There are two venues in Tampa Bay that can be tricky to say. If you’re planning a visit to either the Amalie Arena (home of the Tampa Bay Lightning) or the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, you’ll want to know how to say the names correctly to avoid being corrected! “I have tickets to a show at…” Nothing like mispronouncing where you’re going, right? Justin Gomlak, the director of education and community programs, gave the team a really easy way to remember how to pronounce the Van Wezel. He told us to think of a weasel inside a “circle no” sign in our minds. That certainly help remember to correctly pronounce it {weigh-zell}. A big part of Gomlak’s job with the hall is education. He develops ways to make the arts accessible to everyone in the community and creates ways to meet Florida education standards as it relates to the arts and students. The engagement doesn’t stop there! For example, when “Cats” was in town, they partnered with the local organization “Cat Depot” who brought in kittens for people to play with before the show and during intermission. Plus, they featured images of cats available for adoption on screens throughout the space.
To learn why the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is uniquely shaped and purple watch this video below:
For information on seeing a performance, head to their website here.
Just for fun, how many of these locations in Tampa Bay Area do you know how to pronounce without looking it up?
- Lutz
- Thonotosassa
- Bearrs
- Myakka
- Dunedin