The locally-inspired ballet show, Gaspar - A Pirate Fantasy is returning to Tampa Bay for one night only on Sunday, January 29 at the Straz Center in Downtown Tampa.
This full-length, classical ballet tells the story of Tampa's most famous pirate, Jose Gaspar (which we detailed in our Gasparilla History article) who pillaged the shores of the Gulf Coast and inspired the Gasparilla Pirate Festival and surrounding events we celebrate today.
Expect a tale filled with heroism, villians, and undying love set to awesome music and beautiful ballet.
The idea for a Gasparilla themed ballet came in 1993 when Christopher Fleming, Artistic Director and Co-Producer for Gaspar—A Pirate Fantasy, had just moved to the Tampa Bay area and became instantly awed with this one of a kind, pirate themed celebration.
Fleming began thinking of a way to combine the Gasparilla festivities with his passion for ballet and began writing, as well as choreographing, what would turn into Gaspar—A Pirate Fantasy.
He collaborated with renowned composer, David Goldstein to compose a romantic score to accompany the two act ballet. Aside from being a composer, Goldstein is a Tampa physician who specializes in pulmonary disease.
Their finished work premiered to a sold out crowd at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in February of 1994.
Gaspar—A Pirate Fantasy is said to capture the comedy and melodrama of an afternoon serial detailing the trysts of Jose Gaspar and his merry band of pirates as he escape death and finds love in an awesome adventure. You can catch this performance at either 1 or 6 p.m. on Sunday, January 29.
Regular priced tickets for Gaspar—A Pirate Fantasy start at $19 with proceeds benefitting Red Cross Tampa Bay, YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, and Drew's Shoes, a charity providing dance shoes for underprivileged children. For more information on the ballet, visit the Gaspar - A Pirate Fantasy event page.
