The New Tampa Players (NTP) Present ‘Oklahoma!’ At The New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) Oct. 18-19 & Oct. 24-26!

NTP’s production of ‘Oklahoma!” was supposed to debut tonight (Friday, October 17), but due to male lead Gabriel White Marin leaving the area this week for a his new role in a touring company production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the opening night of “Oklahoma!” had to be moved from tonight to tomorrow night, so that the show’s choreographer Christan McLaurine could properly learn the choreography of the show’s classic fight scene in his new additional role as “Curly.” “It’s never easy to lose a show lead,” Paine says, “but I can’t think of a better reason to lose one! We’re all excited for Gabriel and know he will do great! We also know that Christan will do an amazing job as Curly!” 

Note — If you have tickets for tonight’s cancelled performance, NTP producing artistic director and “Oklahoma!” director Nora Paine says you can either have the cost of your tickets refunded or you can exchange them for any of the remaining available performances. Call the New Tampa Players Box Office at (813) 543-6252 if you haven’t already to make your arrangements.

As for the show itself, the heart of the American frontier comes alive on stage as NTP — New Tampa’s community theatre troupe — opens its highly anticipated production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center.

Directed by Paine (who also directed NTP’s “Singin’ in the Rain” in 2024), G. Frank Meekins (“Grease,” 2023) and Karissa Barber (“Into the Woods,” 2025), the production captures the spirit and charm of this beloved 1943 musical known for its rich score, iconic characters and sweeping depiction of life in the early 20th-century Oklahoma Territory. 

“Oklahoma!’ is more than just a musical: it’s a celebration of resilience, hope, and love,” Paine says. “We wanted to stay true to the classic while also making it feel fresh and relevant to our community.”

From the opening strains of “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” to the stirring finale, the show features standout performances from a terrific cast of local talent.

The multi-talented Mr. McLaurine, who wowed audiences as James “Thunder” Early in NTP’s production of “Dreamgirls” (he also was the incredible baritone voice of the man-eating plant Audrey II in NTP’s “Little Shop of Horrors”), steps into the role of Curly for Gabriel. Meanwhile, Isabella Ruano, a newcomer to the NTPAC stage, brings strength and warmth to the role of Laurey. The supporting cast — including NTP newcomer Madison DeBrino as Ado Annie, newcomer Tristan Horta as Will Parker, and long-time NTP veteran Michael Neary as the troubled farmhand Jud Fry — bring their roles to life with humor, heart and depth.

The production is a true community effort, involving more than 50 volunteers. Leading the team are costume designer Deb Lastinger, technical director Paul McColgan and scenic artist James Cass. Audiences will be especially delighted by the vibrant choreography by McLaurine and ballroom choreographer Erica Holland — a beautiful highlight of the show. 

Music directors Rick Barclay and G. Frank Meekins have teamed up to guide this 23-person cast and 14-musician orchestra through a score that will have you humming all the way home, including the title song, plus “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top” and many more.

Don’t miss your chance to experience “Oklahoma!” like never before and get ready to be swept away by the beauty, music and magic of this unforgettable production.

Buy your tickets now, before NTP sells out the rest of this six-performance run! Performances of “Oklahoma!” will be Saturday, October 18, at 8 p.m., Sunday, October 19, at 3 p.m., Friday & Saturday, Oct. 24-25, at 8 p.m., and Saturday & Sunday, October 25-26, at 3 p.m. Tickets are available at NewTampaPlayers.org and cost $22-$40. Also, see the ad below for more info. 

3rd Annual Fall Festival At New Tampa Performing Arts Center This Weekend — All FREE!

The New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) will host its all-FREE third-annual Fall Festival all weekend (Sept. 12-14), beginning this afternoon at 5 p.m. and continuing all day tomorrow & Sunday.

Festival Schedule

All events and performances are free to attend. In addition to mainstage acts, the festival will showcase lobby performances by both professional and student artists throughout the weekend. 

Friday, Sept. 12 Doors open at 5 PM 
 
Studio 1 
5:45 PM: Outcast Theatre 
7:45 PM: Cultural Arts Theater
 
Studio 2A 
Backstage Tours at: 5 PM and 6 PM 
 
Theater 
7 PM: Wattaka Choir  
8:15 PM: Jansen Dance Project   
 
Saturday, Sept. 13 – Doors open at 9:30 AM 
 
Studio 1  
5 PM: Winold Music Festival 
6:45 PM: USF Musical Theatre Program   
 
Studio 2A  
9:30 AM-1 PM: Florida Orchestra Instrument Petting Zoo 
Backstage Tours at: 12:15 PM, 1:45 PM, and 4:30 PM 
 
Theater 
10 AM: Film screening: Disney’s Beauty and The Beast (1991)  
1 PM: Entertainment Revue  
2:15 PM: Hillsborough College Music Department  
3:30 PM: Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival featuring Vincent Pham (solo piano)
4:45 PM: Hat Trick Theatre and Tales of Mild Interest  
6 PM: Anna Dance Academy  
7:30 PM: Tampa City Ballet’s Cinderella  

Food Trucks 
Rollin’ Bites and Forge Pizza  
 

Sunday, Sept. 14 – Doors open at 12:30 PM  
 
Studio 1 
1:15 PM: Countdown Improv  
3 PM: Devine Madness Sketch Comedy 
 
Studio 2A  
Backstage Tour at 3:15 PM 
 
Theater 
1 PM: Cypress Creek Jazz Band 
2:15 PM: Rudram Dance Company  
3:45 PM: New Tampa Players  
5 PM: St. Pete Opera with special performance by Tampa City Ballet 

‘The Music Man’ Is The Latest Triumph For The New Tampa Players!

I will readily admit that among the dozens of Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals that I saw during my years of living in New York, “The Music Man” was never one of my favorites. But, I only ever saw the hit 1962 movie starring Robert Preston as the conniving Prof. Harold Hill and Shirley Jones as the lovely librarian/music teacher Marian Paroo — although I was in the show’s (barbershop) “Quartet” in my high school’s performance of the classic Tony Award-winning hit. 

I thought the story of Hill, the traveling salesman/con man, and his duping of a town full of weird and often stupid characters, created by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey, was just too dated and not as much fun as some others. 

But honestly, to me, the New Tampa Players’ (NTP) production of “The Music Man” at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center was better than the movie. And apparently, I wasn’t alone. All of the people sitting around Jannah and me raved about the talented cast and their beautiful singing voices, the sets, the costumes and the 15-piece orchestra — the largest ever for an NTP production — under the musical direction of the great G. Frank Meekins. I hope director Angel Borths, choreographer Tatiana Eriksen, costume designers Shelley Giles, Heather Cleveland, Travy Stemm and Dave Giles and production manager (and NTP producing artistic director) Nora Paine and the entire cast and crew are proud. This also was the first NTP show I’ve seen with sign language interpreters (photo below)! 

The amazing Melanie Bierweiler was correctly sassy as Marian (and did a fantastic job singing “Goodnight My Someone” and “Till There Was You”) and David Groomes didn’t disappoint in the demanding role of Prof. Hill on “Ya Got Trouble,” “76 Trombones” and with Melanie on “Till There Was You.” The “Quartet” of Chase Reeder, Michael Bonassar, Jacey Squires and James Cass hit every note of every song, including on “Lida Rose.” 

Neil Bleiweiss provided great comic relief as Mayor Shinn and Becky Groomes correctly “overacted” as his zany wife Eulalie. Talented youngsters Nora Duffy as Amaryllis (who sang like a songbird in duet with Melanie on “Goodnight My Someone”) and Luke Adams as Marian’s lisping brother Winthrop (who sang to the back of the theater on “Gary, Indiana”) showed that NTP has a bright future ahead. And, Debbie Scourtes brought a lot of verve to the role of Marian’s widowed mother Mrs. Paroo, who is trying to keep her daughter from becoming an old spinster. 

You could just hear the audience hissing at the show’s one villain, Charlie Cowell (played to perfection by Stephon Mikell), and Jaden Figueroa and Chloe Tort were great as the young “troublemaker” Tommy Djilas and Zaneeta Shinn (“Ye Gawd!”), respectively. 

The largest cast I’ve ever seen in an NTP production also included the super-fun and funny Pick-A-Little Ladies (Lena Wigfall, Suzann Humara, Christy Adams and Chelsea Keith), plus nearly 20 “ensemble” players young and old (including the super adorable extra-young’ns Mars Wolfe Bonassar and Elliott LeFloch). 

But, I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I didn’t say that Gabriel Martin White as Hill’s buddy and fellow con man Marcellus Washburn was this show’s scene stealer. He got laughs — calling Hill by his real first name (“Greg”) throughout — and he brought to mind the young Dick Van Dyke in “Mary Poppins” with his expressive face and high-flying, elastic-legged dancing. My pics did him no justice! 

Great job, one & all! 

Up next for NTP are another classic musical — “Oklahoma” — in October, and “The Sponge Bob Musical” (yes, really) in January. Auditions for both shows have already been held (although volunteers to help with both productions are still needed), so look for announcements about when tickets go on sale in these pages and at NewTampaPlayers.org. — GN 

‘Pieces Of Eight’ Chicago Tribute Band Rocks The Performing Arts Center! 

All photos on this page courtesy of Haley Paige Garcia • @haleypgarciaphotography on Instagram

When a New Tampa resident calls to ask you to check out his eight-piece tribute band for the rock/pop group Chicago at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC), it’s hard to turn him down — even when the group Pieces of Eight’s performance is the night before your New Tampa issue goes to press. 

But, having been a little disappointed when I saw the actual group Chicago in concert with the Beach Boys in either 1978 or ‘79, I wanted to see if long-time New Tampa resident Steve Hollingshead (drummer) and the Pieces of Eight band he helped organize could do as well or even better than the multi-Grammy Award-winning band itself could do. 

And oh boy, did Jannah and I — and the rest of the nearly-sold-out house at NTPAC — end up going home impressed. 

Lead singer and Wesley Chapel resident JC Grigg perfectly hit all of the high notes in Chicago hits like “Make Me Smile,” “Beginnings,” “Saturday in the Park,” “Feeling Stronger Every Day,” “Just You & Me” and my personal favorite Chicago song, “25 or 6 to 4.” 

The spot-on three-piece horn section was led by the super-talented Charlie Phillips on every size of saxophone (including the way cool baritone sax). He also gave everyone chills on the flute part of Chicago’s renowned ‘70s slow dance song “Color My World.” 

Pieces of Eight also has expanded beyond just Chicago, performing songs by Tower of Power, Huey Lewis & the News and Peter Gabriel — and it all combined for a great evening! 

For more info about Pieces of Eight, visit Po8Tampa.com. For upcoming NTPAC info visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org. — GN 

Tampa City Ballet Brings Beautiful, New Life To ‘Don Quixote’ At NTPAC 

Jannah and I were sad that we weren’t able to attend either performance of the classical ballet “Don Quixote,” as performed by the Tampa City Ballet, at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) the weekend of March 21-23. 

The good news is that our photographer Charmaine George was able to attend and take the beautiful photos on this page. Charmaine says that Tampa City Ballet artistic director and choreographer Paula Nuñez, Ballet Master Osmany Montano, who also portrayed Sancho Panza, the servant of protagonist Don Quixote de La Mancha (portrayed by Wilson de los Santos), Kali Bartasavich (who played Don Quixote’s “Beloved Fantasy” Dulcinea and the entire cast of “Don Quixote” all did an amazing job of bringing renowned Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes’ 17th century novel to life. 

Charmaine also particularly raved about the costumes and sets (which also are hallmarks of all Tampa City Ballet performances) and was hopeful that her pictures could do justice to this amazing spectacle! 

For more info about the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Tampa City Ballet (TampaCityBallet.org) or the ballet company’s incredible school, the Tampa City Dance Center (15365 Amberly Dr.) — which trains dancers of all skill levels in many different dance genres — call (813) 558-0800, visit TCDanceCenter.com For more info about Tampa City Ballet’s upcoming fund-raising gala “La Septima Society,” see the ad above. — GN