The Wesley Chapel Theater Group Presents Musical Parody ‘ICON: Auditions’

Special to the Neighborhood News 

Do you love singing competitions like “American Idol,” “The Voice” and “Star Search?” Then don’t miss the Wesley Chapel Theater Group’s upcoming production of “ICON: Auditions,” a laugh-out-loud musical parody show that brings the drama, talent and chaos of televised competitions to the local stage — Saturday & Sunday, March 28-29, at the Zephyrhills Lions Club. 

Inspired by the golden age of reality singing competitions, “ICON: Auditions” playfully captures everything we secretly love: unforgettable auditions, emotional back stories, shocking talent (and lack thereof ), a twist ending and, of course, the over-the-top drama. 

At the center are three distinct judges (above): a fame-seeking Soundcloud rapper, a former child star chasing love and a brutally honest critic who isn’t afraid to shatter anyone’s dream. Facing them are twelve colorful contestants, each vying to become the next big pop icon. From shy crooners to bold divas, and from comeback hopefuls to hilariously questionable auditioners, the stage is filled with big personalities and even bigger performances. 

And, here’s the twist: this isn’t just a show you watch — it’s a show you control. 

As the competition narrows, the audience votes live to decide which three finalists advance and ultimately earn ICON status. Each performance becomes a one-of-a-kind experience shaped by the crowd, making every show uniquely unpredictable. 

The musical features recognizable radio hits spanning genres and generations, making it a crowd-pleaser for teens, adults and families alike. Whether you enjoy powerhouse ballads, pop anthems, or feel-good classics, there’s something in “ICON: Auditions” that will have you tapping your feet, dancing and maybe even singing along. 

The Wesley Chapel Theater Group continues its tradition of showcasing incredible local talent while creating unforgettable community experiences, and “ICON: Auditions” may be its boldest concept yet. From performers and directors to stage crew and volunteers, the show represents months of dedication and collaboration. It’s a testament to the thriving arts scene right here in Wesley Chapel. 

Performances will be at the Zephyrhills Lions Club (5827 Dean Dairy Rd.), on Saturday, March 28, 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 29, 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at WesleyChapelTheaterGroup.org. 

For more info, scan the QR code on the ad below or visit WesleyChapelTheaterGroup.org. 

Gronk Co-Founded Greenlane Salads & Wraps Has Opened On S.R. 54!

If you haven’t yet tried the new Greenlane Salads and Wraps drive-through location at 24801 S.R. 54 in Lutz (next to Los Chapos Tacos and the now-closed Fazoli’s), photographer Charmaine George, Jannah and I all urge you to go ahead and give it a shot. 

We all agree that co-founders Chris Kern (above) and former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Bucs tight end Rob Gronkowski are onto something with this growing local mini-chain that is now up to five locations. 

We all have our own favorites — Jannah loves The Gronk wrap above left (she’s also now had it as a salad bowl), with roasted broccoli (which Jannah calls “amazing”), roasted sweet potatoes, crispy bacon, green onions and cheddar Jack cheese on a bed of romaine lettuce with Greenlane Goddess dressing. Charmaine’s fave is the Tuscan Sun salad bowl (right), with pepperoncini, crispy chickpeas, marinated mozzarella, salami, grape tomatoes and Italian vinaigrette on a bed of romaine. She liked it with the grilled steak shown below, but says she definitely will try it with the grilled chicken next time. 

I already have three favorites — the caprese salad (bottom left), with nut-free basil pesto mozzarella, Florida ripe cherry tomatoes and house-made balsamic vinaigrette; the ginger sesame crunch wrap (below) and the Cobb wrap. You can order any of these as a wrap or a salad and everything is customizable to your exact specifications. There also are smoothies and slushies on the menu. In our eyes and tastebuds, Greenlane is a winner! For more info or to order, visit GoGreenlane.com. — GN, photos by Charmaine George

Mango and Strawberry Frozen Drink

Tampa City Ballet Hosts An Amazing ‘Inside The Studio’ Wine & Cheese Social!

I’m so glad our photographer Charmaine George was able to be on hand for the “Inside the Studio” wine & cheese event at the Tampa City Ballet (TCB) studio at 15365 Amberly Dr., in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms. The event was hosted by TCB founder and artistic director Paula Nuñez (right in photo) and Board member Marguerite Pinard (left in same photo) and featured demonstration dances by TCB’s super-talented professional dancers, as well as a vocal performance by Coloratura Soprano Daniela Mass, (below left), plus wine, cheese and many TCB supporters and joyous attendees.

Up next for TCB is “Dance Now,” Tampa Bay’s (FREE) Dance Festival, with hundreds of dancers from Bay-area dance troupes of all genres. It will be held at Tampa’s Water Works Park (next to Ulele Restaurant) on Sunday, March 15, 4 p.m. For more info, see the ad below or visit TampaCityBallet.org. — GN

Olive Garden & Seasons 52 Coming To WC Blvd. At Gateway Blvd.!

Yard House Unconfirmed But Now Rumored To Be The Front Runner To Replace Bahama Breeze On S.R. 56 

Above is an absolutely not-to-scale NN composite map showing the existing businesses on the south side of Wesley Chapel (WC) Blvd. between Old Pasco Rd. & Gateway Blvd., with the site plan for the now-under-construction Gateway Plaza Retail Center superimposed to show the approximate location of Olive Garden (believed to be “Restaurant #1” on map) and Seasons 52 (believed to be “Restaurant #2”). The project also will include a dental office that will have its entrance off Gateway Blvd. The map shows Centerline Dr., which starts behind Slim Chickens, intersecting with the new plaza, but does not properly show where WC Blvd. & Gateway Blvd. connect to it. (NN-created map sources: Google Maps & Pasco County)

 The restaurant rumor mill in the Wesley Chapel area has been swirling even more recently, with the previously announced planned closure and rebranding of the Bahama Breeze Island Grill on the north side of S.R. 56. 

At almost the same time, the previously announced Olive Garden restaurant, located at the intersection of Wesley Chapel Blvd. (aka S.R. 54), Gateway Blvd. and Centerline Dr. (see map), began clearing the land for the Gateway Plaza Retail Center with Olive Garden, a dental office and a second previously unnamed restaurant. 

After reading on one of the local Facebook groups that the second restaurant was going to be Seasons 52, I then had my research guy and correspondent Joel Provenzano look into the development plan and Joel did find that Seasons 52 is indeed the second restaurant coming to that site — even though Seasons 52 also was announced as one of the Darden Restaurant brands that could replace Bahama Breeze on S.R. 56. 

We will keep you posted on the progress of Olive Garden and Seasons 52, but having those two Darden Brands now coming to Wesley Chapel Blvd. less than 5 miles from Bahama Breeze, seems to have narrowed even further the possible options to replace the island-themed eatery across from the Tampa Premium Outlets. 

The Wesley Chapel area’s existing Darden Brands already include Longhorn Steakhouse, Chuy’s, Cheddars Scratch Kitchen and now Olive Garden and Seasons 52. 

That leaves only Darden’s most upscale restaurants — Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and The Capital Grille, plus Yard House sports pub, with Yard House rumored (also in online chat we’ve seen) to be the front runner. But, with Bahama Breeze still 12-18 months from being repurposed and no official announcement yet forthcoming from Darden, all we can say is we’ll keep you posted. 

Eight Turn Crêpe Brings Unique Japanese Street Food To Wesley Chapel

If you’ve been wanting to try something truly different from the norm in our area — whether you want a delicious hand-held savory crêpe filled with crispy pork belly, chicken teriyaki or even smoked salmon and cream cheese, or a sumptuous dessert crêpe with Dubai chocolate or lychee, raspberry and almonds, you probably should go check out the new Eight Turn Crêpe, which celebrated its Grand Opening (photo above) at 2653 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Suite 116, on Jan. 31. 

This location was previously occupied by 35 Below ice cream, in the same plaza as Dickey’s BBQ, Umu Japanese & Thai and Sorbo coffee — which is interesting because Eight Turn Crêpe is an homage to Japanese street food, but offers items that are completely different from anything served at either Umu or Sorbo. 

Let’s start with the company itself, which began with a single location in New York City’s Soho district in 2013 and is now up to about a dozen locations in New York, California, Texas, Idaho, Washington state and Virginia. The BBD location is the first to open in Florida and the chain’s VP of franchising Steve Kogan was on hand (left in top photo) for the opening of franchise owner Lien Nguyen’s (center in same photo) Wesley Chapel location. 

The former ice cream shop is small but attractive, with only a few tables inside and a few more outside, but the stars of the show are the super-tasty, naturally gluten-free, rice flour crêpes themselves. You can order them in either the classic Japanese cone shape (right photo above) or rolled and sliced sushi-style, like the crispy Tokyo pork belly crêpe Charmaine and I shared (left) — an amazing mix of flavors, with kimchi, avocado, lettuce, crispy shallots, sesame seeds and Japanese mayo. 

In addition to the options I mentioned above, there’s also Thai chicken, bacon, egg & cheese and Philly cheesesteak savory options and all of the sweet crêpes are layered with different flavors of custard cream — and most of them are stuffed with fresh fruits, including strawberries, bananas, raspberries, blueberries, mango and lychee, with pistachios, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, crunchy flakes, granola and more. 

I incorrectly assumed that the sweet crêpes also would include gelato, but even though only two of the sweet crêpes on the menu include a scoop of vanilla gelato, there are a number of other gelato flavors you can add to any sweet crêpe on the menu. Best of all, you also can design your own sweet or savory crêpe, using any of the aforementioned ingredients. 

Eight Turn Crêpe also has a large variety of bubble and fresh fruit teas, “super food” smoothies and creamy Japanese milk shakes. Charmaine and I loved the cherry blossom milkshake we shared — it was bursting with real cherry flavor. 

I’m hoping our readers will find and frequent Eight Turn Crêpe. It’s truly different from anything else in our area — and totally tasty. 

For info, call (813) 867-6413 or visit EightTurnCrepe.com. — GN, all photos by Charmaine George