- January 3, 2025
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For some of us, 2025 couldn't have come soon enough. After three hurricanes in 2024, including one that closed the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall for more than two months, we're ready for a return to normalcy. Some people might remember that catch phrase from the days when the pandemic put a dent in the performing arts scene.
So let's just say we're ready to move ahead. Fans of Broadway touring shows, and patrons of Sarasota Orchestra and Sarasota Ballet who like their performances in a big venue, rejoice! The Van Wezel is officially open again.
It's time to put on your best shoes and step out into a night filled with music and magic.
Jan. 14-19. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail. $50-$150. Visit VanWezel.org.
Even if you're not old enough to remember the first "Funny Girl" in 1964, you've no doubt heard of the musical that made Barbra Streisand a star. It's like knowing about the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and Niagara Falls.
Like those New York landmarks, "Funny Girl" is an icon. The revival coming to the Van Wezel retains the original score by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill and features an updated book from Harvey Fierstein. Based on the life of singer and comedian Fanny Brice, "Funny Girl" was a huge hit when it bowed on Broadway in 2022.
See for yourself whether "people who need people" are indeed the luckiest people in the world.
Jan. 22 to March 9. FST's Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $29. Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
We're all veterans of the culture wars, whether we know it or not. Regardless of which side you are on, you're sure to be stimulated by this provocative play. Written by Miami lawyer and playwright Christopher Demos-Brown, "The Cancellation of Lauren Fein" made a splash in its world premiere in February 2024 at Palm Beach DramaWorks.
The gripping drama tells the story of a "woke" professor who is forced to defend herself against charges of racism and that she sexually molested a graduate student. In Sarasota, Florida Studio Theatre's production of the play focusing on cancel culture is bound to push a few buttons. Leave your assumptions at the theater door.
Jan. 31 to Feb. 2. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail. $39-$79. Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.
Giancarlo Guerrero is an imposing, energetic conductor who demands a big audience. His debut conducting a Masterworks concert as Sarasota Orchestra Music Director Designate was originally scheduled for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in early November. But the aptly named "Going Places" got moved to the Sarasota Opera House in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
The opera house is one of Sarasota's loveliest venues, but with 1,100 seats, it's considerably smaller than the Van Wezel, which holds about 1,700. We can't wait to see Guerrero brandishing his baton in front of a larger audience when he conducts a Masterworks program celebrating heroism that kicks off with Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture. (On Jan. 30, there's a performance in Bradenton at SCF Neel.)
Jan. 31. The Ringling. $10-$150. Visit Ringling.org.
This first-time collaboration between Hispanic advocacy group UnidosNow and The Ringling's Art of Performance series was originally scheduled for Oct. 18, but Mother Nature had other plans. After Hurricane Milton downed trees and caused other damage on The Ringling's bayfront grounds, the event celebrating the influence of Europe, Africa and other cultures on Florida's Gulf Coast was postponed. But it's back on for Jan. 31 in the courtyard of The Ringling Museum of Art. Guests are asked to wear white as they party to Puerto Rican rhythms from Bomba Yemayá and Mardi Gras standards from the New Orleans-based 79rs Gang.
March 5 to April 6. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $20-$50. Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.
During an interview about the 25-year-history of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe last year, former CEO Christine Jennings sung the praises of "Five Guys Named Moe." We figure she knows what she's talking about. The musical tribute to the rhythm and blues pioneer Louis Jordan was first presented at WBTT in 2011.
Written by Clarke Peters, "Five Guys" made its world premiere in London's West End in 1990 and opened on Broadway two years later. It tells the story of Nomax, who is down on his luck because his girlfriend has left and he's broke. Suddenly, Big Moe, Four-Eyed Moe, Eat Moe, No Moe and Little Moe step out of a 1930s-style radio to give him encouragement.
Based on word-of-mouth about previous productions, the show about a quintet of Moes promises to delight WBTT audiences not only with Jordan's music, but with lively dance numbers.
March 8-28. Sarasota Opera, 61 Pineapple St. $32-$145. Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
It's a very good year for Figaro at Sarasota Opera. The character of the wily servant features in two of its Winter Opera Festival productions: Rossini's "The Barber of Seville" and then again in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro." Both operas are based on plays by Pierre Beaumarchais. "Barber" gets high marks for its humor and accessibility — meaning you don't have to be an opera fan to enjoy it. But "Figaro" is considered to be superior to its prequel because of the quality of its music and character development. If you want to play it safe, see both operas. But if you can only see one, make it Mozart's masterpiece.
March 28-29. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail. $35-$125. Visit SarasotaBallet.org.
William Shakespeare ends his tale of star-crossed lovers with the words, "“For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” The greatest romance of all time has inspired more ballets than any other tale except the Christmas classic "The Nutcracker."
Most versions are set to Sergei Prokofiev's score, including the one choreographed by Peter Martins that made its world premiere at New York City Ballet in 2007. Prokofiev's music was also used by Sir Frederick Ashton for the "Romeo and Juliet" he choreographed in 1955 that was a triumph for the Royal Danish Ballet.
Under the stewardship of Director Iain Webb and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri, Sarasota Ballet has become a guardian of Ashton's work. This production, courtesy of Peter Schaufuss, is the company's long-awaited premiere of Ashton's interpretation of "Romeo and Juliet."
May 14 to June 15. Asolo Repertory Theatre, FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail. $35-$80. Visit AsoloRep.org.
This is it — the granddaddy of all rock operas. "Hair" came first, but Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd's "Jesus Christ Superstar" gets credit for defining the genre. We can safely say "Jesus Christ Superstar" will be a sensation when it opens in May. Why? Anything directed by Josh Rhodes is guaranteed to get people asking, "What's the buzz?"
Rhodes, whose Asolo Rep credits include "Cabaret," "Evita" and "The Sound of Music," was supposed to direct last season's "Crazy For You," but bowed out to make his Broadway debut with "Spamalot." (We get it!) We're counting the days until he returns to helm a musical of biblical proportions with the power to stir up audiences a half-century after its premiere.
