Jobsite Theater is returning to the Shimberg Playhouse after nearly two years and Producing Artistic Director David Jenkins sounds like a man finally heading home. “The last performance Jobsite did in the Shimberg was March 12, 2020, our preview for ‘Doubt,’” Jenkins remembers. “We were supposed to open the next night. And we got notified... Continue Reading →
Artists We Love: Carol Haney
If famed choreographer Bob Fosse had an “it” girl before Gwen Verdon, it was actress Carol Haney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26PiPUn4AWg After leaving an uncredited dance assistant job with Gene Kelly, Haney landed at MGM as a specialty dancer and partner to Fosse, who was playing Hortensio in the film Kiss Me Kate. The pair’s dance to “From... Continue Reading →
The Prom blog 2 point oh, oh, oh no we didn’t! YES, WE DID!
Prom season is in full swing here at The Straz. And Caught in the Act asked our colleagues to troll through their high school photos to find Insta-worthy poses from the big night so that we could splash them all over the inter webs. We promised not to mock them … too much. Claire Florio,... Continue Reading →
Most Memorable Movie Proms
In the Broadway hit The Prom, which opens at The Straz Feb. 15, a student faces hostility for wanting to bring her girlfriend to the big high school dance. That part of the plot is based on a real event, and while we admire those who stand up for equality and inclusiveness, we wonder why... Continue Reading →
Hallelujah Hattitude
Crowns, a celebratory musical about church hats, kicks off a series of Straz-produced shows Photo: Joseph Brown Apostle Paul was adamant about this point. When a man prays or prophesizes, his head must not be covered. Women, on the other hand … "But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her... Continue Reading →
Like an Unfinished Puzzle, The Tales of Hoffmann Opera was Incomplete when Composer Offenbach Died
Although known as a composer of operettas – he wrote nearly 100 of them – Jacques Offenbach’s best known work is a full-scale opera, The Tales of Hoffmann. Built around the writings of German author E.T.A. Hoffmann, the opera has become one of opera’s premiere works. Composer Jacques Offenbach photographed by Nadar in the 1860s... Continue Reading →
Many Classics Borrow from the Masters of Classical
When Chuck Berry sang “Roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news,” the line appeared to be drawn. On one side was classical music: staid, stodgy, the stuff your music appreciation class forced you to hear. On the other side, popular music, in this case the then-relatively new genre of rock ‘n’ roll: wild, fun,... Continue Reading →
ARTISTS WE LOVE: Sylvester, the other Queen of Disco
During disco’s late ‘70s popularity peak, Donna Summer reigned supreme. She landed 14 singles in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100, four of which reached No. 1. She had three consecutive No. 1 albums on The Billboard 200 album chart. Summer’s music and legacy are celebrated in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which played... Continue Reading →
ARTISTS WE LOVE TO LOVE: Donna Summer
Broadway was about the only place Donna Summer’s music didn’t dominate during her late ‘70s hit-making heyday. The jukebox musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical finally brought the Queen of Disco’s catalog to the Great White Way. It would be difficult to overstate Summer’s popularity from the mid-‘70s through the early ‘80s. She had 11... Continue Reading →
Say You Wanna Resolution?
New year’s resolutions – made to be broken. What makes us think the end of one year and the beginning of the next will imbue us with discipline and determination we’ve never had before and enable us to effortlessly stop smoking, start exercising, eat healthier, etc. etc., et-freaking-cetera? It’s the myth of the clean slate.... Continue Reading →
An Alt-Holiday Playlist with No Mariah, Bing, Frosty or Rudolph
In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas. Actually, it’s not so much a feeling as a sound. And that sound is currently dominated by Christmas music. Or maybe we should say holiday music, or winter music, since a bunch of these “Christmas” songs don’t mention Christmas: “Frosty the Snowman,” “Winter Wonderland,” etc. Call it... Continue Reading →
Cracking Open Nuts of Trivia on The Nutcracker
Nutcracker Facts To Chew On Everyone has their touchstone that truly marks the holiday season. It could be Black Friday shopping, or when the first tree lot opens, making grandmother’s latkes or gathering around the television for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or A Charlie Brown Christmas. In this writer’s home, it was when dad spotted... Continue Reading →
Let’s Celebrate Violin Day – Even If It is Stringing Us Along
It’s the time of year when the holidays are coming at us fast and furious. We just got through with Thanksgiving and now it’s time for Christmas and all the decorating and cooking and gift buying and gosh! I’m tired just thinking about it. And then we have to make New Year’s Eve plans. It... Continue Reading →
Go See CATS … Then Adopt One or Two
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UKtrhLRD_k CATS returns to the Straz Center Dec. 7. As a crowd-pleasing theatrical spectacle, CATS’ success is undeniable. As a tutorial for first-time cat owners, it leaves something to be desired. Potential first-time cat owners should note that cats rarely if ever perform choreographed dance moves. Nor do they break into song. Their speech is... Continue Reading →
WE ARE THANKFUL FOR YOU … AND GOOD EATS
Anticipation is high for a Happy Thanksgiving this year. More of us will gather around a table with family and friends, spend time cooking up sides in the kitchen, play catch in the yard, volunteer in the community or just gobble, gobble up dinner in front of the TV waiting for a football game, a... 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 →
Welcome Home to the Magic of Live Theater
The crowd filling Broadway’s Gershwin Theater sounded pleasantly surprised when the announcer introduced Kristin Chenoweth. The occasion was the Sept. 14 reopening of Wicked, for which Chenoweth originated the role of Glinda. The actress’ appearance sent the already electric atmosphere crackling even more intensely, palpable even on the cellphone video posted to YouTube. “Hello, New... Continue Reading →
The Straz Needs Volunteer Ushers to Fill Integral Role
After several Covid-induced months of silence, the Straz Center began a limited series of programming in October 2020, focusing on outdoor events and presentations conducive to social distancing. Guest Services Manager Deb Ferree put the call out to her roster of ushers, unsure of how many responses she’d get. After all, the facility had been... 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 →