By Kathy L. Collins
The 2013-2014 season at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts (The Straz) includes an astonishing line-up of touring Broadway blockbusters, a magical opera series, a powerful and stimulating play series and an extraordinary collection of dance, comedy, music and educational events. Tickets for the 2013-2014 events are available at the Straz Center Ticket Sales Office and online at www.strazcenter.org.
“Simply, it’s the best season we’ve ever had,” said Judith Lisi, president and CEO of the Straz Center.
The 2013-2014 Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay Series season will feature the Radio City Christmas Spectacular from Thursday, December 12 through Sunday, December 29. This is an all new show featuring the precision dance routines of the world-famous Rockettes and new technological enhancements.
The season also includes the 2012 Tony Award-winning Best Revival of a Musical, Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess which hits the stage in January. The 2012 Tony Award-winning Best Musical ONCE will run in February. The stunning new Broadway revival of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita will be performed in March. The new musical stage version of the timeless love story Ghost will run in April and the show that rocks harder than any other, Queen and Ben Elton’s We Will Rock You, will be in town in May.
The new musical comedy that showcases everyone’s favorite fairy-tale heroines, Disenchanted! takes up residence in the Jaeb Theater in the new year through April 13.
The Tony Award-winning Best Musical and audience favorite Jersey Boys returns for a limited engagement in April as does the always entertaining STOMP in May.
In what is perhaps the highlight of the Straz Center’s music season, violin virtuoso and classical music superstar Itzhak Perlman will perform on Saturday, February 1 in the Morsani Hall for one electrifying performance.
The season will also feature jazz from New Orleans’ own Jonathan Batiste and The Stay Human Band on Tuesday, February 18 as well as music from Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán in May. Iraqi-Israeli composer, violinist and singer Yair Dalal will perform on Thursday, April 3. Plus, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Lehy meld their virtuosities into a whirlwind of fiddle-driven music, dance and song, combining the best of French, Celtic, American bluegrass and Cajun styles in Masters of the Fiddle on Tuesday, April 15.
Children, ages two to four, can also enjoy shows at The Straz from the Kid Time and Wee Folk series which will feature Shana Banana in Banana Beach Party on Saturday, May 10, and two different shows from Katie Adams, Pirate Tales! on Saturday, February 1 and Under the Seas Stories on Saturday, March 22. Also included in the Kid Time series, ages three to eight, are Charlotte’s Web on Saturday, April 26 and Next Generation Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty Lite on Saturday, May 10.
The Straz Center offers something for everyone from theatre and comedy to dance and National Geographic Live. The Straz also features speakers such as An Evening with Garrison Keillor on Sunday, January 12 and Alton Brown Live! Edible Inevitable Tour on Saturday, March 1.
It also hosts plenty of special events including Best of Tampa Bay, the area’s premiere food event which benefits the Straz Center’s education and mission based programming. This takes place on Saturday, April 5.
The Straz is also home to the Patel Conservatory, the Tampa Bay Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, Florida Opera, club Jaeb and the Jobsite Theatre Play Series.
For more information on the 2013-2014 season, please visit www.strazcenter.org or call 229-STAR (7827). The Straz is located at 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place in Tampa.
