The hit Broadway musical Buena Vista Social Club™ transports audiences to pre- and post-revolution Havana, Cuba, exploring the island nation’s rich legacy of music and the lives of musicians who make it. For Jhon Destrade, the show is a little touch of home. https://youtu.be/tK0dx4LaVN8?si=5TfR0IwlD9ETmSTp Destrade, a Tampa resident and principal dancer with Tampa City Ballet,... Continue Reading →
They were called the Not Ready for Prime-Time Players, and boy, were they ever. The original cast of Saturday Night Live featured seven young and mostly unknown performers in skits referencing sex, drugs and occasionally rock & roll, mocking political figures and celebrities, and getting away with jokes that would have had prime-time censors reaching... Continue Reading →
“You can’t say no to the Beauty and the Beast,” sang David Bowie in 1977 on the opening track of his “Heroes” album. The song, which is indeed titled "Beauty and the Beast,” seems to have little to do with any other Beauty and the Beast we’ve heard of, but that’s Bowie for you. His... Continue Reading →
Everybody dance now! It’s the law! OK, it’s not the law but it is official. National Dance Day, Saturday, Sept. 19, was established in 2010 in a resolution introduced by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), saluting dance as a form of both exercise and artistic expression. https://youtu.be/3jJFaaxDNao?si=5wYaIv1vFZ8xZ5RN National Dance Day originally was held in July but was changed to the third Saturday in September in 2019. This was good news, especially for dancers... Continue Reading →
In 1994, then-President Bill Clinton proclaimed September as Classical Music Month. Besides the “Yay! Classical Music!” aspect, this is notable for a couple of reasons. Namely: 1. Two years previous, then-candidate Bill Clinton appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show playing tenor saxophone, honking happily away on “Heartbreak Hotel.” This is credited in some political circles... Continue Reading →
Years before “Defying Gravity,” Stephen Schwartz tackled a topic far more down to earth. The composer and lyricist best known for Wicked, found success while still in his 20s. Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972) and The Magic Show (1974, starring hippie magician Doug Henning) were all hits. Then came Working. Working (1978) was not a hit,... Continue Reading →
We could be wrong, but we could swear the stars in last Tuesday night’s sky looked a little like rhinestones. Which would make sense because Dolly Parton has left this earthly plane for a celestial one, bringing a whole lot of sparkle with her. https://youtu.be/JRWWr9nMdU0?si=qsA2VQoc8GXZNW0u Among the flood of tributes to Parton on her passing... Continue Reading →
We went “Behind the Persona” with Julia Mattison in New York City recently. She and Noel Carey wrote the lyrics and music for the musical Death Becomes Her, which will be presented at Straz Dec. 8-13. Here’s a lightly-edited transcript of our conversation. For the full discussion, see the video below. https://youtu.be/JxjWBNixPGk How did you... Continue Reading →
A couple of years ago, Jobsite added a one-woman show to its upcoming roster. It had a great run at Joe’s Pub in New York City, and David Jenkins, Jobsite’s producing artistic director, knew just who he wanted for the show’s only role. That play, Penelope: An Epic New Musical, with Jobsite Artistic Associate Colleen... Continue Reading →
A line of cars snakes along West Fortune Street across from the Barrymore Hotel and in front of Patel Conservatory as classes dismiss in the late afternoon. Performing arts parents wait behind their steering wheels for their actors or dancers or musicians to appear. A few parents, mostly dads, are free of their automobiles for... Continue Reading →
It’s August, when West Central Florida’s weather goes from unbearable to “Dear God, no!” The heat and humidity combine to make the walk to your car feel like a death march. Ours is not a dry heat that you barely notice. It is a heavy, sodden heat that can’t be avoided. Given all this, it may strike some residents as strange, perverse even, that so many songs actually celebrate summer. The list... Continue Reading →
Seeing one of street artist Banksy’s works in person used to be a matter of chance. You’d have to take a route that went past whichever wall or building or other public space he decided to use as a canvas. If you wanted to view all or at least a lot of his output, hoo boy. It’s all over the... Continue Reading →
The Brass Mug was more crowded than anyone could remember. The USF-area Tampa bar usually presented local alternative, metal or punk acts. On this evening in early 1993, the Mug featured some out-of-towners — a spiky punk trio from the other Bay area that was building a buzz for its short, fast and hook-filled tunes.... Continue Reading →
Just as Straz Center’s outreach programs bring the arts to underserved communities, Guest Services reaches out to make sure our guests’ experiences are the best, regardless of their abilities. Guest Services is adding new equipment and new features to enhance the theater-going experience for our guests with limited vision and hearing. Among these are captioning... Continue Reading →
Gene Simmons of Kiss is known for two physical attributes: an extremely long tongue and an extremely big mouth. One of his favorite subjects to run his mouth about is the induction of hip-hop performers to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He’s against it. https://youtu.be/Du4pJZNWbaQ?si=-o_Qlr_DtjFr5Ecp If rock ‘n’ roll means three or four... Continue Reading →
Seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton seems especially appropriate in this year of our nation’s 250th birthday. The musical is a celebration of the United States that acknowledges the contradictions between glorious ideals and less-glorious reality. Aug. 6 is the 10th anniversary of the musical’s Broadway premiere. Hamilton returns to Morsani Hall Oct. 21 - Nov. 8... Continue Reading →
On June 25, Anthony Bourdain would have celebrated his 70th birthday. Nearly a decade after his passing, his influence continues to reach far beyond restaurant kitchens and television screens. He changed the way people think about food, travel, culture and most importantly, one another. Bourdain had little interest in presenting food as something precious or... Continue Reading →
Douglas Love-Ramos joined Patel Conservatory as its chief arts education officer on April 1. He has been at the forefront of performing arts and education for more than 20 years. Douglas Love-Ramos, Patel Conservatory's chief arts education officer. Photo by Daniel Reichert He brings with him a wealth of experience covering multiple disciplines, media and... Continue Reading →
Pink likely wasn’t on anyone’s short list of potential Tony Awards® hosts, having never been in a Broadway production. https://youtu.be/5KelfPXHNg0?si=xflo3bVxdnR924Mx She is, however, a lifelong fan, mom to a theater kid, and a performer whose concerts show the influence of Broadway. And she proved to be an excellent choice. Her energy and enthusiasm infused the... Continue Reading →
Manhattan’s Theater District keeps summoning that troublemaking ghost in the shabby suit. The musical, based on director Tim Burton’s 1988 film, Beetlejuice, made its Broadway debut April 25, 2019. Some initial reviews were less than enthusiastic, but the show built a healthy following through word of mouth and social media. The COVID pandemic shut down... Continue Reading →