SRQARTS 2024-25: Guide to Arts and Culture on Florida's Cultural Coast by SRQ MEDIA

SRQ MAGAZINE’S ANNUAL GUIDE TO THE DYNAMIC REGIONAL ARTS AND CULTURE SEASON

Florida’s Cultural Coast

JOY OFTHE ARTS

Sarasota Ballet presents Martha Graham’s Dark Meadow Suite, photography courtesy of Brigid Pierce.

OUR CULTURAL COAST UNITED

The leaders of Visit Sarasota County, Sarasota Rising and The Arts and Cultural Alliance sit down with SRQARTS to talk about how intrinsic the arts are to our region.

FROM THE TIME JOHN RINGLING DECIDED TO PACK UP HIS CIRCUS AND MIGRATE SOUTH, the arts have been woven into the fabric of Sarasota. Just as much as the white sand beaches or the Gulf Coast breeze is a part of this area, the arts, from the circus to performing arts and everything in between, are as well. The leaders of Sarasota County recognize this, along with the fact that arts and culture act as a magnet for the area, drawing in tourists and new residents alike. That recognition is why Erin Duggan, President and CEO of Visit Sarasota County (VSC), has made the push for truly cementing Sarasota County as Florida’s Cultural Coast. It’s why Jeffery Kin created Sarasota Rising, the production company behind the Living Arts Festival, a massive undertaking that will link together all of the area’s arts organizations in its debut this November. And it’s why Brian Hersh, CEO of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota, has worked hand in hand with the two to make these endeavors a reality. Together, Duggan, Kin and Hersh sat down with SRQARTS to talk about their collective efforts to support the region’s diverse array of arts organizations and the Cultural Coast podcast that they plan on launching later this year.

INTERVIEW BY DYLAN CAMPBELL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

FROM EACH OF YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVES, COULD YOU SHARE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS IN SARASOTA?

BRIAN HERSH, THE ARTS AND CULTURAL ALLIANCE Arts and culture have been a strong part of Sarasota’s identity almost from the beginning of Sarasota. There’s so much that it does for our community. I always say arts builds community to an extent. I think it provides something for people who live here, but also it’s a significant part of our commerce and our economy. And with that, whether it’s employing a lot of folks, from artists and artisans to accountants, or the financial sector, our arts organizations spend money within the community. Our arts organizations, of course, as Erin knows really well, attract people from outside of Sarasota as well. But the arts intrinsically and by nature are something that

just really drives quality of life too. Sarasota is an amazing place to live and visit. You want to experience arts and culture and Sarasota has a myriad of options. JEFFERY KIN, SARASOTA RISING The arts are so vital to our area. People can take it for granted because it is such a part of our daily life. If anything, a podcast could likely share some of the personal stories that help bring that arts scene to life. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Having that opportunity to talk to people and share what’s happening so that people really get an idea that without the arts we really are just any other town. The fact that the arts are so prominent here is not by accident. The region supports it and feeds off of it—helping people understand that is probably part of our job, right Erin? ERIN DUGGAN, VISIT SARASOTA COUNTY It’s funny. So coincidentally, the other

Opposite page, left to right: Erin Duggan, Jeffery Kin and Brian Hersh, photographed on location at Summer Tap in Burns Court.

morning I had a meeting with Nik Wallenda and Jennifer Mitchell, Executive Vice President/COO of Circus Arts Conservatory, and Nik was talking about how many, many years ago, John Ringling was the ﬁrst person to bring these acts from all over the world here to Sarasota to train, develop talents and then go back on the road. It just proves the point that a visit is usually the front door of economic development. It’s the front door of somebody moving here, whether it is to move a business, to join our workforce or to retire. So when it comes to marketing Sarasota County as a destination folks should want to come and visit, of course, we’re going to target arts and cultural enthusiasts because we know that when they come here, they will have a satisfying trip. If you love museums, you love high-caliber arts, you want to see the opera, the ballet, the orchestra, the theater, all of that good stuﬀ—it makes sense for us to target that person to come here because they can do those things. And we always like to talk about how the community is not a destination of ors. You don’t come here to enjoy the beach or art or sports. It’s possible to enjoy the beach and art and sport. We’re a destination of ands—not ors

JEFFERY, WHAT DOES THE SUPPORT FOR SARASOTA RISING’S LIVING ARTS FESTIVAL LOOK LIKE FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? KIN It’s astonishing when there’s just a kernel of an idea and you’re trying to surround yourself with people that know a lot more than you. You really have to listen. I’ve had to listen to others—other arts groups, other businesses that know a lot more about the community and what tourism and the arts mean to it and then try to pull it all together in a nice beautiful package. For Sarasota Rising, the

name itself came from the idea that if you do the right thing, all boats rise. Having the Arts and Cultural Alliance right there from the very beginning, and of course, having the support of Erin and her team at VSC, made for the perfect kind of triangle. It’s a very strong force that provides the momentum that can potentially take our region to another level. DUGGAN I always like to say that at Visit Sarasota County, we pride ourselves on trying to know a little about everything. It would be impossible for us to know everything about everything, so we 100 percent rely on people like Brian and Jeﬀ to come in and be the subject matter experts on spe-

Black Theater. You’re going to want to go and check out the Art Center down in Northport. It’s a lot of seed planting and a lot of relationship building. It’s hard work but it’s not only for today. KIN I’m going to jump in because I love the seed planting. I’m a farmer. I’ve never felt more like a farmer in my entire life than working on this project. It is planting seeds, it’s pulling weeds, it’s watering, it’s fertilizing. It is really like we’re growing a beautiful garden. BRIAN, COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT ADVOCACY LOOKS LIKE FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION? HERSH The Arts and Cultural Alliance is Sarasota County’s oﬃcial local

“If you’re a visitor during something like Sarasota Rising, where you get a piece of all of these diﬀerent arts organizations, not only is it going to instil in you that ‘wow, this is Sarasota’s cultural coast,’ but it’s going to motivate you to come back and be a repeat visitor.”

—Erin

Duggan, Visit Sarasota County

ciﬁc things. These two gentlemen are perfect examples of subject matter experts when it comes to all things arts and culture in Sarasota County. And so for us at Visit Sarasota County, we want to put their personalities up on a stage. We want to connect them with journalists, with tour operators, with travel agents, folks that can impact and bring group business and even leisure business, for that matter, to the community. If you’re a visitor during something like Sarasota Rising, where you get a piece of all of these diﬀerent arts organizations, not only is it going to really instill in you that, “wow, this is Sarasota’s cultural coast,” but it’s going to motivate you to come back and be a repeat visitor because now you’re going to want to come back and see the Sarasota Ballet. You’re going to want to come back and see Westcoast

arts agency. We’re an LIA [Local Implementing Agency]. One of the things we did this year was launch a brand new website, sarasotaarts. org. I’m really excited for this year to be the first season where it really takes flight. The site is a perfect opportunity to promote things like this year’s festival. If you’re coming from out of town, or of course if you’re in town, you can hop onto that site and see all of the different venues and all of the different performances. Being a source and voice for our organizations is incredibly important to us. We’re almost like the stagehands, if you will, or behind the scene workers doing everything possible to ensure that when that curtain opens, everything’s ready to go and the word has been put out.

ERIN, COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN FOR TRADEMARKING SARASOTA AS “FLORIDA’S CULTURAL COAST?” DUGGAN I think it surprises folks to hear that it started 18-plus years ago here within our office. It’s always been something that’s been very important to us. In simplified terms, when you think of what a convention and visitors bureau does, especially 20 years ago, it was to get folks from the outside to come and spend the money that they’re making outside of Sarasota County. Then, that money and the subsequent sales tax that they paid right here in Sarasota County, will go back to benefit the community. What we’ve struggled with, in years past, was balancing that work with communicating with Sarasota County residents the benefits of tourism—we’re very concerned with what residents think of

tourism. Within that, we realize that the arts and cultural audience is a large part of our tourism base. We’ve continued to target that base through a multi-layered campaign. There’s public relations, distribution of content on a myriad of platforms and a sales team dedicated to this sector.

HERSH Let me just add that there’s a real science to this art. If we have intentionality of what we want to produce as artists, there’s always meaning in the work. It’s important for our residents and tourists to really know that there’s a lot of people working hard to just get the word out about what this community has to oﬀer via arts and culture, and then of course, our arts and culture organizations do what they do so well and deliver on that promise.

SPEAKING OF CREATING THAT KIND OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE THAT RUNS THROUGH THE ARTS AND TOURISM WITHIN SARASOTA COUNTY, COULD YOU SHARE A LITTLE ABOUT THE CULTURAL COAST PODCAST AND HOW IT BEGAN?

DUGGAN We know we have a million arts and cultural stories to tell. And so we thought, you know what? We’ve been toying around about a podcast for years, let’s double down on what we’re known for. Let’s hone in on something that’s a differentiator for the Sarasota County community, especially when compared to a lot of other Florida destinations. That’s when the Cultural Coast Podcast was born. Jeffery, with his theater background and Brian, with his radio and music background, felt like they’d be the perfect fit to host this podcast. If you’ve got a cool art story to tell, we want you to be in the mix. There’s a form on our website for guest submissions—anybody who’s interested in being interviewed can fill out that form and we’ll get them in the queue.

Our minimum thought is we’re going to be doing 52 in the next year—starting with releasing one episode every Monday. KIN I think the best thing about talking to other people is listening, and by asking, I think, some pertinent questions that they haven’t been asked before to ﬁnd out what really makes them tick. I have a feeling that those are the types of questions that I’m going to want to ask. Yes, you may have seen that amazing show that was brought in by that amazing director, but you know what? If there wasn’t a sound technician, you never would’ve heard it. And if there wasn’t a lighting designer, you never would’ve seen it. And without them working together in perfect unison, you’re not going to have that incredible experience. And so who are those people? And they live here and they work here and they have families here. Why can’t we give them 20 minutes of our time and ﬁnd out how they tick. What makes them excited? What frightens them? Creating that atmosphere and that desire to just come together and have a little chat is I think part of what makes it exciting for me, personally. And props. HERSH Props. That’s the theater person. As a musician myself, you really learn how to listen as well. I tell people the podcast is the easiest thing they’re going to do that day because they just get to talk about what they’re passionate about and what they love. I’m just really curious. I love the arts. I really consume them. It’s what I want to spend my time doing as well, so it’s just a real joy, pleasure and honor to be able to have conversations with people who are creating and making art.

SRQARTS

WELCOME

WELL, IT’S HERE! A COLLABORATIVE EVENT that has taken hundreds of hours, days and several years to make happen. It’s a bit astonishing to be at this incredible place and time. To say that this inaugural event has been a labor of love is a complete understatement. Not without our growing pains, and not without selfdoubt, and not without sleepless nights and bruised feelings. Anything of major importance like your Living Arts Festival is never going to be easy! I’ve mentioned before that I’ve never felt more like a farmer than in the last 2 years of preparing the soil, planting the seeds, watering, weeding, fertilizing, and now harvesting this regional event. And that’s just my story! I have dozens of people working right along side me. They have been selﬂess and understanding and because of their creativity and focus has helped get us to this incredible time. Who are these amazing people? Well, you will see them at our events. You will see their names in this program and in this annual launch of and Culture on Florida’s Cultural Coast. Talk about showing support and doing some heavy lifting—look at this gorgeous magazine! What an honor to be working with organizations like this and I hope you support every group that has their logo attached to ours. And, if you don’t see a logo for a group or business you love? Reach out! It’s never too early to start planning for next year. Sincere and heartfelt thanks for everyone participating, this festival for our cultural coast could not happen without each and every one of them! Please help us build our arts community by showing up and being the audience. Live performances of ALL kinds need the viewer. They need the spectator, the questioner, the laugher, the love. Without you, our patrons, we are nothing. Thank you for taking your role of AUDIENCE so seriously. I cant wait to hear your applause at each and every event this inaugural year!

FESTIVAL SPONSORS

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

PARTICIPATING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

Art Center Sarasota

Arts Advocates

Artists Series Concerts

Asolo Repertory Theatre

Azara Ballet

Belles Princess Parties

Choral Artists of Sarasota

Circus Arts Conservatory

CreArte Latino

Sarasota Int’l Chalk Festival

Sarasota Jewish Theater

Sarasota Music Conservatory

Creative Liberties, Artist Studios, Galleries and Creative Academy

Creative Kids SRQ

Diversity Choir

Embracing Our Diﬀerences

Endedans Contemporary Ballet

Fabulous Arts Foundation

Florida Studio Theatre

Geezer Theater

Riverview High School

Rowlett Elementary Academy

School of Rock

Sarasota Opera Association, Inc.

Sarasota Orchestra

The Sarasota Players

Sarasota Pops Orchestra

Sarasota Young Voices

Sarasota Youth Opera

Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative

Strings Con Brio

Theatre Odyssey

Towles Court Art Center

Stage Door Studios

Venice High School

Woodland Fine Arts Academy

BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

99 Bottles

ABC Channel 7

American Business Solutions

Art Ovation

Arts and Cultural Alliance

Tree Fort Productions Studio Theatre

Unidos Now

Urbanite Theatre

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

Venice Symphony Orchestra

Venice Theatre

The Hermitage Artist Retreat

Indictus Project

Indigenous Enterprise

Jazz Club of Sarasota

The John and Mable

Ringling Museum of Art

Key Choral and Student Scholars

Living Statues - Joe Platia

Manatee Performing Arts Center

Westcoast Black Theater Troupe

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Modern Marimba

Musica Sacra of Sarasota

Nailed It DIY

North Port Art Center

Origami Air

The Perlman Music Program Suncoast

The Ringling Museum of Art

Rise Above Performing Arts

Ringling College of Art & Design

Women’s Club of Sarasota

WSLR

World of Masks

PARTICIPATING

Band, Gates, Dramis Attorneys

Bank of America

Bavaro’s Sarasota

Beauty Booze and Beauty Gourmet

CCAV Event Production and Rentals

City of Sarasota

Development on Demand

FOUNDATIONS AND FUNDS

Community Foundation of Sarasota

IamYes! Foundation

Gulf Coast Community Foundation

SaraSolo

Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design

The Sarasota Ballet

Sarasota Ballet Studio

Company and Trainees

Sarasota Contemporary Dance

Sarasota Cuban Ballet School

Joan Armour Mendell Foundation

The Patterson Foundation

Platkin Family Foundation

Watts Family Fund

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS AND STUDIOS

Arts Troupe for the Diﬀerently-Abled

Booker Middle School

Cat5 - Booker High School Band

Dick & Deborah Miller Team RE/MAX

Eventeny

The Exchange

Fast Signs

Florida Festival & Events Associaton

Insightful PR

Knock Out Productions

McCurdys Comedy Club

The Media Roundtable

Next-Mark LLC

Daughtry Elementary

Dynasty Dance Clubs

Manatee School of the Arts

Music Compound

Ovation School of Musical Theater

The Players Studio

Rise Above Performing Arts

Natherson and Company PA

The Observer Group

Red Property Management

Sarasota Chamber of Commerce

Sarasota Herald Tribune

Sarasota Magazine

The Sarasota Modern

Scene Magazine

Seacoast Bank

Senior Friendship Center

Sights and Sounds

SRQ Media | SRQ Magazine

Target

Weber Scenic

WSMR and WUSF

Visit Sarasota County

FESTIVAL EVENTS

NOVEMBER 10-17, 2024

THE LIVING ARTS FESTIVAL FÊTE

RISE AND SHINE SATURDAY

Immerse yourself in the unique experience of our exciting pre-festival party. Held at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Sarasota, this event oﬀers a rare “behind the scenes” glimpse into the area’s ﬁne arts, performing arts and the culinary arts. Have you ever wondered how our festival started? Step into “the room where it happened” and be part of the magic! Engaging as well as entertaining, the Board of Trustees, the festival leadership and team will share the inner workings of the week ahead while you savor delectable bites and beverages. Help us make the arts community rise in our region.

Our family-focused FREE arts explosion at Sarasota’s own Municipal Auditorium brings all our cultural and creative families together with the explicit goal of fostering arts engagement among our area youth. Both indoor and outdoor stages proudly provide opportunities for our area schools and local educational organizations to place their unique energy on a stage for the world to see. Parents and children are introduced to arts appreciation and art collecting in the event’s visual arts area. Featuring arts and crafts and performances all day long. This day is about learning and growing, emphasizing children of all ages and from all backgrounds. Let’s amplify the impact of the arts for the next generation of creatives and leaders.

The centerpiece of Sarasota Rising’s initiatives is an interdisciplinary arts festival like no other, staged in our beautiful, eclectic, semi-tropical region. From November 10-17, 2024, our festival will broaden our region’s audience for the arts in all its “ﬂavors,” emphasizing performing arts while oﬀering visual arts exhibitions, family-friendly events, live music and more. Whether you’re an artist, business, prospective volunteer or potential donor, we encourage you to connect and RISE WITH US for an opportunity to help build a special legacy for our special initiative.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10

5-9PM

Northern Trust Building 1515 Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota

FESTIVAL EVENTS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11

4PM & 5PM — TUESDAY NOVEMBER 12

4PM & 5PM

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Historic Spanish Point Campus 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey

A WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT — OPENING PARTY

Our festival officially begins with an exciting and eclectic opening night party. This “rooftop experience” offers a global perspective of our incredible arts and culture community with a fusion of international and local arts. Imagine our worldclass Chalk Festival on the streets and music from a Brazilian band and vocalist setting the tone for world-class entertainment at our doorstep. We present a glimpse of the unbelievable week of arts programming, from theater and dance to fine art and music, all with an inclusive world beat. This cleverly-produced party is synonymous with civic mindedness and collaboration as the arts and business communities come together to applaud the potential in all of us to elevate our cultural coast to the national, and yes, world stage.

OUR EMBRACE REIMAGINED

A signiﬁcant part of the Sarasota Rising’s mission is to work closely with groups that may not have permanent venue locations of their own, so we are collaborating with them by producing super collaborations. The Living Arts Festival is blessed to be working with our friends at Embracing Our Diﬀerences and The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. This performance walking tour at Historic Spanish Point will feature a number of banners from past seasons that have been chosen by an eclectic group of area arts groups such a CreArte Latino, Modern Marimba and Sarasota Contemporary Dance, to name a few. These passionate arts groups will use these panels as inspiration to create an original song, dance, spoken word or acting scene panel. These newly-created performances will come together to create a live performance walking tour unique to our area.

Tickets available at Sarasota Rising.com

ALL ROADS LEAD TO VENICE

This week continues with an explosion of arts in our neighboring city of Venice— its major arts organizations such as The Venice Arts Center, The Downtown Association, Venice Mainstreet, the Venice Symphony and Venice Theatre will take over their downtown for the arts. This area-wide celebration of the arts will include, bars, restaurants and hotels for pop-up visual exhibitions, impromptu street perfroamcnes and carefully curated buskers.

ARTS ROULETTE

The mission of our festival is to help build cultural tourism and assist in helping our community cherish the arts groups we proudly boast as members of our arts community. All day long, we will be out in the community, letting members of the community spin the wheel to win tickets to the many organizations participating in our festival and giving them the opportunity to experience the arts.

SARASOTA RISING: A CELEBRATION OF YOUTH — CLOSING PARTY

What’s a festival without entertainment, prizes and a closing party at the Circus Arts Conservatory? On the Festival’s last day, we come together and celebrate the educational outreach wings of area arts organizations. Imagine the stage ﬁlled with up-and-coming singers, dancers, musicians and thrill-seeking circus acrobats. Students of all ages from our community come together to celebrate their passion for the arts. Tickets available at CircusArts.org

FESTIVAL AWARDS We end the week at the Closing Night with our awards presentation built with pride for our region’s best and ﬁnest. A group of judges who were out in the community during the festival will adjudicate the many performances in search of the best and the brightest. These awards come with a cash prize! Current prize categories include: Best of the Festival Award, Best Collaboration, Small But Mighty Awards, Innovation Award, Excellence in Artistry and Rising Star Award.

JOIN US | SUPPORT OUR ARTS COMMUNITY

Look at all the ways you can help us and your entire community. Your Festival needs your support, so reach out to see how you can get involved. INFO@SARASOTARISING.COM

The Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County

Visit Sarasota County

Next-Mark Marketing Agency

Bill Greaves

Pedro Reis and The Circus Arts Conservatory

Joseph Caulkins and The Key Chorale

Morgan Gerhart and Development on Demand

The Sarasota Rising Production Team

The Living Arts Festival Team Leaders and Volunteers

Our Incredible Investors, Sponsors and Donors

Participating Area Foundations and Businesses

Our Inaugural Living Arts Festival Patrons!

LEAVE A LEGACY

IT STARTED 15 YEARS AGO WITH A QUESTION. Joseph Caulkins, Artistic Director of Key Chorale, looked in the mirror and asked himself, “If Key Chorale wasn’t in this community what would be the diﬀerence?” The answer startled him. “I said to myself, well, it wouldn’t make a big diﬀerence. What I’ve realized in my later years as a conductor is that the legacy that you leave behind is more important than the music you’re bringing to life,” says Caulkins. “Obviously, the music is central to what we do, but if it’s just music without really thinking about that legacy and giving back to your community, then it’s a hollow mission.” In the years since, Key Chorale, much like many of the other arts organizations in and around Sarasota, has worked relentlessly to become a pillar of the community. Today, Key Chorale has a bevy of educational and community outreach programs. This story, however, isn’t just about Key Chorale—it’s about the altruistic spirit that runs through so many of the arts organizations that make Sarasota Florida’s cultural coast.

That spirit is what brings us to the upcoming Living Arts Festival: an all-new week-long celebration of all the arts within Sarasota, and more speciﬁcally, the closing ceremony of the festival. Together, with the Circus Arts Conservatory (CAC), Key Chorale is the chief organizer of Sarasota Rising: Celebrating Our Youth, an end of festival bash held in the CAC’s Sailor Circus Arena that looks to bring all of Sarasota’s arts organizations together in a collaborative performance—the likes of which Sarasota has never seen before. For Sarasota Rising: Celebrating Our Youth is not about merely showcasing the talents of the area’s various arts organizations, instead it is a salute to the time and eﬀort that these institutions have put toward their youth and educational outreach programming.

THE INAUGURAL CLOSING NIGHT LIVING ARTS FESTIVAL CLOSES WITH A MOMENTOUS PERFORMANCE THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE YOUTH AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING OF THE PARTICIPATING ARTS ORGANIZATION.

“Pedro Reis, Founder, President and CEO of CAC, and I came up with the idea a while ago to try and do an event that would bring together all of the various youth programs that are part of Sarasota/Manatee and create a showcase for them,” says Caulkins.

“Pedro and I especially were talking about the fact that we know intimately what all of these arts organizations are doing for the youth and what we’re doing collectively, but many in our community are not fully aware of that message. This is a way of letting our community know the great work that all our performing arts groups are doing to build up young people and put their talents on full display.”

“We have such amazing programs in our community, but not everybody knows about them, especially their youth and educational arms. People may support the Sarasota Ballet, so they know the Ballet, but do they know Sarasota Opera or the Circus or Sarasota Contemporary Dance?” adds Reis. “And people who follow the Circus, do they also follow Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe or the Cuban Ballet? This is a way of really sharing all of our organizations that have educational components and young students and highlighting them in the community.”

Make no mistake, a collaboration of this scale is no easy task. This single night has been months in the making, from getting everybody on board to determining the music and performance choices to figuring out rehearsal schedules, Sarasota Rising: Celebrating Our Youth has taken its fair share of time and effort from all those involved. Shining through the logistical and technical challenges however, is that same giving spirit that seems to run through all of the differing arts organizations involved— they want to do more, to give back, to leave a legacy that will last longer than the art they’re making. “That’s part of what I love about our community, it certainly could be competitive, but by being collaborative it brings all of us up. Every boat rises in the tide because of our collective efforts,” says Caulkins. SRQARTS LIVING ARTS FESTIVAL |

Conservatory,” says Caulkins. “That’ll be the instrumental component and then the choruses are going to be made up of Key Chorale, our Student Scholars program as well as the Venice High School, Riverview High School and Sarasota Young Voices programs. We’ll have all of those groups combining and collaborating, to be the backdrop to everything else.”

While collaborating with the CAC is nothing new for Caulkins and Key Chorale—the organizations have come together to present Cirque : a performance featuring circus acts paired with orchestral and choral music— the concept of looping in over a dozen arts organizations into a single evening is. With the help of Daniel Jordan, Concert Master of the Sarasota Orchestra, and Jeffery Kin, Executive Director of Sarasota Rising, Caulkins and Reis determined two things: one, this collaborative effort would be an ideal way to wrap up the inaugural Living Arts Festival and two, that the performance should model that of Cirque des Cirque des Voix, we’ll have a chorus, an orchestra and then sometimes combine those with different circus aspects. We’ll have an orchestra, what we call a side-by-side in our business, consisting of half professionals and half students from the Venice Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Sarasota Music

The “everything else” is poised to be a highly choreographed series of performances by 15-20 organizations, highlighting their dedication to youth programming. From the Sarasota Ballet’s Studio Company to Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe to Sarasota Contemporary Dance and more, all will get their moment in the spotlight. Some groups will perform in conjunction with circus acts, others with the backing of the orchestra and chorus and others all on their own. “If there’s a theme to this event, it’s that it’s eclectic. It’s really across the board, everything from classical film scores to new age, it’s just a kaleidoscope of different kinds of music and performances which I think is good because it showcases what we do in our community” says Caulkins. “Because there are so many youth groups involved, we wanted it musically to appeal to a wide range of audiences. The idea is that variety is the spice of life and we’re trying to find as much of it as we can.”

Above, left to right: Pedro Reis of Circus Arts Conservatory and Joseph Caulkins of Key Chorale.

ARTS ADVOCATES

Robert C. Manteiga’s Exhibit: From Street Photography to Street Art, A Photographic Journey, Nov 9, 2pm In the 1970s and ‘80s, Robert worked as a freelance photographer for clients including Paramount Picture Cards in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He has produced videos for The Jewish Housing Council Foundation, Celery Fields, Big Cat Habitat, and The National Cemetery. For three years he was the videographer for Aviva’s acclaimed Eight Over Eighty celebration, honoring local philanthropists and supporters of the arts. ArtsAdvocates.org, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

MARIE SELBY BOTANICAL

GARDENS Patti Smith: A Book of Days, Nov 9 - Aug 31, 2025, 10am-5pm Selby Gardens is excited to collaborate with Artist-in-Residence Patti Smith on this upcoming exhibition at the Historic Spanish Point campus. The exhibition will feature a selection of photographs taken by the famed poet and musician that offer an intimate view of her life on and off the road. The photographs are taken from Smith’s recently published, New York Times bestselling publication, A Book of Days The exhibition at Selby Gardens

will feature large prints of Smith’s photographs outdoors, bringing them into dialogue with nature, which has long been a source of inspiration for the legendary artist. Her compelling images will take visitors on a journey through time and space, charting both the course of a year and the natural environment of the Historic Spanish Point campus. selby.org. Historic Spanish Point campus: 401 North Tamiami Trail, Osprey, 941-366-5731.

SARASOTA CHALK FESTIVAL Museum in Motion, Nov 8-9, Viewing Day and Parade, Nov 10 An all-day outdoor Museum in Motion as artists from around the world start to create oversized masterpieces and 3D illusions in chalk, using the road surface as their canvas. Debuting this year, artists from Italy, Spain, India, Japan and Mexico will bring their centuries-old traditions of using natural materials such as flowers to create their oversized masterpieces. Illusion artists will create 3D illusion rooms and you will be able to become a part of the illusion in a photo. A great day to see the creative process unfold. Fun for the whole family. Purchase tickets online at chalk.LOVE, 400-600 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, 941-488-8877

SARASOTA ART MUSEUM OF RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN Free Second Sundays at SAM, Nov 10, 11am On the second Sunday of each month, SAM offers free admission for visitors, special performances, and art-making activities for the whole family. Art Making for All – 11 am to 4 pm From ceramics, to figure drawing, to watercolor and more, get creative with us each month in The Studios @ SAM. Music on the Plaza – 12 pm to 1:30 pm. Join us for music on the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza. Asolo Repertory Theatre’s Activating Words – 2 pm to 2:45 pm Experience a one-of-a-kind page-to-stage performance where you bring the characters to life. sarasotaartmuseum.org/free-second-sundays-at-sam, 1001 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-309-4300.

SARASOTA ORCHESTRA Masterworks 1 – Sounds of Nature, Nov 8-9, 7:30pm World-renowned violinist Vadim Gluzman opens the Masterworks season with Tchaikovsky’s towering Violin Concerto, a magnificent combination of breathtaking melodies and stunning virtuosity. Following Sibelius’ majestic Finlandia and Rautavaara’s tribute to the birds of the Arctic, the program concludes with Respighi’s Pines of Rome. From the Villa Borghese to the Appian Way, Respighi’s brilliant work never fails to thrill as it peaks in a blaze of brassy glory. Soirée 3 – Schubert Octet, Nov 3, 4pm Franz Schubert was 27 years old when he was commissioned to write a large-scale work in the style of Beethoven’s Septet, Op. 20. Taking Beethoven’s instrumentation and adding an extra violin, Schubert created an Octet for string quartet, double bass, clarinet, bassoon, and horn. sarasotaorchestra.org, Holley Hall, 941-953-3434.

Noche Unidos, 79rs-Gang’s Jermain-Bossier (l) and Romeo Bougere (r), photo by Diwang Valdez.

LIVING

THE

SARASOTA PLAYERS AND THE PLAYERS STUDIO

The Good Doctor, Nov 8, 9 2pm, 7pm This Broadway hit, a composite of Neil Simon and Anton Chekhov, consists of a series of comic vignettes narrated by “The Writer.” Performed by the talented students of The Players Studio, the stories are droll, the portraits aﬀectionate, the humor infectious and the fun unending.

3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, theplayers.org, 941.365.2494.

STRINGS CON BRIO

Sights+Sounds at Waterside Place: Salute to Veterans Concert, Nov 7, 7pm Join Strings Con Brio as we salute our veterans in concert and help kick oﬀ the 2024 Living Arts Festival. stringsconbrio. org Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive Sarasota, 941-677-3291.

expresses our love for the natural world and envisions a new way to engage as fellow citizens of Earth. Interweaves poetry by celebrated authors Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver. ViaNovaChorale.org. Free for students college age and younger. 2050 Oak St, Sarasota.

NOVEMBER 10

THE HERMITAGE ARTIST RETREAT Artist at Work, 10am

SARASOTA CONTEMPORARY

Our 3 locations are open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm: 901B Apricot Avenue; 927 N. Lime Avenue and 340 Central Avenue. Visit creativeliberties.net, 941-799-6634

SARASOTA OPERA Sarasota

DANCE Poetry in Motion featuring (SCDE) Sarasota Contemporary Dance Ensemble, Nov 8-9, 7pm Sarasota Contemporary Dance Ensemble (SCDE) is opening its 6th season with a professional, evening-length showcase Poetry in Motion featuring a range of dances choreographed by Associate Directors Xiao-Xuan Dancigers and Melissa Rummel in collaboration with Poet, Sun Love Peace. This performance will feature a renowned Guest Choreographer Tania Vergara Perez. Sarasotacontemporarydance.org, 1400 Blvd of the Arts Sarasota, Muriel Mayers Box Oﬃce 941-260-8485.

THE VIA NOVA CHORALE

This Good Earth, 4pm Riveting choral and instrumental music of various cultures and styles that

Youth Opera -The Hobbit, 12pm Sarasota Youth Opera will present its acclaimed production of The Hobbit™ by Dean Burry. This prelude to Tolkien’s classic, The Lord of The Rings, recounts how a comfort-loving hobbit, unwillingly dragged into a heroic quest, accidentally acquires the golden ring of power. SarasotaOpera.org, Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Sarasota, 941- 328-1300.

welcomes actor-musician Jason Cohen to recreate his iconic Jerry Lee Lewis tribute show, Great Balls of Fire! Cohen has brought the ivory-smashing superstar Jerry Lee Lewis to life in over 80 cities across North America in the national tour of the Tony-award-winning Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet. This show will feature the band and the orchestra teaming up on the hits from the ‘50s and beyond including “Good Golly Miss Molly,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and more. In addition, the Pops will honor our nation’s veterans during this annual patriotic salute. ThePopsOrchestra. org, Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Lord Way, Sarasota, 941-926-7677

SENIOR FRIENDSHIP CENTER

The Caregiver, 2pm An adaptation of the full play written by Blake Walton. The Caregiver tells the story of a mother’s son, a middle-aged gay man reluctant to take care of his aged mother. Presented with actor Blake Walton, as the central character, who discovers romance within the most unlikely scenario, as a full-time caregiver. Tickets on the friendshipcenters.org, 1888 Brother Geenen Way, Sarasota, 941-556-3216.

THE SARASOTA PLAYERS AND THE PLAYERS STUDIO

The Good Doctor, Nov 10, 2pm

This Broadway hit, a composite of Neil Simon and Anton Chekhov, consists of a series of comic vignettes narrated by “The Writer.” Performed by the talented students of The Players Studio, the stories are droll, the portraits affectionate, the humor infectious, and the fun unending.

WESTCOAST BLACK THEATRE TROUPE

3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, theplayers.org, 941.365.2494.

SARASOTA POPS ORCHESTRA

The Pops Orchestra’s Great Balls of Fire featuring Jason Cohen as Jerry Lee Lewis, 7pm

The Sarasota Pops Orchestra

Soul Crooners Solid Gold Edition, 2pm Soul Crooners Solid Gold Edition was written and adapted by Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs and is WBTT’s most successful original show. Soul Crooners is a celebration of the music that ushered in a new era of soul during the 1970s and features music by the Commodores, Earth, Wind and Fire, the O’Jays, the Jacksons and more, sung by Nate Jacobs along with WBTT favorite crooners Michael Mendez, Raleigh Mosely II, Leon Pitts, Christopher Eisenberg and Sheldon Rhoden, Soul Crooners

INDIGENOUS

FROM POWWOW ROOTS TO GLOBAL STAGES. INDIGENOUS ENTERPRISE CELEBRATES CULTURE

THROUGH ART AND PERFORMANCE

IN 2015, KENNETH SHIRLEY LAUNCHED INDIGENOUS ENTERPRISE at a community college in Phoenix, Arizona, with a vision to celebrate and share the richness of Indigenous culture through ﬁlm, fashion, and dance. Over these past eight years, Indigenous Enterprise has evolved into one of the most dynamic cultural companies globally. Their performances have enchanted audiences at prestigious venues and events, including the Super Bowl, Sydney Opera House, Joyce Theater and the 2020 Presidential Inauguration. Their work has graced MTV and World of Dance, earning critical acclaim from The New York Times and Vogue Magazine. Now, Indigenous Enterprise is poised to make its mark at the Living Arts Festival, where they will honor their heritage and uplift the Sarasota community through the vibrant tradition of powwow song and dance. “Our mission is to inspire and elevate audiences while fostering a deeper understanding of Indigenous identity through our compelling performances,” says Kenneth Shirley, the 28-year-old CEO and founder of the group.

Shirley, who began dancing at the tender age of two—before he could even walk or talk—views powwow song and dance as a profound means of sharing a culture that has been integral to his life from the start. He believes that these traditions often bring a deep sense of peace to communities. “At our performances, everyone receives a blessing, regardless of their race, ethnicity, culture or religion,” Shirley explains. “If someone is facing challenges or experiencing sadness, our dancers have a unique ability to uplift spirits and provide comfort. We strive to spread this message of healing and positivity wherever we go.” Shirley will bring four members of Indigenous Enterprise to the festival—elaborately dressed performers who are lifelong friends. Drawing on their extensive experience as champion powwow dancers, the group promotes Indigenous culture through a multifaceted approach that includes ﬁlm, fashion and dance.

Kenneth Shirley’s Indigenous Enterprise will perform at the Living Arts Festival.

THE SARASOTA CUBAN BALLET SCHOOL Nutcracker Rehearsal, Nov 12, 13, 15, 1pm

The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School is presenting The Nutcracker on December 6, 2024, at 7pm at the Sarasota Opera House. The holiday favorite features the beloved classic choreography and the beauty of Tchaikovsky’s score, with scenery and costumes conceived exclusively for the school by a legendary theater designer. Admission to watch a rehearsal is free, but you must register in advance. Rehearsal admission is free with registration: weblink. donorperfect.com/nutcrackerrehearsal, The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, 4740 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota.

VAN WEZEL

LIVING ARTS FESTIVAL | NOVEMBER 10-17, 2024

living things, build underground networks spanning miles, but also their tastiness—and their surprising relationship to avant-garde composer John Cage, who, due to his knowledge on the subject, won enough money on an Italian game show to support the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. The Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Drive, Sarasota, ringling.org

NOVEMBER 14

ASOLO REPERTORY

THE PERLMAN MUSIC PROGRAM SUNCOAST

PERFORMING ARTS HALL

Wheel of Fortune LIVE!, Nov 12, 7:30pm Wheel of Fortune LIVE! - America’s Game® comes to your hometown! Contestants are randomly selected from the audience to join our host onstage for a chance to spin a replica of the iconic Wheel, solve puzzles, and WIN incredible prizes like trips to Paris and Hawaii or BIG MONEY up to $10,000 in cash. Everyone can join in on the fun! VanWezel.org, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-263-6799.

NOVEMBER 13

THE JOHN AND MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART

You Look Like a Fun Guy by Dance Heginbotham, 5:15pm Presented as part of The Ringling’s SunHAT Eco-Performance Fest, this outdoor dance and theater presentation is inspired by mushrooms, their astonishing powers to transform dead things into

The Zota Quartet, 7:30pm A chamber music ensemble composed of young, award-winning Perlman Music Program alumni who hail from around the world and Florida. The name “Zota” is a reference to the original spelling of Sarasota, thought to be derived from a Native American term to describe something clear, blue, and beautiful-like the Sarasota Bay. Violinists Clara Neubauer and Tong Chen, violist Cassie Drake, and cellist Connor Kim will perform Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10, and Beethoven’s String Quartet No.10, Op. 74, “Harp.” First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak St, Sarasota. PMPSuncoast.org, 941-955-4942.

WESTCOAST BLACK

THEATRE TROUPE WBTT

Young Artist Program - Naärai Jacobs, 7:30pm For the last several years Naärai (daughter of WBTT Founder and Artistic Director, Nate Jacobs) has spent her career supporting some of the biggest artists in music: Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Elton John, and many more. This November, Naärai comes home to grace the WBTT stage again. She will traverse through decades of music and many of her favorite artists. You are guaranteed to be swept oﬀ your feet. WestcoastBlackTheatre.org. 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota, 941.366.1505

THEATRE Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Nov 14, 8pm Her journey was as extraordinary as her music. At eighteen, Carole King wrote number-one songs for Aretha Franklin and The Drifters. At twenty-nine, she was the voice of a generation. The road along the way was full of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. It wasn’t always perfect, but it was real - and that’s what made it beautiful. A smash hit on Broadway and London’s West End, this soaring and inspiring musical features two decades of King’s hits, including You’ve Got a Friend, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and I Feel the Earth Move. 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, asolorep.org, 941.351.8000 or 800.361.8388.

CREATIVE LIBERTIES ARTISTS STUDIOS, GALLERIES AND CREATIVE ACADEMY Artist at Work, 10am Our 3 locations are open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm: 901B Apricot Avenue; 927 N Lime Avenue and 340 Central Avenue. creativeliberties.net or call 941-799-6634.

THE JOHN AND MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART SunHAT Celebration with DJ Cavem, 7pm The Ringling’s SunHAT Eco-Performance Fest celebration party will feature the phenomenal eco-hip-hop Artist and vegan chef DJ Cavem. Cavem coined the term “eco-hip-hop” in 2007. The genre has since sprouted into a global movement bringing his mission to create music about climate change, food justice, and plant-based foods far beyond his Denver hometown. Having performed at the Obama White House, featured in Oprah Magazine and on the Rachael Ray Show, Dr. Ietef “DJ

URBANITE THEATRE

Jennifer Who is Leaving by Morgan Gould, Nov 14-15-16, 7:30pm Set in a lonely Dunkin Donuts alongside a Massachusetts highway, Jennifer Who Is Leaving poignantly and humorously captures the demands placed on women, delving into the physical, emotional, and mental toll of caregiving–and the moments that push us to the edge. urbanitetheatre.com 1487 2nd Street, Sarasota, 941.321.1397.

WESTCOAST BLACK

THEATRE TROUPE WBTT

25th Anniversary Celebration, 7:30pm Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe kicks oﬀ its 25th anniversary in an energetic, high-spirited, and dramatic fashion with its Anniversary Celebration. The event will oﬀer sensational entertainment featuring WBTT founding members, WBTT’s most popular artists, and the sizzling WBTT house band. Guests can expect to hear excerpts from many of WBTT’s original musicals featuring songs by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Harry Belafonte, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, James Brown and other audience favorites. WestcoastBlackTheatre.org. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota, 941.366.1505.

NOVEMBER 15

The Carole King Musical

ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, 8pm Her journey was as extraordinary as her music. At eighteen, Carole King wrote number-one songs for Aretha Franklin and The Drifters. At twenty-nine, she was the voice of a generation. The road along the way was full of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. It wasn’t always perfect, but it was real—and that’s what made it beautiful. 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, asolorep.org, 941.351.8000 or 800.361.8388.

CREARTE LATINO

CULTURAL CENTER Voces de Inmigración, 8pm Voices of Immigration offers a sincere and moving account of the experience of leaving one’s homeland, the journey, the challenges, the victories achieved, and the process of adapting to new environments. The piece invites us to reflect on a fundamental question: does the American dream truly exist, and is the sacrifice worth it? This is a staged reading in Spanish with English subtitles. creartelatino.org/events. 8251 15th Street East, Airport Mall Plaza, Suite I, Sarasota, 941-732-7191.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Asolo Repertory Theatre

CREATIVE LIBERTIES ARTISTS

STUDIOS, GALLERIES AND CREATIVE ACADEMY Artist at Work, 10am Our 3 locations are open to the public from 10am - 3 pm: 901B Apricot Avenue; 927 N Lime Avenue and 340 Central Avenue. creativeliberties.net or call 941-799-6634.

THE JOHN AND MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART Morning // Mourning by Gelsey Bell, 7:30pm Inspired by the book The World Without Us (2007) by Alan Weisman, this experimental opera inhabits a world in which all humans have disappeared from Earth. An ensemble of ﬁve vocalist/ multi-instrumentalists guides the audience through changes on Earth as forests grow back, new species evolve, and the human-made world erodes away. The piece is a fantastical and playful exploration of the dire political and ethical contradictions that structure current human relations with nature. The Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Drive, Sarasota, ringling.org.

SARASOTA OPERA The Music of Giuseppe Verdi, 7:30pm The operas of Giuseppe Verdi have been an important part of the history of Sarasota Opera, the only company to have presented all his work. Principal Artists from the Sarasota Opera with the Sarasota Orchestra, conducted by Victor DeRenzi, will present selections from these great works in concert. SarasotaOpera.org, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Sarasota, 941- 328-1300.

NOVEMBER 16

TOWLES COURT ART CENTER

Open Artist Studios, 4-8pm Dive into an array of artistic expressions, encompassing various styles and mediums such as still life, landscape, abstract, and mixed media. Interact with the artists themselves, learn about their creative process, and gain unique perspectives on their works. Whether you’re an experienced art enthusiast and collector, or simply exploring, our Open Studios event oﬀers an inclusive space for all. Uncover newfound favorites, engage with fellow art lovers, and perhaps stumble upon the ideal piece to enhance your living or work environment. towlescourt.com, 1938 Adams Lane, Sarasota.

MANATEE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER On Golden Pond, 7:30pm This is the love story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the 48th year. They are visited by their divorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist ﬁancé, who then go oﬀ to Europe, leaving his teenage son behind for the summer. A heartwarming and hilarious show about generations of a family learning to communicate and care. ManateePerformingArtsCenter.com, 502 Third Avenue West, Bradenton, 941-748-5875.

BURNS COURT CINEMAS Clowns Like Us, 10am Clowns Like Me reveals the fascinating, heartbreaking, ultimately uplifting true story of Scott Ehrenpreis’ personal journey as he struggles against OCD, bipolar disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, social anxiety and depression. Scott discovers that being on stage and in front of the camera gives him the power, even for just a bit of time, to step into the light and leave the shadows of his mental health struggles behind. SarasotaRising.org for tickets. Proceeds from this showing go to the Living Arts Festival.506 Burns Ct, Sarasota, 941-955-3456.

CREARTE LATINO

URBANITE THEATRE

CULTURAL CENTER Voces de Inmigración/ Voices of Immigration, 8pm Voices of Immigration offers a sincere and moving account of the experience of leaving one’s homeland, the journey, the challenges, the victories achieved, and the process of adapting to new environments. The piece invites us to reflect on a fundamental question: does the american dream truly exist, and is the sacrifice worth it? This is a staged reading in Spanish with English subtitles. creartelatino.org/events. 8251 15th Street East, Airport Mall Plaza, Suite I, Sarasota, 941-732-7191.

CREATIVE LIBERTIES

ARTISTS STUDIOS, GALLERIES AND CREATIVE ACADEMY Artist at Work, 10am Our 3 locations are open to the public from 10 am - 3 pm: 901B Apricot Avenue; 927 N. Lime Avenue and 340 Central Avenue. creativeliberties.net, 941-799-6634.

AN INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS FESTIVAL STAGED IN OUR BEAUTIFUL, ECLECTIC REGION

Classes as well as the Veterans’ Arts

Players Centre by SaraSolo Productions and SJT later that year to rave Golda will be presented at the

TREE FORT PRODUCTIONS

STUDIO THEATRE The Storybook Nutcracker: The Musical, 2pm and 7:30pm This new musical shares the delights of the traditional ballet story while opening our hearts and minds to the desires of each and every character. 3501 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets at treefortproductionsprojects. com/tickets, 941-544-2276.

URBANITE THEATRE

us to reﬂect on a fundamental question: does the american dream truly exist, and is the sacriﬁce worth it? This is a staged reading in Spanish with English subtitles. creartelatino.org/events. 8251 15th Street East, Airport Mall Plaza, Suite I, Sarasota, 941-732-7191.

VAN WEZEL

PERFORMING ARTS HALL

The Commodores, 8pm One of the greatest Motown and R&B / funk artists of all time, The Commodores have inﬂuenced artists both young and old, and in all genres with their classic songs. With a brand that is bigger than ever, The Commodores continue to blaze trails all over the world. VanWezel.org, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-263-6799.

MANATEE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER On Golden Pond, 2pm This is the love story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the forty-eighth year. They are visited by their divorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist ﬁancé, who then go oﬀ to Europe, leaving his teenage son behind for the summer. A heartwarming and hilarious show about generations of a family learning to communicate and care. ManateePerformingArtsCenter.com; 502 Third Avenue West, Bradenton, 941-748-5875.

SARASOTA ART MUSEUM OF RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

NOVEMBER 17

CREARTE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER Voces de Inmigración/ Voices of Immigration, 8pm Voices of Immigration oﬀers a sincere and moving account of the experience of leaving one’s homeland, the journey, the challenges, the victories achieved, and the process of adapting to new environments. The piece invites

Larry Fink / Martha Posner: Flesh and Bone, 10am This exhibition explores the creative dialogue between photographer Larry Fink (1941-2023) and sculptor Martha Posner (born 1956), who were romantic partners for more than 30 years. Radically different artists, their work nonetheless shares common themes of desire, vulnerability, and brutality. Both also explore myth throughout their art: Posner explicitly, through her re-imagining of female subjects from various legends and mythic traditions; Fink implicitly, through his shrewd eye for human impulse, folly, and bravado, qualities he found in almost every scenario. sarasotaartmuseum.org/larry-fink-martha-posner-flesh-and-bone, 1001 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-309-4300.

SARASOTA OPERA

LIVING ARTS FESTIVAL | NOVEMBER 10-17, 2024

The Music of Giuseppe Verdi, 3pm The operas of Giuseppe Verdi have been an important part of the history of Sarasota Opera, the only company to have presented all his work. Principal Artists from the Sarasota Opera with the Sarasota Orchestra, conducted by Victor DeRenzi, will present selections from these great works in concert. SarasotaOpera.org, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Sarasota, 941- 328-1300.

VAN WEZEL

PERFORMING ARTS HALL

Air Supply, 7pm Graham Russell & Russell Hitchcock met in 1975 during rehearsals for Jesus Christ Superstar in Sydney. They became instant friends and recorded a single in an afternoon, and it shot to #1 on the national charts. Air Supply was born! Seven top-ﬁve singles later, Air Supply at that time had equaled The Beatles’ run of consecutive top-ﬁve singles. VanWezel.org, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-263-6799

ARTIST SERIES CONCERTS OF SARASOTA PROJECT Trio, Nov 19, 5:30pm PROJECT Trio is a dynamic and innovative music group known for its genre-blending performances and captivating stage presence. The trio pushes the boundaries of traditional chamber music with their unique fusion of classical, jazz, hip-hop, and world music inﬂuences. artistseriesconcerts.org, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St., Sarasota, 941-306-1202.

POST-FESTIVAL EVENTS

Romantic ballet, Giselle perfectly exempliﬁes how ballet is a living tradition, taught, preserved, adapted, and handed down from generation to generation. Sir Peter Wright’s internationally acclaimed staging is perhaps the deﬁnitive and most authentic production available. sarasotaballet.org/performances, 941-359-0099.

SARASOTA CONTEMPORARY DANCE SCD In-Studio Series

Production featuring Alyssa Marie Braud, Nov 23, 7pm

ARTS ADVOCATES Art Talk: Listening to Women: The Origin, The Women, The Future, Nov 19, 4pm Presenter Holly Freedman is the founder of OLLI at Ringling College’s annual Listening to Women series which highlights the life stories and achievements of women. ArtsAdvocates.org, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

THEATRE ODYSSEY

ARTS ADVOCATES Behind the Curtain: Exploring the Van Wezel from the Art to the Stage, Nov 18, 1:30pm Take a guided tour of the paintings and sculptures owned by Arts Advocates on display at the Van Wezel. After that, step onto the stage where a Van Wezel guide will give you a peek behind the curtain and share stories and anecdotes about the colorful world of show business. 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, ArtsAdvocates.org, 941-263-6799.

20th Anniversary Celebration, Nov 22, 5:30pm Celebration 20 years of bringing new plays to life since 2006. Enjoy libations and munchies while mingling with playwrights, actors, directors and our board. A special treat of two award-winning ten-minute plays will be performed.Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, 7051 Wireless Court, Sarasota. RSVPs to: form.jotform. com/242085613452049.

SARASOTA BALLET

Giselle, Nov 22-23, 7:30pm, 2pm The Sarasota Ballet performs Sir Peter Wright’s Giselle accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra. Giselle premiered June 28th 1841 at Theatre de l’Académie Royale de Musique, Paris and 1884 Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg. Giselle is a romantic ballet about a peasant girl who falls in love with a nobleman who is hiding his true identity. The crowning achievement of the

Untethered Breath is an ethereal dance piece that dives into one’s journey of life. The breath of our journey is impacted by the decisions of those around us, as well as our own. Ultimately, this breath changes one’s energy, radiating out to others, and aﬀecting them in either a positive or negative manner. To enhance the perspective of the piece, this ripple of energy between souls will be portrayed using multiple mediums of art. Sarasotacontemporarydance.org, 1400 Blvd of the Arts Sarasota, Muriel Mayers Box Oﬃce 941-260-8485.

KEY CHORALE Key Chorale

Winter’s Glow with The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company, Dec 1, 4pm The dancing color bursts of the aurora borealis are the inspiration for a program featuring Nordic music and tales celebrating the magic of the winter season. Ola Gjeilo’s Dreamweaver is a story of a holiday transformation inspired by a Norwegian folk poem featuring Lithuanian soprano Lina Dambrauskaite, an emerging operatic artist gaining attention worldwide. When Icicles Hang highlights the charming choreography of Maria Konrad which captures perfectly the joy and mystery of the holiday season. keychorale.org, Sarasota Opera House 61 N Pineapple Ave. Sarasota, 941-552-8768.

2024-25

SARASOTA + BRADENTON + VENICE

Dear Friends and Art Enthusiasts,

SRQ MAGAZINE’S ANNUAL GUIDE TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE SEASON OF FLORIDA’S CULTURAL COAST ™

Welcome to this special edition of SRQ Magazine—SRQARTS, dedicated to celebrating Sarasota’s vibrant and thriving arts scene. Together, we are about to embark on an extraordinary week ﬁlled with creativity, inspiration, culture, and community. As a former music teacher whose path led to wealth management, my personal philosophy is to educate, connect, and contribute. I do these things for each of my clients much like Sarasota Rising and the Living Arts Festival will do for each of us. Sarasota is a source of inspiration and the weeks ahead will only amplify that inspiration, drawing thousands to experience captivating performances and thought-provoking exhibitions. Each event promises to enrich our lives and deepen our appreciation for the arts and our community.

Whether a longtime supporter of the arts or new to the scene, you can look forward to exciting kick-oﬀ events, world premieres of performing arts productions, exhibitions, celebrations of diversity, philanthropic activation, and so much more. Thank you for joining me in celebrating the creativity and talent that makes Sarasota such a special place to live and work. I look forward to seeing you and sharing in the magic that the arts bring to each of our lives.

Brian J. Mariash, CIMA®, AAMS™ Managing Director

Private Wealth Management

UBS Financial Services Inc

2024-25 SRQARTS PARTNERS

CULTURE PRIMER

502 Gallery

Sarasota’s newest art gallery located in the Historic Burns Court District invites art enthusiasts and community members to experience the best of regional and local talent in its vibrant gallery space. The gallery stands as a premier art destination, fostering a welcoming environment for exploring and appreciating the works of local Southwest Florida artists as well as established figures with ties to the Sarasota art community. 502 Gallery

is co-owned by accomplished director and curator, Tim Jaeger, Cassia Kite Jaeger, artist and art educator and Dr. Richard Mones. The gallery’s mission is to showcase work by early, mid, and established artists at fair prices with honesty and integrity, representing their artists with these values at the forefront. 502.gallery

Shopliftable

Aug 5 – Nov 9 The inaugural exhibition, Shopliftable, will feature artworks small enough to steal by 50 of Sarasota’s favorite artists, highlighting the gallery’s commitment to innovative and engaging presentations.

Shopliftable Part 2

Nov 18 – Feb 15 Shopliftable pt. 2 showcases impactful small artworks. This second installment features pieces small enough to steal by 50 of Sarasota’s favorite artists.

ArtCenter Manatee

Founded in 1937, ArtCenter Manatee stakes its claim as the nexus of Downtown Bradenton’s visual arts scene. Within the 10,000-square-foot complex, three galleries bring new exhibits monthly, five classrooms provide arts education to more than 3,000 students and the gift shop offers singular and handcrafted items from local artists. artcentermanatee.org

Open Book Oct 1 – 25

The lines between books and art are definitely blurry; books inspire artists of all kinds whether it is a remarkable quote that becomes part of a painting, an inspiring passage that touches the spirit and guides the artist while they create, or even a sculpture made of books. Artists share their interpretations of an “open book”.

Sarasota Pen Women

Oct 1 – 25 Founded in 1897 when women journalists were not permitted to join male-only professional organizations. The League became an organization for writers, artists and composers, giving them an avenue for recognition of their talents. With now over 1600 members in 81 branches, Sarasota Pen Women is a branch of the National League of American Pen Women.

The Artist’s Journey

Oct 30 – Nov 22 We are all on a journey in this life; some are just beginning, while others are entering the twilight of their quest. Artists are asked to share their journey, which can include but is not limited to: travel, vacation, personal journey, healing journey, exploration, progress, roaming, or voyage.

ArtCenter Manatee Member

Exhibition Nov 26 – Dec 27

An all media open juried exhibit featuring the work of our members.

ArtCenter Manatee Holiday Extravaganza

Nov 26 – Dec 27 ArtCenter Manatee is proud to present the 5th Annual Holiday Extravaganza, featuring holiday trees decked to their fullest with thousands of handmade ornaments, handmade holiday décor, gifts and more.

12×12 Jan 1 – Jan 24

The return of a favorite, the 12×12 all media open juried show features works no larger than 12” x 12”.

Women Contemporary Artists Jan 2 – Jan 24

Women Contemporary Artists (WCA) is an established organization of women in the visual arts based in Florida’s Sarasota and Manatee counties. Their mission is to provide visibility, support and inspiration to women artists.

American Watercolor Society 157th Traveling Exhibition Jan 28 –Feb 28

The American Watercolor Society began as a group of eleven painters who gathered in New York City in 1866 and began to hold exhibitions of their work. Their annual exhibitions have continued from that day. The annual juried exhibition of the AWS is open to all artists worldwide. The traveling exhibition features 40 paintings from the original 160+ exhibitors and travels to three to six locations each year.

Roots & Reflections Through Memory & Nature

Jan 28 –Feb 28 Denise Cormier Mahoney is a midcareer painter and printmaker whose illustrative and surfaced designed compositions are infused with memories and stories told from the point of view of a child free to explore.

Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society Annual Aqueous Exhibition Mar 4 – 28

Featuring works of the Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society.

502 Gallery

Oil Painters of America

May 28 – June 27 Oil Painters of America (OPA) is a non-for-profit organization representing more than 3,500 artists throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. OPA is dedicated to preserving and promoting excellence in representational art. The exhibition does not focus on a single style or theme but instead celebrates the diversity and art produced within the representational oil painting tradition.

Dog (& Cat) Dayz Of Summer

July 1 – Aug 8 The term has taken on new meanings as pet parents associate it with lazy days when dogs are so hot they just want to lay in the shade and sip an ice-cold Puppuccino. Artists are invited to share their favorite fur-baby creations of dogs and cats.

Art Center Sarasota

Located off Tamiami Trail, Art Center Sarasota has made a name for itself as the community gallery for the city and county. Between bringing artists from across the state and beyond for solo and collaborative exhibitions, and the Center’s many open and juried competitions seeing submissions from hundreds of local artists across the region, Art Center Sarasota keeps all four of its galleries filled as much as possible, with multiple shows each Cycle, free and open to all visitors. artsarasota.org

Euphoria!

Oct 10 – Nov 16 Euphoria is defined as an intense feeling of well-being or elation that may be sparked by exercise, music, art or even mania. Inherently, euphoria is often associated with other fierce emotions in an excited state. This exhibition invites artists to display their excited selves and their diverse reactions to the theme of euphoria.

Gabriel Ramos

Oct 10 – Nov 16 Born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Gabriel Ramos explores identity, community, and cultural heritage, bridging personal narratives with shared history to inspire reflection and connection.

Amy Sanders

Oct 10 – Nov 16 In “pouring, storing, and ore-ing,” Amy Sanders employs utilitarian objects, focusing on vessels designed for pouring and storing. These everyday items are imbued with layers of meaning beyond their functional roles.

David Fithian

Oct 10 – Nov 16 David Fithian’s exhibition, “Faces and Places,” presents a series of paintings and drawings deeply rooted in Cubism and Abstract Illusionism, where divergent and eccentric perspectives converge into dynamic compositions.

E.A. Kahane

Dec 5 – Jan 18 E.A. Kahane’s “¡¡Come Join the Parade!! From My Third Floor Window,” is a celebration of over 25 years of capturing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This installation is a quintessential New York love story, radiating joy, excitement, and wonder.

Ermin Tabakovic

Dec 5 – Jan 18 Ermin Tabakovic presents “Sigma Series,” a body of work conceived during the Covid lockdown of 2020. His paintings showcase bold, vibrant representations of his core vision, characterized by geometric forms, structural sensibility, dimensionality and metaphysical exploration.

Keenan Perren

Dec 5 – Jan 18 Keenan Perren showcases a new body of work crafted from broken skateboards, creating layered compositions that explore human connection and reflect on past experiences.

Trompe L’oeil

Dec 5 – Jan 18 Juried exhibit: “Trompe L’oeil” invites artists to create work centered around ideas of illusion, perception and reality.

Jon or Juan

Jan 30 – Mar 1 In “Jon or Juan,” Jon Green playfully explores his identity as a second-generation Mexican American. His sculptural work, rooted in Latin American craft traditions, delves into themes from both pre- and post-colonization. Through a humorous lens, Green invites viewers to challenge their expectations of Latino communities.

Frederico Torres

Jan 30 – Mar 1 Frederico Torres presents a new photographic series that immerses viewers in his exploration of foreign landscapes, tranquil meditations, and environmental connections. Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Torres discovered his passion for photography while studying advertising and marketing.

Eternal Landscape

Madie Gotshall

Jan 30 – Mar 1 Madie Gotshall presents a collection of paintings centered around the formation of identity during a changing world. Using a collage-like painting style, meaning is found in the mundane moments of life.

Annual Juried Members

Show Jan 30 – Mar 1

Each year, Art Center Sarasota hosts a highly anticipated exhibition exclusively for current members. This year’s juried show will feature up to 100 selected pieces. Artist Talk to discuss their work and process. Additionally, Executive Director Kinsey Robb will present a “Director’s Choice Award.” The juror is Rangsook Yoon, senior curator at Sarasota Art Museum.

Christina Jensen Vicente

Mar 13 – Apr 19

Christina Jensen Vicente presents an immersive installation of handmade textile and mixed media works. A fiber artist and designer, Jensen Vincente explores the collaboration between nature and human hands in her art.

Mar 13 – Apr 19 An exhibition of sculptures by artist Bobby Aiosa that reflects on the relationship society has with the built environment. The work contrasts the geometric aesthetics of minimalist sculpture and architectural movements with intricately sculpted familial objects, bones and foliage.

Divine Love

Mar 13 – Apr 19 Gale Fulton Ross recalls a genre of images of the Virgin Mary, reinterpreting the visual rhetoric within an African American context. In this new body of work, primarily silk screens, Fulton Ross reexamines her notions of race and familial cohesion.

Epoch of Change:

Footprints of Humanity Mar 13 – Apr 19 This juried exhibit invites artists to explore the interconnected relationship between humanity and nature and respond to our shifting earth and climate.

Spring Art Show Apr 29 –May 10 The Spring Art Show, a cherished annual exhibition, showcases the work of over 1,500 K-12 students. This collaboration offers students the chance to present their art in a professional setting, attracting families and community members.

Art Center Sarasota | Artist David Fithian, “Potential Poet”; Artist Amy Sanders, “Flashy Teapot”

Vice and Virtue May 22 –Aug 2 Annual Juried Regional Show: “Vice and Virtue” invites artists to explore the opposing aspects of the human condition, examining the tension between morally questionable behaviors and virtues. This exhibition challenges artists to define their perceptions of moral “rights” and “wrongs” in contemporary society. The juror is Jessica Todd, curator, writer, and artist.

Jacob Z. Wan Aug 21 –Sept 27 Jacob Z. Wan presents a new body of work exploring the intimacy of relationships within the LGBTQ+ community. Through textiles, images, mixed media, artist’s books, and installation, Wan delves into the longings, confusions, and decisions in the journey of love, creating a dream-like environment.

ALSO Youth

Aug 21 – Sept 27

Art Center Sarasota is teaming up with ALSO Youth to present a unique exhibition of artworks made by ALSO Youth teens during their summer programming.

Praxis Aug 21 – Sept 27

In “Praxis,” Dorothea Calvert unveils a new body of sculptural and functional ceramics, exploring themes of anthropomorphism, displacement, global trade, and the power of play. Defined by sensuous surfaces and forms, these pieces blend classic aesthetics with a contemporary message for the attentive observer.

Self Portrait

Aug 21 – Sept 27

The juried exhibit invites artists to look inward and create work in which they are the subject. The exhibition asks artists to consider what they want to reveal about their inner narrative, their role as an artist, their hopes and fears.

Architecture Sarasota

Transforming places and inspiring lives. Architecture Sarastoa stewards the legacy of the Sarasota School of Architecture while providing a forum for the education, advocacy and celebration of good design in the global built environment. Join us in advancing our mission through dynamic public programs, captivating exhibitions, and strategic collaborations. Dive into educational experiences and groundbreaking scholarly projects that inspire and connect communities - locally, nationally and globally. architecturesarasota.org

MOD Weekend 2024 -

The Sarasota School of Architecture Reawakening Nov 14 – 17 Enjoy talks presenting different “Perspectives on Preserving Modern Architecture,” attend exclusive tours inspired by Moderns That Matter: Sarasota 100, explore iconic mid-century modern neighborhoods like Lido Shores and South Gate, and relax on an architectural boat tour. The weekend rounds out with a brunch and panel discussion with the ‘Next Generation’ of architects and a tour of contemporary homes.

Seasonal Programs

Oct – May Scholar in Residence, Dr. Christopher Wilson will teach “Moderns That Matter: Sarasota 100 Through the Decades,” a course exploring Sarasota’s built environment spanning the 1920s through the 2020s. We have added new residences to our lineup of Iconic Home Tours exploring some of the design marvels of the Sarasota School of Architecture. A lecture series will examine key issues impacting the urban environment and development of our community from an international perspective.

Art Ovation

Through such expressions of the arts and artists, Art Ovation Hotel furthers its mission to serve the community as an active host, facilitator, patron and partner for the arts. With this and many new and varied initiatives, an exciting palette of artistic opportunities and experiences are presented for the enrichment of our guests and our community. artovationhotel.com

Fall Exhibition Nov 1 – May 5 The Fall 2024 exhibition starts in November and includes –Valerie Eickmeier, paintings inspired by nature and Selby Gardens, featured in the Lobby Gallery. Natasha Dikareva sculptures featured in the lobby Gallery. Drew Marc Gallery, group exhibit featured in the Crescendo Gallery. Helena Poto, featured on guest level Elevator Lobby galleries. Tatiana Akoeva, also featured on 3 guest level Elevator Lobby galleries. The Spring exhibition will start in May 2025.

Artist Series Concerts

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota offers a diverse range of intimate musical experiences featuring emerging and accomplished classical, chamber, jazz and pops artists from around the globe. The season includes 26 concerts–one of which is a special rock and roll oratorio–presented at eight venues throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties. artistseriesconcerts.org

From Bach to Bluegrass Oct 15 From bluegrass to classical, jazz and gospel, Kayla Williams crosses genres and styles effortlessly. She is an advocate for all music and hopes to diversify music through her own experiences as a Black woman.

Rhapsodies Oct 20 – 21

Two young phenoms— principal oboist Bobby Nunes and principal violist Stephanie Block— join forces for performances with Clare Longendyke, a celebrated pianist who has served as artist-in-residence at the University of Chicago and the Rose-Hulmann Institute of Technology. Their program includes the Two Rhapsodies by Charles Loeffler, a fascinating work for oboe, viola, and piano.

Yamazalde Trio Nov 2

Described by the New York Times as playing with “explosive vigor and technical finesse,” Sandy Yamamoto has dazzled audiences in concert performances around the globe for the past three decades as a soloist and as a member of the award-winning Miro Quartet. This program includes music by Haydn, Mendelssohn and Paul Schoenfeld.

Winner’s Circle Nov 7

Fresh off their victorious performances in Artist Series Concerts’ 2024 Statewide Piano Competition, the top three prize winners—Yance Heng, Le Phuong Pham and Quang Vo—present a program of extraordinary piano music.

Sarasota Rising: CELEBRATE! Nov 17

The centerpiece of Sarasota Rising’s initiatives is an interdisciplinary arts festival like no other, staged in our beautiful, eclectic, semitropical region. Artist Series Concerts joins in the closing performance to celebrate our local youth on the rise.

PROJECT Trio Nov 19

PROJECT Trio is a dynamic and innovative music group known for its genre-blending performances and captivating stage presence. The trio pushes the boundaries of traditional chamber music with their unique fusion of classical, jazz, hip-hop and world music influences.

Excelsis Percussion Quartet Nov 24 Excelsis Percussion Quartet is comprised of four international women whose unique programs are rooted in their belief that music possesses an ability to unite us all. In fascinating performances, they join to speak the universal language of rhythm. With a repertoire spanning from classical and avant garde to pop, Excelsis has been featured on NPR’s From the Top with Christopher O’Riley.

Raise Your Voice Dec 12

Joseph Parrish is known for his versatility in both operatic and popular music. Following his riveting ASC debut in 2023, he collaborated with pianist Jesse Martins from Sarasota Opera in this return engagement. Their program features music of William Grant Still, Donizetti, and Rachmaninoff.

James Ehnes and Friends

Dec 17

James Ehnes is one of the most in-demand violinists on the international stage. Joined by his friend and colleague Orion Weiss, who the New York Times called “a brilliant pianist,” the pair perform Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata. After intermission, Ehnes joins forces with violinist Daniel Jordan, violists Stephanie Block and Nathan Frantz, and cellists Natalie Helm and Bjorn Ranheim for Tchaikovsky’s exceptional string sextet, Souvenir de Florence.

Aznavoorian Sisters Jan 7

Virtuoso performers of Armenian and classical repertoire, Ani and Marta Aznavoorian made their first public performance at the ages of 4 and 8. They have performed at the White House, Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and tour internationally. This program includes Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet with violinists Daniel Jordan and Shan Weil, and violist Philip Payton.

Violinist to the Stars Jan 14

Caroline Campbell is one of the most sought after classical crossover artists performing today, having shared the stage with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Beyonce, Michael Buble, Paul McCartney, Andrea Bocelli and Sting. She tours regularly with jazz trumpeter Chris Botti. She can be heard on the soundtracks for the blockbuster films The Hunger Games and Frozen

Next Generation: Fleiss and Lin Jan 26 – 27 Two current superstars from the Curtis Institute of Music—long considered among the most prestigious conservatories in the world —Sarah Fleiss and Delvan Linhave already set themselves apart in performances throughout the United States and in Delvan’s native New Zealand. These concerts focus on folk music from different traditions, including works by Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albeniz, and Benjamin Britten.

Dio Karolina & Iwo Feb 6 One of the most interesting and original chamber ensembles performing today, breaking stereotypes about their instruments and defying categorization. The duo’s wide-ranging repertoire includes everything from Bach and Mozart to Gershwin and Piazzolla.

Imani Winds Feb 11

2024 Grammy Award winner in the classical compendium category, Imani Winds has led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming and imaginative collaborations, inspiring audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

KP Jazz Trio Feb 18

Hailed by Wynton Marsalis as having “a pearly touch, a sense of history, a sense of drama, a love of the blues, and an elegance which is borne of high-minded dedication,”

Australian jazz pianist Konrad Paszkudzki established a reputation as a leading jazzman in his homeland while still a teenager. He toured extensively with jazz trumpeter James Morrison and performed over 1,000 performances with the John Pizzarelli Quartet. His trio focuses on standards from the Great American Songbook, staying true to the original musical and lyrical content with an emphasis on melodic elegance and swinging verve.

Harp Royalty Mar 2

This program brings together four of the country’s most celebrated harpists, each of whom began their career in Sarasota. From the Metropolitan Opera to the San Francisco Symphony, and everywhere in between, these powerhouse players are true “harp royalty.” Their diverse program includes original works for harp ensemble by living harpist-composer Caroline Lizotte, innovative arrangements from the classical canon and beloved hits from the Great American Songbook.

Horns of Plenty Mar 13

Calling all lovers of the expressive French horn! Sarasota Orchestra’s coprincipal horn Hugo Bliss is joined by a fellow superstar, Milwaukee Symphony’s hornist Scott Sanders whose career also began in Sarasota. Together with Joseph Holt on piano, they offer a cornucopia of remarkable music for this most magnificent instrument.

Catalyst Quartet Mar 30

The Grammy Award-winning Catalyst Quartet was founded by the internationally acclaimed Sphinx Organization in 2010. The ensemble believes in the unity that can be achieved through music and seeks to redefine and reimagine the classical music experience. This program includes music by Gershwin, Piazzollaand Ravel.

Tessa Lark Apr 8

Nominated in 2020 for a Grammy in the best classical instrumental solo category, she is also a highly acclaimed fiddler in the tradition of her native Kentucky. This program is comprised of original works inspired by her combination of classical training and Appalachian upbringing – a style she lovingly calls “Stradgrass.”

Power Couple Apr 20 – 21

The ultimate “power couple,” Diana Cohen and Roman Rabinovich have forged extraordinary careers as soloists, chamber musicians, and orchestral leaders. These performances include music by Clara Schumann, Schubert, Strauss, and Lutoslawski.

Scintillating Saxophones

May 4 Performing entirely from memory, the Sinta Quartet provides a fresh take on chamber music that is beautiful, virtuosic, and a completely interactive experience. The quartet’s programming mixes classics from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries with commissions by today’s composers and rollicking in-house folk tradition arrangements.

Beijing Guitar Duo May 8

Born in Qingdao, China, both Meng Su and Yameng Wang won multiple international competitions as young guitar prodigies before joining forces to form the Beijing Guitar Duo. Launching their international concert career with a 2010 Carnegie Hall debut, the duo has performed extensively.

Asolo Repertory Theatre

A leading artistic force on the creative coast, Asolo’s theatrical scene is a major contributor to Sarasota’s rich cultural atmosphere and is well known for its diverse spread of yearly productions. With inspiring and engaging performances, the theater never fails to envelop its audience in a vibrant and entertaining environment. Every season, Asolo Rep revives old classics and brings brand new productions, providing both escapist entertainment and needed social commentary. asolorep.org

Beautiful: The Carole King

Musical Nov 16 – Jan 5 At eighteen, Carole King wrote number one songs for Aretha Franklin and The Drifters. At twenty-nine, she was the voice of a generation. The road along the way was full of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. A smash hit on Broadway and London’s West End, this soaring and inspiring musical features two decades of King’s hits, including “You’ve Got a Friend”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “I Feel the Earth Move.”

All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 Dec 6 – 22 Harrowing adventure, bravery, and friendship take center stage in Ken Ludwig’s The Three Muskateers, a thrilling adaptation of the popular novel by Alexandre Dumas. One of the world’s most enduring comedies, this classic tells the tale of a daring young man who finds himself in the company of the world’s greatest swordsmen, as well as some of the world’s most dangerous men and women. Directed by Peter Amster, who most recently directed Asolo Rep’s smash hit Murder on the Orient Express.

Artists Series Concerts, From Bach to Bluegrass with Kayla Williams.

Ken Ludwig’s Lady Molly of Scotland Yard Jan 24 – Feb 8

A new world premiere from prolific master of stage comedy Ken Ludwig, writer of Crazy for You and Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. Meet Molly and Peg: two brilliant detectives from Scotland Yard. With bombs dropping over London, a simple murder investigation leads Molly and Peg deep into the British war effort and the top-secret code-breaking operation at Bletchley Park. Going undercover as cryptographers, they uncover a plot that will strike at the very heart of the United Kingdom, launching a high-octane, laugh-out-loud race against time. Saving the world has never been so much fun.

Anna in the Tropics Feb 21 – Mar 13 Nilo Cruz’s Pulitzerprize winning masterpiece has been hailed by The New York Times as “a hymn to the transforming and potentially dangerous powers of art.” In Ybor City, Florida, 1929, cigars are rolled by hand as factory workers listen to the charged voices of lectors reading from newspapers, political pamphlets, and great works of literature. When a handsome lector arrives from Cuba, he brings with him a copy of Anna Karenina, igniting a powder keg of passions. As an industrial revolution looming on the horizon, Tolstoy, the tropics, and the American dream prove an intoxicating, volatile combination.

Dancing at Lughnasa Mar 21 – Apr 19 Music and memory draw you back to the 1930s in this lyrical, effervescent portrait of five fierce sisters holding onto each other through the joys and sorrows of life in rural Ireland. Their missionary uncle has sparked a town scandal, their means of employment are looking doubtful, and their country is caught between ancient traditions and Catholic expectations.

Good Night, Oscar Apr 4 – 27 There’s a fine line between genius and insanity, and Oscar Levant erased it. A multi-hyphenate talent famous for his film appearances in An American in Paris and The Band Wagon, Levant was a fearless truth teller, a brilliant pianist, and an over-medicated neurotic mess—a unique cocktail that made him a difficult person and a brilliant talk show guest. Battling network executives, his 1958 appearance on The Tonight Show could make him a legend, if he manages not to unravel first.

Jesus Christ Superstar May 17 – Jun 15 Love. Betrayal. And Redemption. Under the hot Judean sun, tempers fray and a rogue apostle questions his Messiah, who in turns questions his God. The choices they make will change the course of the world— forever. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice revolutionized theater when their epic rock opera debuted fifty years ago.

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is the largest natural and cultural history museum on the Gulf Coast and puts the world, both past and present, in context for its visitors through permanent collections, traveling exhibitions, a state-of-the-art planetarium and numerous community activities and educational outreach programs. Explore fossil evidence of Florida’s oldest animal inhabitants and peruse the Montague Tallant collection of prehistoric and post-contact artifacts. Other permanent exhibits showcase maritime history and the history of Spanish colonization. bishopscience.org

Life in One Cubic Foot

Sept 7 – Jan 5 Life in One Cubic Foot features the research of Smithsonian scientists and photographer David Liittschwager as they discover what a cubic foot of land or water—a biocube— reveals about the diversity of life on our planet. Life in One Cubic Foot is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Backyard Science

Saturdays Check out the Backyard Science program for elementary-aged learners at The Bishop’s incredible indoor Mosaic Backyard Universe. This wildly popular learning program launched last year and offers a wide range of activities, observations, and crafts that are sure to excite curiosity and ignite learning.

Sidewalk Astronomy

Ongoing The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature has partnered with the Local Group of Deep Sky Observers (LGDSO) to bring Sidewalk Astronomy to the Museum. At these free events, you’ll have a chance to see seasonal celestial bodies and much more through powerful telescopes.

think + drink / science

Ongoing Ignite your curiosity at our quarterly think + drink / science evenings! We transform The Planetarium into a vibrant hub of learning and connection. Join us for stimulating conversations with inspiring speakers, all leading experts in their fields. Start at 6:30 pm with a drink and mingle in the elegant Planetarium lobby. Then, at 7 pm, step inside The Planetarium for a captivating presentation followed by a lively Q&A.

PARTNER ORGANIZATION PORTFOLIO

CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY

LIFE MAY BE A CIRCUS BUT THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY (CAC) WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY! Whether it’s a professional show featuring world-renowned circus artists under the brand-new Big Top; children and teens building skills, strength, self-discipline and teamwork through age-appropriate, rigorous and fun circus training; recreational classes in a variety of circus disciplines for all ages; or creative clown educators using a proprietary curriculum developed by the CAC—featuring the physical movements of the circus and a gigantic contraption called the Circus Science Machine—to demonstrate principles of science, engineering, art, math, technology, communication and theater; the CAC is dedicated to honoring the rich legacy of the circus while bringing joy, “oohs” and “aahs,” and learning to the community. SINCE 1997, THE CAC HAS HONORED OUR CIRCUS LEGACY by sharing the entertainment, education, and enrichment of the circus arts through unique and innovative learning programs, effective, year-round outreach programs, and top-caliber, world-class performances.

“this is a very exciting year for the circus arts conservatory: in addition to our highly-anticipated professional circus shows and our in-school arts-integrated education program, we will mark the 75th anniversary of our sailor circus academy, which began as a physical education program at sarasota high school in 1949,” says jennifer mitchell, executive vice president/coo. “in recent years, we’ve overseen the strategic growth of our programmatic and show offerings. we are partnering again with nik wallenda on a holiday show, wonderland: illuminate, and continuing to collaborate with other arts organization such as key chorale and windjammers international. it’s going to be an exciting, action-packed year!”

CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY 2075 Bahia Vista St | Sarasota, FL 941.355.9335

2024-25 SEASON

ILLUMINATE

November 22, 2024

January 5, 2025

SAILOR CIRCUS

ACADEMY GOLD TROUPE FALL SHOW: ZODIAC

November 23, 2024

SAILOR CIRCUS

ACADEMY RED TROUPE WINTER SHOW:

75TH ANNIVERSARY DIAMOND JUBILEE

December 26-29, 2024

WINDJAMMERS CONCERT BAND

FEATURING THE SAILOR CIRCUS ACADEMY

January 12, 2025

CIRCUS SARASOTA 2025 February 15-March 9, 2025

CIRQUE DES VOIX

March 21-22, 2025

SAILOR CIRCUS ACADEMY GOLD TROUPE

SPRING SHOW: JUKE BOX HERO

April 5, 2025

SAILOR CIRCUS ACADEMY RED TROUPE

SPRING SHOW: SOUTH OF THE BORDER

April 17-19, 2025

For more event and ticket information, please see listings starting on page 21.

Burns Gallery

Burns Gallery is a renowned contemporary art gallery. We are opening our new location on the corner of Palm Avenue and McAnsh Square. Known for featuring art and jewels by emerging and established artists and jewelry designers, the gallery is committed to showing fine art and curating cross-cultural events within the community and beyond. By constantly evolving and displaying new, innovative work, 530 Burns Gallery helps clients find pieces that not only fit into their collection, but will be cherished for years to come. 530burnsgallery.com

Ethereal Expressions

Oct 4 – 16 Featuring Valerie Eickmeier, Christy Vonderlack, Tammy Keller. This season, get ready to discover the freshest talent. Paintings range from mystical abstraction to water inspired works.

Journey through Abstraction Nov 1 – 13 Featuring Abby Modell, Anita Lewis.

Journey through Abstraction Dec 6 – 18

Featuring Gary Borse, Laura Varich, Marleen De WaeleDe Bock, Kathe Fraga. The gallery artists featured in the show take inspiration from the beauty of the world around them, from bold landscapes to delicate foliage.

Chasen Galleries

Chasen Galleries Sarasota offers an abundance of the highest quality contemporary fine art, sculpture, and art glass available today. Featuring worldrenowned artists, old master prints, and cutting edge glass art techniques, our collection offers somethingfor all tastes and budgets. chasengalleries. com/sarasota

Choral Artists of Sarasota

The Choral Artists of Sarasota, entering its 45th season, features 32 of the region’s most notable professional singers and eight apprentice singers. The group celebrates the rich, artistic expressiveness of choral music through innovative repertoire, inspired performances and stimulating educational outreach. Under the artistic direction of Dr. Joseph Holt, Choral Artists of Sarasota performs a repertoire spanning four centuries, and includes symphonic choral works, intimate madrigals, folk songs, close-harmony jazz and Broadway show music. The ensemble also specializes in premiere performances of lesser-known choral works— particularly music by living American composers. As part of their educational outreach, eight young singers from area schools, colleges and universities, ages 16 to 22, are invited to join the group each year. ChoralArtistsSarasota.org

George and Ira Gershwin: Of Thee I Sing Nov 3 Of Thee I Sing was the first American musical with a consistently satirical tone as it lampoons American politics. With catchy George Gershwin tunes along with pithy phrases from Ira Gershwin, Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Presidency and the democratic process itself are all targets of this satire. Our performance will be the premiere of the new critical edition prepared by the Gershwin Initiative from the University of Michigan.

Happy Christmukkah Dec 8

The season of light is enriched by the music of Christmas and Hanukkah combined. Lighting candles during this time of year is a treasured ritual, whether celebrating the birth

of a child or the miracle of the holy menorah. The sparkle of light will abound in this holiday choral program promoting peace, comfort and joy for the season.

Gilbert & Sullivan Revue

Jan 26 Choral Artists presents the topsy-turvy world of Gilbert & Sullivan where absurdities reach logical conclusions.

The famed English team of the 19th Century wrote such memorable shows as The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, Gondoliers and HMS Pinafore among others, featuring many hit tunes from these shows that are familiar to this day.

The Measure of All Faith

Feb 23 Spiritual music takes center stage in this concert, featuring music from a wide variety of faith traditions from around the world. Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Native American music celebrates the Divine in our lives.

Considering Matthew Shepard Encore Performance Apr 6

This haunting modern-day cantata tells the story of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man from Wyoming who was brutally beaten and left to die on a fence. The story is both gut-wrenching and heartwarming at the same time, offering hope for a better world where love and acceptance are the norm.

United We Stand: Memorial Day Concert

May 25 This traditional patriotic concert offers us a chance to reflect on the lives of service women and men who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend our country while in uniform. We proudly salute them for their service to the United States and securing freedom around the world.

Circus Arts Conservatory

The Circus Arts Conservatory is the nation’s only nonprofit organization that combines professional circus performances, youth circus training, education and outreach programming. Showcased in a one-ring, European-style Big Top, Circus Sarasota features circus acts–acclaimed for their incredible artistry–from

Illuminate Nov 22 – Jan 5 Wonderland—a collaboration of Nik Wallenda and The Circus Arts Conservatory—is back with Illuminate, a dazzling production that will whisk you away on a magical journey through holiday traditions from around the globe. This year’s show features fan favorites such as the hilarious Johnny Rockett, the electrifying Ty McFarlan, and Sarasota’s own legendary Nik Wallenda

around the globe. Sailor Circus Academy, the nation’s longestrunning youth circus, provides rigorous athletic training as well as helps students learn life management skills, gain selfdiscipline, bolster confidence and make a commitment to achievement. The CAC also runs in-school magnet programs, for which students receive academic credit, at two area schools, Booker Middle and Sarasota High. The mission of the CAC is to engage and educate students using unique and innovative learning programs, improve the quality of life for individuals in care communities and advance the extraordinary legacy and heritage of the circus. Circusarts.org

Zodiac–Sailor Circus Academy Gold Troupe Fall Show Nov 23The youngest, brightest stars of the Sailor Circus, will present its fall showcase, featuring acts ranging from acrobatics, hand balancing, trampoline, ladders and clowning to aerial acts such as single trapeze, hammock, lyra, web and silks

Jubilee–Sailor Circus Academy Red Troupe Winter Show Dec 26 - 29 Sailor Circus Holiday 75th Anniversary Jubilee Shows will celebrate the rich history and artistry of the nation’s longest-running youth circus training program. These shows will feature not only current students in a wide variety of thrilling acts but also Sailor Circus alumni.

Windjammers Concert Band

Featuring the Sailor Circus Academy Jan 12

Windjammers is a concert band comprising retired circus musicians; enjoy expertlyplayed classic circus music accompanied by thrilling performances by the Circus Arts Conservatory’s Sailor Circus Academy students.

Circus Sarasota 2025 Feb 15 – Mar 9 Each year, the Circus Arts Conservatory’s professional arm, Circus Sarasota, offers a showcase of top global circus artists performing in a one-ring traditional circus setting. Featuring new and innovative acts, Circus Sarasota’s 2025 production will offer highflying action, heart-stopping thrills, laugh-out-loud comedic antics, and acts that defy both expectations and the boundaries of physical limitations

Cirque des Voix Mar 21 – 22

Once again, the Circus Arts Conservatory teams up with The Key Chorale to present three performances of a unique show that combines live singing by the 100+ voices of Key Chorale and music by the Cirque Orchestra with the exhilarating artistry of professional circus artists and Sailor Circus Academy students.

Juke Box Hero–Sailor Circus Academy Gold Troupe Spring Show Apr 5

The youngest, brightest stars of the Sailor Circus will present its spring showcase, featuring acts ranging from acrobatics, hand balancing, trampoline, ladders and clowning to aerial acts such as single trapeze, hammock, lyra, web and silks.

Circus Arts Conservatory

South of the Border–Sailor Circus Academy Red Troupe Spring Show Apr 17 - 19

The Sailor Circus Academy’s most experienced youth performers will present their spring show, an end-of-year spectacle that pays homage to its senior students. Featured acts will include trampoline wall, acrobatic roller skating, bicycle for five and clowning as well as aerial acts such as silks, hammock, cloudswing, duo straps, web, and—the traditional closing act— the flying trapeze.

Creative Liberties

It was in 2018 that Barbara and Elizabeth knew they wanted to have a business together, but were continually brainstorming as to what that business would look like. Over the years to follow, Creative Liberties morphed and evolved into a multitude of forms. Then the brightest light bulb went on. They both have a passion for helping others and realized that would be the perfect direction for Creative Liberties - Artists Helping Artists. A business dedicated to helping artists of all levels with a plethora of needs including things like organizing work, selling work and entering shows. So welcome to Creative Liberties, we want to hear your story. creativeliberties.net

Taste of Art at Chaz 51

Ongoing Enjoy award-winning food, exceptional wines and cocktails and observe remarkable local visual artists at work while you dine.

5x5 for $5 Artmaking

Oct 18 Creative Liberties is proud to sponsor the 5x5for5 event that is a part of Sarasota Rising’s “Living Arts Festival”. This is a collaborative event that allows artists and other members of the community to create art together. This art will be available for purchase

at a special event called Rise & Shine Saturday on Saturday November 9th, 2024 from 9am - 5pm at the Municipal Auditorium. This 5x5for5 will provide an opportunity for the children to become art collectors by purchasing their very first piece of art for just $5.

Family Art Day

Ongoing Saturdays

Families will create an art project together led by a professional artist who has teaching experience with adults and children. All supplies are included.

Gaze & Graze Dec 3

A progressive dinner gallery tour.

The Studio Artists of Creative Liberties: The Best of 2024 Dec 12 Exhibition opening reception at 927 N. Lime Avenue, 5-7pm

The Studio Artists of Creative Liberties Feb 6 Exhibition opening reception at 910B Apricot Avenue and 927 N. Lime Avenue, 4-7pm

The Studio Artists of Creative Liberties April 3 Exhibition opening reception at 910B Apricot Avenue and 927 N. Lime Avenue, 4-7pm

Discover Sarasota Tours

Discover Sarasota Tours (DST) is an award-winning locally owned trolley tour company. We offer 17 different entertaining and informative tours in our air-conditioned trolley named Dolly. Our daytime tours focus on fascinating people, interesting stories and intriguing places that have shaped Sarasota’s rich cultural history. DiscoverSarasotaTours.com

Amish Experience:

Bridges To Understanding Thursdays, 10am, Nov – Apr Discover with our expert guide, Kendra Cross, why Sarasota is the only place in the world

that the Amish and Mennonite communities come to vacation en masse. In Pinecraft, enjoy the tour stops at Alma Sue’s Quilt Shop, The Carlisle Inn and Der Dutchman Amish Kitchen Cooking Restaurant for shopping and a pie shooter sample of their delicious pie!

Arts & Culture City Tour of Sarasota Daily, 10am, 1pm On this classic 90-minute sightseeing tour of Sarasota, learn about Sarasota’s rich cultural history, visit historic neighborhoods, and explore things to do, where to dine, shop or visit.

Architecture Tour

Wednesdays, 10:30am

Explore Art Deco, MidCentury Modern (the Sarasota School of Architecture) and Mediterranean Revival Architecture buildings, homes and structures of Sarasota on this 90-minute mainland tour.

Art Crawl Trolley Second Friday, 4-8pm, Jan – Apr Visit 22 galleries and art studios around the downtown area arts districts on this monthly tour.

Circus Secrets of Sarasota Saturdays, 1pm This tour led by circus historian Bob Collins explores the fascinating legacy of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Haunted Sarasota Fridays, 8pm Step aboard the trolley for a thrilling and historical musical journey through Sarasota’s eerie past with Lady Melody & Mystery Spirits. Learn about Sarasota’s famous murders, haunted buildings, and unsolved crimes.

Leading Ladies of Sarasota Wednesdays, 10am Go back in time to the 1920’s in Sarasota to hear from three leading ladies (Bertha Palmer, Marie Selby and Mable Ringling) as portrayed by Kathryn Chesley, who shaped Sarasota into a cultural icon beautifying the downtown area and adding artistic amenities for new residents.

Murder Mystery Trolley Thursdays and Saturdays, 7:30pm Step right up to solve the murder of Dahlia the Queen of the High Wire on this interactive murder mystery who-dunnit where you are part of the show.

Public Art Tour Mondays, 1pm Join Jerome Chesley as you explore more than 60 pieces of public art located in downtown and St. Armands.

Psychic Sundays Sundays, 1pm Join psychic and tarot reader, Deni Dreazen on a metaphysical exploration trolley tour of Sarasota. Visit Pixie Dust gift shop, experience a sound bath at the Crocker Memorial Church with sound healer, Kaylene McCaw, and then walk the labyrinth.

Sunset Cabaret This engaging tour led by Steve kicks off with free wine/beer at the Trolley Cottage Tiki Bar, and then heads on a two-hour trivia filled adventure to Sun King Brewery for craft beer samples.

Florida Studio Theatre

Located in the heart of downtown, Florida Studio Theatre is one of Sarasota’s oldest and funkiest professional theaters, filling its veritable village of theaters—the historic Keating and Gompertz Theaters, the Parisian-style Goldstein, the John C. Court Cabaret stage and the Bowne’s Lab Theatre— with productions both original and classic. With an ongoing dedication to the improvisational and cabaret arts, audiences can find everything from the traditional straight play to a night of impossible-topredict shenanigans. floridastudiotheatre.org

Off the Charts Opens Oct 2

Take a musical ride through the biggest pop hits of the 20th Century. In 1958, the Billboard Top 100 debuted and began to track the most popular hits week by week and changed the music industry forever. Off The Charts celebrates the biggest hits of this revered list from its debut in the 50’s through the 90’s.

Waitress Opens Nov 9

Features music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Sara Bareilles. Jenna is a waitress stuck in a loveless marriage. She also happens to be an expert pie maker, and when a nearby baking contest offers her the chance to escape, Jenna seizes the opportunity to reclaim her long-forgotten self. Supported by her fellow waitresses and unexpected romance, Jenna begins to find the courage to follow her dreams. A delicious blend of friendship, the family we choose, and the magic of a well-baked pie.

59th Street Bridge Opens Nov 20 In the 60s and 70s, a new sound came into mainstream music that changed the scene forever. Led by early folk-rock artists like John Denver, Simon &

Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez, this musical revue celebrates their top hits and the songs that transcended generations.

Regional Premiere | The Heart Sellers Opens Dec 11 Two young women, Jane and Luna, run into each other at the grocery story. In this heartwarming comedy they soon discover they have much in common; both are recent Asian immigrants, homesick and lonely with hardworking absentee husbands, trying to adjust to a new country. Over a bottle of wine (or two) and a questionable frozen turkey, they dream of Disneyland, learning to drive, and the future as they share their hopes and fears in making a new home in a new land.

The Cancellation of Lauren Fein Opens Jan 22 Lauren Fein is at the top of her game. Happily married with a foster son, she is a world-renowned scientist and tenured professor at an elite university. She’s on the verge of a breakthrough in her life’s work when she runs afoul of the university’s “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies. Suddenly, her groundbreaking research, her tenure and even her family are all put in danger.

Key Chorale and the Sarasota Ballet Studio present Winter’s Glow

Divas: Time After Time Opens Feb 12 Celebrate the women who have captivated the world with their dynamic personalities and fierce vocals. Starting in the 1960’s, female artists such as Cher, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion have been pushing boundaries and shattering records with hits.

Jersey Boys Opens Mar 26 Tony and Olivier Award Winner for Best Musical. Go behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons. From their New Jersey roots to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, this electrifying show captures their journey from a groundbreaking sound to international stardom, revealing a story of fame and personal struggles that continues to captivate audiences.

Key Chorale

Key Chorale, Suncoast’s premier symphonic chorus, is dedicated to transforming lives through innovative programming, artistic excellence, educational outreach, and service to the community.

Led by Joseph Caulkins, Key Chorale produces high-quality collaborative musical events that engage and enrich our community. Through dynamic collaborations with The Sarasota Ballet, The Venice Symphony, The Circus Arts Conservatory, Westcoast Black TheatreTroupe and more, Key Chorale can create unforgettable programs that continue to push the boundaries of choral music. keychorale.org

On Our Way Sept 21 The season kicks off with “On Our Way,” a feel-good concert sure to set your toes tapping, your hands clapping and your spirit soaring. The Stephen Lynerd Group, made up of some of the most sought-after session

musicians in the country, combined with Jamal Sarikoki at the Hammond B-3 organ, in an upbeat program of Gospel music and a little jazz too.

Baroquetoberfest

Oct 18 – 20 Key Chorale Chamber Singers and Church of the Redeemer present a unique take on Oktoberfest, with a 3-day festival celebrating music of the Baroque—and Beer! Four amazing concerts featuring a star-studded cast of performers, chamber orchestra, and concluding with an authentic Biergarten Experience with German food, beers from Calusa Brewing, and dancing to the Oompah Band.

Sarasota Rising: A Youth Celebration Nov 17 The finale to the new Living Arts Festival will spotlight some of the many vibrant youth programs in our community. Join us for a dynamic collaboration that brings together youth programs from regional arts and culture organizations.

Winter’s Glow Dec 1

The annual performance with Key Chorale and The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company. “Winter’s Glow” showcases music celebrating the magic of the winter season featuring the Florida premiere of Dreamweaver, a story of a holiday transformation inspired by a Norwegian medieval folk poem.

Home for the Holidays

Dec 20 – 22 Key Chorale joins Music Director Troy Quinn and The Venice Symphony for four performances. Experience the most wonderful time of the year with family and friends at Venice Symphony’s annual celebration of music and togetherness. Become immersed in beloved Christmas carols and memorable seasonal tunes that are sure to fill your heart with joy and memories. Key Chorale, and guest vocalist Liz Callaway, will sing you into the holiday spirit.

American Roots: Storytellers

Jan 18 – 19 Featuring The Lubben Brothers, The Key Chorale Chamber Singers reimagine the music of pop’s great storytellers Simon and Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, and others through the artistic genius of the Lubben Brothers Band. Triplet brothers Michael, Tom, and Joshua bring their acoustic folk roots to a concert celebrating rich vocal harmonies, timeless melodies, and unforgettable stories.

Masterwork Verdi’s Requiem

Feb 15 Key Chorale presents their Masterwork concert, “Verdi’s Requiem.” Verdi’s Requiem is a darkly dramatic 90-minute emotional roller coaster ride. NPR called it “one of the most sublime and terrifying works in the repertoire.” Few works in classical music offer the excitement of opera, the thrill of the symphony, the power of the chorus and sublime virtuosic solos. Experience a truly epic performance, with Maestro Caulkins leading four world-class opera soloists and over 150 musicians on stage.

Tomorrow’s Voices

Tonight Mar 10 See the stars of tomorrow in recital! Cheer on our talented Student Scholars as they perform classical and musical theater selections demonstrating the culmination of their studies.

Cirque des Voix

Mar 21 – 22 Take a Sci-Fi Voyage for Sarasota’s most unique collaboration. Witness an unforgettable fusion of the musical and circus arts, featuring music from your favorite science fiction movies – all under the New Big Top at Nathan Benderson Park. The 100+ voices of Key Chorale, and the incomparable Cirque Orchestra, combine with an allstar cast of circus artists set to take you to another universe.

Tomorrow’s Voices Today Apr 15 Celebrate the power of choral music through an inspired performance of more than 200 voices combined for the annual intergenerational choral festival in partnership with the Sarasota County Schools.

Cosmic Worlds

Apr 25 – 26 The women of Key Chorale will join guest artist Kenneth Radnofsky, America’s classical saxophonist, for a truly ‘out of this world’ concert experience in collaboration with The Venice Symphony in “Cosmic Worlds.”

Beethoven’s Ode to Joy

May 10 The season concludes with Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” Beethoven’s uplifting Choral Fantasy, featuring soloist Glenn Priest, and his rarely performed Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage round out a season finale showcasing music by classical music’s most well-known rebel.

The Hat Theater Collective

The Hat Theater Collective is a new collaborative theater ensemble created by Danae DeShazer, currently hanging its hat in Bradenton, Florida. Through innovative and immersive theatrical experiences, The Hat strives to be a catalyst for change, community and conversation. The Hat’s mission is to create empathetic communities through site-specific theatrical experiences. The Hat collaborates with Manatee County organizations, nonprofits and businesses to present new works, contemporary plays and musicals and cabarets in unconventional spaces. Atthehat.org

The Hermitage Artist Retreat

The Hermitage Artist Retreat is a leading national arts incubator and multidisciplinary artist retreat located on the beach in Sarasota County, hosting accomplished artists across all disciplines and presenting more than 50 free community programs on its beachfront campus and throughout the Gulf Coast region each year. HermitageArtistRetreat.org

Lighthouse of the Singing Birds: A Sound Meditation

Oct 4 Somewhere in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, on a beach with purple sand, a bird sanctuary, a lighthouse, and wild horses, a young Black girl is on the precipice of her thirteenth birthday (a special one). Surrounded by her extended family of singers, healers, quilters, foragers, instrument makers, moonshiners, and more, along with their eclectic community, Jasmine lives where the mundane and mystical merge every day. Hear more about this new commission from 2022 Hermitage Major Theater Award winner Imani Uzuri, the creator of this magical realist musical, and join her in a communal sound meditation as the sun sets on our own Manasota Key Beach at The Hermitage.

Hermitage Sunsets at Selby Gardens: Let the Music Set You Free Oct 17 Broadway veteran, Tony Award winner, and Hermitage Greenfield Prize finalist Britton Smith launches this season. The bandleader for the alternative soul band Britton and the Sting, this visionary artist and advocate is a force of nature determined to unite the world through a passion for music and theater. Catch this dynamic performer like never before in a strippeddown presentation surrounded by the beautiful sanctuary of Selby Gardens.

Tom and Daniel Make a Musical Oct 25 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, If/Then) and Emmy Award-nominated writer Daniel Goldfarb (HBO Max’s “Julia” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)” are joining forces to create theatrical gold here at the Hermitage. Hear about the new project they are working on and get a taste of what that work has in store.

Walking the World Within: A Hermitage Playwriting Workshop Nov 4 Join the Hermitage Artist Retreat for a creative playwriting workshop, where Hermitage Fellow, award-winning playwright, and highly regarded educator Elaine Romero will help you dive deeper into your own self. Romero will offer a series of exercises designed to circumvent your writing expectations and lead you to your own stories within.

Hermitage Sunsets at Selby Gardens: Solo Flute – The Destiny of Density Dec 5

An internationally acclaimed composer and performer, Hermitage Fellow Claire Chase has been described by The New York Times as “the most important flutist of our time.” She is a pioneer in the world of contemporary music with projects such as “Density 2036,” a 24-year commissioning project that aims to reimagine the literature of the modern flute. Surrounded by the idyllic beauty of Selby Gardens, don’t miss hearing the latest from this iconic performer in this popular Hermitage’s series.

“The Sore Loser” An Original Comedy by Madeleine George Dec 9 Following a successful presentation in New York, the Hermitage is excited to present The Sore Loser, the new commission from Madeleine George, directed by Mack Brown. A Faustian comedy set in a bowling alley,

PARTNER ORGANIZATION PORTFOLIO

DISCOVER SARASOTA TOURS

DISCOVER SARASOTA TOURS (DST) IS AN AWARD-WINNING LOCALLY OWNED TROLLEY TOUR COMPANY. We offer 17 different entertaining and informative tours in our air-conditioned trolley named Dolly. Our daytime tours focus on fascinating people, interesting stories, and intriguing places that have shaped Sarasota and Venice’s rich cultural history. DAYTIME TOUR THEMES INCLUDE Amish Experience, Architecture Tour, Art Crawl Trolley, Public Art Tour, Sarasota Arts & Cultural Tour City Tour, Venice City Tour, Circus Secrets of Sarasota, Circus Secrets of Venice, Leading Ladies of Sarasota, and Psychic Sundays tour. AT NIGHT, THE TROLLEY TURNS INTO A THEATER ON WHEELS, featuring musical performances by professional local performers in our Murder Mystery Trolley, Haunted Sarasota, Christmas Carol Trolley, The BooMobile and and Sunset Cabaret musical tours. IN 2022, 2023, AND 2024, DST WAS VOTED SRQ MAGAZINE’S PLATINUM WINNER FOR BEST LOCAL TOUR COMPANY. In 2023 and 2024, DST received the Travelers’ Choice Award from TripAdvisor ®. New in 2025, DST will be providing two weekly tours of Venice (City Tour and Circus Secrets Tour) during Season.

“as we enter our 6th season, we are thrilled to say we can offer a trolley tour for every taste,” said tammy hauser, founder & ceo of discover sarasota tours. “whether you love art, history, architecture, theater, music, dining, shopping, nature, the beach, the circus or even sports, we have 17 different tours that provide interesting and entertaining experiences for everyone. and if you are looking for a great group activity, try one of our many daytime tours then add lunch downtown. if you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary or just want a fun date night, try our MURDER MYSTERY TROLLEY tour and have fun being part of the show!” she added.

BOOK ONLINE AT: DiscoverSarasotaTours.com 941.260.9818

info@DiscoverSarasotaTours.com

2024-25 SEASON

AMISH EXPERIENCE: BRIDGES TO UNDERSTANDING Thursdays 10AM, November-April

ARTS & CULTURE

CITY TOUR OF SARASOTA 10AM, 1PM Daily

ARCHITECTURE TOUR

Wednesday 10:30AM

ART CRAWL TROLLEY 2nd Friday 4-8PM, January-April

CIRCUS SECRETS OF SARASOTA Saturdays 1PM

HAUNTED SARASOTA Fridays 8PM

LEADING LADIES OF SARASOTA Wednesdays 10AM

MURDER MYSTERY TROLLEY Thursdays & Saturdays 7:30PM

PUBLIC ART TOUR Mondays, 1PM

PSYCHIC SUNDAYS Sundays 1PM

SUNSET CABARET

More more event and ticket information, please see listings starting on page 22.

Murder Mystery Trolley guests

this story promises to bring the competitor (and the laughs) out of us all. The Sore Loser is a comedy about power, domination, and the death of the patriarchy . . . as told through a small-town bowling tournament.

Sarasota Opera House

Dec 13 Anthony Barrese (Sarasota Opera) is a celebrated conductor who has worked at concert halls around the world. In his Cross Arts Residency at the Hermitage, he is pursuing his passion to meticulously transcribe lost operas so that they can be performed by today’s leading companies with new life. He is joined by a star of the Sarasota theater scene, Raleigh Mosely II (WBTT), a gifted singer and actor who is making a name for himself as a recording artist, writing and performing his own work. Hear selections and perceptions from these two talented musical artists.

An Author Here and Now

Dec 17 In The Five Wounds, Hermitage Fellow Kirstin Valdez Quade has created a “propulsive, immersive story that reckons wisely with the real cost of redemption.” (The Guardian) This debut novel follows this author’s story collection Night at the Fiestas, an equally praised work that spans decades without losing a very real sense of place. Her work “marks a new and exciting chapter in Latinx literature — one that will redefine the term for readers, scholars, and writers.” —The Georgia Review

Jazz Club of Sarasota

The Jazz Club of Sarasota is one of the largest and most active jazz organizations in the United States. Its membership more than doubled in the past year and it continues to add new events and philanthropic

activities that encourage the future of jazz . . . the original American musical art form. The Jazz Club of Sarasota hosts Monday Night Jazz at Florida Studio Theatre Cabaret from November to August and hosts the Annual Sarasota Jazz Festival plus the popular Jazz Pub Crawl in March of 2025. jazzclubsarasota.org

La Musica

Specializing in chamber music presentation and production, La Musica has carved a place in its decades-long tenure as a musical meeting of the minds, bringing esteemed performers from Europe and the US together for collaborative performances. La Musica continues to explore this season. They produce an annual La Musica Chamber Festival every April. lamusicafestival.org

Walking the World Within: Celebrating Mendelssohn Jan 21 A rare deep dive into a beloved composer’s work. Pianist and Artistic Director Wu Han, cellist David Finckel, and violinist Julian Rhee bring fresh voices to powerful music.

Spanish Journey Feb 3

Vanessa Becerra, soprano; Jason Vieaux, guitar; Kristin Lee, violin; Clive Greensmith, cello; Soyeon Kate Lee, piano; The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center takes us to Spain in ways instantly recognizable and seldom heard. Artists match the music in a flamboyant, delicious program.

Violin Virtuosity Mar 9

Paul Huang, violin; Danbi Um, violin; Juho Pohjonen, piano. Romance, mourning, delight. Also: jaw-dropping bravura. You won’t believe how your heart responds to this music. But keep your eyes open to see how they do it.

Beethoven, Martinu, Dvorak Apr 11 Wu Han, piano; Chad Hoopes, violin; Kristin Lee, violin; Aaron Boyd, viola; Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt, viola; Dmitri Atapine, cello; David Finckel, cello. Beethoven emancipates the cello and starts to make his mark on trios. Dvořák puts ethnic Czech tunes at the heart of his first internationally successful chamber work. What does mercurial exuberance sound like? Listen to MARTINŮ!

Beethoven, Dvorak, Dohnanyi Apr 14 Orion Weiss, piano; Wu Han, piano; Aaron Boyd, violin; Chad Hoopes, violin; Kristin Lee, violin; Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt, viola; Dmitri Atapine, cello; David Finckel, cello. Hear Beethoven pushing the limits of every genre he attempts. Hear the folk dance influences in Dvořák’s grave farewell to his homeland. Hear the lyrical romance of Dohnányi’s quintet. (Go Seminoles. Dohnányi taught at Florida State.)

Barber Bloch, Faure Apr 17 Orion Weiss, piano; Wu Han, piano; Kristin Lee, violin; Aaron Boyd, violin; Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt, viola; Dmitri Atapine, cello. From the lilt and lightness of Barber’s dances, to the warmth of Fauré’s quartet, to Bloch’s rarely played, rarely heard heartbreak—it’s magical when music reflects what’s deepest in us.

Manatee Players –Manatee Performing Arts Center

Housed in the Manatee Performing Arts Center, the Manatee Players reign as Bradenton’s most prominent theater and performing arts troupe. The Manatee Players showcases the area’s extensive talent pool through comedies, dramas and musicals. manatee performingartscenter.com

Merrily We Roll Along Oct 24 – Nov 3 Sondheim’s semi-autobiographical musical turns back the clock on friendship and the high price of success. Spanning three decades in the entertainment business, Merrily We Roll Along charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends— writer Mary and lyricist and playwright Charley. An inventive, cult classic ahead of its time, Merrily We Roll Along features some of Stephen Sondheim’s most celebrated and personal songs.

On Golden Pond Nov 7 – 17

This is the love story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the 48th year. They are visited by

their divorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist fiancé, who then go off to Europe, leaving his teenage son behind for the summer. A heartwarming and hilarious show about generations of a family learning to communicate and care.

The Wizard of Oz Dec 5 ‑ 15

This timeless tale of a Kansas farm girl who travels over the rainbow—only to discover there’s no place like home— has been charming audiences for generations. Follow the yellow brick road all the way to the Emerald City in this delightful stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s enduring classic. Filled with brains, heart, and courage, and featuring the iconic score from the MGM film, The Wizard of Oz is fun for the whole family.

Tootsie Jan 16 – 26

Michael Dorsey will go to any length for his career in this award-winning musical based on one of the funniest comedic films of all time. He is a skilled actor with a talent for not keeping a job. Desperate and out of work, Michael makes a last-ditch effort at making his dreams come true . . . by disguising himself as actress Dorothy Michaels.

Steel Magnolias

Jan 23 – Feb 2 Before the iconic 1989 film broke box office records nationwide, Louisiana salon owner Truvy first set up shop on the stage. The colorful cast of regulars and employees that frequent her establishment include a mother-daughter duo planning a wedding, a woman who’s “been in a bad mood for 40 years,” and a mysterious newcomer. Through laughter, tears, and a thick fog of hairspray, these women face trials and triumphs armed with their greatest strength, each other.

Death of a Salesman

Feb 27 – Mar 9 One man and his family are caught up in the pressures and delusions of living the American Dream. Miller’s play is the story of a traveling salesman whose illusions of picture-perfect business and family life cave in on him. A thrilling work of deep and revealing beauty that remains one of the most profound classic dramas of the American theater.

The Sound of Music

Mar 6 – 16 One of the most beloved musicals of all time! In Austria, in 1938, an exuberant young governess brings music and joy back to a broken family, only to face danger and intrigue as the Nazis gain power. Using patience, kindness, and The Sound of Music, she ultimately wins the hearts of both the children and their father, but the family must soon make the unthinkable choice and flee their homeland.

Selby Gardens’s Orchid Show 2024: PURPLE!

The 39 Steps Apr 10 – 20 Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theater. This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of four), an onstage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers, and some good oldfashioned romance.

Evita Apr 24 – May 4

Evita charts the young and ambitious Eva Peron’s meteoric rise to sainthood. Set in Argentina between 1934-1952, the Tony-winning musical follows Eva Duarte on her journey from poor illegitimate child to ambitious actress to, as wife of military leaderturned-president Juan Peron, the most powerful woman in Latin America, before her death from cancer at age 33.

MARA Art

Studio + Gallery

MARA Art Studio + Gallery is a dynamic hub of contemporary fine art located in the heart of prestigious Palm Avenue. Established in 2020 by the visionary Puerto Rican artist and curator, Mara Torres González, this gallery stands as a testament to the fusion of artistic innovation and cultural diversity. Having recently relocated from the Rosemary District in Sarasota, MARA Art Studio + Gallery has quickly become a beacon for discerning art marastudiogallery.com

Zen Works by Midge

Johnson Sept 27 – Oct 22

Midge Johnson guides viewers through a world where silence speaks volumes through abstract expressions of tranquility and serenity.

Canvas Conversations

Sept 27 – Nov 12 Works by gallery artists, including Lori Childers, Elise Gold Sewall, Midge Johnson, Javi Suárez and Mara Torres González, among others.

Small Talk Works by Julia Rivera Oct 25 – Nov 22 Paintings and sculpture that explore identity, culture, and the link between art and politics.

Still Waters Group Exhibit Nov 15 – Dec 20 Gallery artists explore the beauty and serenity in moments of calm, inviting reflection and introspection.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Originally the home of William and Marie Selby, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens today is an urban, bayfront oasis showcasing a living collection of rare and beautiful tropical plants. The Gardens is also a respected world leader in the study and conservation of plants, particularly epiphytes–plants adapted to live in the tree canopy, including orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns. selby.org

The Orchid Show 2024: PURPLE! Through Dec 1 Immerse yourself in purple flowers and foliage at this year’s Orchid Show at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota camps, showcasing the magnificence and majesty of the royal family of plants. Purple hues are common in the orchid family, found both in naturally occurring species orchids and in human-bred cultivars and hybrids. The show will combine a stunning display of purple orchids in the Tropical Conservatory with a dynamic exhibition of botanical books, prints, photographs, and other

materials in the Museum of Botany & the Arts. Ultraviolet light and purplish-colored films will be used to present these beautiful botanicals in fun and exciting ways, creating a rich and vivid visual experience.

Patti Smith: A Book of Days

Nov 9 – Aug 31 Selby Gardens is excited to collaborate with Artist-in-Residence Patti Smith on this upcoming exhibition at the Historic Spanish Point campus. The exhibition will feature a selection of photographs taken by the famed poet and musician that offers an intimate view of her life on and off the road. The photographs are taken from Smith’s recently published, New York Times bestselling publication, A Book of Days Inspired by the popularity of her Instagram account, where she began posting photographs back in 2018, this beautiful book offers a window into her world and illustrates her unique aesthetic. The exhibition at Selby Gardens will feature large prints of Smith’s photographs outdoors, bringing them into dialogue with nature, which has long been a source of inspiration for the legendary artist.

An Evening with Patti Smith and her Book of Days, Nov 14 Selby Gardens Artistin-Residence Patti Smith will return for a special evening performance. Smith’s program will be tied to her Historic Spanish Point on exhibition, A Book of Days

Lights in Bloom

Dec 5 – Jan 1 Lights in Bloom® will feature more than two million lights illuminating the gardens and walkways of our Downtown Sarasota campus and is a fun holiday tradition that offers photo opportunities, activities, and entertainment. This award-winning holiday light show will return to Selby Gardens this December.

CULTURE PRIMER SRQARTS 2024-25

Mote Marine Aquarium

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is an independent, nonprofit, 501(c)3 research institution founded in 1955. Mote began and flourished through the passion of a single researcher, Dr. Eugenie Clark, her partnership with the community and philanthropic support, first of the Vanderbilt family and later of the William R. Mote family. Today, Mote is based in Sarasota, Florida, with eight locations stretching from Sarasota to the Florida Keys. Mote has more than 20 world-class research programs studying oceans locally to internationally, with an emphasis on conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. Mote’s vision includes positively impacting public policy through science-based outreach and education. Mote.org

Sharktoberfest Oct 5

Sharktoberfest is Mote’s annual craft beer festival that takes place in the Aquarium after hours. The event will feature local and regional breweries that will provide samples of their staple selections alongside unique, seasonal brews. Sharktoberfest guests will enjoy live entertainment and food stations.

Endless Oceans: Fisheries & Aquaculture Oct 18, 9:30-1pm Discover Mote’s groundbreaking initiatives to replenish wild fisheries and enhance sportfish populations affected by environmental challenges, all while balancing the demands of commercial fisheries. Explore eco-friendly methods for sustainable seafood production and cutting-edge aquaculture technologies designed to protect ocean resources a the Mote Aquaculture Research Park.

Off the Page’s Guest Author and Chef Edward Lee

Endless Oceans: Biomedical & Technology Development Oct 25, 9:30-1pm Discover how Mote’s decades of research are preserving sharks, sea turtles, manatees, and corals. Learn about nesting sea turtles on Longboat Key to the world’s largest reef shark survey, Global FinPrint. Experience the excitement firsthand with a shark feed and training session. Enjoy an exclusive shark training session and lab tour.

Endless Oceans: Marine Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Nov 3, 9:30-1pm Discover Mote’s exceptional Marine Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation program, where our dedicated team works tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured marine animals. Join Mote for an exclusive behindthe-scenes look into our marine mammal osteological collection.

Mote-ivational Mondays

Jan 6, 13, 20, 27 Every January, Mote hosts its Monday evening science lecture series featuring Mote scientists who share their world-class research and engage in a Q&A session with the audience.

Run for the Turtles

Apr 5 Mote’s highly anticipated, sanctioned 5K is an annual event which provides support for Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program. Run for the Turtles attracts over 1,000 runners and kicks off sea turtle nesting season (April 15 – October 31) in Southwest Florida. If you can’t be here . . . don’t fret. You can support our program by registering for and participating in our virtual race again this year.

Off the Page Literary Celebration

November Off the Page is a literary celebration hosted by Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources throughout the month of November. Events include author talks and book signings by bestselling authors, writing workshops, and more with all 10 library locations participating and partner locations, Ringling College of Art and Design and Hermitage Artist Retreat. sarasotacountylibraries.org

Off the Page with Hermitage Fellows |Angie Cruz Nov 1

Angie Cruz’ most recent work How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water was chosen for The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2022 and The Washington Post 50 Notable Works of Fiction.Put your toes in the sand on the Hermitage Beach and hear from this gifted writer as she reads from her work, shares thoughts on the creative process and opens insights into what is next for her.

Off the Page with Hermitage Fellows | Elaine Romero: Walking the World Within – A Hermitage Playwriting Workshop Nov 4 Hermitage Fellow, award-winning playwright, and highly regarded educator Elaine Romero will help you dive deeper into your own self. Romero will offer a series of exercises designed to circumvent your writing expectations and lead you to your own stories within. This interactive workshop is open to writers of all levels.

Soman Chainani Nov 7

Soman Chainani’s debut series, The School for Good & Evil, sold over 4 million copies, was translated into 35 languages, and became a #1 Netflix film in 80+ countries. His “Beasts & Beauty” debuted on the NYT Bestseller List and will be a Sony 3000 series.

Amor Towles Nov 8 Amor

Towles is an award-winning author, and his novels have sold more than 6 million copies and have been translated into more than 30 languages. Towles graduated from Yale and received his M.A. in English from Stanford.

Chef Edward Lee Nov 12

Chef Edward Lee is a celebrity chef, author and restaurateur. His restaurants include 610 Magnolia, Nami and Succotash. He earned an Emmy nomination for his role on “The Mind of a Chef,” was a judge on “Top Chef” and wrote and hosted the documentary “Fermented.” He has also earned the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award in 2021 as well as the 2019 James Beard Award.

Lisa Unger Nov 13

Lisa Unger is The New York Times and internationally bestselling author of over 20 novels. Her books are published in multiple languages internationally and she is known as a master of suspense.

Oliver James Nov 13

Oliver James, a TikTok sensation and motivational speaker, shares his journey of learning to read as an adult, discussing his challenges, triumphs, and mental health. His inspiring story has been featured on Good Morning America, NPR, and in People magazine.

Rebecca Renner Nov 14

Rebecca Renner, an author and National Geographic contributor from Daytona Beach, Fla., has written for The New York Times, The Paris Review, The Washinton Post and more. Her debut book, “Gator Country,” has been acclaimed by the New York Times, NPR, and others, and featured on best of 2023 lists by BookPage and Amazon.

Curtis Sittenfeld Nov 16

Curtis Sittenfeld, author of Prep,“American Wife, Eligible, and Romantic Comedy,”has books selected as “Ten Best of the Year” by top publications, translated into 30 languages, and optioned for TV and film. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker and The New York Times

Jarod Roselló Nov 19

Jarod Roselló is a Cuban American writer, cartoonist, and teacher originally from Miami, Florida. He is the author and artist of the award-winning middle-grade graphic novel series Red Panda & Moon Bear, and the chapter book graphic novel series, Super Magic Boy

Perlman Music Program Suncoast

The Perlman Music Program Suncoast, together with The Perlman Music Program, based in NYC and Shelter Island, NY, are dedicated to providing the very best environment to educate young string musicians who come to USF Sarasota-Manatee for the PMP Winter Residency. The Perlman Music Program Suncoast supports and nurtures these young musicians of exceptional talent by providing an additional opportunity to continue their training at the PMP Winter Residency. perlmanmusicprogramsuncoast.org

Zota Quartet

Nov 13 Its members hail from New York, Florida, Shanghai, and Korea, and have studied at institutions including The Juilliard School, the Yale School of Music, the New England Conservatory, and the Colburn Conservatory. Clara Neubauer, violin; Tong Chen, violin; Cassie Drake, viola; Connor Kim, cello.

Winter Residency

Dec 18 – Jan 11 Watch the PMP orchestra, choral rehearsals and Works in Progress recitals in the tent at USF Sarasota-Manatee. The residency culminates with the PMP students performing in a Celebration Concert at the Sarasota Opera House and afterwards we celebrate their accomplishments at the dinner gala.

Abeo Quartet

Feb 11, 13 The Abeo Quartet, formed at Juilliard in 2018, was the inaugural Graduate String Quartet in Residence at the University of Delaware under the mentorship of the Calidore String Quartet from 20212023. Njioma Grevious, violin; Rebecca Benjamin, violin; James Kang, viola; Macintyre Taback, cello.

Renaissance Quartet

March 24, 26, 27 While they champion the quartets of Beethoven and Mozart, the Renaissance String Quartet feels a responsibility to command a diverse repertoire of classic, underrepresented, and new works, so they can contribute to the reclamation, redefinition, and continuation of a musical tradition that belongs to all of us. Randall Goosby, violin; Jeremiah Blacklow, violin; Jameel Martin, viola; Daniel Hass, cello.

Aeolus Quartet

Apr 14, 15 With performances acclaimed for both “highoctane” excitement (Strad) and “dusky lyricism” (New York Times), the Aeolus Quartet has been awarded prizes at nearly every major competition in the United States and performed across the globe. Nicholas Tavani, violin; Rachel Shapiro, violin; Caitlin Lynch, viola; Jia Kim, cello, with Peter Dugan, piano.

POPS Orchestra

The Pops Orchestra is the community orchestra for the greater Bradenton/Sarasota community. With more than 65 instrumentalists, including some of the finest professional, amateur and student musicians and led by Dr. Robyn Bell, the Pops presents high quality musical entertainment at affordable prices. thepopsorchestra.org

Great Balls of Fire and Patriotic Tribute

Nov 10 – 11 The Pops Orchestra welcomes actormusician Jason Cohen to recreate his iconic Jerry Lee Lewis tribute show, Great Balls of Fire. Cohen has brought the ivory-smashing superstar Jerry Lee Lewis to life in over 80 cities across North America in the national tour of the Tony-award-winning Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet

A Wicked Fun Holiday

Dec 15 – 16

The Pops is thrilled to ring in the holidays with performer Tiffany Haas, who performed the role of “Glinda, the Good Witch” on Broadway as the understudy to Kristin Chenoweth, and starred in the National Tour production of Wicked Islands in the Stream with Kenny and Dolly Feb 16–17 This Valentine’s Day show of the season is not to be missed! Join the Pops Orchestra and Marty Edwards as “Kenny Rogers” and Wendy Engler as “Dolly Parton” as we perform all their beloved hits.

Love It Like a Local

Mar 23 - 24 Amazing performers from right here on our Cultural Coast, including Joseph Holt on piano, Jon Godfrey on banjo, singer Frank Paul, dancers from the Sarasota Bay Dance Club, the concerto competition winner from the Sarasota Music Conservatory, performers from the Circus Arts Conservatory, and more.

Realize Bradenton

A nonprofit organization dedicated to invigorating Bradenton’s cultural scene, this community-focused organization seeks to create a more active and culturally connected downtown for Bradenton, regularly organizing large-scale events in conjunction with private businesses, public resources and local artists, celebrating the city’s heritage and place within the cultural fabric of the Suncoast. realizebradenton.com

Music in the Park Oct 4 –May 2 Bring a chair or blanket, friends, and your leashed pups to this free, family-friendly music series.

Winter Wonderland Dec 14 Winter Wonderland transforms Bradenton’s Old Main Street into a seasonal celebration with fun for the entire family.

Bradenton Art and Music Festival Apr 5 Come together on the Bradenton Riverwalk to celebrate local arts through live music, interactive art, and delicious food.

Galleries of Ringling College of Art and Design

The Galleries program of Ringling College of Art and Design includes exhibitions and activities that celebrate the work and production of students, faculty and alumni. Our six on-campus galleries also host one person, group and thematic exhibitions that include locally, nationally and internationally known individuals. You will always find an exciting new exhibition, artist talk, lecture, or event to attend. Discover awe-inspiring work and thoughtprovoking insights from the art world. ringling.edu/galleries

2024 Artificial Visions: Faculty Explorations in AI Artistry Through Oct 11 This groundbreaking exhibition showcases the creative endeavors of selected faculty members who have ventured into the realm of artificial intelligence to create mesmerizing pieces of art. Through the fusion of technology and artistic expression, these faculty members have delved into the possibilities offered by AI, exploring its potential to augment, enhance, and challenge traditional artistic processes.

2024 Annual Faculty Exhibition Through Oct 20

The Annual Faculty Exhibition features a vibrant celebration of artistic talent and creativity within their esteemed academic community.

Illest of Illustration Through Oct 25 The Illest of Illustration annual exhibition serves as an annual pinnacle within the artistic community of Ringling College of Art and Design, organized by the student-led club of the same name. This event stands as a vibrant showcase, spotlighting the remarkable talent and creativity emerging from the college’s illustration program.

Ringling Museum

Situated along 66 acres on the bay, The Ringling boasts an impressive array of classics and works from the Old Masters, with a Rubens collection of note, as well as regularly hosting traveling exhibitions on the forefront of contemporary art in the United States and abroad. The on-site Circus Conservatory houses the area’s local circus history, in addition to exploring the form’s greater reach. The historic Ca d’Zan mansion stands freshly renovated by the water, with tours available. Rich in history, the museum’s

roots date back to 1924, and the establishment serves as a legacy of the original owners, John and Mable Ringling. ringling.org

Shinique Smith: Parade Through Jan 5 This year-long, multi-gallery installation places the work of contemporary artist Shinique Smith (American, b. 1971) in direct dialogue with historic European art, a first in Smith’s career. Several of her large-scale sculptures, along with smaller works, will be displayed in the permanent collection galleries of the Museum of Art.

Embodied Through Sept 21 The figure is one of the oldest records of our existence as a species capable of storytelling; depictions of the human body constitute some of the oldest subjects in art. Embodied expands on the definition of the human figure by bringing together diverse representations in painting, sculpture, fiber, video, and mixed media by some of the most exciting artists working in the twentieth and twentyfirst centuries.

Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration 2024 Through Jan 26 A collaboration and partnership between five arts institutions in the Tampa Bay area, Skyway is a celebration of the region’s artistic practices. Working together, curators from each institution (The Ringling, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Sarasota Art Museum, the Tampa Museum of Art, and the University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum) offer context for the diversity of art being made in the greater region.

Radical Clay Through Apr 6

Radical Clay spans veterans of the field, such as Tsuji Kyō (b. 1930), Mishima Kimiyo (1932), and Tsuboi Asuka (b. 1932), who remain active today, to emerging artists such as Mori Aya (b. 1989) and Kawaura Saki (b. 1987). Encompassing a breathtaking range of styles,

conceptual approaches, and techniques, the exhibition celebrates their individual and collective triumphs and broader impact.

Jess T. Dugan: I want you to know my story Through Feb 25 St. Louis-based contemporary artist Jess T. Dugan explores facets of identity through photography, video, and writing. Grounded in their own experience as a queer, nonbinary person, Dugan’s work addresses the universal human need to understand, express oneself, and connect with others.

Ringling Museum Art of Performance

The Art of Performance @ the HAT has become the most global, unexpected and vibrant performing arts series in Sarasota. No matter if you are a loyal fan or brave newbie to our programming, we have

performance and engagement options for you! Choose from the wide range of shows activities this season with single events or packages to suit your schedule and appetite for live arts. Hang on to your HAT because this season is going to be wild and wonderous inside and out of the Historic Asolo Theater. ringling. org/explore/art-of-performance

NocheUnidos @ The Ringling Oct 18 Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month with UnidosNow and The Ringling at the third annual

Indigenous America and Europe. The event kicks off with festive Puerto Rican rhythms from Bomba Yemayá and parades into the night with an upbeat Mardi Gras spirit captured by the New Orleansbased 79rs Gang.

SunHAT Eco-Performance Fest Nov 11 – 18 This campus-wide, week-long festival elevates EcoPerformance and celebrates artists exploring narratives about ecology, climate emergency and environmental justice. These performances respond to the gravity of the

performances by artists from around the world who have steadily innovated even while being the standard bearers of their disciplines. Throughout spring these works will offer intense weekends of mainstage performances and talks that provide spaces to enjoy, debate, and celebrate the power and meaning of jazz.

Cape Verdean Blues by Kavita Shah (NYC and Cape Verde) Feb 14 This stirring evening features a sublime set of traditional Cape Verdean songs fused with jazz sensibilities performed by the

NocheUnidos, a collaboration between The Ringling and UnidosNow. This elegant evening, held in the magical Museum of Art Courtyard, features dining, dancing, music, and fellowship that honor the rich and dynamic cultures that have influenced our Gulf Coast community, including the African diaspora,

moment with humor, surprise, delight, and emotion creating a week of cultural exchange with the living world.

Jazz Works From Around the World Feb 14 – Apr 16 Jazz and tap dance are American art forms that remain at the forefront of creative impulse worldwide. This season’s series offers five exceptional

polyglot vocalist Kavita Shah and some of Cape Verde’s most renowned musicians. Shah is an award-winning vocalist, composer, researcher, and educator who makes work in deep engagement with the jazz tradition, while also addressing and advancing its global sensibilities.

Noche Unidos@ TheRingling

The Two Rivers Ensemble featuring Amir ElSaffar (NYC) Feb 15 – 16 The Two Rivers Ensemble is a sextet of jazz and Middle Eastern musicians that has made innovative strides in using the maqam modal system with the American jazz idiom. Deeply rooted in the musical forms of Iraq and nearby regions, the music still speaks the language of swing, improvisation, and group interaction, and the resultant sound is distinct from other contemporary cross-cultural musical fusions.

Alain Pérez (Cuba) Feb 21 – 22 Bassist, singer, songwriter, and multiinstrumentalist, Alain Pérez is one of Cuba’s most active and versatile musicians on the international scene today. He has performed and recorded with jazz legends in various musical vernaculars, forming part of the original Chucho Valdés Quartet that recorded on Blue Note Records, as the bassist of the renowned Paco de Lucía sextet, for the flamenco singer Enrique Morente, and was also part of the new Jerry González quartet. He is a band leader and producer for numerous projects, including his own orchestral project. He is a Grammy winner and nominee in multiple categories as both interpreter and author.

The Baby Laurence Legacy Project by Brinae Ali and the Baltimore Jazz Collective Mar 14 – 17 The Baby Laurence Legacy Project is an evening-length performance that investigates and celebrates the artistic genius of Donald “Baby Laurence” Jackson, a Baltimore-bred game-changer, and his impact on tap dance and jazz music. This production aims to redefine the relationship between technology, tap dancing, and jazz music to build a platform for sharing Laurence’s largely forgotten story with audiences. The

Baby Laurence Legacy Project will reveal to audiences how Laurence embodied the bebop aesthetic, which channeled a defiance of the white gaze and a self-referencing Black consciousness as in the music of Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, and Charlie Parker.

Lívia Mattos Trio (Brazil) Apr 18 – 19 Bahia-based accordion player, songwriter, vocalist, filmmaker, and visual artist, Lívia Mattos has been developing her singular skills as a player and unconventional frontwoman since she started her artistic adventures as a circus performer. Singularly entertaining and musically rich, her concerts blend Brazilian Popular Music, burlesque jazz, and circus sensibilities. She has collaborated with renowned artists like Rosa Passos, Badi Assad, and Chico César, as well as the Symphonic Orchestra of Bahia and released her debut album as a songwriter, Vinha da Ida, in 2017, receiving acclaim for its surprising arrangements, inventive lyrics, unusual fusion of Brazilian roots, jazz and global rhythms, and its overall fresh originality. Her adventures continue with her latest album, Apneia,

Spring Extra: Losing My Religion Apr 4 - 5

Losing My Religion is a new creation by Rennie Harris, “The most brilliant Hip-Hop choreographer in America” (The New Yorker). Harris’s theater company Rennie Harris Puremovement (RHPM) will perform the abstract retrospective work inspired by Harris’s life journey, the human experience, and his thoughts on the world’s collective dilemmas—from war to social, economic, and political injustices, humanity is forever caught in a perpetual loop of turmoil, grief, and despair. This work is the result of a commission by the Hermitage Artist Retreat through their prestigious

Greenfield Prize and reflects an ongoing collaboration with our two institutions to support creative practice in the region.

Sarasota Ballet

The Sarasota Ballet is the Gulf Coast of Florida’s only professional ballet company. In 1987, The Sarasota Ballet was founded by Jean Weidner Goldstein as a presenting organization with the goal of becoming a full resident ballet company, which was achieved in 1990 with the appointment of the first Artistic Director. However, it wasn’t until January 2007 that her dream was fully realized when The Sarasota Ballet announced the appointment of the new Director, Iain Webb. Mr. Webb’s background, experience, and close personal relationships with some of the biggest names in the dance world have taken The Sarasota Ballet to a higher level of national and international recognition. sarasotaballet.org

Martha

Graham

Dance

Company Oct 11 – 13

Founded in 1926 by the legendary Martha Graham, the company bearing her name has become synonymous with the American modern dance movement. An artistic force and choreographic pioneer, Martha Graham would change the art of dance, creating 181 works and her own truly unique style that focuses on innovative physicality that would “increase the emotional activity of the dancer’s body.”

Relative Works

Oct 25 – 27 Program One opens with a World Premiere by Virginia B. Toulmin & Muriel O’Neil Artist in Residence, Jessica Lang, whose work has been performed by many of the world’s leading ballet companies. Returning to the stage for the first time since premiering in 2019, Ricardo

Graziano’s romantic Amorosa creates a sensual atmosphere with striking red corset costumes for the women and stark black high collared outfits for the men. Closing the program is Johan Kobborg’s refreshing production of Napoli Act III. An important part of Danish Choreographer August Bournonville’s legacy, Kobborg again brings this historic work to the stage with beauty and vitality.

Nutcracker

Dec 13 – 14 The Nutcracker in an exciting partnership between The Sarasota Ballet School, the Venice Symphony, and the Venice Institute for the Performing Arts. Witness Clara and the Nutcracker battle with the Mouse King before journeying off to the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince in this treasured family classic. Featuring lavish sets and costumes, live music,

edgy score. Edwaard Liang returns with the Company premiere of Wunderland. Matching the pulsating rhythms of Philip Glass’ score, Liang seamlessly molds striking poses and geometric formations to blend tension and harmony. The long-awaited world premiere of Sir David Bintley’s The Spider’s Feast closes the program. Bintley’s whimsical choreography transports

Giselle Nov 22 – 23

Featuring the iconic romantic full-length classic, Giselle Revered as one of the greatest and most faithful productions of this beloved story ballet, Sir Peter Wright’s production has been performed across the globe on virtually every continent. The ballet brings to life a story of young love, foolish betrayal, haunting tragedy, and finally redemption through forgiveness.

The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and over 100 students from across The Sarasota Ballet’s Education programs, The Nutcracker is our gift to you.

Fanciful Journey Dec 20 – 21 Balanchine’s Rubies, the central piece of his iconic full length ballet Jewels, opens Program Three with vibrancy and flair, perfectly counterbalanced by Stravinsky’s dissonant and

audiences to a bustling garden filled with colorful insects while an arachnid menace surreptitiously stalks its prey. Brought to life with incredible sets and costumes by renowned designer Dick Bird.

Quintessential Jan 31 – Feb 2 Program Four sees the return for the first time since 2010 of Renato Paroni’s beautifully classical Rococo Variations, set to Tchaikovsky’s inspiring Variations on a

Sarasota Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet, photo by Frank Atura.

Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra. The last of the great pioneers of American modern dance, Paul Taylor is featured with Brandenburgs, artfully showcasing his unique and exemplary choreography in this remarkable work. Closing the program, Gemma Bond returns with an exciting World Premiere.

Mark Morris Dance Group

Feb 28 – Mar 2 Renowned for bringing guest companies to the stage for audiences to enjoy, The Sarasota Ballet presents the acclaimed Mark Morris Dance Group. Founded in 1980 by trailblazing Choreographer Mark Morris, the group has performed across the globe garnering critical acclaim through Morris’s expressive choreography and distinctive musicality.

Romeo and Juliet

March 28 – 29 Featuring the long-awaited Company premiere of Sir Frederick Ashton’s full-length story ballet Romeo and Juliet, bringing the grandeur and passion of Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy to the Sarasota stage. Choreographed in 1955 to Sergei Prokofiev’s score, the ballet brought great success for the Royal Danish Ballet. Unlike many other productions, Ashton decided to truly focus on the “intimate tragedy of two young people caught in an all-consuming passion” (David Vaughan, Frederick Ashton and his Ballets, 1977). Infused with Ashton’s musicality and penchant for heart-fluttering pas de deux, Romeo and Juliet clearly demonstrates Ashton’s choreographic genius and his ability to portray the nature of humanity through dance.

Movements of Genius

Apr 25 – 26 Program Seven features a triple bill by some of the greatest choreographers of the 20th Century. Opening with the stunning Serenade, Balanchine’s choreography

courses through four movements of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings and leaves audiences mesmerized by its splendor. Robbins’ In the Night is comprised of a trio of pas de deux and contemplates romantic love in stages evidenced by three couples: one euphoric, another restrained, and a third tempestuous. Closing the program, Ashton’s A Wedding Bouquet returns after nearly a decade. Known as an avantgarde work, its fragmented narrative, originally spoken by Gertrude Stein, features a series of incidents at a provincial wedding in France where, comically, everything seems to go wrong.

Images of Dance

Apr 29 Images of Dance is a thrilling program showcasing the future of ballet, with dancers from The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and students of The Margaret Barbieri Conservatory. Adding to the excitement, Images of Dance also partners with local arts organizations to provide live music from the Sarasota Music Conservatory and Sarasota Youth Opera. The 2025 repertoire will include a World Premiere by Ricardo Graziano, Sing, Wearing the Sky by Gemma Bond, and a suite from the classical ballet Le Corsaire.

Sarasota Chalk Festival

Nov 8 – 10 The Sarasota Chalk Festival, a jubilation of art and culture, is recognized for hosting the world’s largest gathering of internationally-renowned pavement artists. Founded in 2007, the festival invites artists to travel to Sarasota County to create masterpieces in chalk. The artist hail from 30+ countries, the furthest being Australia and Japan. For its 18th iteration, the Festival will bring for the first time to the United

States multiple delegations of “Infiorata” and “Rangoli” artists together. These artists create carpets using flowers, sand, and other natural materials in an act of devotion. Dubbed “Floralia Infiorata,” this exhibition will represent an important moment of cultural exchange introducing North American art lovers to these centuriesold artistic traditions. Both the pavement artists and floral carpet artists create ephemeral works of art using the road surface as their canvas in a real open-air museum. Spectators become an integral part of the artist’s creative process as the observer of these fleeting artistic expressions. chalkfestival.org

Sarasota Concert Band

The Sarasota Concert Band is a professional level symphonic band, consisting of woodwinds, brass and percussion. With roots that go back to the circus bands of John Ringling. They play a variety of music including American patriotic music, marches, jazz, Pop, classical orchestra transcriptions and original band compositions. Their members are a mix of people who love to play music from retired professionals to students. They have a strong commitment to music education. The Sarasota Concert Band’s goal is to play and promote as well as share the love of the American invention and tradition of Symphonic Band Music. sarasotaconcertband.org

Chanticleer Holiday

Concert Dec 3 Back by popular demand, the Grammy Award-winning male vocal ensemble Chanticleer has been hailed by The New Yorker as “the world’s reigning male chorus.”

Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Jan 15 World-renowned French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet makes his Sarasota Concert Association debut in the opening concert of our Great Performers Series. His performance of Debussy’s Preludes has been highly praised for its vivid portrayal and dynamic range, highlighted by his ability to create every color and dynamic range on the piano.

Cleveland Orchestra

Jan 26 A favorite of Sarasota audiences, the internationally-renowned Cleveland Orchestra returns! Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong, praised for his electrifying stage presence, has conducted distinguished orchestras around the world, including the London Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic, and he will lead the Cleveland Orchestra in Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

Czech National Symphony Orchestra Feb 13 Based in Prague, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra appointed American

conductor and composer Steven Mercurio as their Music Director in 2019. He will lead the orchestra in Dvořák’s popular Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.” First prize winner in the NY International Liszt Competition, pianist Maxim Lando will join the Orchestra for Liszt’s virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 1.

An Evening with Yo-Yo Mama Feb 27 Join cellist Yo-Yo Ma for an evening of music and words. In this one-night-only performance, Yo-Yo Ma performs a special selection of his favorite pieces and shares stories about a life dedicated to music.

Vivaldi Four Seasons

Mar 14 A 300th anniversary celebration of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons along with other celebrated works by Vivaldi and Monteverdi will be performed by the renowned French Baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants in their Sarasota debut. Violinist Theotime Langlois de Swarte conducts and performs.

National Symphony Orchestra Mar 24 Direct from Washington, D.C., Music Director Gianandrea Noseda leads the National Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s powerful Symphony No. 5. Three-time Grammy Awardwinning violinist Hilary Hahn joins the Orchestra in Erich Korngold’s beautifully romantic and virtuosic Violin Concerto, a fusion of Viennese romance and old Hollywood.

Sarasota Contemporary Dance

Bringing the best in contemporary dance to the region and creating new works right here, Sarasota Contemporary Dance is recognized in the area for its collaborative performances and eclectic choreography, which

fuses various dance styles— traditional, modern, Middle Eastern, aerial, Afro-modern and even technologically-infused work. In addition to a variety of community collaborations and performances at local venues, the Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company has also been presented at the Alabama Ballet Center for Dance, John F. Kennedy Center, Merce Cunningham Studio Theatre and the Aily Citygroup Theatre.. sarasotacontemporarydance.org

IN-STUDIO SERIES: UNITY PROJECT BY SYDNEY LEMELIN Oct 12 Unity Project is a multidimensional dance theater proposition for the quantum physicists in us all. Solos pierce the fabric of time and duets peer into a parallel place. These particles collide to form the ultimate antidote for inter-dimensionalexistentialism.

SCD IN-STUDIO: SCDE FALL PERFORMANCE

Nov 8 – 9 Sarasota Contemporary Dance Ensemble (SCDE) is a training company for aspiring dancers under the direction of Xiao-Xuan Dancigers and Melissa Rummel, with the strong guidance and support of Sarasota Contemporary Dance Artistic Director, Leymis Bolanos Wilmott.

SCD + THE BARKER PROJECT Dec 5 – 8 Kicking off our 19th season with a dazzling collaboration led by bassist Johnnie Barker and his assembled array of talented musicians. This production will be rooted in jazz, with a blend of Funk, Rock, Blues & Gospel into a splendid sound and dance gumbo.

SCD + NATALIE HELM & BLUEGRASS BAND

Jan 16 – 19 We dive into principal cellist of the Sarasota Orchestra, Natalie Helm’s Kentucky roots alongside her collective group of star

Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s SHINE

SARASOTA JEWISH THEATRE

SARASOTA JEWISH THEATRE was borne out of determination. Shaken by the 2017 march in Charlottesville with skinheads shouting “Jews will not replace us,” a group of dedicated theatre professionals decided to start a theatre and provide a strong, positive Jewish message in the arts. THERE IS A TREASURE TROVE of Jewish drama available: contemporary, classic, richly humorous, and deeply meaningful. These plays express the uniqueness and universality of Jewish heritage and cultural life and reﬂect Jewish values and ideals.

WE ASKED THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF SARASOTA MANATEE FOR THEIR SUPPORT, which they readily oﬀered. After two years under Federation’s umbrella, we obtained our own 501c3 and became a separate not-for-proﬁt theatre company. EACH SEASON, our plays have seemed to mirror what is going on in today’s news in an uncanny way. Cherry Docs dealt with a skinhead who attacked an immigrant, while Rose presented a strong, resilient model for surviving and thriving. Better Late focused on a contemporar y family living on a foundation of “mitzvah” (good deeds).

WE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT. Last season’s plays were sold out and our outreach programs were in great demand. Thousands of attendees have laughed, cried and applauded the complexity and beauty of Jewish life. Now, as we enter our ﬁfth season, we look forward to deepening our relationship with the community and proving validityto our motto, “You don’t have to be Jewish to love Jewish theatre.”

sjt is a professional not-for-proﬁt theatre. as we enter our 5th season, we are amazed at the stunning response we have received and the continuing support from our donors. our sold-out season last year ﬁlled us with awe and appreciation. a recent note from a patron says it all: “thank you so much for bringing this exceptional theatre to the stage for us!”

musicians radiating the beauty of the Midwest while illuminating sound and movement.

DANCE MAKERS

Mar 13 – 16 A season favorite, audiences new and old are always enlightened by this contemporary dance tapestry featuring works by nationally known choreographers. This year’s line up is Kristin O’ Neal, Gregory Catellier, Bliss Kohlmyer, Rosanna Tavarez, and Sarasota local Tania Vergara Perez.

VOICES – RISING CHOREOGRAPHERS

May 1 – 4 To close our 19th season this performance allows for our next generations of choreographers and SCDE (Sarasota Contemporary Dance Ensemble), our training company, to sparkle on the main stage alongside SCD Company. These new works are hand-picked by SCD’s Artistic Director, Leymis Bolaños Wilmott from our 2024 Summer Intensives.

Sarasota Cuban Ballet School

The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School is a premier destination in the United States for Cuban ballet training. Classes are taught by an international faculty following the renowned Cuban method created by Fernando Alonso for the National Ballet of Cuba. Students have gone on to perform with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Miami City Ballet, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and many other national and international professional companies. This season presented by The Gulfcoast Studio Company of the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School. srqcubanballet.com

Classical+Contemporary Oct 4 – 6 A celebration of past and present.

Dracula Nov 1 – 3 Journey to Transylvania and experience the legend of Dracula and all who share his world.

The Nutcracker Dec 6

The holiday favorite featuring the beloved classic choreography and the beauty of Tchaikovsky’s score.

Romantic Night Feb 21 – 23 Celebrating love through classical and contemporary works.

Spring Gala Apr 19

A showcase of classical and contemporary repertoire.

On Stage 2025: Featuring Highilghts from La Bayadère Jul 19 A gala performance by Summer Intensive dancers from around the world.

Sarasota Film Festival

April Founded in 1998, the Sarasota Film Festival an international film festival hosted in Sarasota, Florida and viewable from around the world. The festival is typically held each April, in support of its mission: to celebrate the art of

filmmaking and the contribution of filmmakers by hosting an international film festival and developing year-long programs for the economic, educational, and cultural benefit of our community. sarasotafilm festival.com

Sarasota Opera

The world-renowned Sarasota Opera produces impassioned opera performances true to the vision of the composer, to entertain, enrich, educate, and inspire a life-long love of opera in our diverse and growing communities. The season will feature a production of the Sarasota Youth Opera’s The Hobbit™ on November 9 along with, The Music of Giuseppe Verdi, accompanied by Sarasota Orchestra on November 15 and 17. The famous duel- opera Cavalleria Rusticana will be in production February 15 – March 29, 2025, followed by Rossini’s The Barber of Seville from February 22-March 29, 2025. Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, will show from March 8-28, ending the season with Verdi’s Stiffelio. sarasotaopera.org

Sarasota Cuban Ballet School

The Hobbit Nov 9 – 10 Sarasota Youth Opera will present a production based off of the acclaimed novel—The Hobbit. Follow young Bilbo Baggins as he leaves the Shire in order to aid his dwarvish friends reclaim their homeland.

The Music of Giuseppe Verdi Nov 16, 17 Sarasota Opera presents sopranos Rochelle Bard and Virginia Mims, tenor Victor Starsky, baritone Jean Carlos Rodriguez, bass Young Bok Kim, with the Sarasota Orchestra, conducted by Victor DeRenzi, in some of the greatest music by Giuseppe Verdi. Highlights will include selections from Aida, La traviata, Un ballo in maschera, Attila, La forza del destino, Rigoletto and other great works.

Cavalleria Rusticana/ Pagliacci Feb 15 – Mar 29 Composed by Pietro Mascagni, Cavalleria Rusticana is a story of love and revenge in a Sicilian village. Pagliacci, composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo has themes of betrayal as the protagonist, a traveling actor, is made aware of his wife’s infidelity.

The Barber of Seville Feb 22 – Mar 29 In this comedic opera by Gioachino Rossini set in Seville, Spain the story follows the schemes of Count Almaviva as he attempts to court the beautiful Rosina, confined by her guardian Dr. Bartolo, who also wants to marry her.

The Marriage of Figaro Mar 8 – 28 This four act opera is written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as the sequel to The Barber of Seville Following the story of Figaro, Seville’s clever barber, the story plays out in Count Almaviva’s castle as the marriage between Figaro and the Countess’s maid, Susanna is planned. Throughout the opera, misunderstandings, disguises, and humorous situations abound.

Stiffelio Mar 15 – 30 Set in 19th-century Germany, the story follows Stiffelio, a Protestant minister, and the personal and moral crises he faces due to his wife Lina’s infidelity. This opera is known for its notable exploration of themes such as redemption, and the conflicts between personal and religious duties. Its powerful music highlights Verdi’s ability to convey complex emotions through his compositions.

Sarasota Jewish Theatre

Jewish theater has a long history of universal appeal—delighting and enlightening theater lovers of all backgrounds with its humanitarian values and humor. Sarasota Jewish Theatre brings to life plays that express the uniqueness and universality of Jewish heritage and cultural life—but you don’t have to be Jewish to love Jewish theatre. sarasotajewishtheatre.com

Being Somebody: Growing Up Brooklyn, A Father/

Daughter Tale Oct 19 – 20 A funny, hope-filled show starring Dr. Howard Mase, an extraordinary 88-year-old psychologist, and his singer/ playwright/actor daughter Marla. They take us back in time to Howard growing up in Brooklyn’s post-war gleam of the 1940s, and Marla navigating the gritty disco era of the 1970s. This musical memoir touches on universal themes and invites us to reconnect with important moments in our lives.

Visiting Mr. Green

Jan 29 – Feb 9 In this postpandemic rewrite of Jeff Baron’s beloved play, elderly Mr. Green is almost hit by a car driven by 29-year-old Ross Gardiner. Gardiner is sentenced to community service; he must help the lonely widower once a week for six months. This 21st

century “odd couple” will take audiences on a roller coaster of humor, heartbreak and healing.

The Catskills – The Rise and Fall of the Borscht Belt Feb 3 This documentary film and discussion regards the winner of the 2024 Miami Jewish Film Festival. This is a humorous and nostalgic tribute to the “Borscht Belt” from its beginning as a refuge for working-class Jews, to becoming a lavish summer playground for the affluent, to its eventual decline. The Catskills chronicles the cultural, historical and economic influences that created the Borscht Belt, provided a training ground for the great comedians of the 20th century, and became the inspiration for iconic films like Dirty Dancing

Lost in Yonkers Mar 19 – 30 Winner of the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Neil Simon’s funny and touching play tells a moving story about the experiences that scar a family and the healing that love provides. A masterful play, filled with laughter, tears and insight, Lost in Yonkers is a heartwarming testament to Neil Simon’s talent.

Bad Jews Apr 30 – May 11 In the play written by Joshua Harmon, grandchildren fight over the precious religious heirloom their beloved grandfather leaves them after he dies. In one corner is Daphna, a “real Jew,” who is volatile, self-assured and unbending. In the other is her equally stubborn cousin, the secular Liam, who wants it for his shiksa girlfriend. Stuck in the middle is Liam’s brother, the gentle Josh, who tries to stay out of the fray. Along the way they battle about their religious faith, cultural assimilation, and the validity of their Jewish identity.

Sarasota Orchestra

When the music begins, our senses take flight. The Sarasota Orchestra celebrates its 75th anniversary with a season of performances that will move, delight, and inspire. Since 1949, Sarasota Orchestra has touched the lives of music lovers across the region and visitors from around the world. Each year the 76-member Orchestra performs more than 100 classical, pops, chamber music and outreach concerts. Sarasota Orchestra’s mission is to engage, educate and enrich the community extends through its acclaimed Sarasota Youth Orchestras program and the world-renowned Sarasota Music Festival. sarasotaorchestra.org

Reel Intrique Oct 16 – 19

Get in the spirit for Halloween with music from the theater and movies, featuring a little bit of adventure and possibly a touch of fright. You’ll thrill to music from Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Murder on the Orient Express, Vertigo and some other surprises.

Gershwin’s American Dream

Oct 5 Celebrate the legendary George Gershwin and his extraordinary impact on American music. This thrilling evening will feature a dollop of jazz, blues, and dance rhythms. Hear how Gershwin’s influence echoes through the years in this enticing program showcasing Kevin Cole, widely considered the finest Gershwin pianist in the country.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back In Concert

Oct 25 – 26 It’s time to dust off those Darth Vader helmets again as Sarasota Orchestra presents Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back live in concert, with the full Orchestra playing John Williams’ extraordinary music and the iconic film on the big screen.

Mozart On the Road

Jan 5 Much of Mozart’s young life was spent on the road, showing off his talents as a musical prodigy in the capitals of Europe. Hear 15-year-old prodigy Anwen Deng as she performs a movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20, as well as the world premiere of a Mozart-inspired work by brilliant 12-year-old composer Isaac Thomas. Enjoy music of two of Mozart’s idols: Haydn and Bach.

TV Tunes and Treasures

Jan 15 – 19 Themes from television shows are some of our fondest memories, creating rich and nostalgic images in our minds. You’ll revel in classical tunes made popular by Looney Tunes and Popeye and smile to music from The Flintstones, Star Trek, and Downton Abbey.

Kings of Soul

Jan 24 – 25 Kings of Soul showcases the music of legendary artists Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Otis Redding, The Temptations, Barry White, Smokey Robinson, and more in an evening of soulful rhythms. Honoring the “kings” of classic soul.

A Musical Comedy

Mar 12 – 15 This concert promises big grins and hearty laughs. Leroy Anderson’s The Typewriter features the real thing as a solo instrument! You will delight to the Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra from Indiana Jones, plus music from La Cage aux Folles and The Producers.

Celebrate John Williams

Apr 18 – 19 At age 91, John Williams won his 26th GRAMMY. From Harry Potter to Indiana Jones, Williams is one of America’s most iconic composers of film scores that are on track to become timeless. Stuart Chafetz leads the Orchestra in this special tribute featuring music from Star Wars, E.T., Schindler’s List, Superman, Close Encounters, Jaws, Hook, The Cowboys, and more.

The Sarasota Players

The Sarasota Players is community theatre, dedicated to delivering quality productions and keeping the community engaged with the arts. The Sarasota Players seeks to provide an artistic outlet for locals and visitors alike to experience live theatre and live theatre training. The Sarasota Players is a non-professional community theatre, located on the “Cultural Coast.” This location gives us an incredible talent pool to work with. From our Artistic Director to our stagehands, half of the volunteers working on a production have at one time been professionally paid performers. Many professional performers retire and are drawn to the area thanks to all of Sarasota’s arts offerings. These professionals bring their experience, training, families and often their extensive resumes with them to our stage. players.org

Little

Women Dec 5 – 15

Based on Louisa May Alcott’s life, Little Women follows the adventures of sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March. Jo wants to sell her stories for publication, but the publishers are not interested—her friend, Professor Bhaer, tells her that she must do better and tell stories from the soul. Begrudgingly taking this advice, Jo weaves the story of sisterhood and their experience growing up during the Civil War in America.

Fun Home Mar 5 – 16 When her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. Moving between past and present, Alison relives her unique childhood playing at the family’s Bechdel Funeral Home, her growing

PARTNER ORGANIZATION PORTFOLIO

THE VENICE SYMPHONY

NO LONGER VENICE’S ‘BEST KEPT SECRET’, The Venice Symphony’s rapid growth and popularity is feverishly taking over the Suncoast’s elite art and culture scene. FOUNDED IN 1974, The Venice Symphony is a 501(c)(3) professional orchestra deeply rooted in its community, offering a variety of concerts from October through May, special events and long-standing music education programs for all ages throughout the year. THROUGH THE VISIONARY LEADERSHIP of President/CEO Christine Kasten and the dynamic talent of Music Director Troy Quinn, audiences and newcomers alike flock to The Venice Performing Arts Center for a concert experience like no other. THE VENICE SYMPHONY’S REPUTATION OF PRESENTING UNFORGETTABLE CONCERTS and a challenging repertoire has helped build an orchestra of the country’s most superb musicians and attract world-renowned guest artists to Southwest Florida. THE VENICE SYMPHONY’S MISSION is to inspire and transform lives through exceptional musical experiences and provide volunteer opportunities to the community year- round. Learn about all the upcoming concerts and events at thevenicesymphony.org.

music director troy quinn has programmed a season of concerts blending the greatest classical works with contemporary music designed to appeal to everyone who appreciates the transformative power of truly great symphonic music. for the first time, the venice symphony will begin its season in october, with the orchestra performing a symphonic spooktacular, growing the symphony’s season to eight concert weekends. the ever-popular home for the holidays returns with additional dates along with grammy nominee and emmy award-winning vocalist liz callaway.

THE VENICE SYMPHONY

Venice Performing Arts Center Campus of Venice High School 1 Indian Ave. | Bldg. 5 | Venice, FL

2024-25 SEASON

A SYMPHONIC SPOOKTACULAR

October 11, 2024

7:30pm October 12, 2024

3:30pm

INSTRUMENTAL INFLUENCERS

Nov 15, 2024

7:30pm Nov 16, 2024

3:30pm & 7:30pm

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Dec. 20, 2024

7:30pm Dec. 21, 2024

3:30pm & 7:30pm Dec. 22, 2024

3:30pm

SPORTS ORCHESTRATED Jan. 10, 2025

7:30pm Jan. 11, 2025

3:30pm & 7:30pm

A SALUTE TO THE POPS! Jan 31, 2025

7:30pm Feb 1, 2025

3:30pm & 7:30pm

HOLLYWOOD IN VENICE Feb 21, 2025

7:30pm Feb 22, 2025

3:30pm & 7:30pm CRAZY FOR GERSHWIN March 14, 2025

7:30pm March 15, 2025

3:30pm & 7:30pm THE RAT PACK IS BACK March 22, 2025

3:30pm & 7:30pm

COSMIC WORLDS April 25, 2025

7:30pm April 26, 2025

3:30pm & 7:30pm

For more event and ticket information please see listings starting on page 54.

understanding of her own sexuality, and the looming, unanswerable questions about her father’s hidden desires.

In to the Woods Apr 10 – 20 James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone’s favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece . . . and a rare modern classic. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching

SPAACES

SPAACES is a unique artistic microcosm in Sarasota that was founded in 2018 and became a not-for-profit in 2020. It exists to advance contemporary visual art and professional artists while enhancing a vibrant arts community. SPAACES’ vision is to see Sarasota recognized as a cutting edge, visual arts town, a place where contemporary art and artists thrive. SPAACES is centrally located just a few blocks northeast of downtown Sarasota in an air-conditioned industrial space with an exhibition space that promotes a variety of contemporary art projects. SPAACES sixteen professional artists open their studios to the public during exhibition opening nights, to show and discuss their diverse contemporary art practices. Spaaces.art

SPAACES Studio Artists

Present at Art Advocates Gallery Oct 5 – Oct 29

This exhibition is the first showing of the SPAACES Studio Artists as a group since its inception in 2018.

Ta Daa’ and the Journey Goes On Nov 1 – Dec 14

In this relatively uncertain time, Swedish artist Ake Arnerdale observes how individuals can easily feel adrift amidst

a torrent of images, text, and conflicting viewpoints, compounded by the pervasive influence of unbridled power across societal realms and the persistence of longstanding issues due to enforced fragmentation. Arnerdale’s artwork for the exhibit meticulously explores this fragmentation, employing a diverse array of materials including paint, discarded objects, fabric, photos, papiermâché, and text, crafting an immersive experience that invites viewers to delve into introspection.

KX2 Jan 10 – Feb 1

KX2 is a collaboration between Ruth Avra and Dana Kleinman, sisters and artists whose practice revolves around the fusion of metalwork and painting. Their artwork delves specifically into the domain of data research, with a particular emphasis on climate change and water infrastructure, in order to illuminate pressing environmental concerns. Employing a blend of repurposed and sometimes salvaged industrial materials with more traditional artistic mediums such as paint on canvas, KX2’s work yields a distinctive visual encounter. Avra and Kleinman currently reside with their individual families in Southern Florida. KX2 is environmentally conscious of material choices, using up to 50% recycled metals and recycled canvas.

Grids and Stripes: The Power of Pattern Feb 7 – Mar 8

Grids and Stripes: The Power of Pattern pairs the work of two Tampa-based artists who use pattern as a primary visual language to explore themes of identity, power, and liberation. Abstract to figurative, color to black and white, grids to stripes, the exhibition provides a compelling contrast between the artists’ approaches to pattern, all at a towering, and immersive scale that is hard to ignore. Joshua

Haddad (Aalborg, Denmark b. 1977) is an interdisciplinary artist/designer who works with color, space, pattern, and iconography to create works about site, identity, and equality. Sam Modder’s digitally-manipulated ballpoint pen murals follow a Black woman in a world made up of only her and her duplicates. The story unfolds with the help of two distinct patterns: striped socks and curly hair. The socks, visually heavy and grounded, are tied to material gain, labor, and exploitation. Sam Modder (Lagos, b. 1995) is a Nigerian-Sri Lankan artist who works figuratively in pen, collage, and digital media to portray larger-than-life Black, female characters taking up space in real and imagined worlds.

L I M I N A L S P A C E Mar 14 – Apr 12 Artists Anthony Mancuso and Bobby Aiosa are interested in portraying the complexities of our built environment and how these designed spaces, public and private, impact our daily lives. The exhibition explores the threshold of domestic and public lives and how one can influence the other. Behind the colorful façade of our designed spaces there are more complex stories beyond what the passive viewer may discern within our everyday environments.

CARE: Givers and Receivers Apr 18 – May 31 This curated group exhibition delves into the profound relationship between those who provide care and those who receive it, using the rich textures and layered narratives of mixed media, fiber, and installation art. The artists employing these innovative materials create works that reflect the emotional and physical labor involved in caring relationships. The exhibition highlights the delicate balance and interconnectedness between givers and receivers.

WESTCOAST BLACK THEATRE TROUPE WAS FOUNDED IN DECEMBER 1999 as a not-for-profit organization. Our mission is to produce professional theatre that promotes and celebrates African American history and experience, engages a broad base of patrons and audiences, supports the development of a dynamic group of aspiring artists and builds self-esteem in youth of color. OUR PRODUCTIONS INCLUDE ORIGINAL MUSICALS CREATED AT WBTT such as Ruby and Soul Crooners, Broadway musicals such as Dreamgirls and Once on This Island, and thought-provoking dramas such as Fences and A Soldier’s Play. WBTT IS PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS and has many youth education and theatrical programs including: JAZZLINKS (in partnership with the Sarasota Jazz Club) brings songs and stories that explore the history and culture of African Americans to high schools. RHYTHM AND TALES is a theatre education program designed for elementary school students that uses fables to teach young children lessons about kindness and doing the right thing. STAGE OF DISCOVERY is a free summer musical theatre intensive program, where students are coached in acting, singing, dancing, improvisation, and writing by creative professionals. WBTT’S YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM was created to support, develop and showcase the talents of young, aspiring artists of color.

“i am absolutely thrilled to present our 25th anniversary season,” said wbtt founder and artistic director nate jacobs. “to celebrate this accomplishment, we have adopted the theme ‘25 years of black heritage’ for our 2024-2025 season. as the only african american theatre on ﬂorida’s west coast, we are proud to oﬀer a unique cultural experience to our community. this includes our upcoming season and the annual events such as dr. martin luther king: celebrating his legacy in spoken word and song show and the juneteenth arts festival. we hope our patrons are as excited as we are to celebrate 25 years!”

WESTCOAST BLACK THEATRE TROUPE 1012 N Orange Ave | Sarasota 941.366.1505

Info@westcoastblacktheatre.org

facebook.com/wbttsrq instagram.com/westcoastblacktheatretroupe x.com/WBTTsrq

FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE March 5 - April 6, 2025 SYNCOPATED AVENUE World Premiere April 16 - May 25, 2025

For more event and ticket information, please see listings starting on page 55.

Through Women’s Eyes

In 2022, UN Women USA disbanded its seven US Chapters, including the Gulf Coast Chapter, in order to focus exclusively on messaging and fundraising from their national office. Their work, and their member donations, will continue to benefit UN Women and its important gender equality goals. However, our Chapter leadership and members felt it was critical to continue our in-person, local events to advance women’s rights and gender equality. We also became increasingly concerned about the rights of women, LGBTQIA, and nonbinary people here in the US as longstanding rights appeared under attack in unprecedented ways. Out of these changes this new organization was born: Through Women’s Eyes. throughwomenseyes.org

Real Equals March 6 – 11

For 25 years, the Reel Equals Film Festival has shared fresh voices and underrepresented perspectives with in-person and online audiences. We are known for presenting a carefully curated selection of shorts and feature films from all over the world. Our audiences see great films—and they also develop an understanding of how media shapes our behaviors and life choices, and why broader media representation is so critical.

Urbanite Theatre

Founders Summer Dawn Wallace and Brendan Ragan make a statement each season with sold-out, cutting-edge shows performed in the black box style, shifting effortlessly from heavy drama to heady comedy. Intimate, independent and unexpected. urbanitetheatre.com

Jennifer Who is Leaving Oct 18 – Dec 1 Nan is working the night shift at Dunkin, fielding frequent calls from her husband, who needs help finding…everything. Meanwhile, Jennifer is doing her best to ignore Joey, the aging patient wearing down her . . . patience. At the same time, Lili is overwhelmed by the looming pressure of the SAT exam and her father’s insistence that she go to work the night before the test. Set in a lonely Dunkin Donuts alongside a Massachusetts highway, Jennifer Who is Leaving poignantly and humorously captures the demands placed on women, delving into the physical, emotional, and mental toll of caregiving–and the moments that push us to the edge.

Spaceman

Jan 3 – Feb 16 Astronaut Molly Jennis has embarked on an interplanetary expedition following her husband’s tragic, failed attempt to reach Mars. As the first to the Red Planet, she faces not only the dangers of solitude and the unknown frontier, but also the haunting reflections of her past decisions. Spaceman is a weightless, full-sensory, surround-sound exploration of both the challenges of space travel and the uncharted future that awaits Molly at her Martian destination, in delicate, detailed layers.

No One Is Forgotten

Mar 21 – Apr 29 U.S. citizens Lali and Beng are being held prisoner in a small, dirty cement cell. Where have they been taken? How much time has passed? Has their story been broadcast to the world? How did they get here? What will happen to them? Inspired by true accounts of the plight of captured and detained journalists and aid workers, No One is Forgotten is a story about intimacy, surrender, and the will to live for someone else.

From 145th To 98th Street

May 30 – June 29 When Jackie and Cedric moved their family from the heart of Harlem to 98th Street, they did so to create better economic opportunities for their children. But when their son, Jamal, is wrongfully accused of a crime and their daughter, Fatima, doubts her college plans, the Curtly family must either come together in adversity or watch as their clashing quests for success pull them apart.

Van Wezel

Playfully dubbed “The Purple Cow” by locals, this distinctive Frank Lloyd Wright creation abuts the Sarasota Bayfront, where it serves as Sarasota’s primary connection to the world of national and international touring performance, bringing storied performers and productions to the local stage as a regular stop on the regional, national and international touring circuits. vanwezel.org

Dear Evan Hansen

Nov 1 – 2 Declared “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history” by the Washington Post, Dear Evan Hansen is the first musical to take a groundbreaking look —from the point of view of both the parents and young people—at our complex, interconnected, and social media-filled lives.Evan Hansen is a high school student who always feels like he’s on the outside looking in. Evan finally gets what so many of us are searching for — the chance to finally fit in. What follows is a poignant, funny, and powerful musical about how even though it can be hard, we can find each other—and ourselves—along the way. Including some of the most iconic musical theatre songs from the last decade.

TINA - The Tina Turner Musical Dec 13 – 15

An uplifting comeback story like no other, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical Mar 18 – 23 Enter a world of splendor and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory! A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Welcome to Moulin Rouge! The Musical! Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage.

Venice Symphony

Following last year’s concert season, The Venice Symphony is celebrating its 51st year in the community with more performances and its biggest concert season ever. Music Director Troy Quinn leads an orchestra of more than 80 musicians in a season of masterworks, music from film and Broadway and contemporary classics at the state-of-the-art Venice Performing Arts Center. thevenicesymphony.org

A Symphonic Spooktacular

Oct 11 – 12 Gather witches, wizards, and ghosts for our newest addition to the concert season, a ‘not-soscary’ Spooktacular featuring a harmonious collaboration of symphonic sounds and storytelling. Become entranced by Bernard Herrmann’s Psycho: A Short Suite for String Orchestra and travel to otherworldly dimensions with music from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and other mystical medleys.

Instrumental Influencers

Nov 15 – 16

Meet the original classical #influencers. From Beethoven to Vivaldi, Hadyn, and Brahms, at this concert you’ll discover their common connection! Celebrate the legacy of classical music and composition with timeless works from the masters.ic Symphony No. 4 in D minor.

Home for the Holidays

Dec 20 – 22 Become immersed in beloved Christmas carols and memorable seasonal tunes such as The First Noel, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Sleigh Ride and We Wish You A Merry Christmas that are sure to fill your heart with joy and memories. Key Chorale, and guest vocalist Liz Callaway, will sing you into the holiday spirit.

Sports Orchestrated Jan 10 – 11 Celebrating some of the most recognizable music of sports, from football fight songs to figure skating waltzes, and inspirational renditions from Rocky to Rudy, you’ll huddle up for those moments of triumph and heartache. You’ll also cheer for An All-Star Suite featuring Beethoven and Respighi.

A Salute to the Pops!

Jan 31 – Feb 1 Take a trip down memory lane with The Venice Symphony’s Salute to the Pops! concert. Hear popular orchestral music throughout the years.

Hollywood in Venice Feb 21 – 22 Relive some of the most well-known big screen musical classics of all time —from composers of the silver screen’s golden age to emerging talents. This cinematic journey includes music from A Summer Place, Ben-Hur, Mary Poppins, Thor: The Dark World, Top Gun: Maverick, Madagascar and Hooray for Hollywood. Our guest vocalist for this concert is Andrea Zomorodian.

Crazy for Gershwin

Mar 14 – 15 The Venice Symphony pays tribute to beloved American composer George Gershwin with a blend of jazz and classical music selections from audience favorites An American in Paris, Girl Crazy and Rhapsody in Blue. Guest artist Conrad Tao will accompany the symphony on piano.

The Rat Pack is Back Mar 22 For one night only Pete Barenbregge will lead The Venice Symphony Jazz Orchestra and legendary performer Michael Andrew, famed headline singer and bandleader of New York City’s Rainbow Room, to the swinging sounds of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and other legendary artists, for an evening you won’t forget.

Cosmic Worlds Apr 25 – 26 Get ready to travel to a galaxy far, far away with The Venice Symphony. This concert features cosmic classics from award-winning composers John Williams, Franz Waxman, and Gustav Holst’s epic piece The Planets. Our guest artist is Kenneth Radnofsky, American classical saxophonist. Get ready for a truly ‘out of this world’ concert experience.

Venice Theatre

Charming, wowing and moving audiences since 1950, Venice Theatre stands as, per capita, the largest community theater in the United States. From classics and musical favorites on the main stage to the daring and raucous productions populating the theater’s Stage II, Venice Theatre pulls out all the stops for a theater-going population always looking for something new. The cabaret festival brings countless productions to the stage for weeks of musical and dramatic entertainment. venicestage.com

9 to 5 Oct 24 – Nov 24 With a Tony-nominated score by Dolly Parton, three women take control of their lives in a man’s world and stand up for friendship and what’s right.

Syncopation Nov 1 – 24 1911 NYC. The passion for dance and a search for a more meaningful life brings two unlikely souls together who tango and foxtrot their way to new possibilities.

A Christmas Carol Dec 6 – 22 Venice Theatre’s musical version of A Christmas Carol returns with the joyous spirit of the year-end holidays. Intergenerational veterans from past productions (including Brad Wages as Scrooge) join with new cast members to tell Charles Dickens’ story of redemption and rebirth.

Don’t Touch That Dial Jan 17 – Feb 9 A fast-moving, nostalgic musical of hit show theme songs from television’s bygone golden age, presented as an audience participatory trivia contest. Test your memory and win a prize.

My Fair Lady Jan 31 – Mar 2 Professor Henry Higgins’ effort to teach young Cockney accent-speaking flower seller Eliza Doolittle how to speak like a proper lady to upgrade her station in life develops into an unlikely friendship. Widely considered one of the greatest musicals of all time.

The Lightning Thief Feb 28 – Mar 23 This action-packed pop-rock musical follows teen demi-god Percy Jackson’s quest to find Zeus’ missing lightning bolt and prevent a war between the Greek gods.

The Silver Foxes Mar 11–16 The “youngest” cast in town will once again regale you with song, dance, and ribald humor in their new variety show. Being “mature” never looked and sounded so good.

Alice in Wonderland

Apr 4 – 27 Alice’s rabbit-hole adventures into a fantasy world of unusual creatures and riddles come to life in this Family Friendly production featuring young performers.

The Learned Ladies

Apr 11 – May 4 Moliere’s witty classical verse comedy skewers the haughty pretensions of a women’s self-educating salon amid love triangles that scandalize the household.

Pinky’s Players

May 8 – 11 Delight once again in the inspiring performances of Pinky’s Players, Venice Theatre’s Community Engagement Program that partners with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to develop and share their artistic talents.

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe

Founded in December 1999, by performer, director and playwright Nate Jacobs, this nonprofit theater is the only professional black theater company on Florida’s west coast. Through musicals— both Broadway and Jacobs’ originals—as well as comedies and thought-provoking dramas from notable playwrights, WBTT explores the African-American experience onstage every year in a five-show season. Since its inception, WBTT has mentored and inspired many AfricanAmerican youth and young adults through participation in the company’s productions. Many aspiring professional artists who trained with WBTT have gone on to work with regional theaters and national touring companies, on Broadway and on national television and with major record companies. westcoastblacktheatre.org

Soul Crooners Solid Gold

Edition Oct 9–Nov 17

“Soul Crooners Solid Gold Edition”—a celebration of the music that ushered in a new era of soul during the 1970s— has not been featured on the mainstage since its debut in 2009.

A Motown Christmas Nov 27 – Jan 5 The exuberant musical revue, “A Motown Christmas.” (Created, adapted and directed by Nate Jacobs) features some favorite traditional carols as well as many original Christmas songs written and recorded by Motown’s most celebrated artists, WBTT’s sizzling signature style makes this a most memorable Christmas treat.

Fences Jan 15 – Feb 23

Written by renowned American playwright August Wilson. Wilson had a massive impact on Broadway with this play, which tells the story of a responsible yet otherwise flawed Black garbage collector in pre-Civil Rights America. Deemed a “generational play,” it mirrors the classic struggle of status quo, tradition and age versus change, innovation and youth. “Fences” is one of the most significant African American plays of the 20th century.”

Five Guys Named Moe

Mar 5–Apr 6 An exuberant tribute to the music of rhythm and blues pioneer Louis Jordan, Five Guys Named Moe features incredible dance numbers and a wonderful musical score. The hero, Nomax, is broke and his lovely Lorraine has left him. As he listens to the radio at 5 am, five guys named Moe appear and encourage Nomax to turn his life around and tell Lorraine that he loves her.

Syncopated Avenue

Apr 16–May 25 WBTT produces its first-ever tap revue—starring electrifying tap dancer Lamont Brown—in this musical journey through the captivating and entertaining world of tap dance. SRQARTS

9 to 5 Oct 24 – Nov 24 With a Tony-nominated score by Dolly Parton, three women take control of their lives in a man’s world and stand up for friendship and what’s right.

Syncopation Nov 1 – 24 1911 NYC. The passion for dance and a search for a more meaningful life brings two unlikely souls together who tango and foxtrot their way to new possibilities.

Alice in Wonderland

Apr 4 – 27 Alice’s rabbit-hole adventures into a fantasy world of unusual creatures and riddles come to life in this Family Friendly production featuring young performers.

The Learned Ladies

Apr 11 – May 4 Moliere’s witty classical verse comedy skewers the haughty pretensions of a women’s self-educating salon amid love triangles that scandalize the household.

Pinky’s Players

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe

Soul Crooners Solid Gold

Edition Oct 9–Nov 17

“Soul Crooners Solid Gold Edition”—a celebration of the music that ushered in a new era of soul during the 1970s— has not been featured on the mainstage since its debut in 2009.

August Wilson’s Fences Jan 15 – Feb 23 Written by renowned American playwright August Wilson. Wilson had a massive impact on Broadway with this play, which tells the story of a responsible yet otherwise flawed Black garbage collector in pre-Civil Rights America. Deemed a “generational play,” it mirrors the classic struggle of status quo, tradition and age versus change, innovation and youth. “Fences” is one of the most significant African American plays of the 20th century.”

Five Guys Named Moe

Syncopated Avenue

Apr 16–May 25 WBTT produces its first-ever tap revue—starring electrifying tap dancer Lamont Brown—in this musical journey through the captivating and entertaining world of tap dance. SRQARTS