- April 3, 2025
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Arts Advocates Luncheon: Booker High VPA Program with Greg Rumph
11:30 a.m. at Arts Advocates Gallery, The Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail
$30-$35
Visit ArtsAdvocates.org.
Greg Rumph, artist, assistant principal and head of Booker High School’s Visual & Performing Arts Program, will speak about training the next generation of artists in this luncheon showcasing student talent.
Circus Sarasota 2025
7 p.m. under the Big Top in Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle
$28-$80
Visit CircusArts.org.
Circus Sarasota returns to the Big Top in Nathan Benderson Park with a lineup of new acts presided over by Ringmaster Joseph Bauer. Among the circus artists featured are tight wire artist Brando Anastasini, a 2024 Generation Next honoree in the Circus Ring of Fame, aerialist Eve Diamond, the Pellegrini Brothers hand balancers, juggler Noel Aguilar and the Flying Caballeros trapeze artists. Runs through March 9.
'Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci'
7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$39-$162
Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
The Sarasota Opera's 2025 Winter Festival features the double bill of "Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci," an adulterous duo staged so often together that they are known as "Cav" and "Pag," for short. "Cav" takes place on an Easter Morning in a small village in Italy while "Pag" is a play within a play and is the mother of all sad clown stories. Runs through March 29.
‘John Proctor is the Villain’
7:30 p.m. at FSU Center for Performing Arts, 5555 N.Tamiami Trail
$40
Visit AsoloRep.org/Conservatory.
FSU/Asolo Conservatory presents newcomer Kimberly Belflower’s play about Georgia high schoolers who try to tell the difference between fact and fiction as they study Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible." Runs through March 2.
‘Fences’
7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $22-$52
Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe presents “Fences,” the sixth play of playwright August Wilson’s 10-part American Century Cycle. Set in 1957, it follows Troy Maxson, a garbage collector whose baseball dreams were derailed by bigotry. His unresolved anger creates trouble with his son, Cory, who’s got his own big league ambitions. Runs through Feb. 23.
‘The Chinese Lady’
7:30 p.m. at The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road
$40
Visit AsoloRep.org/Conservatory.
Sarasota has some wonderful stages and some of them are in unexpected spaces. FSU/Asolo Conservatory presents “The Chinese Lady” in the Wagon Room of The Ringling. Written by Lloyd Suh, whose “The Heart Sellers” is currently running at Florida Studio Theatre, “The Chinese Lady” follows Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to immigrate to America. Runs through March 2.
‘The Cancellation of Lauren Fein’
8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.
$25-$42
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Written by Miami lawyer Christopher Demos-Brown, "The Cancellation of Lauren Fein" tells the story of a "woke" professor (Rachel Moulton) forced to defend herself against charges of racism and sexual molestation. Leave your assumptions at the theater door. Runs through March 15.
‘The Heart Sellers’
8 p.m. at FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave.
$25-$42
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Take a time trip back to Thanksgiving 1973 when a chance meeting between two recent Asian immigrants develops into an unexpected friendship. Spoiler: Just because the holiday has passed, it’s not too late to talk turkey about assimilation, identity and female bonds. Runs through Feb. 23.
American Vintage Markets
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Robarts Arena, Sarasota Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd.
$8; 16 and under free
Visit AmericanVintageMarkets.com.
Browse vintage items from vendors including pickers, makers, collectors, creators and artisans. Continues Saturday.
Sarasota Opera House Tour
10:30 a.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$15-$20
Visit ArtsAdvocates.org.
Arts Advocates presents a private tour of the historic Sarasota Opera House, built in 1926 and restored at a cost of $20 million from 2007-8. Learn about the history of the building and the Sarasota Opera, including its apprentice and youth opera programs, its costume shop, stage, and how things work behind the scenes.
Saint Barbara Greek Festival
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, 7671 Lockwood Ridge Road
$5; kids under 12 are free
Visit StBarbaraFestival.org.
The 41st annual Saint Barbara Greek Festival (The Glendi) features authentic Greek food and wine, live music, dancing, crafts, a kids' adventure zone, church tours, a raffle for a car or $35,000 cash, and more. Portions of the proceeds benefit Mothers Helping Mothers. Event tickets are available at the gate. Continues 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Jazz @ Two: Pete Carney Quartet
2 p.m. at Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road
$15-$20
Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.
If it’s Friday afternoon, it’s time to roll into the weekend with Jazz @ Two, presented by the Jazz Club of Sarasota. This week’s concert features the Pete Carney Quartet playing the music of Stan Getz, the tenor sax player known as the "Sound." Getz had a tempestuous life but was one of the godfathers of the bossa nova with “Getz/Gilberto,” his award-winning collaboration with Brazilian vocalist Astrud Gilberto.
SCDE Spring In-Studio Performance
7 p.m. at Sarasota Contemporary Dance, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300
$20
Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance.org.
“Poetry in Motion” is the title of the Spring In-Studio Performance of Sarasota Contemporary Dance Ensemble, led by artistic director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott. British musician Thomas Dolby (“She Blinded Me With Science”) would approve. Runs through Feb. 24.
Masterworks: Melting Pot of Music
7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail
$39-$105
Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.
Led by guest conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Sarasota Orchestra performs a musical gumbo that blends European traditions with Afro-Peruvian spice and popular music. This Masterworks concert even has a saxophonist — Steven Banks — as its guest soloist playing Billy Childs’ Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra. The program also features Strauss’ Suite from “Der Rosenkavalier” and Ravel’s “La Valse.” Runs through Feb. 23.
Alain Perez Quinteto
7:30 p.m. at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road
$40-$50
Visit Ringling.org.
The Ringling’s Art of Performance presents Alain Perez, the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who is an ambassador for Cuban music worldwide. His wide-ranging career has included collaborations with jazz legends as well as his own orchestral project. Runs through Feb. 22.
Satchel's Get Your Mutt Movin' 5K Run and Walk
8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Festival runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at Payne Park, 2010 Adams Lane
$45-$110
Visit RunSignUp.com.
Support Satchel's Last Resort Animal Shelter with a 5K run or walk at Payne Park, on a new three-loop course. The run will be followed by a festival with offerings including canine agility courses; contests including a pet costume contest, a "pie eating" contest, and Most Unique Pet; free beers from Bernie's Brew Pub for all entrants, a photo booth and more.
Festival of the Arts
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 600 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key
Free
Visit ArtFestival.com.
The fourth annual Festival of the Arts will feature dozens of local vendors will be selling art, jewelry, photography and more.
‘The Barber of Seville’
7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$32-$155
Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” is one of two operas in the Sarasota Opera’s 2025 Winter Festival that follow the adventures of Figaro, the clever servant of Count Almaviva, who uses disguise and trickery to help his master woo his beloved Rosina. “Barber” is considered the prequel to Mozart’s masterpiece, “The Marriage of Figaro,” even though it was written later. Spoiler: No one dies in “Barber” and there are a lot of laughs in this light-hearted opera. Runs through March 29.
Hollywood in Venice
7:30 p.m. at Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave. Building 5, Venice
$38-$70
Visit TheVeniceSymphony.org.
Led by Maestro Troy Quinn, the Venice Symphony takes a musical tour of Tinsel Town with songs from “A Summer Place,” “Ben-Hur,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and other hits of the silver screen featuring guest artist Andrea Zomorodian.
Washington and Lincoln
3 p.m. at Northminster Presbyterian Church, 3131 61st St.
$5
Visit SuncoastConcertBand.org.
Now in its 92nd season, Suncoast Concert Band draws musical inspiration from two of our greatest presidents with this affordable concert. Call 941-907-4123 to reserve a ticket and please be sure to dial the right number.
Sundays at The Bay featuring Clover’s Revenge
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at The Oval, The Bay, 1055 Blvd. of the Arts
Free
Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
Enjoy a free concert by Clover's Revenge. Described as "a dangerous intersection of two Irish musical traditions," the band fuses acoustic pub music and Celtic punk rock with simple instrumentation, taking inspiration from the Dubliners, Pogues, Silly Wizard and Flogging Molly.
‘A Few of Our Favorite Things’
7 p.m. at Church of the Redeemer, 222 S. Palm Ave.
$5-$40
Visit ChoralArtistsSarasota.org.
Choral Artists of Sarasota presents “A Few of Our Favorite Things," an intimate recital featuring soprano Adelaide Boedecker and pianist Joseph Holt. The program features works by Mozart alongside Gershwin and Chopin with African American spirituals.
Jazz Jam SRQ
5:30 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St.
Free
Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.
Jazz Club of Sarasota presents a jazz jam that is open to musicians of all levels and is free to the public.
'Improvising Mozart'
7 p.m. at St. Boniface Episcopal Church, 5615 Midnight Pass Road
$20-$75
Visit SoundBoxVentures.org.
Max Tan and pianist David Kaplan combine music, conversation and comedy in this “Listen Hear" salon concert from Soundbox Ventures. Tan and Kaplan will perform four Mozart violin sonatas, improvising both within and beyond Mozart's scores. The program culminates with Mozart’s newly discovered “Fantasia,” improvised live by Kaplan.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with special guest Brit Taylor
7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail
$40-$80
Visit VanWezel.org.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is billing this concert as part of a farewell tour after their six decades in the music business. We’ll take them at their word. This band is so much more than the hits they are famous for (“Mr. Bojangles," "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"), but they understand that audiences want to hear the songs that were the soundtrack to their lives.
Joy McIntyre Lecture: Rossini and Mozart
10:30 a.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St.
Free with registration
Visit SarasotaMusicArchive.org.
Sarasota Concert Association President Joy McIntyre is a local cultural treasure, having worked as an opera singer and a professor before “retiring” to Sarasota. Her lecture on Rossini and Mozart, sponsored by the Sarasota Music Archive, is the perfect accompaniment to the two Figaro operas by these composers featured in the Sarasota Opera’s 2025 Winter Festival.
‘Stayin' Alive: One Night of the Bee Gees’
7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail
$25-$60
Visit VanWezel.org.
This Bee Gees’ tribute show doesn’t get stuck in the disco groove. In addition to hits from the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack such as “How Deep is Your Love” and “You Should Be Dancing,” the show features songs from the Brothers Gibb’s 45 years at the top of the charts, from “I Started a Joke” to “Nights on Broadway.”
