A big weekend for hellos and goodbyes, with only a few days left to catch some great shows that are about to close and some first looks at shows just opening.
Opening 5/11: Dalí Lives!
The Dalí Museum introduces (on Dalí’s birthday, May 11) its new permanent installation: three screens in various spots around the museum in which the artist himself — uncannily brought to life by a combination of techno-magic, voice and body actors, and heaps of research — tells you about himself, talks about the weather and even takes your picture. The whole project may sound a little like animatronic Lincoln or some such cheezy stunt, but it’s not; in a weird and unexpected way, these encounters may help you understand Dalí just a bit better. thedali.org.
Through 5/11
Third Annual Tampa International Fringe Festival
It’s the final days for the 2019 fest, spread across venues in Ybor City. Pack your spirit of adventure and go exploring! Full schedule of shows at tampafringe.org.
5/11-6/9
Buyer & Cellar
An inspired matchup of performer and material at freeFall: the award-winning actor Chris Crawford, who can do farce and drama with equal amounts heart and aplomb, in Jonathan Tolins’s much-lauded one-man play about “an underemployed Los Angeles actor who goes out to work in Barbra Streisand’s Malibu. Calif., basement.” Yep, her basement, where La Streisand infamously installed a full-on shopping mall. 5/11-6/9, freeFall Theatre, 727-498-5205, freefalltheatre.com.
Through 5/12
Mamma Mia
A must-see not just for ABBA fans but for ABBA doubters, too, because director Stephanie Gularte and an inspired cast have found the heart and soul beneath the fluff in this fluffiest of musicals. And face it, the songs are pretty irresistible. Bring your own chair or blanket for general admission or premium blanket seating, or reserve a chair. American Stage in the Park, Demens Landing, St. Petersburg. americanstage.org.
Spamilton: An American Parody
A hilarious but affectionate sendup not just of Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda, but of all Broadway (or so it feels). Jaeb Theater at the Straz.
