The Boy Who Loved Batman at Jaeb Theater

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Tampa, FL – The Straz Center is thrilled to unveil the powerhouse cast and creative team for the highly anticipated world premiere of The Boy Who Loved Batman in the intimate Jaeb Theater. Running from Tuesday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 10, this inspiring comedy by Asa Somers is drawn from the memoir of Batman film executive producer Michael Uslan and tells the incredible true story of one man's dream that transformed into a national sensation. Audiences will embark on a wild ride from the streets of New Jersey to the glamour of Hollywood, and from comic book pages to the silver screen. Get ready to experience the origin of a legend like never before! “The Straz Center team is finalizing production details for this electrifying world premiere” said Straz President and CEO Greg Holland. “Along with Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, and the visionary direction of Tony® winner Jeff Calhoun, we are proud to launch an artistic journey that will take this production from Tampa, to Broadway and far beyond. Tampa Bay audiences are in for a rare treat, as they’ll be the first to witness Tony winner and Hollywood star Dan Fogler embody the role of Michael Uslan. We are proud to undertake the artistic development of this new work and then share it with the world.” Actor, comedian and writer Dan Fogler leads the cast, playing Michael Uslan during the first three weeks of the Tampa run of this brand-new production. He has appeared in numerous films including Balls of Fury, Fanboys and The Fantastic Beasts franchise. Fogler appeared on The Walking Dead as Luke, The Goldbergs as Uncle Marvin, and played Francis Ford Coppola in the biographical drama series, The Offer. He can be seen opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the Netflix limited series, Eric, and plays Bob Dylan's manager, Albert Grossman, in A Complete Unknown this Christmas. In 2005, Dan Fogler made his Broadway debut as William Barfée in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. The world premiere of The Boy Who Loved Batman is a new play by Asa Somers, directed by Tony winner Jeff Calhoun (Newsies) with scenic design by Daniel Allen, projection design by Caite Hevner, lighting design by Mike Wood, sound design by Jeremy Douglass and costume design by Newt Rametta. Paul Adam Schaefer, who recently was in the closing cast of Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera, joins the cast as Imaginary Friend. Katherine Yacko plays Nancy Uslan. Kelly Bashar, Nicholas Perez-Hoop and Hugh Timoney play multiple roles including Michael’s family, Bill Finger, Stan Lee and others. ♦ ♦ ♦ This production is part of the Bank of America Broadway at The Straz series. Single tickets for The Boy Who Loved Batman start at $75 and may be purchased online at www.strazcenter.org, in person at the Straz Center Ticket Sales Office or by calling 813.229.7827 or 800.955.1045 outside Tampa Bay. Handling fees will apply. Tickets are on sale now. Events, days, dates, times, performers and prices are subject to change without notice. The David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts and its programs are funded in part by the City of Tampa; the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners; the Tourist Development Council/Hillsborough County; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Cultural and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts. Batman and related characters are trademarks and copyrights of DC Comics. All Right Reserved. Used with permission. Dan Fogler is represented by Entertainment 360, Verve, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz and Rogue Management. ♦ ♦ ♦ ABOUT THE STRAZ One of the largest performing arts complexes in the country, the 335,000 square-foot Straz Center provides an environment for a wide variety of world-class events. It boasts an extensive Broadway series and is nationally respected for producing grand opera, as well as presenting an eclectic mix of concerts, comedy, dance, theater and more. In a typical season, more than 600,000 patrons attend 1,500+ events at the Straz Center. ABOUT NEDERLANDER WORLDWIDE ENTERTAINMENT Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, LLC, founded and managed by Robert Nederlander, Jr., a third-generation member of the Nederlander entertainment family, manages theatres and presents Broadway productions in emerging international markets, produces international productions for Broadway and elsewhere around the world, and undertakes cultural educational initiatives. ABOUT MICHAEL USLAN Michael Uslan is the originator and executive producer of the Batman movie franchise from 1989’s revolutionary Batman, through The Dark Knight Trilogy, to the upcoming Joker: Folie a Deux and The Batman, Part 2. From his start teaching the world’s first ever accredited college course on comic books and writing Batman comics while still a student, to his memoir, The Boy Who Loved Batman, Uslan presents his acclaimed TED Talk at comic cons, universities and business conferences around the world, thrilling the fans who embrace him as one of their own who rose up to spend his life restoring the darkness and dignity to their mutually beloved Batman. Michael reads his memoir and his sequel memoir, "Batman's Batman," on Audible Books. Michael’s