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The first weekend of October 2020 looks to be almost normal, with live theater, live music, an art walk, a film festival… But first off, some very famous people talk about what they miss.

Hillary, Audra, NPH and more. The New York Times‘s free streaming series “Offstage” has served up some memorable episodes, but the lineup for tonight’s installment, “How I Miss Broadway,” is the most star-studded yet: six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald; stellar Tonys host (and an award winner himself) Neil Patrick Harris; Jessie Mueller, a Tony winner for Beautiful and a nominee for Waitress; Danielle Brooks, best-known for TV’s Orange Is the New Black but a powerhouse singer and actor onstage as well; and #1 theater fan Hillary Clinton, who’s reportedly seen 39 plays in NYC (plus Hamilton in Puerto Rico) since 2016. They’ll talk with Times theater reporter Michael Paulson about why they love theater and how the shutdown has affected their lives. Thurs. Oct. 1, 7 p.m. RSVP here to watch live tonight or watch later at timesevents.nytimes.com, where you can also view the first two “Offstage” episodes.

Tampa Theatre, still haunted after all these years. Starting Oct. 1, Tampa Theatre resumes its spine-tingling ghost tours, but this year by appointment only “for your private family, coven, quarantine circle, or horde of 10-20 souls.” The 75-minute tour covers all three levels of the historic cinema, so you can find out for yourself why it’s regarded as one of the most haunted buildings in town. Oct. 1-30, Ghosts of Tampa Theatre Tour, tickets $25 per person (minimum 10), masks required for entry. To book, contact Jill Witecki at jill@tampatheatre.org.

Decoding the mind of Dalí. Sounds like a daunting task, but that’s the challenge taken on by makers of the documentary The Dalí Dimension: Decoding the Mind of a Genius, screening tonight in conjunction with the Dali’s exhibition Dalí’s Sacred Science — Religion and Mysticism. This short film chronicles Dalí’s many inspirations, from psychoanalysis to physics, providing a unique view of Dalí and his art. At the end of the screening, Curator of Education Peter Tush will be available for Q&A. 10/1, 6-7 p.m. Visit the Dali’s YouTube channel to stream this event.

Gulfport’s First Friday Art Walk is back! In a hopeful sign for the local arts scene, Gulfport is presenting a newly redesigned version of its First Friday Art Walk. A tradition since 1993, this weekend’s version, a juried event, is themed “Metamorphosis: Art for Hope and Healing.” Follow the flags to find clusters of professional and amateur artists displaying paintings, jewelry, glass, mixed media, sculpture and more. Plus, listen to free live music and enjoy the restaurants and shops that make a stroll along Beach Boulevard an ideal activity anytime, but especially on a cool fall evening. First Friday Art Walk, 10/2, 5-9 p.m. 

Jobsite’s whacked-out Will Shakespeare hits the Riverwalk. You can’t keep a good theater company down — especially when it comes to reprising one of its greatest hits, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]. Billed as “a riotous romp through all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays plus the sonnets all in under two hours,” the revival is being staged on the Tampa Riverwalk just outside the Straz, and it’s already proven so popular that dates have been added to the run. Oct. 2- 3, 8-10, 16-17 at 7:30 p.m., Riverwalk Stage. Buy tickets here; note that some dates are already sold out.

TIGLFF goes virtual. In the new normal for filmfests around the world, the Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is online-only this year. But otherwise it’s serving up the old normal: a smartly curated selection of features, documentaries and shorts with wide appeal, whatever your orientation. With 60 films and 6 shorts programs from 19 countries to choose from, you’re sure to find something to like. We caught a few during the pre-festival weeks, including Breaking Fast and Stage Mother — both are highly watchable, but the entire schedule this year looks very promising. 10/2-18: Schedule and trailers here; purchase tickets and passes here; and screen all films online at Eventive.

Stageworks struts its stuff. In a why-didn’t-anyone-ever-think-of-this-before mashup of fashion and theater, Stageworks Theatre invited six local designers to create looks inspired by past and future productions for StageWorks Stylized, a fashion show on Saturday. And boy, do these designers have some visually rich materials to work with: the shows include Psycho Beach Party, The Great Gatsby, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Twelve Angry Men, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and The Revolutionists, whose costuming styles ranged from buttoned-up to way-over-the-top. Sat. 10/3; the show can be viewed in person at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Stageworks Theatre space in the Channel District, or viewed online at 5 p.m. Buy tickets for in-person here; digital tickets here.

The Palladium reopens with blues guitarist Jose Ramirez. Another hopeful sign for the arts scene: The Palladium is bringing back live shows on the first three Saturdays in October, presenting 181-seat Side Door shows in their 831-seat Hough Hall with reserved, socially distanced seating. First up is Ramirez, an internationally known guitar artist making his Palladium debut. Sat. 10/3, 8 p.m., $20. Tickets available at mypalladium.org or by calling the box office at 727-822-3590.

Wishing you owned a boat? Seems like everyone’s hitting the water these days, most recently the triumphant Tampa Bay Lightning. As far as socially-distanced recreation goes, boating’s hard to beat, and this weekend at the Tampa Bay Boat Show, you’ll have your pick of potential holes in the water you can pour your money into. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fri.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Florida State Fairgrounds, 4802 U.S. 301 N, Tampa. 727-893-8134.

POPera! The Three Tenors. Rescheduled from 9/13 to Sunday, Oct. 4, this program from St. Pete Opera features Russell Andrade, John Kaneklides and Chris Romeo in outdoor performances of Verdi, Massenet, Gounod and Leoncavallo, Neapolitan songs and Broadway. The two free shows are at 4-4:30 p.m. at Westminster Suncoast and from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on the lawn just north of MFA (bring blankets and lawn chairs). A ticketed-only show takes place from 5:15-5:45 p.m. at the St Pete Side Lot and is limited to 50 participants, with a full wine and beer bar for purchase and chairs provided. Tickets for the ticketed-only show at 5:15 are $20 per person or $35 per couple.

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