If you're looking for a way to connect with musical theater geeks nationwide (and who isn't?), the Plaid 20th Anniversary Special should be right up your alley. Can you imagine anything better than a singalong with thousands of people across the country as you watch a live broadcast of the tongue-in-cheek off-Broadway hit about a '50s-era guy group who gets a second chance at fame, on the big screen? Members of the original cast are joined by a few new faces at L.A.’s Club Nokia, and The Plaids also present a post-show performance of never-before-staged songs that are sure to pluck the heartstrings of any theaterling. Visit fathomevents.com for more info. 8 p.m. Thu., July 9, Citrus Stadium Park Mall 20, 7999 Citrus Park Town Center Mall, Tampa, $18. — Franki Weddington
The brighter here than in South Carolina. Why can't so many "U.S. Americans" locate our country on a blank world map, ya'll? Visit mahaffeytheater.com for more info. (Pictured: Candace Cragg, winner of the 2005 Miss Florida Pageant, courtesy of staugustine.com) Preliminary rounds, 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., Pageant 6:30 p.m. Sat., July 9-11. $25 Thurs., $35 Fri., $55 Sat. Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-892-5767.
The top items up for discussion at the Downtown Neighborhood Association Meeting are transportation, traffic and bike issues. The meeting is led by five speakers: Brian Bollas of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority; Timothy Starling of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority; Joe Kubicki of the City of St. Petersburg Department of Transportation and Parking; Jeff Danner, St. Petersburg City Council Chair and rep to TBARTA and PSTA; the final speaker is a representative from Ciminelli, the new owners of BayWalk. The presentation is followed by an audience question and answer session with the speakers. Visit stpetedna.org for more info. 7 p.m. Thu., July 9, Sunshine Center, 330 5th St. N., St. Petersburg, free.
Native Floridian author Deborah Sharp discusses and signs her latest work in the Mace Bauer mystery series, Mama Rides Shotgun. Mama's about to get hitched to hubby number five, and convinces Mace to go on a prenuptial adventure that results in a suspicious death. 7 p.m. Thu., July 9, Inkwood Books, 216 S. Armenia Ave., Tampa, free, inkwoodbooks.com.
