Connect with us

Create

Your weekend arts forecast: The Florida Orchestra returns

Bill DeYoung

Published

on

The Florida Orchestra begins its 55th season with "Carmina Burana" this weekend. Publicity photo.

Carl Orff’s sprawling cantata Carmina Burana comprises the bulk of The Florida Orchestra’s season-starting concerts this weekend. These epic performances feature the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and Lumina Youth Choirs, with soloists Jeni Houser, soprano;  John Kaneklides, tenor; and Jean Carlos Rodriquez, baritone. Also on the program: Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé, Suites 1 & 2, “with the rarely heard wordless choir.”

With Michael Francis conducting, performances are at 8 p.m. Friday in the Straz Center’s Morsini Hall, 8 p.m. Saturday at the Mahaffey Theater, and at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Additional info and details are here.

 

More classics

Direct from Italy, the operatic vocal trio Il Volo performs Friday at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Piero Barone, Gianluca Ginoble and Ignazio Boschetto, who describe their music as “popera,” most recently released an album dedicated to the late, great Ennio Morricone. Tickets.

Benise at the Mahaffey. Publicity photo.

Guys with guitars

Flamenco and world music guitarist and bandleader Benise makes his annual appearance at the Mahaffey Theater Friday; it’s a flashy, exciting show with a great band, singers and dancers, sets and a light show. Benise (his first name is Roni) is a native of the American Midwest who discovered flamenco, Brazilian and African music after years of playing shredding electric rock guitar. Tickets.

Sunday at 7 p.m.: Towering classical guitarist Charles Mokotoff plays a free recital at St. Petersburg’s Unitarian Universalist Church, 100 Mirror Lake Drive. According to England’s Classical Guitar magazine, Molokoff’s playing is “truly monumental” as well as “engaging and rhapsodic.” A goodwill collection will be taken.

 

Concerts

The Catalyst spoke with singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright in advance of his concert Friday at the Straz Center (Ferguson Hall) in Tampa. You can read that interview here.

Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction at Amalie Arena Friday. Tickets.

Saturday at Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre: Zac Brown Band. Tickets.

Jazz bassist extraordinaire Victor Wooten (from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones) returns to the bay area for a Sunday evening concert at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater. Wooten’s bringing his power trio, Bass Extremes, with Steve Bailey and Derico Watson. Tickets.

 

On theater stages

“Twelfth Night” in Williams Park.

Rupert Holmes’ All Things Equal, with Los Angeles actress Michelle Azar as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, opens tonight at freeFall Theatre (tickets here). Look for more on this world-premiere production Friday in the Catalyst.

Ann, the one-woman show written by actress Holland Taylor, is back at thestudio@620 for an encore performance – St. Petersburg’s Bonnie Again portrayed legendary Texas governor Ann Richards at thestudio in April and May, and she’s bringing the show back by popular demand tonight through Saturday, and again Wednesday-Saturday, Oct. 12-15. With 2 p.m. Sunday matinees on the 9th and 16th. Tickets.

Displaced last weekend because of Hurricane You-know-who, the St. Petersburg Shakespeare Festival brings its all-female production of Twelfth Night to Williams Park, at 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Admission is free (donations are gratefully appreciated, and proceeds will go to Ft. Meyers residents and theater companies). Read all about the show here.

At the Straz Center, both the in-house production of Avenue Q and Jobsite’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile will disappear after Sunday’s matinees. Info and tickets here.

Also winding down with this weekend’s performances is the comedy Vino Veritas at Studio Grand Central. Info and tickets here.

 

Festivals

St. Pete musician and educator David Manson is the man running the nonprofit EMIT, which is producing its second annual Latin Jazz Fest Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Pianist Martin Bejerano and his trio play Thursday at the St. Pete College Music Center; Bassist Mauricio J Rodriguez leads the MJR Latin Project Friday at Bayboro Brewing; Saturday brings the Latin Knights and O Som Do Jazz to the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement. This show, from 3-6 p.m., is free; the others (both at 7:30 p.m.) require tickets. All the necessary info is here. Here’s our story on the festival.

The 33rd annual Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival begins Friday and will run through Oct. 15, at theaters and other venues in Tampa and St. Petersburg. Here’s our rundown from a few days ago.

 

Visual art

Last but not least, it’s Second Saturday ArtWalk weekend, which means that 40-some studios and galleries will be open 5-9 p.m. Saturday to welcome you. Here’s the official walking, driving and trolley-riding map from the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, and here you’ll find a Catalyst story from Wednesday with loads of details about this month’s event and other weekend art avails.

Your weekend arts forecast appears every Thursday in the Catalyst

Please add us to your mailing list – send all press releases and event info to bill@stpetecatalyst.com.

You can also submit your events to the Catalyst calendar, by clicking here.

 

 

 

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

By posting a comment, I have read, understand and agree to the Posting Guidelines.

The St. Pete Catalyst

The Catalyst honors its name by aggregating & curating the sparks that propel the St Pete engine.  It is a modern news platform, powered by community sourced content and augmented with directed coverage.  Bring your news, your perspective and your spark to the St Pete Catalyst and take your seat at the table.

Email us: spark@stpetecatalyst.com

Subscribe for Free

Share with friend

Enter the details of the person you want to share this article with.