Scene & Heard

+ ‘Festival of Stars’ stars the students
There were plenty of big names on stage at the Carreño Dance Festival’s “Festival of Stars” Aug. 27, at the Sarasota Opera House. Among them were: José Manuel Carreño, Sarah Lane, Melanie Hamrick, Drew Jacoby, Rubinald Pronk and Gennadi Saveliev. But for many in the audience, the real stars were the children — the 50 students from the U.S. and abroad who participated in the festival’s first Summer Intensive. Every one of them danced in the program-opening master class, a cleverly choreographed version of the technique class that dancers take daily.

The Carreño Festival is sponsored by the Sarasota International Dance Festival, founded by Robert de Warren, with prominent support from board Chairwoman Elita Krums-Kane, Stanley Kane, Dr. David and Pilar Goldstein, Robert and Jeanne Zabelle, Ernest and Alisa Kretzmer, Walter and Donna Maytham, Robert Wilk, Anna Maria Troiano, and Harold and Wanda Libby and many other dance-loving Sarasotans. The festival returns to Sarasota Dec. 21, with “The Nutcracker, The Great Imperial Ballet.” For information, visit www.carrenodancefestival.com.

+ Art Center Sarasota hits a triple
Art Center Sarasota opened “The Other Persona,” its members-only, all-media juried exhibition Aug. 25, and at the same time held the opening receptions for “Out of Mind,“ featuring the fantastic costume creations and ephemera of Ray Peper and drawings, paintings and assemblages by Jo Proietti; and “Food for Thought,” featuring paintings by Vicki Chelf and Jeff Schwartz.

The award winners in “The Other Persona” were: first place, Karen DeLeon Stuart for “Meriam’s Eyes”; second place, Javier Rodriguez for “Untitled”; and third place, Peter Vince for “Wedding Feast.”

The opening reception also honored donors and supporters of Art Center Sarasota, without which, “There wouldn’t be any arts in Sarasota,” said Gale Fulton Ross, exhibition committee chairwoman. Present to receive their recognition were Howard and Betty Isermann, Jane Smiley, Penelope Kingman, Sam and Sally Shapiro, Jim Harman and board President Adam Kendall. Also honored were Bob and Lee Peterson and Ramsey Frangie.

About 350 guests attended the opening. The exhibits run through Oct. 22. For more information and hours, visit www.artsarasota.org.

+ Couture your closet with costumes
If you’d rather do anything than fight the teenyboppers and prima-donnas for a run-of-the-mill maid or cop costume this Halloween, Asolo Repertory Theatre has a solution.

The Asolo Rep Scenic Studios will host a costume sale Friday, Sept. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 1, at 1009 Tallevast Road.

Costumes spanning decades of clothing from the 1920s to the 1980s — dresses, novelty costumes, armor and vintage, plus specialty items — will be available for purchase from $1 to $400.

Some of the higher-priced items are from productions of “Peter Pan,” “Adriadne auf Naxos” and “Julius Caesar.” The costumes have been worn by stars who have graced the Asolo Rep stage, including David Howard, Doug Jones, Carolyn Michel, Sharon Spelman and Brad Wallace. Call 351-9010, Ext. 4800, for information.

+ Ringling Museum circles the wagons
Two of the most recognizable circus wagons in the world made their first journey in 63 years Thursday, Aug. 25.

The Five Graces Bandwagon and Two Jesters Steam Calliope Wagon, exhibited in the original Ringling Circus Museum since 1948, were pulled by hydraulic jack to their new home, the Ringling Circus Museum’s Tibbals Learning Center. They are the first circus artifacts to be placed inside the $7.5 million addition to the center, set to open Saturday, Sept. 24, with free admission for the public.

The wagons, stationed at the entrance on the first floor, are a focal point of the 11,000-square-foot interactive exhibition space that recaptures the drama and excitement of a day at the circus.

HOT TICKETS
“The Savannah Disputation”: This off-Broadway comedy will close out Florida Studio Theatre’s summer season in FST’s Keating Theatre. The latest from Evan Smith, it tells the story of two Catholic sisters whose faith is shaken after a visit from a young evangelist. Their response? Invite the missionary and their parish priest to a devilish dinner party where they stage a theological showdown. The show runs through Sept. 4. Call 366-9000 or visit www.FloridaStudioTheatre.org for information.