Much of the above is in contrast to when we saw The Phantom on Broadway a few years ago at the Majestic Theatre. Viewing is nearly unobstructed unless someone tall is directly in front of you. There is truly not a bad seat in the house as the orchestra section (main floor) is tiered very well past the first several rows. Seats are mildly comfortable, but are relatively spacious in leg room. This makes entry and exit very efficient for a crowd of over 2600. Go in the correct set of doors and your section and row are just a few steps away.

Be sure to look at your ticket to see which set of doors to go in.

The doors to the theatre itself opened 30 minutes prior to show time. The entire facility was very clean and well kept, including the restrooms. The landscape, lights and ambiance make for a serene walk by the water if you have extra time before the doors open. Outside the rear of the center backs up to the river. We opted instead to dine beforehand at the Capital Grille (see my review there). There is also a full service restaurant, Maestro's. Inside the Morsani Hall lobby you'll find a variety of stands for a snack/beverage or a cafe serving light food before before you enter the performance venue. You'll find spacious accommodations both inside and out. The Straz Center sits on the Hillsborough River (not Tampa Bay as some have said). It connects to the Straz Center via an covered elevated walkway. There are several nearby lots and garages ranging from about $5 to $8 (self-park) respectively. Parking is plentiful as long as you don't arrive last minute. We arrived at the center about one hour prior to the open curtain. Therefore, I want to highlight the venue itself. However, this TripAdvisor listing is to review the Straz Center, NOT necessarily the production you see. While the performers did great, the Broadway performers seem to fit the parts better. This version did not seem quite as dark and powerful and had a slightly more upbeat feel to it. While the performance was very good, I'd have to give the edge to the Broadway version for the performance itself. Last night (New Years Eve) my wife and I went to see the Phantom of the Opera at the Straz Center.

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