We're talking about the Straz Center for the Performing Arts' upcoming 2025-2026 Broadway season! The schedule includes The Wiz, Water for Elephants, Kimberly Akimbo, The Outsiders, & Juliet, Hell’s Kitchen, Stereophonic, The Notebook, and in the intimate Jaeb Theater, the Off-Broadway hit Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. In addition to the nine-show package, the season hosts encores of Les Misérables, SIX, Beetlejuice, and the holiday treat A Christmas Story, The Musical.
“This season’s Broadway at Straz Center shines with Tony Award® winners for Best Musical, Kimberly Akimbo and The Outsiders. Tony Award-winning Best Play Stereophonic, takes audiences into a recording studio while rock musicians lay down tracks for a new album,” said CEO and President Greg Holland. “Straz Center will once again produces an ‘only in Tampa’ theatrical event in the Jaeb Theater as audiences are taken into the depths of Transylvania with Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors while last year’s sell-out Broadway revival of The Wiz eases on down the road to Tampa.”
“Straz Center has curated a magnificent season that combines the best touring Broadway productions with our professionally produced Straz show,” Holland continued, “and we are ready to share it with Tampa Bay.”
Season tickets on sale Friday, March 28 at noon. For more information, visit StrazCenter.org.
The 2025-2026 season features:
The Wiz: October 14 - 19, 2025
- The Tony Award®-winning Best Musical that took the world by storm is back!
- The Wiz returns “home” to stages across America in an all-new tour, direct from Broadway.
- The Baltimore Sun raves “Powerhouse performances. Stunning choreography. Visionary sets” and the Chicago Sun-Times proclaims The Wiz is “an eye-popping and high-intensity revival!”
- This groundbreaking twist on The Wizard of Oz changed the face of Broadway — from its iconic score packed with soul, gospel, rock and ‘70s funk to its stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world.
- Everybody rejoice — this dynamite infusion of ballet, jazz and modern pop brings a whole new groove to easing on down the road!
Water for Elephants: October 28 - November 2, 2025
- “Many wonders await audiences in this gorgeously imaginative Broadway musical.” - The New York Times
- The critically acclaimed bestselling novel comes to “thrilling, dazzling” life (Time Out New York) in a unique, spectacle-filled new musical! Hailed as a Critic’s Pick, The New York Times calls it “stunning, emotional, heart-filled and gorgeously imaginative.”
- After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life — and love — beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.
- Tony Award®-nominated director Jessica Stone’s “huge, heart-filling" production (The New York Times) features a book by three-time Tony nominee Rick Elice adapted from Sara Gruen’s novel, and a soaring score by the acclaimed PigPen Theatre Co.
- So, step right up to the “spellbinding entertainment” (Variety) at Water for Elephants, “the best new musical on Broadway” (Theatermania).
Kimberly Akimbo: November 18 - 23, 2025
- A new musical about growing up and growing old (in no particular order), Kimberly Akimbo is the winner of five Tony Awards®, including Best Musical. It features Tony Award-winning book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire (Shrek), a Tony Award-winning score by Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home), choreography by Danny Mefford (Dear Evan Hansen) and direction by the Tony-nominated Jessica Stone (Water for Elephants).
- Kimberly is about to turn 16 and recently moved with her family to a new town in suburban New Jersey. In this “howlingly funny heartbreaker of a show” (The New Yorker), Kim is forced to navigate family dysfunction, a rare genetic condition, her first crush … and possible felony charges. Ever the optimist, she is determined to find happiness against all odds and embark on a great adventure.
The Outsiders: December 27, 2025 – January 4, 2026
- The winner of four 2024 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, is The Outsiders.
- Adapted from S.E. Hinton’s seminal novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic film, this thrilling new musical features a book by Adam Rapp with Justin Levine, music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Tony Award winner Justin Levine, music supervision, orchestration and arrangements by Justin Levine, choreography by Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman and direction by Tony Award winner Danya Taymor. Entertainment Weekly says, “The Outsiders has the power to inspire an entire generation.”
- In Tulsa, Okla., 1967, Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade and their greaser family of “outsiders” battle with their affluent rivals, the socs. The Outsiders navigates the complexities of self-discovery as the greasers dream about who they want to become in a world that may never accept them. With a dynamic original score, The Outsiders is a story of friendship, family, belonging … and the realization that there is still “lots of good in the world.”
& Juliet: February 10-15, 2026
- Broadway’s most fun hit musical, & Juliet, flips the script on the greatest love story ever told, imagining what would happen next if Juliet hadn’t ended it all over Romeo and got a second chance at life and love — on her own terms. This audience favorite is created by the Emmy®-winning writer of Schitt’s Creek and features a playlist of iconic pop hits from Max Martin and his collaborators, including “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “I Want It That Way,” “Confident” and more.
Hell’s Kitchen: March 24 - April 5, 2026
- Ali is a 17-year-old girl full of fire – searching for freedom, passion and her place in the world.
- How she finds them is a New York City coming-of-age story you’ve never felt before – Hell’s Kitchen, a new musical from 16-time Grammy® Award winner Alicia Keys, whose new songs and greatest hits about growing up in N.Y. inspire a story made for Broadway.
- Rebellious and stifled by an overprotective single mother, Ali is lost until she meets her mentor: a neighbor who opens her heart and mind to the power of the piano. Set to the rhythm of the ’90s, Hell’s Kitchen is a love story between a mother and daughter. It’s about finding yourself, your purpose and the community that lifts you. Come remember where dreams begin.
- Hailed as a New York Times Critic’s Pick that is, “thrilling from beginning to end – a rare must-see!” Hell’s Kitchen is directed by four-time Tony Award® nominee Michael Greif, with choreography by four-time Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown, a book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz and the music of Alicia Keys.
Stereophonic: April 28 - May 3, 2026
- The most Tony Award®-winning show of 2024. The most Tony Award-nominated play of all time.
- Stereophonic mines the agony and the ecstasy of creation as it zooms in on a music studio in 1976. Here, an up-and-coming rock band recording a new album finds itself suddenly on the cusp of superstardom. The ensuing pressures could spark their breakup — or their breakthrough. Written by David Adjmi, directed by Daniel Aukin and featuring original music by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, Stereophonic invites the audience to immerse themselves — with fly-on-the-wall intimacy — in the powder keg process of a band on the brink of blowing up.
The Notebook: May 26 - 31, 2026
- Based on the best-selling novel that inspired the iconic film, The Notebook tells the story of Allie and Noah, both from different worlds, who share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart. “Full of butterfly-inducing highs and beautiful songs” (Entertainment Weekly), The Notebook is a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love.
- Chris Jones of The Chicago Tribune says The Notebook is “absolutely gorgeous, not to be missed” and The New York Daily News calls it “a love story for the ages.”
- The Notebook is directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT) and Schele Williams (The Wiz, Aida) and features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, book by Bekah Brunstetter (NBC’s This Is Us) and choreography by Katie Spelman.
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors: September 16 - October 26, 2025
- Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors is a Bram-new comedy you can really sink your teeth into. Filled with clever wordplay and anything-goes pop culture references, it’s a 90-minute, quick-changing, laugh-out-loud reimagining of the gothic classic, perfect for audiences of all blood types.
- In the treacherous mountains of Transylvania, a meek English real estate agent takes a harrowing journey to meet a new and mysterious client, who just happens to be the most terrifying and ferocious monster the world has ever known. As famed female vampire hunter Jean Van Helsing and company chase Drac from Transylvania to the British countryside to London and back, their antics are guaranteed to increase your pulse and cause bloodcurdling screams — of laughter.
In addition to the nine-show Broadway series, Straz Center will present encore engagements of:
A Christmas Story, The Musical: November 28 - 30, 2025
- From the songwriting team behind the smash hit Tony Award®-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen and the critically acclaimed films La La Land and The Greatest Showman, A Christmas Story, The Musical brings the classic 1983 movie to hilarious life on stage! Set in 1940s Indiana, a young and bespectacled Ralphie Parker schemes his way toward the holiday gift of his dreams, an official Red Ryder® Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. An infamous leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a maniacal department store Santa and a triple-dog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the distractions that stand between Ralphie and his Christmas wish. Nominated for three 2013 Tony Awards including Best Musical, the Associated Press calls A Christmas Story: The Musical “a joyous Christmas miracle,” while The New York Times writes “you’d have to have a Grinch-sized heart not to feel a smile spreading across your face.”
Les Misérables: December 10 - 14, 2025
- Cameron Mackintosh presents the acclaimed production of Boublil and Schönberg’s Tony Award®-winning musical phenomenon, Les Misérables. This brilliant staging has taken the world by storm and has been hailed as “a reborn dream of a production” (Daily Telegraph). Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption — a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of Les Misérables includes the songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and many more.
SIX: May 12 - 17, 2026
- From Tudor queens to pop icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st century girl power! This new original musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over!
- The New York Times says SIX “Totally rules!” (Critic’s Pick) and The Washington Post hails SIX as “exactly the kind of energizing, inspirational illumination this town aches for!"
- SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard cast album charts and surpassed one billion streams worldwide.
Beetlejuice: June 9 - 14, 2026
- He earned his stripes on Broadway … now the ghost-with-the-most is coming back to Tampa by popular demand.
- It’s showtime! 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. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set and a score that’s out of
- this Netherworld, Beetlejuice is “screamingly good fun!” (Variety). And under its uproarious surface (six feet under, to be exact), it’s a remarkably touching show about family, love and making the most of every Day-O!
