AN EXCLUSIVE FROM INSIDE MAGAZINE Darci Lynne has forever shattered ventriloquism’s glass ceiling. Beginning with an astounding turn on America’s Got Talent when she was 12, Darci has become a nationally-known entertainer and has introduced ventriloquism to a new generation. Performing with a puppet helped Darci overcome her shyness and express her love of performing.... Continue Reading →
He’s starred on Broadway and graced television and movie screens for decades. But even with a nearly 60-year-old career, bring up Barry Bostwick in polite conversation and the first response will certainly be “Oh, Brad!” Bostwick’s turn as Brad Majors, the uptight fiancé of Susan Sarandon’s Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has... Continue Reading →
Billie Jean, writer Lauren Gunderson’s play about tennis legend Billie Jean King, had audiences cheering during its debut at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in July. Gunderson’s script portrays significant events in King’s life on and off the court. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xK3dST8PEE&pp=ygUQYmlsbGllIGplYW4gcGxheQ%3D%3D Reviews have praised the production’s quick pacing, comparing it to a fast-paced volley in a tennis match.... Continue Reading →
“I’m not an actor! I’m a movie star!” So protests Alan Swann, a past-his-prime film idol who discovers the television program on which he’s about to appear is broadcast live. https://youtu.be/eTbLkYmWZJo?si=akZMdQbCxWvbXVFZ The scene is from My Favorite Year, the 1982 film based on Mel Brooks’ experience as a young writer on Your Show of Shows,... Continue Reading →
Mark Leib was familiar with the real-life setting of his play When the Righteous Triumph, the long-gone Woolworth on Franklin Street in downtown Tampa. “That’s the Woolworth I used to go to as a child,” Leib said. “I remember that lunch counter from my childhood. “It never occurred to me that black people weren't allowed... Continue Reading →
The PBS series Mystery! enjoyed a long and successful run from 1980-2006. The anthology series drew from British mystery and crime material and was one of the network’s more popular titles. The show introduced American audiences to such titles as Rumpole of the Bailey, Inspector Morse and Prime Suspect. The show no doubt also introduced many viewers... Continue Reading →
Through Halloween and the spooky season, the performing arts come alive with all things supernatural. From haunted productions to ballet performances inspired by ghostly tales, Halloween has found its place across different mediums of artistic expression. Here's how this eerie season takes center stage in the performing arts and beyond. 1. Musical Theater: Spooky Songs... Continue Reading →
On Sept. 29, Broadway Musicals Day will be celebrated because everything has to have a day. And why not? Broadway musicals seem more worthy of a celebration than something like National Broccoli Lovers Day or National Broccoli Haters Day, and can you imagine the bloodbath if those got scheduled on the same date? (Shudders) ... Continue Reading →
Maybe it’s all those years of playing a wizard but Daniel Radcliffe has pulled off something close to magical. He became the cinematic face of one of literature’s most beloved characters and came out the other side with his career and sanity intact. Radcliffe, 34, currently stars on Broadway in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s... Continue Reading →
Clue, the 1985 film based on the board game, was not a smash hit upon release. Over time, thanks to cable, home video and word of mouth, the quirky black comedy finally found its audience. Its acclaim grew enough for it to make the jump from screen to stage as CLUE, which Straz audiences can... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
As noted in this very space two months and change ago, Sept. 21 has become “Earth, Wind & Fire Day,” because that date is mentioned in the group’s 1978 hit, “September.” Other songs that mention dates are celebrated as well. The title figure of the Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” dies on Sept. 3.... Continue Reading →
The Choir of Man is set in a British pub. The beer the pub is serving is distinctly Floridian. In place of U.K. standbys Guinness Stout and Newcastle Brown is a brew reflective of the Sunshine State and the Tampa-based brewery that makes it. The beer, Sun Runner, was created and produced by Tampa’s highly-regarded... Continue Reading →
Giles Davies is a fright. Well known for his Shakespearean roles, he’s also carved out a niche – with a large, blood-stained knife, no doubt – as Jobsite’s go-to ghoul. He’s chilled audiences in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Dracula. Next, he’ll play the titular doctor in Frankenstein who discovers, as most parents do,... Continue Reading →