It might seem odd, doing all the things one does to have a night out – buying tickets, hiring a babysitter, finding parking – when it’s preordained that the evening will end in tears. In some cases, though, tears are part of the package. When the curtain falls on Opera Tampa’s production of La Traviata,... Continue Reading →
A parody of Netflix’s Stranger Things isn’t just an opportunity to salute and spoof the beloved sci-fi thriller series. “It also gave us an opportunity to give fans what they might have wanted, but that didn't happen in the show,” said Nick Flatto, producer-director of Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical, playing at The Straz now... Continue Reading →
In the realm of comedy, there are icons whose brilliance transcends generations, leaving their marks on the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide. Robin Williams, the definitive master of improvisation, stands tall among these legends. From his early days in stand-up, as Mork from Ork in the TV show Mork & Mindy to his unforgettable... Continue Reading →
If the notion of a Bob Dylan musical doesn’t pass your particular sniff test, you’re in good company. Twyla Tharp’s 2006 Dylan dance-musical, The Times They Are a-Changin’, was a critical disaster that limped its way to Broadway, from which it disappeared in less than a month. “A Bob Dylan musical is a terrible idea,”... Continue Reading →
By David M. Jenkins In 2003 we staged our first play by London-bred Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, The Beauty Queen of Leenane. During that run, Straz Center then-CEO Judy Lisi made us an offer to become their resident theater company and effectively take over programming of the Shimberg Playhouse. Now that our residency is old... Continue Reading →
Moses Pendleton grew up on a Vermont dairy farm and exhibited Holsteins at county fairs as a youngster. MOMIX was a feed supplement Moses fed to his cows. Pendleton appropriated the supplement’s name for the dance company he founded in 1980. He founded MOMIX after almost a decade dancing with Pilobolus, the company he co-founded... Continue Reading →
Jack Hopewell and the company of the North American Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade. Since its 1971 Broadway premiere, Jesus Christ Superstar has been a Norman Jewison-directed feature film, been staged for live television with John Legend and Alice Cooper in the cast; and been revived, reprised and performed... Continue Reading →
When Noam Aviel began her quest for a career in music, the conductor’s podium wasn’t an end point she’d considered. Noam was a singer and jazz was her music. Classical music didn’t enter her picture until her late teens when she studied with classical singers to bolster her jazz singing skills. The teenage jazz hopeful... Continue Reading →
David Crosby’s passing last year ended any chance — slim though it was — of a Crosby, Stills and Nash reunion. Fans craving the live CS&N experience will enjoy Southern Cross, a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tribute band, performing in the Jaeb Theater March 1. https://videopress.com/v/02Yr3VdB?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true (It should be mentioned — and it always... Continue Reading →
Roz Parks does most of her work behind the scenes at The Straz. As an employee of National Building Maintenance, a commercial cleaning and maintenance company, she has worked as a subcontractor at the performing arts center for 15 years maintaining the restrooms and common areas in Morsani Hall. She also manages a staff of... Continue Reading →
Singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman became the first Black songwriter to win the Song of the Year award at November’s Country Music Association Awards. Luke Combs recorded a cover of Chapman’s 1988 hit, “Fast Car,” that reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=909454330552215&set=pb.100044629680315.-2207520000&type=3 Chapman said she never expected to see her name on the... Continue Reading →
By David Cote Christian Douglas and Gabrielle McClinton in the North American tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade In its epoch-hopping score and dazzling visuals, the Tony®-winning Moulin Rouge! The Musical represents the missing link from Belle Époque Paris to Broadway today, from operetta to the modern musical. More... Continue Reading →
On Feb. 3, 1959, a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza flying in low visibility crashed north of Clear Lake, Iowa. All four aboard were killed: pilot Roger Peterson and rock & rollers Buddy Holly, 22; The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson Jr.), 28; and Ritchie Valens (Richard Valenzuela), 17. The three were stars of the Winter Dance Party... Continue Reading →
The Mothership has landed at 6752 Hollywood Boulevard. That’s where George Clinton, the original Star Child, got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday, Jan. 19. Clinton, as every schoolchild should know, is the overlord of the Parliafunkadelicment Thang, a collective of funk outfits such as Parliament, Funkadelic, Bootsy’s Rubber Band and Brides... Continue Reading →
Arthur (the Man, the Myth, the Legend) Mitchell In 1969, Arthur Mitchell, along with Karel Shook, created Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) in New York City, after making history in 1955 as the first black principal dancer at New York City Ballet. He also was the famed protégé of George Balanchine—the Russian-born dancer, choreographer and... Continue Reading →
Michael Keaton IS Batman. Doesn’t seem so far-fetched now, does it? Back in the day, though – whew! When Warner Bros. announced Keaton would star as The Caped Crusader in Tim Burton’s Batman, the studio was bombarded with sacks of letters pleading and demanding that Keaton be replaced. https://youtu.be/dgC9Q0uhX70 Imagine: People, lots of them, so... Continue Reading →
As 1960s filmmakers pushed the envelope of what could be said and shown onscreen, parents counted on Disney studios for entertainment that wouldn’t lead to uncomfortable questions from the kids on the ride home. Disney, the once and future animation powerhouse, was regularly releasing live-action comedies aimed at family audiences. It’s for his appearances in... Continue Reading →
Jan. 3 has been declared – by who we don’t know – Women Rock! Day, because on that day in 1987, Aretha Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – nice, I guess, but hardly a highlight of her career. We’d suggest changing the date to June 3,... Continue Reading →
Bring home a memento of your experience at The Straz or find the perfect gift for someone special! The Straz Center Gift Shop offers a fascinating mix of baubles, collectibles, apparel and other items, from trendy to the truly eclectic. Go Nuts! According to German folklore, nutcrackers are given as keepsakes to bring luck to... Continue Reading →
One year ago in this very blog, we nominated “Nut Rocker” as a candidate to join the batch of holiday songs with which we’re currently being bombarded. We contended that this lively, rock and rolling interpretation of The Nutcracker would give all of us a two-minute respite from Mariah and George and Elvis and Bing... Continue Reading →