Orlando Weekly's selections of the best stuff to do this week!
Wednesday, Sept. 22
The Front Bottoms
Rescheduled after what seems like eons, New Jersey punk duo the Front Bottoms' coast-to-coast U.S. tour is finally, finally happening with Oso Oso. The band will be busting out new material like "Lover Boy" and "Voodoo Magic" — which features a guest turn from Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba. Get ready for plenty of tuneful folk-punk-meets-pop-punk, "hey, you got your chocolate in my peanut butter" situations. 7:30 p.m., Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd., hardrock.com/live, $30-$40.
Friday, Sept. 24
Lit AF Tour
Comedian and actor Martin Lawrence, along with Rickey Smiley, DeRay Davis, Adele Givens and Clayton Thomas, will be rolling deep into the Amway Center for the first date of the nearly three-month Lit AF Tour on Friday. "Bringing the tour back out on the road is always exciting. No two shows are the same and we all bring something different to the party," said host (and of course he'll be performing) Lawrence recently. Watch all-star comedians adjust to the big stage in real time. 7:30 p.m., Amway Center, 400 W. Church St., amwaycenter.com, $36.50-$376.50
Friday, Sept. 24
The 2-Piano Benefit Concert
It's an evening of immersive music for a cause. The audience will be seated between two refurbished pianos as performers play music from the classical and jazz canons — and everything in between. The evening concludes with an airing of event organizer and composer Nathan Felix's own Texas Skies. At the end of the night the pianos will be donated to local schools or community groups TBA. Felix has hosted similar events all around the country. 8 p.m., The Nook on Robinson, 2432 E. Robinson St., facebook.com/thenookonrobinson, free-$12.
Saturday, Sept. 25
J. Cole
Grammy-winning rapper and singer J. Cole has only just started his North American "The Off Season Tour" — the whole production is still fresh and headed straight to the City Beautiful. Named after Cole's newest, Billboard chart-topping album The Off Season, the 17-date tour features hit-making tour support in the form of 21 Savage and Morray. 8 p.m., Amway Center, 400 W. Church St., amwaycenter.com, $100-$395.
Saturday, Sept. 25
Circuit Church
Circuit Church's monthly electronic music showcases tick a good many of our boxes for gig-going during a pandemic. It's outdoors in the parking lot behind the Milk District's Nook on Robinson — who fulfill hosting duties admirably. And the Circuit Church folks' curation is top-notch. This month's installment breaks from the hardware-electronic mold to feature grinders TTN, post-punk outfit Super Passive (which includes head Church priest Jared Silvia wearing a cape and playing keys) and Feline Conduit. See you there. 7 p.m., The Nook on Robinson, 2432 E. Robinson St., instagram.com/circuit_church, free.
ONGOING:
Sept. 24-Oct. 17
The Book of Merman
Side-splitting musical comedy about an encounter between Ethel Merman and two young Mormon missionaries who arrive at her door. Winter Park Playhouse, 711-C Orange Ave., Winter Park, winterparkplayhouse.org, $36-$45.
Sept. 24-Oct. 17
Clue
It was Professor Plum with the candlestick in the library. Athens Theatre, 124 N. Florida Ave., DeLand, athensdeland.com, $26-$31.
Through Oct. 16
Every Brilliant Thing
Laughter is the antidote to all things in this story of resilience and joy. Margeson Theater, Lowndes Shakespeare Center, orlandoshakes.org, $28-$56.
Through Oct. 31
Fun Home
Alison Bechdel's graphic novel turned Tony-winning musical about families and the secrets they keep from one another and the world. Theater West End, 115 W. First St., Sanford, theaterwestend.com, $33-$64.
Through Sept. 26
Lasting Impressions 3D
A new twist on the high-tech immersive art trend as works by the likes of Renoir and Van Gogh are rendered enormous by bleeding-edge 3D LED and paired with music from Debussy, Ravel, Piaf, Aznavour and more. Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.org, $40-$192.
Through Oct. 2
Lost in Yonkers
Neil Simon transcends the easy gags and one-liners that were hallmarks of his earlier work.
Annie Russell Theatre, Rollins College, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park, rollins.edu, $20.
MUSEUMS + GALLERIES:
Opening Sept. 25
Cathedrals of Florida
Exhibition of Butcher's sweeping, painterly black and white photographs capturing the (disappearing) natural beauty of the Everglades and Florida's wetlands. Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., omart.org, $20.
Through Dec. 31
Common Ground
A sampling of the one-of-a-kind treasures from the Rollins College Book Arts Collection, mostly around the themes of social and environmental issues. Rollins Museum of Art, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park, web.rollins.edu/rma, free.
Through Nov. 7
Floating Beauty: Women in the Art of Ukiyo-e
Depictions of women in art during Japan's Edo period, consisting of over 50 woodblock prints. Mennello Museum of American Art, 900 E. Princeton St., mennellomuseum.org, $5.
Through Dec. 31
Gallardo/Budoff: Growth, Breadth, and Terrain
The fantastical renderings and paper cutouts by Frances Gallardo and Nathan Budoff explore their respective experiences in Puerto Rico. Rollins Museum of Art, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park, web.rollins.edu/rma, free.
Through Oct. 2
I Found the Silence
A solo exhibition from award-winning international photographer Martin Stranka of recent works delving into the concept of inner peace. Snap! Downtown, 420 E. Church St., snaporlando.com, free.
Through Oct. 24
Joybox
This interactive art exhibition — teased as "happiness incarnate" — opens ahead of the upcoming Immerse event in downtown Orlando as an ebullient herald of sorts. Fulcrum, 150 N. Orange Ave., immersefest.com, free.
Opening Sept. 25
Luces y Sombras
Over 100 photographs that span the 1930s to the present day, encapsulating all aspects of life and culture in Mexico. Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., omart.org, $20.
Through Sept. 30
Out of the Vault
Experience this deep dive into the permanent collections of the UCF gallery, from Doris Leeper and Robert Rauschenberg to African masks. UCF Art Gallery, 12400 Aquarius Agora Drive, gallery.cah.ucf.edu, free.
Through Oct. 2
Present Tense
Snap and the Analog Photography Film Exhibition present new works of film photography featuring shots by Michelle De Rose, Nika De Carlo and more. Film is still alive! Snap! Downtown, 420 E. Church St., snaporlando.com, free.
Through Dec. 31
Preserving the Past and Looking Towards the Future: A Celebration of Hannibal Square
A photographic look at the history of Hannibal Square's African American community from 1900 to the present day. Hannibal Square Heritage Center, 642 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, hannibalsquareheritagecenter.org, free.
Through Dec. 31
Rafael Trelles: The Imagined Word
Puerto Rican artist Trelles presents an exhibit of his unique drawings of literary characters, drawn from the works of Tolstoy, GarcÍa Marquez and more.
Rollins Museum of Art, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park, web.rollins.edu/rma, free. n