Your weekend arts forecast: Live and in-person
It may seem difficult to believe, but there are arts and performance events this weekend. Everyone is doing their best to keep visitors safe, secure and successfully distanced, of course, but like the first green shoots of spring, events – and shows – are beginning to poke up through the frosty tundra of coronavirus. Crowds are being kept miniscule, on purpose.
Let’s set aside the Firestone Grand Prix, which will, of course, be the weekend’s most-attended (not to mention loudest) non-arts event.
Gainesville-based rock ‘n’ roll band Sister Hazel plays the Raymond James Stadium parking lot in Tampa tonight, the first stop on the group’s multi-city “drive-in” tour.
Each vehicle is allotted three parking spaces, for getting out chairs, blankets etc. There are a list of must-follow rules on the tickets page.
The experiment begins at 6 p.m.
Related: Ken Block and Andrew Copeland of Sister Hazel on The Catalyst Sessions.
The “drive-in” experience heads across the bay Friday, when freeFall Theatre opens its multi-media outdoor musical version of War of the Worlds. Michael Raabe, who co-wrote the part-comedy, part Sci-Fi show with Eric Davis, guests on The Catalyst Sessions tonight alongside freeFall spokesman Matthew McGee.
Opening night is sold out; check tickets for the show’s entire run (through Nov. 22) here.
Twenty-three time Grammy winner Chick Corea has solo piano concerts Friday and Saturday in the Ruth Eckerd Hall lobby cabaret. The Clearwater resident discussed the shows, his first public performances since the spring, recently on The Catalyst Sessions.
Both From Mozart to Monk shows are listed as sold out; check last-minute availability here.
St. Petersburg Opera Company has another “pop-up” concert Sunday, in two editions: At Cage Brewing (ticketed at 4 p.m.) and outdoors at the Museum of Fine Arts (7 p.m., free). This one is a Halloween-themed performance featuring 10 top-tier singers (including the spellbinding soprano Susan Hellman Spatafora and tenor Chris Romeo, both of whom have guested on The Catalyst Sessions).
These are becoming quite popular – the company sets up stage (and Teresa’s piano) on a 14-foot flatbed truck; there’s nothing quite so beautiful as operatic voices in the open air.
More info here.
