John Travolta to host premiere of ‘The Forger’ at Clearwater’s Capitol Theatre

John Travolta has strutted red carpets at movie premieres his entire career but never in Tampa Bay. Not even for The Punisher, which he filmed here in 2003.

That changes April 18 when Travolta presents the U.S. theatrical premiere of his latest film, The Forger, at Clearwater’s Capitol Theatre. All proceeds from the premiere benefit the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts at Ruth Eckerd Hall.

General admission to the screening is $35, including popcorn and soft drinks. A limited number of VIP meet-and-greet tickets — including a photo op with Travolta — are available for $175. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Ruth Eckerd Hall box office, by calling (727) 791-7400 or by visiting AtTheCap.com.

Travolta, a two-time Oscar nominee, will appear on Cleveland Street outside the Capitol, which will feature live entertainment, spotlights and bleachers for spectators.

Preshow festivities are free and open to the public.

The event is similar to fundraising premieres Travolta arranged for his movies including Wild Hogs and From Paris With Love in Ocala, where he and wife Kelly Preston have a home.

Travolta has been a frequent visitor to Clearwater over the years, often flying a personal airplane from Ocala to attend functions at the Church of Scientology headquarters, a short distance away from the Capitol.

In past years, the star of such iconic films as Pulp Fiction, Saturday Night Fever and Grease made local appearances at the Sunscreen Film Festival in St. Petersburg and the International Indian Film Academy Awards in Tampa.

The Forger stars Travolta as Raymond Cutter, who along with his father (Oscar winner Christopher Plummer) and son (Tye Sheridan, Mud) plot to forge Claude Monet’s painting Woman With Parasol and steal the original from a Boston museum.

Directed by Philip Martin, The Forger debuted last September at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie is slated for a limited theatrical and video on demand release on April 24. The Forger is currently available to DirectTV subscribers.