Straz Center for the Performing Arts — Attraction in Tampa

Long review ahead loll,

I've lived in the Bay area for over 20 years and this is the 1st time I've been able to go to any sort of show at the Straz center and I gotta say it really was an experience. The cast was all very talented although there were a couple of instances where they don't enunciate super clearly but that also could just be that my hearing kind of sucks since I also found their voices get drowned out a bit by the chorus or the music playing behind them. But the main cast almost always shines through very clearly and they obviously choose the most talented people to take the leads which is amazing. That's not to undermine the Background dancers/characters because during the Hamilton show that I saw they did such an excellent job it was outrageous. Specifically the scene where they rewound time to show another perspective from a different sister's point of view was absolutely insane and I remember audibly gasping.

As for the theater itself- the actual building is 4 or 5 stories high and is absolutely beautiful. It well kept and felt fancy although a bit small. The outside area with the canopy have these beautiful lights that blew me away since it was raining when we got out so it glowed. It really did feel like you were walking out of a Broadway show. They do have elevators but between shows I feel like the building feels very narrow and all of the people storming out trying to get to concessions is almost impossible to fight through and makes trying to get on one almost as hard as getting out of the parking garage haha. I did manage to make it through concessions with like 2 minutes to spare and all I got was a water ($3-$4) but all in all the building really is beautiful and made things feel a little more worth the price.

They do offer merchandise for the show you're seeing but tbh alot of the Hamilton stuff felt like things I could have gotten 80% cheaper off amazon... I felt I had to get a tshirt (40$) to remember the night but I was a little sad to see they didnt have the showing dates on the back of it since that would have made it more worth it... but yeah keep in mind the prices are super high once in the building and if you're giving tickets as a gift maybe also give a peice of merch with it to save some coin or also get food before or after the show outside the building. The straz is in downtown tampa so if you're willing to walk or sightsee you might be able to get good food for cheaper elsewhere.

Also!! A note on what to wear!! The center site says to wear whats most comfortable but I will say the crowd seemed to be wearing mostly dresses, suits, polos, or nice tops and dress pants. The only people who seemed dressed 'down' were teens and one or two young adults so keep that in mind if you're someone who gets nervous feeling under dressed. I wore a turtle neck and black shorts and felt ok :)

Anyways 10/10 would...

The Straz is THE premier theater in Tampa Bay with the Jaeb, Morsani and Ferguson Theaters being the ones we frequent the most since it opened in 1987. In fact, we bought the Broadway series that year just so we could see CATS. We have loved most of the shows that we have seen in these theaters, especially the Broadway shows. Even in the nose bleed section (all the way at the top) for TOMMY, we enjoyed the show.

At Tuesday’s 7:30 DEAR EVAN HANSEN show, on 2/1/22, approaching the entrance to the theater, I was asked for a negative CoVid test or my vaccination card (this is what I had). I also walked through a metal detector and screening (my pulse was looked into). In my seat, I sat next to a chatty gentleman on my left and 10 empty seats to my right. He was attentive during the show, but after intermission I chose to sit in one of the empty seats next to me. I could see better. This show was fantastic! Of the 8 parts, four were played by understudies, and all 8 players were phenomenal.

The educational programs are first rate, and heavily attended. The Center also has an app for enhanced listening in Morsani Hall for the hearing impaired. Upon request, the visually impaired can request audio description and use the same app in the Morsani. I believe this feature is only available n this hall for the Broadway Series, for the Saturday 2PM show. It would be nice to know if it is offered for other shows or in the other theaters.

All of the staff, especially the theater ushers, are amazing. They are friendly, accommodating, and pleasant. Water is permitted in Morsani Hall ($3 for a bottle of Dasani), but no other food or beverages are permitted at this time (2/1/22). I believe the Jaeb has more relaxed rules in place since they have tables and chairs, and for past shows they have sold alcohol and soft drinks. We watched SPAMILTON in this theater twice! It was so good.

The parking is the worst part of attending shows at the Straz. THAT is why I am giving 4 stars instead of 5. In the past 35 years, condos, apartment buildings, and hotels have replaced ground parking which was convenient and fairly priced. The Poe Garage used to have a walking bridge to the Straz that gave walkers covering if it rained. Now, you must bring an umbrella or wear a raincoat. Valet parking and self-parking on site is also diminished. With all of the road work in the area, driving to and from can also...

Ok let's talk about the positives first. I will say 1 star for the total stars.

Beautiful venue 1 star Convenient parking with so many parking garages. 1 star Cookies were very reasonably priced compared to everything else. I was grateful for this. The staff members I ran into were friendly. 1 star.

Now for the negatives.

Seats were not just uncomfortable but God awful. The average American is not the size of an average Chinese person. Were BIGGER. As a 5'9" person at 250lbs these were a little tight. My friends sat next to reach other, and they looked like they were packed into a sardine can. Also, the position and hardness of the seat hurt my back. next time, im bringing pillows.💺 -1 star

Prices for stuff are around theme park prices or higher, which is crazy because this isn't a theme park. $5 for a box of candy about the same size as a pack at a gas station. $16 for alcoholic drinks that are bottom shelf. The only saving grace was the $3 cookie. -1 star

In the end, I would go back but I think I would do things differently by bringing my own pillows.

One thing we noticed there that would have made me very mad as a paying patron is they allowed the performer to record and had cameras going everywhere, so if you were on the lower level, you might of had that in your view of the show. It was very distracting at the lower levels. My friends also had a cable running ring in front of there viewing area right through the middle seat viewing area to control lights or something else. I would not pay $50+ to have that in my way. This should not of been allowed when it crosses 3 levels of viewing and will hinder people's experience. I would say that line affected 15 people or more between 3 levels. There should have been a rule that this was not allowed. Not sure why there was noconduct between the levels that this cable could have been run through without affecting anyone or some pre run wires like XLR to the different levels.

I'm sorry the tech guy in me is ranting in this review as a professional show and the venue should have done better to correct this or just say no. The cable is just to the left of my picture and you can see it.

I'm going to be nice and not take a star off for this but I should. So - 1...