Carlos Acosta: On Before

A ballet dancer whose graceful but forceful athleticism has earned comparisons to titans like Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolf Nureyev, Havana-born Carlos Acosta has enjoyed a storied career in dance. He's worked for American Ballet Theatre and the English National Ballet, and has danced in Swan Lake, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker and countless more. In this special appearance in partnership with the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School—part of Acosta's first U.S. tour since 2018—the Cuban-British performer will dance his own piece, On Before, alongside his fellow Acosta Danza company member Laura Rodriguez. A tribute to his departed mother, On Before charts a troubled relationship between a man and a woman, with music ranging from Handel to modern Cuban composer Omar Puente. The production runs at 7:30 p.m. April 19-20 at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. (941) 328-1300, sarasotaopera.org

Marvin Gaye: Prince of Soul

This week marks the return of this highly anticipated original production from Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s (WBTT) founder and artistic director Nate Jacobs, closing out the company’s season on a four-octave note. Titled after the nickname Marvin Gaye earned in his influential 27-year music career, the bio-musical charts Gaye’s journey from Motown hitmaker to trailblazing songwriter to his untimely death at the hands of a firearm wielded by his own father in 1984. WBTT troupe member Sheldon Rhoden will reprise his as role as Gaye in the musical, which is already selling out: At the time of this writing, the show is mostly fully booked for the first two weeks of its run, which spans April 17 to May 26, so don’t sit on this one. The theater is at 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. (941) 366-1505, westcoastblacktheatre.org

Derek Hough: Symphony of Dance

What do Shannon Elizabeth, Lil’ Kim, Jennifer Gray and Ricki Lake have in common? They’ve all hoofed it onstage as the celebrity partners of Derek Hough in Dancing With the Stars. One of five children from a prominent and talented Utah family (his sister is fellow dancer-actress Julianne Hough), Hough specializes in Latin and ballroom dancing, and has shared victories on Dancing With the Stars six times and earned four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Choreography. In Symphony of Dance, Hough will display his versatility and showmanship beyond his core style, venturing into hip-hop, tap and other styles with creative direction from the Emmy-winning duo NappyTabs (Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo). Catch the production at 8 p.m. April 18 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 309-5100, vanwezel.org

Biophilia

It’s a lovely word, biophilia. Not only does it lend its name to a great Bjork album; it’s also a scientific concept, coined by Harvard naturalist Dr. E. O. Wilson, to describe humanity’s “innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes” in the natural world—echoing, in other words, what hippies and New Agers have been saying since the ‘60s. Closer to home, Ringling College’s exhibition Biophilia features two artists whose work meditates on themes of this inborn connection between place and identity. The concept of cultural heritage and one’s native homeland are central to the narrative paintings and ceramic sculptures of Christina Antoniou’s provocative art, while Pretty Ram explores issues of escape and entrapment in confined spaces, inspired by her time living on the island of Fiji, through painting, sculpture and video. Their exhibition opens from 5 to 8 p.m. April 19 at Crossley Gallery, 2698 Bradenton Road, Sarasota. (941) 359-7563, crossleygallery.com

Sarasota Orchestra: She’s Got Soul

For this special program, the Sarasota Orchestra will bring its exacting standards to a night of funky, soaring, groove-driven music outside the traditional classical repertoire. Lucas Waldon will conduct the symphony and featured vocalist Capathia Jenkins—a multifaceted performer who starred in Newsies on Broadway—through a program that includes familiar favorites from Adele, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Sade, Pharrell, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder and many more, plus one of Jenkins’ originals. Performances run at 7:30 p.m. April 19 and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. April 20 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 309-5100, vanwezel.org

Suncoast Boat Show

This institution for anglers and boat enthusiasts returns to the docks at Marina Jack for its 42nd year, promising fun on both land and sea, with activities spanning 65,000 square feet of dock space. An eclectic array of powerboats, motor yachts and sport fishing craft will be moored for viewing and exploration alongside some 150 family-friendly exhibits. Among the highlights is Hook the Future, a series of youth fishing clinics on April 20-21 led by Captain Don Dingman, in which each participant takes home their own rod and reel. Food from gyros and burgers to vegan and gluten-free fare will be available on site courtesy of Proof of the Pudding. The event runs April 19-21 at 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota. Tickets must be purchased in advance at suncoastboatshow.com

Record Store Day

This annual celebration of the gold standard for music listening is like Christmas for audiophiles. Launched in 2008 to cater to the then-small subset of vinyl junkies in the United States, Record Store Day is now an annual confab for the growing legion of record collectors, where some 400 titles will premiere exclusively at brick-and-mortar record shops—meaning you can’t order them on Amazon. The hottest titles go quickly—some of this year’s highlights include a series of Beatles singles on miniature 3-inch records, an expanded edition of Wilco’s The Whole Love, and a four-disc Grateful Dead collection—so be sure to arrive early on the big day, April 20, at participating area stores Jerk Dog Records (1119 12th St. W., Bradenton) or Salty Dog Records (2178 Gulf Gate Drive, Sarasota). recordstoreday.com

Repticon Bradenton

Those looking for a new family pet that doesn’t bark or shed or tweet have myriad options at their disposal at this weekend’s Repticon Bradenton, a convention for all things spiny and slithery. Vendors from around the country will be showcasing, selling and educating attendees on their rare and exotic wares, among them turtles, spiders, geckos and all manner of snakes—perhaps even the much-coveted ball python variants that have taken the reptile world by storm, as covered in a recent New Yorker feature. The show runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 20 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 21 at Bradenton Convention Center, 1 Haben Road, Palmetto. repticon.com/florida/bradenton