Your last chance to Howl at the Moon this month (at least with musical accompaniment) will be this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28-29, at Riverside Theatre. Riverside’s promo calls this event “the most unique nightlife experience in the area,” and I really can’t argue. You can sing, you can dance, you can actually howl if you’re so moved, all inside, with a pair of back-to-back pianos on the Waxlax stage manned by a pair of super-talented – and funny – Howl at the Moon touring show entertainers who can play virtually anything you can come up with. There’s no set agenda or playlist, they just let the fun fall where it may, with you the audience helping pick the songs. On the keyboards this week will be Howl faves Rob Volpe and Ken Gustafson. And that’s just the inside action. It’ll be party time outside, too, at Live in the Loop: there’s free live music with different bands and music styles every week. This Friday it’s Red Hot Rooster with “rockin’ country”; and Saturday, Hired Guns takes the stage with “true country music.” A full bar and grill are always available so … no coolers (or pets) allowed. There’s lots of seating as well, but, you might want to have a fold-up or two in the trunk, just in case. Time: Howl at the Moon Experience, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; Live in the Loop, 6:30 p.m. Howl tickets: reserved general seating: $12; reserved table seating: $18, $20, $22. 772-231-6990.
Vero’s popular First Friday Gallery Stroll always makes for a pleasant evening in historic downtown, along 14th Avenue, where you can enjoy the work of numerous artists in a friendly setting. Study the art, chat with the artists, nibble (and sip) the refreshments. You might choose to pop into one of the nearby restaurants or pubs and linger a while longer. This First Friday, Oct. 5, one of the galleries, Gallery 14, is holding a special “gala opening reception” for its October exhibit of work by Christopher Sweeney, entitled “Sweeney: Spread the Love,” which will benefit the Children’s Home Society of Florida’s Youth Transition Center. Also, starting with this month’s Gallery Stroll, the complimentary trolley will be running, between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., to ease the parking challenges. The trolley will run from the parking lot on 12th Court, east of Jetson’s, in a continuous loop, to access all the participating galleries: Gallery 14, Artists Guild Gallery, Tiger Lily Art Studios & Gallery, Flametree Clay Art Gallery, the Other Half Gallery, Raw Space, MSVB Studios, Gallery of Hope, Florida Highwayman Landscape Art and Highwayman Gallery. Do take advantage of this free service. Time: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission: free.
Who doesn’t like “The Cat I the Hat”? Bring your kids, or borrow a couple, or just summon up your Inner Kid for a couple of hours and head for Riverside Theatre for Kids this coming Thursday, Friday or Saturday for a live stage show starring one of Dr. Seuss’ most famous characters, “The Cat in the Hat.” The main character in this beloved children’s story is a lanky, anthropomorphic feline dapperly dressed in a red and white striped hat and red bow tie. As Wikipedia tells it, he shows up at Sally and her brother’s house one rainy afternoon when their mom is away. Sally and her brother are delighted. Their pet fish not so much. The Cat shares with the children a few of his trickiest tricks and craziest ideas, and they all had loads of fun. However, In the process of entertaining the children, the Cat and his pals, Thing One and Thing Two, wreck the house. Oh, no! The children and the fish become more and more worried until – waah-laa – the Cat brings out a machine that can clean everything up. But does it all get done before mom returns? This charming and funny show is performed by the theatre’s four apprentices and two local children. Kevin Quillinan, Riverside’s director of theatre education, considers “The Cat in the Hat” to be “the perfect ‘first show’ for the next generation of theatre lovers to experience!” Show times: Oct. 4 and Oct. 5, 7 p.m.; Oct. 6, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets: $10. 772-231-6990.
