Ruth Eckerd unveils more of the same

[Photo: Ruth Eckerd Hall] Riverdance comes to Ruth Eckerd Hall on Feb. 4-9.

By Times staff
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 26, 2002

Following up on a successful season, the hall's 2002-03 offerings include Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot, favorites like Riverdance and Cabaret, classics La Boheme and Swan Lake, pop stars Harry Belafonte and Wynonna and more.

CLEARWATER -- When you've had your biggest year ever, what do you do for an encore?

Take a look at Act 1 of Ruth Eckerd Hall's 2002-03 season, being announced today, and the strategy is clear: Stick with a winner.

"What we've been doing over the last five years has really been working, so we have not been looking to change very much," said hall president and chief executive officer Robert Freedman. "The audiences have been responding to the programming. We had $8-million in ticket sales this year . . . which basically says we're doing something right."

That revenue record comes despite initial concerns that people were staying away from theaters after Sept. 11. "I don't think we were that impacted," Freedman said. "The sales for the first half ot he season were actually stronger than in the second half."

There are plenty of favorites on the schedule, including Irish stepdance warhorse Riverdance, Cabaret, Spanish tenor Jose Carreras, Richard Nader's doo-wop show and, of course, the Miami City Ballet's Nutcracker. Shows that were at Ruth Eckerd or other Tampa Bay area stages last year -- Rent, Saturday Night Fever -- are coming back.

A newcomer is Some Like It Hot, starring Tony Curtis, a musical version of the classic movie that is debuting next month at Houston's brand new Hobby Performing Arts Center. Also, Freedman noted, Johnny Mathis will be at Ruth Eckerd Hall for the first time in five years.

Among the opera offerings is La Boheme, which the hall is promoting together with Rent, the age-of-AIDS musical based on the Puccini classic that was a hit among younger audiences at Ruth Eckerd last year.

Several years ago, the hall diversified its offerings to include more pop music, and that has accounted for a lot of its sales success. The pop schedule so far ranges from Harry Belafonte to country diva Wynonna, from Motown classics the Temptations to smooth jazz artist Boney James.

Among the classical music offerings is a concert by violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, who had to cancel appearances with the Florida Orchestra this season due to a hand injury, and the pairing of clarinetist Richard Stoltzman with pianist Emanuel Ax.

"Luckily we do get support from the state of Florida to help present classical music and dance," Freedman said. "We feel if we do four classical music concerts a year, and do a variety in that, we're safe to do that."

The biggest Broadway touring shows next year, including a six-week run of The Lion King, are at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Freedman, however, sees a silver lining for his hall.

"I think sometimes that helps us. Their theater is held up for that period of time. . . . Our way of presenting performances is to do a very broad variety and a very broad mix."

Here is the Act 1 2002-2003 season schedule. All dates and times subject to change. Order forms for hall members will be mailed in July; tickets go on sale to the general public on Aug. 24 at 9 a.m. For information, call the ticket office at (727) 791-7400, or visit www.rutheckerdhall.com.

BROADWAY

Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot, the musical: Dec. 31-Jan. 5

Cabaret: Jan. 18-19

Rent: Jan. 30-Feb. 1

Riverdance: Feb. 4-9

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella: Feb. 14-15

Mandy Patinkin in concert: April 1

Saturday Night Fever: April 19

POP

Lee Ann Womack: Oct. 4

The Temptations and the Four Tops: Oct. 12

Boney James: Nov. 7

Peter, Paul and Mary, Nov. 9

Kenny Rogers: Nov. 22

Wynonna: Dec. 1

Ricky Skaggs Bluegrass Festival with Del McCoury: Jan. 9

Richard Nader's Original New York-New Jersey Reunion with Ronnie Spector, more: Jan. 10

Harry Belafonte: Jan. 14

Johnny Mathis: Jan. 23-24

COMEDY

Jeff Foxworthy, Blue Collar Comedy Tour 2: Nov. 16

An Evening with Burt Reynolds: Lies, Loves and Laughter: Nov. 20

George Carlin: Dec. 14

OPERA

Western Opera Theater: La Boheme: Nov. 13

Jose Carreras: Jan. 21

Teatro Lirico D'Europa: Madama Butterfly: Feb. 19

Teatro Lirico D'Europa: Il Trovatore: March 1

CLASSICAL

Pianist Vladimir Feltsman: Nov. 21

Salute to Vienna: Dec. 29

Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra: Feb. 27

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg: March 27

Richard Stoltzman and Emanuel Ax: April 8

DANCE

Georgian State Dance Company: Nov. 30

Moscow Classical Ballet, Swan Lake: Jan. 25

Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal: Feb. 13

Limon Dance Company: April 15

WORLD STAGE

Cirque Eloize, Nomade: Nov. 14

Tango Buenos Aires: Jan. 29

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo: Feb. 28

Band of the Grenadier Guards: March 15

Aeros: March 22

Trinity Irish Dancers: March 26

HOLIDAY

The Irish Tenors Christmas Spectacular: Nov. 23

The Colors of Christmas: Nov. 29

Miami City Ballet and the Florida Orchestra: The Nutcracker: Dec. 6-8

A Christmas Carol, the musical: Dec. 9

The Chocolate Nutcracker, Dec. 13

ADULTS AT LEISURE (all shows at 1 p.m.)

The Spencers: Theatre of Illusion: Nov. 26

The Irish Rovers Christmas: Dec. 19

A Christmas Carol, the musical: Dec. 9

A Scottish Christmas featuring Bonnie Rideout, Dec. 18

The Pied Pipers: Jan. 7

The Glenn Miller Orchestra: Jan. 21

The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra: Jan. 28

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