THURSDAY 12.2
Corporate Ladder Shortcut Preparing for their usual morning conference, three sales associates discover their supervisor dead, his feet propped up neatly on his desk. Although this sounds like the beginning of a corporate employee's wet dream, it's really Richard Strand's The Death of Zukasky, a play exposing the comic side of business ethics and the backstabbing, greedy behavior of would-be execs scrambling to get their dead boss' job. For more information, go to www.HatTrickTheatre.org. Presented by Hat Trick Theatre Productions, consisting of a group of graduates from USF's theater department, and directed by Joe Winskye. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for students. 8 p.m. Thu.-Sat. Continues through Dec. 18 at Viva la Frida Café y Galeria, 5901 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-231-9199.
FRIDAY 12.3
Finger Pickin' Good Oteil Burbridge plucks fat strings like some sort of brilliant, bombastic bass fisherman. He's one of the few jazz soloists who scats in unison with his instrument, and his voice covers a broad range of high and low tones. Like many artists with fine-tuned talent, Burbridge's abilities have opened the door to various impressive gigs, including a stint with Colonel Bruce Hampton and Aquarium Rescue Unit. He recently teamed up with ARU again, another tour incorporated into a busy schedule that includes bass duties for the Allman Brothers Band and Vida Blue, in addition to performing with his own outfit, The Peacemakers. Tonight, he appears with The Peacemakers at Skipper's Smokehouse and audiences can look forward to a band that plays with a relaxed, improvisational style, pulling from a range of genres that include funk, rock, blues, jazz and gospel. The Rich Whitely Band opens. Tickets: $12. 9 p.m. at Skipper's Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa, 813-971-0666.
Glass Comes to Blows Phoenix Glass Studio opens its doors to the public with a weekend of free and entertaining diversions spotlighting Holiday Glass & Art, a seasonal exhibit of glass, sculpture and fine art. Tonight's reception from 6 to 10 p.m. features displays of the creative manipulation of molten glass: Josh Werner's performance is a kinetic experience, with an improvisational demonstration of the many ways in which a person can cook with glass; Susan Gott and the Phoenix Glass Studio Casting Team present a "magical display of fire, light and sound," as the ancient art of glass blowing and shaping is revealed. On the walls are monotype prints by Emily Dwyer, paintings by Dee Clayton, one-of-a-kind glass sculptures by Susan Gott, and an assortment of kinetic sculpture, glass and mixed-media works by Josh Werner. Glass-blowing demos occur throughout the weekend and the studio's hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sat., and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sun., Dec. 4-5. The exhibits run through Dec. 21 at Phoenix Glass Studio, 811 E. Knollwood St., Tampa, 813-237-3473.
SATURDAY 12.4
Collectors Call The most valuable antiques are dear old friends —- unless, of course, you've found that coveted, dragonfly-style Tiffany lamp circa 1928. Then, it's like, "Friends? Who needs friends when I can pay off my college tuition?" But seriously folks, if you're in dire need of an antiques fix or you simply enjoy perusing and running your hands over things that get better with age (monetarily speaking, anyway), the 2004 Retro-Rama Antiques & Collectables Show crams a huge selection of aged goods in the ballroom of the Gulfport Casino today. Not only can you buy a unique holiday gift for mom at the event, it's likely the best place to find that chic, one-of-a-kind dress for the New Year's party you've been stressing over. The festive holiday show features dealers of vintage eclectica displaying tons and tons of goodies, including retro furniture and décor, art, lamps and lighting fixtures, old Florida souvenirs and memorabilia, old movie posters, postcards, books, clothing, jewelry, glassware and much more. Plus, beginning at 2 p.m., you can enjoy live music by jazz quartet Bill T. & Co. Admission is $5 and the merriment takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Gulfport Casino, 5500 Shore Blvd., Gulfport, 727-363-4852.
Monster Truck Ball Ask me about motor sports and there's a good chance I'll look at you disdainfully, shake my head in disgust and stalk off, muttering crossly about the prevalence of testosterone-infused leisure activities and the disgrace of a once-evolving society. Follow me to my desk, and you'll probably find me scouting out tickets because, really, who doesn't enjoy seeing shit get destroyed? Tonight, the Rolling Thunder Monster Truck Challenge rolls through town in a cloud of exhaust, bringing all of its car-crunching, dirt-churning glory to the St. Pete Times Forum. Monster trucks scheduled for battle include Bigfoot, Terminator, God Guts & Glory, and Transformer — The Intergalactic Space Cop (gotta love that). Fans can also witness a show by some of the country's finest professional freestyle motorcyclists, who perform an array of tricks and dramatic maneuvers (I've heard "high-flying back flips" are quite the display of motorcycle showmanship). Presented by Torgerson Motor Sports. Tickets: $9.75-$26.75. 8 p.m. at the St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa, 813-223-1000.
SUNDAY 12.5
You'll Shoot Your Eye Out! Childhood never seemed as excruciating as it did in A Christmas Story, a film I've loved and enjoyed for longer than I can remember. I was charmed by the somewhat dysfunctional Parker family because they were real — the kids were sneaky enough to avoid too much unwanted attention, mom sometimes burned dinner and dad yelled at everyone. A lot. This is not to say that I could directly relate to the situations in the film; I never lived in a snowy climate, I had no desire to own a BB gun and I didn't have any siblings, let alone a two-parent household. My delight in the film was rooted in an ability to relate to the mountain of humiliations that came with being a kid, and to the obsession that only arises from wanting something so desperately you can taste it. Based on Jean Shepherd's novel In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, this screening is part of the Winter Classic Movie Series and admission is $7 for adults, and $6 for seniors, students and military personnel. 3 p.m. at Tampa Theatre, 711 Franklin St., Tampa, 813-274-8286.
WEDNESDAY 12.8
Opera Apparition In the midst of a flurry of holiday events and activities, comes the opening of Phantom of the Opera at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Theatre Company is on a 17-year run with the Andrew Lloyd Webber masterpiece, a show that has been billed as the most successful stage musical of all time, with ticket sales exceeding $3.2 billion worldwide (Titanic grossed $1.9 billion, just to give you some perspective). Phantom tells the story of a strange, disfigured man who lives in the bowels of the Paris Opera House. He becomes obsessed with Christine, a young opera singer, and takes it upon himself to further her career at any cost — even murder. Directed by Harold Prince. Tickets: $17.50-$75. 7:30 p.m. Wed., 2 and 7:30 p.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri., 2 and 8 p.m. Sat., and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sun., Dec. 8-12. Continues through Jan. 2. Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa, 813-229-7827.
This article appears in Dec 1-7, 2004.