January Theater Round-up: Better than Netflix

By Jeff Donnelly

Let’s be real: You’ve run out of things to watch on Netflix. And while it’s true that you could try out that new one (or that other new one, or the other…), there are better options – and some are even live and local.

Opera Keeps Popping

For those looking to get out of the house, St. Petersburg Opera Company continues to offer its POPera series. This month features Opera’s Greatest Hits, including famous arias and scenes from Puccini’s “La Boheme” and the Act 1 finale of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.”

“We are certainly always open for more,” Chris Green, Special Projects Manager for the St. Petersburg Opera Company, says. “One of our sayings is ‘Opera is everywhere’ and we intend to live up to that. We will bring POPera and opera itself to our community in any way that we can.”

The socially distanced live performances “pop-up” around town at varied locations like the SPOC’s Opera Central (2145 First Ave. S) and at Cage Brewing (2001 First Ave. S) on January 30, with tickets ranging from $15 to $200. Other sites include the north lawn of the Museum of Fine Arts (255 Beach Drive, NE) on January 31 with pay-what-you-can admission. stpeteopera.org

‘Get a Job’ at freeFall

The freeFall Theatre describes its latest drive-in extravaganza, “Scott and Patti Get a Job!” as an “irreverent and topical look at what it takes to make a buck in this day and age.” Written and directed by freeFall’s Marketing and Outreach Director Matthew McGee and his frequent stage partner Scott Daniel, the show features the pair as a well-knownto-locals mother-and-son musical comedy act, “Scott and Patti.” With musical direction by Michael Raabe, the show runs at the company’s outdoor performance space (6099 Central Avenue) from January 24 to February 14 with tickets per vehicle ranging from $75 to $99. freefalltheatre.com

Watch It from Home

American Stage’s Virtual Stage will host the company’s “21st Century Voices: New Play Festival” livestreaming January 22 to 24. The festival features four play readings by nationally acclaimed playwrights including Cris Eli Blak, Arlene Hutton, Meghan Maugeri and Amber Palmer. The selected plays each explore themes of mental illness, wellness and resilience, and each features a post-show discussion with the playwright and a mental health clinician, as well as panel discussions, wellness workshops, a community mental health conversation and more.

“Our hope is that this festival will not only continue our commitment to the development of vital and relevant new works for the stage,” Stephanie Gularte, CEO/Producing Artistic Director, said, “but will also create an open space to allow people to talk about mental health as a way of opening up pathways for support and destigmatizing mental illness.”

Tickets cost $15 per play, or $30 for the weekend; get a whole festival pass for $55. americanstage.org/new-playfestival

Scott Daniel, left, and Matthew McGee are Scott and Patti at freeFall's newest drive-in show.

freeFall Theatre