Sports

Last year's defending champion, Jelena Dokic, will be back to defend her title against some of the world's top female professionals (including No. 16 ranked player Anna Smashnova) at the Sarasota Clay Court Classic, scheduled for March 31-April 6 at The Meadows Country Club. The 2002 inaugural event drew more than 13,000 spectators and raised nearly $10,000 for charity; organizers are hoping to expand both numbers this time around. Tickets are on sale now; call 894-0040 or go online at www.sarasotaclaycourtclassic.com.

Art

The Fine Arts Society of Sarasota's Creators and Collectors Tour tries something new this year, confining itself to the studios of working artists. Included: geometric abstractionist Steve McCallum, sculptor Dennis Kowal, visual artist Jill Hoffman-Kowal, painter Larry Forgard, painter/printmaker Pamela Sumner, Korean master potter Ki Wooh Huh, and Zen painter Frederica Marshall. You can see what they're up to from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 21 and 22 and 1 to 4 p.m. March 23; tickets are $15 and available at a variety of locations. Call 388-2473.

Art

Sonnet Gallery. Continuing through March 6: paintings and sculpture by Ivan Rojas. Opening March 7 to run through April 13: a show featuring "Phoenix School" artists Holman, Douglas, Hollack and Kullbacki. Information: 955-6443.

L'Attitude Gallery. On view through March 7: Two Men and a Bench II, featuring works by Russ Vogt and John Turula. Paintings and crafted tables by Mary Cameron are featured March 8-April 3, with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. March 8. Information: 373-0767.

Museum of Fine Arts. The St. Petersburg Museum continues its showing of Robert Doisneau's Paris, photographs of the City of Light, through March 9. Also this month, through March 23: Drawn Toward the Avant-Garde: Nineteenth and Twentieth-Century French Drawings from the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, featuring works by Ingres, Gauguin, Manet and others; and Steuben and Beyond: Contemporary Glass Sculpture from the Penny and Elton Yasuna collection. (The Yasunas, longtime Sarasotans, have collected Harvey Littleton, Dale Chihuly and William Morris, among other glass artists.) And, through April 27: Little Luxuries: Baby Rattles and Teethers from the 18th to the 20th Century. Information: (727) 896-2667.

Selby Gallery. Continuing through March 29: Sarasotans Collect II, a look at a wide variety of paintings, prints, drawings and sculpture from local collections. Information: 359-7563.

Galleria Silecchia. Inspirations, 40 new works from the Irish Memorial by Glenna Goodacre, continues on view through March 31. Also this month: reverse hand-painted glass chandeliers by Ulla Darni and oils and landscapes by William Berra, who will be in the gallery in person from 6 to 9 p.m. March 1. Information: 365-7414.

Tampa Museum of Art. Magna Grecia: The Greeks in Italy, including masterworks of Greek vase painting and sculpture in terra cotta, stone and bronze, continues through April 20. Information: (813) 274-8130.

Ringling Museum of Art. Of Hands and Fire: Masterpieces of Chinese Ceramics, the Koger Collection, from the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Through April 27 in the West Galleries. Information: 359-5700.

Salvador Dali Museum. The current exhibition, The Shape of Color: Joan Miro's Painted Sculpture, runs through May 4. Information: (727) 823-3767.

Sarasota County History Center. Black and white photographs of architectural landmarks in Sarasota by Arnold Berns continue on view through May 17. Information: 861-1180.

Sarasota Season of Sculpture. Large-scale public art on view along Sarasota's bayfront, through May 31. Information: 331-2008.

Apple & Carpenter Galleries. A spring exhibition of American and European Paintings (1850-1950) is on view March 1 through April 30. Information: 951-2314.

Santa Fe Trails Gallery. Works by the Acoma potters of Sky City are featured all this month at the Main Street gallery. Information: 954-1972.

Missing Link Gallery. New objects from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas on display, with selected pieces of earthenware featured this month, along with contemporary photography. Information: 366-6600.

Robert Wilson Galleries. On view are contemporary traditional realist works and impressionism; figurative works, still lifes, landscapes and marine scenes. Information: 955-7709.

Palm Avenue Gallery. Landscapes and cityscapes by Ron Lawrence are highlighted all this month. Also contemporary paintings, sculpture, glass, stoneware and prints. Information: 953-5757.

Palm Avenue First Friday Walk. From 6 to 9 p.m. March 7. Information: 366-1146.

Burns Square First Friday Walk. From 6 to 9 p.m. March 7. Information: 954-0533.

Hodgell Gallery. Glass sculpture by Martin Rosol is featured March 7 through April 3. Information: 366-1146.

Longboat Key Center for the Arts. The center offers a Jazz Concert in the Park, at 2 p.m. March 9; and also jazz concerts at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. March 11. Also this month: the Longboat Key Club Exhibition, through March 14; works by Nell Rude in the Glen Gallery, also through March 14; the Student Exhibition, March 22-April 26 (reception 5-7 p.m. March 23); and the annual Fair and Festival, March 28 and 29, featuring about 100 art and craft booths. Information: 383-2345.

Venice Art Center. Sculpture by Julia Hyman occupies the main galleries March 10-26 (reception March 14), while a Solo Salon exhibit presents works by Madelaine Ginsberg, Betty Savenor and Anne Sullivan. Coming up March 31: the Spring Members Exhibition and a Solo Salon featuring oils by Nat Krate. Information: 485-7136.

Artists Helping Artists. An auction at 4 p.m. March 16 at the Radisson on Lido follows a weeklong exhibition March 11-16 at Towles Court, with a preview party set for March 14. Information: 365-4766.

ArtCenter Sarasota. A Soul's Quest, an exhibit of large-scale digital paintings by Serge Polakoff, is on view March 13-April 12, along with paintings by Kathleen Punti and Richard Oxley. There'll be a panel discussion on Symbols, Art & Jung in conjunction with the exhibition, at 5 p.m. March 14; and a symposium with Dr. Lionel Corbett on the coexistence of art, science and spirituality March 15. Information: 365-2032.

Towles Court Third Friday Walk. From 6 to 10 p.m. March 21. Information: 955-0050.

Selby Gardens Botanical Art Exhibition. On view March 30-May 1. Information: 366-5731.

Children

The Little Mermaid. Relive the story of the mermaid who wanted legs, at 10:30 a.m. March 8 at Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Florida West Coast Symphony Family Concert. Music for the entire family, at 4 p.m. March 29 at Holley Hall. Adults must be accompanied by a child, and children must be accompanied by an adult for this concert (free for those 18 and under). Information: 953-3434.

Comedy

The Smothers Brothers. Music and laughter from those still-squabbling siblings, at 8 p.m. March 11 at the Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Dance

Sarasota Ballet of Florida. The company welcomes the Juilliard Dance Ensemble, which presents new works by Doug Varone, Charlotte Griffin and Adam Hougland. At 2 and 8 p.m. March 1 and 2 at the FSU/Asolo Center. Also this month: the company's production of Swan Lake, at 8 p.m. March 21, 2 and 8 p.m. March 22, and 2 p.m. March 23 at the Van Wezel. Information: 351-8000.

Pilobolus. Contemporary dance by the ensemble, in an evening that promises-or threatens-partial nudity. Be warned. At 8 p.m. March 17 at the Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Aeros. Fifteen Olympic medal-winning Romanian gymnasts, choreographed by Daniel Ezralow, David Parsons and Moses Pendleton in collaboration with Stomp creators Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas. At 8 p.m. March 24 at the Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Film

Sarasota Italian Cultural Events. This celebration of things Italian concludes with the screening of a new documentary on Italian-Americans, March 8 at the Serendipity Country Club, and a new romantic comedy, Remembering Mario, March 9 at Burns Court. For more information call 308-0733, ext. 651, or go to www.sicedautore.com.

Chinese Film Festival. You can watch Chinese films and have an egg roll or two, with movies costing $6 and films and dinner together $14, at 5 and 7:30 p.m. March 22 at the Players. Information: 365-2494.

Miscellaneous

Florida West Coast Symphony Association Designer Showcase. Continuing on view through March 2 at Hawks Harbor. Information: 953-4252.

Circus Sarasota. The Art of Circus ends its run March 2. Information: 355-9805.

Anna Maria Island Tour of Homes. A glimpse of some of the island's distinguished homes, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 8. Tickets available at the Anna Maria Community Center or on the day of the tour; call 778-1908.

Sunset Stroll on the Circle. From 6 to 9 p.m. March 14 on St. Armands Circle, with live entertainment, food and wine tastings, and extended store hours. Information: 388-1554.

Sarasota County Fair. The rides, the food, the swine.all on schedule for March 14-23 at the fairgrounds. Information: 365-0818.

Selby Gardens Spring Plant Fair. Pep up your garden with selections from Selby, March 15, 16 and 17 at the gardens. Information: 366-5731.

Sarasota Garden Club Flower Show. A Symphony of Seasons is the theme for the 66th annual show, set for 1 to 5 p.m. March 22 and noon to 5 p.m. March 23 at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. Tickets at the door; call 955-0875.

Sailor Circus. Watch those lithe Sarasota students do their stuff under the Big Top on Bahia Vista, March 26-April 5. Information: 361-6350.

Music

The Love of Three Kings. Part of the Sarasota Opera's Masterworks Revival Series, Italo Montemezzi's opera concerns a beautiful princess, married against her will, who is caught by the king with her true love. Onstage March 1, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 22 and 29. Information: 366-8450.

Die Fledermaus. Strauss's comic delight, at the Sarasota Opera March 2, 5, 9, 15, 23 and 30. Information: 366-8450.

Flanzer Jewish Community Center's Joys of Music Series. A Night of Gershwin entertains, courtesy jazz pianist Kenny Drew Jr., at 7:30 p.m. March 2. Information: 378-5568, ext. 215.

Selby Gardens' Sunday Afternoon Outdoor Garden Music Series. Live outdoor music featuring a variety of professional local musicians, from 1 to 3 p.m. March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 in the gardens' lovely surroundings. Information: 366-5731.

Sinatra with the 42nd Street Band. Well, not Ol' Blue Eyes himself, but his music from the Big Band era. March 2 at Neel Auditorium; call 752-5252 or 752-5390.

Venice Little Theatre Concert Series. Two shows this month: Davey Jones/Mardi Gras at 8 p.m. March 3, and the Best of Broadway (with VLT's concert singers) at 8 p.m. March 9, 10, 16 and 17. Information: 488-1115.

Pat Boone. That squeaky-clean Mr. Boone brings audiences lots of musical memories, at 2 p.m. March 4 at the Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Casual Classics/Concert Lite/Enchanted Evening and Enchanted Afternoon. Come to the Cabaret takes audiences from the music of the Weimar Republic to the lights of the Great White Way, in Florida West Coast Symphony performances at 7:30 p.m. March 6, 5:30 p.m. March 7, and 8 p.m. March 8, all at Holley Hall; and 3 p.m. March 9 at Lemon Bay Playhouse. Information: 953-3434.

Oak Ridge Boys. The country legends return to the Van Wezel, at 8 p.m. March 6. Information: 953-3368.

Macbeth. The Sarasota Opera's production of the Verdi masterpieces continues with performances March 7, 14, 21 and 30 at the Opera House. The composer's original 1847 version of the work will be performed March 28 and April 2. Information: 366-8450.

Venice Symphony Classical Concerts. At 8 p.m. March 7 and 4 and 8 p.m. March 8 at the Church of the Nazarene in Venice. Information: 488-1010.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band. That New Orleans sound, at 8 p.m. March 8 at the Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

The Pearl Fishers. Bizet's tale of two men in love with the same woman in a fishing village in Ceylon, onstage March 8, 11, 13, 16, 19, 22 and 29 at the Sarasota Opera. Information: 366-8450.

Artists Series of Sarasota. Pianist Andrew Armstrong performs, at 8 p.m. March 9 at Holley Hall. Information: 388-1188 or 388-4099.

The Chenille Sister & James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band. "Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?" is the question, at 2 p.m. March 10 at the Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Takacs String Quartet with Garrick Ohlsson. Pianist Olson and the quartet appear in a Sarasota Concert Association subscription concert, at 8 p.m. March 10 at the Van Wezel. Return tickets usually available the night of the performance. Information: 955-0040.

Band of the Grenadier Guards with the Scots Highlanders. The trumpets-and the pipes and drums-sound in this concert, at 8 p.m. March 12 at the Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Ringling Museum Concerts. Guitarist Rex Willis and flutist Julie Eriksen perform March 13 in the Rubens Gallery; the Sarasota Brass Quintet closes out this year's series with classical, popular and jazz favorites, March 27 in the courtyard. Information: 359-5700.

Sarasota Youth Opera Chorus Concert. The young choruses make their fourth annual appearance on the Opera House stage, at 5 p.m. March 14. Information: 366-8450.

Florida West Coast Symphony Masterworks. Violinist David Kim joins the orchestra for Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4. Also on the program: Mahler's Symphony No. 5. At 8 p.m. March 14 and 15 and 2:30 p.m. March 16, all at the Van Wezel. Information: 953-3434.

Sarasota Opera Circa 1900. The opera's studio artists paint a musical picture of life at the turn of the last century. At 8 p.m. March 16 at the Sarasota Opera; a reception follows. Information: 366-8450.

Tenorissimo! The Ten Tenors. A Sarasota debut for this Australian ensemble, which performs works from the Bee Gees to Verdi. At 8 p.m. March 16 at the Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Sarasota Folk Club. Events this month include an Aquarian Quest Festival March 16 at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron, an Old Time Folk Jam March 20 at 1625 Vereda Verde; and the regular Folk Club concert March 31 at the Squadron, featuring Chuck Brodsky. Information: 377-9256.

Florida West Coast Chamber Orchestra. Leif Bjaland conducts Handel's Concerto Grosso No. 12 in b, Op 6, and Jan Bach's Concerto for Tuba and Chamber Orchestra, which features tuba player Jay Hunsberger in this world premiere piece. At 7:30 p.m. March 21 at Holley Hall. Information: 953-3434.

Venice Symphony Outdoor Pops Concert. Free, at 4 p.m. March 22 at Blalock Park, with a rain date of March 23. Information: 488-1010.

Sarasota Pops. Young pianist Andrew Lapp (and we mean young: he's a seventh-grader at Sarasota Christian) joins the orchestra to perform the Youth Piano Concerto, at 3 p.m. March 23 at Neel Auditorium. Information: 795-7677.

Gloria Musicae. In Harmony with Nature offers selections depicting scenes of nature from animals to sunsets, with early music to contemporary avant-garde. At 4 p.m. March 23 at Holley Hall. Information: 954-4223.

Sarasota Jazz Festival. The 23rd annual fest launches with Jazz in the Park, at 1 p.m. March 23, featuring British band Down to the Bone; and continues with the popular Jazz Caravan by Trolley rolling through jazz clubs March 26. Then the stars settle into the Van Wezel for three concerts: the Rippingtons with Russ Freeman and the Monty Alexander Trio, March 27; Patti Austin and guitarist Joyce Cooling, March 28; and festival faves John Pizzarelli and the Swing Seven Band, with special guest trumpeter Chris Botti, March 29. Call 366-1552 for more info.

Midori and Robert McDonald. It's hard to believe the still girlish-looking Midori has been playing the violin professionally for 20 years.but she has. She's onstage with pianist McDonald at 8 p.m. March 25 at the Van Wezel for performances of Grieg's Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op 45 and Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata. Information: 953-3368.

Apprentice Artists in Opera Scenes. Two different programs of staged and costumed opera scenes by the company's apprentice artists, at 8 p.m. March 27 and April 1. Information: 366-8450.

Smooth Jazz on St. Armands/Fourth Friday with Style. On Que Players perform on the circle, from 6 to 9 p.m. March 28. Information: 388-1554.

Venice Symphony Classical Concerts. More music from the symphony, at 8 p.m. March 28 and 4 and 8 p.m. March 29 at the Church of the Nazarene. Information: 488-1010.

Florida West Coast Symphony Salon Series. The Florida Brass Quintet and Chamber Players have a Spring Fling, with works by Ravel, Beethoven, and Plog scheduled. At 7:30 p.m. March 28 at Holley Hall. Then it's the New Artists Piano Quartet turn to take on Worldly Works, including Brahms' Piano Quartet in C, at 4 p.m. March 30 at Holley. Information: 953-3434.

Sports

Sarasota Ski-A-Rees. Free water skiing shows at 2 p.m. each Sunday through April 13, near Ken Thompson Park on City Island. Information: 388-1666.

Baseball Spring Training. For those of us not football fans, it's been a long winter. Now the wait is over. The Cincinnati Reds kick off their spring training season at Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium against the Minnesota Twins March 1 and will also play the Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, Orioles, Devil Rays, Yankees, Tigers, Blue Jays, Indians and Marlins in games scheduled through March 31. In Bradenton, the Pittsburgh Pirates take to McKechnie Field against the Reds, Twins, Astros and other teams through March 29. For ticket info, call 954-4464 (Reds); or 748-4610 (Pirates).

Harold L. Wilde Golf Invitational. To be held March 24 at Laurel Oak Country Club, to benefit the ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Association and Lou Gehrig's Disease Association of Southwest Florida.If you would like to participate, call 921-1851.

Talks

Ringling Museum ViewPoints Lectures. Set for 10 a.m. March 1, 8 and 15 in the museum's Asolo Theater; call 358-3180 for more info.

Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning (SILL). This month the Contemporary Public Issues series offers Human Rights and Terrorism, March 4; Have Tool Will Travel, March 11; 10 Days that Shook Florida: The Sunshine State Since World War II, March 18; and Global Climatic Changes, March 25. Arts and Humanities presents Makers of the Modern Middle East, March 5, 12, 19 and 26; and International Challenges delves into Today's Africa, March 6; the Politics and Economics of World Oil, March 13; Modern Turkey, March 20: and Global Crises: The Bush Doctrine and the World Response, March 27. (All are at 10:30 a.m. at the Players of Sarasota.) Also this month: Options for U.S. Energy Security, March 5; Six Things You Thought You Knew About Corporate Governance, March 12; Challenges of Globalization for America, March 19; and Current Situation in Iraq, March 26 (all at 2 p.m. at Venice Community Center); and Peacekeeping Missions in Troubled Areas, March 7; Putin's Russia, March 14; The Kurds, March 21; and The Bush Foreign Policy-a Two-Year Report Card, March 28 (all at 10:30 a.m. in Venice). Information: 365-6404.

Art & Wine Series. Wines with a Florida Connection are served, at 6 p.m. March 6 at Selby Gallery. Information: 359-7562.

Books & Coffee. The Selby Library series continues with a look at Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, reviewed by Dr. Robert Knox, at 10:30 a.m. March 11 at the library. Information: 365-5228.

Lettuce & Lectures. Friends of Selby also offer this series, which this month features Bernard C. Watson, author of Colored, Negro, Black: Cheating the American Dream, saying Let the Conversation continue, at noon March 12. Information: 365-5228.

Selby Gardens Tuesdays in the Tropics Fedder Science Lecture Series. Paleontologist Dale A. Russell brings us info on Dinosaurs and Plantscapes of New Caledonia, at 7 p.m. March 11 in the gardens' Activities Center. Information: 366-5731.

Ringling School Town Hall Today Series. Satirist/speechwriter/pundit Christopher Buckley entertains at 10:30 a.m. March 12 at the Van Wezel, followed by a Washington observer of even longer standing, columnist Richard Reeves, at 10:30 a.m. March 19. Information: 925-1343.

Ringling School Art Lecture. Missing Link Gallery owner Frank Breuer discusses Tribal Arts: Their Influence on American Art, at 10:30 a.m. March 17 in the school's lecture hall. Information: 925-1343.

Palm Literary Society. Ballerina supreme Suzanne Farrell guests to discuss her autobiography, Holding on to the Air, at 11:30 a.m. March 24 at Michael's on East. Tickets are $75 each; call 957-3660. And by the way, Sarasota News & Books also welcomes authors Leslie Glass, John Hansen Mitchell and Rita Mae Brown for readings and signings this month. Call 365-6332 for more info.

Theater

Some Like It Hot. Tony Curtis taps his way into the role of Osgood Fielding III in this musical adaptation of the screen hit in which he starred more than 40 years ago, at 2 and 8 p.m. March 1 and 2 at the Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

Damn Yankees. Joe Hardy wraps up his deal with the devil March 9 at the Sarasota Golden Apple. Information: 366-5454.

Guys and Dolls. Frank Loesser's hit based on Damon Runyon's stories, through March 9 at the Players of Sarasota. Information: 365-2494.

The Lion in Winter. Tessie Hogan and V. Craig Heidenreich fight their way through James Goldman's play about King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, through March 9 in a Banyan Theatre Company production on the Theatre Works stage. Information: 952-9170.

The Wizard of Oz. Follow the Yellow Brick Road through March 16 at Venice Little Theatre. Information: 488-1115.

No Sex, Please, We're British. A door-slamming, it's-all-so-confusing farce, through March 16 at the Manatee Players. Information: 748-5875.

Guitar Girls. A musical revue spotlighting the works of such influences as Carole King and Dolly Parton, through March 22 at Florida Studio Theatre's Cabaret Club. Information: 366-9000.

Brighton Beach Memoirs. One of Neil Simon's most heartfelt, this look at Brooklyn's Jerome family boasts a fine performance by young Michael DeSantis as the playwright's teen-aged self, through April 5 at the Asolo. Information: 351-8000.

Dirty Blonde. Claudia Shear's recent hit about two Mae West fans drawn together continues through April 12 at Florida Studio Theatre. Information: 366-9000.

Nunsense II. Those nuns are up to their usual musical comedy antics in this sequel to the original hit, continuing through April 13 at the Venice Golden Apple. Information: 484-7711.

The Corn Is Green. The Emlyn Williams play about a determined schoolteacher in Wales, onstage through May 24 at the Asolo. Information: 351-8000.

The Good Woman of Setzuan. Venice Little Theatre offers just two performances of its Brechtian entry in the Southeast Theatre Conference, 5 and 8 p.m. March 2. Information: 488-1115.

Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida. Verdi's classic tale of doomed love between a Nubian princess and an Egyptian soldier, retold with a pop spin. March 4-15 in the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Broadway Series. Information: (800) 955-1045.

Porgy and Bess. It's always Summertime on Catfish Row. Gershwin's opera takes to the stage at 8 p.m. March 5 at the Van Wezel. Information: 953-3368.

The Imaginary Invalid. The FSU/Asolo Conservatory's students take on Moliere, March 5-23 in the Asolo's Cook Theatre. Information: 351-8000.

The Orphans. Two rich, eccentric spinsters who've lived in isolation for 25 years meet the outside world, with comedic results. March 5-23 at the Lemon Bay Playhouse. Information: 475-6756.

Art. Yasmine Reza's piece about a piece-of art-that leads to animated discussions among three old friends. Onstage March 6-23 at the Island Players. Information: 778-5755.

A Streetcar Named Desire. Tennessee Williams' still-arresting play about Blanche, Stanley and Stella, onstage March 7-April 6 at Theatre Works. Information: 952-9170.

Reaching for the Stars. A musical by Players of Sarasota director Burton Wolfe and Florida West Coast Center for Human Development's Dr. Henry Porter, about a young African-American boy on his way to becoming an astronaut. At 7:30 p.m. March 9 and 11 a.m. March 10 at the Players. Information: 365-2494.

Kiss Me, Kate. Cole Porter's classic, with a little help from Mr. Shakespeare. Onstage March 11 through May 4 at the Sarasota Golden Apple. Information: 366-5454.

Proof. David Auburn's recent hit, onstage recently at FST, turns up March 13-30 at Venice Little Theatre's Stage II. Information: 488-1115.

Filumena. A onetime Neapolitan prostitute sets out to prevent the marriage of her longtime lover to another with a faked deathbed scene-and some surprising revelations. March 14-May 24 at the Asolo. Information: 351-8000.

The Philadelphia Story. Phillip Barry's examination of socialite Tracy Lord and her wedding day problems. Onstage March 21-May 25 at the Asolo. Information: 351-8000.

Who's on First. Abbott and Costello, of course, but also material from Irvin Berlin, George M. Cohan and others from the era of vaudeville. Opens March 25 at FST's Cabaret Club; runs through May 31. Information: 366-9000.

Seussical, the Musical. Cathy Rigby stars as The Cat in the Hat in this musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty based on the Dr. Seuss oeuvre. March 25-30 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Information: (800) 955-1045.