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Review: The Manatee Players Present EVITA by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
I thought everyone had heard of Evita, a show that I consider Andrew Lloyd Webber’s finest work. But in the lobby of the Manatee Performing Arts Center, just before the Saturday night performance of Evita began, a middle-aged couple walked up to me....
Review: Hannah Benitez's Hilarious FOR CLOSURE at freeFall
In our tightknit theatre community, word of mouth matters most. Local shows live and breathe on it. Some shows can sell themselves—especially big musicals with falling chandeliers or anti-Nazi von Trapp singers....
Review: MORNINGSIDE IS BRIDESMAIDS MEETS STEEL MAGNOLIAS at Stageworks Theatre
Morningside is a smart, funny, and unexpectedly impactful piece, brought to vivid life by an incredible cast and direction that understands the delicate balance between laughter and truth....
Review: KINKY BOOTS Struts its Stuff at Eight O'Clock Theatre
Based on the 2005 British film of the same name, the musical features music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, and a book by Harvey Fierstein. Mostly inspired by true events, the musical tells the story of Charlie Price, a man who is down on his luck and has just inherited a failing shoe factory from his f...
Review: AMAZE at Straz Center
Jamie Allan made me believe magic is real. For two hours on a Friday night, I escaped this crazy, hectic life, left adult reality behind and stepped back into the world of childhood make believe at Amaze at Straz with magician extraordinare Jamie Allan. ...
Review: BACK TO THE FUTURE MUSICAL ELECTRIFIES AT STRAZ CENTER at Straz Center
Back to the Future at the Straz wasn’t just a performance but a phenomenon. It was a collision of story, skill, and science fiction that made the impossible feel intimate....
Review: THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY at TampaRep
“There are songs that come free from the blue-eyed grass, from the dust of a thousand country roads. This is one of them.” These are the first words stemming from the first line of the Foreword in Robert James Waller’s sweeping tale of love, passion, and the ability to see another, as if you h...
Review: SIX! THE MUSICAL SHINES BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND at Center Stage Youth Theatre
With book, music, and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, SIX is a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII. The show is performed in a pop concert style, with each performer singing about their time with Henry and battling it out to see who suffered more, and can become the gro...
Review: DISNEY'S THE LION KING at the Straz Center
Visually stunning, vocally flawless, and emotionally resonant, it reminds us why this story continues to capture hearts across generations....
Review: Sara Bareilles' WAITRESS at the Suncoast Broadway Dinner Theatre
One character calls Jenna's pies 'Biblically good,' and you could say the same thing about the show....
Review: SONDHEIM’S MASTERPIECE COMES TO LIFE WITH INTO THE WOODS at New Tampa Players
Into the Woods is a Tony Award-winning 1986 Musical written by Stephen Sondheim (Music/Lyrics) and James Lapine (Book), marking their second collaboration following Sunday in the Park with George (1984).
Into the Woods premiered in 1986 at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre and then was followed by a ...
Review: American Stage in the Park's Production of HAIR
Beads! Flowers! Freedom! Happiness!...
Review: Jobsite Theater Presents Martin McDonagh's THE PILLOWMAN at the Shimberg Playhouse
Harrowing & Hilarious, the play's comedy is pitch black and the show itself is pitch perfect....
Review: Mark E. Leib's WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS TRIUMPH at the Jaeb Theater
It's a celebration of our city and local black history, marvelously acted in a thrill ride of a show....
Review: Robert Harling's STEEL MAGNOLIAS at the Carrollwood Cultural Center
A stellar cast brings its A-game to this wonderful, tight production....
Review: A Blistering, Searing No-Holds-Barred Thriller Takes Center Stage with Martin Mcdonagh’s THE PILLOWMAN at Jobsite Theater
This evening, or rather last evening, during their “Final Preview,” I was once again regaled to my seat with baited breath as I waited for the lights to fall on McDonagh’s masterpiece and, forthrightly, my favorite play, The Pillowman....
Review: A Timely & Much-Needed HAIRSPRAY at the Carrollwood Players
Now that we are a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, the serious debate can begin: What is the best stage musical of this century so far? There are several contenders, including The Producers, Hamilton, Waitress, Wicked, Spring Awakening, Fun Home, Next to Normal and In the Heights. High o...
Review: DISENCHANTED! at Straz' Jaeb Theatre
Every princess delivers powerful notes that could shatter glass, making each number a thrilling experience. Playwrights Dennis Giacino and Fiely Matias' were in the audience, and it was as much fun watching them react to the actors as it was for this reviewer to watch the show and introduce her best...
Review: Stephen Sondheim's ROAD SHOW at freeFall
Sondheim deserves the best, and that's what freeFall has certainly delivered!...
Review: Land O Lakes High School’s Production of MEAN GIRLS: THE MUSICAL
After experiencing it, and after the cast and crew put on one hell of a show, I just couldn’t shake my disdain for the actual material. It sometimes seemed unworthy of these delightful performers....
Review: A Dazzling, Sparkling, Spectacle, Makes A BEAUTIFUL NOISE at Straz Center
A Beautiful Noise is a Jukebox musical centered around Neil Diamond’s life, times, and music. It celebrated its Opening Night on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on December 4, 2022. Garnering much acclaim, the musical grossed more than $1 million at the Box Office leading up to its official ope...
Review: MAD Theatre of Tampa Presents ROCK OF AGES at the Shimberg Playhouse in the Straz Center
It's a balls to the walls, big-hearted but empty-headed jukebox musical that celebrates the 1980s hair bands. Guaranteed to make you escape the world's current tumult!...
Review: THE CHER SHOW at Straz Center
Whether you're a lifelong fan or new to Cher's legacy, The Cher Show, currently running at the Straz Center through this Sunday, is a musical that doesn't just celebrate her life—it captures the enduring spirit and resilience of one of the greatest icons of our time, making it an unforgettable the...
Review: A Look Back at the Best of 2024; Thank God for Local Theatre
Local theatre saved me in 2024, which turned out to be an extremely rocky year--with statewide and national political maelstroms and two hurricanes hitting our area weeks apart....
Review: USHERING IN THE HOLIDAYS WITH ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY at TampaRep
What did our critic think of USHERING IN THE HOLIDAYS WITH ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY at TampaRep?...
Videos
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25/26 Bank of America Broadway at Straz Center Season Straz Center for the Performing Arts (9/16-5/31) |
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The 10th Annual Tampa International Fringe Festival The Fringe Theatre/The Commodore (6/10-6/21) |
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The Queen of Bingo On 27 May to 14 Jun 2026 Florida Repertory Theatre (5/27-6/14) |
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O.A.R. at St Augustine Amphitheatre St Augustine Amphitheatre (11/14-11/14) |
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Showtunes Sunday at The Ball The Ball (1/18-6/21) |
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Mandy Keen: MAGGIE The Commodore (5/30-5/30) |
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Come from Away MAD Theatre of Tampa (6/11-6/28) |
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Tampa Metropolitan Improv On May 29, 2026 Carrollwood Cultural Center (5/29-5/29) |
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The Cross & The Saber Lab Theater Project Inc. (7/02-7/19) |
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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street to Open at Richey Suncoast Theatre Richey Suncoast Theatre (6/05-6/14) |
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