STRAZ ’23/’24 BANK OF AMERICA BROADWAY SEASON

The Straz Center for the Performing Arts is thrilled to announce the 2023-2024 Bank of America Broadway at The Straz season, supported in part by the Tampa Bay Times, ofcial media sponsor of The Straz. The slate includes Beetlejuice, Funny Girl, Company, Girl From the North Country, Mrs. Doubtfire, Peter Pan, Clue and, for a twoweek engagement, the Tony Award®-winning best musical Moulin Rouge! The Musical. The season also features The Choir of Man in the intimate Jaeb Theater. In addition to the nine-show package, the season hosts encore engagements of Jesus Christ Superstar, THE BOOK OF MORMON and Les Misérables

“Our 2023-2024 Bank of America Broadway at The Straz season will give our audiences wonderful new experiences,” said Straz Center President and CEO Greg Holland. “As always, the season is anchored with the most compelling Broadway musicals. For the upcoming season, we’re working with the producers of London’s West End musical The Choir of Man to create a special ‘Tampa-only’ production in the Jaeb Theater. 2023-2024 promises to be a magnificent season at The Straz.”

The 2023-2024 season features: actor who will do anything for his kids.

Beetlejuice, Tuesday to Sunday, October 24-29. Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes.

Funny Girl, Tuesday to Sunday, November 28-December 3. Featuring one of the greatest musical scores of all time, including the classic songs “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star” and “People,” this love letter to the theater is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice.

Company, January 9-14, 2024. Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, this revelatory new production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s groundbreaking musical comedy is at once boldly sophisticated, deeply insightful and downright hilarious.

31, 2024. A new Tony Award-winning musical, written and directed by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson and featuring Tony Award-winning orchestrations by Simon Hale, Girl From the North Country reimagines 20 legendary songs of Bob Dylan as they’ve never been heard before.

Peter Pan, April 30-May 5, 2024. This high-flying musical has been delighting audiences of all ages for close to 70 years and is now being brought back to life in a new production directed by Emmy Award® winner Lonny Price with an additional book by celebrated playwright Larissa FastHorse.

Clue, May 28-June 2, 2024. Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget. Based on the cult hit 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.

The season also features The Choir of Man, Tuesday, October 3-Sunday, November 26. The runaway international hit is coming to the Jaeb Theater. The Choir of Man offers up one hour of indisputable joy. It’s a party. It’s a concert. It’s the best pub lock-in you’ve ever been to. Featuring pop, classic rock, folk, Broadway and pub tunes, The Choir of Man has something for everyone.

In addition to the nine-show Broadway series, The Straz will present engagements of these ever-popular Broadway productions: Jesus Christ Superstar, March 5-10, 2024; THE BOOK OF MORMON, April 16-21, 2024; and Les Misérables, June 11-16, 2024.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical, February 7-18, 2024. The winner of 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and — above all — love. Moulin Rouge! is more than a musical; it is a state of mind.

Girl From the North Country, March 27-

Mrs. Doubtfire, April 2-7, 2024. Everyone’s favorite Scottish nanny is headed to Tampa in an internationally acclaimed new hit musical. Based on the beloved film and directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, Mrs. Doubtfire tells the hysterical and heartfelt story of an out-of-work

Sign up now to become new season ticket holders. Prices for the nine-show season package range from $361.75-$980.50. For more information, visit www.strazcenter. org or call the Straz Center Ticket Sales Ofce at 813-229-STAR (7827) or outside the Tampa Bay area at 800-955-1045. Individual show tickets will go on sale at a later date(s), to be announced. Events, days, dates, times, performers and prices are subject to change without notice.

Express Car Wash Chains Target South County For Expansion

Local commuters and residents want ing to keep their ve hicles spotless have gained several new car wash options recently with multi ple Woodie’s Wash Shack, ModWash and Tidal Wave Auto Spa locations opening, as well as even more planned to compete against estab lished local operations such as Jules Car Wash. Many have been wondering why this area has seen such sudden and un expected growth in the express car-wash industry.

“We believe nearly a thousand new stores per year are being built in the U.S.,” said Eric Wulf, CEO of the International Carwash Association. “Over the past 20 years, consumer preferences have shifted from ‘do it yourself’ to ‘do it for me.’ Sun shine states have historically been popu-lar for car wash ser vices.”

From an investor’s perspec tive, the express car wash busi ness model is a marathon, not a sprint; with the high initial cost of land and construction even tually ofset by leaving income moving forward going — hopefully — mainly towards profit. With minimal annu al employee cost and expenses, including water, electricity, maintenance, insurance and taxes, it is about as close to passive income as can be found by investors in the massively lucrative automotive in-dustry.

Tampa Bay is especially appealing to developers in the car wash business due to our relatively low number of already existing locations, as well as the high carto-household ratio. With the influx of new residents moving into the area, most com

By Brian Bokor

erage of 13 times per year.

“Thanks to the widespread digitization of money, it’s easier to get banks on board these days. Banks weren’t really favorable of the business model in the past because it was mostly a cash-run business, but with memberships paid digitally now responsible for 90 percent of the in-come and only 10 percent cash, lenders are more receptive when it comes to financing,” said Glen Stygar, partner/vice president of operations for Woodie’s Wash Shack.

When asked about the saturation of car washes in close proximity, Stygar sees it another way.

“We don’t look at competition, we have a market plan to build over 50 stores on the west coast of Florida,” Stygar said. Like Wulf, he believes the shift in consumer habits towards do-it-forme parallels the growth of the express oil-

“I believe our competition is your driveway. We’re pulling people out of the driveway, just like we used to change our own oil,” Stygar said. “We see that happening in the car wash industry. You stay in your car and buzz through the tunnel in three minutes. Why use up to 120 gallons of your water when you get it done here using 30 gallons of ours? It’s a far more efcient use of water, and it’s quicker. Multiple locations near where you work, where you live and where you play give everyone the option of cleaning their ride whenever they find the time. We are also expanding into neighborhood developments with well-established tenants, such as Starbucks and Wawa, welcoming us as neighbors” due in part to the modern architecture used to designing Woodie’s

“Mike Malcom is amazing! My house hunting situation was a bit of an adventure but he stood by me the whole way and went above and beyond to ensure I wasn’t left high and dry. We encountered some road bumps along the way but he and his team fought tooth and nail to fnd solutions and keep everything moving. Would defnitely recommend.”

“We used Tony Baroni and team to both buy our new house and sell our old house in Tampa. Kate Conroy and Saccullo were awesome advocates for us on our buying adventure. They refused to compromise on what we wanted and it was great to have them in our corner during this transaction. Craig Kellner helped us on the selling side of things and it could have gone smoother. From Staging to signing it was a worry free process and could not recommend them more.”

- Pat N.

“Our agent Dylan Lee and the Tony Baroni team made the selling process easy and fast. Very informative, and fast responding for any questions. One of the best selling teams and agent services in the area.”

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Roland B.

“The Tony Baroni Team were phenomenal every step of the way! Any questions or concerns that came up during the process of buying a home were answered and alleviated very quickly. Whether you’re looking at buying or selling a home, look no further. These guys will take care of you!”

“Craig who did a wonderful jobs , he has a good real estate knowledge, he is able to answer your questions you concern. He helps me to sell my house in 2 weeks. Thanks Craig and Tony Baroni Team. I recommend him”

- Truc P.

6 of 5 stars for extra effort. We have sold 8 homes in our life time and this sale was the best ever. The listing and photos were so good I didn’t know it was really my home. We were kept informed every step of the way and closed without incident . I couldn’t ask for more.

Robert B.

LOCAL RESIDENTS WILL RUN FOR BRANDON’S HONORARY MAYOR IN JUNE

The annual Brandon Honorary Mayor race will officially kick off on Thursday, June 1 for community leaders who will raise money to support local charities. This year, Jorgie Franks, sales and business development coach, and Danielle Stevens, owner of Vine Vegan, will be running for the position, which will be announced at the Fourth of July Parade.

Franks has lived in Brandon since 11th grade, graduating from Bloomingdale High School before attending Hillsborough Community College in Brandon and transferring to the University of South Florida. She decided to fun run for honorary mayor while working at the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce in 2018.

“I have worked in Brandon, FL in many capacities at many of the stores, schools and organizations we visit every day,” said Franks. “[At the chamber of commerce], I was in charge of adding members, which made me reach out to the business community and begin the diversity and inclusion council.”

During her race, Franks will donate the funds she raises to the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, Women Centered 4 Success and Family Promise of Hillsborough County.

Franks has worked with the Kiwanis Club, which partners with schools to provide education, mentorship and leadership opportunities for students.

About Women Center 4 Success, which Franks works at as a coach, she said, “I was there seven years ago when this organization was being conceptualized. It was a vision to have the elderly women give their mentorship and coaching to the younger women and today.”

She chose to support Family Promise of Hillsborough County as her last nonprofit because it assists homeless families without separating the individuals.

“Before 2018, I had never even heard of an honorary mayor race,” said Franks.

“I have held leadership positions before, but this would be the one where I can leave money for charities. What an honor.”

Stevens moved to Florida eight years ago, living with her family in Valrico. After working for over 20 years of corporate work experience, Stevens opened a plant-based restaurant in 2022, Vine Vegan, after identifying a need for it in the Brandon community.

“I am passionate about my mission: bringing people together over food, cap -

By Lily Belcher

turing the culture of community and using ridiculously delicious vegan food to do it,” said Stevens.

Stevens will be raising money for the Impact Program, Hope for Her and A Kid’s Place throughout June for the honorary mayor race.

“I choose these charities because they help causes that are very personal and near to my heart,” said Stevens.

Impact educates students, parents and teachers on how to have healthy relationships and avoid sexual risk. Hope for Her offers a safe place for women to find strength, skills and support after experiencing trauma. Finally, A Kid’s Place provides foster care for children from abusive homes.

“My goal is to secure financial resources to my selected charities while creating interaction between our community and its environment, all while by increasing my involvement, and encouraging others to do so too,” said Stevens.

In order to raise the funds, Stevens has organized a number of events that will take place throughout June.

“We have something for everyone,” she said. “We are going to have a grand kickoff on June 1 at my restaurant, Vine Vegan, at 5 p.m., where there will be raffles and door prizes and the opportunity to purchase advanced tickets to all my events in June.”

Her team is also planning a movie night featuring Guardians of the Galaxy , a Tory Burch Bingo on Thursday, June 22 at the Winthrop Barn and other fun events, like a comedy night, silent dance party, bingo at Bullfrog Creek Brewing Co. and an online auction. Ticket sales will begin on June 1 and can be purchased by visiting ‘Danielle for Brandon Mayor’ on Facebook.