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Music
Hot Tickets: Back in the real world
By SEAN DALY and JOHN FLEMING
Published December 1, 2005
Finally, it's Alan Jackson time in Tampa Bay.
When the bestselling country star scrapped his Nov. 4 date at Ford Amphitheatre during Hurricane Wilma recovery, there was much harrumphing. Of course, when the King of the Hat Acts quickly posted a makeup date for Saturday, there was much cracking open of Schlitz cans and rejoicing.
Me? I'm still a little ticked off.
Because of scheduling problems, Jackson's original opener, the incandescent Sara Evans, has since joined Brad Paisley's tour. That's too bad: As a preview of her local gig, I had planned on a deft journalistic analysis of Evans' socio-political importance in contemporary Nashville. Well, either that or stare at her from the front row and write "Sean+
Sara" in my notebook. Alas, Evans has been replaced by Lee Ann Womack, a fine singer-songwriter. Just not incandescent.
Jackson should bust out enough of his crowd-pleasin' neo-trad hits - Gone Country, Don't Rock the Jukebox, It's Five O'Clock Somewhere, maybe even that cover of Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight he did at this year's Country Music Awards - to make everyone forget about the lack of Evans on the bill.
Well, almost everyone.
Alan Jackson rocks the jukebox with Lee Ann Womack and the Wrights at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Ford Amphitheatre, Interstate 4 at U.S. 301 N, Tampa. $31.50-$66.50. (813) 740-2446 or (813) 287-8844 or (727) 898-2100.
- SEAN DALY, Times pop music critic
Holiday music with Hollywood flair
Richard Kaufman's Hollywood career colors this weekend's holiday pops program by the Florida Orchestra. Kaufman, the orchestra's principal pops conductor, is a longtime conductor and violinist for film and television scores. He is bringing in Nanette Fabray, a show business fixture since her days as a child star, going back to appearances as a 7-year-old in Our Gang film shorts. Fabray was in movies with Bette Davis and Errol Flynn (The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex) and Fred Astaire (The Band Wagon). She won a Tony Award for the 1949 musical Love Life. On television, she was Sid Caesar's partner and a regular on sitcoms, Hollywood Squares and variety shows.
Fabray will present 'Twas the Night Before Christmas with the orchestra. Also on the program is conductor Kaufman's daughter, Whitney, a singer who began performing at age 5 in General Hospital, and Jeff Deards Jr., a singer at Disneyland. Concerts are 8 p.m. Friday at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa; 8 p.m. Saturday at Pasadena Community Church, St. Petersburg; and 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. $15.50-$50.50. 813 286-2403 or toll-free 1-800-662-7286; www.floridaorchestra.org
- JOHN FLEMING, Times performing arts critic
[Last modified November 30, 2005, 11:29:06]
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