Jay Mohr comes to Tampa's Straz Center

  Comedian, actor, radio host and best-selling author Jay Mohr is bringing his standup show to Tampa.

Jay Mohr

   Mohr got his first taste of national fame in his two years on "Saturday Night Live," but he's probably better known for his role as Bob Sugar, the sports agent in "Jerry Maguire," and for "Jay Mohr Sports," his daily radio show on Fox Sports.
    He's not as well-known as a standup comic, but hes been doing standup for nearly 30 years.
   He'll be in Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20.
Tickets go on sale at noon Friday, May 2. They'll run you $36.50 plus service charge. Call 813-229-7827 or go to www.strazcenter.org.

"Marvel Universe Live" comic available before Tampa show

     If you’re a Marvel Comics fan, chances are you’re already jazzed about seeing “Marvel Universe Live!,” the brand new multimedia show that premieres in Tampa on July 10.   
   And you’ll probably be even more jazzed to find out about a new comic book, specially created for “Marvel Universe Live” and available for free, but only to people who order tickets through Ticketmaster by June 1. You'll get one c ic book for each order not for each ticket.)
   The new comic is a prequel to the story in “Marvel Universe Live!” and gives some background to the action in the show.
    The show is framed around the battle over the Cosmic Cube, one of the most feared and coveted treasures in the Marvel Universe. It has been shattered into pieces by the mighty Thor so it won’t fall into the wrong hands. With the pieces scattered across the globe, Thor's villainous brother, Loki, devises a scheme to clone its powers.
   The new comic book tells readers how Thor gained possession of the Cube. It also reveals a new item in the Marvel Universe that will play a key role in the live show -- the Lectro Link, a wearable invention that provides power for the Iron Man suit.

   “Marvel Universe Live!” is the largest show ever from Palmetto-based Feld Entertainment, which also produces the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice, among other shows. It starts its 85-city tour at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa July 10-13.
    Tickets are on sale now for $40, $60, $85 and $140 plus service charge. Besides ordering through Ticketmaster, you can get tickets by calling 800-745-3000 or going to www.tampabaytimesforum.com.

Miggs plays intimate show at Tampa's Jaeb

   Indie pop-rock band miggs has spent the past 13 years touring constanty, often as an opening act for such acts as Plain White T’s and KT Tunstall, or at events with Aerosmith, Meat Loaf, Maroon 5 and Train.

miggs

   But they have a solid fan base of their own. Their latest album was produced by the legendary Phil Ramone, and Lindsey Lohan starred in the video for their song "Let the Games Begin." They also recently appeared on "Good Morning America," for what that's worth.
  You usually only get to see bands like miggs in big concert venues or in smoke-filled clubs, but they're playing an show in the Jaeb Theatre, one of the smaller spaces at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts Canter in Tampa, at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 17.
   It should be a cool place to see a show like this one: There's cabaret seating, great acoustics, cocktails for sale and no smoking inside the theater.
   Tickets are on sale now for $20 plus service charge. VIP tickets that include a meet-and greet are $50 plus service charge.  Call 813-229-7827 or go to www.strazcenter.org.

Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribfest adds Doug E. Fresh to lineup.

   Old-school hip-hop star Doug E. Fresh has signed on to the already impressive entertainment lineup for the 2014 Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribfest.

   He joins previously announced headliners T-Pain,
Tracy Lawrence, Lyfe Jennings and Musiq Soulchild.

Doug E. Fresh

   The festival runs April 11-13 at the Manatee County Fairgrounds in Palmetto. 

   Lawrence will play Friday and Jennings and Soulchild Saturday. Fresh and T-Pain are slated to play Sunday. 

   Tickets are on sale now at www.gulfcoastribfest.com and at Circle K stores. They're $15 for Friday, $20 for either Saturday or Sunday and $30 for both days. Children 12 and younger are free as long as they come with an adult.

Mandy Patinkin perfoms in Sarasota

  Mandy Patinkin can do it all, from splashy Broadway quasi-operas -- a lot of people first heard of him through his performance as Che in "Evita" on Broadway -- to television drama. He starred as the troubled doctor Jeffery Geiger on "Chicago Hope" and he's most recently starred with Claire Danes on the Showtime hit "Homeland."
  He's also drawn critical raves for his concert appearances, and he'll be coming to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center in Sarasota Tuesday, April 1, with a concert he's calling "Dress Casual."
   It's a cabaret-style show, even though it's in a major Performing Arts Hall. Patinkin offers everything from Broadway tunes to pop standards to traditional American folk songs, and intersperses stories of his personal life and his show biz life.
   Speaking of his show biz life, fans of "Homeland" will be glad to know he'll be back on the show next season. That wasn't clear at the end of the previous season.
   "Oh, I'll be back," he said. "They kicked me out of the CIA but I'm coming back as an independent agent.
   His Van Wezel show is at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 1. Tickets are $35-$70. Call 941-953-3368 or go to www.vanwezel.org.