Ice hockey (or cricket) fans know that a hat-trick is something special. I’ve never met an American who could explain cricket, so let’s imagine the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos scoring three goals in a single game. It’s an elite accomplishment. Followers of musical theater across Tampa Bay witnessed a hat-trick this season from the honey-voiced Julia Rifino. From her seductive puppet skills as “Avenue Q”’s lovesick Kate Monster & antagonist Lucy the Slut to continually striking the right tone navigating the topsy-turvy world as Jobsite’s “Alice,” to the hilarious perpetually hysterically pregnant, Pickles in Stageworks’ “Great American Trailer Park Musical,” she triumphed.
@juliarifino on Instagram.

This article appears in Best of The Bay 2023.

Jon Palmer Claridge—Tampa Bay's longest running, and perhaps last anonymous, food critic—has spent his life following two enduring passions, theatre and fine dining. He trained as a theatre professional...