Thursday 4.12
Juggernaut Got big dreams? Hunger for fame? Well fame's waitin' for ya at Mugs N Jugs, of all places, and it doesn't even require big boobs. From 6 to 11 p.m. each Thursday, Mugs holds a Talent Competition to find the best male and female singers in the Bay area. When the dust settles, the victors will walk away with four demo CD packages from Solfege Studios Inc. All music styles are welcome, and Mugs is at 14100 U.S. 19 N., Largo. Call 727-784-5216.
No Scratch? No Problem If you're in a performance mood, it's time for University of Tampa's semi-annual Student Dance Happening. At 8 p.m., the student-choreographed show starts at the new UT Dance Center, makes its way across campus to Plant Hall, stops at a few other sites and ends with a reception on the school's verandah. The original night of rock, ballet, modern, tap and jazz dance is free, and UT is at 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. Call 813-253-3333, ext. 3745.
Friday 4.13
Hoppin' Down the Demented Bunny Trail If you're not at church repenting, head to State Theatre for the Good Friday the 13th Bunny Bash. This bad-ass Easter party begins at 7 p.m. with Betty X, followed by Nothing Promise, Ashes of Grisum and the enchanting Grim Faeries. For added pleasure, the naughty Tampa Bay Devil Bunnies will be passing out hard-boiled green-eggs and other treats. Admission costs $7, and the Theater's at 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Call 727-895-1956
Charmin' Electra Science students, electronics buffs, inventors and theatergoers can all get a charge from Gorilla Theatre's latest production, War of the Currents. Playwright/director (and Gorilla Theatre co-founder) Aubrey Hampton pits inventors Thomas Alva Edison and Nikola Tesla against one another as they respectively fight for the establishment of AC or DC as the U.S. current of choice. Tickets to the 8 p.m. show cost $17, and the theater's at 4419 N. Hubert Ave., Tampa. Call 813-879-2914.
Show Me the Funny There's a great show at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center tonight. Ever hear of the Kings of Comedy? Well, it's not them. It's the Kings' counterparts, the Queens of Comedy, offering a side-aching 8 p.m. show. Laura Hayes, Adele Givens, Sommore and The Parkers' Mo'Nique bowl the crowd over with their always uproarious, often raunchy, stand-up show. Tickets cost $39.75 and $46. TBPAC's at 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa. Call 813-229-STAR.
Saturday 4.14
What's That Smell? We're guessing it's the 25,000 hard-boiled eggs at the fifth annual Eggstravaganza. Bring your little bunnies to Curtis Hixon Park to take part in the Bay area's biggest Easter Egg Hunt. The day starts with free breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by the hunt at 10 a.m. In between, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center offers a petting zoo, puppet-making, face painting and a chance to visit with the honored hare himself — the Easter Bunny. Admission's free, and the park's at 600 Ashley Drive, Tampa. Call 813-229-STAR.
How Does Your Garden Grow? Not well, thanks to the draught, but the USF Botanical Garden's Spring Plant Festival can help with that. Running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (and continuing on Sunday), this flora fest has everything: aroids, bromeliads, bamboo, ferns, fruit trees, butterfly plants and more, along with a full range of gardening accessories. Admission costs $2, and be sure to take the Orchid Greenhouse tour. The gardens are on campus at Pine and Alumni drives (off of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard) in Tampa.
They'll Tumble For Ya Gymnastics meets performing arts during what promises to be a jaw-dropping performance of Aeros, at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Athletes from the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, ranging in age from 19 to 26, make up this amazing troupe of gravity-defying daredevils. A blend of theater and athletic prowess wows the crowd, giving troupe members an almost superhuman quality. Make yourself available for the 4 or 8 p.m. show. Tickets cost $25 and $30, and REH's at 1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. Call 727-791-7400.
Sunday 4.15
Gotta Love Gaudiness Come on … you know you love those silly, pink lawn flamingoes. Celebrate the ornaments, and other tacky Florida favorites, at Capturing Florida Culture — From Kitsch to Collectibles. The St. Petersburg Museum of History offers this fun and frivolous tribute to some of the kookier items foisted on Florida tourists. Toys, coconuts, alligator items and silly postcards — you name it, the museum's preserved it. Admission costs $5, and hours are 1 to 5 p.m. The museum is at 335 Second Ave. N.E., St. Petersburg. Call 727-894-1052.
The Tin Man Cometh You can always count on Skipper's Smokehouse for some cool Sunday grooves, and this 5 p.m. performance by Tinsley Ellis is no exception. The fiery string-bender rattles your brain with two sets of searing, guitar-drenched blues. The relentless road warrior has logged over 1.2-million miles during his career (the equivalent of driving around the world more than 75 times). Tickets cost $7 in advance, $10 at the door. Skipper's is at 910 Skipper Road, Tampa. Call 813-971-0666
Monday 4.16
Reading is Fundamental The Gorilla Theatre's 2000/01 Playreading Series continues at 7 p.m. with a reading of Ann Davidon's Chitterling Heights. This new drama, directed by Ranney Lawrence, celebrates the life of African-American writer Lorraine Hansberry. Author of the play A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry did more than her share to push Black art into the minds of all Americans before succumbing to cancer at age 35. The reading's free, and the theater's at 4419 N. Hubert Ave., Tampa. Call 813-354-0550
Tuesday 4.17
The Art of Music In a town full of copycat musicians, the Emit Music Series is a breath of fresh air. Check out this sometimes bold, sometimes bizarre series for yourself at an 8 p.m. installation/performance by Sam Ashley and Jens Brand. These two gents, who travel the world creating instruments and gallery installations, stop by the Gulf Coast Museum of Art to wow us with a sonic apocalypse (and perhaps some spirit possession). Admission costs $8, and the museum's at 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo. Call 727-518-6833.
Wednesday 4.18
Altered States Wanna know how hypnosis works? Stop by Body-Mind Connection and let Marion Gwizdala show you. At 10 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m., Gwizdala hosts free Self-Hypnosis Seminars for the curious. Learn about the state of — and myths surrounding — hypnosis, as well as what makes the power suggestion so darn, well, powerful. If you're lucky, you'll be hypnotizing yourself off stress, smoking and other health dangers in no time. Body-Mind Connection's at 911 S. Parsons Ave., Brandon. Call 813-661-0584.
This article appears in Apr 12-18, 2001.