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Top things to do this week: Mo'Nique, Winter's Tail-Gate Party, Glazer Museum art

 
SKIP O'ROURKE  |  Times Dawn breaks at The Florida State Fair  grounds early Thursday morning 2/6/14. The 2014 Florida State Fair opened to day with new rides and Governor Scott attending.
SKIP O'ROURKE | Times Dawn breaks at The Florida State Fair grounds early Thursday morning 2/6/14. The 2014 Florida State Fair opened to day with new rides and Governor Scott attending.
Published Jan. 31, 2018

FIERCE COMEDY: Mo'Nique

Actor and standup star Mo'Nique broke into comedy as a no-holds-barred, brutally honest champion of heavyset women on showcases like HBO's Def Comedy Jam or BET's Comic View. That led to her starring role as a single mother attending college with her daughter on the UPN sitcom The Parkers. Then along came Precious, for which she won an Oscar. She opened her Oscar acceptance speech with, "I would like to thank the Academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics." No surprise, Mo'Nique still isn't afraid to speak her truth. A few weeks ago, she took to Twitter and Instagram and called for a Netflix boycott on the grounds of gender and color bias. She said Netflix offered her $500,000 while offering millions to Amy Schumer, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle. Brace yourself when she brings her fierce comedy act to the Improv for four shows Friday and Saturday. 1600 E Eighth Ave., Tampa. $40. (813) 864-4000. improvtampa.com.

DOLPHIN FAN: Winter's Tail-Gate weekend

For Super Bowl weekend, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is offering a deal called Winter's Tail-Gate Party. Get it? The famous dolphin with a prosthetic tail remains the star of the show here. And if you wear something with either the New England Patriots or Philadelphia Eagles logo on it, you get half-off admission 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday. There will also be corn hole, football toss games, hula hooping and glitter tattoos. Clearwater Marine Aquarium, 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater. Discounted admission is $11.48, $8.98 ages 12 and younger. (727) 441-1790. seewinter.com.

PUBLIC ART: Light Cloud at Glazer Museum

On Friday, the Glazer Children's Museum unveils a huge new sculpture called Light Cloud that blends the boundaries of art and interactive learning. Miami artist Ivan Depeña will be there for the ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. Friday unveiling the floor-to-ceiling glowing tubes of light, visible from the street. Kids can use touch sensors to create changing light and soundscapes as they learn about mixing the colors of light. Included with admission: $15, $12.50 military/seniors, $9.50 children, 1 and younger free. Note that Tuesday is the monthly Free Tuesday at the Museum from noon to
7 p.m. 110 W Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa. (813) 443-3861.

FAIR WARNING: Florida State Fair

If you plan to head to the Florida State Fair when it opens next week, you have until Feb. 7 to take advantage of ticket deals at floridastatefair.com or your local Publix. You can save up to $5 on admission and ride armbands by buying early. There is also a new family four-pack deal on two adult and two child tickets for $25, good for entry after 4 p.m. Feb. 12-15. They can only be purchased online, and quantities are limited. The fair runs Feb. 8-19, the first state fair of the year in the nation thanks to Florida's balmy weather, with more than 15 acres of entertainment and the largest midway in North America. Admission starting Feb. 8 will be $13, $7 ages 6-11, $9 seniors; $35 any-day armband; $25 weekday armband. 4802 U.S. 301 N, Tampa.

CAJUN CRAZED: Mardi Gras at Universal

Saturday marks the return of Mardi Gras at Universal, a nightly celebration of the Big Easy with a parade, lots of beads and Cajun food. And this year brings a pretty pop-heavy lineup for the concerts in the park through April 7. Saturday brings Jamaican rapper/singer/megastar Sean Paul (Get Busy, Baby Boy). Others in the lineup include the Beach Boys (Feb. 10), Andy Grammer (Feb. 18), Macklemore (Feb. 24) and Fifth Harmony (March 18). Included with admission, which starts at $110. Universal's Seasonal Pass holders are blocked out on Mardi Gras concert dates. universalorlando.com