A Whole Lot to Love: February Theater

It appears that Scott and Patti have a tad longer before they actually have to get a real job. freeFall Theatre extended its drivein production of “Scott and Patti: Get a Real Job!” through February 21, which means there’s still time to see Tampa Bay‘s favorite mother-andson nightclub act perform in their all new, socially distanced extravaganza with live band and special guests via satellite.

More at freefalltheatre.com or call 727-498-5205.

Other goings-on around the St. Pete performing arts scene include St. Petersburg Opera Company’s “Preview and Exploration: Opera and The Sea,” live on Thursday, February 25 at 6 p.m. A companion piece to SPO’s POPera series, the event gives serious opera fans and newbies alike the backstories to upcoming weekend POPera performances. Hosted by the maestro himself, Mark Sforzini will be joined by Metropolitan Opera tenor Eric Ferring, mezzo soprano Jordan Blair, and pianist Teresa Ancaya. More at stpeteopera.org.

American Stage presents “Satchmo at the Waldorf” by Terry Teachout, February 19 to 28 as a virtual production. The one-man, three-character play directed by Ted Lange and featuring L. Peter Callender as Louis Armstrong, his white manager Joe Glaser, and Miles Davis, takes place in 1971 in a dressing room backstage at the Empire Room

of New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where Armstrong performed in public for the last time four months before his death. More at americanstage.org.

St. Petersburg City Theatre opens “Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” directed by Stefanie Maiya Lehmann on February 12 and the live show (with limited seating) will run through February 21 on SPCT’s mainstage at 4025 31st St. S. Based on the book by Ilene Beckerman and written by Nora and Delia Ephron, the play is a collection of monologues

and ensemble pieces about women, clothes and memory.

“This production is unique in that it will also feature collaborative video content alongside the live performance,” Lehmann says. “In addition to our seven onstage actresses, we have 25 actresses who self-taped and sent in lines that were then compiled into video segments used throughout the play. We wanted to make this production more inclusive of the wide diversity of our local community and celebrate the full spectrum of the female experience.”

The production is the second live performance SPCT offered since reopening with “A Christmas Carol” in December.

While rehearsals began via Zoom, the cast and crew came together in the final weeks of rehearsal to connect on stage.

“This past week we arrived at the theater for the first time and the synergy between our actresses skyrocketed as they could now connect to each other in the flesh,” says Lehmann. “I am very fortunate to have seven incredible women to work with. Every one of their performances has proven to bring both tears of emotion and tears of laughter.”

Since its premier in 2008, the show’s cast has featured the likes of Rosie O’Donnell, Tyne Daly, Katie Finneran, Natasha Lyonne and Samantha Bee.

“This play is so relatable and has a way of really connecting to people. With each new character we meet, I catch myself thinking, ‘Gosh, I know this woman,’ or even, ‘Gosh, I AM this woman.’”

Olga Kruse in St Petersburg City Theatre's production of "Love, Loss and What I Wore." Kruse has acted, directed, and produced a one-act play at St Petersburg City Theatre, and has worked with Gulfport Community Players

St Petersburg City Theatre