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Theater this weekend: Rent, male nudity, Irving Berlin, divas and Doors

By Susan Zelenka on Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 6:22 pm

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Cornhole! Who knew backstage at Rent was a tailgate party? (Rent runs through through July 12 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, www.tbpac.org.)

So moving down the aisle of TBPAC to the Shimberg Playhouse. Stageworks opens The Little Dog Laughed this weekend. Directed by Karla Hartley, it’s funny, it's touching, it has a great soundtrack and is marketed with my favorite phrase: “Warning” (this time for male nudity). I call bias on myself because I have a slight affiliation with this show; the coverings for the aforementioned male nudity are tumbling in my dryer as I type Ah! The glamorous life of a stage manager! (The Little Dog Laughed runs July 9- 26 in the Shimberg Playhouse at TBPAC, www.tbpac.org.)

If male nudity is not your thing, head over to Largo for The Melody Lingers On. Presented at the Largo Cultural Center by the Eight O’Clock Theater, this is going to be a lovely show for anyone who is a fan of Irving Berlin. Directed by Melody Craven, who herself is a favorite performer in local musicals, it's sure to have a great run (The Melody Lingers On runs July 10-19 at Largo Cultural Center, www.eightoclocktheatre.us.)

I know little to nothing about The Doors presented by Hat Trick Theatre Productions…and I see co-playwright and actor Jack Holloway practically every day. It's about being trapped. By doors. Knowing the folks involved, it is definitely worth checking out. Jack recently won a national acting award and his next gig (with Eckerd Theater Company) is going to take him on the road — so you might want to see him onstage while you can. Unless you plan on being in North Carolina in October. (The Doors runs July 10-26 at Silver Meteor Gallery, www.hattricktheatre.org )

OK, so you don’t want to have a big night out? Just relax and unwind with a cocktail and some good tunes? Head to Streetcar Charlie’s for Fabaret: Diva’s Revenge on Friday or Saturday night. Admission is (my second favorite word) FREE, with donation to MAD Theatre happily accepted; this is a fundraiser, after all. The first Fabaret was reviewed here. It is a great group performing all the Broadway diva classics with a 50/50 drawing, prizes and more!

I’ll be washing underpants all weekend. Where will you be?

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Let’s just get Rent out of the way. Even if you have seen it on Broadway and the touring version AND the movie, and if you hear “Seasons of Love” sung by a high school chorus one. more. time. you just might wretch….there is a curiosity to see if Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal can still pull it off. I hang my hat there this week (more on that later). Guess what I found backstage??