Happy Passover and Easter Weekend to all. Registry Tampa Bay has some great ideas about how to spend it. Want to ride in a race car with a pro? Have breakfast with dolphins? Plant a new tree for free? See a live stage show? Find out how, when, and where, plus much more, right here!
New Theater Thursday
The Bridges of Madison County Presented by Tampa Repertory Theatre
The Straz Center, Jaeb Theater, Tampa
From Producing Artistic Director, Amelia Sargent – “When two kindred souls come together under chance circumstances, their lives are forever changed. How can they go back to before? The best-selling novel and movie have been adapted into a stunning musical with Tony Award-winning music & lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. Experience this passionate story in our biggest production yet!”
Opens Thursday, April 17th runs through Sunday, April 27th
Find tickets, performance times, and more information HERE.
Opening: Meteor Shower by Steve Martin
TheatreFor, Clearwater
On a warm, summer night in Ojai, California, Norm and his wife, Corky, are hosting a dinner party. They invite Norm’s tennis partner, Gerald, and his wife, Laura, over for an evening of polite small talk while they watch a once-in-a-lifetime meteor shower from their backyard. However, as the night goes on, the dinner party begins to spiral out of control. The couples begin to flirt and fight, and wild antics ensue. This absurdist comedy from Steve Martin weirdly shows that true love can be as rare as a meteor shower…
Opens Thursday, April 17th runs through Sunday, May 4th
Find tickets, performance times, and more information HERE.
Spring Dance Concert
HCC Mainstage, Ybor Campus, Tampa
(HCC) Dance Program proudly presents its Spring Dance Concert at the HCC Mainstage Theatre. This year’s performance will showcase original choreography by guest choreographers and feature members of the HCC Dance Ensemble. The concert highlights the creative works of Christina Acosta, Jason Cameron, Helen French, Richard Allan Ploch, Sea Lee, Sarah Walston Philips, and Jessica Williamson. Their choreography spans a variety of movement styles, offering an engaging and inspiring evening of dance.
Thursday – Saturday, April 17th through the 19th
Find tickets, performance times, and more information HERE.
**Mini Review**
For Closure
freeFall Theatre, St. Pete
Sometimes you need to laugh. When the world feels a bit complicated, theater can be a wonderful way to escape the worries of the day and live in another reality – at least for a few hours. That’s what For Closure by Hannah Benitez did for me this past weekend at freeFall Theatre. It’s a good-hearted romp with just the right notes of satirical and political messaging. It’s light, yet recognizable and relatable – oh, and ridiculous. My favorite part.
Set in a fictional (?) Gulf coast Florida town, Amanda (Sara DelBeato) and Raven (Renata Eastlick) are a couple trying to keep Amanda’s late mother’s real estate “empire” afloat. Raven’s job in the arts, income they sorely need, is cut by the new Mayor, (I told you – recognizable), and tenants are leaving in droves because of the strange happenings at the historic home that is weighing down the couple’s hopes of success. Did I mention that Amanda’s mother was eaten by a gator? All but the one finger…
Anyway, enter the clairvoyant Camille Chevalier Milk (Matthew McGee), with his faux tanned face and awful (and by that, I mean perfect) wig, to clear the house of the mischievous spirits and to help Amanda and Raven get funds from the Mayor to convert the old house into a profitable museum. Can they all survive a dinner together? Will they get the money? Can Camille rid the house of spirits? Hilarity ensues, hijinks are schemed, and secrets are revealed.
As he has a reputation for, McGee steals the show as the delightfully outrageous Camille Chevalier Milk. The loudest laughs come when he is on stage., and you haven’t lived until you’ve seen him on a motorized chair. DelBeato and Eastlick have a great connection and comic timing, particularly shining in the second act. Shout outs to Kelly Pekar and Glenn Giron for playing the multiple roles that pull all the antics together. Shout outs also to the stagehands that so adeptly assisted with set conversions.
Directed by Founding Artistic Director, Eric Davis, For Closure will tickle your funny bone, warm your heart, and have you leaving the theater with a smile.
Runs through Sunday, May 11th
Find tickets, performance times, and more information HERE.
Friday
Easter at DK Farms
DK Farms & Gardens, Largo
There’s nothing like Easter on a farm! There are animals to cuddle, easter egg hunts, pedal carts, bounce houses, golf, a game zone and lots of other optional activities like gem mining, pony rides, and a mechanical bull! There will be food trucks and adult beverages available, so pack up the fam and get down to the farm for the ultimate Easter experience.
Friday – Sunday, April 18th – 20th
Find tickets, events, and more information HERE.
Pretty Woman The Musical
Ruth Eckerd Hall
Based on one of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic stories of all time, Pretty Woman The Musical springs to life with a powerhouse creative team led by two-time Tony Award®-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde).
PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL features an original score by GRAMMY® winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (Summer of ’69, Heaven), and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J. F. Lawton. This show will lift your spirits and light up your heart, but the run is limited, so get your tickets now!
Are you ready to fall in love all over again?
Friday & Saturday, April 18th & 19th
Find tickets, performance times, and more information HERE.
Saturday
Seaside Easter Breakfast
Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater
Experience an unforgettable Easter Breakfast at Clearwater Marine Aquarium! Enjoy delicious breakfast favorites with beautiful bay views, fun activities for kids, kangaroo and visits from the Easter Bunny. Make memories with family and friends at this Easter Breakfast supporting marine life conservation.
Saturday, April 19th @9am -12pm
Find tickets, event schedule, and more information HERE.
Celebrating Earth Day: Community Canopy Tree Giveaway
Walter Fuller Recreation Center & Frank Pierce Recreation Center, St. Pete
The Community Canopy Initiative aims to expand St. Pete’s urban tree canopy, which offers a variety of benefits including improved air quality, reduced heat island effect, and increased biodiversity. This event is open to all St. Pete residents. While there will be 250 trees available at each location, it’s encouraged to arrive early to ensure you get a tree of your choice. Residents will have the opportunity to learn about different tree species and select the one best suited for their home, based on availability. Trees will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Remember to bring some buckets and containers, as organic soil and mulch will be available as well. This giveaway is a great way for residents to get involved, contribute to a more sustainable city, and enjoy the numerous benefits of having a tree in their yard.
Saturday, April 19th @9am – 12pm
Find more information HERE.
The Adrenaline Experience
Th Motor Enclave, Tampa
Experience the thrills of The Motor Enclave with The Adrenaline Experience! Now presented in a state-of-the-art event center! Get behind the wheel of a high-performance vehicle as a professional driver guides you around our 1.72-mile Performance Circuit in lead-follow, take your skills to our Simulator Lab for coaching with a professional instructor, and compete against other participants in laser-timed autocross on our 2-acre Vehicle Dynamics Pad! The Enclave Adrenaline Experience is an ALL VEHICLES INCLUDED event created to give you the best of The Motor Enclave driving surfaces. Sign up and Get Your Life On Track today!
Saturday, April 19th @9am – 1pm
Find tickets and more information HERE.
Easter Sunday
St. Pete Pier Spring Fest & Easter Egg Hunt
The Pier, DTSP
Celebrate Spring and Easter the St. Pete way: with the only beachfront Spring Festival featuring live music, family-friendly entertainment & activities, Food, and the area’s biggest Easter Egg Hunt with over 20,000 eggs operated on a ticketed/reservation basis. The Rockin’ Roller Rink will also be operational during the Spring Festival.
Sunday, April 20th @11am – 7pm
Find more information HERE.
**Concert Corner**
Warren Zeiders
BayCare Sound, Clearwater
Thursday, April 17th @7pm
Find tickets and more information HERE.
Justin Hayward w/ Special Guest Mike Dawes
Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Friday, April 18th @8pm
Find tickets and more information HERE.
Have a great Top 10 weekend!
Cindy
