Up-and-coming freeFall Theatre may have landed on a hit with its southeastern premiere of the Off-Broadway musical, Rooms: A Rock Romance. The play – with score by Paul Scott Goodman (Bright Lights, Big City) and book by Goodman and Miriam Gordon – tells the story of Monica, a "Scottish-Jewish princess," and her boozy- hermit sweetheart, Ian, a Scottish rocker who initially hooks up with her in the '70s to compose a song for a bat mitzvah. They wind up in three countries together and go from obscurity to the top of the charts to getting on each other's nerves. The actors portraying Monica and Ian are an impressive duo. Nicole Kaplan played Nadine in freeFall Theatre's much-acclaimed production ofThe Wild Party. Kaplan’s real-life husband, Graham Fenton, recently portrayed Frankie Valli in the national tour of Jersey Boys, a role that requires formidable vocal chops. Read CL theater critic Mark Leib's review of Rooms here. Through Sept. 26, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. $20-$40. 727- 359-0525. Sept. 9-26. The Studio@620, 620 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-895-6620.
Way the other side of the bay … and the spectrum of taste: Pornaoke. Yes, the shockingly infamous social event where people sing (or attempt to) karaoke while cheaply shot porn plays on a big screen behind them. It’s been going on every Wednesday for about six years at the Pegasus Lounge in Temple Terrace and is still going strong. The event has adopted a second name, Jageroke, coined for the joint's popular Jagermeister drink specials. The Pegasus Lounge is located at 10008 N. 30th St. in Tampa; Pornaoke takes place Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. (Contributed by Red).
This article appears in Sep 9-15, 2010.