You’ve seen the musical, now read the book!
When tickets for The Book of Mormon at Tampa’s Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa became available, demand was so high the venue’s website temporarily crashed. So it was no wonder to see a packed house in the 2,610-seat Carol Morsani Hall. What was surprising though, were the real-life Mormon elders who greeted theater goers outside of the complex each night. Local representatives of the church used the smash Broadway musical as a launching pad to talk about the real Book of Mormon and to recruit more followers. Two elders were parked on the foot bridge connecting a downtown parking structure with the Straz and handed out business cards, proclaiming, ‘You’ve seen the musical, now read the book!” We only saw a few people take the informational cards from the two elders, but we have to give the church props for embracing the Tony-Award winning show as a means to market a religion rather than mounting an angry protest. Who ever heard of an angry Mormon anyway?
Quench turnabout turns it out
The first annual turnabout fundraiser at Quench Lounge in Largo raised hundreds of dollars for charity on Nov. 14. Bar staff donned wigs, makeup and heels to shake their stuff for cash and benefit Friends of Strays via the Tampa Bay Bears. Each performer elicited cheers from the crowd as patrons of the popular bar tried to identify which bartender was under which wig. The creative fashions were second only to the creative drag names. Our favorite was bar manager Jeff Beadle’s alter ego, “Wilma Pooperdoo.” When asked to explain his name, he replied, “No, I don’t have a vagina, but Wilma Pooperdoo.” It doesn’t get classier than that! Following the turnabout, Watermark’s own Steve Blanchard hosted a Best Chest contest, where nine men stripped off their shirts to vie for a $25 bar tab. And yes, our editor kept his clothes on, at least until a winner was announced.
Win a crown, and a job
Sawmill Campground is giving something a little different to this year’s Miss Sawmill Pageant. Of course there’s the sash, the crown and the flowers. But Miss Sawmill 2014 will also walk away with a job. Miss Sawmill 2013 Dede Taylor will host the Nov. 23 pageant at 9 p.m. Contestants must pay a $125 entry fee and if they win, they’ll also secure a weekend getaway. For details, visit FLSawmill.com.
Celebrate chocolate
If chocoholism was a real thing, those addicted to sweet treat would want to get out of town this coming January. The Festival of Chocolate returns to Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry Jan. 18-20 and tickets are already on sale. Area confection companies are already preparing for the massive event and expect to see surprising tokens of chocolate love, like chocolate barbecue sauce and interactive chocolate demonstrations. MOSI, of course, is the site of the recent All Hallows Ball in Tampa. We’re curious to see what memories come flooding back from that event as LGBTs indulge on a little post-holiday sugar rush. Tickets are available by calling 813-987-6000 or by visiting Tampa.FestivalOfChocolate.com.
