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Weekend arts forecast: Here’s what’s onstage
A young woman of Puerto Rican descent travels from her home in the continental United States to visit relatives on the island, and discovers there’s more than just physical distance between them.
That’s the central plot of Carmen Rivera’s La Gringa, which is entering its second weekend at American Stage in downtown St. Pete. The company reports that the first string of shows were almost completely sold out.
The play, which is American Stage’s first-ever bilingual production (some scenes are in Spanish, while the majority are in English) is warm, tender, humorous – and eye-opening. “It’s one thing to know that you’re Puerto Rican, to know that you’re from somewhere,” director Tatyana-Marie Carlo told the Catalyst. “But it’s another thing to touch the land from which your family came.”
Find tickets here.
Across the bay in Tampa, Jobsite Theater is also doing “Boffo B.O.” (to use the old-school Variety parlance) with its re-mount of the rock musical Lizzie, a re-telling of the story about 19th century axe murderess Lizzie Borden. Jobsite broke attendance records with its first interpretation, back in 2016.
Find tickets here.
Concert stages
Friday’s Tampa show by Chicago rapper Lil Durk was postponed 10 days ago, as the Durkster is “suffering from exhaustion.” Expect the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre performance to be rescheduled.
Here’s what IS on this weekend, concert-wise:
Country artist Hunter “Wanted” Hayes plays the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center tonight (tickets here);
Nashville harmonizers Maddie and Tae (“Die From a Broken Heart”) make their bay area debut Friday at the Capitol Theatre (tickets here);
Nickelback rocks the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre Saturday (tickets here);
Creedence Clearwater Revival founder, singer and songwriter John Fogerty takes the stage at The Sound, the new Clearwater Amphitheatre, Saturday (tickets here).
The 2023 Odyssey Music Festival, a celebration of EDM (electronic dance music), happens Saturday at Vinoy Park in St. Pete. Read all about it, and find tickets, here.
Strictly local
Tonight at Green Light Cinema, the monthly live storytelling event, True Stories, returns. Host Lisa Kirchner encourages anyone to sign up and tell a five-minute story about weather (and sort thereof). The event starts at 7. In this interview, Kirchner explains what True Stories is all about.
Pinellas County native Blaine Alden Krauss, an accomplished musical theater performer who’s been steadily working on Broadway for years (and has just completed a turn as Aaron Burr in the national tour of Hamilton), performs a solo concert (with ensemble) Saturday at the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art. Find tickets for the 7 p.m. performance here. Our interview with the talented Mr. Krauss will appear in Saturday’s Catalyst.
Tampa blues guitarist Damon Fowler and band play the Palladium Theater Side Door Friday; tickets are here. Saturday at the Side Door, a jazz ensemble fronted by St. Pete sax player Trace Zacur (read our interview with Zacur here).
Sunday brings Evolution of Drag – Drag Through the Ages to the Palladium’s big room, Hough Hall. Featuring Daphne Ferraro and friends, the show is being billed as “a unique mix of comedy, dance productions, history lesson and dazzling drag costuming.” The 18+ event starts at 4 p.m.; tickets are here.
At thestudio@620, Rampant! A Rip-Roaring Radio Adventure is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday. It’s a special “live radio theater” comedy from the folks who produce and perform the Radio Theatre Project show at the venue October through May. Featuring illustrations by the artists at Creative Clay, Rampant! was written by Sheila Cowley, Jim Rayfield and Tom Sivak, and features live sound effects by Matt Cowley. Find tickets here.
And one more
How ‘bout them hobbits? Lord of the Rings actors Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monahan are among the celebrities who’ll turn up at this weekend’s Tampa Bay Comic Con, at the Tampa Convention Center. Autographs and photos don’t come cheap. Read our full Comic Con overview here.
The Weekend arts forecast appears every Thursday in the Catalyst.
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