Audience is UNKNOWN VARIABLE in Shear Madness

All they wanted was a play that had a role for each of them. The play they created has been running for more than 40 years. It’s probably being staged even as you read these words. It’s an interactive-whodunit-murder mystery-comedy that was first produced before anyone used the word “interactive” to describe a theatrical experience.... Continue Reading →

Talking With Rochelle Bard

Opera Tampa favorite Rochelle Bard made her company debut as Magda in Puccini’s La Rondine in 2009 under the baton of Maestro Anton Coppola. She has since graced the Straz Center stages in productions of The Merry Widow and Die Fledermaus and in Coppola’s 2011 Fond Farewells Concert. She has performed leading roles with companies... Continue Reading →

COMEDY TONIGHT!

Something familiar. Something peculiar. Something for everyone. AN EXCLUSIVE FROM INSIDE, THE STRAZ CENTER’S OFFICIAL MAGAZINE Jim Gaffigan’s upcoming comedy special will appear to be a single performance, a seamless set of the comedian’s anecdotes and observations. The special, though, which will be taken from Gaffigan’s shows at the Straz Center’s Carol Morsani Hall, likely... Continue Reading →

The Bard’s Plays Continue to Transcend Time

In 1966, Broadway impresario Harold Hecuba stunned critics and audiences alike when he staged Shakespeare’s Hamlet as a musical. Hecuba’s audacious move created a sensation and the Hamlet musical was a hit. The celebration soon was overshadowed by scandal, though, when a group of mostly amateur actors claimed to have not only written the musical... Continue Reading →

A Vibrant Metamorphosis

The ‘new’ Straz is designed to have something for everyone The Straz’s expansion project will do more than give the performing arts center a bold new appearance. The philosophy behind the project sets The Straz’s direction – outward. Key concept artwork for the redesigned Straz Center campus. The $100 million project is designed to open... Continue Reading →

‘Tis The Season for Broadway Cocktails

The Straz Center’s resident mixologist draws inspiration from the shows in our Broadway series lineup, concocting one-of-a-kind signature highballs to salute and celebrate each production. When the Broadway production plays the Straz Center, the performers onstage aren’t the only ones flexing their talents. Out in the lobby behind the bar, the creative handiwork of Straz... Continue Reading →

Anne Rosato Has Her Job All Sewn Up

June 13 is National Sewing Machine Day and if you’re wondering what that has to do with the arts, meet Anne Rosato. Anne makes and designs costumes for a living. Straz audiences first saw her work in the recent production of Little Shop of Horrors. Like any professional, the tools of her trade are important... Continue Reading →

Singer Welcomes Challenge of Opera Tampa Double-Header

Jean Carlos Rodriguez “Let’s play two!” was the catchphrase of Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks. Opera occasionally schedules double-headers as well. Opera Tampa is closing its season with two one-act operas: Puccini’s comedy Gianni Schicchi and Mascagni’s tragedy Cavalleria Rusticana. Jean Carlos Rodriguez performs in both operas and he’s wondering how much time he’ll have... Continue Reading →

How well do you know The Straz?

We know how much you love The Straz, but how much do you really KNOW about the Straz, other than it’s fabulous, of course? Well, we’re going to find out. Take this quiz, awarding yourself one point for every correct answer to determine if you are a well-informed Straz patron or if you are just... Continue Reading →

Spotlight on the great outdoors

The Straz Riverwalk Stage rises to provide a safe experience for theater-goers When The Straz, along with the world, went on its pandemic pause in March 2020, the staff went to work finding ways to continue to engage and entertain audiences. Initially, with people avoiding places where people gather, the electronic hearths of televisions, computers... Continue Reading →

ARTISTS WE LOVE: RITA MORENO

Size matters. Size, though, is about more than body mass. “I’m big. I’m as big as you get. I may be petite but I’m big.” That’s Rita Moreno, all 5’2” of her, 70 years into a career that not only isn’t stopping, it seems to be gathering momentum. * * *  Moreno is one of... Continue Reading →

A Whole New World: Crafting a Season

A small but mighty coterie of Straz staffers gathers the selections that make each year’s season announcement a much-anticipated event. At the start of every year, as sure as the Florida gardenias blossom, The Straz announces a new season. Every year that season blends old and new, funny and serious, musical and non-musical, spectacular and... Continue Reading →

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