The Space Coast Symphony Orchestra promises “Music of the Night” will “make your summer sizzle,” and there’s absolutely no doubt this Sunday’s concert at Community Church in Vero Beach will do all that and more. Ensconced firmly at the zenith of his profession, English composer and impresario of musical theatre Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s works include “Phantom of the Opera,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Evita,” “Cats” and many other smash-hit musicals, and his six Tonys, three Grammys, an Oscar, Kennedy Center Honors, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a knighthood are but a few of his many, many honors and accolades.
Professional singers from Orlando Light Opera and Opera del Sol will join the symphony in this thrilling tribute to Lloyd-Webber. Broadway veteran Michelle Knight (“Disenchanted,” “Jersey Boys,” “Finding Nemo”) headlines the show with mezzo soprano Sarah Purser, tenor Kit Cleto and baritone Michael John Foster, along with other powerful vocalists Stephanie Newman, Stephanie McCranie, Brian Hayes and Andrew Lejeune. In addition to Lloyd-Webber’s wonderful songs will be selections from Sondheim, Rodgers, Weill and others. According to the show promo, “Music of the Night” promises to “embody the glamour, magic and mystery of both musical theater and opera repertory.” Delighted to be partnering with Orlando Light Opera and Opera del Sol, SCSO Conductor and Artistic Director Aaron Collins says simply, “Andrew Lloyd-Webber is responsible for some of the most exciting and expressive music ever composed for the theater.” Show time: 3 p.m. Admission: $25. At-the-door: $27.50. Under 18 free. 855-252-7276.
Sizzling or refreshingly cool: Clear cool water and the Oscar-winning motion picture “The Shape of Water” are the inspirations behind the Symphony of the Americas’ 30th Anniversary Summerfest tour – “The Shape of Music” – coming to Christ by the Sea Methodist Church in Vero Beach this Sunday, Aug. 12. According to the orchestra’s website, Summerfest is “designed to link the artistic and cultural traditions of the world with those of Florida.” It is said to be the longest music festival event to take place in the state, and is one of the top cultural projects to be funded by the State of Florida’s Division of Cultural Affairs International Cultural Exchange Grant Programs. For one month, Summerfest, presented by the Summerfest Chamber Orchestra of Fort Lauderdale’s acclaimed Symphony of the Americas, is performed throughout Florida and the Americas. It includes a thoughtful diversity of works from Ginastera, Delibes, Handel, Piazolla, Haydn, Wagner, Bach, White, Saint-Saëns and Mozart, with one 20-minute intermission. Time: 3 p.m. Admission: $35. 772-770-4857.
It’s virtually always party time at Capt. Hiram’s Sand Bar in Sebastian. One of the popular music (and food) hang-outs in Sebastian, complete with laid-back, toes-in-the-sand tropical vibe, is Capt. Hiram’s, on the town’s most popular, pedestrian walkway, along the storied Indian River (Lagoon). This Friday, on the Sand Bar stage at 3:30 p.m., it’s Greg and Brian, who describe their style as “Elton meets Billy, joins the Beatles, and they all watch Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” I don’t know about you, but that peaks my curiosity. Maybe I’ll see you there. At 7:30 p.m., Bad Mannerz takes the stage. According to the website, these guys are seasoned musicians who perform the greatest rock songs ever written, “and they do it to perfection, showing you exactly what old school rock is all about.” On Saturday at 6 p.m., get ready for an earful of Jeff Marquis, billed as “an amazing one-man band experience.” Marquis plans to take all your favorites and “change them up with a reggae flair” in keeping with Hiram’s summer reggae theme. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Bad Mannerz returns to the stage with another helping of old school rock.
Get your parrothead groove on at Riverside Theatre this weekend, with the free, free, free Live in the Loop concert; plus food, bevs and comedy. It’s all part of the August version of Riverside’s doldrums-banishing Summer Nights series. And what’s the theme for August, you ask? “Cheeseburgers in Paradise.” Perfect, n’est-ce pas? Beachland will be making the appropriately island-flavored Live in the Loop music – classic and soft rock with that Key West vibe; and the available, bountiful foodstuffs and drink specials always jibe with the theme. It’s Comedy Zone weekend as well, with Al Romas and John Consoli bringing the laughs. Romas began his career in comedy cutting his teeth in the open-mic circuit of Virginia in the mid-1980s, surviving and honing his act in Norfolk bars and Virginia Beach clubs to audiences of “rowdy college students, rowdier sailor, and sunburned tourists,” before moving up to paid gigs. In only a few years he was living in New York and working full-time as a standup comic up and down the East Coast. Show promo credits Romas’ “hilarious material and natural rapport with his audiences” for scoring him gigs opening for such big names as Jerry Seinfeld and Dennis Miller. Consoli, according to his bio, has been making people laugh pretty much his whole life: “making his parents laugh to get out of trouble, making his teachers laugh to get out of class, making kids laugh because laughter is the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard.” He calls telling jokes on stage his “dream come true.” Free Live in the Loop concert: 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Comedy Zone: 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets: $12-$36. 772-231-6990.
