Looks like we're ready for THE LION KING

The front doors of Carol Morsani Hall were just gussied up in anticipation of the arrival of THE LION KING.

Click the thumbnails below to see the larger versions!

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TAKE HIM OUT TO THE BALLGAME!

Zachary Prince – who can be seen playing Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys at TBPAC – sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Opening Day of Spring Training for the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg. The crowd of than 5,000 cheered for Prince and his a cappella version of the national anthem that included a Valli-esque falsetto big finish.

Rays coach Joe Maddon and team president Matthew Silverman congratulated Prince on the field near the team’s dugout.

Prince also got a pat on the back from team mascot Raymond!

Root, root, root for the home team!

Check out these Jersey Boys!

Check out the front of Carol Morsani Hall, all decked out in anticipation of the big grand opening on Feb. 15. Thanks to Angela Lakin for sending us these photos (click to enlarge). This building has gotten so big, and our workload is usually so high that it gets easy to forget there's anything else around apart from our own little offices in the new building!

Photo op! Here's an Avenue Q tip for you!

TBPAC wants you to come down to see how we look after 20 years – then take a picture of it! The winner will get a pair of tickets to the opening night of Avenue Q.

Bring your gear down to TBPAC anytime between Dec. 10 and March 7 and take photos of the whole building, a detail or anything in between and submit it to our photography contest. We’re hoping to find a variety of entries – from the classical to the avant-garde. Want inside access to a backstage area? Check our website for scheduled backstage tours. As long as you stay with your group in the designated areas, you can take pictures of the inside of the halls or the backstage areas. Keep in mind – as always we do not allow anyone to take photographs inside the theater during any performance.

Photos should be high resolution (300 dpi) and submitted to us on CD mailed to:

TBPAC Photo Contest
1010 NWC MacInnes Pl.
Tampa, FL 33602

One winner will be chosen by a panel of three impartial judges and will receive a pair of opening night tickets (April 1, 2008) to the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Avenue Q in Carol Morsani Hall (Intended for mature audiences).

TBPAC retains the right to use any entered photographs for, but not excluded to, publicity releases, marketing materials and web site displays. Every attempt will be made to credit the original photographer, but it is not guaranteed. All entered photographs will be made available in an online gallery accessible through the TBPAC website and blog after the contest has concluded. None of the photos will be returned.

The fine print:

Prize to be redeemed at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center at 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, FL 33602. No purchase necessary. Participants and winner(s) must be legal U.S. residents, at least 18 years old and residents of Florida. Employees of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, their subsidiaries and affiliated companies, participating sponsors and their advertising agencies and members of their immediate family are not eligible to participate. Not valid where prohibited by law. Contest begins on or around Dec. 10, 2007, at noon. Deadline for submissions is noon on or around March 7, 2008. Winner will be chosen by a panel of three impartial professional judges on or around 48 hours from the deadline. Prize will be awarded on or around March 14, 2008. Decision of the judges is final. The winner will be notified by telephone and/or e-mail. Odds of winning vary greatly depending on number of entrants. The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center assumes no liability or responsibility for any prize once it is awarded, or any damage, loss or liability arising from the award, acceptance or use of the prize, and Contest winner agrees to release and hold harmless the Released Parties against any and all claims of liability arising directly or indirectly from the Contest or the prizes and the use of such Contest winner's name, voice and photo. The Released Parties assume no liability for lost, illegible, incomplete, misdirected or late entries or prize claims, or for typographical or other errors in the offer or administration of this Contest including, without limitation, errors in the printing of the offer and official rules, selection, notification and announcement of the winner, or distribution of prizes. The Contest is subject to applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, and is void where prohibited or otherwise restricted. The prizes offered in this contest have no cash value and may not be returned for cash. Seats are good for the opening night show of Avenue Q only, and may not be renewed or exchanged. By entering a photograph into the contest, participants give TBPAC full authorization to use, reprint or distribute the work at TBPAC’s discretion with or without proper credit to the photographer.

Jewtopia PR photos

I got to the office this morning to find these fantastic PR shots for the upcoming production of Jewtopia (opens Oct. 26 in the Jaeb) sitting in my inbox.

Take a peek! Click any of these to view the larger images. All photos are courtesy Rob Harris.

Photo op with Lily Tomlin

This is a photo sent in to me from the meet and greet with Lily Tomlin after the show on May 5. In my many, many years of working here I have never met a artist of Ms. Tomlin's caliber who was so absolutely generous with her time and so gracious with fans.

I hope we can bring her back again soon!

-dj