A few weeks ago, we published our Broadway Across Florida guide, profiling the Broadway plays and musicals one could see this fall and winter across Florida…
Fall Concert and Show Guide:
28 Different Acts Perform in Florida in October and November
by: Mike Halterman
A few weeks ago, we published our Broadway Across Florida guide, profiling the Broadway plays and musicals one could see this fall and winter across Florida. That’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the arts have to offer locally, and we have compiled a special summary of 28 acts performing either in central Florida, south Florida, or in both, in the months of October and November. Nine specific acts are Hotspots’ Picks and for those shows, we outline how you can purchase a ticket of your own.
Here’s a calendar of the events coming up, sorted by week.
September 30 – October 6
Sarah Brightman, the quintessential opera and stage diva, rose to fame with her participation in the musical Cats. The original cast album has sold over 40 million copies, making it the best-selling Broadway album of all time. Since then she has sold 30 million albums in an impressive solo career.
Hotspots Pick! Her Dreamchaser World Tour brings her to the BB&T Center in Sunrise (Oct. 5, 8 p.m.), the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa (Oct. 6, 8 p.m.), and the Amway Center in Orlando (Oct. 8, 8 p.m.). Tickets are selling as of press time at ticketmaster.com from $46.25 (Sunrise), $51.65 (Tampa) and $48.80 (Orlando).
Since the 1970s, Cheap Trick has wowed audiences worldwide and can boast sales of nearly 30 million albums, participation on nearly 30 movie soundtracks, and records that have charted gold and platinum. This tour stop is just one of over 5,000 they’ve made in their four-decade career. Their most recent album, Dream Police, is added to their repertoire and is performed along with their greatest hits. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Oct. 4, 8 p.m.
October 7 – 13
If you’re a fan of electronic dance music, this is an event not to be missed. Originally hosted for five years straight in Amsterdam, it has since gone on tour all over the world. Event DJs include Fedde Le Grand, Michael Woods, Nic Fanciulli, Prok & Fitch, Sébastien Léger, and Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano. American Airlines Arena, Miami, Oct. 12, 7 p.m.
The Arts Ballet of Florida opens its 2013-14 season with Pentimento, a ballet inspired by Bach’s “Four Suites for Orchestra,” and Firebird, written by Stravinsky, which tells the story of a brilliant firebird who tells the story of a prince rescuing his love, a damsel in distress. Broward Center, Fort Lauderdale, Oct. 12, 7 p.m. and Oct. 13, 3 p.m.
From American Idol to Dancing with the Stars to shaving her head in solidarity with her friend battling cancer, the North Carolina native has earned herself millions of fans, proving that she is all heart — and that isn’t even getting to her the root of her talent: a soulful brand of country music. She tours the U.S. in the run-up to the release of her new album. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Oct. 11, 8 p.m.
Destitute and “singing under a tree” in Atlanta, India.Arie soon found herself in a Cinderella story and, within eight years, was a Grammy Award-winning artist with four top-selling albums to her name. After four years away from the music business, she is back in concert, performing songs from her new album SongVersation. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m.
October 14 – 20
Jimmy Fallon skyrocketed to fame in the late 1990s as part of the ensemble cast of NBC’s Saturday 
Night Live. He now has a highly-rated talk show of his own, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and the demands of a five-show-a-week schedule haven’t kept him from touring and honing his stand-up set. Tampa Theatre, Tampa, Oct. 16, 8 p.m.
October 21 – 27
So You Think You Can Dance Tour
This FOX show has spotlighted the best in budding dance talent for the past ten seasons. This month, Amy Yakima and Du-Shaunt ‘Fik-Shun’ Stegall were named the show’s winners. Amy, Du-Shaunt and the rest of the season’s top ten performers will dance hot, modern routines, live.
Hotspots Pick! This season’s tour brings them to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center in Sarasota (Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m.), Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater (Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m.), the James L. Knight Center in Miami (Nov. 1, 8 p.m.), and Hard Rock Live in Orlando (Nov. 2, 8 p.m.). Tickets are selling as of press time at ticketmaster.com only for the Miami performance (from $62.10).
Miami City Ballet’s Program I: First Ventures
The first show of the 2013-14 Miami City Ballet season is performed in two parts: the first, Christopher Wheeldon’s “Polyphonia,” the first time it has been performed in Miami; and the second, the Balanchine ballets “Serenade” and “Ballo della Regina.” Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, Oct. 18-20; Broward Center, Fort Lauderdale, Oct. 25-27.
WUSF radio presents NPR contributor and author David Sedaris, best known for such novels as Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. He has never forgotten his NPR roots (his 1992 “Santaland Diaries” catapulted him to comedy stardom). He has also received the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Oct. 26, 8 p.m.
October 28 – November 3
The Canadian rock group first scored it big back in the late 1990s with hits such as “One Week” and “It’s All Been Done.” Nominated for two Grammy Awards, the group has sold over 15 million albums and singles in the United States alone. You may also recognize them more recently for writing and performing the theme song to the sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
Hotspots Pick! Their 2013 fall tour brings them to Hard Rock Live in Orlando (Oct. 29, 8 p.m.) and Hard Rock Live in Hollywood (Oct. 30, 8 p.m.). Tickets are selling as of press time at ticketmaster.com from $45.10 (Orlando) and $59.25 (Hollywood).
Canadian crooner Michael Bublé has sold over 30 million albums since breaking through to the 
mainstream with his 2005 album It’s Time. Also since his 2005 breakthrough, he has had five consecutive albums top the Billboard 200 charts.
Hotspots Pick! His To Be Loved tour brings him to the Amway Center in Orlando (Oct. 30, 8 p.m.), the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa (Nov. 1, 8 p.m.), and the BB&T Center in Sunrise (Nov. 2, 8 p.m.). Tickets are selling as of press time at ticketmaster.com from $67.20 (Orlando), $70.40 (Tampa) and $75.75 (Sunrise).
Pink Panther 50 – Celebrating Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini is well-remembered for writing theme songs and scores to many movies and television series in the 1960s and 1970s. On the 50th anniversary of the release of The Pink Panther, the Arsht Center honors him in a special show that kicks off the 2013-14 Jazz Roots season. Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, Nov. 1, 8 p.m.
Selena Gomez, fresh from her fame as a Disney Channel starlet, is on a world tour to promote her first solo album, Stars Dance. The first single off the album, “Come & Get It,” has already become a worldwide hit and has burned up American Top 40 radio. In her fairly short career (she is only 21), she has sold over 10 million singles, and three of her songs have been #1 dance hits. Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, Oct. 30, 7 p.m.
November 4 – 10
One of the hottest rappers on the radio today, Drake’s newest album, Nothing Was the Same, was released this past week, and this most recent tour will incorporate songs from this album as well as such hits as “Over”, “Find Your Love”, “Headlines”, “Take Care”, “Make Me Proud”, and “The Motto.” YOLO, so get your ticket and see him in person.
Hotspots Pick! His Would You Like a Tour? tour brings him to the American Airlines Arena in Miami (Nov. 5, 7 p.m.) and the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa (Nov. 6, 7 p.m.). Tickets are selling as of press time at ticketmaster.com from $64.15 (Miami) and $53.70 (Tampa).
His dulcet tones made him famous as a teenager, singing an unforgettable duet with Celine Dion in 1998 called “The Prayer.” His first album was released when he was 20, and since then he has become the best-selling male solo act of all time, notching over 25 million albums sold.
Hotspots Pick! His In the Round World Tour brings him to the BB&T Center in Sunrise (Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m.), the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa (Nov. 8, 8 p.m.), and the Amway Center in Orlando (Nov. 9, 8 p.m.). Tickets are selling as of press time at ticketmaster.com from $62.25 (Sunrise), $63.75 (Tampa) and $61.55 (Orlando).
We’ve loved Cyndi Lauper, the girl from Queens, ever since she debuted her unique sound (and 
showed off her unique looks!) back in 1983. Her work has resonated for three straight decades, culminating in a Tony Award win for her musical adaptation of the film Kinky Boots.
Hotspots Pick! She’s celebrating 30 years in music with She’s So Unusual: The 30th Anniversary Tour, at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater (Nov. 8, 7 p.m.), Hard Rock Live in Hollywood (Nov. 9, 8 p.m.), and at House of Blues in Orlando (Nov. 10, 7 p.m.). Tickets are selling as of press time at ticketmaster.com for the Hollywood and Orlando performances from $54.10 and $46.50 respectively.
Christopher Demos-Brown’s newest drama gets its world premiere right here in south Florida. The life of a true American hero who wins the Medal of Honor falls apart right before his eyes when a duplicitous fellow soldier comes back into his life. The drama tells the story of the corrupting power of commendations. Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, Nov. 7-24.
One woman struggles with bipolar disorder and her entire family deals with her mental illness in completely different ways in this rock musical that won three Tony Awards (2009), including Best Original Score, and the Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama (2010). Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, Aventura, Nov. 7-10.
This Eugene O’Neill play is a retelling of the Oresteia by Aeschylus, with the setting changed to New England after the Civil War. A well-to-do family falls apart with instance after instance of jealousy, greed, bitterness, lust, and backstabbing. What will a woman do when she finds love outside her marriage, and what does it mean for her salt-of-the-earth daughter? Broward Center, Fort Lauderdale, Nov. 7, 9; Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, Nov. 16-18, 23.
R&B and soul singer John Legend is on tour to promote his newest album, Love in the Future. Rick
Ross, who also tours in Florida soon, makes an appearance on the album. The album has yielded three single releases, “Who Do We Think We Are,” “Made to Love,” and “All of Me,” all of which will be incorporated into the tour’s set list. Tamar Braxton, from the reality show Braxton Family Values and the talk show The Real, will open for Legend. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m.
Harry Connick, Jr. is the true renaissance man. He is skilled in acting, playing the piano, singing, composing music and leading an orchestra, just to name a few achievements. He has won three Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and has been nominated for two Tony Awards — clearly a feat that isn’t easily duplicated. His new album Every Man Should Know is out now. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Nov. 5, 8 p.m.
Cedric the Entertainer has become very famous for his comedy since debuting his stand-up back in 1992. In addition to his stand-up comedy, Cedric keeps busy on television, having wrapped up a guest spot on CBS’s 2 Broke Girls last year, as well as a lead role on the sitcom The Soul Man and most recently hosting duties on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, replacing Meredith Vieira. A man of many talents, Cedric has won four NAACP Image Awards. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg, Nov. 8, 8 p.m.
Seth Rudetsky’s My Big Fat Broadway Show
Seth Rudetsky deconstructs why certain Broadway performances are rightfully considered the best
and why others would be (or in some cases, were) horrific. Who was better, for example, in Evita: Patti LuPone or Madonna? Does that question need an answer? If you think so, he’ll tell you. The delivery will have you rolling in fits of laughter for hours. Straz Center, Tampa, Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 10, 2 p.m.
November 11 – 17
Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson is perhaps best known for his role as Mr. Wick on the long-running sitcom The Drew Carey Show, and for his own late-night talk show on CBS (12:35 a.m. weeknights). After taking a break from his stand-up performances for a decade, Ferguson has come back in rare form and is making up for lost time with a national tour.
Hotspots Pick! His Hot and Grumpy tour brings him to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood (Nov. 16, 8 p.m.), Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater (Nov. 18 and Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m.), and Hard Rock Live Orlando (Nov. 20, 8 p.m.). Tickets are selling as of press time at ticketmaster.com for the Hollywood and Orlando performances from $42.85 and $39.75 respectively.
The Price is Right Live! Stage Show
Who doesn’t love The Price is Right? The show celebrated its 40th anniversary on the air in 2012 and is an American institution. Want a chance to play the game for yourself but don’t have the money to go out to California? The stage show is coming right here to the Suncoast. Hosted by Game Show Network alum Todd Newton, your favorite games such as Plinko and Cliffhangers are here, and you can even spin the Big Wheel for cash and prizes! Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, Sarasota, Nov. 17, 7 p.m.
November 18 – 24
Seattle-born Ben Haggerty, aka Macklemore, and his partner in melody Ryan Lewis, are embarking on their first worldwide tour. “Thrift Shop” may be their biggest commercial and mainstream hit but most everyone in the LGBT community has a soft spot for the equality-minded single “Same Love.” American Airlines Arena, Miami, Nov. 24, 7:30 p.m.
November 25 – December 1
Often controversial, Kanye is tearing himself away from fiancée Kim Kardashian and baby North West to give his fans what they want, another top-selling world tour. His sixth album, Yeezus, will be incorporated into his current repertoire this time around. Expect Chicago drill, dancehall, acid house and industrial music to be part of this tour.
Hotspots Pick! His Yeezus Tour brings him to the American Airlines Arena in Miami (Nov. 29, 8 p.m.) and the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa (Nov. 30, 8 p.m.). Tickets are selling as of press time at ticketmaster.com for the Miami performance only from $54.05.
