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© St. Petersburg Times, published May 12, 2002
TAMPA -- The Lion King is set to roar at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, whose 2002-03 schedule is released today. As previously announced, TBPAC's season is anchored by the ballyhooed Disney musical, whose U.S. tour began last month in Denver, where the entire run was sold out in advance of opening night.
With more than 10,000 subscribers this season, TBPAC's Broadway series is one of the biggest in the country, and demand for tickets to The Lion King Dec. 13-Jan. 26 is being counted upon to spur sales for all shows. The lineup also includes The Full Monty, Aida and Seussical.
"This promises to be a record-breaking year for the center," president Judi Lisi said. "We fully expect to set new highs in Broadway season subscriptions, single-day sales, opera subscriptions and play subscriptions."
Virtually the entire TBPAC season already had been announced, but there are a few newly scheduled presentations in today's release, including Blast II: Shockwave, a sequel to the marching band spectacle Blast, which played the center this season, and another run of Cats. Washington Ballet will perform Carmen and Peter Pan.
Opera Tampa will cut back to two productions -- Otello and the double bill of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci -- instead of the three it did this season. Also on the opera agenda are a recital by Denyce Graves and a tour of Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore.
The center's American Music Festival honors Louis Armstrong, with an original cabaret show and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Jobsite Theater, in residence at TBPAC's Shimberg Playhouse, will mark its fifth season with Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus; The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged) by Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor; The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin MacDonagh; Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill; and Original Works 2003: Murder Ballads, a theatrical homage to the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds rock album of the same title.
Ticket prices vary. Subscriptions now available; single tickets to non-Broadway shows go on sale Aug. 1; on-sale dates for single tickets to Broadway shows to be announced. For information, call (813) 229-7827 or toll-free 1-800-955-1045 or see the Web site www.tbpac.org.
BROADWAY SERIES
Lord of the Dance: Oct. 29-Nov. 3
The Lion King: Dec. 13-Jan. 26
The Full Monty: Feb. 18-23
Aida: March 4-15
Seussical the Musical: March 25-30
42nd Street: April 29-May 4
Late Night Catechism: Nov. 1-Dec. 22.
Satchmo: The Life and Times of Louis Armstrong: Jan. 28-April 19
A Priest, a Lawyer and an Atheist Walk Into a Bar: Sept. 27-29
Leonard Nimoy in Vincent: Jan. 10-19
Camping in Bewilderness: April 18-27
Spatial Theory: May 2-4
Getting Lost: May 16-18
Washington Ballet in Carmen: Feb. 7
Washington Ballet in Peter Pan: Feb. 9
Titus Andronicus: Oct. 17-Nov. 3
The Piano Lesson: Feb. 6-23
The Beauty Queen of Leenane: March 27-April 13
Proof: Jan. 28-30
As You Like It: Feb. 19
Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci: Nov. 23-24
Denyce Graves: Feb. 15
H.M.S. Pinafore: March 22-23
Otello: April 26-27
The Magic Theatre & Illusion Show: Nov. 3
A Christmas Carol -- The Musical: Dec. 6-8
Peter and the Wolf: Feb. 2
The Girls Choir of Harlem: May 4
Amelia Bedelia and Stories from Around the World: Oct. 26
Shana Banana's Fairy Tales Gone Bananas: Nov. 2
Johnny Appleseed: Jan. 18
Just So Stories: Feb. 15
Blast II: Shockwave: Nov. 26-Dec. 1
David Copperfield: Jan. 31-Feb. 2
Cats: Dates in July to be announced.
Traje Nuevo: Oct. 3
Preservation Hall Jazz Band: March 6