Your weekend arts forecast: Farewell to ‘Footloose’

It’s the end of a well-traveled road with American Stage’s Footloose – the Musical, which opened a month ago in Demens Landing Park and has been doing boffo business. Tickets for the final weekend of shows are here.

Anna in the Tropics, Nilo Cruz’s Pultizer Prize-wining drama about workers in an Ybor City cigar factory in 1929, opens Friday at Stageworks Theatre in Tampa. Some performances are in English, and some are in Spanish. Here’s our interview with director JL Rey (ticket link is in the story).

In its final weekend at thestudio@620 is Ann, the one-woman show featuring Bonnie Agan as legendary Texas governor Ann Richards. Read all about it here.

The family drama The Sugar Ridge Rag is onstage at LAB Theater Project in Ybor City. Here’s the Catalyst story about Philip Middleton Williams’ story, concerning twin brothers on opposite sides of the War in Vietnam.

A co-production with Theatre eXceptional, Studio Grand Central and what/she/said Theater, the Off-Central Players’ Into the Night (tonight-Sunday) is a coming-of-age story about a young man with Downs syndrome and his family. Look for a story about this show Friday in the Catalyst. Meanwhile, tickets are here.

At Morsani Hall in Tampa Straz Center through Sunday is the Broadway touring production of the Tony-winning musical The Band’s Visit. Quoth the New York Times: “one of the most ravishing musicals you will ever be seduced by,” and “a Broadway rarity seldom found these days outside of the canon of Stephen Sondheim: an honest-to-God musical for grown-ups.” Tickets here.

Clyde Butcher, self-portrait.

A Florida treasure

Nature photographer Clyde Butcher, whose breathtaking black and whites are currently on view (next to those of Ansel Adams) at the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art, will give a presentation at the museum today (May 5) at 7 p.m. It’s free with museum admission.

Concerts and comedy

Country’s Tim McGraw’s latest mega-tour arrives at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre Friday. Tickets here.

At the Hard Rock Event Center Friday: The Offspring. And the Stylistics perform Sunday. All tickets.

Neo-soul pioneer Maxwell is at Amalie Arena Saturday, with Anthony Hamilton and Joe. The concert is almost sold out, but there are a few tickets here.

Comedian Ryan Hamilton (Happy Face) is at the Capitol Theatre Friday. Tickets.

Singer/songwriters Madeleine Peyroux and Sophie B. Hawkins share the bill Saturday at the Capitol Theatre (with Hawkins subbing for the previously-announced Paula Cole). Tickets.

And the great Randall Bramblett plays the Safety Harbor Art and Music Center Saturday (7:30 p.m. show). Tickets. 

Symphonically speaking

Under the direction of Mark Sforzini, the Tampa Bay Symphony closes out its season Sunday at the Straz Center (Ferguson Hall). The program includes Brahms’ First Symphony, Four Scottish Dances by Malcolm Arnold and the Jack Heller Young Artist Competition winner. Tickets. This program will be repeated Tuesday (May 10) at the Palladium Theater in St. Pete.

It’s Pops in the Park time for The Florida Orchestra. Daniel Black conducts the free concert of Hollywood and family favorites Sunday (7:30 p.m.) at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Tampa. More Florida Orchestra news here.

The other stuff

Preserve the ‘Burg’s Movies in the Park series opens tonight, at Straub Park by the St. Pete bayfront, with a screening of the Oscar-winning music documentary Summer of Soul. Live music starts the event at 6:30 p.m.; bring something to sit on. Admission is free.

And Tampa’s multi-day Riverfest takes place 4-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday at the Riverwalk at Curtis Hixon Park. It’s got hot air balloons, live local music, food, games and a wide assortment of family-friendly things for the enjoying. Free.

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