The David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts’ 2013-2014 Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay season is filled with Tony Award®-winners, moving music, classic revivals and amazing spectacle. The season features…
The David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts’ 2013-2014 Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay season is filled with Tony Award®-winners, moving music, classic revivals and amazing spectacle. The season features:
The Book of Mormon
Nov. 12-24, 2013
The Book of Mormon features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the four-time Emmy® Award-winning creators of the landmark animated series, South Park. Tony Award-winner Lopez is co-creator of the long-running hit musical comedy Avenue Q. The musical is choreographed by Tony Award-winner Casey Nicholaw (Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone) and is directed by Nicholaw and Parker.
Vogue says, “It’s the funniest musical of all time.” And The New York Times says, “It’s the best musical of this century.” The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart calls it “A crowning achievement. So good, it makes me angry.” The Original Broadway Cast Recording for The Book of Mormon, winner of the 2011 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album, is available on Ghostlight Records. Contains explicit language.
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Jan. 14-19, 2014
Don’t miss what Time magazine calls, “A don’t miss theatre event! The #1 Broadway musical of the 
year.” Winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess is hitting the road in a stunning and stirring new staging, including such legendary songs as “Summertime,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and “I Got Plenty of Nothing.” The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess features one of Broadway’s most accomplished creative teams, led by Tony-nominated director Diane Paulus (Hair), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks (Topdog/Underdog) and two-time Obie Award-winning composer Diedre L. Murray (Running Man), bringing George and Ira Gershwin’s legendary masterwork to the Broadway stage for the first time in more than 35 years.
Praised by the New Yorker as, “A great achievement!” and hailed by the Associated Press as, “a gorgeous version of the Gershwin masterpiece,” the classic story of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess is set in Charleston’s fabled Catfish Row, where the beautiful Bess struggles to break free from her scandalous past, and the only one who can rescue her is the crippled but courageous Porgy. Threatened by her formidable former lover Crown, and the seductive enticements of the colorful troublemaker Sporting Life, Porgy and Bess’ relationship evolves into a deep romance that triumphs as one of theater’s most exhilarating love stories.
ONCE
Feb. 11-16, 2014
Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards including Best Musical, ONCE is a truly original Broadway experience. Featuring an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments on stage, ONCE tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights … but their unlikely connection turns out to be deeper and more complex than your everyday romance. Emotionally captivating and theatrically breathtaking, ONCE draws audiences in from the very first note and never lets go. It’s an unforgettable story about going for your dreams … not living in fear … and the power of music to connect all of us.
Evita
March 18-23, 2014
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning musical returns at last! Eva Perón used her
beauty and charisma to rise meteorically from the slums of Argentina to the presidential mansion as First Lady. Adored by her people as a champion for the poor, she became one of the most powerful women in the world — while her greed, outsized ambition and fragile health made her one of the most tragic. Evita tells Eva’s passionate and unforgettable true story, and features some of theater’s most beautiful songs, including “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” and “High Flying, Adored.” Don’t miss the stunning new production of Evita, directed by Michael Grandage and choreographed by Rob Ashford, that Channel 4 New York called “the hottest ticket in town!”
Ghost The Musical
April 22-27, 2014
Relive the iconic and magical moments from the Oscar®-winning movie Ghost in a brand-new Broadway musical. Ghost The Musical breathes glorious new life into a timeless love story. The musical features an original pop score from multiple Grammy Award-winners Dave Stewart, one half of the 80s pop duo the Eurythmics, and Glen Ballard, co-writer with Alanis Morissette on the multi-platinum album Jagged Little Pill, among many other notable credits and collaborations. The musical’s tale of everlasting love is thrilling entertainment for audiences of all ages.
Adapted from the hit film by its Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin, Ghost The Musical follows Sam and Molly, a young couple whose connection takes a shocking turn after Sam’s untimely death. Trapped between two worlds, Sam refuses to leave Molly when he learns she is in grave danger. Desperate to communicate with her, he turns to a storefront psychic who helps him protect Molly and avenge his death.
We Will Rock You
May 13-18, 2014
From London’s West End, the worldwide smash hit musical by Queen and Ben Elton comes to the 
Straz Center for a limited engagement! We Will Rock You features the greatest hits of the legendary British rock group, Queen. Now in its 11th year in London and seen by a staggering 15 million people worldwide, this hilarious, multi-award-winning and record-breaking phenomenon boasts a fantastic score of killer Queen tunes that you just can’t resist singing along to, such as “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Are the Champions,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and, of course, “We Will Rock You.” It’s the world champion of musicals and the show that rocks harder than any other, so don’t miss the party – book your tickets now!
“With all of the great Broadway seasons we’ve had over the years, this could be the best one yet,” said Judith Lisi, president and CEO of the Straz Center. “Our 2013-14 Broadway season has the two most recent Tony Award-winning Best Musicals, the current Tony Award-winning Best Revival of a Musical and so much more. Tampa Bay audiences will be treated to a season that is both compelling and entertaining and spotlights the very best of musical theater.”
The 2013-2014 Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay series is presented by the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. Current season ticket holders will receive renewal invoices the week of Jan. 21. Those renewals will be handled before new subscriptions are processed. Straz Center members are given first priority for new season tickets. For more information, email the Straz Center at tickets@strazcenter.org or call the Straz Center Ticket Office at 813.229.STAR (7827) or outside the Tampa Bay area at 800.955.1045 or visit www.strazcenter.org. Group tickets and individual show tickets will go on sale at later dates to be announced.
