An Exclusive from INSIDE Magazine Fences weren’t part of the original design of Straz Center, and they’re certainly not part of the renovation. Fences don’t play much of a role in our past and future but, boy, are they ever-present in our present. Straz is undergoing a major multimillion-dollar renovation that includes expanding education spaces for... 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 →
Disney’s animated feature The Lion King had its premiere in 1994. That year, roughly 2 percent of Americans had access to the Internet. The 30th anniversary of that film’s release was celebrated in May with a pair of Hollywood Bowl concerts featuring songs from the soundtrack. In the three decades since its release, The Lion... 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 →
With its roots in ancient culture, including ivory and clay figures found in Egyptian tombs, puppetry has long been employed in storytelling including the theater. Terracotta Ancient Greek dolls. Exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Room 56. Picture by Giovanni Dall'Orto, November 11 2009. Both Aristotle and Plato in ancient Greece, referenced puppets in their... Continue Reading →
In a recent post we discussed recording artists, such as Bruce Springsteen and David Byrne, making their mark on Broadway, but many more have weaved musical magic from behind the scenes. And a few have even popped in to play roles or have brief cameos in shows they’ve composed. Whether it is Sting, Cyndi Lauper... Continue Reading →
In 1957, during his first week in New York as a wannabe actor, James Earl Jones saw these shows: Night one: Tosca starring Leontyne PriceNight two: Swan Lake starring Margot FontaineNight three: Pal JoeyNight four: Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. What a week, right? This remarkable itinerary was put together by his father, the actor Robert... Continue Reading →
The tricky business of adapting an animated movie into a stage musical “The book was better.” So goes the typical critique of movies based on novels, but one rarely hears “I liked the cartoon better” as audiences stream from theater venues where their favorite Disney film characters sang-and-danced through a musical version of the animated... Continue Reading →
Kissy Simmons’ early career began on stages around the Tampa Bay region, one of which was our Jaeb Theater. She left for New York City the week of Sept. 11, 2001, to audition for Aida, a Disney production. Her audition led to an interest in her for The Lion King, and she and her husband... Continue Reading →