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The month of July in the arts: Concerts and theater
Postponed from last October, the Mahaffey Theater performances by Steely Dan – that’s founder Donald Fagen and company – are coming up this month. The rescheduled dates are July 22 and 23, Friday and Saturday, and very few tickets remain for either show. Those seats that remain available on the floor are priced in the hundreds of dollars (that’s how Ticketmaster works these days).
Be that as it may, those who are all set to go will want to know that the first evening consists of a song-for-song performance of the 1976 Steely Dan album The Royal Scam (plus, one assumes, additional numbers to flesh things out to concert length). Night No. 2 is billed by the theater as “hits from Northeast Corridor: Steely Dan Live! & other selected tracks.”
Also coming with a rescheduled-by-Covid date is the fully-realized Doobie Brothers 50th Anniversary Tour, with both lead singers (from different eras) Tom Johnston and Michael McDonald. This one was supposed to visit the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheater in early June; the new date is July 20.
Meanwhile, Mid-Florida’s got a July 26 date with metal man Rob Zombie. He’s also a film director, and his latest (coming for Halloween, probably) is a far piece from his usual blood ‘n mayhem: It’s a big-screen adaptation of the campy 1960s TV series The Munsters. Mudvayne opens for Mr. Z., by the way.
Two more at the east Hillsborough County amphitheater, on the Florida State Fairgrounds: Coheed and Cambria (July 13) and the boy band Big Time Rush (July 21).
It’s a big-time R&B celebration July 23 at Amalie Arena. Keith Sweat headlines, and the bill includes Monica, Tevin Campbell, Tamar Braxton, 112, Ginuwine and Silk. Four days later (on the 27th), Amalie’s got Kendrick Lamar ft. Baby Keem & Tanna Leone..
At Ruth Eckerd Hall, expect a relatively low-key month, with just Ted Nugent (July 15); and Firefall, Pure Prairie League and Orleans (July 23).
The Capitol Theatre has comedian/actor Jon Lovitz July 21, and ‘80s synth-pop singer Howard Jones on the 23rd.
Comedian/actor Chris Tucker appears at the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center July 17.
Singer/songwriter John Darnielle and his ever-eclectic band the Mountain Goats are booked into the Palladium Theater’s Hough Hall (the big room) July 11.
Adebowalé Adebiyi and Shannon Mary Keegan in “Dutchman.” Photo provided.
On theater stages
The professional theater companies on both sides of the bay aren’t going to let a little summer heat curdle their creative impulses. Here’s what’s on the schedule for July:
Animals Out of Paper opens July 15 at Jobsite Theater (Tampa). A quirky romantic comedy about … origami.
Dutchman, Amiri Baraka’s legendary one-act racial allegory, is onstage all month at American Stage (St. Petersburg).
It Started With A Kiss, a new musical by local artists Mike Deeson and James Rayfield, opens July 7 at Ybor City’s LAB Theater Project.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In the Heights will be presented by the Spanish Lyric Theatre (Ybor City) July 29-Aug. 7.
And St. Pete’s freeFall Theater will introduce a production of Neil Simon’s Rose and Walsh beginning July 29.
As always, this disclaimer: Many events will be added as the month goes on. Check the Catalyst for daily and weekly updates on arts and entertainment in our area.
