It seems like short of Amazon and Zoom, every other company, organization and industry has been severely impacted by to the COVID-19 pandemic. This coronavirus has crippled industries once thought unbreakable, and no industry seems a better example of this than that of entertainment.
Live theater, cinemas, concerts, dance clubs; these were escapes from everyday life when times got tough and we needed a break from our troubles. No matter how partisan our politics and beliefs became, the arts were there to bring us together. Until now.
Broadway went dark in March. At the same time cinemas across the country closed down. Local theaters first postponed, and then later cancelled, live shows and concerts. People turned to Netflix and virtual events, but the isolation of watching from your home took away some of that magic the arts create.
Those in the industry — actors, singers, dancers, artists — found themselves out of work and without a stage to perform. Several leaders in the industry, both national and local, started funds to help support those struggling artists. GOPAR: Greater Orlando Performing Arts Relief (FKA Greater Orlando Social Distancing Showcase), the Pinellas Arts Community Relief Fund and United Arts’ Empower the Arts Campaign are just a few of the local funds that sprung up during the shutdown. In these trying times, if you are able to help, we have no doubt that any of the artists’ funds out there would appreciate your donations.
During this time of the year, Watermark would usually be preparing our annual Fall Arts Guide, a glossy magazine filled with a detailed schedule of shows, exhibits, concerts, festivals, conventions and more happening throughout Central Florida and Tampa Bay. However many venues are still closed, and those that have or will open this season are doing so in a limited capacity and with a tentative schedule, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing going on.
Below, we have gathered the same information you have come to expect from our annual Fall Arts Guide. While it is condensed, it is still chock-full of information on open exhibits and live shows, as well as virtual and live-streamed performances. We also highlight a few things we think might be worth checking out.
All listings are accurate as of press, but please do keep in mind that due to the continued pandemic, all venues and showtimes are subject to changes, postponements and cancellations. Each venue open and listed has its own social distancing and safety precautions that you will need to adhere to. We have included contact information and website addresses within the listings and encourage you to review those safety measures before purchasing tickets and heading to the venue.
Whether you attend one of the live shows, log on for a virtual experience or donate to one of the artists funds, please support the arts in these uncertain times, if you can. Now, safely on with the show!
DAYTONA BEACH/SPACE COAST
Cocoa Village Playhouse
Cocoa
CocoaVillagePlayhouse.com
321-636-5050
Now-Sept. 13
“9 To 5: The Musical”
Sept. 18-20
“Seussical The Musical Kids”
Sept. 25-27
“Disney’s The Lion King Jr.”
Oct. 9-11
Halloween Trilogy of Plays
Nov. 20-Dec. 6
“Little Women: The Musical”
Dec. 18-20
Galmont Ballet’s “The Nutcraker”
Jan. 29-Feb. 14
“Disney’s Newsies”
The Henegar Center
Melbourne
Henegar.org
321-723-8698
Oct. 23-Nov. 8
“Grease”
Nov. 27-Dec. 20
“ELF”
Jan. 15-31
“Godspell”
King Center for the Performing Arts
Melbourne
KingCenter.com
321-242-2219
Sept. 26
Brevard Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven – Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”
Oct. 3
Brevard Community Chorus Mass in C
Oct. 17
Classic Albums Live – Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours”
Oct. 23
New York Bee Gees
Oct. 24
Brevard Symphony Orchestra: Tchaikovsky & Brahms
Nov. 4
Tab Benoit
Nov. 6
Classical Albums Live, Woodstock
Nov. 11
Buddy Guy & Wayne Shepard
Nov. 12
Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood
Nov. 13
Ron White
Nov. 22
Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles
Dec. 20
Classic Albums Live: The Beatles
Jan. 9
Bruce in the U.S.A.
Peabody Auditorium
Daytona Beach
PeabodyAuditorium.org
386-671-3461
Nov. 13
Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood
Jan. 9
“Menopause The Muscial”
ORLANDO
The Abbey
Orlando
AbbeyOrlando.com
407-704-6261
Sept. 10
She Past Away
Oct. 20
Amorphis
Jan. 6
Boys of Summer Tour 2020
AEO Studios
Orlando
AEOStudios.com
407-677-8706
Sept. 5-6
Lifecasting workshop, Parts 1 & 2
Sept. 12
3D Wounds workshop
Sept. 13
Character Makeup workshop
Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens
Winter Park
Polasek.org
407-647-6294
Ongoing exhibit
Keepers of Heritage: Evolving Identities
Amway Center
Orlando
AmwayCenter.com
844-854-1450
Nov. 7
Marc Anthony
Dec. 5
Jimmy Buffett
Art & History Museum
Maitland
ArtAndHistory.org
407-539-2181
Sept. 3-Feb. 14
Growing Up Maitland
Sept. 3-20
Cicero Greathouse: An Artist’s Journey
Dec. 18
Handmade Happy Hour
Bay Street Players
Eustis
BayStreetPlayers.org
352-357-7777
Sept. 11-27
“Moonlight & Magnolias”
Oct. 30-Nov. 15
“A Tuna Christmas”
Jan. 8-24
“Tick, Tick… Boom”
Creative City Project
Orlando
CreativeCityProject.com
Oct. 2-24
Bright Young Things – An Immersive, Site-Specific Adventure
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Orlando
DrPhillipsCenter.org
844-513-2014
Oct. 12
Mike Dunn
Oct. 17
Distant Worlds: Orlando
Dec. 7
Eugene Snowden
Jan. 5-10
“The Band’s Visit”
Jan. 6
“The Price is Right Live!”
Enzian Theater
Maitland
Enzian.org
407-629-1088
Sept. 26
National Live Theatre: “Cyrano De Bergerac”
Oct. 24
National Live Theatre: “Frankenstein”
Nov. 28
“National Live Theatre: “Fleabag”
Ongoing events
Cult Classics
Midnight Movies
Music Mondays
Peanut Butter Matinee Family Films
Saturday Matinee Classics
The Footlight Theatre at Parliament House
Orlando
ParliamentHouse.com
407-425-7571
Oct. 17, 24 and 31
MrMs Adrien presents “The Rocky Horror Drag Show”
The Garden Theatre
Winter Garden
GardenTheatre.org
407-877-4736
Now-Sept. 27
“Hello, Dolly!”
Oct. 7-18
“Ugly Lies the Bone”
Nov. 19-Dec. 20
Ronald Dahl’s “Matilda The Musical”
Ongoing events
Interactive Movies
Hard Rock Live
Orlando
HardRock.com/Live/Locations/Orlando
407-351-5483
Nov. 8
Neck Deep
Jan. 16
Whitney Cummings
Jan. 21
Ricardo Montaner
Jan. 29
Chris Tucker
Jan. 30
Nikki Glaser
The Haunted Road
Orlando
TheHauntedRoad.com
407-906-8878
Sept. 25-Nov. 7
The Haunted Road: A Drive-Thru Halloween Experience
House of Blues
Lake Buena Vista
HouseOfBlues.com/Orlando
407-934-2583
Oct. 10
David Bisbal – Gira En Tus Planes 2020
Oct. 17
Jonny Lang
Nov. 5
Cody Johnson
Dec. 5
The Cult – A Sonic Temple
Mad Cow Theatre
Orlando
MadCowTheatre.com
407-297-8788
Select dates Sept. 5-Oct. 17
“THEATRE SPARKS: Plays and Conversations for an Antiracist Tomorrow” (digital)
The Mennello Museum of American Art
Orlando
MennelloMuseum.org
407-246-4278
Now-Sept. 13
Mira Lehr: High Water Mark
Oct. 2-Jan. 10
Construct Our Orlando & American Youth: Cause
Jan. 22-April 11
American Artists in the Southwest & American Paintings from the Melanson Holt Collection
Mount Dora Center for the Arts
Mount Dora
MountDoraCenterForTheArts.org
352-383-0880
Now-Sept. 25
“On Board,” Juried Exhibit
Select dates Sept. 11-Dec. 11
Art in the Alley
Old Town
Kissimmee
MyOldTownUSA.com
407-396-4888
Oct. 3
Vette Fest
Nov. 13
Muscle Car Cruise 9th Anniversary
Dec. 6
Old Town Bike Toy Run
Opera Orlando
Orlando
OperaOrlando.org
407-718-4365
Sept. 13
Gabriel Preisser (livestreamed)
Dec. 17, 19
“Die Fledermaus: The Revenge of the Bat”
Jan. 29-31
“Hansel & Gretel”
Orange County Regional History Center
Orlando
TheHistoryCenter.org
407-836-8500
Oct. 14, Nov. 11
“Are We There Yet?”
Sept. 29
Virtual 14th Annual John Young History Maker Celebration
Oct. 3-Feb. 14
“Yesterday, This Was Home: The Ocoee Massacre of 1920”
Oct. 12 & 30
Discovery Day
Ongoing exhibits
“African American History”
“Aviation”
“Cattle and Citrus”
“Destination Florida”
“First Contact”
“First People”
“Natural Environment”
“Pioneer Cabin”
“The Theme-Park Era”
Orlando Ballet
Orlando
OrlandoBallet.org
407-426-1733
Oct. 23-25
“The Sleeping Beauty”
Dec. 4-13
“The Nutcracker”
Orlando Film Festival
Orlando
OrlandoFilmFest.com
407-217-1390
Oct. 15-22
2020 Orlando Film Festival
Orlando Museum of Art
Orlando
OMArt.org
407-896-4231
Now-Oct. 25
Oliver Jeffers: “15 Years of Picturing Books”
Now-June 30
“American Journey: Two Centuries of Art and Culture”
Sept. 24-Jan. 3
JEFRË: “Points of Connection”
Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
Orlando
OrlandoPhil.org
407-896-6700
Sept. 26
Opening Night with Simone Porter
Oct. 10
Edgar Meyer
Oct. 19
Lara St. John Plays Beethoven
Nov. 7
Rimma Plays Prokofiev
Nov. 16
An Evening of Fanfare
Nov. 28
Home for the Holidays: A Midnight Clear
Jan. 9-10
Yuja Wang Plays Rachmaninoff
Jan. 30
Gershwin!
Orlando Repertory Theatre
Orlando
OrlandoRep.com
407-896-7365
Oct. 1-Nov. 5
“Vote?” (streaming online)
Orlando Science Center
Orlando
OSC.org
407-514-2000
Oct. 26-Jan. 24
“Pompeii: The Immortal City”
Ongoing exhibits
KidsTown
Kinetic Zone
Fusion: A STEAM Gallery
DinoDigs
Our Planet
NatureWorks
Orlando Shakespeare Theatre
Orlando
OrlandoShakes.org
407-447-1700
Oct. 22-Nov. 1
“Poe: Deep Into That Darkness Peering” (Video on Demand)
Dec. 10-20
“The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge” (Video on Demand)
Jan. 6-31
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Osceola Center for the Arts
Kissimmee
OsceolaArts.org
407-846-4643
Now-Nov. 6
“Symbols and Myths” art exhibit
Sept. 25-Oct. 11
“In The Heights”
The Plaza Live
Orlando
PlazaLiveOrlando.org
407-228-1220
Sept. 19
Stephen Lynch
Oct. 29
Trey Kennedy – “Are You For Real?”
Nov. 5
Tab Benoit
Dec. 13
Dark Star Orchestra
Jan. 23
JacksFilms presents Yiay Live! Live!
Jan. 27
Apocalyptica
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center
Sanford
WDPAC.com
407-321-8111
Sept. 18-27
“Spamalot”
Oct. 17-18
“My Fair Lady Jr.”
Oct. 23
Phantasmagoria XI
Dec. 11
Phantasmagoria’s “A Christmas Carol”
Dec. 13
Ballet Fedotov presents “The Nutcracker”
Winter Park Playhouse
Winter Park
WinterParkPlayhouse.org
407-645-0145
Jan. 14
Let’s Hang On: A Tribute to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Jan. 22-Feb. 20
A Grand Night for Singing
LAKELAND
Lakeland Community Theatre
Lakeland
LakelandCommunityTheatre.com
863-603-7529
Sept. 11-13, 18-20
“Disenchanted”
Oct. 9-11
“Stellaluna”
Nov. 6-8, 13-15
“A Sherlock Holmes Mystery”
Dec. 4-6, 11-13
“Elf: The Musical”
Polk Museum of Art
Lakeland
PolkMuseumofArt.org
863-688-7743
Now-Sept. 20
“The Art of Tommy Simpson”
Now-Sept. 27
“Painting of the Dutch Golden Age”
Now-Oct. 25
“A Brush with HerStory”
Virtual Exhibitions
“Our Finest”
“Fifth Grade Showcase”
“Art Out Loud”
The RP Funding Center
Lakeland
RPFundingCenter.com
863-834-8100
Oct. 15
Classic Albums Live: Fleetwood Mac
Nov. 19
Classic Albums Live: “Woodstock
Dec. 19
Classic Albums Live: The Beatles
Jan. 9
Classic Albums Live: AC/DC
Jan. 14
“Menopause: The Musical”
Jan. 15
“An Evening with Louie Anderson”
Jan. 17
“Remembering Hee Haw”
Jan. 20
“The Machine Performs Pink Floyd”
Jan. 29
“An Evening with Bill Engvall”
Jan. 31
“Shake, Rattle and Roll”
TAMPA
Carrollwood Players
Tampa
CarrollwoodPlayers.org
813-265-4000
Sept. 11-13, 18-20, 25-26
“Plaza Suite”
Oct. 2-4
“Scotland Road”
Oct. 9-31
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
Nov. 13-22
“Come Back to the Five and Dime”
Dec. 4-19
“A Christmas Carol”
Jan. 8-23, 2021
“Murder on the Nile”
Henry B. Plant Museum
Tampa
PlantMuseum.com
813-254-1891
Now-Jan. 1
“Exotic Souvenirs”
Now-Jan. 1
“Parlor Suite”
Now-Jan. 1
“Spanish-American War & Tampa”
Now-Jan. 1
“Sports & Amusements”
Now-Jan. 1
“Tampa Bay Hotel Gardens”
Now-Jan. 1
“The Grand Hallway”
Now-Jan. 1
“Women & Their Pasttimes”
Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Tampa
StrazCenter.org
813-229-7827
Oct. 2-3, 9-10
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]”
Oct. 17
“Broadway Ball at Home”
Oct. 23-Nov. 15
“Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde”
Oct. 29-Nov. 10
“Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus”
Oct. 30
Opera Tampa’s “The Witching Hour”
Nov. 5-Dec. 6
“Always … Patsy Cline”
Nov. 11-Dec. 2
“Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992”
Dec. 18-20
Opera Tampa’s “Home for the Holidays”
Dec. 22-27
“My Fair Lady”
Jan. 13-31
“Wicked”
Jan. 15-Feb. 7
“Henry V”
Jan. 22-24
Opera Tampa’s “The Pirates of Penzance”
Virtual Programming
The Show Must Go On
“Tampa Total Request Live”
Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
Tampa Bay
TIGLFF.com
Oct. 2-18
2020 Virtual Film Festival
CLEARWATER/DUNEDIN/LARGO
Dunedin Fine Art Center
Dunedin
DFAC.org
727-298-3322
Now-Oct. 18
“Velvet Elvis”
Now-Oct. 18
“Between Us”
Now-Dec. 24
“Our Finest: DFAC Faculty Works”
Virtual Exhibitions
“The Art of Social Distancing”
“Wish You Were Here”
“Pastel Societies Exhibition”
Eight O’Clock Theatre
Largo
EightOClockTheatre.com
727-587-6751
Oct. 30-Nov. 8
“The Last Five Years”
Ruth Eckerd Hall / Bilheimer Capitol Theatre
Clearwater
RuthEckerdHall.com
727-791-7400
Sept. 13
“Space Jam”
Sept. 15
“The Big Lebowski”
Sept. 18
Stephen Lynch
Sept. 22
“Labyrinth”
Sept. 27
“Shrek”
Sept. 29
“Caddyshack”
Oct. 4
“Onward”
Oct. 6
“The Princess Bride”
Oct. 13
“Friday the 13th”
Oct. 18
Classic Albums Live: Fleetwood Mac
Oct. 20
“Clue”
Oct. 25
“Coco”
Oct. 25
38 Special
Oct. 27
“Hocus Pocus”
Oct. 28
Trey Kennedy
Nov. 5
Classic Albums Live: “Woodstock”
Nov. 19
Bruce Cockburn
Dec. 3
Dave Mason
Dec. 5
Don McLean
Celtic Angels Christmas
Dec. 7
Geoff Tate
Dec. 10
Peter White Christmas
Dec. 12
Bowzer’s Holiday Party
Dec. 13
Keb’ Mo’
Dec. 16
John Mayall
Dec. 17
Classic Albums Live: The Beatles
Dec. 18
Rockapella Christmas
Dec. 20
Sister’s Christmas Catechism”
Dec. 30
“112 Years of Broadway”
Dec. 31
“Salute to Vienna”
Jan. 3
“The Price is Right Live!”
Jan. 8
Air Supply
Jan. 13
Leo Kottke
Jan. 14
The Steel Drivers
Jan. 15
TUSK: “Fleetwood Mac Tribute”
Jan. 15
Jay Leno
Jan. 16
The Mavericks
Roseanne Cash
Jan. 17
Whitney Cummings
Jan. 20
Classic Albums Live: The Who
Jan. 22
Chris Botti
Jan. 24
Winter Dance Party
Jan. 29
David Foster
Judy Collins
Jan. 31
Neil Berg “50 Years of Rock IV”
ST. PETERSBURG
American Stage Theatre Company
St. Petersburg
AmericanStage.org
727-823-7529
Oct. 9
Fall Fundraiser
Oct./Nov.
“Letters to Kamala”
November
“Kate – The Unexamined Life of Katharine Hepburn”
December
“Nosotros La Gente (We The People)”
January
“The People Downstairs”
Freefall Theatre
St. Petersburg
freeFallTheatre.com
727-498-5205
Oct. 23-Nov. 22
“War of the Worlds”
James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art
St. Petersburg
TheJamesMuseum.org
727-892-4200
Now-Jan. 31
“Photographs from the Gay Rodeo”
Mahaffey Theater
St. Petersburg
TheMahaffey.com
727-898-2100
Dec. 19
Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker” (Virtual)
Jan. 22
David Clayton-Thomas
Morean Arts Center
St. Petersburg
MoreanArtsCenter.org
727-822-7872
Now-Sept. 25
“20 x 20”
Now-Sept. 25
“Are We There Yet?”
Now-Sept. 25
“Sunshine City”
Now-Sept. 26
“Women Who Work”
Oct. 10
“Virtual Drag Queen Docent Tour”
Nov. 16-Dec. 26
Annual Holiday Show
Ongoing Exhibits
The Chihuly Collection
Museum of Fine Arts
St. Petersburg
MFAstPete.org
727-896-2667
Sept. 12-Nov. 29
“Buoyant,” Derrick Adams
Sept. 12-Nov. 29
“Copper, Silver, Salt, Ink”
Oct. 3-Feb. 28
“Explore the Vaults”
Oct. 3-May 23
“Working Point”
Nov. 7-April 4
“From Chaos to Order”
Dec. 19-March 14
“Color Riot!”
Salvador Dali Museum
St. Petersburg
TheDali.org
727-823-3767
Now-Nov. 1
“Dali’s Sacred Science”
Now-Jan. 3
“Diego & Frida: A Visual History”
Ongoing Exhibits
“At Home with Dali”
“Dali’s Masterworks in Augmented Reality”
“Dali Lives (via Artificial Intelligence)”
Virtual Exhibits
“Irrational Technology: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime”
“Midnight in Paris, 1929”
SHINE Mural Festival
St. Petersburg
StPeteArtsAlliance.org
727-518-5142
Nov. 7-14
SHINE 2020: “Sea Walls: St. Petersburg”
Woodfield Fine Art Gallery
St. Petersburg
WoodfieldFineArt.com
727-254-6981
Virtual Exhibits
“2020 Come OUT St. Pete Contest Finalists”
SARASOTA
Fabulous Independent Film Festival
Sarasota
HarveyMilkFestival.com
Sept. 24-Oct. 3
2020 Virtual Film Festival
Florida Studio Theatre
Sarasota
FloridaStudioTheatre.org
941-366-9000
Oct. 1-12
The Suffragist Project
The Players Centre for Performing Arts
Sarasota
ThePlayers.org
941-365-2494
Late 2020
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
Ringling Museum of Art
Sarasota
Ringling.org
941-359-5700
Now-May 2
“Remaking the World”
Now-Jan. 24
Syd Solomon: “Concealed and Revealed”
Now-Nov. 29
Howie Tsui: “Retainers of Anarchy”
Oct. 25-Jan. 21
“Suffragists and Circus”
Nov. 13-June 27
“Kabuki Modern”
Sarasota Opera
Sarasota
SarasotaOpera.org
941-366-8450
Oct. 25
Curtain Raiser Dinner
Jan. 24
Opera Gala
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Sarasota
VanWezel.org
941-953-3368
Sept. 18-19
Cabaret by the Bay
Jan. 5-6
“An Officer and a Gentleman”
Jan. 12
“Menopause The Musical”
Jan. 17
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
