Sarasota Spring Season Arts Preview, In-Person and Virtual
Enjoy a revamped lineup of shows this season from dozens of companies, galleries and theaters eager to dazzle audiences
Arts abound in Sarasota in the late winter and spring months. From concerts to art exhibits to plays, you have a whole choice of cultural events to enjoy in Sarasota this February through May. Some are held in person with safety measures (some plays and concerts are even performed outside), while others are virtual, which you can enjoy from the comfort of home.
Read on for more details about in-person and virtual arts events in Sarasota this spring. Always double check in advance to make sure these events are still scheduled to occur as planned.
FEBRUARY
In-Person
Embracing Our Differences Exhibit
Now through April 1
Bayfront Park, 5 Bayfront Drive, Sarasota
Organizer: Embracing Our Differences
Embracing Our Differences’ annual outdoor exhibit is at the heart of a year-round program of activities designed to use art as a catalyst to create awareness and promote diversity. The exhibit is also available online.
Designing Sarasota: An Architectural History
Now through April 17
Center for Architecture Sarasota, 265 S. Orange Ave., Sarasota
Organizer: Center for Architecture Sarasota
In collaboration with the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation and the AIA Gulf Coast Chapter, this exhibit will examine the unique history of architecture in Sarasota from the time of Native Americans to the present.
Bay Park Yoga
Saturdays, Feb. 6 through 27, 9:30 a.m.
Organizer: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Relax, stretch and enjoy a fulfilling yoga session on the Sarasota’s scenic bayfront while instructor Erin Hurter guides you along the way. Participants should plan to bring their own yoga mat.
Acoustic Sunsets
Mondays starting Feb. 8 through May 17
The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota
Organizer: The Ringling
Join The Ringling for acoustic sets with a solo musician on Ca’ d’Zan Terrace. This socially distanced event will feature live music with food and drink for purchase. Tickets are $20.
Amor: The Greatest Love Songs
Feb. 10, 4 p.m.
Plantation Golf & Country Club, Venice, 500 Rockley Blvd., Venice
Organizer: Artist Series Concerts
Songwriter, recording artist, “romantic singing sensation” and Artist Series Concerts favorite Anthony Nunziata returns to town with a brand new show. Tickets are $57 for dinner and the performance.
The Happy Deception (L’inganno felice) by Gioachino Rossini
Also Available for Online Streaming
Feb. 12 through 25
Sarasota Opera, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota
Organizer: Sarasota Opera
Sung in Italian with English translations above the stage. A duchess disappears and then washes up on a beach in a small mining town. A kind miner takes her in and cares for her, until ten years later when her grieving husband and his entourage pay a visit. Abduction, menace, passion, and comedy all swirl towards a happy conclusion. Also available for streaming online.
Light Up the Night!
February 12 through March 14
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (outside), 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota
Organizer: Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is excited to return to its outdoor performance area once more for the "Light Up the Night!" open-air concert series, featuring a live band led by Resident Music Director (and bass player) James “Jay” Dodge II, accompanying a variety of popular WBTT artists. Also included will be favorites like Raleigh Mosely, Henry Washington and more as they perform soul hits of the 1970s. Selections will include "Superstition," "Let's Get It On," I Want You Back," "Brick House," "September" and many more. $40.
Sam and Lizzie
Feb. 13, 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Hermitage Artist Retreat (outdoors), 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood
Organizer: Urbanite Theatre
Presented on the beach at the Hermitage Artist Retreat, “Sam & Lizzie” follows the story of two young girls co-creating an imaginary, fanciful queendom. Over the next 20 years, the game recurs at startling intervals as the two women navigate their fierce, fraught, electric friendship.
Women of Note
Feb. 18, 5:30 p.m.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound Street, Sarasota
Organizer: Artist Series Concerts
Women of Note features a celebration of female voices and female composers with Jenny Kim-Godfrey, soprano; Robyn Rocklein, mezzo-soprano; Joseph Holt, piano; and narration by Marcy Miller. Tickets are $35.
Maid to Mistress (La serva padrona) by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Also Available for Online Streaming
Feb. 19 through March 4
Sarasota Opera, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota
Organizer: Sarasota Opera
Sung in Italian with English translations above the stage. A wealthy bachelor grows impatient with his saucy young maid and resolves to find a wife to care for him properly. The maid has other ideas and schemes to get the promotion she desires — bride and mistress of the home. Also available for streaming.
Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
Feb. 20 through March 3, 7 p.m.
Asolo Repertory Theatre, Outdoor Terrace Stage, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Asolo Repertory Theatre
Part theater, part revival, and all power – this one-woman show with music will have you head nodding and hand clapping from start to finish. Written by award-winning playwright Cheryl L. West and portrayed by powerhouse performer E. Faye Butler, Fannie tells the story of civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer. Tickets range from $25 to $50.
Under the Banyans With Sarasota Orchestra
Feb. 21, 2:30
The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota
Organizer: The Ringlin
In partnership with the Sarasota Orchestra, The Ringling will host a chamber music concert under the banyans as part of the On the Road with SO: Parks and Partner outdoor concerts for the community. $5.
Latin Sounds
Feb. 25 through 28
Sarasota Orchestra, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Sarasota Orchestra
Latin American composers have served as a rich source of compelling music for centuries. This program features extraordinary compositions by three of the most celebrated 20thand 21st century Latin voices. In person with streaming access available after in-person concert dates.
Broadway on the Bay
Also Available for Online Streaming
Feb. 25 through 28 at 5:30 pm
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound Street, Sarasota
Organizer: The Players Centre for the Performing Arts
A breathtaking night of dazzling Broadway tunes, as you relax by the bay in the magical Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Enjoy some of your favorite local performers: Jamon Buie, Jamie Molina, Alana Opie and Teresa Stanley. Also available for streaming. $20.
Spoon River Anthology
Feb. 27 through 28, 4 p.m.
Jiggs Landing Outpost, 6106 63rd St. East, Bradenton
Organizer: The Players Centre for the Performing Arts
In this beautifully haunting play by Edgar Lee Masters, the former residents of Spoon River examine life and the longing for what might have been. As the citizens reflect on the dreams, secrets, and regrets of their lives, they paint a gritty and honest portrait of the town as all of their pasts are illuminated. $20.
Safe House
Feb. 26 through April 4
Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd Avenue, Sarasota
Organizer: Urbanite Theatre
After leaving his cybersecurity job at a powerful corporation, Fletcher and his wife Ava have gone into hiding, along with their damning company secrets. When Ava mysteriously disappears, Fletcher turns to a stranger to help find her: you. In this fully immersive and interactive experience, step inside Fletcher’s secretive safehouse and navigate his cryptic digital clues to uncover the truth. “Safe House” offers many viewings per day. To keep the experience safe, just four participants are allowed per viewing.
Romeo Is Bleeding
Feb. 28, 6:30 p.m.
Historic Asolo Theater, Benfer Courtyard
Organizer: Historic Asolo Theater
In this film, a fatal turf war between neighborhoods haunts the city of Richmond, California. Donté Clark transcends the violence in his hometown by writing poetry about his experiences.
Virtual
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom
Feb. 1 through 15
Organizer: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Filled with traditional and original Gospel and Freedom songs, “Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom” tells the moving and inspiring true story of Lynda Blackmon, the youngest person to walk all the way from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama on the Voting Rights March in 1965.
As You Are
February 12, 3 p.m
Organizer: Florida Studio Theatre
In a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's As You Like It, an apartment community is stuck inside trying to find joy in the darkest of situations. Orlando, a recovering addict, struggles to pay rent and "earn" his stay while also trying to woo an artist, Ros, who's looking for the perfect moment to capture with her camera. Silvius, a high school teacher, tries his chances with exhausted nurse Phoebe while Audrey, a classically trained musician, tries to come to terms with being “good” but not “great.” Throughout this play with music, each character attempts to adjust to what it means to find joy amid great loss.
Aunt Rudele's Family Reunion
February 12 through March 28
Organizer: Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe
To help lift the spirits of community members as well as theater fans wherever they may be, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is pleased to offer streaming video of “Aunt Rudele’s Family Reunion.” Viewers will laugh out loud as WBTT founder and artistic director Nate Jacobs dons a dirty-blond wig, glasses and heels to portray "Aunt Rudele,” the busybody relative who knows no boundaries but always knows best.
A Romantic Night In
Feb. 13
Organizer: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
GRAMMY®-nominated saxophonist Dave Koz and R&B superstar vocalist Brian McKnight announce “A Romantic Night In,” a one-night-only livestream concert that will stream on Valentine’s Day Eve via Looped. They will be joined by special guest Sheléa.
Valentine’s Day Pops
Feb. 18 through 23
Organizer: Sarasota Orchestra
Sarasota Orchestra will serenade you “Night and Day” until “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”! This program features treasured tunes by Cole Porter, Puccini, and more. Feel your heart and soul sing along to the music. $10 for streaming access.
America in One Room
February 19, 3 p.m.
Organizer: Florida Studio Theatre
When eight strangers receive an invitation to the America in One Room convention, promising debate on a wide range of topics, they are hesitant to participate. However, as each personality files into the aptly-titled Liberty Room, their insecurities, strengths, weaknesses, and hopes for the future are put on full display. Inspired by the 2019 convention of the same name, America in One Room dissects recent headlines and our nation’s past to answer the question: what does it mean to be an American?
Pianists Garrick Ohlsson & Kirill Gerstein Duo Piano
February 25, 7 p.m.
Organizer: Sarasota Concert Association
Experience the talents of these internationally renowned pianists as they team up to perform two-piano arrangements of beloved orchestral works, including Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances and Ravel’s La Valse.
American Rhapsody
February 26, 3 p.m.
Organizer: Florida Studio Theatre
Starting with the Moon Landing in 1969 and ending in the near future of 2032, American Rhapsody tells the Cabot family’s story. As America evolves into a new identity, so does the family. Members of other races and sexual orientations marry into and redefine who the family thought they were—all set against the backdrop of the ever-changing landscape of the American zeitgeist.
Digital Program 5
Feb. 26 through March 2
Organizer: Sarasota Ballet
Available for streaming during the dates below, Digital Program 5 from the Sarasota Ballet features George Balanchine's Donizetti Variations and Ricardo Graziano's Amorosa. $35.
Perfect Pitch Prizes
February and through March 1
Organizer: Key Chorale
Enter for a chance to win prizes such as five days at Mountain Joe’s Appalachian Experience and a Private Chef in Your Home.
MARCH
In-Person
National Theatre Live: King Lear
March 4, 6:30 p.m.
Historic Asolo Theater, Benfer Courtyard
Organizer: Historic Asolo Theater
From London’s West End, see Ian McKellen’s portrayal of King Lear in cinemas. Chichester Festival Theatre’s production received five-star reviews for its sell-out run and transfers to the West End for a limited season.
Spoon River Anthology
March 6 through 7, 4 p.m.
Jiggs Landing Outpost, 6106 63rd St. East, Bradenton
Organizer: The Players Centre for the Performing Arts
In this beautifully haunting play by Edgar Lee Masters, the former residents of Spoon River examine life and the longing for what might have been. As the citizens reflect on the dreams, secrets, and regrets of their lives, they paint a gritty and honest portrait of the town as all of their pasts are illuminated. $20.
The Glenn Miller Sound with Rick Costa’s Jazz Sextet
March 7, 3 p.m.
Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota
Organizer: Artist Series Concerts
Take a trip back in time and get “In the Mood” with an afternoon of the best of Glenn Miller and the entire Swing era. An ensemble of six top area jazz musicians, including Tommy Dorsey Orchestra vocalist Walt Andrus, pays musical tribute to the glorious swinging sounds of the 1940s. Tickets are $35.
World of Jazz with Bull Buchman’s Art of Jazz Quintet
March 10, 6 p.m.
Plantation Golf & Country Club (outdoors), 500 Rockley Blvd., Venice
Organizer: Artist Series Concerts
A familiar presence on the area’s arts and jazz scene, pianist Bill Buchman has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe and has worked with such jazz legends as Jo Jones, Bobby Hackett, John LaPorta, Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis, and many others.
All in the Family
Also Available for Online Streaming
March 11 through 14
Sarasota Orchestra, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Sarasota Orchestra
Baroque master Johann Sebastian Bach fathered 20 children during his lifetime, and it should come as no surprise that several of them blossomed into remarkable composers in their own rights. This program features music by two of his sons, as well as music by Johann himself. Concert is in-person, with streaming access available after live concert dates.
Paul Anka—Greatest Hits—His Way
March 17, 8 p.m.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Paul Anka returns to Sarasota. With over 500 songs to his credit and over 126 albums recorded worldwide, Paul Anka is the only artist in history to have a song on the Billboard Top 100 over seven consecutive decades.
Lerner and Loewe’s CAMELOT
March 19 through April 1, 8 p.m.
Asolo Repertory Theatre, Outdoor Terrace Stage, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Asolo Repertory Theatre
The winner of four Tony® Awards, Lerner and Loewe’s classic 1960 musical defined an age when integrity, courage, and goodness prevailed as the ideals of humankind. King Arthur has created a utopian land of chivalry and civil rule. But when his beloved Queen Guinevere falls in love with Sir Lancelot, the king’s most trusted knight, true honor is put to the test.
Sylvia
March 24,-25, and 27 at 7:30 p.m., and March 28, 2 pm
The Bazaar on Apricot and Lime, 821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota
Organizer: The Players Centre for the Performing Arts
A street-smart mixture of Lab and poodle, Sylvia becomes a major bone of contention between husband and wife. She offers Greg an escape from the frustrations of his job and the unknowns of middle age. To Kate, Sylvia becomes a rival for affection. Tickets are $20.
Vintage POP!
March 24 through April 25
Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Avenue, Sarasota
Organizer: Florida Studio Theatre
With music made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, this revue starring Summer Cabaret favorite Carole J. Bufford explores the evolution of popular music from The Roaring Twenties to The Soaring Eighties. Featuring hits like “St. Louis Blues,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Sway,” and “A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.”
Death and the Maiden
Also Available for Online Streaming
March 25 through 28
Sarasota Orchestra, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Sarasota Orchestra
Franz Schubert’s monumental String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor was written in 1824 after the 27-year old composer had been hospitalized and knew that he was terminally ill. The title “Death and the Maiden” is taken from the quartet’s second movement, which is based on a song of that title Schubert had composed years earlier. The towering piece is considered one of the most important chamber music works in the repertoire, and an intense reflection on life and death. Concert is in-person, with streaming access available after live concert dates.
Ventures in Brass
March 28, 3 pm
Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota
Organizer: Artist Series Concerts
Ventures in Brass with the Venice Symphony Brass Quintet will feature Aaron Romm and Derek Blankenship, trumpet; Robert Moore, horn; Joe Offner, trombone; and Joseph Alvarez, tuba. The Venice Symphony Brass Quintet offers a musical smorgasbord covering everything from standard brass quintet literature and jazz, to Bach and Broadway. Tickets are $35.
Kenny G
March 31, 8 p.m.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kenny G returns to the Van Wezel! In a recording career spanning three decades and 23 albums, he has woven elements of R&B, pop and Latin music into his signature, smooth sound.
Three Pianos
March 31 through April 25
Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Avenue, Sarasota
Organizer: Florida Studio Theatre
From Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder to Carole King and Sarah McLachlan, Three Pianos celebrates the musical pioneers who refused to fit the mold of “rock star” and forged their own paths in the industry. This high-energy music revue will have you singing along to such ivory-tickling classics as “Crocodile Rock,” “Beautiful,” and “Just the Way You Are.”
Virtual
Black Muse
Through March 5
Organizer: Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative, Arts Sarasota, and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History and the Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative recently announced the winners of the 2021 “Black Muse” exhibition. The three groups collaborated to present this year’s exhibit, which solicited work from artists of African descent throughout Florida. The winning works are available on the websites of the Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative, Arts Sarasota, and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
Coronation: Mozart and Haydn
March 5 through 28
Organizer: Key Chorale
Enjoy two timeless masterpieces by classical music’s original trailblazers. Tickets are $30.
Samantha Bennett & George Nickson, Violin and Percussion
March 11, 7 p.m.
Organizer: Sarasota Concert Association
Sarasota Orchestra’s Samantha Bennett and Dallas Symphony’s George Nickson, also co-directors of ensembleNEWSRQ, present a program of wide-ranging works that showcases their versatile approach to contemporary music.
Ireland With Michael
March 14 through 16
Organizer: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Ireland With Michael is a Celtic show from the National Opera House in Wexford, Ireland. The never-before-seen stream features the Irish Concert Orchestra, two choirs, singers and musicians from all over Ireland, joining renowned Irish singer Michael Londra in a celebration of Irish culture, heritage and music for Saint Patrick’s season.
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Orchestra
March 25, 7 p.m.
Organizer: Sarasota Concert Association
“Overcoming Distance” is a pandemic-inspired program highlighting soloists performing works by Bach, Messiaen, and MacMillan, and the entire ensemble performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concert No. 4 and Mozart’s Symphony No. 29.
APRIL
In-Person
Bad Auditions by Bad Actors
April 2 & 3, 7 pm
The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota
Organizer: The Players Centre for the Performing Arts
Performed by The Players Teens. A casting director has one day to find the leads for a community theater production of “Romeo and Juliet.” But what seems like a simple task proves impossible when the pool of actors includes extreme method actors, performers who just don't know what to do with their hands, and one particular woman who may or may not think she's a cat. This hilarious comedy will bring you to the last place you'd ever want to be...behind the doors of a casting session. $20.
April Fools' Fete
Also Available for Online Streaming
April 5
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota
Organizer: Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe
This will be the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s spring fundraiser, with limited live attendance and streaming access available.
Chalk Festival
April 9 through 11 (tentative dates)
Venice Airport, 401 W. Venice Ave., Venice
Organizer: Chalk Festival
From start to finish, witness the largest gathering of renowned pavement artists perform using the road surface as a canvas to develop oversized masterpieces in chalk.
Il signor Bruschino by Gioachino Rossini
Also Available for Online Streaming
April 9 through 24
Sarasota Opera, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota
Organizer: Sarasota Opera
Sung in Italian with English translations above the stage. This lighthearted operatic comedy opens with one of Rossini’s most innovative and playful overtures. Anxious young lovers navigate their way through meddling parents, an arranged marriage, and a case of mistaken identity, with sparkling arias and ensembles soaring towards happily ever after. Streaming also available.
National Theatre Live: Hansard
April 11, 7:30 p.m.
Historic Asolo Theater, Benfer Courtyard
Organizer: Historic Asolo Theater
See Olivier Award winners Lindsay Duncan and Alex Jennings in this new play from Simon Woods, broadcast live from the National Theatre in London.
Dido & Aeneas by Henry Purcell
Also Available for Online Streaming
April 11 through 25
Sarasota Opera, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota
Organizer: Sarasota Opera
Sung in the original English with English translations above the stage. In this Baroque treasure based on The Aeneid of Virgil, Dido the Queen of Carthage falls in love with the Trojan warrior Aeneas, yet scheming sorcery and fateful spells doom their great passion. Hear the abandoned and heartbroken queen conclude the epic tale with one of opera’s most memorable laments. Streaming also available.
Tributes
Also Available for Online Streaming
April 15 through 18
Sarasota Orchestra, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Sarasota Orchestra
“Everything old is new again” describes this program of 20th century music written in tribute to past masters. Concert is in-person, with streaming access available after live concert dates.
Ana Isabelle & Friends in Concert Stand Back, Sarasota!
April 17 through 24, 8:30 p.m.
Asolo Repertory Theatre, Outdoor Terrace Stage, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Asolo Repertory Theatre
When the sun goes down, the heat kicks up when unstoppable actress, singer, dancer, and Latin pop sensation Ana Isabelle takes the Terrace Stage in a rare concert appearance. After her explosive performance as Eva Peròn in Asolo Rep’s Evita in 2017, Ana landed the role of Rosalia in Steven Spielberg's upcoming West Side Story; joined a veteran film cast in Imprisoned starring Laurence Fishburne; and co-starred in the remake of Coppola's Dementia 13. Filled with Broadway standards and her own pop hits, Ana also introduces a brand new single scheduled for release later this year.
Heat Latin Jazz Band
April 18, 3 p.m.
Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota
Organizer: Artist Series Concerts
Heat Latin Jazz Band is a vibrant seven-piece salsa/Latin Jazz group featuring students from Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, Florida. Their music covers a wide variety of traditional Latin music, ranging from salsa classics, Latin jazz and original compositions. The iconic classics of Celia Cruz, Oscar D’León, Joe Arroyo, El Gran Combo, Hector Lavoe and many others grace their repertoire. Tickets are $35.
Maria Wirries with Alan J. Corey on Piano
April 21, 4 p.m. performance and 5 p.m. dinner
Plantation Golf & Country Club (outdoors), 500 Rockley Blvd., Venice
Organizer: Artist Series Concerts
Emerging Broadway artist and local singing sensation Maria Wirries makes a return home for this special engagement with her longtime voice coach Alan Jay Corey on piano. Tickets are $57.
Sweet Caroline Tour
April 21, 8 p.m.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Returning to the Van Wezel, the Sweet Caroline Tour is a Neil Diamond Concert Celebration starring Jay White. White has performed over 10,000 concerts around the world over three decades honoring the artistry of the American music legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame icon.
The Great Outdoors
Also Available for Online Streaming
April 22 through 25, 5:30 pm
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound Street, Sarasota
Organizer: The Players Centre for the Performing Arts
The Great Outdoors is a one-hour musical revue with musical theater songs that take place or feature—you guessed it—the great outdoors. Musicals like Oklahoma, The Secret Garden, Finian’s Rainbow, Sound of Music, and more will be featured. Also available for streaming. Tickets are $20.
Jazz Pops
Also Available for Online Streaming
April 29 through May 2
Sarasota Orchestra, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Sarasota Orchestra
“Take the ‘A’ Train” to a concert of jazz music deeply rooted in the American tradition. Music by Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and Billy Strayhorn highlight this jazz revue with Sarasota Orchestra. Concert is in-person, with streaming access available after live concert dates.
Moana Jr.
April 30 & May 1, 7 pm
The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota
Organizer: The Players Centre for the Performing Arts
The Players Kids presents Moana Jr. Moana and the legendary demigod Maui embark on an epic journey of self-discovery and camaraderie as both learn to harness the power that lies within. With empowering messages of bravery and selflessness, this show is sure to bring out the hero within each of us. Tickets are $20.
Virtual
Digital Program 6
April 23 through 27
Organizer: Sarasota Ballet
Available for streaming during the dates below, Digital Program 6 from the Sarasota Ballet features George Balanchine's Serenade and Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Elite Syncopations. $35.
MAY
In-Person
Appalachian Spring
May 6 through 9
Sarasota Orchestra, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Organizer: Sarasota Orchestra
Brilliant impressions of Americana bookend this final program of the Sarasota Orchestra 20/21 season. African American composer Jessie Montgomery’s music has been called “turbulent, wildly colorful and exploding with life” (Washington Post).
Great Art on Screen: Botticelli: Florence and the Medici
May 13, 7:30 p.m.
Historic Asolo Theater, Benfer Courtyard
Organizer: Historic Asolo Theater
Travel on screen into the heart of the Renaissance in Florence with Botticelli. $15.
ONGOING
Left Coast Connections
Through May 28
Englewood Art Center
This exhibition at the Englewood Art Center (a division of Ringling College of Art and Design) features the work of 31 artists with connections to visionary artist and teacher Dick Oden. The exhibit is curated by George Zebot. Showings are by appointment only. Call 941-474-5548.
Virtual
Digital Program 7
May 21 through 25
Organizer: Sarasota Ballet
Available for streaming during the dates below, Digital Program 7 from the Sarasota Ballet features Sir Frederick Ashton's Birthday Offering and Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs. $35.