Weekend arts forecast: A monstrous new theater production

Jobsite Theater takes Halloween seriously. This year’s entry in the spooky-season sweepstakes is Frankenstein, British playwright Nick Dear’s 2011 adaptation of Mary Shelley’s gothic horror novel. This show opens Friday (there’s a preview tonight), at the Shimberg Playhouse inside Tampa’s Straz Center for the Performing Arts.

Dear’s adaptation premiered in London, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller; this became a movie in 2015. The Jobsite edition casts company regulars Paul Potenza and Giles Davies as The Creature and Dr. F, respectively (they were last onstage here in Dracula, Jobsite’s 2022 Halloween scare-o-rama, with Davis as the Count and Potenza as Renfield). Find tickets here.

Another British import, the happy-go-lucky pub musical The Choir of Man, continues its two-month residency at the Jaeb Theatre inside the Straz complex. Tickets.

St. Pete’s large professional theaters both have very strong shows – at freeFall Theatre, Tampa playwright Natalie Symons’ uproarious comedy Nightsweat continues (tickets here); Paula Vogel’s dramatic story of early 20^th century censorship and anti-Semitism, Indecent, continues at American Stage (read more about the show here).

“Dirty” John Huls and his ribald crew of comic actors have become so popular at thestudio@620, their October show will be performed for three consecutive nights. Freakenstein, a mashup of all things Halloween-centric, happens Thursday, Friday and Saturday (Oct. 19-21), at 8 p.m. each. Find tickets here.

Where’s the orchestra?

Renowned baritone Jubilant Sykes joins The Florida Orchestra for this weekend’s concerts to perform several American spirituals, including “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child.” The program, at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Mahaffey Theater, and 7:30 Sunday at Ruth Eckerd Hall, also includes orchestral performances of Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Slavonic Dances, Op.72 by Dvořák. Michael Franicis conducts; tickets are here. TFO resident conductor Chelsea Gallo is Friday’s guest on our Arts Alive! podcast.

Palladium music

John Lamb

St. Petersburg’s living jazz legend, bassist John Lamb, who’ll celebrate his 90^th birthday next month, will be onstage Friday at the Palladium Side Door, playing a set with keyboardist Mark Moultrup. Kenny Anderson (sax) and drummer Jean Bolduc will join them for the second set. Lamb, in case you didn’t know, was once part of Duke Ellington’s group. Tickets for Friday are here.

Multi-talented (and multi-lingual) singer, songwriter and musician Ona Kirei – also known as “Ona K” – has completed her second album. Full New Luna was recorded in St. Petersburg will a full complement of jazz musicians and even a sting section. This band debuted come of the new material, which includes, jazz, pop and neo-soul, in a June concert, then went into the studio – and Sunday (Oct. 22) at 6 p.m., everyone will be onstage at the Palladium’s Hough Hall, performing the album-as-is live.

Musicians: Ona K: vocals; Songbird Shella: background vocals; Guiana Brantley: background vocals; Patrick Bettison: keys; LaRue Nickelson: guitar; Alejandro Arenas: bass; Jonathan Thomas: drums; Christina Adams: violin; Laura Martin: violin; Sungho Jung: viola; Michael Amos: violoncello. Find tickets here.

Music outdoors

For the 12^th year, the barbeque-centric Pig Jig, combining pork and country music, happens in Tampa Saturday. The outdoor festival (at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park) features Brad Paisley as headliner, with Amanda Shires, The Head and the Heart, Riley Green and Shovels & Rope. The Catalyst spoke with Shires this week; event tickets are here.

Although blues great Buddy Guy was forced to drop out due to health concerns, the annual Clearwater Jazz Holiday goes on as planned, starting today and continuing through Sunday at the Sound amphitheater in Clearwater. Ya got Gladys Knight, Los Lobos, Mike Love’s Beach Boys, Gipsy Kings and more. Find the schedule and tickets here.

More concerts

The long-lived Australian rock band The Church (original members: 1) plays tonight at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater. Tickets.

David Manson, longtime professor of music at St. Pete College, leads an innovative, improvisational, experimental music group called ERG today (6-7 p.m.) at the Dali Museum. In conjunction with the Where Ideas Come From exhibit, Manson will ask audience members to contribute motifs and moods, then quickly confer with the other players to create music on the spot. Musicians are David Pate (saxophone & flute), Tom Kersey (cello), TJ Glowacki (double bass), Jim Stewart (drums) and Manson (trombone). Tickets here.

Roseanne Barr, back on the road doing standup, is at the Capitol Friday and Saturday. Tickets.

Soul/R&B performers Tyrese, Monica, Ginuwine, 112, Silk and Tweet come together for a concert Friday at Amalie Arena. Tickets.

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter wants it that way, by golly, and he’ll be looking for it Sunday at Ferguson Hall, in the Straz Center, Tampa. Tickets.

Monday at Ruth Eckerd Hall: The European folk band Heilung, playing “experimental folk music from the distant past.” How distant? It’s primitive and pagan. Allmusic.com calls it “ancient melodies with otherworldly vocals, field recordings, dark ambient soundscapes, and shamanic rhythms …  a trance-inducing blend that evokes the very dawn of civilization.” Tickets.

Visual arts this weekend

Chad Mize has another pop-up show and reception at his space SPACE (855 28^th Street S.) from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday. Dark Space will have work from Jenipher Chandley, Dysfunctional, Alex Heir, Palehorse, Brian Butler, Rebekah Lazardis, Missy Roll, Cake Marques and many more. With food and craft beer available.

We’re heading into the final stretch of the 9^th annual SHINE Mural Festival (Sunday is the last day). Starting a 5:30 p.m. today, Bayboro Brewing (2390 5th Ave S.) will pour the 2023 edition of Spraycation, its special SHINE craft beer.

Check here to see who’s painting, and on what walls where, until Sunday.

The Weekend Arts Forecast appears every Thursday in the Catalyst. 

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