Broadway has the distinction of being considered the pinnacle of live theatrical entertainment. It has been the home to some of America’s greatest playwrights and the performers who bring their works to life! Nestled in midtown Manhattan, it can be a hassle to get to Broadway’s Theatre District whenever we get the yearning to see a show. Thanks to theatre groups like Broadway Across America and their partners, seeing one of those highly acclaimed productions is much easier!
Living in the Sunshine State, we get spoiled with, what I call, year-round T-shirt weather. It also used to mean sacrificing readily accessible and high quality arts programs. For instance, quality theatre meant not only the cost of the theatre ticket but the cost of an airline ticket, finding a hotel, possibly a car, not to mention carving out, what is essentially, vacation time. Sheesh!…being a patron of the arts was a production all by itself. Along came Broadway Across America. Since the mid eighties, Broadway Across America has been producing live theatrical events across the United States and Canada. More specifically, through a network of partners, BAA has presented the nation with touring Broadway shows. In Florida, one of those partners is the Florida Theatrical Association. Recognizing a need, the FTC’s mission is to encourage the performing arts in our community and since 1989 they have presented over 1000 Broadway performances, and distributed over $1 million in scholarships and grants to arts organizations across the state of Florida. In fact, the FTC has sent many of its members on to the Great White Way, which is an indication of their superior work!
Make no mistake-this is not your neighborhood playhouse! Neither is it your local school play. To give a little more insight, after (or even during) successful runs in Broadway theatres, producers often recast their productions for the Broadway national tour. These tours travel to theatres in major cities across the country. The bigger and more successful shows may have several of these touring companies out at a time. As with most things we encounter, there are many similarities yet still quite a few differences between the touring experience and the Broadway version. In Florida, we don’t have the same Broadway season as the folks in NYC, but our show options are still numerous as there are quite a few performances throughout the state at various times. While the “runs” are shorter, knowing the schedule allows for preparation. Additionally, just because they don’t always feature the A-list personalities, please don’t think that the quality of the production suffers. I’ve been to many touring productions, and they included the same actors, singers, and dancers as have appeared on the Broadway stage! Keep in mind, there is a host of incredible talent that is featured on Broadway that just doesn’t attain mainstream celebrity. The difference I enjoy the most, however, is the overall event! In Florida, I can enjoy a night of quality theatre for a fraction of the cost (dinner included), far less traffic, and better parking than I ever could in NYC!! …and not to belabor the point, but I assure you, there are no trade-offs. Again, this convenience doesn’t come at the further cost of having to endure inferiority!
Most recently, our local shows have included Broadway hits such as Wicked, Jersey Boys, Chicago, Les Miserables, The Lion King, Rent, Spring Awakening, and The Phantom of the Opera. In fact, in 2008, Broadway Across America sold over 6.4 million tickets to over 4,000 performances throughout its network of cities. That’s quite impressive, given the fact, as I said, that most “runs” aren’t nearly as long as they are in NY. So do yourself a favor. If you are looking for good entertainment, I challenge you to give this a try. Get one of those tickets, see one of those performances, let me know what you think! I’m sure you’ll find, as I have, that Broadway doesn’t have to be so far away!
Find a program a city close to you:
Clearwater– Ruth Eckerd Hall — http://www.rutheckerdhall.com/
Fort Lauderdale — Broward Center for the Performing Arts — http://fortlauderdale.broadway.com/
Fort Myers — Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall — http://www.bbmannpah.com/
Jacksonville — Moran Theatre at Times Union Center — http://jacksonville.broadway.com/
Melbourne — Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts — http://www.kingcenter.com/
Miami — Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County — http://miami.broadway.com/
Naples — Philharmonic Center of the Arts — http://staging.thephil.org/center/12-BestOfBroadway.html
Orlando — Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre — http://orlando.broadway.com/
Pensacola — Saenger Theatre — http://www.pensacolasaenger.com/broadway-home
Sarasota — Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall — http://www.vanwezel.org/boxOffice/eventCalendar.cfm
St. Petersburg — Mahaffey Theater for the Performing Arts — http://www.themahaffey.com/shows.php?sort=17
Tallahassee –Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center — http://www.tlccc.org/events_html/NEW_broadway_series.html
Tampa — David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts — http://www.strazcenter.org/Buy-Tickets/Shows-By-Genre/Broadway.aspx
West Palm Beach, — Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts — http://www.kravis.org/broadway
