JULY 14 THURSDAY
Highway Art City of Imagination recently hosted an exhibit of vibrant landscapes on the walls of Gulfport's most frequented locations. Of course, if you're not a Gulfport regular, or haven't visited the Gulfport Library, Casino or Catherine Hickman Theater in the past month, you probably missed seeing the Florida Highwaymen paintings. But don't worry – the nonprofit City of Imagination teams up with the Studio@620 to offer a more comprehensive show, The Florida Highwaymen: Further Down the Road. Perhaps some of the most influential African-American artists of the late 1950s (and almost certainly the originators of Florida's contemporary landscape tradition), the Highwaymen identified themselves as "colorists," shunning the traditional methods of representation to create real and imagined landscapes of Florida with dazzling color. The works, some of which were produced in a day or less, were then sold out of the backs of cars along the highways and byways of Florida for as little as $20 each, flooding the state with around 200,000 paintings that are, at present, in very high demand. The opening night party for the exhibit begins at 6 p.m. this evening. The gallery is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; the works are on display through Sept. 11. 620 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg, 727-895-6620.
JULY 15 FRIDAY
Giving to Ghana Tonight, Gaspar's Grotto hosts the Ghana/Tampa Connection Silent Auction, which builds upon the foundation laid by HCC's World Humanity Club during its visit to Ghana last year. The leading voice in this humanitarian campaign is Sanford E. Harper II, otherwise known as Dr. San Man, a youth mentor and Pure Poets Society ambassador of words who was among the 10 students who helped erect homes for needy families during the two-week Ghana expedition. When the delegation returned, San Man felt he needed to do something more. So, beginning in February, he and a group of teachers, students and Ybor City business owners (including Gaspar's Grotto co-proprietor Shere Schiller) began collecting supplies and raising money for Ghanaian orphans. The Ghana/Tampa Connection Silent Auction is the final, official attempt to raise money and gather computers, books and clothing to be personally delivered to Ghana by Schiller and San Man at the end of July. The event is free and open to the public and the auction features an array of African art, gift baskets, local hotel packages, salon treatments and much more. The Tampa Bay Reggae Jam Band supplies the groovy tunes and there are plenty drink specials and free food to go around. Proceeds benefit the Ghana/Tampa Connection, Pure Poets' Scholarship Fund and the International Humanitarian Connection. For info on how to make a donation, please call 813-884-8189. 7 p.m. 1805 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City, 813-248-5900.
Script Envy Ira Levin was the Stephen King of the 1960s and '70s. He had a similar flair for transforming absurd plots into convincing horror stories and, like King, many of his major works (including Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives) were adapted for the big screen. Deathtrap is Levin's twisted, twisting and often humorous thriller about Sidney Bruhl, a despairing, middle-aged playwright who's retreated to his country home with his emotionally and financially supportive wife after producing a string of miserable failures. To make his slump more painful, a former student has recently sent his mentor a copy of a script for Sidney's review and advice. The play is a five-character, two-act thriller so flawless in its construction that, as Sidney says mockingly, "A gifted director couldn't even hurt it." Envy breeds avarice and before long, Sidney and his wife are devising an almost unthinkable scheme: They'll lure the would-be playwright to their home, murder him, and market the sure-fire script as Sidney's own. Watch the plot unfold at the Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, which opens a three-week run of Deathtrap tonight. Dick Poole directs. 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., July 15-31. $15 general/$13 members and students. 324 Pine St., Tarpon Springs, 727-942-5605.
Still Standing Alonzo Bodden's Last Comic Standing 3 victory was surrounded by controversy. Not because the no-holds-barred comedian didn't deserve to win; on the contrary, there are plenty of folks (including myself) who believe that he was most deserving of the title during his season two stint. No, the uproar began when NBC announced only a few days before the finale that Last Comic Standing would be cancelled – and then the network spoiled the show's conclusion by revealing the winner (Bodden) before airing the final episode on Comedy Central. Regardless of its cancelled status, the Emmy-nominated series is still responsible for launching Bodden's career, and for that I'm grateful. The New York native and former jet mechanic is one funny-ass motherfucker. He has a knack for stand-up that constantly reminds you of his African-American heritage while broaching topics entirely unrelated to his race – from observations about shopping and sports to frustrations about the opposite sex – drawing on his own life experiences in what he calls the "middle-class hood." You can enjoy his cynically good-natured humor at McCurdy's Comedy Theater in Sarasota, where he appears this weekend. 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m. Sun., July 15-17. $16-$24. 3333 N. Tamiami Trail, Trail Plaza, Sarasota, 941-925-3869. JULY 16 SATURDAY
Brass Appeal They don't actually number a dozen, but the music they produce is so charmingly boisterous that you'll look twice, wondering where the other members are hiding. Sometimes it sounds like big band jazz, with trumpets soaring, tubas pumping and a slow, easy beat rocking the house. Other times, it moves through gritty, rolling, wah wah-fied funk, the rhythm so tight and danceable that the absence of a fat bassline is a non-issue. Perhaps this is why the Dirty Dozen Brass Band has been going strong for more than 25 years – they know how to keep the party going, mixing it up with a hybrid of traditional brass band marches, funk, R&B, bee-bop, gospel and rock 'n' roll that never falls short of pleasing the audience. Of course, it helps that they offer an energetic stage show, complete with infectious enthusiasm, plenty of crowd interaction and an open-minded approach to improvisation. "We play a lot of different styles of music, and we can change horses in the middle of the stream," saxophonist and original member Roger Lewis has said of their music. "And we give people three for one with our shows: something for your mind, your body and your soul." See them tonight at State Theatre. 8 p.m. $18. 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-895-3045.
This article appears in Jul 13-19, 2005.