and snappy come-backs, of ex-wives and future lovers, of hard partying and late nights, of sex, lies and self-obsession.

Hurlyburly is a scathingly funny and touchingly human story about the quest for meaning in our modern times. Eddie and his friends continue their entertaining and manic pursuit of sensation – until a series of encounters with destiny, decadence and even death convinces Eddie to plunge beneath the surface and discover his soul.

In more than one way this play takes us back full circle to where Jobsite began the 0607 season with Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman. Like Pillowman, both plays are darkly comic and nearly three hours in length. They both, due to all manner of adult content, are intended for mature audiences only. Steve Garland and Ryan McCarthy, who respectively played Katurian and Ariel in Pillowman, also star in the lead roles in Hurlyburly.

Tonight's preview tickets are dirt cheap. If you're a student, senior or member of the military they are even cheaper. This is for a few reasons - we like getting an audience in before we have all of our season ticket holders and the critics to take the nerves out, and the preview audience helps us better gauge the plays overall and moment by moment effectiveness. Win-win, really.

Jobsite Theater survey

Jobsite Theater, TBPAC's resident theater company, is shopping survey services as they look to do some serious data-mining about their audience. The first test is through Survey Monkey, and as we're limited to 10 questions and 100 respondents - we ask that only folks who attend Jobsite shows take the survey. If you fall into that category can you spare a minute and take it?

Click Here to take survey

Vote in Creative Loafing's 2007 Best of the Bay Awards!

Creative Loafing, Tampa's hip and funny alternative weekly is now taking ballots for their 2007 Best of the Bay Awards.

The categories cover just about everything you could imagine in this great area of ours. You might notice that the first three categories are Best Theater Troupe, Best Actor and Best Actress. Well, I'm absolutely shameless enough to do my best to twist your arm and beg for votes for Jobsite Theater, TBPAC's resident theater company. At least I'm being up front about the shilling, right? And after all, you're grown-ups and can make up your own minds. I'm clearly not trying to trick anyone. Just maybe nudge a little firmly ...

So, that said, please consider voting for Jobsite Theater as Best Theater Troupe. Best Actor and Best Actress gets a little hairier, it's certainly not so clear cut as just saying "Vote Jobsite!" You could consider almost any of the four lead men from The Pillowman, the trio of performers from This is How it Goes, any number of the cast of The March of the Kitefliers or Woman in Mind. Steve Garland, Matt Lunsford, Ryan McCarthy, Paul Potenza - all these men surely warrant some consideration. So does Ami Sallee Corley for her performance in Woman in Mind.

Jobsite was lucky enough to take home a stack of these things last year: Best Theater Company, Best Play, Best Actor and Best Artistic Direction.

Or maybe you have thoughts all your own. It doesn't really matter, so long as you get out and vote!

A few other things to note: CreLo really hopes you decide to think about true local businesses over chains (like no Taco Bell for Best Mexican!) and you must vote in at least 35 categories for your ballot to be counted. And no ballot stuffing! They're smarter than you think!

(Here comes the big-ol' disclaimer: as editor of this blog it should probably be pointed out that I am also the producing artistic director of Jobsite, and I am working HARD at getting people to vote for Jobsite over just about every medium I have available to me. It's ok though, the paper is all for this sort of behavior. Now let's hope my boss is.)

Morning roundup: podcasts, menopause and more

• Head over to TBPAC.ORG to listen to the newest podcast on the 0708 Broadway season! You can listen to it in mp3 format from our website, or sign up for the RSS feed to get new podcasts automatically.
• An extension for Menopause the Musical went on sale yesterday at noon. Tickets are now on sale through Sept. 2. Get your tickets sooner rather than later if you have an inclination to come, they're burning up like a hot flash.
• If you're coming out to Menopause, forget to show up at 6pm on Wednesdays for the Hot Flash Happy Hours.
• Jobsite Theater has posted a new PR shot from their upcoming production of Hurlyburly (disclaimer: ok, so I'm in the photo and a producer of the show)0
• A birdie tells me that this Saturday's 20th Birthday Party for TBPAC is already sold out. Wowsers!
• Don't forget to vote for all of your local favorites in Creative Loafing's 2007 Best of the Bay Awards!
  

Opens this week: Woman in Mind

Jobsite Theater, resident theater company of TBPAC, presents their latest offering later this week in Sir Alan Ayckbourn's Woman in Mind.

Check out Blogsite Theater for interviews, inside scoops, soundtrack listings and more.

Full disclosure: I am the producing artistic director for Jobsite, as well as the director of the show.

Season tickets: Opera, Play, Broadway and more!

There are a lot of good deals out there on tickets if you're paying attention. The best deal is always season tickets. TBPAC offers a ton of packages, and we'll actually be rolling out a few more in the coming months.

Ticket packages, or season tickets or subscriptions - whatever you like to call them - are completely win-win propositions. Yes, the company sells a bunch of tickets at one time, thereby reducing the work we need to do later - but the patron also gets a great deal and guaranteed seats. These seats are almost always better than what a single-ticket buyer can get just by the sheer virtue that season ticket holders get their tickets first. It's pretty simple when you think of it that way.

Opera Tampa's Homes by Helen Opera Series season tickets are available to the public as of June 1. If you're a current opera subscriber, you can renew your seats through May 31.

Jobsite Theater Play Series season tickets just became available today. Anyone who signs up by June 29 gets the early bird rate of 30% off the price of single tickets. As of June 30 the discount changes to 20% off. I posted an entry to the Jobsite blog earlier today as to why season ticket sales are so important. (Disclosure: I am also producing artistic director for Jobsite).

The wildly popular Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay series features the absolute best shows touring right now in the United States. The line-up features juggernauts like Jersey Boys and Avenue Q as well as returns for the The Lion King and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. TBPAC is known nation-wide for our incredible facility and first-rate Broadway series. The only way you can guarantee your seats to these shows is by becoming a season ticket holder.

I'm telling you now so hopefully you're not calling me in February of next year wondering why you can't get good seats to anything ...

As to other ticket packages we're looking to offer: a Club Jaeb package of 6 shows for under $100, an improved "cultural passport" type offer where you can sample a variety of shows at a greatly reduced price, and of course we'll soon be selling season tickets for our very popular Kid Time and Wee Folks series as well. Stay tuned for all that.

Aside from spending the money up front, the biggest knock I hear on season tickets is that people are concerned something will come up that would keep them from their show when it comes around. We all know people get busy, and we know things come up. Every one of our season ticket packages offers exchanges if you're not able to make your scheduled performance. All you need to do is call in to the ticket office and move your tickets to another night. Simple! First exchanges are always free and it's just $1 per ticket to exchange after that. Convenient!