THEATER
Second City 45th Anniversary Tour. The last time I was in Chicago, I waited in line for almost an hour, then crammed myself into an incredibly crowded space to see the royalty of improvisation, the Second City Troupe — and it was worth every claustrophobic nanosecond. Now the company that brought us Alan Arkin, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray and Mike Meyers is touring the country with some of its greatest scenes, songs and improvs — and if you love to laugh, you won't miss it. As Albert Einstein might have said: This is comedy at the speed of light! Wear a parka to prevent jokeburn. Jan. 29, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 813-229-7827.
Hairspray. The winner of eight 2003 Tony Awards (including Best Musical), Hairspray is based on the John Waters film about 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad and her quest to dance her way onto TV's best show (circa 1962). The comic musical asks the question: Can a big girl with big dreams and big hair change the world? And will she still have time to win the love of Link Larkin? Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan wrote the book, and the music's by Marc Shaiman. This will surely be the peachy keen musical of the season. Feb. 1-13, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
The Boys Next Door. Tom Griffin's much-produced play, in which four mentally handicapped men live under the supervision of an earnest but increasingly burned-out social worker, treats its difficult subject with humor, poignancy and a lot of compassion. The Jobsite Theater production, directed by Ned Averill-Snell, features some of the best actors in the Tampa Bay area — among them Paul Potenza, Brian Shea, "ranney" and Chris Holcom. Feb. 17-March 6, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
Copenhagen. When produced in London and New York in 1998 and 2000, this play by Englishman Michael Frayn had critics shouting praise from every skyscraper. It's based on the mysterious 1941 meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, during which the two men, on different sides in World War II, may have discussed the possibility of building an atomic bomb. As much about the difficulty of knowing anything as about physics, the play is intellectual, philosophical and delightfully clever. Feb. 24-March 13, Gorilla Theatre, Tampa, 813-879-2914.
Golf With Alan Shepard. Four best friends, all senior citizens, wage a battle against an increasingly difficult golf course and ponder some of the great universal mysteries: the meaning of life, the nature of God and the whereabouts of a golf ball sent hurtling across the surface of the moon. As one of them says, "My body can't hit the ball anymore, and if I do hit it, I can't see it. And if I'm lucky enough to find where I hit it, I can't remember where I'm going." Expect poignancy and laughter, whether or not you're a golfer. Feb. 25-April 3, American Stage, St. Petersburg, 727-823-1600.
Talley's Folly. Stageworks presents the 1980 Pulitzer Prize-winner about the wooing of Sally Talley by St. Louis accountant Matt Friedman. Matt is a Jewish gentleman who can't forget the horrors of anti-Semitism, and Sally is a 31-year-old Christian seeking to escape small-town values. Their romance is either wonderfully moving or painfully sentimental — depending on your taste. The "Folly," by the way, is the ornate Victorian boathouse where it all takes place. March 31-April 17, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
The Bomb-itty of Errors. American Stage's Shakespeare in the Park brings back one of its best productions ever: a hip-hop adaptation of The Comedy of Errors, offering hilariously silly comedy, over-the-top acting, talented break-dancing and just simple fun. Where else can you find two pairs of twin brothers, a trendy Hasidic Jew, a Rastafarian herbal doctor and an au courant nun, all rapping and dancing while a balcony-strutting DJ spins disks and the stars shimmer down through the warm St. Petersburg night? If you missed it, don't miss it. Or come back for a wild reprise. April 8-17, Demens Landing, First Avenue S. and Bayshore Drive S.E., St. Petersburg.
Torch Song Trilogy. Harvey Fierstein's Trilogy is the funny and poignant story of an aging drag queen's attempts to find domestic bliss with everyone from a schoolteacher to a tolerant young male model. Originally in three parts — "The International Stud," "Fugue in a Nursery" and "Widows and Children First" — the combined work opened on Broadway in 1982 and won the Tony Award for Best Play. In the subsequent decades, many more plays would address gay themes, but this one still burns bright. April 22-May 15, Suncoast Resort, St. Petersburg, 727-456-0500.
—Mark E. Leib
DANCE
Missa Brevis And Other Dances. The USF School of Theatre and Dance presents its annual spring concert of works by established and upcoming choreographers. On the program: "Suspended Cages" by Carolina Garcia, exploring the struggle of the spirit to be freed from limitations; "Uncertain Weather" by Lorelei Baynes, featuring tempest-tossed mermaids emerging from the ocean; "A Little Less…" by Kelli Gilson, set to the music of Elvis Presley; and "Missa Brevis," by dance legend José Limón, about human resiliency after the horror of war. Feb. 18-20, 24-26, University of South Florida, Tampa, 813-974-2701
Noche Flamenca. In 1993, Artistic Director Martin Santangelo and his wife, dancer Soledad Barrio, founded a company devoted to the purity and integrity of flamenco dancing. The result has been a worldwide success, selling out performances in Spain, Argentina, Canada — and last March at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Anyway, they're back for one night only at TBPAC, which means another chance to witness one of the dance world's most complex, demanding art forms. Feb. 19, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 813-229-7827.
Spirit of St. Petersburg (Russia) Balalaika Trio. If you saw Crossing the Bay, you know that our own St. Petersburg was named after the Russian city by a homesick entrepreneur from halfway around the world. Well, now the two St. Petersburgs are being celebrated together, as dancers from the Academy of Ballet Arts join Svetlana Nikonova, Vladimir Zakharevich and Andrei Sayeliev, performers of classical and Russian folk music. How danceable is a balalaika tune? Don't ask, dollink; come see show. March 2, Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg, 727-822-3590
Ballet Florida Presents "Dracula." Last October, a sold-out house saw the vibrant dance force from West Palm Beach in its first appearance as company-in-residence at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Now, Ballet Florida brings us a theatrical reinvention of Bram Stoker's famous horror story, fangs, ghouls and all. The New York Times called Ben Stevenson's ballet "a Dracula beyond Stoker's darkest dreams." It also happens to be a chance to discover whether the Tampa Bay area is willing to support a new resident dance company. Culture vultures: vote with your wings. April 16-17, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
—Mark E. Leib
ART
Monet's London: Artists' Reflections on the Thames, 1859-1914. Monet's gorgeous impressions of London's Thames River, including the Museum of Fine Arts' gem Houses of Parliament, Effect of Fog, are shown with contemporaneous works on the subject by European and American masters like Derain, Hassam and Whistler. The exhibit is curated by MFA's Jennifer Hardin with art lent by major domestic and international museums and collectors. This ambitious, thematic and historical show with the eye candy of Impressionism should not be missed. Through Apr. 24, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, 727-896-2667.
Pound and a Bear Hug. Two artist-friends, Ales "Bask" Hostomsky and Leon "Tes One" Bedore, show their paintings, prints and installations together. Inspired by graffiti, the works also share the pop-art sensibility of cartoons and advertising. The opening reception will feature a live live hip-hop performance. Feb. 5: Opening reception; Exhibit: Feb. 5-Feb. 27, Covivant Gallery & Studios, Tampa, 813-234-0222.
Hoang Van-Bui: Home-South-Home. The exhibit title, Home-South-Home, has to do with artist Hoang Van-Bui's experience of living in the American South for the past 30 years. A Tampa artist and UT professor, Van-Bui was born in Vietnam. His installations and mixed media constructions, which combine natural materials and manufactured objects, blend and bend East/West sensibilities. Van-Bui is donating 50 percent of sales proceeds from this exhibit to the relief efforts for Asian tsunami victims. Through Feb. 15, HCC – Ybor Campus Art Gallery, Tampa, 813-253-7674.
Alex Katz. One of the most important American artists of the 20th Century, Katz's flat, graphic style and large-scale works modernized the tradition of portraiture. Katz's work of the past 30 years features posed tableaux of his family and circle of friends. CAM has brought together recent "cartoons" (to-scale drawings on which paintings are based) for this exhibit. Through Feb. 26, University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, 813-974-4133.
Los Carpinteros. A mid-career retrospective of the Havana-based artists' collective Los Carpinteros (The Carpenters). Some of the most important Cuban artists to emerge in the last decade, this trio of artists works collaboratively, rejecting the notion of the individual artist in favor of the older guild tradition of artisans and laborers. The exhibit includes drawings, paintings, prints, installations and sculpture. April 8: Opening reception; Exhibit: April 8-July 15, University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, 813-974-4133.
Caterpillar's Conundrum: The Photographic Investigations of Todd Watts. A New York Times reviewer called Watts' works "? as gorgeous as photographs conceivably can get." Watts' photographs are in no lesser collections than the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. He is a reclusive but internationally esteemed artist who has not had a solo show since 1996. This exhibit features 27 large-scale photographs from two brand new series. A coup for this new gallery and a must-see for Tampa Bay. Opening reception: Feb. 18; Exhibit: Feb. 19-Apr. 17, Tampa Gallery of Photographic Arts, Tampa, 813-251-1800.
Florida Focus: Tampa Bay. The third in the Gulf Coast Museum's series of group shows of established and new Florida artists. This edition, curated by Sarasota's Mark Ormond and featuring Tampa Bay artists, includes work of the late Richard Beckman, a sculptor and USF professor. This is our first chance to pay homage to the work of Beckman, a gifted artist and teacher who left us far too soon. Through Feb. 20, Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Largo, 727-518-6833.
Three venues are holding exhibitions about the history, art and craft of African-American quilts:
Signs and Symbols: African American Quilts. Through Apr. 3, Tampa Museum of Art, 813-274-8130.
Grand Ma's Hands: 100 Years of African American Quilts. Through Feb. 13, The Arts Center, St. Petersburg, 727-822-7872.
Grand Ma's Hands: 100 Years of African American Quilts. In conjunction with the Arts Center exhibit. Through Feb.13, The Studio @ 620, St. Petersburg, 727-895-6620.
—Mary Mulhern
FILM
Festivals, Festivals, Festivals! Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as Film Festival Season around our neck of the woods, and it begins any second now. From late January until the end of April, movie buffs can treat themselves to all sorts of cinematic exotica, beginning this weekend with the broad mix of mainstream, independent and world cinema featured at the ten-day-long Sarasota Film Festival. In February you can take in all sorts of eclectic, ethnic offerings at the Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival, followed in March by the expect-the-unexpected noodlings of the Ybor Festival of the Moving Image, a free-wheeling circus of experimental filmmaking, live performance and everything in between. April ushers in the rich bounty of world cinema served up at the Tampa International Film Festival, as well as Orlando's Florida Film Festival, now considered one of the most important film events in the entire southeastern United States, where you can catch sneak peaks and local premieres of all sorts of buzzworthy indies and major studio releases. That should just about hold us until October, when the monumental, one-two punch of the Tampa Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and Sarasota's Cine-World takes place.
Sarasota Film Festival, Jan. 28-Feb. 5, 941-364-9514
Tampa Jewish Film Festival, 813-264-9000
Florida Film Festival, Orlando, April 8-17, 407-629-1088
Ybor Festival of the Moving Image, Mar. 30-Apr. 3, 813-935-9232
Tampa International Film Festival, 813-253-3333 ext.3425
Horrible Horrors. Horror movies never go out of fashion, and it looks like we're in for a veritable bloodbath over the next few months. First up is Alone in the Dark (opening this week), which might just as well have been called Christian Slater and Tara Reid Meet the Really Spooky Zombies, and is already receiving some absolutely awful advance word of mouth. Next up is something with the astonishingly subtle title of Boogeyman (Feb 4), followed in very short order by the based-on-a-graphic-novel shocker Constantine, in which Keanu Reeves discovers that L.A. is populated by demons (so what else is new?). Then, later in the month, there's the Wes Craven's werewolf opus, Cursed, followed in March by the hotly anticipated Ring 2. If you still haven't had enough of this stuff when April rolls around, no problem: House of Wax (there's nothing creepier than a roomful of mannequins, right?) and Amityville Horror (can't get enough of those haunted houses) will be on hand to supply us with what we need. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Son of the Bride of the Cousin of Déjà vu, Again. The spring season is jammed with so many sequels and remakes that you might easily find yourself confused into thinking that your internal clock had gone utterly haywire and it was really summer. No such luck. Probably the most eagerly awaited sequel of the lot is Be Cool (March 4), John Travolta's follow-up to the cultish comedy hit Get Shorty, but that's only the tip of this iceberg. Jamie Kennedy steps into Jim Carrey's shoes in the upcoming special effects extravaganza Son of the Mask (Feb 18), and Queen Latifah holds court in Beauty Shop (April 1), which is essentially a revisiting of the unexpectedly successful Barber Shop, this time featuring an all-female cast. And finally, no less than three of the season's upcoming horror flicks – Amityville Horror, House of Wax (based on the grand old Vincent Price 3-D cheesefest) and Ring 2 – turn out to be recyclings. Ring 2, in fact, has the dubious distinction of being both a sequel and a remake (of the original Japanese sequel to the original Japanese, uh, original).
A Kiss is Still a Kiss. They say that romance blossoms in the spring, and Hollywood follows suit with a heaping handful of films like Hitch, starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes as attractive antagonists who, before the end credits roll, might just – hold your breath now – get together! Meanwhile, there's the terrific Bollywood musical romance Bride and Prejudice (Feb. 11); Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney playing kissy-face in Wedding Date; and, for those of us still in mourning over the Brad Pitt-Jennifer Aniston break-up, the new Rob Reiner comedy Rumor Has It, in which Jen makes nice with Mark Ruffalo and, ulp, Kevin Costner. And while Woody Allen's movies are rarely considered romantic comedies in the conventional sense, the Woodman's upcoming Melinda and Melinda might just come closer than most. The cast looks a little younger and looser than usual, too, with Radha Mitchell and Will Ferrell on board, not to mention Chloe Sevigny, who with any luck will prove that there is life after Brown Bunny.
Something Sinful This Way Comes. Adapted from a series of moody and extremely cool graphic novels by Frank Miller, Sin City is co-directed by Miller, Quentin Tarantino and the almost always intriguing Robert Rodriguez, and stars a dream cast that includes Benicio Del Toro, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba. The trailer shows us glimpses of a vision that's as monochromatically gritty as it is stylish, and promises more than enough over-the-top sex and violence to live up to the movie's title. There are a lot of great-sounding movies in store for us in 2005, but this might just be the best one we're going to get before Hollywood starts rolling out its really big guns this summer. The line for Sin City starts right behind me on opening day (April 1).
Kiddies Korner. Youngsters usually have only the sketchiest concept of time, so it's probably fitting that childrens' movies know no season. The kid-friendly activity for spring begins with Pooh's Heffalump Movie (Feb 11), a breezy romp through Disney territory with only the tiniest of tots in mind, and hits a peak with Robots (March 11), the latest blast of state-of-the-art animation and pop culture-savvy wisecracks from the guys who brought us Ice Age. In between, the movie the wee ones will probably be drooling over most profoundly will be Son of the Mask, a brassy fantasy-adventure with a newly adjusted PG rating that should take the edge off the PG-13 intensity of the Jim Carrey original. Maybe the most promising upcoming release of them all, however, is The Narnia Chronicles: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, featuring Tilda Swinton in an adaptation of one of the all-time great children's books. (At press time, the film's spring opening was still not set in stone, but it's certainly on the horizon.) And for the bigger kids, the ones who like their toys complete with multiple rounds of ammo and outrageous body counts, there's always XXX: State of the Union. Odds are it'll be as noisy as Son of the Mask, as disposable as Pooh's Heffalump Movie, and it stars a big-eyed gnome with the kid-friendly name of Ice Cube.
—Lance Goldenberg
Classical Music
Side by Side – The Florida Orchestra & The Pinellas Youth Symphony. It's an opportunity both to experience the Florida Orchestra in a less formal atmosphere, and to check out some of the Bay area's most talented young musicians. Plus, it's FREE. Bring the kids you'd usually leave at home when going out for an evening of culture, and expose them to a bit of that stately stuff at this 7 p.m. open rehearsal. Feb. 1, Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg, 727-892-5798.
The Ten Tenors. The name pretty much says it all, though we'll add that these 10 particular tenors all hail from Australia and present a show that includes some interesting renditions of old-school rock 'n' roll standards in addition to the expected allowance of classical and operatic fare. Consider yourself apprised. Feb. 3, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, 727-791-7400.
The Encore Series. Though it kicked off a few weeks back, there are still seven shows left in the Palladium Theater series' fifth season. Encore shows are known for balancing a familiar classical aesthetic with contemporary ideas and bold new music. While many shows are rooted in the chamber-performance tradition, the material can range from opera to Americana. Dates are listed below; for more information, call or visit www.palladiumtheater.com:
Feb. 8 – MOB: Musicians Out of the Box
Feb. 22 – Herald Vocal Arts Ensemble
Mar. 8 – Kaleidoscope Chamber Players
Mar. 22 – Myakka Piano Trio
Apr. 5 – The Helios Saxophone Quartet
Apr. 19 – The Florida Orchestra Chamber Players
May 3 – Lofthouse-Wilson-Ivanov Trio
Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg, 727-822-3590.
The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. The Boston Pops is an American institution, a classical-for-the-masses tradition reaching back more than 100 years. With a library that ranks among the largest accumulations of orchestral music in the world, and without any (OK, too much) hoity-toity upper-crustiness, the Pops has likely introduced more folks to symphonic music than any other institution. Get your tickets early – this one's an easy sellout. Feb. 16, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, 727-791-7400.
Juilliard String Quartet. Four string players, each talented enough to be lent the name of America's most recognizable center for musical study, perform a program matching works by Schubert and Mozart with a more contemporary piece by Hugo Wolf. You'll pay for the whole seat, but you'll only use the edge! No, seriously, this is going to be good. March 22, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, 727-791-7400.
Opera's Greatest Hits. Yup, it's another Florida Orchestra performance, this one a special program set apart from their Masterworks Series. The FlOrch recreates a full slate of familiar and timeless moments from what is widely considered to be the most emotionally evocative (or overwrought, depending upon whom one asks) aural colors in the classical spectrum. April 8, Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg, 727-892-5798.
Giselle. Adolphe Adam's opera traffics in a theme as old as drama itself, or at least Shakespeare: two people, one of noble birth, the other from the wrong side of the tracks, falling in love. Also, there are ghosts. Hey, that's another Shakespeare thing. This particular production is staged by the Russian National Ballet and has been roundly acclaimed. April 8, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, 727-791-7400.
Tampa Bay Youth Orchestra Young People's Concert. The TBYO was founded in 1982 to supplement and build upon the music making opportunities afforded to Bay area youth by the educational system. It now falls under the aegis of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Patel Conservatory, and continues to expose exceptional young musicians within a five-county radius to challenging material and the joys of wearing really nice clothes in the afternoon. In the tradition of Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts, this performance allows the kids to show off their considerable chops within a varied program of favorites. April 10, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center – Ferguson Hall, Tampa, 813-229-7827.
—Scott Harrell
ROCK/POP
Steve Earle & The Dukes. No one else in American music knows how to turn scars into songs like Steve Earle. The erstwhile Nashville outcast has enjoyed a higher profile since insurgent country came around (not to mention the politically charged pop-culture environment of the past few years), so this semi-intimate show at Tampa Theatre may be one of the last times you get to experience him up close. Jan. 27, Tampa Theatre, Tampa, 813-274-8982.
Snoop Dogg. When Dr. Dre introduced Snoop to the world back in '92, it instigated an incredible cultural crossover — everybody loved him, and still do, despite the fact that until the recent single "Drop It's Like It's Hot," he spent the last eight or so years doing little more than just hanging out and being Snoop. The smooth, lanky MC/pop-culture celebrity/videogame awards-show host gets mad respect for eschewing arenas in favor of an appearance at what is unquestionably the Bay area's best mid-size venue. Feb. 1, Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg, 727-896-2276.
Screw Music Forever Presents: Come the Freak On. Home went to New York to become obscurely cool; Dumbwaiters stayed here to become incredibly good and unknown. Somewhere in there, loose-knit artist collective Screw Music Forever came into existence, and now there's a festival featuring maverick indie sounds on the New World grounds. The players: Dumbwaiters, Jarvic 7, Home, Shittalker, Leels, Bound, Baby Robots, The Unrequited Loves, Errant Strike, Nut Tank, Go Jenny, Dew It Two It, Jimmy Winchell, Sean Martin, and My Winter at Sea. Check out www.screwmusicforever.com for more info. Feb. 5, New World Brewery, Tampa, 813-248-4969.
Allison Krauss & Union Station. O Brother Where Art Thou? might've introduced them to a new generation of Americana fans, but Allison Krauss and her backing band have been bluegrass superstars for more than a decade. A more facile balance of talent, instrumental technique and evocative expression would be tough to find. Feb. 7, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, 727-791-7400.
Motley Crue. America's continued obsession with all things '80s has coincided with the utter failure of post-Crue bids by both Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil, and the original kings of the Sunset Strip have buried the hatchet in the name of bringing you the hits and paying the bills. Good thing Tommy Lee had some time between reality shows and being thrown out of clubs for being a horrendous DJ, eh? Feb. 18, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, 813-301-6500.
Elvis Costello. Declan McManus had a good year in 2004, simultaneously releasing two albums (the rocking The Delivery Man and the orchestral Il Sogno), and scoring three Grammy nominations in the ensuing frenzy of critical acclaim. Yeah, Elvis comes to town fairly often these days, but come on – the show's at the Tampa Theatre. Don't miss it. Mar. 5, Tampa Theatre, 813-274-8982.
Atmosphere. Quite possibly the best hip-hop crew you haven't heard yet, Atmosphere spent last summer blowing young punks' minds on the Warped Tour. Frontman Slug's intelligent anti-gangsta vibe and rock-inspired approach to personal, poetic lyrics have saddled the band with the "rap for white college kids" tag, but recent single "Modern Man's Hustle" and plenty of word-of-mouth accolades have the group poised on the edge of a breakthrough. Mar. 26, State Theatre, St. Petersburg, 727-895-3045.
Chuck Berry & Little Richard. What's not to love? Two of rock 'n' roll's original innovators (and most notoriously eccentric personalities) together under one roof. It's The Duck Walk vs. The Piano Dance. No matter who loses, we all win. April 9, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, 727-791-7400.
Cornerstone Music Festival. This annual two-day festival focuses on contemporary underground Christian artists, one of the hippest areas of youth-centric independent music. Cornerstone regularly features acts that go on to hipster-scene ubiquity, like Pedro the Lion, and the fest established screamo and metalcore as subgenres worth watching long before the Hot Topic crowd caught on. Those who like to be the first onto what's next would do well to make the drive to Orlando. For more information, check out www.cornerstoneflorida.com. May 13 & 14, Central Florida Fairgrounds, Orlando.
WMNF's 24th Annual Tropical Heatwave. It's an eclectic-music institution. And just in case you still think Heatwave is just a haven for roots and World Beat — well, you're still pretty much right, but a local stage at the New World and ever more adventurous booking choices have upped the ante in recent years. Plus, the food always rocks, and the people-watching is unbeatable. Headliners this year include Alejandro Escovedo, Mofro and Reckless Kelly; go to www.wmnf.org/heatwave for more info. May 14, Ybor City, Tampa, 813-238-8001.
—Scott Harrell
This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2005.