Welcome to the McGrath Amphitheatre in central Iowa. This venue is located along the Cedar River with downtown Cedar Rapids as a backdrop. With the temperature at 75 degrees this evening, everyone is excited for one of the first post pandemic shows of the year. “Shout out to the guy who gets free concerts all summer!” says Fitz. He is speaking to the man on his balcony in a building across the street from the amphitheater. That is a great spot to have!

Fitz and the Tantrums did tour last year. In Chicago, they played a drive in show at the Lakeshore Drive In. Social distancing was in effect again at tonight’s show with every other row being left empty and empty seats between groups.

Late in the show, they announce that they will play a song for their long time fans that have been following them for the past 12 years they have been on the road. They launch into “Moneygrabber” from their debut album, Pickin’ up the Pieces. It’s such a catchy song that put them on the radar early on.

At one point, Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick calls attention to a young girl in the front row. He asks how old she is. She responds that she is 7. “Wow,” he says, “that t-shirt that you are wearing is older than you!”

After much applause at the end of their set, they return for an encore. To start, they play “Handclap”, a truly groovy song that gets everyone dancing and clapping along.

All night long, Fitz and Noelle Scaggs sing together exceptionally with great energy. James King is outstanding with his numerous saxophone sandals. The rythym section is solid with Jeremy Ruzumna on keys, Joseph Karnes on bass, and John Wicks on percussion.

Catch Fitz and the Tantrums on tour now!

Quinn Delaney

Elyzabeth Diaga is fantastic in this show. She does a great job transforming her voice to match the artist that she is imitating. Here are a few examples.

“You Oughta Know” – Alanis Morissette – 1995

This is not an easy song to cover. Diaga truly impresses with this one.

“The Best” – Tina Turner – 1991

This song was recently featured in Schitt’s Creek in a very romantic moment. This song absolutely still holds up.

“Zombie” – The Cranberries – 1994

Elyzabeth also has a few costume changes throughout the show and the one for Zombie is spot on. It’s also great when she enters the stage later on wearing rolling skates!

The Mosaic On The Strip is a medium sized theatre with plenty of room to space out the tables six feet apart from each other. Patrons are allowed to remove their masks while seated.  

Get tickets now for Queens of Rock!

Quinn

Uncorked is a behind the scenes look at the creation of a ballet. Six dancers are divided into two groups of three. The first group of three is instructed how to enter the stage by the first choreographer. One of the dancers enters earlier than he wanted, so he tells him to get back. Instead of just erasing this mistake, he decides to keep the false entrance as part of the piece, giving it a comedic beginning. Continuing on, move by move, he instructs them how to do a dance he is making up on the spot. It’s very impressive how quickly the professional dancers pick it up and then are able to recreate it. After the first group completes about a minute’s worth of the piece, the second group of three takes the stage and does the exact same dance that they just watched. This is quite a feat to recreate it on spot like that.

Next, a second choreographer comes on stage and creates the second part of the piece. After creating the piece, they decide to switch from live piano playing to, “No More I Love You’s” by Annie Lennox. The dancers easily adapt and adjust to match the tempo of the song. It’s a fantastic display of their skill.

Finally, a third choreographer comes on to the create the last minute. During this entire process, everyone is wearing masks except the choreographer who removes theirs so they can be heard clearly. Unlike in theatre, or in an opera, when the performers wear masks, it doesn’t take much away from the performance. The focus is more on their body than on their like face.

Also being showcased tonight was the brand new Orlando Ballet Center, which opened in January of 2020. It’s modern, sleek, and the open style allowed for plenty of social distancing.

Overall, it was a very fresh experience that all fans of dance should experience. It adds an appreciation to the final work that is created.

Cost of a ticket: $30

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Exceptional Value

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for The Robert Hill Collection taking place between March 18^th and March 28^th!

Quinn Delaney

Ivan Ilych is dead. His family is grieving at the funeral wondering what caused his death. Jump back in time and the family is eating dinner together. From there the relationships are explored and Ivan grapples with his impending end.

John Young composed the music as a response to his own near fatal battle with cancer. It’s a very timely piece now as we all are thinking about life and death during a pandemic.

Opera is a powerful medium, especially in the intimate setting of the Grand Gallery Hall at the Orlando Museum of Art. The forceful singing is much more emotional up close than from afar at the Lyric Opera.

The wearing of masks was varied in this production. The actors were allowed to remove their masks if they felt comfortable doing so. It definitely made it easier to hear them if they did so. Interestingly, the oboe player wore a face shield.

The cast is excellent. Sean Christopher Stork is moving as Ivan Ilych. Adriana V. Nieves is a powerful force as Praskovya, his wife. Jurrien Mejeur is very good as their child. Brent Doucette is solid as the friend and servant. Stephen Mumbert is an impressive presence as the doctor. Lastly, Jose-Manuel Lopez shines as the priest.

Catch Death of Ivan Ilych in Chicago, currently scheduled for September 2021.

Get tickets now for Opera Orlando’s Carmen on April 1st and 3rd.

Quinn Delaney

Ella & The Bossa Beat is a Brazilian jazz and pop band. Bossa nova is a style of samba music that was developed in Brazil in the late 1950s. Add that sound to jazz and you get the unique sound of this band. Ella’s soulful voice and smooth piano playing sound great accompanied by her father’s rhythmic drumming and the talented bass playing by Marco Boroquez.

Ella was born in Miami, raised in Brazil, and now resides in Orlando. She performs in both English and Portuguese.

This performance took place at The Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts. It is a great independent performance venue with a distinctive art gallery in the lobby.

Cost of a ticket: $20
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It +
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Find their future tour dates here.

Quinn Delaney

Josephine is a musical about the life of Josephine Baker, the first African American international superstar. The show covers her life from being born in St. Louis, to moving to Paris, to returning to the states. Along the way she stars in many films, has many interracial marriages and relationships, spies for the French Resistance, fights for civil rights, and adopts 12 children. She lived a very full life!

Tymisha Harris is fantastic as Josephine Baker. She beams with confidence and swagger as she glides from song to song while changing costumes, acting out the story, and dancing all over the stage. So much fits into the 75 minutes, but still the audience is left wanting more. She has been performing this musical for a while before this engagement at Orlando Shakes.

Get tickets now for Josephine through March 21^st.

Cost of a ticket: $45 per person

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It –

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Songs for a New World is a song cycle musical. This means that it doesn’t follow a narrative, but rather it is a series of songs with the same theme, which in this case is love, life, and a new world. Thus, it is more like a concert than a musical.

The cast are all wearing masks for the entire show. Clear face shields would be a better choice so that the audience can see the emotions on their faces as they sing.

The entire cast (Aladdin “A.J.” Demps, Sarah Anne Mae, Jared Sierra, and Megan K. Hill) is very talented. They all have great powerful voices that make it feel like a big Broadway show. They sing with such passion. Also, the piano playing by Heather Langs is fantastic. It all goes together very well.

Get tickets now for Songs for a New World!

Cost of a ticket: $20

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It +

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

“I need more love everyday of my life!” sings Robert Randolph. With these words on top of an incredibly funky bass line accompanied by Randolph shredding on the steel pedal guitar, it’s impossible to not to start dancing. It’s such a great uplifting song.

During a long jam, Robert gets up and switches instruments with the drummer. Then, the bassist switches instruments with the keyboard player. This is all done without stopping the song. It’s a very cool moment that really adds to the intimate jam atmosphere. They all sing “Sunset coming. Walk of shame coming!”

It really is a family band. The bassist Danyel Morgan and drummer Marcus Randolph are his cousins. The backup vocalist is his sister, Lenesha Randolph. Also, Brett Andrew Haas plays the guitar.

For the encore, as they play, the entire room is singing “Thank you for letting me be myself again”. They are truly a great live band.

Also see our review of The Word featuring Robert Randolph here.

Quinn Delaney