"Prepare to be surprised."
That's our tagline for GASP! — CL's multidisciplinary performing arts fest happening this Friday from 6-10 at the Tampa Museum of Art.
And yes, as some have pointed out, it's kind of an oxymoron.
But here's the thing: It may be oxymoronic, but it's true. Because even with all the planning we do for this annual event, we assume there will be surprises. And they might just be the best moments of the evening.
Yesterday I told you about the hullabaloo of activity slated for just the first hour, from 6-7. I don't know exactly what's going to happen when New Orleans-style marching-band MIFU crosses paths with carnival showman Ward Hall, or what audiences will do when faced with giving orders (to the actors of Improbable Athenaeum) and casting votes (for which song should be performed by Avant-Guardian). But it'll be fun to find out.
And things can only get more surprising as the evening goes on. Here's who joins the festivities during the second hour, from 7-8.
Karleigh Chase: Memoirs of a Painted Woman. The talented, versatile Chase delves into the private lives of some of the most famous "muses" in art history with sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant results. In this, the first of Chase's two performances during GASP!, Mona Lisa and The Girl with a Pearl Earring give you the inside scoop on what it's like to be immortalized in a painting. (7:15-7:45, The Gasp!Room)
Heard ’Em Say Youth Arts Collective: Norman Rockwell Ekphrastic. In what should prove to be an enlightening, entertaining companion to the museum's Norman Rockwell retrospective, the teen poets of Heard 'Em Say perform essays and poems inspired by Rockwell's powerful paintings from the Civil Rights era. (7:30-8:30, Norm's Place, museum second floor)
Collective Soles Dance Company. If you miss their dance improvs during the first hour with bass and ukelele virtuosos Jon Shea and Noel Rochford, catch their distinctive contemporary vibe in pieces like the fascinating "Mask." (6:45-7, 7:30-7:45 & 8:30-8:45, North Atrium)
Avant-Guardian. At 7, we announce the winners — the song and the performance style chosen by you, the voters, for Zachary Hines, Colleen Cherry, and their musicians. Now the work begins, as you coach, dress and otherwise get up in their faces while they rehearse their big number. (Ongoing, North Atrium)
Bayfolk. Reggae funk from Hector Mayoral (of Acho Brother fame) and Paul Giannotti. (7-7:30 & 8:45-9:15, Plaza)
Sparky! aka Marc Sterling. A one-man band like no other, Sparky sings, plays drums, and strums cowboy chords "as loud as I possibly can" in genres ranging from Merseybeat to Talking Heads to hardcore punk. (7:45 & 9:45, Plaza)
Improv Marathon. In the second hour of the four-hour marathon organized by Tampa's own Post-Dinner Conversation, The Third Thought from Tampa and Orlando's Underground Nature take the stage. (7-8, The Improvatorium)
And that's just a taste of what's happening during the second hour! Out on the plaza, the sideshow fun will continue to pop up with Ward Hall and Daniel Funk, The Human Blockhead; upstairs, the Norman Rockwell exhibition will be open; the DIY Art-Making and Photo Booth will be in full swing in the North Atrium; Mise en Place and Sono will still be serving up TV dinners, and Twisted Sun will still be sampling rum.
But wait, there's more! Stay tuned for tomorrow's countdown post, where I'll preview the rest of the lineup. Performances in the 8-10 block include theater from Jeanne Adams and Autumn Widdoes, music from UNRB, dance from Moving Current, and passionate poets in the Heard 'Em Say poetry slam, plus repeat performances by many of the artists above,
For tickets, go to cltampa.xorbia.com/gasp. Ticket prices are as follows:
• General Admission: $25 advance; $30 day of show.
• VIP: $55 advance; $75 day of show. VIP Admission includes a Retro TV Dinner from Mise en Place/Sono, plus four drink tickets and admission to the VIP Lounge.
• Advance sales end Thurs. Mar. 26.
The Tampa Museum of Art is located at 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa. Paid parking is available at the city-operated Poe Garage next door, or at metered spots in the downtown area. For more information, call Gina Moccio at Creative Loafing, 813-739-4856.
This article appears in Mar 19-25, 2015.