Arts Coast Magazine – Performing

By Kurt Loft. “New music has to be performed – otherwise, classical music is going to die.” CAMPground23 hosts four concerts this week in St. Pete and Tampa, a pair of world premieres and 28 composers from the United States, Europe and Asia…. Read More

By Robin O’Dell. Dance photography is a difficult and dynamic practice requiring precise timing, knowledge of the medium – and the ability and willingness to collaborate with performers. One of the greats, who also just happened to live in St. Petersburg, was the late Thomas Kramer (1934-2022). … Read More

SAGES Theater in Tarpon Springs presents three Plays with Purpose this year, all with free admission. Each event entertains, educates and empowers seniors to meet the challenges of aging with humor and wisdom…. Read More

By Kurt Loft. If you had a front-row seat for Joyce Yang’s performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Florida Orchestra last Sunday at the Straz Center, you witnessed a bit of magic. Or, more accurately, you were swept up by an artist’s ability to concentrate on a magical level…. Read More

By Harriet Monzon-Aguirre. Visiting the Leepa-Rattner’s ARTS ALIVE! exhibit and seeing Thomas dancing with the photos, Madeline’s movements and William’s topsy-turvy viewing made me realize exactly what the entire exhibition was showcasing – how the human body and its movement through space is an important form of creative expression. … Read More

By Tracy Kennard. For the past nine years, the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance has been celebrating the diversity of arts and culture in St. Petersburg and paying tribute to the remarkable talent and variety you can discover around every corner of our amazing city. And each year, The MUSE Awards celebrate six outstanding artists and arts supporters…. Read More

In a potent conversation through his fascinating history, dancer John Parks shares his experiences touring the South during segregation,  the creative revolution of the 1960s and his Movements Black Dance Repertory Theatre, how the early AIDS epidemic changed today’s Broadway – and how the dancers in the movie version of The Wiz went on strike for equal pay … Read More

By Kurt Loft. “We want to present music that’s innovative, virtuosic and unique,’’ says David Manson of the St Pete Jazz Festival. The indoor, boutique jazz fest emphasizes acoustic instruments in intimate settings – such as the Palladium Theater and the Museum of Fine Arts…. Read More

By Colleen Cherry. A few years ago, I discovered the joy of musical improv – making songs up on the spot! I was honored to be approached by St. Petersburg Arts Alliance to write a custom song to announce the recipients of their 2023 MUSE Awards – a singing telegram, if you will. … Read More

By Kurt Loft. “Rachmaninoff requires the performer to be mentally sharp and physically fit, because of the extreme technical challenges,’’ pianist Joyce Yang says. “The process of getting ready is similar to an athlete preparing for an ultra-marathon.” … Read More

By Cindy Stovall. Altogether, freeFall Theatre’s production of “The Agitators” by Mat Smart just plain works, for any theater lover. If you thought the subject of Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony’s friendship wouldn’t interest you, think again…. Read More

By Kurt Loft. Opera, like politics, is an exotic and irrational entertainment. Our normal lives are irrational enough, so plunging into a fable that unfolds in music and song offers a healthy distraction. One happens February 10-12, when Opera Tampa when Opera Tampa shares Bellini’s masterpiece, Norma…. Read More

Ybor Speaks is the first public art audio project commissioned by the City of Tampa – an audio installation celebrating immigration and diversity in Tampa’s historic Ybor City neighborhood…. Read More

By Kurt Loft. The Florida Orchestra recently took a big step into its future by welcoming a rank of new musicians to the state’s largest performing arts organization. All of these young artists won highly competitive blind auditions that attracted candidates from around the world … Read More

By Margo Hammond. Now in its 17th year, The Radio Theatre Project at The Studio@620 was never just about sound. As regulars know, you don’t just come to listen. You come for the sights as well. . …. Read More