This weekäó»s events are dominated by SunLit, the newly revamped literary festival linking together book-themed happenings across Pinellas. With the water warming up, itäó»s a great time to stock up on beach reads, so browse some of the events below, or see the entire jam-packed SunLit schedule here [https://keepstpetelit.org/sunlit-festival/].
Kinky Boots äóñ Through April 16th
The 2013 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Kinky Books tells the story of a shoemaker finding unlikely salvation äóñ and deals, in a studiously friendly way, with contemporary debates about gender identity. Featuring a score by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein, this is one of the most talked-about musicals of the last decade.
$35-$125, Various showtimes
Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Voodoo MacBeth äóñ Through April 23rd
Directed by Bob Devin Jones, this adaptation of Shakespeareäó»s doom-and-gloom masterpiece is modeled after Orson Welles 1936 production, relocating the play from Scotland to the Caribbean and featuring an all-Black cast. (Want to feel inadequate? Welles was only 20 years old.) Local actors including Sharon Scott and Nadine Smith will bring another world to life before sets designed by Ya La Ford, with help from James Oleson and Zulu Painter.
(A SunLit Event)
$25, Various showtimes
The Studio @620, 620 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg
Boston äóñ Tuesday, April 18th
Four words – äóìMore than a Feeling.äó Sure, it was released four decades ago (!!!), but itäó»s one of the best pop-rock anthems of all time. And of course, Boston arenäó»t as great as Foreigner äóñ but then again, who is?
$59-134, 7:30 p.m.
Ruth Eckerd Hall,
Hairspray in the Park äóñ April 19th äóñ May 14th
(April 19th + 20th shows are Pay What You Can Previews)
Who, when the original John Water film was released, could have guessed that this weird-as-hell bit of camp would become a cultural touchstone? Sure, itäó»s Waters at his least transgressive, and Waters himself is basically Americaäó»s Hilarious Uncle at this point. But heäó»s still also the guy who, in a different movie, committed to film an obese transvestite eating dog feces äóñ and despite the sheen of Hairsprayäó»s bobbysocks setting, Watersäó» contempt for social norms, authority, and the-way-things-are comes through.
8 p.m., $25 after April 20th
Demens Landing Park
City of Poets äóñ Wednesday, April 19th
Maybe the headline event of SunLit, this reading will showcase Keep St. Pete Litäó»s 2017 LitSpace Writer in Residence, Alison Stone, who writes gut-wrenching poems about independence and despondence. Sheäó»s joined by Peter Meinke (Poet Laureate of Florida), Helen Pruitt Wallace (Poet Laureate of St. Petersburg), & Gloria Muí±oz (Eckerd College and LitSpace Faculty).
(A SunLit Event)
7 p.m., FREE
Chihuly Collection, 720 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg
Honorable Mentions:
David Amram äóñ Friday, April 14th äóñ Music, Stories, & Kerouac. Amram, at 86, is one of the last living Beats, having played with Parker and Monk and accompanied Jack Kerouacäó»s readings. Here heäó»ll share both stories and music. A SunLit Event. The Palladium, April 14, $25-$40. More Info Here.
Lucha Libro äóñ Saturday, April 15th äóñ A now long-running Pinellas institution, Lucha Libro pits pairs of writers against each other to whip up poems and riffs on the spot. A SunLit event. Soft Water Studios, 7 p.m. More Info Here.
