Weekend spotlight: Motown salute at The Studio@620

Juneteenth weekend begins with Legacy of Legends: Voices of Motown.

The Studio @620 and its producing artist-in-residence Patrick Arthur Jackson are giving a three-night musical shoutout to Motown Records, the legendary Detroit label that contributed so much magic and muscle to 1960s and ‘70s radio, to the everlasting benefit of music lovers in perpetuity.

In a prepared statement, Jackson described what he and his cast and crew are going for. “This production is about more than nostalgia – it’s a celebration of Black creativity, resilience and joy,” he said. “Motown changed the cultural landscape of America. These songs gave voice to a movement.”

Motown gave the world Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Martha & the Vandellas, the Commodores … it’s a long and impressive list.

Tonight, Friday and Saturday (7:30 p.m. curtain time) singers Canela Vasquez, NaTasha McKenzie, AR Williams, Janderlyn White and Terrence Jamison will perform – and talk about – many of Motown’s milestones.

Musical director Matthew Mykel will be on keyboards, with Dominic Santini on bass and Caleb Miller on drums. The evening’s choreography is by Myles Thoroughgood.

Check out this link for tickets and other details.

And more for Juneteenth

Admission is free today to the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art. Timed-entry tickets need to be reserved at this link.

Gulfport’s celebration (5-9 p.m. today), sponsored by the Kiwanis Club, happens at Pavilion 6 on Gulfport Beach.

Bay area writer, actor and filmmaker Cranstan Cumberbatch hosts Film Tampa Bay’s annual Juneteenth Film Celebration at 6 p.m. today, at the Tampa Theatre. There will be screenings of locally-made short films, as well as Elvis Mitchell’s documentary Is That Black Enough For You?!?  Find details at this link.

Saturday (3-8 p.m.) at Raymond James Stadium: The annual R.O.C. the Block Juneteenth celebration – a family-friendly festival featuring live music, games, food and beverage vendors and informational booths. Free, but pre-registration (here) is required.

Chaunte Wayans headlines Saturday’s St. Pete Pride event “Womyn in Comedy” at the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg. Photo: Facebook.

Comedy for Pride Month

Chaunte’ Wayans, part of the Wayans family entertainment dynasty, headlines Saturday’s Womyn in Comedy show, a St. Pete Pride event the Museum of Fine Arts. Wayans, who appeared on her friend Tiffany Hadish’s Netflix series They Ready, will be joined for this show by Paris Sashay. Tickets for the event, 7-10 p.m., can be found here.

Hall of Famers

Got a couple of octogenarian Rock and Roll Hall of Famers in our midst. Friday beings Jon Anderson, the longtime vocalist and frontman for British prog legends Yes, to Ruth Eckerd Hall with a group called the Band Geeks.

And Ringo Starr, who was in some other English band back in the day, returns to the BayCare Sound Saturday with his All-Starr Band.

The Catalyst had a couple of nice check-ins this week. For our Zoom interview with Anderson, click here; we spoke with guitarist Steve Lukather, a longtime member of the Ringo All-Starrs, about working closely with one of the Beatles … you can read that elsewhere in today’s Catalyst.

Continuing at freeFall Theatre: “The House of Future Memory.” Image: Thee Photo Ninja.

On theater stages

It’s the final weekend for American Stage’s production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Fat Ham, an urban contemporary adaptation of Hamlet. Shows are tonight through Sunday; find all details, and tickets, at this link.

Continuing through June 29 at Stageworks Theatre is Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, which presents actress/singer Billie Holiday in one of her final nightclub performances. Find showtimes and tickets at this link.

At freeFall Theatre, The House of Future Memory continues through July 13. The show blends audience interaction, artificial intelligence, effects and improv. For details and tickets, visit the company website.

Red Hot Patriot – The Kick Ass Wit of Molly Ivins continues through Sunday at TheatreFor (Clearwater). Find info and tickets at this link.

The Tampa International Fringe Festival continues through Sunday. Here’s our story on this year’s fun and games. Showtimes and tickets are here.

More concerts

British pop/rock band Glass Animals (“Gooey,” “Heat Waves”) is onstage tonight at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre. The group’s 2020 Dreamland album sold platinum and went to No. 7 on the U.S. Billboard chart, while its 2024 I Love You So F***ing Much rose to No. 11. Concert tickets are here.

Avril Lavigne plays the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre Friday, on her Greatest Hits tour. Find tickets at this link.

Meanwhile at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Sunday’s show is the Summer of Loud Tour, with metalcore’s Parkway Drive, Killswitch Engage, I Prevail and Beartooth. Tickets are at this link.

Saturday in Morsani Hall (the Straz Center for the Performing Arts): Comedians Ralph Barbosa and René Vaca. Tickets are here.

Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Palladium Theater Side Door Cabaret: Percussionist Dimas Sanchez & the Afro Latin Jazz Project, an Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association concert. Tickets are here.

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

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