Category: News

Meet The Unsung Heroes Behind The New Tampa Players’ “Grease!”

The members of the crew behind the scenes of “Grease” were just as important as the cast members. Pictured are (l.-r) Shelley Giles, Mark Weisenmiller, Amogha Kuppaa, Emma Hosking, Jannah Nager, Emily Buonaquisiti, Bella Otte, Kristin Nelson,Tami Carr, Katie Carr, James Cass, Nora Paine, Heather Cleveland & Ereka Morton. (Photo courtesy of Picture This of Palma Ceia).

Nearly everyone knows “Grease,” the iconic musical with toe-tapping tunes, incredible dance moves, and romance and drama at Rydell High. Behind all of the show’s glitz and glamour lies tremendous hard work from a dedicated team making the cast look (and sound) as good as possible.

As the first official New Tampa Players (NTP) performance at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, “Grease” is no ordinary musical — it’s a high-energy ride through the fabulous ‘50s, complete with a 1957 Chrysler that has to be dollied on and off stage. A hidden army of talented workers ensures the show’s success, working diligently behind the scenes. They don’t often get the spotlight, but the show could not go on without them.

NTP producing artistic director Nora Paine, a homeschool mom of four and the producing artistic director, also manages the stage, with the help of assistant stage managers Kristin Nelson, Emily Buonaquisiti and aspiring playwright Mark Weisenmiller. With her headset on and monitor in place, the company feels secure as Paine calls out cues from a barely lit space backstage. Her techy husband Joshua, “her theatre saint,” and son Sebastian also play vital roles, helping with support and lights (while Keith Eisenstadt designed the lighting).

Paine jokes that her favorite part of being a stage manager is “going to sound very stage managery, but it’s when a set change goes well. The stage lights go down at the right time. The set pieces move in the choreography that you need them to. Everything slides in. The next set piece comes in. The lights go up, and the orchestra syncs all together.”

Nelson, a medical scribe and first-time assistant stage manager who has performed in some previous NTP productions, says, “My favorite thing has been watching the cast grow. I enjoy getting to be part of the magic behind the scenes. Creating this world was super cool.”

A recent high school graduate, Buonaquisiti adds, “I love working with the actors, especially during set changes making sure everything goes smoothly and safely.”

While the performers spend months perfecting their lines, vocals and choreography, the director and music director are the masterminds behind the magic. In this musical, those roles are handled by the same person.

A computer programmer by day, director and musical director G. Frank Meekins says his favorite moment was when, “we actually got our stage, and the production came to life. We finally had the space to spread our wings.”

Meekins says that wearing both hats for “Grease” required more effort, as his attention was split between the two different roles; however, having true directorial control allowed him the creativity to make the dialogue and music gel. “It’s rewarding when it all comes together,” he says.

Meekins also notes that, “While this show follows the movie that many are familiar with, it’s also a little more gritty and deals with adult situations differently than the movie did. We are actually performing the original Broadway version from 1972. We maintained (most of) the items that would now be considered taboo in keeping the style of society back then.”

Professional dancer, Atlas Modern Ballet founder and HCC professor Sarah Walston provided the choreography for the show’s memorable dance routines. She taught the cast the hand jives, jitterbugs and other energetic dance routines — a new experience for the ballet and contemporary dance choreographer.

“As a dancer, I love ‘Grease,’” Walston says. “The community feel has made a project like this less stressful with all these moving parts. It’s really been a team effort and a great experience for me to learn what can happen in a musical with a great community.”

You can’t have “Grease” without the iconic T-Birds leather and Pink Ladies jackets and authentic ‘50s attire. Retired engineer and current NTP Board of Directors chair Michell “Shelley” Giles and engineer/teacher Heather Cleveland meticulously assembled more than 100 different costumes for the show, going as far as to research if each fabric and pattern would be appropriate for the period. Both women say working with costumes is like solving a satisfying puzzle, especially with an extremely limited budget to purchase the costumes and the materials to make them.

“My favorite part of the job was being able to make some of the dresses,” says Giles, who is a self-taught seamstress. “As a costumer, I enjoy seeing the actors come to life on stage. My hobby is sewing. I sew everything.”

Cleveland adds, “You want everybody on stage to feel fantastic. I enjoy the creativity, starting from nothing and having it blossom into something.” As an example, Cleveland says, “We took Frenchy’s prom dress apart three or four times — a new bodice was made, and we hand-pleated the skirt. I’m pleased with the results of the work that went into that one.”

Behind the curtain, a small army of costume, prop assistants, stagehands and costume “dressers,” including college senior and aerial acrobat Emma Hosking, assist by waiting in the wings to help the actors with quick costume changes and to make sure they all have the props they need for each scene.

“During Freddy My Love,” Hosking said, “we made a tradition of dramatically lip-syncing along to the song. I looked forward to that every performance.”

Among the costume and stage crew, all coordinated by Giles, Cleveland and prop master Tami Carr (the mom of Olivia, who played Sandy, and Sean Carr, who played bass in the orchestra) were Amogha Kuppaa, Ereka Morton, Ryan Pettaway, Bella Otte, Tracy Stemm, Katie Guerra, Jannah Nager and Katie Carr.

Tami Carr, a retired children’s orthotist and prosthetist, is the woman behind all the props. From sourcing authentic ‘50s items to crafting realistic-looking food, this creative wizard turns trash into treasure… literally. She says she created Sonny’s “zipgun” from items she found in the trash.

Tami explains how excited she is for NTP to have a new home, “They do everything with such integrity and excellence. Over the years, it made me sad that people didn’t always see the shows because they didn’t have a consistent place. To have all these sold-out shows, I feel not just happy for the cast of Grease but for everyone. Finally, people can experience and appreciate what they do.”

Assisted by most members of the cast, the set stagehands, led by Paul McColgan, work swiftly and silently, changing scenes with precision and coordination, like ninjas in black. Scenic artists Leiann Klein, Kyle Billington, Tami and Olivia Carr, Olivia’s fellow cast member Dakota Henry, Alex DeJoseph and Joshua Paine gave each piece of built-for-the-show set “furniture” its distinctive ‘50s look.

In addition, sound man John Camacho made sure all 24 of the performers’ microphones not only worked but also had compatible levels of volume before every performance. Stagehand James Cass of Picture This of Palma Ceia also served as the show’s official photgrapher. The orchestra included Meekins, rehearsal pianist Rick Barclay, Stan Martindale (guitar), Todd DuPriest (drums), Josh Hollenbeck and Elliott Domagola (sax) and Sean Carr. Diana Diaz designed the “Grease” program.

‘Grease’ Was The Word At The New Tampa Performing Arts Center!

*Photo above courtesy of Picture This Photography of Palma Ceia. All other photos on these pages by Charmaine George*

The last time I performed in “Grease,” the 1972 Tony Award-winning musical about mythical Rydell High in 1959, I was Teen Angel and Johnny Casino in summer camp.

I auditioned to be Teen Angel in the New Tampa Players production of “Grease” — which missed selling out all six shows in the new New Tampa Performing Arts Center by fewer than 10 seats total — but the role rightly went to the much more talented Trevor Lloyd (more on him in a bit).

Instead, I portrayed radio DJ “The Main Brain” Vince Fontaine and was officially the oldest member of an incredible cast of mostly “kids” ages 15-34 — and loved every minute of it.

With five cast members either still in or having just graduated from high school, NTP’s “Grease” had the look and feel of the Broadway hit and the cast didn’t disappoint. Under the direction and musical direction of G. Frank Meekins, with great choreography by Sarah Walston, these very young performers wowed close to 2,000 people between the six shows.

“We’re season ticket holders at the Straz Center (in downtown Tampa),” one couple told me after the first performance. “And this was a good as anything we’ve seen there.”

Were they kidding or exaggerating? Not in my book. Real-life substitute teacher Dylan Fidler was a powerhouse as Danny, especially his hand jive contest-winning duet dance with Makayla Raines as Cha-Cha DiGregorio, and crowd-pleasing karaoke favorite duet “Summer Nights” with Olivia Carr’s innocent (but later transformed) Sandy. At 17, “Liv” owns her own music business and she and Dylan also got high marks for the Olivia Newton-John/John Travolta duet “You’re the One that I Want” from the hit 1978 movie version of the show.

But, the rest of the cast members were all so talented and fun to work with, too.

Kyle Fisher, who works for USAA Insurance, was perfectly cast as Kenickie. His rendition of “Greased Lightning,” with Walston’s outstanding choreography with both the full-sized 1957 Chrysler and most of the guys in the cast, definitely rocked the house.

Target employee Jake Veit, 22, who was rightfully likened to late-‘50s pop star Ricky Nelson by Broadway World.com reviewer Peter Nason, charmed while singing “Those Magic Changes,” while the duet between 18-year-old Tripp Peavyhouse (as Roger, aka “Rump”) and University of Tampa musical theatre major Anna Jeffries (as Jan) on “Mooning” was so sweet and cute it gave me a toothache every time.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Heather Rich (Marty), who hopes to be a forensic psychologist after graduating with Psychology and Theatre degrees from the same program at UT as Jeffries, belted out a stirring “Freddy, My Love.”

And, commercial leasing agent Alyson Gannon was another audience favorite as the rough-edged Rizzo, whose sarcastic “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” was one of the best-received songs in Act 1, and her heartfelt “There are Worse Things I Could Do” was one of the top moments from Act 2.

Speaking of Act 2, Lloyd, who previously wrote for another local publication and who currently writes for Savvy Dealer automotive websites, was a super-cool Johnny Casino on “Born to Hand Jive” and a true show-stopper as the Teen Angel on “Beauty School Dropout.” Oh, how I wish I could match Trevor’s falsetto. “Dropout” also featured most of the female cast members in pyramidic hair curlers providing comic relief. Props also go out to Chelsea Orvis, an ensemble player who not only rejects my Vince character at the dance but who also sang “It’s Raining on Prom Night” as a beautiful duet with Sandy — even though Chelsea was off-stage for the entire song, as it was supposed to be coming from a radio in Sandy’s lonely bedroom.

As for the cast members who didn’t have solo songs or duets, whether featured players or members of the ensemble, their backing vocals were always outstanding and their dance moves were super-impressive. One such standout was Michael Figueroa as the crude Sonny, who spent as much time being battered around the stage by Kenickie, Danny and even stay-at-home mom Suzanne Bainbridge’s Miss Lynch character when he wasn’t turning cartwheels or other athletic dance moves (which he says he learned how to do from the Just Dance! video game; who knew?).

Ariyonna Thomas, who manages two local Join Chiropractic centers, was super-cute as the high school and beauty school dropout Frenchy, who loves her friends but can’t pronounce anyone else’s name correctly.

Although they’re also really good singers and dancers as part of the ensemble on most of the musical numbers, Starbucks barista Cassidy Haberland was great as Patty, the peppy cheerleader who’s sweet on Danny, while young substitute teacher Zach Smith provided lots of laughs as the bumbling class valedictorian Eugene. Meekins, Walston and NTP producing artistic director (and “Grease” stage manager) Nora Paine also did a great job of picking their ensemble players.

Not only was Raines, a behavioral therapist who works with special needs kids (including as one of the on-stage mentors during NTP’s Penguin Productions), amazing as Cha-Cha, her voice was as impressive as her dancing and her acting was spot-on, too.

Dakota Henry, at 15, was the youngest cast member. She is just starting her sophomore year at Pasco High, but she already is an accomplished singer who also has professional dance credits and is a standout in every ensemble dance number. Also fantastic was credit card processor Zane Sanrsour, who also learned how to dance from Just Dance!, but who somehow knew not only his own dance steps, but everyone else’s, too. I told Zane I would give him a much-deserved “assistant choreographer” credit for his efforts.

The remaining ensemble players also all had beautiful singing voices and auditioned for bigger roles, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t just as important to the success of the show, as they were the people most responsible for moving and locking down the brakes on the big, rolling set pieces between every scene.

Michael Neary, a remote IT tech for Stavvy in Boston, was Paine’s go-to guy for making sure everything was in its proper place on stage. He also earned laughs for his over-the-top solo hand jive during the dance contest.

Amanda Schapiro, a high school math teacher; Wesley Santana, who works for GTE Financial; and youngsters Mia De Choudens, a 17-year-old Wharton High senior; and Cypress Creek high junior Julian Rebelo, 16 (who also works at Sbarro at the Tampa Premium Outlets); rounded out the cast.

Yes, I was by far the oldest of the performers and had the smallest of all the speaking parts, but I can’t imagine that anyone had more fun on stage in “Grease” than I did. I even got my first-ever stage review from BrodwayWorld.com’s Nason, who raved about the show as a whole and called me “such a fun presence.” Thanks, Peter!

‘Shrek’ Is Next!

Although the cast had not yet been announced at our press time for NTP’s production of “Shrek, the Musical” (with shows Oct. 20-22 & 27-29) the auditions already were held and I chose to not try out, after seeing what a huge commitment it was to perform with this community theatre troupe. I can’t thank Nora, Frank, Sarah and the entire cast and crew (again, see pg. 28) for making me feel so at home. For “Shrek” tickets and more info, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.

Grease Grease Musical New Tampa New Tampa Performing Arts Center new tampa players

Checking In With Congresswoman Laurel Lee’s Tampa Palms Office!

Elected in November, U.S. Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-Dist. 15) already has been actively sponsoring bills. Rep. Lee has a constituent office now open in the Tampa Palms Professional Center. (Photo provided by Rep. Lee’s communications director Grace Bartlinski).

Unbeknownst to many, including yours truly — at least until a couple of months ago — U.S. Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-Brandon), who was elected to serve in the newly redistricted District 15 in the U.S. House of Representatives in November, quietly opened a local office in the Tampa Palms Professional Center.

So, when District 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera told me about her new office, I knew I wanted to at least try to speak with the former Florida Secretary of State (who resigned to run for Congress) about a number of important issues. My first question, however, was “How did Rep. Lee decide to open an office in Tampa Palms?”

And, while I didn’t speak directly with the Congresswoman, her communications director Grace Bartlinski was able to send me answers to most of my questions, including to the one above:

“This location is right along 75, allowing constituents from all over the district to have access (to it).”

As to what constituent services are available at the Tampa Palms office, Bartlinski said, “Constituents can call our District Office or visit in person to receive help with any issues they might have. Our office can help those who need help with a federal agency, have questions about VA (Veterans Administration) benefits, getting a passport, or who have questions about open casework. Constituents also can call in to voice their concerns, so the Congresswoman can best represent Florida’s 15th District.”

I also wanted to know how often Rep. Lee would be at the local office and whether or not she would host/attend any meetings in our area.

“When the House is out of session,” Bartlinski said, “the Congresswoman is in the District taking meetings with constituents, local businesses and community leaders throughout the District. (She) is planning (to host) community meetings and more telephone town halls in the future. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter (see info at the end of this story) and follow her on social media to stay up to date on when the next events will be announced.”

As to what bills Rep. Lee has so far authored or co-authored, Bartlinski said:

“The Congresswoman is very busy with committee work and voting on legislation when in D.C. She has introduced several bills and looks forward to them being brought to the House Floor to be voted on.”

She added that, last week, the Congresswoman had the following two bills pass out of committee and they now head to the House Floor for final passage:

• H.R. 4470, the “Protecting & Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorist Attacks Act of 2023.” This bill will extend the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) authority to ensure that regulatory standards dictating the practices of chemical facilities are reauthorized.

• H.R. 4563, the “American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act of 2023.” This legislation will equip states with election integrity tools to ensure all Americans’ First Amendment rights are safe. Additionally, this legislation will prevent non-citizen voting, ensure that the men and women serving our country have their ballots counted, and (will provide) direct federal resources to increase election security measures.

Additionally, Bartlinski said that Rep. Lee has co-sponsored the following bills that have already passed the House:

• H.R. 662, the “Block Grant Assistance Act of 2023.” This bill authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide as block grants to states and territories certain funding available to assist agricultural producers with losses due to droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos (wind storms), excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freezes, smoke exposure, and excessive moisture occurring in calendar year 2022.

• H.R. 277, the “REINS Act.” This bill revises provisions relating to congressional review of agency rulemaking.

• H.R. 5, the “Parents Bill of Rights.” This bill establishes various rights of parents and guardians regarding the public elementary or secondary school education (including secondary career and technical education) of their children. Local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools must comply with the requirements of the bill in order to receive federal education funds.

• H.J. Res. 27, which provides for congressional disapproval under Chapter 8 of Title 5 of the United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of the Army’s Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States.’”

• H.J. Res. 44, which provides for congressional disapproval under Chapter 8 of Title 5 of the United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives relating to “Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached ‘Stabilizing Braces.’”

In addition, Bartlinski said, the following are bills the Congresswoman has introduced or cosponsored, and letters:

• “National Human Trafficking Hotline Enhancement Act” (bipartisan and introduced with U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor). This legislation would require entities that contract with the National Human Trafficking Hotline to cooperate with state and local law enforcement when receiving tips through the Hotline. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and 35 other state attorneys general recently contacted House and Senate Leadership to express outrage that the Hotline is not reporting human trafficking tips to law enforcement unless the victim self-reports. This disrupts the federal-state partnership to end human trafficking.

• “OPIOIDS Act” (bipartisan and she introduced). This legislation will increase training for state and local law enforcement officers, update systems used for drug tracing and provide federal grants for training and resources to stop secondary drug exposure to first responders.

• “Saving Our Invaluable Land (SOIL) Act” (bipartisan). This bill would prohibit China, Iran, Russia and North Korea from owning or renting land within 10 miles of a sensitive site (military bases, important research facilities, and other locations containing sensitive/top-secret information or resources).

• Rep. Lee is a member of the Everglades Caucus (bipartisan) and signed a letter to President Biden requesting he include $725 million for Everglades Restoration in his Presidential Budget. This bipartisan caucus advocates for restoration projects in the Everglades and works closely with our state partners to ensure this land is protected.

• The Congresswoman voted in support of an Amendment that would prevent offshore drilling off the coast of Florida.

• She cosponsored H.R. 314, the “Force Act.” This bill would prohibit the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism until Cuba’s communist regime stops terrorizing its citizens.

• She also signed appropriations letters for Israel’s defense.

• Rep. Lee also was the original cosponsor of H.R. 4162, the “Land Grant Research Prioritization Act.”

The Congresswoman serves on the House Administration, Judiciary, and Homeland Security Committees. Bartlinski said that Rep. Lee looks forward to the National Human Trafficking Hotline Enhancement Act (introduced with Rep. Kathy Castor, D-FL 14) and the OPIOIDS Act (she introduced both) being brought to the House Floor to be considered. Additionally, her bills, H.R. 4470 and H.R. 4563, passed out of committee and now head to the House Floor for final passage.

Priorities & Positions

Bartlinski also said that one of Rep. Lee’s top priorities is securing our southern border and ensuring community safety. In May, the House passed the most comprehensive border security bill to date, H.R. 2, aka the “Secure the Border Act.” Additionally, the Congresswoman is working to stop government overreach and restore Congress’ role to check the regulatory actions of federal agencies. She cosponsored the REINS Act, which will rein in government overreach and ensure government accountability.

“The Congresswoman also is committed to making goods and services more affordable,” Bartlinski said. “Inflation is hurting Americans’ pocketbooks — we have seen prices at the gas pump and grocery stores skyrocket.” Rep. Lee co-sponsored the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which would keep taxes low for small businesses and all Americans: “When we keep taxes low and curb wasteful spending (in) Washington, we put more money back into Americans’ pockets.”

In addition, as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, Bartlinski said, “The Congresswoman is working to secure the southern border. (She) believes securing our border, enforcing our laws and taking steps to ensure we stop unchecked illegal immigration is the humanitarian thing to do. The border is not secure and when we fail to enforce our laws, we empower criminals. The House recently passed the most comprehensive border security bill to date (H.R. 2, the “Secure the Border Act,” for which Rep. Lee voted ‘yes’). A few weeks ago, the Homeland Security Committee launched an investigation into Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ dereliction of duty. Through this investigation, the Committee will get answers for the American people.”

In addition, said Bartlinski, “The Congresswoman also believes that the U.S. has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. We cannot keep spending our grandchildren’s money — to get our budget under control, Congress has to cut spending. Rep. Lee looks forward to working to get our fiscal house back in order and put money back into Americans’ pockets.”

Bartlinski also noted that, as a former judge, the Congresswoman respects the law and Constitution and is deeply committed to upholding the law and will support those rights granted to American citizens.

In April, Rep. Lee also became the first Florida member of the U.S. Congress to endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for President in 2024.

For more information about Rep. Lee’s position on various issues and policies, please visit https://laurellee.house.gov/services or follow her on social media. For a complete list of bills she has introduced, co-sponsored and voted on and more info about each bill’s text, visit https://www.congress.gov/member/laurel-lee/L000597?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22laurel+lee%22%5D%7D&s=2&r=1.

Congress Congresswoman Congresswoman Laurel Lee Laurel Lee New Tampa politics tampa palms

It’s All On The Avenue We’re Taking You To (Or Near?) — 42nd St.!

For years, whenever anyone headed southwest from Tampa Palms on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. towards the Lake Forest subdivision, there really wasn’t much between the two on the west side of BBD other than a gas station, a flower shop (A Special Rose Florist, now located in Tampa Palms), a do-it-yourself car wash, an Ob/Gyn office and the North Oaks condominiums.

(Top) For about 50 years, the for-lease Palma Verde apartments at the corner of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. & 42nd St. were the only buildings on 42nd St. But, eight years ago, the Angels Senior Living Assisted Living & Memory Care residence (middle and bottom photos) opened, and the beautiful lobby area has been welcoming residents to its 102 studio, 1- and 2-bedroom and 24 memory care apartments ever since.

Just north of North Oaks, a street labeled as 42nd St. already was home to the Palma Verde apartments, a small rental apartment development built in 1965 made up of ten one-bedroom units in five buildings.

Then, roughly eight years ago, Angels Senior Living at New Tampa Assisted Living & Memory Care, which has a sign at the corner of 42nd and BBD, near the Palma Verde apartments (which are managed by Martino Chillura Management), became the second establishment to open on 42nd St., and both Angels and Palma Verde have Tampa addresses in zip code 33613.

The 42nd St. location, which offers 102 beds and 89 total units (including 24 secured memory care apartments), is one of eleven senior living facilities the Angels Senior Living parent company operates throughout the Tampa Bay area. Photographer Charmaine George and I toured Angels and I will say that it is quaint, super-clean and provides its seniors with home health care, therapy, pharmaceutical services, adult day care, respite care and a lovely place to live.

What prompted me to write this story, however, was the fact that until more of the property on BBD began being cleared a couple of years ago, to add more than 750 total additional rental units (see below), I honestly didn’t even know Angels was there. Yes, we had published stories about the new apartment units that had begun construction at that time, but now, as you head north on 42nd St. from Angels, you realize that not only are there sparkling, new apartments for rent, but also that the street seems to change names to what is now called Cypress Cay Blvd.

This mile-or-so-long stretch of Cypress Cay Blvd. actually does have a separate curb cut on BBD just north of 42nd St. In addition, even though Palma Verde and Angels are located in zip code 33613, the new apartment communities — the separate Lantana and Sage at Cypress Cay rental communities located north of Angels — actually have Lutz addresses in zip code 33559.

Cypress Cay Blvd. continues past the 252-unit Lantana (which just welcomed its first residents a couple of weeks ago and is not yet 100% completed) and 304-unit Sage (which has been open for about a year) communities and winds its way towards a new multi-family development known as the Cottages at Cypress Cay, which will include 198 total additional rental units in 71 buildings.

Although we don’t yet have much information about the Cottages at Cypress Cay, based on the photo of its sign (below), it appears that, like Lantana and Sage, it also will be seeking to reach upscale apartment renters. Lantana and Sage feature 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments ranging from $1,800 to more than $3,000 per month. And, while they are located near USF, these are not your usual student apartments, with their beautiful lobby areas, upscale amenities and gated security.

Both Lantana and Sage are being developed by RangeWater Real Estate, which has developed dozens of apartment communities in 11 states, including Ascend Grove West and Beacon Epperson in Wesley Chapel. We were told that Sage, which is nearing its capacity, is now under contract to be sold.

Meanwhile, The Cottages are being developed by Capstone Communities, which also has developed thousands of units in over half the U.S. (including 8 projects in Florida), but is making its debut in the Tampa Bay area.

And, just northeast of where Cypress Cay Blvd. meets BBD (see map on next page), there is an undeveloped commercial lot. We don’t yet know what is planned for that site, but will update that for you in a future issue.

42nd St Angels Senior Living apartments construction Cottages at Cypress Cay Apartments Lantana Apartments New Tampa Palma Verde Apartments Sage Apartments

‘Grease’ Is Still The Word — At Least Through Next Weekend!

(Above, l.-r.) Jan (Anna Jeffries), Rizzo (Alyson Gannon), Kenicke (Kyle Fisher), Danny (Dylan Fidler), Sandy (Olivia Carr), Frenchy (Ariyonna Thomas) and Marty (Heather Rich) headline the cast of ‘Grease’ through July 30, at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center. (Photos by Charmaine George).

Although there already has been a New Tampa Players (NTP) preview show and a Penguin Productions presentation of “Beauty and the Beast” at the sparkling new New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC), “Grease” — the first official show of NTP’s 2023-24 season — made its debut at the NTPAC last weekend.

Unfortunately, due to the timing of our issues, we aren’t able to share pictures of actual scenes from ‘Grease” in this issue, but as a minor player in the cast, I am able to share these preview pictures we were able to take of some of the cast members, in their costumes.

I will tell you that, even the week before the cast premiered the 1972 Tony Award-winning musical, that “Grease” is a super-fun show with an awesome cast that you should still be able to check out this weekend — although tickets were already getting a little scarce at our press time.

According to NTP producing artistic director Nora Paine, the six performances of “Grease” over two weekends (July 21-23 and July 28-20) were already nearly 70% sold out as this issue went to the printer (on July 16), with the Sunday matinee (3 p.m.) performances both weekends having the fewest tickets remaining.

*Vince Fontaine (a certain local publisher & editor) and Miss Lynch (Suzanne Bainbridge) will be cutting a (very brief) rug again this weekend.*

More tickets, however, still remained for the Friday and Saturday night (at 8 p.m. both nights) performances, but after what I’m certain was a smash opening weekend — under the direction of G. Frank Meekins with choreography by Sarah Walston — all I can say is don’t wait too long to get yours!

The outstanding ensemble cast delivers too many standout performances to name everyone here, but rest assured, all will be praised (and hopefully, pictured) in our next issue.

Among my favorite moments from the show include Tripp Peavyhouse (“Roger”) and Anna Jeffries (Jan) performing “Mooning,” Heather Rich (Marty) singing “Freddie, My Love,” Kyle Fisher (Kenicke)’s “Greased Lightning,” Alyson Gannon (Rizzo)’s mocking “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” the perfect falsetto of Trevor Lloyd (who portrays both Teen Angel and Johnny Casino) on “Beauty School Dropout,” and Olivia Carr (as Sandy) on both “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and her duet with Dylan Fidler (“Danny”) on “You’re The One That I Want.”

Michael Figueroa (Sonny) and Heather, Tripp and Anna, Kyle and Alyson and Makayla Raines (as Cha-Cha) and Dylan provide standout dance performances.

Don’t have your tickets yet? Visit NewTampaPlayers.org or see the ad below to get yours now!

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