The Florida Orchestra opens the weekend with a Masterworks concert featuring Rimsky‑Korsakov’s *Scheherazade* at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Friday and at the Mahaffey Theater on Saturday. Principal percussionist John Shaw will narrate the piece, and conductor Michael Francis will lead a program that also includes Aaron Copland’s *Appalachian Spring* and Karen LeFrak’s *American Promise*.
Jazz and Festival Highlights
Israeli‑born guitarist Oz Noy headlines a progressive jazz set at the Central Park Performing Arts Center in Largo on Friday night, backed by drummer Dave Weckl and organist Brian Charette. The 47th annual Clearwater Jazz Holiday continues Thursday through Sunday in Coachman Park, featuring Arturo Sandoval, Larkin Poe, Sheila E, Chis Botti and the Wood Brothers.
Theater Productions
Jobsite Theater in Tampa presents a new staging of Stephen King’s thriller *Misery* at the Straz Center’s Jaeb Theatre, opening Friday and running through November 8. In St. Petersburg, Nick Payne’s drama *Constellations* debuts at the Off‑Central and runs through October 25. For a one‑night comedy, Jason F*cking Bateman arrives at Stageworks Theatre on Saturday.
Halloween‑Season Events
Ruth Eckerd Hall hosts the “Vampire Circus,” a blend of circus cabaret and theater inspired by Tim Burton and Cirque Du Soleil, Saturday at 8 p.m. FloridaRAMA’s “Performer Purgatory” offers a 21+ immersive experience on Saturday night, featuring a haunted bookshop and makeup services.
Additional Concerts
Country duo Dan + Shay perform at the Mid‑Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre on Friday. Rockers the Toadies play Jannus Live Saturday with Local H and Emily Wolfe opening. The Suicide Boys’ Grey Day Tour stops at the same venue. Hispanic Heritage Month concert “Juntos y con Ritmo” brings Gente de Zona, Grupo Manía and Alexandra “The Bachata Queen” to the Yuengling Center on Saturday.
Local Highlights
Blues guitarist Bill Wharton will appear at Safety Harbor’s Art & Music Center on Sunday, and the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Rats in a Cage” tour visits Benchmark International Arena Sunday, celebrating the 30th anniversary of *Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness*.
For more details and ticket links, visit the Catalyst’s website or the venues’ box offices.
Original reporting: St. Pete Catalyst — read the source article.
