Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

The LiveArts Peninsula foundation opened it’s newest play, Crossing the Bay last week in St. Pete. The musical, set in the post-Civil War Tampa Bay area in the 1880s is a romantic comedy filled with local history about railroad and shipping magnates Henry Plant (a founding father of Tampa ) and Hamilton Disston (a founding father of St. Petersburg). Along the way they poke fun at the whole Tampa vs. St. Pete nonsense. St. Pete Mayor Rick Baker and Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio made cameo appearances on opening night.

The non-profit organization wishes to “preserve and celebrate Florida and Tampa Bay’s heritage” by presenting local-focus plays and performances, and does a real good job of it too. Crossing the Bay follows the foundation’s previous Tampa Bay historic and entertaining musicals Webb’s City: The Musical, and Manhattan Casino. Later this year you can expect a play about Bradenton blues artist Diamond Teeth Mary.

You can see the play at the Janet Root Theater in St. Pete through January 23. A Tampa run is scheduled at the Falk Theater from Jan. 26 to the 30th. Go buy tickets.