Weekend spotlight: Lotta opera and a whole bunch of plays

Opera aficionados have their hands full this weekend, as companies from both sides of the bay have new productions onstage. That’s the sort of coincidence that we don’t see too often.

Opera Tampa, as the Catalyst wrote about a few days ago, is offering up two performances of the English-language adaptation of Stephen King’s book The Shining, at the Straz Center. Read the interview with composer Paul Marovec here. Showtimes and tickets are at this link.

At the Palladium Theater in St. Pete, Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Julius Caesar in Egypt) is presented Friday, Sunday and again Tuesday, Feb. 3 by St. Petersburg Opera Company. George Frederic Handel’s baroque opera, in Italian, takes place during the Roman Civil War, and chronicles Caesar and Cleopatra’s first encounter (among many other events). Showtimes and tickets are at this link.

The weekend concerts (three of them) from The Florida Orchestra include onstage flamenco dancing from the acclaimed Irene Rodríguez and Marlon Fernández, vocals by mezzo soprano Sarah Purser and narration by Michael Francis. The occasion is a performance of Manuel de Falla’s El Amor Brujo (Love, the Sorcerer). With Chelsea Gallo conducting, this chamber orchestra program also includes Danny Elfman’s Suite for Chamber Orchestra and Libertango for String Orchestra by Astor Piazzolla.

Find tickets here for these performances: Friday at 7:30 p.m., Clearwater’s Church of the Ascension; Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the Peter and Cynthia Zinober Concert Hall at USF, Tampa; Sunday at 2 p.m., USF St. Pete Student Center Ballroom.

American Stage is Puritanical these days with “The Scarlet Letter.” Images: Chaz D. Photography.

On theater stages

If this isn’t a record, it’s worth pointing out nevertheless: Of the seven professional theater productions onstage this weekend – that’s right, seven – three of them are new. As in, just opening today or Friday.

We’ll start with those.

Himself and Nora premieres Friday at freeFall Theatre in St. Pete. Jonathan Brielle’s musical is the true story of controversial Irish novelist James Joyce and the love of his life, his partner and muse Nora Barnacle. The drama will remain onstage through March 8. Tickets, showtimes and all the rest are at this link.

God of Carnage, the Tampa Repertory Theatre take on Yasmina Reza’s sharply-written drama about two sets of parents arguing (and arguing) over a playground accident, debuts Friday (preview performance tonight) at Hillsborough Community College Performing Arts Center Studio Theatre. Find showtimes, details and tickets at this link.

The Trail to Oregon! is the latest from Ybor City’s LAB Theater Project. The comic musical giddies-up Saturday and will run through Feb. 15. The pitch from LAB: “The production blends musical theater, improv, and audience participation into a fast-paced, anything-can-happen frontier adventure.” Find everything you need here.

EDITOR’S NOTE: After this story was published, LAB announced the show would now be produced Feb. 6-22.

Sunday is the final performance of the remarkably taut Stageworks Theatre production of the mountain-climbing drama Touching the Void. Here’s our story about the Tampa show; it includes a ticket link.

Jobsite Theatre’s wild ride through Shakespeare country, A Comedy of Errors, is onstage through Feb. 8 at the Straz Center in Tampa. Here’s our story about the day-glo show; it includes a ticket link.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is drawing raves at American Stage. The Kate Hamill adaptation of the literary classic about repression and judgement in 17^th century America will be in production through Feb. 15. Here’s our story about the St. Pete show; it includes a link for showtimes and tickets.

At St. Pete’s The Studio@620 tonight and Friday is actress Samantha Marti Parisi, onstage in The Pink Unicorn. The Story Keepers production of the one-woman drama by Elise Forier Edie presents a conservative Texas housewife detailing the emotions that followed her daughter’s coming out as gay. This is the show that has been performed in private homes across St. Pete for several weeks. After The Studio@620 performances, it moves to The Werk Gallery Saturday and Sunday. Here’s our story about the production; it includes showtimes, ticket links and other important details.

Tampa Repertory Theatre debuts “God of Carnage” with a preview performance tonight. Photo provided.

Concerts

The Wombats perform tonight at Jannus Live. Find tickets at this link.

Tonight at the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center, it’s frequent Bay area fliers Pat Benatar and her co-billed guitarist husband, Neil Giraldo. Tickets are here.

The great John Waite, who also performs in our neighborhood with astounding regularity, is onstage Friday at the Capitol Theatre. Tickets.

Back at Benchmark Arena Friday is St. Pete-born party-dude comedian Bert Kreischer. Tickets.

Longtime Queensryche vocalist Geoff Tate and his band are at Ruth Eckerd Hall with the never-ending Operation Mindcrime Tour. Find tickets at this link.

Saturday at Skipper’s Smokehouse: Singer/songwriter James McMurtry. Tickets.

Saturday brings Kings of Leon to Benchmark Arena. Tickets.

Arenas, Lasky & Nash (bass, piano and vocals) are back with their very well-received Bacharach Book show, at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Mainstage Theater, Hillsborough Community College, Ybor City. Find tickets here.

Magician Lance Burton has a date Sunday with the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center. It’s a 7 p.m. show; find tickets here.

Sunday at the Capitol Theatre: Los Lonely Boys. Tickets for the 7 p.m. concert are at this link.

Your Weekend Spotlight appears every Thursday in the Catalyst’s CREATE section. 

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