AUGUST
Embedded Jobsite Theater concludes its ninth season with this satire-drama by actor/activist Tim Robbins about the Iraq war; co-directed by David M. Jenkins and Shawn Paonessa. Through Aug. 31, Shimberg Playhouse-TBPAC.
The Full Monty M.A.D. Theatre of Tampa produces this musical based on the 1997 British film about six unemployed steelworkers who hatch a plan to make some quick cash. Through Aug. 31, The Ritz Ybor.
Gross Indecency: The Three Trials Of Oscar Wilde More than a year after losing its home at the now-defunct Suncoast Resort, Gypsy Productions has finally returned with a new venue and a new show. Moisés Kaufman's drama uses trial transcripts, personal correspondence, interviews and other source materials to document Wilde's downfall. Aug. 29-Sept. 14., The Ritz Ybor.
Becoming the Villainess Visual arts, music, dance and theater are combined in this presentation of Jeannine Hall Gailey's poetry by Alley Cat Players. Aug. 31, 2 p.m., St. Petersburg Main Library, 3745 Ninth Ave. N.
SEPTEMBER
An Oak Tree In this unusual two-person play by Tim Crouch, a new second actor takes to the stage each performance with no previous knowledge of the script. Sept. 4-21, Gorilla Theatre.
Pirates of Penzance Gilbert & Sullivan's classic musical comedy. Sept. 5-21, St. Petersburg Little Theatre.
Flawed & Faithful: The Life, Times, and Voice of Mahalia Jackson This original musical — written and created by Sharon Scott — chronicles the life of gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. Sept. 5-14, http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/fall_arts_venues/Content?oid=501823.
Blackbird The winner of England's 2007 Laurence Olivier award is about a middle-aged man and the woman with whom he had a sexual relationship when he was 40 and she was 12. When David Harrower's emotionally demanding drama opens, Ray — who's changed his name to Peter — has had 15 years to regret the sexual abuse that landed him in prison, and which he thinks he's put in the past. But when Una, his former victim, sees his photo in a trade magazine, she seeks him out and insists that he make sense of an episode she's never transcended. Is he fully culpable for the relationship? Is Una completely innocent? Blackbird asks its audience to judge for itself whether clear answers exist for this desperate pair. Sept. 11-28, Jobsite Theater, Shimberg Playhouse-TBPAC, 813-229-STAR. —M.E. Leib
A Shared Evening of Contemporary Dance Moving Current Dance Collective is joined by American Dance Company from St. Louis, Mo., for this concert of modern moves. Sept. 12-14, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Theatre II.
Wild Party George C. Wolfe and Michael John LaChiusa's musical is based on a jazz-age poem by Joseph Moncure March about a rowdy, bathtub gin-fueled party that gets out of hand; presented by Fall Theatre Company. Sept. 17-28, http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/fall_arts_venues/Content?oid=501823.
Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew Live The MTV show hits the road for a 20-city national tour featuring Season 1 winners JabbaWockeeZ, BreakSk8 and several others. Sept. 19, Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC.
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Salerno Theatre Co. presents this musical comedy based on the characters in Peanuts and chronicling a day in the life of Charlie Brown. Sept. 19-28, Catherine Hickman Theater.
By the Waters of Babylon Richard Schenkkan's love story focuses on two people with ghosts in their pasts: Catherine, a widow and a recluse, and Arturo, a Cuban exile and a gardener poet who's charged with the task of taming her overgrown garden. Sept. 19-Oct. 12, American Stage.
The Vagina Monologues American Stage's risqué new "After Hours" programming (presented after Mainstage shows have finished for the night) kicks off with Eve Ensler's vagtastic play. Local lady celebs read a role during each show and a portion of proceeds from the pay-what-you-can-tickets benefit local YWCA programs for teenage mothers. Sept. 23-Oct. 12, American Stage.
Fire and Ice Dance Spectacular This year's ballroom dance showcase and competition features some of the country's top professional performers, including Pasha Kovalev and Anya Garnis from So You Think You Can Dance. Sept. 27, Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC.
Vote? Despite being registered to vote, 18-year-old Nicole Harrison is indifferent. But seeing the Revolutionary War from a first-hand perspective could change her mind. Eric Noble's original play is presented by Eckerd Theater Co. Sept. 27, Murray Studio Theater @ Ruth Eckerd Hall.
OCTOBER
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical Presented by USF School of Theatre & Dance. Oct. 2-12, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Theatre I.
The Rocky Horror Show A rock 'n' roll musical with a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania. Oct. 2-Nov. 1, Jaeb Theater-TBPAC.
The Chosen Stageworks opens its 2008-09 season with this play adapted from Chaim Potok's 1967 novel about two Jewish boys in post-World War II Brooklyn whose friendship is threatened by a dispute between their fathers, a Hasidic Jew and a Talmudic scholar. Oct. 2-19, Shimberg Playhouse-TBPAC.
The Wizard of Oz An all-new Broadway production of a wicked classic. Oct. 14-19, Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC.
Navigating the Hallways The next Moving Current Dance Collective concert features contemporary dance in contemporary spaces with KDNY Dance Company of NYC. Oct. 17-18, HCC-Ybor Mainstage Theater.
Mad Forest In December 1989, the oppressive Ceausescu regime was violently overthrown by Romanians unwilling to be terrorized by their own government. A very few months later, the playwright Caryl Churchill (Cloud 9, Top Girls, Fen) went with director Mark Wing-Davey and a group of London theater students to Romania, where they interviewed citizens who had lived through the bad communist years, the upheavals of December and the new government of Ion Iliescu. By summer, 1990 Churchill had made a play (named after an almost impenetrable forest outside Bucharest) that was performed to much acclaim from the United Kingdom to New York City to Singapore. Now Gorilla Theater is bringing us that work, and it promises to be unlike anything else local audiences have seen. The first section focuses on families living under the Ceausescu dictatorship and includes scenes that are almost wordless as they communicate the horror of life in a police state. The middle part, based on interviews with real Romanians, begins quietly and builds to a crescendo as unrest turns to full revolution. Finally, Churchill confronts the problems of life in the new Romania — when old ethnic tensions, paranoid fears and racial bigotry are free to arise. And Churchill's documentary preparation doesn't prevent her from adding a few surreal characters of her own, from an archangel to a Transylvanian vampire. Maybe the Mad Forest isn't a place after all: Maybe it's a state of mind. Oct. 23-Nov. 9, Gorilla Theatre, Tampa, 813-879-2914. —M.E. Leib
The Rock & The Rabbi A musical that tells the story of the friendship between Peter and Jesus. Oct. 25-26, Ferguson Hall-TBPAC.
The Phantom of the Opera Andrew Lloyd Webber's over-the-top operatic musical returns to Tampa. Oct. 30-Nov. 22, Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC.
The History of the Devil An encore presentation for Jobsite Theater's 10-year anniversary, Clive Barker's dark comedy takes the form of an epic courtroom drama which puts Satan on the stand to testify why he should be admitted back into heaven. Oct. 30-Nov. 16, Shimberg Playhouse-TBPAC.
NOVEMBER
USF Fall Dance '08 USF School of Dance's fall concert. Nov. 1-8, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Theatre I.
The Glass Menagerie USF School of Theatre stages Tennessee Williams' semi-autobiographical memory play. Nov. 6-16, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Theatre II.
Reckless THEATRE @ Eckerd stages Craig Lucas' play about happy housewife who finds out on Christmas Eve that her husband has taken a contract out on her life. Nov. 6-16, Bininger Theatre, Eckerd College.
A Tuna Christmas Two actors play more than 20 characters in this holiday comedy by Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams. Nov. 14-Dec. 28, American Stage.
My Sister's an Only Child A one-man rant by Steve Solomon, creator of My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish and I'm in Therapy. Nov. 19-23, Jaeb Theater-TBPAC.
Picture Incomplete Trent Armand Kendall performs this one-man musical about a black, middle-aged New Yorker's journey of self-discovery; the first show in TBPAC's revived Off-Center (formerly Expanding Horizons) series that spotlights new and unusual works. Nov. 20-23, Shimberg Playhouse-TBPAC.
Godspell Presented by Salerno Theatre Co. Nov. 21-30, Catherine Hickman Theater.
Dixie's Tupperware Party Fast-talking Dixie Longate brings her one-woman Off-Broadway party to Clearwater. Nov 25-29, Murray Studio Theater @ Ruth Eckerd Hall.
The Witnesses The follow-up to The Rock & The Rabbi tells the story of the birth of the church as seen by Peter and Paul; featuring live onstage instrumentation. Nov. 29-30, Ferguson Hall-TBPAC.
Nunsense Sally Struthers stars in this touring rendition of the musical about a group of nuns who decide to put on a variety show to pay for the funeral services of their dearly departed sisters. Nov. 30, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
DECEMBER
Sister Christmas Catechism The Sister is on the case in this humorous, interactive, CSI-style mystery. Dec. 2-21, Jaeb Theater-TBPAC.
Circumference of a Squirrel An original play by John Walch; presented in partnership with Eckerd College. Dec. 4-14, http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/fall_arts_venues/Content?oid=501823.
Six Degrees of Separation A young man adopts a fake identity to win the trust of a wealthy couple in this play by John Guare, which was inspired by the true story of con man David Hampton. Dec. 4-21, Gorilla Theatre.
The Barber of Seville Gioachino Rossini's beloved comic opera follows a lovesick young Count who enlists the help of Seville's most notorious barber/matchmaker/messenger/jack-of-all-trades to help him win the affections of lovely Rosina. Dec. 5-7, Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC.
A Christmas Carol Scrooge and his ghosts return in a new and expanded version of the Charles Dickens classic. Dec. 5-21, St. Petersburg Little Theatre.
11th Annual Chocolate Nutcracker A community tradition, this modernized Nutcracker incorporates African, ballet, hip-hop and jazz dance, and features more than 250 Bay area performers; presented by Life Force Cultural Arts Academy. Dec. 6-7, Mahaffey Theater.
The Pajama Game This musical is based on 7 1/2 Cents, by Richard Bissell, about workers in a pajama factory who go on strike when their demands for a raise are ignored. "Hey There" and "Steam Heat" are among the enduring hits in the Adler and Ross score. Dec. 6, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Mooseltoe: A New Moosical A family-friendly show presented by Mooseltoe Productions. Dec. 7, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang The star of this big-budget touring stage musical — based on Ian Fleming's novel and the film of the same name — is a car with fantastic capabilities. Dec. 9-14, Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC.
Sweet Dreams: Frank, Bobby, Dean & Jerry Salerno Theatre Co. and American Concert Company present an encore performance of this musical tribute to Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Dec. 12-21, Catherine Hickman Theater.
The Great Russian Nutcracker Moscow Ballet's annual holiday treat. Dec. 19-20, Mahaffey Theater.
The Nutcracker Presented by Moscow Classical Ballet with live accompaniment by The Florida Orchestra. Dec., 20-21, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
A Christmas Carol A big stage production of the Charles Dickens classic. Dec. 23-24, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Avenue Q An adult musical homage to Sesame Street, with puppet and human characters singing perkily about topics like racism, homosexuality and pornography. Dec. 26-29, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Spring Awakening The multi-Tony-award-winning modern rock musical is a coming-of-age tale about adolescents discovering their sexuality in repressive 19th-century society. Dec. 30-Jan. 4, Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC.
JANUARY
Stay Tuned Minneapolis-based vocal ensemble Five by Design have created and star in their own original, musical retrospectives for symphony orchestras and big bands. They join The Florida Orchestra for three shows of memorable songs, commercials, and classic skits and comedy bits. Jan. 2-5, TBPAC, MAH, REH.
Picasso at the Lapin Agile Jobsite Theater stages Steve Martin's absurdist comedy, which puts Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Paris café just before either of the historic figures were recognized as geniuses in their respective fields. Jan. 8—25, Shimberg Playhouse-TBPAC.
Voices An Off-Center series presentation of F. Reed Brown's play, described as "five solo performances woven together" and featuring the writings of Emily Dickinson, Anne Frank, Langston Hughes, Helen Keller and Henry David Thoreau. Jan. 9-11, TECO Theater-TBPAC.
An Evening of Contemporary Dance Presented by Moving Current Dance Collective. Jan. 9-11, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Theatre II.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee The adult kiddies return with their humorous musical competition. Jan. 10, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Ballet Hispanico The contemporary Latino dance ambassadors of Ballet Hispanico have been wowing audiences for nearly four decades. Their infectious performances meld traditional Latino dance and rhythms — conga, rumba, mambo, cha cha and the like — with classical ballet and modern techniques. The troupe was founded by award-winning dancer/choreographer Tina Ramirez, who studied with a who's who of dance masters in the 1940s, enjoyed a brief but busy international stage career in the 1950s and by 1963 had returned to her NYC home and opened a dance school to provide Latino youths with dance training and performance opportunities, and to help them preserve their cultural identities and Latin dance traditions. (The school counts Jennifer Lopez among its notable alumni.) By 1970, the school had birthed Ballet Hispanico, and since then the troupe has commissioned more than 70 works and acquired 11 others working with choreographers from around the world. Ballet Hispanico's 14-member troupe brings its passionate moves, precise dance steps and theatrical presentation to town this January. Sat., Jan. 17, 8 p.m. Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC, 813-229-7827, tbpac.org. . —Leilani Polk
Riverdance The supposed "Farewell Tour" of the long-standing production showcasing Irish music, song and dance. Jan. 20-25, Carol Morsani Hall-TBPAC.
Kiss Me Kate A Cole Porter musical that offers a new spin on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Jan. 23-Feb. 8, St. Petersburg Little Theatre.
King Hedley II What happens to a person when his or her future is irrevocably bleak? That's the question that the late August Wilson asked again and again in his plays about the African-American experience, and it's the subject once again in King Hedley II, to be presented by American Stage. Set in Pittsburgh's Hill District in 1985, the play focuses on the character King, who spent seven years in prison for killing a man and who now wants only to raise money to open a video store. But as an ex-convict and a lower-class black man, Hedley will have to show an unusual degree of ingenuity to get what he wants; and meanwhile the allure of crime is hard to resist. Hedley is probably the talkiest of Wilson's plays, one that depends more on long sustained arias than on sharp dramatic action. But if the American Stage production can solve the problem of those long monologues, this is a play that can thrill. It features several fascinating characters, including pregnant Tonya, who at 35 is already a grandmother; the resident wise man Stool Pigeon; Ruby, King's Mother; and Elmore, a self-impressed con man trying to win Ruby's affections. The script makes references to Aunt Ester — whom theatergoers will remember from Gem of the Ocean at American Stage last year — and offers Wilson's musings on subjects as varied as abortion and drive-by shootings. American Stage has announced an admirable plan to present all of Wilson's 10-play cycle, and if you didn't see Gem last year, now is a good time to get on this bandwagon. Jan. 23-Feb. 15, American Stage, St. Petersburg, 727-823-PLAY. —M.E. Leib
Aida Verdi's tragic opera is presented by Teatro Lirico Opera D'Europa with a full symphony orchestra. Jan 24, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2008.