Artistic Directors’ Letters to Santa

The directors of our local performing arts organizations have been good, for goodness sake. A few of their letters to Santa recently wound up in our mailbox by mistake. We’re printing them here with their permission.

Dear Santa,

Here’s what I hope you’ll give to me on the 12 days of Christmas: 12 more rows of parking, 11 added artist condos, 10 packed student matinees, nine sold-out productions, eight new shiny offices, seven automated stage lights, six world premieres, five rehearsal halls, four theater spaces, three touring vans, two perfect martinis and one record-breaking 2016-17 season.

As always, your complimentary tickets are waiting at will call.

Keep up the good work!

—Michael Donald Edwards,

Producing Artistic Director of Asolo Rep.

Dear Santa,

I know it’s been a while since we’ve been in touch. I think I got a little upset when you neglected to get me that opera cape I asked for when I was 4. (Why you got me a baseball glove instead, I’ll never know.) But now I think it’s probably time to get back in touch with you. As you know, we’ll be doing “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Selby Gardens next April. Please, please, please pull some strings with the powers that be, and make sure the 2017 rainy season doesn’t start until May! I’m confident you have sufficient pull with the responsible party — El Niño, La Niña, My Nana, or whoever. Please ask them nicely to stay off the scene until after we close that show. Who could say no to you?

I sincerely appreciate your help in this matter. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to compliment your sense of style. Red is definitely your color. Have you ever considered a red opera cape to go with that outfit?

Thanks for everything, Santa!

—Greg Leaming,

Conservatory Director, FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training

My Dear St. Nicholas,

I hope you’ve had a lovely 2016. We at Gotta Van Productions have all been very good this year. We’ve been well-behaved, nice-mannered and about jolliest people you’ll ever see!

Here’s our Christmas wish, my dear one: A packed house full of theater-lovers at every show at our next SaraSolo festival; frequent flyer points from people wanting to sponsor out-of-town artists for the SaraSolo festival; a treasurer and a CPA for our board of directors; a citywide coming together of all theater companies and venues to create the Sarasota Fringe Festival.

Thank you very much, dear old Saint Nicholas! We never stopped believing in you.

Your loving, favorite artistic director —

—Annie Morrison, Artistic Director of Gotta Van Productions

Dear Santa,

All year long, the Sarasota Orchestra is a joyful and joy-filled ensemble of great artists. On behalf of all of our musicians, I’d like to ask you for a new concert hall. A place where the calendar is friendly so we can have all our rehearsals in the same place that we perform. A place with great acoustics that can showcase the orchestra’s skill, and a place where sound painting can be in vivid color and with the finest nuances. A place that will be a gathering destination and point of pride for our community. A place where every musical blossom says to the world that great music is alive and vibrant in Sarasota.

Please help us make that dream a reality.

Joyfully yours—

—Anu Tali, Music Director Sarasota Orchestra

Dear Santa,

I’ve been thinking a lot about you this year. You were so good to me last year, and I really appreciate everything you gave me. I don't want to be greedy. But I have worked double hard to be good this year because I still need stuff. So, if it’s not too much to ask, please bring me:

More hours in the day, especially in the part when the sun shines. A big new parking garage where all the FST patrons and employees can park their cars. (About 313 to be exact.) Right next to the theater would be great. (I have designs if you’d like to see them.) More classroom space for FST's arts education programs that are growing so fast they’re running out of room. (Children are literally hanging out the windows like that famous Normal Rockwell painting.) Please replace the aging housing scattered around downtown. Brand new housing for FST to accommodate the growing number of artists on our campus would be like Christmas all year long.

And most of all, Santa, please ask the fairy queen to sprinkle fairy dust over the avenues of Palm and Cocoanut to help the poor City of Sarasota workers finish the roundabout they started back in the summer. They said they’d complete it in November. They haven’t, though they’ve been working really hard, off and on, but slow. Those workers seem to need some help because they keep digging up the street and repaving it over and over again. (I think they’re being punished for something naughty they did. You would know, of course.)

Sadly, the 750 nice people going to plays every night at FST are stumbling and bumbling over a great big mess, with no street lights, broken sidewalks, and dangerous cliffs and pot holes that would make Harry Potter confused and nervous.

Please help them, Santa.

I promise to be extra good in 2017.

—From Richard Hopkins

Artistic Director, Florida Studio Theatre

Dear Santa —

As you surely know, the holiday season is a special time for any chorus. Whether we’re singing old chestnuts like Messiah or the favorite carols of the season, it’s always a time of joy.

The choral artists of Gloria Musicae and Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota share a simple wish list: We wish that the beauty inherent in choral music touch the lives of all that support us and attend our concerts. Musicians give of themselves wholly and without condition. The gift of one’s self is the best gift of all. When your gifts are warmly received and thoroughly appreciated, it’s the best feeling in the world. A feeling I know you share.

Merry Christmas to all!!

—Joseph Holt,

Director of Artist Programs, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota

Artistic Director, Gloria Musicae

Music Director, Faith Lutheran Church