People like to enjoy things local. Eat local. Shop local. Local music. Local artists. And when it comes to local theater, it doesn’t get more local than Gaspar! The Musical. The new swashbuckling comedy opens with a four-show run at The Palladium Theater, from January 4th through the 7th, and tickets are available here.
Gaspar! playwright Bill Leavengood is a bit of a St. Pete and Tampa Bay legend who has earned a national reputation. If his name rings a bell, you might have been around when another hyper-local Leavengood play took the region by storm. Back in 2000/2001 Webb’s City: The Musical played to over 10,000 patrons in memorable runs at Ruth Eckerd Hall and Mahaffey Theater, and was revived in a concert version later at The Palladium. Gaspar! The Musical offers another rare opportunity to see the Tampa Bay area get the Broadway treatment.
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The production offers a timely chance to get into the Gasparilla spirit. The cast of 13 tells the story of pirate José Gaspar and a fictional modern day Tampa Bay politician falling from their boats and getting rescued by the other’s crew, where they must tackle life in their alternate eras. Naturally, they break into song with music by local composer Constantine Grame. The show is a true local effort, presented by The St. Petersburg Museum of History, The Palladium Theater, and 21st Century Playhouse, LLC.
Gaspar! The Musical begins a busy 2024 calendar at The Palladium that features dozens of events featuring local and national music acts, tribute shows, comedians, guest speakers, the St. Pete Opera, and the Palladium Chamber Series. For tickets to Gaspar! The Musical and a full listing of Palladium events, visit mypalladium.org.
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