BESTBets
Suncoast Jazz Festival
Eight O’Clock Theatre at the Central Park
Performing Arts Center in Largo is marking its
40th year with a fundraiser show September
18th and 19th, featuring powerhouse Paula
Broadwater’s one-woman cabaret ‘Til Somebody
Cares with accompanist Jason Tucker. The 2021-
2022 season for the theater company will include
Nunsense A-Men! from October 29th through
November 7th; Sweet Charity from March 4-29th;
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels from May 13-24th and
Rent from August 5-14th. Two additional musical
revues, co-produced with the Central Park Performing Arts Center, will be Broadway
Belters, January 7-9th, and You Raise Me Up, April 8-10th. For tickets, call (727) 587-6793.
American Stage’s New Season
This season’s theme for American Stage in St. Petersburg is “For the Love of Theatre.”
The 2021-2022 shows begin with Around the World in 80 Days from October 27th
through November 21st. Next will be Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol from December
8th through January 2, 2022. Then will come School Girls: The African Mean Girls Play
from February 2-27. Their annual musical in the park will be Footloose from April 6th
though May 8th. The season will conclude with The Tempest from June 29th through
July 31st. The departure of Producing Artistic Director Stephanie Gularte is unfortunate,
but she assures us that Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, who has been chosen as the next
producing artistic director to carry on the American Stage tradition, is well qualified
to do so. For more information, to make a donation, or for a season subscription for
individual tickets, call (727) 823-PLAY (7529) or visit AmericanStage.org.
The
theater
company’s
new
producing
artistic
director is
Rajendra
Ramoon
Maharaj.
40 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
ANTHONY PIDGEON
This year ’s annual
Suncoast Jazz Festival will
be held from November
19th to the 21st and will
include a Friday Night
Swing Dance. There will
be new performers such
as the Brubeck Brothers
Quartet and the Al Downing
Allstars, old favorites like
Cornet Chop Suey and La
Lucha, along with guest
musicians Dick Hyman
and Nate Najar, among
many others. There are
five indoor venues on
Clearwater Beach. Become
a sponsor or buy tickets at
suncoastjazzfestival.com, or
call (727) 248-9441.
The Brubeck Brothers Quartet will headline the
Suncoast Jazz Festival in Clearwater, which is set
for November 19-21.
The Florida
We Love
Award-winning journalist Craig
Pittman has written about our great
state for The Tampa Bay Times and
other publications. In his book, The
State You’re In, he gathered together
a variety of diverse, interesting
Sunshine State tales. He will make
you laugh with some stories and
leave you wondering about how
such a thing could happen in others.
You are sure to enjoy stories such as
“Of Nudists and Their Packages” to
“My Florida Bucket List.” The book
is available at Back in the Day Books
in Dunedin, at other book retailers, or
from its publisher, University Press of
Florida, upf.com.
Eight O’Clock Theatre’s 40th Anniversary