Marty Clear, Author at Creative Loafing Tampa

Arts & Entertainment

‘What a dream come true’: Cuban-born, former Tampa City Ballet dancer, Jhon Destrade is part of ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ national tour

The acclaimed Broadway show opens Oct. 6 at Straz Center, and runs for one week only.

by Marty Clear September 28, 2026September 28, 2026

The national tour of ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ comes to Tampa Oct. 6-11 and includes a former Tampa City Ballet dancer in its cast.

A promotional photograph by Dean Chalkley showing Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook of the rock band Squeeze seated inside a dimly lit bar or venue. Positioned center frame from left to right, Chris Difford wears thick black-framed glasses, a dark suit jacket, white dress shirt, and patterned red tie while leaning over a wooden table; Glenn Tilbrook sits to his right in a matching dark suit jacket, crisp collared shirt, and tie, resting his forearm on a wooden chair back. The room is bathed in vibrant magenta and red ambient lighting with vintage framed artwork hanging on dark walls in the soft-focus background.rrrrrrrasd

Music

Interview: Before Clearwater concert, Glenn Tilbrook discusses Squeeze’s lost 1974 project ‘Trixies’

Haircut 100 and Adam Ant join the band at BayCare Sound on Aug. 19.

by Marty Clear August 7, 2026August 7, 2026

A medium-shot, action-oriented photograph of St. Petersburg Opera conductor Mark Sforzini leading an orchestra. They are wearing a formal white button-down shirt with a crisp navy blue vest and a matching bowtie. Their arms are raised, with their left hand holding a baton poised in the air and their right hand gesturing precisely to the ensemble. Their expression is one of intense focus and passion, looking slightly upward and to the right. The background is softly out of focus, revealing the rich, dark wood architecture of a performance venue and theatrical blue stage lighting.

Arts & Entertainment

To close 20th anniversary season, St. Pete Opera stages summer production of ‘La Boheme’

It runs at Palladium Theater from June 5-12.

by Marty Clear June 4, 2026June 5, 2026

Actor Suzy Eddie Izzard smiling on a red carpet; the person has blonde hair and wears red lipstick, a black top, and a thin gold necklace. The background shows a blurred outdoor event setting.

Arts & Entertainment

Interview: Before solo ‘Hamlet’ in Tampa, Suzy Eddie Izzard says drama and acting ‘was a substitute for love and mum’s affection’

Izzard plays 22 different characters in her solo version, which runs five times from March 13-16.

by Marty Clear March 12, 2026March 12, 2026

A close-up stage shot of two performers appearing from behind a wooden structure. On the right, a person in a red, black, and white reindeer-patterned sweater looks forward with a shocked or wide-eyed expression. To their left, another person in a dark suit with a bloodied face and red gloves holds a large mallet over their shoulder and looks on with a sinister smile.

Arts & Entertainment

Pulitzer-winning composer brings Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’ to Opera Tampa for one weekend only

Shows are on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1.

by Marty Clear January 30, 2026February 13, 2026

Two opera singers stand on a stage set to resemble a snowy, dark graveyard with mausoleums and a gate. The man wears period clothes with a vest and white shawl, and the woman wears a long blue shawl and dress.

Arts & Entertainment

Opera Tampa’s 2025-26 mainstage season kicks off this weekend

‘Turn Of the Screw’ is first in line for a season focused on the supernatural.

by Marty Clear November 20, 2025November 20, 2025

An actress sits on a bed with a cluttered, poster-covered backdrop, singing or speaking dramatically with her arms outstretched. A stuffed Garfield toy sits to her left; Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.

Arts & Entertainment

Interview: Sarasota actress Ann Morrison brings Broadway’s ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ to Tampa

The show runs Nov. 18-23 at the Straz Center.

by Marty Clear November 10, 2025November 10, 2025

A choreographer or director sitting on a stool to the right, looking at dancers performing a lift in a brightly lit studio with a mirrored wall. The woman is wearing a black top and pants, working on a silver laptop resting on a cart. Other dancers are visible in the background and reflections.

Jennifer Archibald, perhaps the world’s foremost choreographer, now calls Tampa Bay home

‘She is the person of the moment right now.’

by Marty Clear October 20, 2025October 20, 2025