FRIDAY 12.17
Christmas on Acid A shindig not quite like any other, Hallucination Before Christmas is an event that offers the community a chance to schmooze with one of the more interesting underground electronica labels (Hallucination Recordings) while gettin' down to some block-rockin' beats. The annual party features XXX-mas props and characters (not the usual sort, if "lil' hookers and jinglin' freaks" is any indication); a visual holiday sleigh ride dubbed "On a Vision Impossible"; the "Griswold's Christmas Family Vacation" light show by Rick Castle; free goodies from Hallucination sponsors; and live spinning by Bunny (frontman of Rabbit in the Moon), Tommie Sunshine (mastermind of Xylophone Jones and occasional Felix da Housecat producer), Ulises, DJ FX, Sean Bauzay and many others. Also, make sure to arrive in time to see the world premiere double live performance of Pimp Juice with Monk (Rabbit in the Moon) vs. The Track Mack. Go to www.hallucinationbeforechristmas.com for more information. Admission is $15. 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. The Amphitheater, 1609 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City, 813-248-2331.
Slap Happy The Planet's very own theater pundit, Mark Leib, praised Gypsy Productions' Slap & Tickle as one of the 10 best theater works of 2003, calling it "a bold introduction to the area's newest theater." Back by popular demand, the David Parr play opens this evening at Suncoast Theatre. Slap & Tickle takes place in a contemporary New York City bathhouse, and features a doorman who acts as narrator, a towel-clad cast of four "Robs" who assume a variety of different roles, and a Lady Di impersonator who serves as a living, breathing slang dictionary. The dramedy was initially inspired by a series of casual interviews about the sexual experiences of gay men from a range of social backgrounds and geographic locations. These "dirty stories" evolved into a script that explores the interrelated issues of promiscuity, intimacy and homophobia. This play is directed by Trevor Keller, and contains adult subject matter and nudity. Tickets: $15. 8 p.m. Thu.-Sat. and 1:30 p.m. Sun., Dec. 17-Jan. 2, at Suncoast Theatre in Suncoast Resort, 3000 34th St. S., St. Petersburg, 727-456-0500.
SATURDAY 12.18
A Surplus of Songwriters The recent Hot Acoustic Nights series presented the community with performances by up-and-coming singer-songwriters. This weekend, Catherine Hickman Theater hosts HAN Fest, a sampling of the talents who performed in the 2004 series. These include Orlando-based folk artist and poet Amy Steinberg, who describes her sound as a combination of "the humor and brass of Bette Midler, the bluesy balls of Janis Joplin, the lyrical gymnastics of Ani DiFranco, and the wail and intensity of Alanis Morisette"; Lee Tyler Post, a singer/songwriter with a sound that ranges from roots rock to acoustic soul to country blues (think of a wittier and more inventive Bob Seger); the earthy, folky stylings of local songstress Rebekah Pulley, whose casually serene stage presence and acoustic guitar are accompanied by a voice that has been compared to liquid honey; and filmmaker-turned-musician Justin Beckler, who mixes Peter Gabriel-influenced songwriting with a mellow sort of acoustic rock, what he likes to call "Atlanta home." Other performers: singer-songwriter Sheila Kirsten Hughes, 22-year-old pop sensation Ryan Joy and rising talent Claire Liparulo. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling 866-468-7630. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 27th Ave. S., Gulfport, 727-893-1070.
Worthy Racquets Aside from an excess of debris, generous flooding and a few weeks' worth of power outages, Bay area residents made it through four hurricanes relatively unscathed. Our neighbors weren't as fortunate: Punta Gorda was completely devastated by Hurricane Charley; Vero Beach endured a heavy beating by both Frances and Jeanne; and Escambia County suffered major damage when Ivan slammed into the Panhandle. And, while some of us celebrate the official end of hurricane season, thousands are still on the road to recovery. This is why the Florida League of Cities hosts the Hurricane Tennis Slam, where WTA Tour stars Maria Sharapova and Jennifer Capriati face off to raise money for the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund. In addition to the Sharapova vs. Capriati singles match, the slam features a handful of local celebrities and a doubles match with several other top players on the professional women's tennis tour. If you already have plans or are unable to pull yourself away from a day of loafing on the couch, you can make a direct, tax-deductible donation to the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund by calling 800-825-3786 or visiting www.flahurricanefund.org. Event tickets are $15-$75. 3 p.m. at St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa, 813-223-1000.
MONDAY 12.20
A Mockery of Musicals Gerard Alessandrini came up with the idea for Forbidden Broadway because he was looking for a way to showcase his acting talents. He put together several musical parodies of Broadway shows he'd already written and debuted his creation at Palsson's Supper Club on New York's Upper West Side in 1982. Every year, Alessandrini updates his mockery/homage to Broadway's biggest shows and brightest stars, and takes it on the road for all of America to enjoy. The show makes a stop in Sarasota at The Players Theatre this week, celebrating 20 years off-Broadway with a smattering of greatest hits, including numbers from The Lion King, Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Beauty and the Beast, Chicago and Cats. Newer additions include Mel Brooks' The Producers and the Abba-inspired Mamma Mia. In addition to numerous accolades and critical acclaim, Forbidden Broadway has received an Obie award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and the 2001 Drama Desk Award for Best Off Broadway Musical. Tickets: $25. 8 p.m. Mon.-Thu. and Sun, and 2 p.m. Wed., Fri. and Sun., Dec. 20-26. The Players Theatre (across from Van Wezel Performing Arts Center), 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-953-3368.
WEDNESDAY 12.22
The Final Frontier The Museum of Science and Industry launches its latest exhibit this afternoon. SPACE: A Journey to Our Future gives museum visitors a chance to learn about where we've been, where we are, and where we're headed in space exploration, and to touch rocks collected from the Moon and Mars. Other highlights include a reenactment of the Saturn V rocket launch; a motion-simulated mission to a Mars base camp; and a series of displays focusing on NASA's current studies of robonauts, deep space probes, next-generation telescopes, space living and space tourism. Visitors can wrap up their spacey trip by checking out Space Station, an IMAX film about one of the greatest engineering feats since landing a man on the Moon: the in-orbit assembly of the International Space Station. General admission, which includes a standard length IMAX film, is $15.95 for adults, $13.95 for seniors, and $11.95 for ages 2-12. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat. and Sun. The exhibit remains on display through May 30 at the Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, 813-987-6300.
This article appears in Dec 15-21, 2004.