Because our holi-daze has now fully kicked in, dR Daily is going weekly for a while. But we think our day-by-day guide to the week ahead should prove a useful way to navigate through a week featuring everything from Chris Isaak at the Capitol to jaw-dropping jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts, from lighted boat parades in Treasure Island to It’s A Wonderful Life at Tampa Theatre. All this and seasonally chilly weather, too! Enjoy!
WED. DEC. 12
Chris Isaak Holiday Tour. Everybody’s favorite crooner has been seducing listeners since 1990 with his first smash single “Wicked Game.” On his 2004 Christmas album, he made even “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” sound like a come-on, so this show of hits and holiday favorites should be as warming as a hot toddy. 8 p.m., Capitol Theatre, rutheckerdhall.com.
Every Christmas Story Ever Told. When an actor cringes at the thought of doing yet another production of A Christmas Carol, he pairs up with two pals to create a mishmash of every Christmas story ever told, tapping into holiday traditions, seasonal icons, pop culture and every carol ever sung. 7 p.m., freeFall Theatre Company, St. Petersburg, freefalltheatre.com.
Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley. Delightfully idiosyncratic performances by Jenny Lester and Josh Odess-Rubin as well-matched oddballs — plus gorgeous period sets, costumes and lighting — distinguish this comic “sequel” to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. 7 p.m., American Stage, St. Petersburg, americanstage.com.
Palladium Chamber Players. An exquisitely talented trio — violinist Jeffrey Multer, cellist Edward Arron and pianist Jeewon Park — play a program of Bach, Turina and Schubert. 7:30 p.m., Palladium, mypalladium.org.
THURS. DEC. 13
An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas. Chicago sensation Evan Tyrone Martin (Jesus Christ Superstar, Oklahoma) revives the velvety vocal style of musical legend Nat King Cole. 7:30 p.m., Straz Center, strazcenter.org.
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (see Dec. 12 for description). 7 p.m., freeFall Theatre Company.
Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley (see Dec. 12 for description). 7 p.m., American Stage.
Nate Najar’s Jazz Holiday 2018. Supremely talented jazz guitarist and local hero Nate Najar appears with John Lamb on bass and Mark Feinman on drums, plus some very special guests: St. Pete’s own James Suggs and trumpet and NYC jazz star Adrian Cunningham on sax, clarinet and flute. 7:30 p.m., Palladium, mypalladium.org.
FRI. DEC. 14
An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas (see Dec. 13 for description). 8 p.m., Straz Center.
Boley Centers’ 35th Annual Jingle Bell Run. This 3-mile fun run features 1,500 luminarias, 15 bands, three glow zones, snow, glow-in-the-dark face paint, glow necklaces and thousands of merry runners, joggers, walkers and four-legged trotters. 7:30 p.m., St. Pete waterfront, boleycenters.org.
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (see Dec. 12 for description). 8 p.m., freeFall Theatre Company.
Florida Orchestra: Holiday Pops. Pure holiday magic you can’t buy at the mall, featuring the velvet voice of American Idolstar and St. Pete native Michael Lynche. 8 p.m., Straz Center, floridaorchestra.org.
Kenny G: The Miracles Holidays & Hits Tour. The curly-haired godfather of smooth jazz saxes it up for the holidays. 8 p.m., Ruth Eckerd.
Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley (see Dec. 12 for description). 8 p.m., American Stage.
The Santa Clause. Bring your blanket or lawn chairs to settle in for a free holiday movie in Downtown St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park. 7 p.m.
Treasure Island Lighted Boat Parade. Billed as “Las Vegas on the water,” this year’s nautical spectacle features boats of all kinds making it the biggest lighted boat parade in Tampa Bay. Boats will depart from The Club at Treasure Island at 6:20 p.m., sail past the Treasure Island Causeway Bridge at 7 p.m. and end at 8:15 p.m. at John’s Pass.
The Winter Wonderettes. Those tuneful gals who crooned tunes from the ’50s and ’60s in last year’s Stageworks hit, The Marvelous Wonderettes, return for Harper’s Hardware Holiday Party — but where’s Santa? The girls sing holiday pop classics such as “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Winter Wonderland” on the way to solving the mystery and saving the party. 8 p.m., Stageworks Theatre, Tampa, stageworkstheatre.org.
SAT. DEC. 15
An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas (see Dec. 13 for description). 8 p.m., Straz Center, strazcenter.org.
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (see Dec. 12 for description). 2 & 8 p.m., freeFall Theatre Company.
Florida Orchestra: Holiday Pops (see Dec. 14 description). 2 & 8 p.m. Mahaffey Theater, floridaorchestra.org.
Gulfport Holiday Art & Gallery Walk. Over 35 locally owned boutiques and artists line the streets along with live musicians to keep you movin’. 12/15.
Indian Rocks Beach Lighted Boat Parade. Decorated boats parade through the waterways. 7 p.m.
Jewels of the Imagination: Radiant Masterworks by Jean Schlumberger from the Mellon Collection. Extraordinary works by the master mid-century Tiffany & Co. jeweler whose innovative designs graced the likes of Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn. Today through 3/31. Also opening today: Drawn to Beauty: The Art and Atelier of Jean Schlumberger. A complementary exhibit tracing the evolution of the Schlumberger style through jewelry and objets d’art as well as personal items, photographs, and ephemera. Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, mfastpete.org.
Largo Annual Holiday Stroll: Let it Snow. Holiday gift market, a snow slide and Santa, of course, in Largo Central Park, featuring over 2 million LED lights and lighted motorcycles. 6:30-9 p.m.
Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley (see Dec. 12 for description). 8 p.m., American Stage.
Safety Harbor Holiday Parade. Floats, old-fashioned cars and a visit from Santa to Safety Harbor’s Main Street. 1 p.m.
St. Petersburg Holiday of the Arts. An outdoor gallery of original and handmade art created by artists in painting, sculpture, jewelry, glass, ceramics, fiber and wearable art, photography, digital art, mixed-media, metalwork, woodworking and more. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., South Straub Park, St. Petersburg.
Tarpon Springs Christmas Parade. This annual parade weaves through downtown Tarpon Springs from Manatee Plaza to Spring Bayou starting at 10 a.m. A Candy Cane Hunt follows at Craig Park for children up to age 12. The Winter Wonderettes (see Dec. 14 for description). 3 & 8 p.m., Stageworks Theatre, Tampa, stageworkstheatre.org.
SUN. DEC. 16
An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas (see Dec. 13 for description). 2 p.m., Straz Center, strazcenter.org.
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (see Dec. 12 for description). 2 p.m., freeFall Theatre Company.
Florida Orchestra: Holiday Pops (see Dec. 14 for description). 2 & 7:30 p.m., Ruth Eckerd Hall, floridaorchestra.org.
St. Petersburg Holiday of the Arts (see Dec. 15 for description). 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., South Straub Park, St. Petersburg.
The Winter Wonderettes (see Dec. 14 for description). 3 p.m., Stageworks Theatre, stageworkstheatre.org.
MON. DEC. 17
Radio Theatre Project: The Bishop’s Wife. RTP steps back up to the mics for a radio adaptation of the classic 1947 holiday film The Bishop’s Wife, in which an angel is sent to help out a bishop only to fall in love with his wife. The film starred Cary Grant as one heckuva suave angel, Loretta Young and David Niven; RTP will feature its usual troupe of versatile voice actors plus its biggest star of all, the live sound effects by maestro Matt Cowley. 7 p.m., Studio@620, St. Petersburg, thestudioat620.org.
Redington Beach Lighted Boat Parade. Festively decorated boats will meander through the intra-coastal waterways from the Tom Stuart Causeway to the The Pubin Indian Shores. 6 p.m.
ONGOING
HOLIDAY ATTRACTIONS
Through December: The Mall (and the Money Machine) at Sundial. Downtown St. Pete’s multi-faceted shopping mecca is more intimate and certainly more elegant than your average mall, and this season it’s not only offering a plethora of good deals and great restaurants, it’s got holiday doings daily: snow every half hour from 6-9:30 p.m.; photo ops with Santa; holiday concerts by the likes of Black Honkeys and the Florida Orchestra; and — best of all — a Money Machine! Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sundial will select one person every hour (5-8 p.m. Fridays, 4-8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays) to get inside the Machine and grab as much cash as they can in 30 seconds. Once the 30 secs are up, Sundial will count the cash and issue a Sun Dollar gift card for the amount collected, valid at participating Sundial shops and restaurants. You have to be 18 or older and register during promotional hours to participate. Free money — how can you resist? Check out this video to see it in action.
Largo: Holiday Lights in the Garden. Over 1 million LED lights shine throughout the Florida Botanical Gardens in nature- or holiday-themed light displays. $4 suggested donation. Through 12/30, 5:30-9:30 p.m.
Christmas in the Wild. ZooTampa comes alive with holiday lights, seasonal treats, enchanting entertainment and a 50-foot animated Christmas tree. Visit Santa in his Tree Top Lodge and marvel at the magic of wildlife at night. ZooTampa at Lowry Park, Tampa. Select nights through 12/30, zootampa.org.
Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. The theme park is transformed into a holiday wonderland with more than a million twinkling lights. Santa will be available to take photos and the park will be open until 10 p.m. Through 12/31, Busch Gardens, buschgardens.com.
River of Lights. Cruise through downtown Tampa aboard the Pirate Water Taxi for a unique view of the beautiful sights of the holiday season, passing beneath the lighted bridges over Hillsborough River. Entertaining narration and Christmas carolers, plus hot chocolate and a holiday cookie. Weekends through 12/30.
Tampa Theatre Holiday Classics Series. Hollywood holiday cheer at Tampa’s iconic movie palace. 12/14-20: It’s A Wonderful Life, various times. tampatheatre.org.
Victorian Christmas Stroll. Experience the extravagance of a Victorian Christmas at the Henry B. Plant Museum, the former 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel. Plant Museum, University of Tampa, through 12/23, plantmuseum.com.
HOLIDAY SHOPPING
Florida CraftArt Holiday Boutique. Florida CraftArt in St. Pete converts its two gallery spaces into an artful shopping experience featuring fine jewelry, clay, glass, ornaments and more handcrafted by Florida’s most talented artists. Through 12/31, floridacraftart.org.
Starry, Starry Delights. Artist-made sensations celebrating the season! Dunedin Fine Art Center’s annual national invitational of fine art, craft + design offers a fusion of gallery elegance with a marketplace of cool, affordable hand-made goods. Through 12/23, Dunedin Fine Art Center, dfac.org.
M– USEUMS/GALLERIES
Dunedin Fine Art Center. Through Dec. 23: Botanamoeba: Anne Byal Felshue + Candace Knappand Insatiable. dfac.org.
Florida Holocaust Museum. Through 2/10/19: Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution: A critically acclaimed exhibition about the legendary rock impresario and humanitarian, who was brought to the United States as an 11-year-old Jewish refugee fleeing the Nazis. flholocaustmuseum.org.
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. Through 1/11: North and South: Berenice Abbott’s U.S. Route 1. A visual record of everyday life along the historic East Coast in the summer of 1954 in photos by the great American photographer Berenice Abbott. fmopa.org.
Galleria Misto @ The Mahaffey. Inception of Creation: The inaugural showing at the Mahaffey of a selection of artworks from Galleria Misto Fine Art Gallery of Belleair Bluffs. galleriamisto.com.
Imagine Museum. Through 1/13: Paul Stankard: Unseen Worlds. A mind-blowing exhibition of paperweights by Paul Stankard, each one a tiny “unseen world” containing extraordinarily realistic flora and fauna made of glass. imaginemuseum.com.
James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art
Through 3/3: James Michaels: An American Pop Life. A special exhibition devoted to the vibrant pop expressionism and painterly realism of the unique Palm Harbor-based artist. thejamesmuseum.org.
Morean Arts Center. Through 12/28: Justin Wagher: Where I Come From. Photo-inspired paintings by a St. Pete native exploring the connection between home and place. moreanartscenter.org.
Museum of Fine Arts. Through 12/30: Recent Acquisitions. Pablo Picasso, Martin Puryear and Reginald Burton Barber are among the artists showcased in this exhibition of artworks recently donated to the museum’s collections. (See Dec. 15 for info on the new Schlumberger jewelry show.) mfastpete.org.
Tampa Museum of Art. Through 1/6:Patricia Cronin Responds to Classical Antiquity: Conversations with the Collection.A profoundly beautiful meditation on classical imagery as viewed through a 21st-century sensibility via sculpture, photography and layered, evocative paintings. Through 2/14: Yayoi Kusama: LOVE IS CALLING. You’ll only have a few moments inside Kusama’s mind-blowing Infinity Mirror Room installation, but you likely won’t forget it. Through 3/17:Robert Indiana: A Sculpture Retrospective.He’s most famous, of course, for his bold, graphic LOVE sculptures, but this retrospective reveals much more about this seminal artist’s wide-ranging oeuvre over his five-decade career. tampamuseum.org.
