The SPANISH LYRIC THEATRE, began as a student project at the University of Tampa in 1958 when the first -very modest- performance was held at the Dome Theatre in Plant Hall. The following year the performance was moved to a larger venue - The Centro Asturiano in historic Ybor City where many performances had been held since the turn of the 19th Century.

In the Fall of 1959, the group became independent of the University of Tampa and became the Spanish Little Theatre -a name it had until in the l980's it became the Spanish Lyric Theatre. The first years saw the performances of "mini" zarzuela selections. Zarzuelas - Spain's form of lyric theatre / operettas - had been very popular among the Hispanic population of Tampa. The Spanish Lyric Theatre was therefore taking up a tradition that had been almost forgotten.

1974 was a historic year for the organization when it produced its first Broadway show - "Fiddler on the Roof" - in Spanish! The success of this production was followed in the Fall of the same year with a performance of "Man of La Mancha" again in Spanish.

The company left the Centro Asturiano and moved to McKay Auditorium on the campus of the University of Tampa in the Fall of l975. Thus, a complete circle was formed as once more we became a theatre in residence at the University of Tampa.

"Violinista Sobre el Tejado" 1974

(Fiddler of the Roof)

 

 It was while at McKay that Braodway musicals in English came into being with the company. We had performed 'Mame,' 'Sound of Music,' and 'No, No, Nanette' in Spanish. We then performed 'Man of la Mancha,' 'Fiddler on the Roof' and 'King and I' in BOTH Spanish and English with the SAME cast! This was a feat that showed the bi-lingual capacity of our cast. We had planned to do the same thing with "Hello, Dolly!" but due to the Falkland War, it was impossible to get the Spanish language translation from Argentina. Therefore the production was done only in English. This "accident" brought a whole new audience to the theatre and it was decided to do the Broadway Musicals only in English and continue with our Zarzuelas and Latin American revues in Spanish.

 

Thus, SLT Productions was born to facilitate this new English speaking market.

The new Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center was opened in l987. With the closing of McKay Auditorium, the company moved to a new home. Today, Spanish Lyric Theatre / SLT Productions is the oldest and only independent local theatre group to utilize this facility.

 

Sound of Music 1994

 

 

"Caribe Coctail"

Cabaret Tour Revue

 

 

 For over a decade SLT Productions has expanded to include cabaret style revues as well as full scale Broadway productions for touring purposes. SLT continues to increase it's audience share as it increases it's markets outside of Tampa.