It’s the Rob-inator! You may have seen him in the news lately because a Willie Mays rookie card worth $175,000 was stolen from his L.A. home, or remember him as the pestering SNL character whose pre-downsized corporate America job was just “maaaaking copies.” Or, you may know and love 51-year-old Rob Schneider from Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo or Grown Ups. What you may not know that before his Saturday Night Live stint and movies, Schneider was a writer and stand-up comedian. Decades later he’s still at it and will visit Tampa to headline the Improv in Centro Ybor. Showtimes are Friday at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. $27-$30. 1600 E. Eighth Ave., Ybor City. improvtampa.com.
Anthropologie Pop-Up Market Anthropologie in Hyde Park hosts local vendors, including Squeeze Juice Works, Green Body Green Home, King’s Arms Coffee, The Hyppo, Porch Therapy, and more. Free. Sun., Aug. 23, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Hyde Park Village, Swann and Dakota avenues, Tampa. 813-251-3500.
It’s not over till the poltergeist sings: An opera not written by European composers more than a century ago, Alice Ryley, a Savannah Ghost Story offers tender moments and haunting melodies, taking audiences on a musical journey through the history of Savannah and relating an allegedly true ghost story of yesteryear and today. The story transports us into the ghost’s incarnate past, when she was an indentured servant in the early 1700s, accused of murdering her master with her lover, Richard White. Ryley’s journey is told through a 50-minute performance, commissioned by the Savannah VOICE Festival and written by a renowned, still-living Michael Ching (Speed Dating/Lewis and Clark). To celebrate this special preview, patrons will enjoy a wine and appetizer reception before the performance and celebrate with chocolates and a glass of champagne following the talkback. $50, $45 for members. Sat., Aug. 22, 6 p.m. The Heritage Museum, 100 Beekman Lane, Tarpon Springs. 727-942-5605. tarponarts.org/event/an-exclusive-preview-before-the-world-premier-alice-ryley-a-savannah-ghost-story.
Stair master: We can’t help but wonder if the spirit of the world’s most famous surrealist master has enjoyed sharing the spotlight so often. After exhibiting works by Warhol, Picasso, DaVinci, the Dalí Museum is bringing in a guest star in again. The museum will open Escher at the Dalí on Aug. 22. The show will highlight M.C. Escher, who is not only a favorite of head shops and novelty boutiques — and a renowned artist, whose works are known for their puzzles, visual illusions and “impossible constructions” — and his use of tessellation. The exhibit will run through Jan 3, just before the opening of Disney & Dali: Architects of the Imagination. On loan from the Herakleidon Museum in Athens, Greece, the exhibition will feature 135 works covering Escher’s entire artistic career, including famous works such as “Drawing Hands,” “Reptiles” and “Waterfall,” and rarely exhibited early drawings. More info at thedali.org.
CL BeerFest is here! Ninety craft beer varieties from more than 40 local and national breweries, plus food trucks. 7-11 p.m. at MOSI, Tampa. Advance tix: $55; $105 VIP. CL Deals available at cldeals.com; cltampa.com/beerfest.
Enter the Dragon & The Legend of the Drunken Master See a double feature with the 1973 American martial arts action film Enter the Dragon, directed by Robert Clouse and starring Bruce Lee, who agrees to spy on a reclusive crime lord using his invitation to a martial arts competition as cover. One of the greatest martial arts films of all time, it was the first Chinese martial arts film to have been produced by a major Hollywood studio. The Legend of the Drunken Master is a 1978 comedy kung fu classic, Wong Fei-hong (Jackie Chan), a mischievous young son of a martial arts school master, is sent to his sadistic uncle for discipline training. After much suffering, Wong Fei-hong comes back to rescue the father from an assassin. Concessions and a full bar will be available for purchase as well as opportunities to enter to win tickets to upcoming movies and concerts. $7. Sat., Aug. 22, 7 p.m. Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater. 727-791-7400. rutheckerdhall.com.
Legends of our time: The next big art party at the Bloom Art Center will be Legendary. More to the point, 25 artists — Allen Hampton, Aurailieus, Derek Donnelly, Jennifer Kosharek, Sebastian Coolidge, Zulu Painter and many others — will interpret the stuff of legend with twirling performances on high from Aerial Dragons, chill DJ tunes and more. Free self-guided tour of painted building, displaying more than 15,000 square feet of exterior murals created by 30-plus artists. The Bloom POD shop will be open, selling smaller-sized art in various media, and be sure to pop in on Bluebird Book Bus and Keep St. Pete Lit's new collaboration, BookShare. Aug. 23, 7-11 p.m. 910 Fifth Ave. N., St. Pete. $7. startbloomin.com.
The Kids Are Alright Curator extraordinaire Vincent Kral invites you to bring your kids to create new artworks for recycled fine art frames. Closing reception event on Sat., Aug. 22, 7 to 9 p.m. Tempus Projects, 4636 N Florida Ave, Tampa. tempus-project.com.
Bends Don’t Break Don’t be sad the weekend is over on Sunday evening. Get some laughs from The Homemade Broadcast’s free comedy showcase. Stars Cam Bertrand, Amanda Jordan, Jake Barsness, Kyle Ruse, Nina Ramdat and Andrew Silas. 8 p.m. The Bends, St. Pete. 727-202-8931.
Nick Thune at The Ritz Armed with a guitar and plenty of dry wit, Thune expresses himself with funny songs, or musical jokes, or a similar hybrid of chords and comedy. 8 p.m. $15-$18. Ritz Ybor, theritzybor.com.
This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2015.