Final performances of Godspell.

There are some great opportunities to see Godspell before it closes! First, grab the kids and come tonight (nothing says Cinco de Mayo like Godspell!) for Broadway Family Night! Purchase one full price adult ticket and get one free child's (12 and under) ticket (restrictions apply). Come early for family-friendly activities.There is a postshow talk-back in the theater following the Wed., May 5, performance.

Moving forward you can take advantage of a special social media offer for the remaining shows. Now through May 16 you can receive $10 off all tickets. Limit 4 tickets. Promo code: SOCIAL.

These two offers cannot combine so don't get all crafty on us. And all fine print, "Subject to availability, not good on prior purchase, etc. etc." all apply.

Enjoy the final performances of this amazing show!

-Kari "Day by Day" G.

The Tonys Are Coming! The Tonys Are Coming!

Tomorrow morning at 8:30 am EDT, Jeff Daniels and Lea Michele will announce the 2010 Tony Nominations live on TonyAwards.com! Be sure to go online to watch the announcements as they happen.

To watch them live click here, and then meet us back here or our facebook page and tell us what you think!

-Kari G.

A Spoonful of Sugar!

From London to New York to Los Angeles, more than 5 million people around the world have experienced the supercalifragilistic hit Broadway musical that the New York Daily News calls "A roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza!" - and now you're invited to experience this perfectly magical musical for yourself. Mary Poppins flies into the Straz Center May 20 - June 6 and you can take advantage of this special online offer! Be one of the first to see Mary Poppins in Tampa during its opening weekend, and save $20 on select seats at select performances.

$20 off select seats at select performances with promo code: SOCIAL
Thursday, Friday and Sunday evening, May 20-23, 2010, price levels A, B and C. Offer also includes the Thursday, May 20, 2 p.m. performance in price levels A and B. ALL SALES FINAL. No exchanges or refunds. Tickets subject to applicable service charges. Performance prices, dates, times and cast are subject to change without notice. Single-ticket purchases limited to 8 tickets per person and limited to 4 tickets per person for the discount. Not applicable to prior sales. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Subject to availability. Other restrictions may apply. Offer may be revoked without notice.

And close your mouth Michael, we are not a codfish!

Let the Sun Shine In!

Tune in to watch the entire Broadway cast of HAIR perform “Aquarius” live on “Regis and Kelly” on Tuesday, April 27, with Kelly Ripa joining the number as part of the Tribe! “Regis and Kelly” is nationally syndicated and airs locally in the Tampa Bay region on WTVT Fox 13 at 10:00 AM.

-Kari G.

Congratulations to Next To Normal

JUST ANNOUNCED!

The Pulitzer Prize board today bestowed its 2009 drama award to the musical "Next to Normal." The edgy musical, which opened last spring on Broadway at the Booth Theatre, has been a critical and audience hit but was not on the short list of nominations.

Read more here.

-Kari G.

Special Discount for Thespians

Hey Thespians! Show your event badge at the Straz Center Ticket Office to purchase tickets to any GODSPELL performance, April 8-11, for just $8.75! This is a fully updated and modernized production you don't want to miss.

Offer includes service charges. One discounted ticket per badge. Not applicable to prior sales. Subject to availability. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

Florida State Thespian Festival

It’s that time of year again – the Florida State Thespian Festival. For the next 4 days the Straz Center and the Convention Center will be hosting 7200 young artists as they perform, compete, learn and participate in one of the largest theater festivals in the world.

This phenomenon has garnered so much attention that there has even been a movie made about it.

Being here and being a part of the Thespian Festival is something I have written about before. As a former Florida State Thespian, (go Troupe #334 – represent!) I have so many fond memories of this week. I try not to think about how many years have gone by since I hopped off the bus and onto the grounds of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (as it was called back then) and performed in Festival Hall (now the Morsani Hall) and the Playhouse (now the Ferguson). I remember every show I saw, every class I took, every boy I flirted with just because they were from another school.

I remember being blown away by a production of Noises Off by Bolles High School. I remember falling in love with a production of Eleemosynary (a show I would later perform and direct, twice). I remember taking my first real improvisation workshop (I would later go on to perform for The Second City). And I remember stealing a kiss by the river with a boy whose name has drifted away.

It was always the best week of high school.

When you’re growing up, it’s so important to “fit in” and be accepted by your peers. I think I can speak to many of us in the arts that growing up, we never felt like we “fit in” anywhere. We were easy to spot in high school: We walked in small packs through the hallways hoping for safety in numbers. We ate in the corner of the cafeteria, if we ate in the cafeteria at all. Our hair changed colors, our clothes had copious numbers of safety pins, and our conversations were peppered with Monty Python references and snippets of songs. We represented the Island of Misfit Toys.

But once a year, we got to run away to Tampa. For those of us from small towns, it was mind blowing to walk amongst the skyscrapers and witness a “real” downtown. Everywhere we looked we saw ourselves. We met people who were just like us and we were all encouraged to be different. We were encouraged to celebrate our eccentricities, to embrace our strangeness, to channel our creativity. Florida State Thespians was our oasis. We could sing as loud as we wanted, perform stage combat in the street, wear matching t-shirts with our troupe number on them, sweat it out waiting to find out, would we super superior?

I cannot express how critical arts education and arts experiences were to my personal development and how important it will be to the development of this next generation of artists. The experiences they will have, the friendships they will make, the different ideas, mediums, and genres they will learn about will make them more rounded, more thoughtful people. It will make a difference. It can’t be taught in a classroom or out of a book. It is a visceral, mind-blowing, life-changing event. If you think I’m over stating it, come on down here and witness it for yourself.

To any Thespians who might be reading this, welcome. Enjoy yourselves, learn as much as you can and be 100% authentic in your skin. We are so happy to have you here and we hope that maybe someday you’ll come back and make this performing arts center your home. Take one of your free nights and see Godspell in the Jaeb or Jobsite Theater's Pericles in the Shimberg. There are Florida Thespian Alums in both casts and they'd be more than happy to talk to you after the show. And don’t do anything stupid while you’re here. Those of us who have been to Festival know all the tricks and all the hiding places and we’re watching. ;)

-Kari G.

Opening for Green Day Again

From Joe Popp, guest contributor and composer, lyricis and guitarist for Jobsite's Pericles: Prince of Tires.

Life can be full of coincidences. Circa 1994 I was playing in a punk trio called dogs on ice in Tampa, Florida. We had some minor local success and even signed to a small label out of San Francisco run by Jello Biafra’s graphic artist. We were doing as good as any local band could hope to do, but thought that maybe we would get a big break after learning we were going to open for our punk idols Green Day.

The show was scheduled at a scrappy hole in the wall called The Brass Mug – sort of the CBGBs of Tampa. I remember the evening vividly. Green Day had not been signed by Reprise yet, but were doing great on Lookout Records. As we pulled into the club in our oxidized blue Ford Econoline, a rougher, more road worn van pulled into a space close to ours. It was them – yes, Green Day, all the way from the notorious punk rock mecca 924 Gilman Street. The band we listened to constantly and read so much about in the pages of our bible, the ‘zine Maximum Rocknroll.

We greeted them, and they seemed bigger than life. Tres Cool asked if any 5-0s were rolling because he had to “take care of some business,” and Mike Dirnt asked our bass player for a string, which he provided. The Mug was filled beyond legal capacity that night ¬– at least 400 in a place that regularly drew 40. We took the stage with anticipation and rocked a pretty good set to the enthusiastic crowd. We felt good. Then Green Day took the stage. They transformed the seedy club into a whirling vortex of energy. It didn’t matter that the sound was crap or the ceiling was low. They played with such tightness and fervor that I knew great things would come to them. My opinion of my band admittedly dropped drastically when I witnessed a new musical paradigm first hand. Weeks later their Dookie album was released on Reprise. Dookie sold millions of records and proved to be the record that lead them to stardom. My band went the way of most: we broke up.

I played in other bands and started getting involved in writing rock musicals. I had done quite a few in Tampa; my first being a Mac Wellman adaptation in 1994 and a very successful outdoor version of Macbeth in 1997 with my band Joe Popp as the witches. Hoping to score the next great rock musical, I left Tampa for NYC in 2000. I wanted to hear real rock music in a show; not just show tunes with electric guitars. I thought I could make a change. I had hope.

Once in New York I experienced some minor successes. I wrote a musical called MAXWELL that my old friends at Jobsite Theater produced in Tampa and later at the ultra-hip Williamsburg venue Galapagos Art Space in 2002. Some producers saw it, but passed. An old friend introduced me to up-and-coming writer Rinne Groff in 2003, and I composed some music for several of her plays. Along with Michael Friedman, I would later co-compose music for Rinne’s play In The Bubble, a musical spin on the 70’s heartthrob John Travolta movie The Boy In The Plastic Bubble. The show was directed by Micheal Grief of Rent fame and produced in 2007 by Northwestern University as part of the American Musical Theater Project. People saw it, but it still has yet to be produced again.

After what seemed to be a lifetime of being the opening band or the regional theater rock musical guy, I tried a new approach. No longer would I stab at music as a serious career, but just have fun doing projects. I started a band called The Hornrims with two old friends, and we get together once a week to write songs. For the past two and a half years, the band been has been working on an old idea I had of a mafia-inspired rock modernization of Shakespeare’s Pericles. I am still based in NYC but I work quite often with Jobsite Theater – the well-known risky troupe in Tampa Bay that helped me cut my artistic teeth for so many years and produced my musical MAXWELL. After struggling in NYC to find anyone interested, Jobsite artistic director David Jenkins hooked me up with writers Neil Gobioff and Shawn Paonessa to write the book. We had a few meetings, worked separately in NYC and Tampa and eventually came up with the rock musical Pericles: Prince of Tires.

We produced the show in a 99 seater at The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (now the Straz Center) with great success last summer. The creative team decided to give it a go in NYC and try to get some producers to look at it. The stars seemed to line up, and we luckily landed a week at New York’s famed HERE, a theater known for its cutting edge material. Pericles: Prince of Tires is now poised for a week of shows in Tampa as a tune-up, and then four shows in NYC starting April 15th – during American Idiot's final week of previews before it opens on the 20th.

Once again, in an odd way, I am opening for Green Day. We no longer share the crusty Brass Mug stage, but here we both are still doing what we do – making some kind of music. Green Day on a grand scale, and me and The Hornrims just getting together to blast some pop-punk once a week. Although my measured success falls far short of my idols, I feel I have achieved a certain kind of success – the success of persistence. I guess where I landed is summed up nicely in the final chorus of the final song of Pericles: Prince of Tires. The cast sings, “After all these years I’m here.” And you know what? I am.

-Joe Popp

Jobsite Theater is bringing back their production of Pericles: Prince of Tires in a showcase format to take to New York after playing a week of encore performances in Tampa. Pericles: Prince of Tires is a comic rock mob musical based on William Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre Joe Popp (dogs on ice, The Hornrims, MAXWELL) has paired his power-punk music and oddball sense of humor with the estimable talents of perennial Jobsite wordsmiths Neil Gobioff & Shawn Paonessa (The Curse of Milhaven, The March of the Kitefliers). Green Day's American Idiot opens on Broadway April 20.
-Kari G.

Full disclosure, I am a board member of Jobsite Theater and will be headed to New York to support this great show and see opening night of American Idiot. I just wanted to disclose that my vacation is better than yours...

Taste the Best of Tampa Bay

This year Taste the Best of Tampa Bay celebrates both its 25th anniversary and its host, The Producers volunteer group. The Producers helped raise more than $1.5 million and countless new friends for the Straz Center through this award winning event over the years.

While some aspects of the event are new (it now has a Facebook page),
others have become tradition. Some of Tampa Bay’s favorite landmark
restaurants, such as the historic Columbia and Sally O’Neal’s, have
served their award-winning culinary delights to hungry crowds at every
Best of Tampa Bay event.

Developed by Guest Quarters Hotels as a way to benefit arts organizations in Atlanta and Houston, the first “Best of” event in Tampa was held in 1985 to support the community’s dream of a new performing arts center – before the Straz Center had even opened.

Three years later the Best of Tampa Bay attracted more than 1,000 people and Guest Quarters handed over the reins to The Producers, Straz Center’s fledgling volunteer group of young professionals. The Producers have hosted the event ever since.

As a member of The Producers, Joe Reineman has been a part of every Best of Tampa Bay. “The original intent was to introduce people to the Straz Center. It’s hard to think that was ever an issue — now so many shows sell out,” Reineman says.

The annual event invited the community to get to know their new Performing Arts Center while enjoying food from more than 40 of Tampa’s best restaurants, open bar, the best live entertainment and other “best of” surprises.

For several years there was a competitive edge to the event. Esteemed
judges from the Culinary Arts Institute and food editor Mildred Ying of Good
Housekeeping magazine were brought in to taste samples and bestow awards.

Eventually, attendees became the judges in a variety of ‘People’s Choice’
contests.

The event, now called Taste the Best of Tampa Bay, remains one of the Straz Center’s top annual fund- and friendraisers bringing an average of 1,200 to 1,800 people out to share an evening of feasting and fun each spring.

Take advantage of a special offer just for our friends who read our blog and friend us on social media platforms like facebook and twitter. You can get $45 tickets for the 7 p.m. entrance with the promo code PRO!

Enjoy - and save me some Bang Bang Shrimp!

-Kari G.

$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.)

Refresh Everything

YOU can vote to help us win $250,000 for our arts education programs - all without leaving your computer.

The Straz Center has a bold idea – provide 15,000 children in our community with FREE dance, music and theater classes through the Patel Conservatory's School & Community Partnerships program. The Refresh Everything project is giving away millions of dollars to fund great ideas like ours and we need your help to receive a $250,000 grant.
Vote for the Straz Center’s idea here.

You may vote once a day from each of your email accounts. (You will be asked to register the first time.)

Two winners among all the competing ideas are selected every month, based on the number of votes received.

We're all extremely busy but this is an extraordinary opportunity where YOU can make a difference with one simple click. Please, vote each day this month and win an incredible gift for this wonderful program!

Mmmmmm... refreshing...

Straz Center Gives Back

Special thanks to all who participated in the Tampa Bay ALS Walk. This 1.5 mile walk raised money to defeat ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

The event began at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts Center and was an amazing and emotional day for all involved. Our own staff raised well over their goal and we congratulate all those who walked.

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.

Patty Larkin on NPR

If you are a fan of our Club Jaeb series, you've been listening and supporting "musician's musicians" for a while. The folk and Americana scene is full of highly respected artists who may not find themselves in the "mainstream" music industry.

One of the most beloved artists in the folk and Americana music scene is Patty Larkin. We've been fortunate enough to have her on our Club Jaeb stage and she is proudly releasing a new and innovative collaborative album "25." NPR did a feature story on the process and if you listen closely, you'll hear several former and future Club Jaeb performers mentioned. (Like Jonatha Brooke who will perform on May 17).

Enjoy!

-Kari G.

Save on tickets to see Godspell next week

GODSPELL is currently playing in the Jaeb Theater through May but we have a special discount for you to see the show next week.

Save $5 off tickets to see the show March 3 or 4 at 7:30 p.m. You can also receive the discount on tickets to the March 6 matinee performance at 2 p.m. Just use promo code SOCIAL when ordering tickets.

Limit 4 tickets. Not applicable to prior sales. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Subject to availability.

One of the biggest off-Broadway and Broadway successes of all time, this modern and newly updated GODSPELL, based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew, is ultimately a story of coming together to create a loving community embraced by all. Featuring a sparkling score by Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), GODSPELL boasts a string of popular songs, led by the international hit, "Day By Day.”

The Wicked Tour of Big Cat Rescue

The cast and crew from Wicked were treated to a special VIP tour of our local treasure, The Big Cat Rescue.

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.

GODSPELL photo contest winner

And our winner of tickets for tonight's opening night performance of GODSPELL is... Monica. Thanks to everyone who entered. Here's the winning photo and a little explanation.

"This is me in a production of Godspell at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center! I was taking classes with the Tampa Academy of Performing Arts in June of 1989, and this was our summer production. Here is the scene where Jesus separates the sheet from the goats. I was one of the unfortunate goats!!!!!!"

GODSPELL Photo Contest!

GODSPELL opens in previews in the Jaeb Theater tomorrow night. This is a beloved musical and we are so excited to give it a contemporary spin and share it with Tampa Bay audiences through May 16.

To celebrate this popular musical we want to know: Did you perform GODSPELL in high school or college? More importantly: DO YOU HAVE PICTURES?!?!?!

Submit your shots of your educational productions of GODSPELL (theater teachers you have an advantage!) to kari.goetz@strazcenter.org with the subject line: GODSPELL PHOTO CONTEST.

A panel of totally biased marketing professionals who have endured our own high school and college productions will judge on the basis of:

• Most professional looking
• Least professional looking
• Most awkward casting
• Overall je ne sais quoi

The best photo submitted will win 2 tickets to opening night the Fri., Feb. 12! Photos must be submitted by noon on Fri. and we will announce the winner after the marketing staff gets done eating lunch and starting at the candidates.

Students, if you don't have photos, don't be sad. You can get a student rush discount 90 minutes prior to curtain with your student ID! Cash only please.

And if you don't know, GODSPELL is one of the biggest off-Broadway and Broadway successes of all time, this modern and newly updated GODSPELL, based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew, is ultimately a story of coming together to create a loving community embraced by all. Featuring a sparkling score by Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), GODSPELL boasts a string of popular songs, led by the international hit, "Day By Day.”

Dig up those photos, fire up those scanners and good luck!

-Kari G.

"American Psycho" musical has a creative team

Based on the 1991 best selling novel, "American Psycho" is headed to Broadway. Though there has been talk of this for a while the creative team was just announced. Duncan Sheik, who is coming off Broadway success with Spring Awakening, will create the music and lyrics. The book will be written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa who is a writer for HBO's Big Love. Still no word on an overall timeline but the project does seem to be headed in the right direction.

So while we're waiting for the new musical why not check out Duncan Sheik in concert when he performs here at the Straz Center, March 26. We hear that he'll be including some songs from Spring Awakening on the set list!

Wicked offers a special social media discount!

Broadway's biggest blockbuster is flying back to Tampa Feb. 3 for a limited engagement through Feb. 28 only! You can save over $30 on tickets to see WICKED. The Straz Center is offering

SPECIAL PRICING for the following performances:
$63* tickets (regularly $91): Feb. 3 and 4 at 7:30 p.m.
$53* tickets (regularly $91): Feb. 4 at 2 p.m.
Simply use promotion code SOCIAL when ordering tickets online , by phone at 813.229.STAR (7827) or in person at the Straz Center Ticket Office.

Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One – born with emerald green skin – is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for "the most complete and completely satisfying new musical in a long time" (USA Today).

*Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges. Subject to availability. Offer not valid on Premium seating or previously purchased tickets and cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer may be discontinued at any time.
Great seats are still available. Purchase your tickets today, or you’ll be green with envy.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS TO REMAINING PERFORMANCES.

2010-2011 Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay series

Leap into the fun, action, savings, benefits, memories, options, passion and excitement of Broadway at the Straz!

It will be a dream season in 2010-2011 at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center). Filled with Tony® Award-winners, audience favorites, stunning classics and amazing spectacle, the Straz Center’s 2010-2011 Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay season is full of fun, passion and excitement.

Shows scheduled on the Broadway series include Billy Elliot, the 2009 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical; Hair, the 2009 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical Revival; the Tony Award-winning revival of West Side Story; the holiday spectacle of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and the family favorites Shrek the Musical and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The series also will include 9 to 5: The Musical, the Apollo Theater revival of Dreamgirls, a production of Forbidden Broadway, produced by the Straz Center, and the eagerly anticipated return of Jersey Boys.

“Our Broadway season is once again filled with the top-notch shows that our devoted audiences have come to expect and enjoy,” said Judith Lisi, president and CEO of the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. “This entertaining and rewarding series has something for everyone. We’re particularly thrilled to be the first venue in Florida to host the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Billy Elliot with music by Elton John.”

The series is presented in the Straz Center’s acoustically perfect Carol Morsani Hall, the largest on the west coast of Florida, with more than 2,600 seats. Forbidden Broadway will run in the intimate 280-seat cabaret-style Jaeb Theater.

The 2010-2011 Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay season features:

9 to 5: The Musical

Oct. 19 – 24, 2010

9 to 5: The Musical is a hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era. This new musical comedy, direct from Broadway, is based on the hit movie and features Dolly Parton's original hit title song along with her new Tony Award- and Grammy®-nominated score. The book is by Patricia Resnick (co-writer of the original screenplay) .

9 to 5: The Musical tells the story of three unlikely friends who conspire to take control of their company and learn there’s nothing they can’t do – even in a man’s world. Outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic, 9 to 5: The Musical is about teaming up and taking care of business ... it’s about getting credit and getting even.

Forbidden Broadway

Oct. 26, 2010-Feb. 27, 2011

Forbidden Broadway is a cabaret revue sharply spoofing show tunes, characters and plots of contemporary and current Broadway musicals. Created and written by Gerard Alessandrini and directed by Alessandrini and long-time collaborator Phillip George, the original version of the revue opened on Jan. 15, 1982, at Palsson’s Supper Club in New York City and ran for 2,332 performances. It has been rewritten several times to include parodies of newer shows and has taken on many different incarnations including Forbidden Broadway Goes to Rehab, Forbidden Hollywood and Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit. Forbidden Broadway has mocked popular shows like The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked and Les Misérables and notable Broadway personalities including Carol Channing, Kristin Chenoweth, Elton John, Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone, Mary Martin, Idina Menzel, Ethel Merman, Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Forbidden Broadway will play in the Straz Center’s Jaeb Theater.

Dreamgirls

Nov. 16 – 21, 2010

Catch the dream! Direct from Harlem’s world famous Apollo Theater in New York City, a sensational new stage production of Dreamgirls comes to the Straz Center featuring American Idol finalist and Sarasota native Syesha Mercado as Deena Jones. Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, Dreamgirls tells the story of an up-and-coming, 1960s singing girl group, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. With music by Academy® Award nominee Henry Krieger and book and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award-winner Tom Eyen, Dreamgirls features the unforgettable hits “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” “One Night Only” and “Listen.” Broadway director and choreographer Robert Longbottom (Bye Bye Birdie Broadway revival) and co-choreographer Shane Sparks (television’s So You Think You Can Dance), along with some of Broadway’s top designers, re-envision this Tony- and Academy Award-winning musical so it sparkles like never before!

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas

Nov. 30-Dec. 5, 2010

Get ready to discover a delightful new show that’s as fresh and rare as newly fallen snow! The classic holiday tradition White Christmas comes to the stage at last, as a brand new Irving Berlin musical direct from Broadway. Brimming with such Berlin hits as “Blue Skies,” “How Deep Is the Ocean?” and, of course, the unforgettable title song, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas tells the story of two showbiz buddies putting on a show in a magical Vermont inn and finding their perfect mates in the bargain. Full of dancing, laughter and some of the greatest songs ever written, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas promises to be a merry and bright theatrical experience for the whole family!

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Jan. 18-23, 2011

“Tale as old as time, true as it can be.” Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the smash hit Broadway musical, is coming back to Tampa. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, this eye-popping spectacle has won the hearts of more than 35 million people worldwide. This classic musical love story is filled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers including “Be Our Guest” and the beloved title song. Experience the romance and enchantment of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Straz Center! Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

Billy Elliot the Musical

Feb. 2-18, 2011

Tampa is about to be electrified by Broadway’s “best musical of the decade” (Time Magazine). Thrilling audiences worldwide and winning 10 Tony Awards in 2009, including Best Musical, “the best show you will ever see” (New York Post) is coming to the Straz Center’s Carol Morsani Hall. Billy Elliot the Musical is a joyous celebration of one young boy’s triumph against the odds. Called “the most inspiring show I’ve seen in years” by Ben Brantley of The New York Times, the story follows Billy’s journey as he stumbles out of the boxing ring into a ballet class and discovers his dream to dance. Billy Elliot is brought to life by the Tony-winning creative team — director Stephen Daldry, choreographer Peter Darling and writer Lee Hall — along with music legend Elton John, who has written what the New York Post calls “his best score yet!.” Billy Elliot will enchant the dreamer in all of us. Contains adult language.

West Side Story

March 1-6, 2011

More than 50 years ago one musical changed theater forever. Now it’s back on Broadway mesmerizing audiences once again. From the first note of Leonard Bernstein’s score to the final breath, West Side Story soars as the greatest love story of all time. Directed by Tony Award-winner Arthur Laurents, West Side Story remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever, transferring Romeo and Juliet to the streets of New York. “So exciting it makes you ache with pleasure.” – John Lahr, The New Yorker

Jersey Boys

March 23-April 17, 2011

Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, makes its triumphant return to Tampa. Directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff, Jersey Boys won four 2006 Tony Awards including Best Musical and continues to set new weekly box office records at the August Wilson Theatre, where it has remained among the five top-grossing shows in New York since it opened.

Jersey Boys is written by Academy® Award winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and choreography by Sergio Trujillo. Intended for mature audiences. Contains authentic Jersey language.

Shrek the Musical

May 3-8, 2011

Based on the popular Dreamworks film, Shrek the Musical tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure to reclaim the deed to his land. Joined by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon, rescues a feisty princess and learns that real friendship and true love aren’t only found in fairy tales. You’ll be a believer after seeing this fun-filled fantasy. Songs include “Make a Move” and “Big Bright Beautiful World.”

Hair

May 24-29, 2011

Winner! Best Musical Revival 2009 Tony Award! The Public Theater’s new Tony-winning production of Hair is the most electric celebration on Broadway! This exuberant musical about a group of young Americans searching for peace and love in a turbulent time has struck a resonant chord with audiences young and old. Hair features an extraordinary cast and dozens of unforgettable songs, including “Aquarius,” “Let the Sun Shine In,” “Good Morning, Starshine” and “Easy To Be Hard.” Its relevance is undeniable. Its energy is unbridled. Its truth is unwavering. It's Hair, and it's time. “If this explosive production doesn’t stir something in you, it may be time to check your pulse.” (Variety) Intended for mature audiences: While many find this show suitable for young adults (13 and older), parental discretion is advised. There is a dimly lit 20-second scene with nudity that is non-sexual in nature.

The 2010–2011 Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay series is presented by the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. Those interested in purchasing season tickets should call the Straz Center Ticket Office at 813.229.STAR (7827) or outside the Tampa Bay area at 800.955.1045 or visit www.strazcenter.org for more information. Prices begin at just $196.88 for the full 10-show season package in the Cloud Club. Current season ticket holders will receive renewal information the first week of March and those renewals will be handled before new subscriptions are processed. Straz Center members are given first priority for new season tickets. Group tickets and individual show tickets will go on sale at later dates to be announced.

WICKED ANNOUNCES LOTTERY FOR $25 SEATS

You've been asking and here it is the official announcement and rules of the Wicked Lottery:

A day-of-performance lottery for $25 seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be on stage Feb. 3-28 at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts (formerly Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center).

People who are interested in WICKED lottery tickets can enter their name into the lottery drum at the WICKED table by the Straz Center Ticket Office beginning 2.5 hours before show time. No entries will be accepted before that time.

Entries will be accepted until two hours before the show, when names will be drawn for a limited number of seats in varying locations at $25 each, cash only.

This lottery is available only in-person at the Straz Center Ticket Office.
One entry per person. Two-ticket limit per entry. Must be present for entry and drawing to win.

Must present photo ID at ticket office window to purchase.

There you go! Good luck!

-Kari G.

Renee Fleming is a goddess. Bottom line.

Seriously. Have you listened to Renee Fleming? The President of the United States has her on his iPod. She's sung with the Muppets. She packs the Met and everywhere else she performs.

And tonight "The People's Diva" (so named because she's just as real and nice as she is supernaturally talented) performs for Opera Tampa. Accompanied by a 71-piece orchestra and Maestro Anton Coppola conducting.

You must be here tonight. You can't miss this. Just listen:



I mean come on. That's an angel singing people! Tickets are still available and student/military/senior rush does apply.

-Kari G.

It's a Jolly Holiday with Dick Van Dyke!!!!

Dick Van Dyke delighted theatergoers when he made a surprise cameo in the Los Angeles engagement of the MARY POPPINS North American Tour.

Van Dyke, 84, reprised his smaller film role, that of the crotchety bank president Mr. Dawes, in front of an ecstatic, sold out house at the Ahmanson Theater. Van Dyke volunteered to return to the smash hit Disney-Cameron Mackintosh stage musical after attending the opening night back in November. The role of Dawes from the iconic 1964 Disney film was not included in the stage production, but was written into a pivotal Act 2 scene for Van Dyke.

“Entertainment Tonight” will be airing coverage of this during their Tuesday broadcast.

Tune in Tampa viewers to WFLA at 7 p.m. for this awesome story and don't forget that Wicked isn't the only thing to fly into Tampa - MARY POPPINS will be coming in on a stiff headwind May 20 - June 6!

- Kari G.

Sinbad - see him before he gets FIRED!

I remember watching Sinbad on A Different World. He's done a lot since then, from having his own show on Fox, to hosting It's Showtime at the Apollo, to being in hilarious films like Necessary Roughness and Houseguest.

Now he's about to go before The Donald for the next season of Celebrity Apprentice. The show has been filming for a while now and will premiere on March 14.

Maybe we can get some secrets out of Sinbad when he performs tomorrow night at the Straz Center, like, "What is Rod Blagojevich hiding on his forehead with all that hair?"

Tickets are still available to enjoy this funny funny man.

- Kari G.

A Wicked Good Time

The time is drawing near, the monkeys are getting closer!

Wicked returns to the Straz Center on Feb. 3 - 28 and we couldn't be more excited! Do you have your tickets yet? If not, Best availability is for weeknights and Sunday evening performances. Purchase your tickets now before they fly away.

Here's a nice little shout out by the Golden Globe winning show Glee in a bit of a "Diva Off."



-Kari G.

The Straz Center to donate to the relief efforts in Haiti

As I’m sure you all have seen on the news, Haiti and its people have suffered devastating losses after a 7.0 earthquake hit their tiny country this past week. On behalf of our President Judy Lisi and the entire Straz Center staff we would like to inform you that The Straz Center will do its part to join our colleagues, neighbors and the world to assist the Haitian people in this tragic time.

Through Sunday, Jan. 24, a portion of all Straz Center sales will be donated to the American Red Cross to benefit earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.
Please help us spread the word.

If you would like to donate directly please click here and select “Haiti Relief and Development.”

-Kari G.

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.

Prepare for the movie on the lawn! Godspell.

The weather is slowly but surely resembling Florida again. While we still recommend you bring a blanket or snuggie, we think that Friday night will be a wonderful night to come down to the Riverwalk and enjoy Godspell.

This is the rocking, groovy 1973 version. When Straz Center presents Godspell Feb. 9 - May 16 you will see a modernized interpretation of the show.

Wear your tie-dyed sweatshirts on Friday night, put a bandanna on your dog, a peace sign on your baby's cheek and enjoy a beautiful evening under the stars. It's all free and all part of enjoying your Straz Center.

-Kari G.

Complexions $10 off!

Why do you want to see Complexions Contemporary Ballet's performance of Love, Sweat and Tears? Uh, maybe because they have rocked So You Think You Can Dance? several times and because this show is so HAWT that it will thaw you out in all the right places.

Think I'm kidding? Check out this clip from SYTYCD and decide for yourself.

You can receive $10 off tickets with the promo code DANCE. All fine print applies.

Quantities are limited. LIMIT — up to four tickets, unless otherwise noted. All sales are final. No refunds. A service charge may apply to non-members. All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket. Performers, performances, dates, prices and times are subject to change.

South Pacific - it's warm there.

Did you ever think you would be longing for the South Pacific in Florida? Our weather is just as good - until this week.


So you know what you need? Sailors, RNs in bikini's and Some Enchanted Evening. We will warm you up with the story you've loved forever. SOUTH PACIFIC comes to the Straz Center Jan. 12 - 17.

Does your New Year's Resolution include getting rid of that worthless man in your life? Well if you decide that, I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair, please blow dry afterward. Running around or going to bed with a wet head in this weather is just asking for the flu.


(I just channeled my grandmother there).

Okay - fun trivia time -

1. Three of the following musicals were written by Rodgers & Hammerstein; one was not. Identify the show that was written by another composing team:
A. South Pacific
B. Oklahoma!
C. The Sound of Music
D. Cabaret


2. The original Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH
PACIFIC won three of the following awards. Identify the award that the
production did NOT win:
A. Pulitzer Prize
B. Grammy Award
C. Tony Award
D. New York Drama Critics Circle Award



3. The lead character of Nellie Forbush in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC sings three of the following songs. Identify the song that she does NOT sing:
A. “A Cockeyed Optimist”
B. “A Wonderful Guy”
C. “Honey Bun”
D. “Happy Talk”



4. The lead character of Emile De Becque in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC has two children. What are their names?
A. Curly and Laurie
B. Rodgers and Hammerstein
C. Ngana and Jerome
D. Lucy and Ricky



5. The character of Lt. Joe Cable in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC falls in love with the daughter of Bloody Mary. What is her daughter’s name?
A. Liat
B. Little Bloody Mary
C. Mai Tai
D. Hildegard



How did you do?


(Answers are at the bottom of the post)


Tidbit: Robert Russell Bennett, who wrote the original orchestrations for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC, was awarded a special 2008 Tony Award® for lifetime achievement. His original orchestrations are used in the new Lincoln Center Theater production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC.





- Kari G.





Answers: 1-D; 2-B; 3-D; 4-C; 5-A

Passing Strange on PBS - DVR ALERT!

Spike Lee’s documentary film version of Stew and Heidi Rodewald’s Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Passing Strange will premiere on Great Performances Wednesday, January 13th at 9:00 pm (EST). The documentary captures the Broadway production in its final two performances at the Belasco Theatre in July 2008.

Local Tampa/St. Pete readers, it will be broadcast on WEDU.

- Kari G.

A Prairie Home Companion opera episode!

There I was driving around Tampa getting my weekend errands done and staring unbelievably at my car display reading 34 degrees. I flipped on my radio to listen to Prairie Home Companion on WUSF and remind myself that Florida is still warmer than Minnesota.

They were broadcasting from the The War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco! Home of the fabulous San Francisco Opera! With performances by celebrated Metropolitan Opera tenor Raúl Melo and a great Opera Breakdown by Andy Stein and The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band. This is a great podcast to grab here.

It's not just Opera Tampa fans who should listen, Club Jaeb fans will appreciate performances by Sara Watkins and rushing to get her new album available on iTunes.

Hope you have your Kim Richey tickets for tonight's Club Jaeb, because she is SOLD OUT!

There are still some great seats remaining for Renée Fleming on Jan. 26. This Opera Tampa concert is a very special event. Ms. Fleming will be performing with a full orchestra conducted by Maestro Anton Coppola!

-Kari G.

An Evening with Lucille Ball "Thank You For Asking!"

Directed by Lucie Arnaz, this touching, funny and uplifting one-woman play is created and performed by Suzanne LaRusch and written by LaRusch and Arnaz. Lucy guides us through the lifetime of personal memories inspiring her timeless sketches on I Love Lucy, her 30-year television career and never-before heard personal recollections about her tempestuous and complicated marriage to Cuban bandleader turned impresario, Desi Arnaz. Crafted in the spirit of the amusing lectures Lucy enjoyed giving throughout her career, the evening recreates the comic genius and the magic behind the “Queen of Comedy.” It’s an evening with the REAL Lucy, as you’ve never seen her before.Join us for special talkbacks with Lucie Arnaz following the performances on Jan. 14, 15 and 16.

Click here for special $10 tickets for upcoming performances!

Complexions on So You Think You Can Dance

In case you missed it, here is the video of Complexions Contemporary Ballet's Artistic Directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson's choreography from the season finale of "So You Think You Can Dance."

Come see Complexions Jan. 14 at the Straz Center.

Wonderland figures into the famous Bergdorf holiday windows!

Each year the windows at Bergdorf Goodman on 5th Avenue in New York City produce a fabulous Christmas display. This year's theme was Alice in Wonderland. We are proud to say that quotes from Wonderland made it into the display!

Why is a raven like a writing desk? Finding Wonderland is your first step to finding out! Wonderland runs from now until Jan. 3 and is a great way to spend the holidays with your family.

-Kari G.

All I want for Christmas...

Is a movie ticket! Yup, right on Christmas day the highly anticipated movie musical Nine comes out in theaters!

From director Rob Marshall (Memoirs of a Geisha, Chicago, and just announced Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) comes the story of Guido Contini (played by Daniel Day-Lewis), a world famous director as he confronts an epic mid-life crisis with both creative and personal problems. He must balance the many women of his life, including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star muse (Nicole Kidman), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), an American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the woman from his youth (Fergie) and his mother (Sophia Loren).

The original 1982 Broadway production of NINE, with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, won five Tony Awards including Best Musical.

I know I’ll be there at some point during this holiday season with my popcorn and peanut M&Ms, and who knows…even someone who doesn’t like musicals as much as I do…hint hint!

- Synopsis taken from IMDB.com

Angela P.

A Christmas Story Movie on the Lawn - CANCELLED

I have since heard of people under extreme duress speaking in strange tongues. I became conscious that a steady torrent of obscenities and swearing of all kinds was pouring out of me as I screamed.
-Ralphie (as an adult)

Sadly, the weather has us under "extreme duress." Conflicting weather reports all predict that at some point either prior to or during the time we had scheduled to screen A Christmas Story it is going to be raining.

We feel a bit like Raphie having to cancel the movie tonight. But this is a family blog, so we'll spare you the obscenities.

Movies on the Riverwalk when the weather is chilly are a magical thing. Movies on the Riverwalk when the weather is chilly and wet are a Swine Flu thing.

We chose to cancel the movie tonight to be on the safe side.

Stay warm and dry Tampa. We'll make it up to you with an additional movie in the Spring - something exciting, something cool, something that might give you a peek into next season's Broadway season.

And a special Happy Holidays to all our faithful families who bring the blankets and the kids and the fur kids to the movies on the lawn. We'll miss spending some time with you and Ralphie this year, but you can count on us screening A Christmas Story next year.

-Kari G.

Idina Menzel to appear on GLEE?

Fellow bloggers and news media are raving about Idina Menzel and her possible appearance on the new FOX hit Glee.

The show already had an appearance by fellow Wicked star, Kristen Chenoweth, and Jonathan Groff from Spring Awakening has signed up to play in five to six episodes (he costarred with Lea Michele in Spring Awakening).

The word is that Menzel is in negotiations to be on the series when it returns in April. She potentially will play the role of the choir director for New Directions’ rival, Vocal Adrenaline (the lead male vocalist of the group will be Groff).

If the negotiations become a reality, I’m sure many Glee fans will be clutching their remotes. Here’s hoping!

~ Angela P.

Vote for the Straz Center - WEDU's Be More Awards!

Will you help spread the word?

We've been nominated for the WEDU Be More Humble People's Choice Poll.

Like the People's Choice Awards for celebrities, only for non-profits and without all the vapid idiot movie stars.

It takes less than a minute -Take the WEDU Be More Humble People’s Choice Poll and cast your vote for the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

Click here and scroll down to "Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center" – check the box and help us celebrate!

You can vote for us once each day between now and the 18th of December!

Need some reasons why you should vote for us?

Did you know…
The Straz Center (formerly known as the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center) serves arts education outreach programs at no cost to more than 40 Title I schools and community partner organizations each year!

More than 60,000 children were served by our arts education programs last year; more than 70% of these are children in need!

Since our Patel Conservatory opened five years ago, we have provided more than $250,000 in scholarship opportunities to under served and overlooked children!

We are recognized as one of the best and most accessible performing arts centers in the world!

Our economic impact on Tampa Bay is more than $100 million each year!

Our Wonderland Broadway Genesis Project brought over 700 full- and part-time jobs to our community in a difficult economic times!

Go! Vote!

-Kari G.

Some Broadway with your turkey

If you've been following this blog for a couple years, you know by now that one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. What can I say. Some people like to watch football. I like to watch the parade. This year there are scheduled Broadway performances on CBS by West Side Story, Dreamgirls and Ragtime. NBC's broadcast will feature Bye, Bye Birdie with John Stamos and the cast of Shrek. I also understand there will be an appearance by the cast of HAIR and Billy Elliot. And, of course, a performance by the Radio City Rockettes (love them!).

As a side note for the opera lovers, there's also suppose to be an appearance by Renee Fleming.

The parade starts at 9 a.m. Just pick your network and enjoy.

From the staff & volunteers at the Straz Center, Happy Thanksgiving!