A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Oct. 20-25, 2015

Getting away with murder can be so much fun … and there's no better proof than the knock-'em-dead hit show that's earned unanimous raves and won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Musical – A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder! 

Coming direct from New York, where a most gentlemanly NPR critic said he'd “never laughed so hard at a Broadway musical,” Gentlemen's Guidetells 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. The Hollywood Reporter raves, “Gentleman's Guide restores our faith in musical comedy” and The New York Times cheers, “it will lift the hearts of all those who've been pining for what sometimes seems a lost art form.” Kindly get your tickets now for the new musical that will have you dying with laughter!

Disney's Newsies

Nov. 10-15, 2015

They delivered the papers, until they made the headlines … direct from Broadway comes Newsies, the smash-hit, crowd-pleasing new musical from Disney. Winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Score and Best Choreography, Newsies has audiences and critics alike calling it “a musical worth singing about!” (The New York Times). Filled with one heart-pounding number after another, it's a high-energy explosion of song and dance you just don't want to miss. Now is the time to seize the day with Newsies.

Kinky Boots

Dec. 1-6, 2015

Kinky Boots is the exhilarating Broadway musical that will lift your spirits to new high-heeled heights! Winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical, this inspirational story follows 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. Together, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible … proving that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world.

Inspired by a true story, Kinky Boots features a joyous, Tony-winning score by Cyndi Lauper, direction and Tony-winning choreography by Jerry Mitchell and a hilarious, uplifting book by four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein. Come join the sold-out audiences who've discovered why – sometimes – the best way to fit in is to stand out! “There is no show hotter than Kinky Boots.” – CBS News

The Sound of Music

Dec. 22-27, 2015

A brand new production of The Sound of Music, directed by three-time Tony Award-winning director Jack O'Brien, is coming to the Straz Center. The spirited, romantic and beloved musical story of Maria and the Von Trapp Family will once again thrill audiences with its Tony, Grammy® and Academy Award®-winning Best Score, including “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Climb Ev'ry Mountain,” “Edelweiss” and the title song. The hills are alive!

The Sound of Music enjoyed extraordinary success as the first live television production of a musical in over 50 years when The Sound of Music Live! aired on NBC in December 2013 (seen by over 44 million people); 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the film version, which continues to be the most successful movie musical in history.

Parsons Dance

Jan. 14, 2016

Dizzying athleticism meets uplifting, all-ages choreography by one of America's great dance makers, David Parsons. Founded in 1985, Parsons Dance rose to the top of the contemporary dance world, often defining the world of contemporary movement in ground-breaking dances of sublime innovation. The New York Times hails Parsons Dance as “ingenious … remarkable … striking!”

Disney's The Lion King

Jan. 20-Feb. 14, 2016

More than 70 million people around the world have experienced the phenomenon of Disney's The Lion King, and now you can, too, when Tampa's best-loved musical returns to the Straz Center. Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, this landmark musical event brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway. Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against an amazing backdrop of stunning visuals. The Lion King also features some of Broadway's most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice.  There is simply nothing else like The Lion King.

The Hot Sardines

Jan 23, 2016

The Hot Sardines' distinctive recipe for making musical magic includes a blustery brass lineup layered over a rhythm section led by a stride-piano Fats Waller-style virtuoso. Tied together with a riveting front woman who sings in English and French with a voice reminiscent of the Golden Age of hot jazz, this sizzling gumbo of sound fuses musical influences from New York, Paris, and New Orleans—and tours with its own tap dancer. Hailed as ““…one of the best jazz bands in New York today” (Forbes), The Hot Sardines mix a little Parisian mischief into the rollicking controlled chaos of American hot jazz standards.

Alan Cumming in Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs

Jan 26, 2016

Tour de force multi-talent of stage and screen Alan Cumming shot to stardom as the EmCee in the 90s Broadway revival of Cabaret. Since then, his appearances on stage and screen garnered him numerous awards, accolades and an international audience of fans who admire him for his singing and acting chops as well as his unflinching, irrepressible sense of humor. Cumming's memoir, Not My Father's Son, landed on the New York Times' Bestseller List in 2015.

Patti LaBelle

Feb 21, 2016

The inimitable soul songstress Patti LaBelle defined the diva generation with her string of radio hits including “Lady Marmalade,” “New Attitude,” and “Stir It Up.” A living legend, LaBelle has been inducted into the Grammy® Hall of Fame, won a Lifetime Achievement Award from BET and earned NAACP's Entertainer of the Year honor twice. This solo concert marks her return to the stage so old and new fans may experience the magic of Patti LaBelle live--her signature voice wrapped up in her spectacular flair.

Matilda The Musical

Feb, 23-28, 2016

“Welcome to the deliriously amusing, heartwarming, head-spinning world of Matilda The Musical. You won't want to leave.” – Bloomberg News

Winner of 50 international awards, including four Tony Awards, Matilda The Musical is the 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. Based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahl, Matilda continues to thrill sold-out audiences of all ages on Broadway and in London's West End. The Wall Street Journal says, “The makers of Matilda have done the impossible – triumphantly! It is smart, sweet, zany and stupendous fun.”

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical

April 26–May 1, 2016

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of King's remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation.

Featuring a stunning array of beloved songs written by Goffin/King and Mann/Weil, including “I Feel The Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “You've Got A Friend” and the title song, Beautiful has a book by Tony and Academy Award-nominated writer Douglas McGrath, direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince. The show took home two 2014 Tony Awards.

If/Then

May 17-22, 2016

If/Then is a contemporary Broadway musical about living in New York today – and all the possibilities of tomorrow. With unforgettable songs and a deeply moving story by the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning creators of Next to Normal, this “fascinating, ambitious, and original new musical (New York Post)” simultaneously follows one woman's two possible life paths, painting a deeply moving portrait of the lives we lead, as well as the lives we might have led.

“Thrilling! The best musical of the year.” —New York Magazine