Morgan Freeman To Host Blues Documentary and Live Orchestra Show in St. Petersburg

Screen legend Morgan Freeman will take the stage for The Symphonic Blues Experience, a mix of film and music with The Florida Orchestra at the Mahaffey Theater. The Sept. 25 show puts the 88-year-old star front and center.

The night weaves raw blues with classical sounds. Musicians from Freeman's Ground Zero Blues Club will join forces with The Florida Orchestra at the Duke Energy Center. Their combined talents promise an unforgettable blend of grit and grace.

"Being at these different venues, interacting with audiences, I gotta admit that I do that kind of well," Freeman said, according to St. Pete Catalyst. "The appreciation that audiences show when I come onstage in person ... I get this warm, warm welcome."

Each stop on the tour pairs with a different local orchestra. Through Freeman's rich narration, the film traces blues music's path across America. Short, sharp riffs mix with sweeping orchestral waves to tell the story.

In Clarksdale, Mississippi, Freeman and businessman Eric Meier run the Ground Zero Blues Club. The spot stands where blues first took root, according to Freeman.

His connection to blues runs deep through his Mississippi roots. As a child, he soaked in the sounds of gospel: music that shares its soul with the blues. Those early years left their mark.

While music fills his heart, films still command his time. Watch for him next fall when Now You See Me 3 hits the big screen.

The curtain rises at 8 p.m., Sept. 25, at downtown St. Petersburg's Mahaffey Theater. Tickets start at $55, with good seats still up for grabs.