BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB, DEATH BECOMES HER, and More Set For 2026-2027 Broadway at Straz Center Season
The season also includes The Great Gatsby, The Sound of Music, Boop! The Musical, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Operation Mincemeat, and more.
Straz Center for the Performing Arts has announced the 2026-2027 Bank of America Broadway at Straz Center season. The schedule includes Buena Vista Social Club, ‘Twas the Night Before … by Cirque du Soleil, Death Becomes Her, The Great Gatsby, The Sound of Music, Boop! The Musical, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical and the return of Tampa's most “popular” musical Wicked. In addition to the nine-show package, the season features the Florida premiere engagement of Oh, Mary! and encores of Hamilton and Jersey Boys.
“We're excited to welcome another exceptional season of Broadway to Straz Center and to share these extraordinary productions with the Tampa Bay community,” said Straz Center President and CEO Greg Holland. “From beloved audience favorites to award-winning new productions, this season reflects the creativity, energy and artistry that make Broadway so special. Whether returning to experience a longtime favorite or discovering something new, audiences will find performances that inspire, entertain and bring us together. We look forward to experiencing it with you.”
“We're especially thrilled that this season marks the 20th year of Bank of America as the title sponsor of Broadway at Straz,” said Holland. “Their commitment to our organization and to the Tampa Bay Community is extraordinary.”
Buena Vista Social Club
Oct. 6-11, 2026
It's been years since legendary singer Omara Portuondo last entered a recording studio. Once known as the “Queen of Feeling,” her voice was celebrated throughout Cuba – until she vanished from the spotlight. But when an ambitious young record producer brings her a rare opportunity, the elusive diva must finally reckon with her past.
The Tony and Grammy Award-winning Buena Vista Social Club is a journey through music and memory into the beating heart of Havana. A world-class company brings the story of the iconic album to thrilling life in this tale of big dreams, second chances and music that needs no translation.
‘Twas the Night Before … by Cirque du Soleil
Nov. 18-29, 2026
It's the holidays, and this year, things are different. For years, Isabella and her father have read “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore together. Now, Isabella feels like she's outgrown the family tradition. But then the magic of the poem comes to life, and Isabella and her father are unexpectedly separated by a snowstorm that sends them on a fantastic journey.
In a winter wonderland inspired by the poem, 'Twas the Night Before… is a festive flurry of love and cheer created especially for families, featuring the incredible acrobatics Cirque du Soleil is known for – from a mesmerizing aerial straps duo and daring hoop diving, to gravity-defying hair suspension and high-energy dancing – performed by a cast of 26 artists from all over the world. The show features lovable characters and a soundtrack including Christmas favorites reinvented by Cirque du Soleil.
Death Becomes Her
Dec. 8-13, 2026
Some people will do anything to look eternally fabulous. But famous actress Madeline Ashton and her best frenemy Helen Sharp are about to go too far … thanks to a mysterious woman named Viola Van Horn and a secret potion that's to die for.
Death Becomes Her is the Tony Award-winning, drop-dead hilarious, new musical comedy based on the classic 1992 film with direction and choreography by Tony winner Christopher Gattelli.
The Great Gatsby
Jan. 19-24, 2027
The party is roaring in Tampa!
Based on the classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Tony Award-winning new musical is an unforgettable journey of love, wealth and tragedy that brings the Roaring Twenties to life on stage.
Directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), this story of extravagance and longing features choreography by Dominique Kelley (So You Think You Can Dance), a book by Kait Kerrigan (The Mad Ones) and a jazz and pop-influenced original score by Jason Howland (Little Women) and Nathan Tysen (Paradise Square).
Wicked
Feb. 3-28, 2027
Welcome to the wonderful Land of Oz … where there is a young woman, born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships … until the world decides to call one good and the other one wicked.
With a thrilling score that includes the hits “Defying Gravity,” “Popular” and “For Good,."
The Sound of Music
March 9-14, 2027
For 65 years, The Sound of Music has been one of our “favorite things.” With its timeless story and irresistibly charming score, this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic isn't just meant to be enjoyed – it's meant to be shared. Now, a critically acclaimed North American tour brings the cherished musical to stages across the country to teach a new generation to sing.
Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien (Hairspray), this vibrant and romantic tale of Maria and the von Trapp family will captivate audiences with its universal themes of love, resilience and the power of music.
Featuring beloved songs like “Do-Re-Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and “Edelweiss,” The Sound of Music is the iconic tale of a spirited nun who chooses not to live behind closed doors – and, by following her heart, learns to climb every mountain.
The Sound of Music features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by “The Trapp Family Singers” by Maria Augusta Trapp. The 1965 Oscar-winning film recently celebrated its 60th anniversary and continues to be one of the most successful movie musicals of all time.
Boop! The Musical
April 20-25, 2027
For almost a century, the Betty Boop character has won hearts and inspired fans around the world with her trademark looks, voice and style. Now, in BOOP! The Musical, Betty's dream of an ordinary day off from super-celebrity in her black-and-white world leads to an adventure of color, music and love in New York City.
Tony Award–winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Hairspray, La Cage aux Folles) brings Fleischer Studios' Queen of the Screen to life with a score by celebrated multiple Grammy winner David Foster (“I Have Nothing,” “After the Love Is Gone,” “The Prayer”), lyrics by Tony Award nominee Susan Birkenhead (Working, Jelly's Last Jam) and a book by Tony Award winner Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Prom).
BOOP! is the Broadway musical that is perfect for audiences of all ages.
Disney's Beauty and the Beast
May 4-16, 2027
Be our guest at Beauty and the Beast, Disney's first North American touring production of the beloved musical in more than 25 years. This enchanting and timeless tale, filled with the romance and grandeur audiences know and love, has been brought to life with spectacular new sets and dazzling costumes. The show boasts the Oscar-winning and Tony Award-nominated score, including the classic songs “Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Reuniting to create this new production are members of the original Tony Award-winning artistic team, including composer Alan Menken, lyricist Tim Rice, book writer Linda Woolverton, with direction and choreography by Matt West, scenic design by Stanley A. Meyer, costume design by Ann Hould-Ward and lighting design by Natasha Katz. Beauty and the Beast is the beloved musical that will fill your heart with joy and Disney magic.
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
June 1-6, 2027
How did a dead body, a fake love letter and — of all people — Ian Fleming turn the tide of WWII? Olivier Award winner for Best New Musical and a multiple 2025 Tony nominee, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical is the best-reviewed show in West End history with 88 five-star reviews and the “No. 1 Broadway Show of 2025” (Entertainment Weekly).
It's 1943 and the Allies are on the ropes. Luckily, they're about to gamble our futures on a stolen corpse. Singin' in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, it's the fast-paced, hilarious true story of the secret mission that won WWII.
In addition to the nine-show Broadway season ticket package, Straz Center will present the Florida premiere engagement of:
Oh, Mary!
April 6-11, 2027
Oh, Mary! is a dark comedy about a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism and suppressed desires abound in this 80-minute one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln, through the lens of an idiot (playwright Cole Escola).
Oh, Mary! received two Tony Awards including Best Direction of a Play (Sam Pinkleton), Drama League Awards for Outstanding Play and Outstanding Direction of a Play, as well as a special citation from the New York Drama Critics' Circle. It was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Straz Center will also present encore engagements of:
Hamilton
Oct. 21-Nov. 8, 2026
The unforgettable story of passion, unstoppable ambition and the dawn of a new nation, seen by more than 28 million people around the world.
Hamilton is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. Based on Ron Chernow's acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, Hamilton has had a profound impact on culture, politics and education. Hamilton features book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards, it has won Grammy and Olivier Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Jersey Boys
June 15-20, 2027
The original Broadway sensation returns to the road! Celebrating 20 years - Jersey style!
They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard … and the radio just couldn't resist. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story – a story that has made them an international sensation all over again. The show features all their hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don't Cry,” “Oh What a Night,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Can't Take My Eyes Off You,” “Beggin'” and “Working My Way Back to You.”
Go behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons in the Tony Award-winning, original Broadway sensation, Jersey Boys. From the streets of New Jersey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, this is the musical that's too good to be true.
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