In October, the Center will present
A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love & Murder,
which tells the uproarious story of
Monty Navarro, a distant heir to a family
fortune who sets out to jump the line of
succession, by any means necessary. All
the while, he’s got to juggle his mistress
(she’s after more than just love), his
fiancée (she’s his cousin, but who’s
keeping track?), and the constant threat
of landing behind bars. Of course, it will
all be worth it if he can slay his way to his
inheritance...and be done in time for tea.
In November, you can see Newsies,
the smash-hit, crowd-pleasing new
musical from Disney, that won the
2012 Tony Award for Best Score and
Best Choreography. It’s a high-energy
explosion of song and dance. Next, you
THE BOOK OF MORMON will play at Ruth Eckerd Hall.
can check out Kinky Boots, the winner of
six Tony Awards including Best Musical,
which is an inspirational story about
a struggling shoe factory owner who
works to turn his business around with
help from Lola, a fabulous entertainer
in need of some sturdy stilettos. With a
score by Cyndi Lauper and a book that
is by four-time Tony winner Harvey
Fierstein, it will be on the Center’s stage
in December. Later in that month, a
new production of The Sound of Music,
the beloved musical story of Maria and
the Von Trapp Family with its Tony,
Grammy and Academy Award-winning
Best Score, will conclude the 2015
performances.
To begin 2016, Disney’s The Lion
King will return in January with its
magical sets, costumes, choreography
and memorable score. In February, the
Center will present Matilda The Musical,
the winner of 50 international awards,
including four Tony Awards, with its
story of an extraordinary girl who, armed
with a vivid imagination and a sharp
mind, dares to take a stand and change
her own destiny. In April, Beautiful -
The Carole King Musical, which is the
inspiring true story of King’s remarkable
rise to stardom, from being part of a hit
songwriting team to becoming one of
the most successful solo acts in popular
music history, will be performed.
The Broadway season at the Straz
Center will conclude in May with If/
Then, a contemporary Broadway musical
about living in New York. This deeply
JULY/AUGUST 2015 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 61
JOAN MARCUS