The Florida Orchestra closes its 2005-06 pops season with a concert featuring the seductive sounds of Pink Martini. Headed by classically trained pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale, the 12-piece ensemble's cosmopolitan sound fuses slinky, cocktail hour grooves with French café tunes, Cuban rumbas, Brazilian sambas and romantic ballads of all types. Most songs showcase the rich, vibrant tone of singer China Forbes, who delivers lyrics in English, Spanish, Italian, French, Croatian and English. Percussionist/vocalist Timothy Nishimoto does a song in Japanese and Lauderdale also chimes in on occasion, like for the sultry piano bar song, "Veronique." Sound interesting? How about combined with TFO's expert accompaniment? Susan Haig conducts. Fri., May 19, 8 p.m., Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa; Sat., May 20, 8 p.m., Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg; and Sun., May 21, 7:30 p.m., Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. $15.50-$50.50. For tickets or more information, call 813-286-2403 or visit www.floridaorchestra.org.
This article appears in May 17-23, 2006.