The New Tampa Players Production of âDreamgirlsâ has only three performances left â Feb. 9-11 â at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center. (Above, l.-r.) Caron Davis, Patty Smithey, & NaTasha McKenzie. (Rehearsal photos by Charmaine George)
Get ready, theatre enthusiasts! The vibrant and talented cast of the New Tampa Playersâ production of âDreamgirlsâ is in the middle of two weekends of an unforgettable experience, as the Players bring this iconic musical to the stage at the brand-new New Tampa Performing Arts Center (off Bruce B. Downs Blvd., behind the plaza that is home to Sprouts).
In what promises to be a showcase of local talent, this production is set to captivate audiences with signature songs, like âDreamgirls,â âMoveâ and âHard to Say Goodbye.âÂ
By the time this issue hits your mailbox, âDreamgirlsâ will already have completed its first weekend, with only shows on February 9-11 remaining. If you havenât seen it as youâre reading this, hurry to NewTampaPlayers.orgto get any of the very few tickets that may be left.
Since its premiere on Broadway in 1981, âDreamgirlsâ has had a revival, three US tours, an international tour, and a West End run, as well as a hugely successful movie adaptation. With the New Tampa Playersâ production, the musical is receiving a fresh and dynamic interpretation under the skilled direction of Clay Christopher, who brings a unique vision to this beloved classic. The excitement is palpable as the cast and crew pour their combined passions into every rehearsal, promising a show that resonates with energy and spirit.
ââDreamgirlsâ is more than just a show; it is a celebration of local talent, community spirit, and the transformative power of theater,â says New Tampa Players Producing Artistic Director Nora Paine. âThe echoes of the soulful melodies and poignant moments will undoubtedly linger in the hearts of the audience, showing once again that the magic of Broadway is alive and well in our own backyard.âÂ
Dreamgirls isnât just a Broadway musical spectacle: the plot takes inspiration from the tumultuous rise of R&B and soul music during the 1960s and â70s. Written by Tom Eyen with music by Henry Krieger, the show delves into the challenges faced by a female African- American singing group, the Dreams, as they navigate the cutthroat world of the music industry.
The musicalâs portrayal of the struggles and triumphs of the Dreams mirrors the real-life stories of several iconic R&B groups, including The Supremes and The Shirelles. The show deals with themes of ambition, betrayal and the cost of success while shedding light on the challenges faced by artists, particularly women of color, in an industry that often prioritized image over talent.
Donât miss your chance to see the magic unfold on the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.) stage. Whether youâre a seasoned theatergoer or a first-time attendee, this community production of Dreamgirls promises an evening of entertainment, inspiration, and incredible talent. Get your tickets now at NewTampaPlayers.org.
(Above left) The tan-colored building on the left is a âcottage twinâ with two three-bedroom apartments, and the greener building directly to its right is a three-bedroom, single family cottage at the Cottages at Cypress Cay off BBD Blvd. in Lutz.
In our July 25 issue, we told you about two new rental apartment complexes (called Lantana and Sage) on Cypress Cay Blvd., a new road which connects to 42nd St. off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. a little south of Tampa Palms.
At that time, we also mentioned a third community, to be called The Cottages at Cypress Cay, which is located at the northwest end of Cypress Cay Blvd., but we didnât know too much about it.Â
The rental units at the Cottages are spacious and are available in a variety of 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom floor plans.
Well, the first residents have begun moving into The Cottages and I was excited to tour this unique, new community.
Unlike most apartment complexes, The community offers not just multiple 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartment unit floor plans, but also a large variety of different building types and elevations those units call home.
For example, there are two rustic-looking (but very modern) 3-bedroom single-family cottages and eight 3-bedroom cottage twins that look nothing like your average apartment building, plus two-story townhomes, as well as four 12-unit multiplexes that look more like traditional apartment buildings than the rest of the community among its 198 total units on 21.93 acres.
According to leasing agent Nicholas Fernandez, who took me on the tour, the concept of The Cottages is ârental living that feels more like single-family-home living with much more access to outdoor activities.âÂ
The clubhouse at the Cottages at Cypress Cay includes a TV lounge, two PC and two Apple computers, a bumper pool and poker table, 24/7 fitness center, pool, golf chipping area and many other amenities.
He added that every unit offers a Google-based Ring doorbell system and that the clubhouse at the entrance to the community includes two PC and two Apple computers, a printer, a coffee area, a bumper pool table that doubles as a poker table and a 24/7 fitness room. Outside the clubhouse is a large pond that has a golf chipping green and floating golf balls, a large pool with an electric BBQ grill on its deck and more.
âThe Cottages at Cypress Cay combines the feel of having a single-family home with a resort-style rental apartment lifestyle,â Fernandez said.
He also said that there is not only ample parking throughout the well-spread-out complex, but also 50 covered garage spaces.
In other words, the Cottages at Cypress Cay lives up to its claim of being a different rental complex, especially if you like a tranquil community, units with tall ceilings and large fenced-in patios with turf, instead of grass.
For leasing and more information about The Cottages at Cypress Cay (15081 Cypress Cay Blvd.), call (813) 771-8006 or visit TheCottagesatCypressCay.com.Â
(Clockwise from top left photo) Lighting the Hanukkah candles are Tampa Gymnastics & Dance Junior Showstars from the New Tampa Recreation Center
âLast year, the city held a joint Christmas/Hanukkah celebration hereâ District 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera told a small crowd of about 50 people at the New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms, âbut this year, I thought it made sense to do separate Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations in New Tampa.â
Viera said that this year, in light of the Israel-Hamas war that began in October, he asked the city to give New Tampaâs Jewish residents their own celebration of the âFestival of Lightsâ on Dec. 11.Â
(l.-r.) Tony Mulkey of Tampa Parks & Rec, Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera, Katherine Saslow & Tracy and Steve Falkowitz
âBut, what was really heartwarming was how many people who attended the event werenât Jewish, but were there to support their Jewish friends and learn more about Hanukkah.â
The candle-lighting ceremony was led by Tampa Palms residents Tracy and Steve Falkowitz, who told the story of Hanukkah and the significance of the nine-candle menorah. Lighting the candles were girls from Tampa Gymnastics & Dance Junior Showstars. Also speaking were Viera and Cindy Spahn from Tampa Jewish Family Services. In addition, on hand were Tampa Parks & Recreation interim director Tony Mulkey, a Rabbi from the Tampa Torah Academy and a representative of the Bryan Glazer Family Jewish Community Center.
âI wanted to show support for our Jewish friends, who are still reeling from the Hamas invasion of Israel,â Viera said. âThe city stands against the recent increase in anti-Semitism throughout the U.S., even as it supports people of all religions, cultures and races.â
Attendees also got to tour the Rec Center (17302 Commerce Park Blvd.), which was buzzing with activity.
Councilman Viera with Cindy Spahn of Tampa Jewish Family Services
The Grill at Morris Bridge, Stonewood & Via Italia Repeat As Garyâs Top-3 In New Tampa!
he only tomahawk ribeye steak youâll find on a menu in New Tampa is at The Grill at Morris Bridge, which is Neighborhood News editor Gary Nagerâs favorite restaurant in New Tampa for the second year in a row.
Every year, after our readersâ favorite restaurants in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel are published, I like to provide our readers with my own list of favorites â and there are always lots of differences between your choices and mine.
I also always have a few haters every year who say that my reviews arenât âreal,â that I only pick my favorites based on which restaurants advertise with me and/or give me free food, that I have no taste whatsoever, etc.
The primary thing these haters donât seem (or want) to understand or believe is that the restaurants I tell you about in my annual âGaryâs Favoritesâ are not just the places I like the most, theyâre also the places where I spend the most of my own money. And yes, when you consider that there are literally dozens of restaurants named, Jannah and I do spend a lot of our money dining out (and taking out food) â Iâm betting more than just about anyone else in our two distribution areas, especially when you take into consideration our combined annual income.
The haters also donât seem to âgetâ the other reason I give my opinions on local eateries every year is that I so appreciate the feedback â both positive and negative â I get after my âGaryâs Favoritesâ are published each year.
I canât even tell you how many people come up to me and Jannah when weâre sitting at the bar at The Grill at Morris Bridge, TrebleMakers, Stonewood, Zukku-San, Azteca DâOro or any of our other favorite eateries to tell me what they think of my opinions. The vast majority of them say things like, âI only even tried this place because of what you wrote about themâ or âI didnât really love this place the first time I tried it, but I decided to give it another try because of you.â If youâve never felt that kind of love from absolute strangers before, I promise you that itâs one of the things that most makes the long hours I still put in 30 years since I first started doing this job worthwhile.
And yes, a few people also come up to me to tell me that they totally disagree with my assessment of one restaurant or another. Others also tell me that they read my reviews âeven though I know they arenât real.â
But the fact is that whether my haters believe it or not, my dining reviews are 100% real. And, unlike the online trolls who think theyâre dining âcriticsâ because they tell their few followers that they hated something they ate (or the service they received) at a particular place, I tell every restaurant owner in our area that when I write a review of their eatery, I will tell more than 170,000 of my âclosest friendsâ (thatâs the total possible number of readers we reach in print) everything I like about their place. Anything I donât like I will tell the restaurant owner about â and pretty much all of them appreciate this approach a lot more then online trolls who cause their overall online ratings to drop.
Since opening in late 2021, The Grill at Morris Bridge finished as the second Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa with our readers last year and third in this yearâs voting, even though it has been #1 with me both years, thanks to its always-fresh fish (the bacon parmesan crusted grouper shown here replaced the same dish with mahi-mahi in 2023) and great steaks. In fact, The Grillâs bone-in tomahawk ribeye (see pg. 1), which is now a regular menu item, is the only true tomahawk in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel.
Brothers Frank and Jimmy Gouveia also offer one of our areaâs best Sunday brunches, the most extensive wine list of any local restaurant, craft cocktails and always-excellent service.
Stonewoodâs run as the favorite with our readers continued for an eighth straight year in 2023, and it again comes in just below The Grill with yours truly.
The quality of the fresh fish, steaks (like the unique hand-cut Manhattan strip steak, usually offered as a special, in this picture), pastas and even Jannahâs favorite bowl (the Southwest chicken bowl) in New Tampa, plus the always-packed bar scene make Stonewood an outstanding choice, whether itâs number 1, 2 or lower on your list.
Like The Grill, Stonewood isnât inexpensive, but there are plenty of much lower-priced restaurants to fill that need for you in our area that canât match Stonewoodâs quality or variety.Â
Where do you go when you love ceviche but canât eat shrimp? Why, Lima of course! I also love the Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, the unique Chinese fusion dishes like lomo (lo mein) with steak or chicken, and I regularly crave a helping of ceviche with giant corn kernels and Lima is the only place I can enjoy it in New Tampa.Â
Even though Las Palmas isnât ânew,â since it did have a food truck at the same plaza all year in 2022, owners Ramses and Ana Garciaâs Las Palmas moved way up on my list this year when they reopened their brick-and-mortar location a couple of months ago. Ramsesâ merluza (white fish) a la Rusa (photo) is as good as it gets and his flank steak churrasco, vaca frita (fried steak), picadillo and roast pork also rock.Â
This âUpscale Neighborhood Pubâ truly lives up to its name, as you canât really call the Fat Rabbit just another âsports bar.â From the best wings and tater tots in town to outstanding grilled chicken sandwiches and big burgers (or choose the burger sliders shown above), plus craft cocktails & lots of whiskeys and that unique bar vibe, whatâs not to love?Â
The restaurant formerly known as Oakleyâs Grille still has great burgers, fries and other American food, but for yours truly, the attraction of Frammi will always be its outstanding Northern and Southern Italian fare. My favorite dish is the vongole (pasta with baby clams above), but the spicy arrabiata, less spicy Amatriciana, penne alla vodka, lasagne, eggplant parm and pesto options are what keep me coming back.
From having no true Italian restaurants a few years ago to now having three that make my top-10 favorites in New Tampa, this highest-ranking (for me) newcomer offers great Italian comfort foods, like pizza, the meatball parmigiana appetizer above, chicken parm, Mommaâs lasagna and penne alla vodka, as well as a variety of popular seafood dishes I canât eat.
From the grilled lamb chops above to the Athenian fish, saganaki (fried cheese) appetizer and more, the recently redecorated Acropolis found its way back into my top-10 for 2023, with or without belly dancing or hookah pipes.
Garyâs 2023 Favorite Restaurants In New Tampa #s 11-25
The cast of the New Tampa Playersâ âPreviewâ performance at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center on March 25.Â
Although thereâs no doubt that there were (and still are) more major news stories coming out of Wesley Chapel in 2023 than there were in New Tampa, zip code 33647 certainly had any number of big news stories of its own the past 12 months. Below are the five that made the biggest splashes.
1. The New Tampa Performing Arts Center Opens!
âGreaseâ officially opened NTPâs 2023-24 season in July of 2023. (Below) The group known as âSave Pebble Creekâ helped get a redevelopment plan for the communityâs shuttered golf course rejected by Hillsborough County.Â
It took more than 20 years for it to become a reality, but the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) did finally open in March of 2023, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a New Tampa Players (NTP) âPreviewâshow. The NTPAC was dedicated to the memory and in honor of NTP founder Doug Wall, who passed away nearly six years before his dream of a local place for his theatre troupe to perform came true.Â
I was in the cast of the first show of NTPâs 2023-24 season â âGrease,â which was true to the original Tony Award-winning Broadway version, but also incorporated songs from the hit 1978 movie starring John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John. The Performing Arts Centerâs first-ever Fall Festival was held in September and was followed by âShrek The Musicalâ in October. NTP will next host performances of âDreamgirlsâ (see ad on pg. 5) in February.
2. Pebble Creek Redevelopment Plan Rejected!
As 2023 came to a close, we still had no idea what will happen to the former Pebble Creek Golf Club golf course, which has been shuttered since July of 2021.Â
The plan submitted by GL Homes to redevelop the 149-acre golf course property into 251 single-family homes was rejected on July 17 by the Hillsborough County Commission by a vote of 5-2, as Commission Chair and District 2 (which includes all of Pebble Creek)
Commissioner Ken Hagan told his fellow commissioners that the feedback he had received from the residents of Pebble Creek was overwhelmingly against the GL Homes plan, leaving property owner Bill Place with few options moving forward for his property.Â
With three County Commission seats â including Haganâs District 2 â up for grabs in a presidential election year, itâs possible that Place is waiting to see how the election changes the Boardâs makeup before trying again to redevelop his land.Â
3. Lotte Plaza Market Opens!
Lotte Plaza Marketâs Grand Opening in November was attended by hundreds of New Tampa residents and continues to attract large numbers of people for everything from its Korean beauty products (below) to its Sijang Eatery food court.Â
While the opening of the new Aldi supermarket in the former Ruby Tuesday location in New Tampa did receive some fanfare a few years ago, it was nothing compared with the expectations and reaction to the opening â finally! â of the new Lotte Plaza Market Korean/Asian grocery store in the former Sweetbay/Kash N Karry location next to Home Depot.Â
The long-vacant 49,000-sq.-ft. store became the 15th link in the Lotte Plaza chain (the only other Florida location is in Orlando) of Korean/Asian superstores on Nov. 3 and immediately attracted large crowds of people (photos on next page) of all backgrounds and nationalities to its huge selections of produce, fresh fish, meat and groceries, as well as its unique Korean beauty products and its Sijang Eatery food court, which features a half-dozen eateries never before seen in our area.Â
Although the crowds have died down somewhat since that opening month, thereâs no doubt that Lotte Plaza Marketâs opening is still one of the biggest 2023 news stories for New Tampa. If you still havenât visited it yet, what are you waiting for? It literally has something for everyone!Â
4. Live Oak Property Sale To Help Build Pride Park
The developer of Anand Vihar in Pasco County purchased an adjacent parcel of land in Live Oak from Hillsborough County that will help the county pay for its planned rec center at Pride Park.Â
Hillsborough County has had a plan in place to build an indoor rec center and expand the outdoor facilities at Pride Park (just south of Pride Elementary) for some time. The county also has owned an unused 61.89- acre parcel of land intended to be a county park, but didnât have enough money to construct facilities at either location.Â
That is, until Anand Vihar (in Meadow Pointe) developer Santosh Govindaraju decided to purchase (for $6 million) the unused park site in Live Oak, which means the county will be able to begin construction on the Pride Park rec center early this year.
5. Early Storm Causes Damage In New Tampa
he unnamed first major storm of 2023 hit New Tampa hard on June 4. Fortunately, no other major storms blew through our area (or Florida) for the remainder of the 2023 hurricane season.
Thankfully, 2023 was a relatively quiet hurricane season throughout Florida, especially coming on the heels of 2022, which saw two major hurricanes decimate portions of the Sunshine State.Â
And, although Florida and New Tampa were virtually unscathed by any of the 20 named storms (including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes) that hit the Atlantic in 2023, our area received an early dose of hurricane-like Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera had to call for assistance to remove uprooted and downed trees in several New Tampa neighborhoods.Â
