They aren’t called intensives for nothing. A class of Patel Conservatory theater students is currently immersed in rehearsals for a production of Shakespearean spoof Something Rotten! The rehearsals follow a week of master classes and guest artists, theater professionals with real-world experience. The students are enrolled in Patel’s Broadway Intensive, a four-week program that culminates... 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 →
With SHUCKED running in Morsani Hall now until June 8, what better way to enjoy the show all about corn than with a southwest-style corn chowder recipe? Curated by our own head chef Gunther Lopez, this recipe encapsulates all there is to love about mellow yellow maize. “This soup is rich and comforting, with a... Continue Reading →
June 6 is National Day of Sweden, which commemorates two historical events that took place on this date: the 1523 election of Gustav Vasa as Sweden’s king, which established Sweden as an independent nation; and the adoption of Sweden’s constitution in 1809. Gustav Vasa legally created the hereditary monarchy and organized the Swedish unitary state.... Continue Reading →
Shucked, the hit musical with all the corn jokes and a sneaky little message about inclusion, has drawn raves from audiences. The musical’s upcoming run in Morsani Hall could be extra special because, well, Tampa’s in the show. Not all of us, like everybody in Tampa, is in the show. But our city, our home,... Continue Reading →
Some are born to puppeteer. Some have puppeteering thrust upon them. Spencer Meyers falls into the latter category. Spencer Meyers, group sales manager at Straz Center. After Spencer successfully manipulated not one but two puppets – including the lead – in 2002’s Straz production of Avenue Q, Jobsite Theater’s Producing Artistic Director David Jenkins tapped... Continue Reading →
Stage fright is the scourge of many performers across all disciplines. Performers who suffer with it can at least know they’re in good company. Barbra Streisand flubbed some lyrics at a 1967 Central Park concert and didn’t perform live again for nearly 30 years. Laurence Olivier, the actor’s actor, became so rattled playing Othello that... Continue Reading →
Jamie Allan’s performances marry illusion and technology to create astounding magic events, such as a Mercedes-Benz appearing out of thin air or making a helicopter disappear and reappear on the deck of a cruise ship. Jamie Allan His fascination with magic, though, was sparked by one of the oldest tricks in the book: the disappearing... Continue Reading →
An Exclusive from INSIDE Magazine Lucas Hallauer is a self-declared “theater kid” portraying Marty McFly in Back to the Future: The Musical as he and the famed time-traveling DeLorean land at Straz Center April 29-May 4. We didn’t ask what he’d feed the Flux Capacitor, but we did inquire what was in his fridge and... Continue Reading →
Sure. After all, that’s what theBlog is about. See? April 17 is International Haiku Poetry Day and we know what you’re thinking: A) Didn’t we just finish putting up the decorations from last Haiku Poetry Day? and B) Isn’t Haiku Poetry redundant? The answers are, of course A) Yes. Time is fleeting and B) Yes,... Continue Reading →
A GUIDE TO THE AMAZING OPENING SCENE OF DISNEY'S THE LION KING ON TOUR “Circle of Life,” The Lion King’s jaw-dropping, much-talked about opening number, introduces a menagerie of animals who stride, leap, gallop and dance across the stage. A closer look reveals the creative magic at work behind this breathtaking bit of stagecraft. LET’S... Continue Reading →
First, a clarification: A movie’s score and a movie’s soundtrack are not the same thing. A soundtrack is a collection of songs old and/or new that tie in (or don’t) with the film’s storyline. Whether the soundtrack is good, bad or indifferent, it’s essentially merchandise, like a T-shirt or a tote bag. That’s an important... Continue Reading →
At Straz, we’re witness to class after class of performing arts students attending Patel Conservatory, learning dance, theater and, of course, music. An organization founded by husband and wife music teachers takes music learning into their community and sponsors events to encourage music education. Every child should have the opportunity to play music: That belief... 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 →
Coffee lovers, rejoice! National Barista Day is approaching — a day to celebrate the skilled hands and creative minds behind your favorite espresso shots, frothy cappuccinos and perfectly poured lattes. At Straz Center, we're aiming to acknowledge the talented baristas everywhere but especially the incredible team behind the counter at our very own coffee shop... Continue Reading →
AN EXCLUSIVE FROM INSIDE MAGAZINE Set designer Tom Hansen knows artistic liberties can be essential in telling a story. When the story is set about a five-minute drive from the theater, though, he leans more toward the true-to-life. Tom Hansen, set designer of Opera Tampa's Candide and Don Pasquale. Opera Tampa’s production of Gaetano Donizetti’s... Continue Reading →
Expectations must have been a thorn in the side of Michael Jackson. Consider this: His 1987 album, Bad, sold roughly 35 million copies worldwide. That’s impressive by anyone’s standards, except Jackson’s: His previous album, 1982’s Thriller, sold twice that number. https://open.spotify.com/album/3Us57CjssWnHjTUIXBuIeH?si=LJlW_X-kQLWS4ImMhD9_lA MJ the Musical takes place on the eve of Jackson’s tour supporting the album... Continue Reading →
“Where it began / I can’t begin to know when,” go the first two lines of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” The where and when of the song’s subject may not matter to Neil, but the where and when of “Sweet Caroline,” matter quite a bit. https://youtu.be/ty1dwBCR6D0?si=Mj2GtZWo4vyy6HjH When was 1969. Where was Memphis, Tenn., and yes,... Continue Reading →
The Will Gregory Moog Ensemble played a handful of dates in the U.K. late last year, opening its program with the work of Wendy Carlos. Moog is an instrument brand, specifically, not an instrument. But the groundbreaking sonic simulators made by Moog were such a step into the future that the electronic keyboard feels to... Continue Reading →
We all know Leonard Bernstein’s celebrated musical, West Side Story, but what about Candide, the seldom-staged opera eclipsed by its exuberant overture? Opera Tampa opens its new season on Jan.31 with a rare production of Candide, which begins with Bernstein’s single-most performed work, a rollicking hodgepodge of themes and break-neck tempos that hint of what... Continue Reading →