Thursday 4.19
Doc of the Bay If you haven't treated yourself to a Florida Orchestra concert lately, check out the Super Pops concert, Gershwin, Ellington, Vienna & More. At 8 p.m., the orchestra teams up with guest conductor and trumpeter Doc Severinsen. The Grammy Award-winning artist, who's into everything from big band to jazz-fusion, leads the orchestra in hits by Strauss, Ellington, Gershwin and more. Tickets range from $20 to $38. The show's at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa. Call 813-229-STAR.
Up on the Roof Proving parents should never meddle in their children's love lives, the St. Pete Little Theatre offers an 8 p.m. production of Fiddler on the Roof. Directed by Jorge Acosta, this endearing musical features the penniless Tevye, a milkman who tries to instill in his daughters the traditions of his tight-knit Jewish community, while facing changing social mores and the anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. Tickets cost $16, and SPLT's at 4025 31st St. S., St. Petersburg. Call 727-866-1973.
Friday 4.20
The Newsmen Cometh Once again the Society of Professional Journalists is hosting the Battle of the Media Bands, and once again, we weren't invited. Bastards. However, just about every other local media outlet is represented. If you've got a secret obsession for Reginald Roundtree, Brendan McLaughlin, Eric Deggans or other news personalities, be at Frankie's Patio at 6 p.m. when they show off their stuff. The $3 admission benefits SPJC's scholarship fund, and Frankie's is at 1920 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City. Call 813-248-3337.
Peaceful, Easy Feeling If you'd rather not take a chance on reporters-cum-musicians, Skipper's Smokehouse has a sure thing in Halcyon. Most local bands ain't got a thing on this folksy Tampa trio's trademark harmonies and thoughtful, original songs. The group's aggressive guitars and polyrhythmic percussion have won them numerous awards, including Best Acoustic Act in Weekly Planet's '99 Best of the Bay. The show starts at 8 p.m., and admission costs $7. Skipper's is at 910 Skipper Road, Tampa. Call 813-971-0666.
Hey Buuuuuudy We haven't figured out whether Pauly Shore is an incredibly gifted individual portraying an incompetent knucklehead, or if he really is an incompetent knucklehead. Either way, the glorified class clown (and onetime MTV veejay) does have his fans, who you'll more than likely find at the comedian's 8 and 10:30 p.m. stand-up gigs at the Improv Comedy Theater. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $28 at the door, and the Improv's at 1600 E. Eighth Ave., Ybor City (in Centro Ybor). Call 813-864-4000.
Saturday 4.21
Hoist the Mainsail Art lovers need wait no more … the 26th annual Mainsail Arts Festival has arrived. The visual arts blowout runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in North Straub Park, and continues Sunday. Nearly every medium is represented, from fibers to glass to photography, along with a good smattering of culinary arts and plenty of kids' activities. The Thrusters, Gail Tripsmith, Cigar Store Indians and others entertain the 90,000-plus crowd. Admission's free, and the park's at Fifth Avenue and Bayshore Drive in St. Petersburg.
Oral Entertainment Let someone else entertain your kids for a change during the 21st annual Tampa-Hillsborough County Storytelling Festival. Running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., this award-winning event features strolling balladeers, puppeteers, mimes, music and the tale-spinning expertise of Diane Ferlatte, Chuck Larkin and dozens of others. Free to attend, the event's at Hillsborough High School, 5000 Central Ave., Tampa. Call 813-273-3652.
Another &*#@ing Festival!? Yep, this time it's the Heart of Largo Music and Food Festival. The fun starts at 10 a.m., with interactive games, crafts and entertainment for the kids at Largo Central Park. Largo Cultural Center hosts the Children's Ballet's production of Peter and the Wolf, restaurants serve their best throughout the day, and Phil Vassar, Sandy Atkinson and the Cigar Store Indians are among the entertainers. Admission's free. The park and center are at 101 and 105 Central Park Drive, respectively. Call 727-587-6720.
Sunday 4.22
Grape Escape Don't worry about mixing alcohol and 90-degree heat at Bern's Fine Wine & Spirits' fourth annual Winefest — it's got air-conditioned tents. This 1 p.m. fete features 200-plus fabulous wines, many poured by the winemakers themselves. Bern's experts and special guest vintners offer seminars on food and wine, and a silent auction (benefiting the Divine Providence Food Bank) has lots of culinary items up for grabs. Tickets cost $50, and Bern's is at 1002 S. Howard Ave., Tampa. Call 813-250-9463 or visit www.bernswinefest.com.
(Twenty)five'll getcha Twenty At a 7 p.m. Ice Palace show, Everclear and Lifehouse pave the way for Orlando's most famous band not formed by the teen-loving Louis J. Pearlman, Matchbox Twenty. This mainstream band's blend of classic and modern rock have quietly made them one of America's favorite bands, helping the group's debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, go platinum several times over. Tickets cost $25.75 and $35.75. The palace is at 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. Call 813-301-2500.
Monday 4.23
A Bit of the Old Ultraviolence American Stage's New Visions Series, Changing Perceptions, continues with a 7 p.m. staged reading of Anthony Burgess' classic book, A Clockwork Orange. This stage adaptation brings vivid life and detail to Burgess' stunning satire of society in the not-so-distant future, featuring Alex and his group of misfit droogs. Admission costs $5, and the theater's at 211 Third St. S., St. Petersburg.
Tuesday 4.24
Art of the Spirit The Museum of Fine Arts presents extraordinary works by an artist largely unfamiliar to American audiences during H.A. Sigg: Recent Work. Using the essence of color and form to suggest spiritual exploration and transcendence, Sigg's large-scale acrylic paintings, sculptures and collages take viewers into the metaphysical and philosophical realms. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m., and admission costs $6. The museum's at 255 Beach Drive N.E., St. Petersburg. Call 727-896-2667.
Wednesday 4.25
Versification In honor of National Poetry Month, John F. Germany Library offers its second live reading event, this time with E. Ethelbert Miller. An accomplished poet, editor, NPR commentator and educator (not to mention a devoted library advocate), Miller shares and discusses his poetry during a 1 p.m. reading, then offers an encore during the 6 p.m. Friends of the Library meeting. Both events are free to attend, and the library's at 900 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa. Call 813-273-3652.
This article appears in Apr 19-26, 2001.