ABOVE: Tampa’s Straz Center announces the return of Broadway. Photo courtesy the Straz.
TAMPA | The Straz Center for the Performing Arts unveiled its eight-show, 2021-2022 Broadway season April 16, marking a return to form beginning this October.
While the Tampa staple currently features in-person productions from its resident theatre company Jobsite Theater, it’s been more than a year since the Straz featured a touring Broadway show. Its 2019-2020 season was ultimately cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.
“It’s been a long intermission, but we are excited for the return of touring Broadway to Tampa,” Straz Center President and CEO Judy Lisi said in a press release.
“We’ve put together a remarkable season that includes a couple of welcome surprises along with a few shows that were postponed from early 2020 due to the pandemic and a number of shows originally announced for the 2020-2021 slate,” she continued. “It’s a season of blockbusters, audience favorites, award winners and classics … this line-up truly is the best of Broadway.”
The Straz has partnered with Tampa General to develop safety protocols for patrons and staff alike. These measures include health screenings, temperature checks and mask enforcement, which could continue in the fall if necessary.
Other changes include “a comprehensive, campus-wide mitigation plan.” The Straz shared it has invested $1.4 million” in upgrades to its HVAC system and more.
The 2021-2022 season will begin with “Tootsie,” playing Oct. 26-31. “This laugh-out-loud love letter to the theatre tells the story of Michael Dorsey, a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until one show-stopping act of desperation lands him the role of a lifetime,” it’s described.
Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Cats” will follow Dec. 7-12. The record-breaking musical has captivated audiences across the world.
“Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” kicks off the new year Jan. 11-16, 2022. Its score features more than 20 of the superstar artist’s classic hits, including “Love to Love You Baby,” “Bad Girls” and “Hot Stuff.”
The LGBTQ-focused “The Prom” follows Feb. 15-20, 2022. The newer musical comedy, which inspired Ryan Murphy’s Netflix adaptation, is described as being “about big Broadway stars on a mission to change the world and a love that unites them all.”
“Disney’s Frozen” will “let it go” at the Straz March 23-April 3, 2022. The Broadway adaptation promises “sensational special effects, stunning sets and costumes, and powerhouse performances” in “everything you want in a musical.”
The classic “My Fair Lady” will play next, April 26-May 1, 2022. Audiences will relive or experience classics for the first time including “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “On the Street Where You Live.”
“The Band’s Visit” will follow May 4-8, 2022. The winner of 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, it showcases a “joyously offbeat story, set in a town that’s way off the beaten path” and features “a band of musicians [who] arrive lost, out of the blue.”
“Pretty Woman: The Musical” closes out the season May 17-22, 2022. Billed as adapting “one of Hollywood’s most beloved stories of all time,” it promises to “lift your spirits and light up your heart.”
You can also watch a video announcement via Straz below:
The Straz also shared that season ticket holders will receive renewal information the week of April 19. Patrons can also sign up to become new season ticket holders, with prices ranging from $215-$739.05. Individual tickets will go on sale at later dates.
To become a season ticket holder, for more information about each show and to learn more about the venue’s current offerings, visit StrazCenter.org. Learn more about Jobsite at JobsiteTheater.org.
