Art

Longboat Key Center for the Arts. Works by Sarasota artists Fiore Custode and Nathan Skiles remain on view through July 21. 383-2345.

Art Center Sarasota. Garden: A Collaboration with Nature continues through July 30 here; it’s followed by The Other Persona, a show exploring identities and costume, Aug. 25 through Oct. 24. Included: the personal collection of costume designer Ray Peper and a members’ only all-media show. 365-2032.

Ringling Museum of Art. Beyond Bling: Voices of Hip-Hop in Art continues through Aug. 14, highlighting artists who’ve incorporated elements of hip-hop/street culture into their work. 359-5700.

Selby Gallery. Two from the Past: Richard Floethe, Teacher, Ralph Ray Jr., Student features paintings and illustrations by the two Ringling College-connected artists, July 1 through Aug. 3. Next: Hanging in the Balance: Ten Emerging Chinese Artists, on view Aug. 12 through Sept. 17. Finally, the annual Ringling College Faculty Exhibitions open Sept. 30 to run through Oct. 27, highlighting works in every discipline offered at the college (with works also on view at the college’s Basch Gallery). 359-7563.

 

Comedy

Sarasota Improv Festival. The third annual takes place at Florida Studio Theatre’s cabaret, July 15 and 16. Improv troupes yet to be announced, but they tend to cover a wide range, geographically and humorwise. 366-9000.

 

Miscellaneous

Grandma and Friends. Grandma (clown Barry Lubin) and Circus Sarasota performers continue to entertain through July 31 at the Historic Asolo Theater. 360-7399.

 

Music

Beatlemania. The lookalike/soundalike tribute to the Fab Four continues through July 3 at the Manatee Players Riverfront Theatre. 748-5875.

Gloria Musicae Fourth of July Concert. Get ready for an afternoon of Broadway, patriotic and good old American-themed hits from this choral ensemble, at 4 p.m. July 4 at the Historic Asolo Theater. 360-7399.

Friday Fest on the Bay. The Van Wezel’s summer series of outdoor concerts continues with ’60s themed Yesterdayz, July 15; contemporary country from One Night Rodeo, Aug. 12; and funk, soul and reggae from the Bird Street Players, Sept. 16. All free; 953-3368.

Sarasota Orchestra Chamber Soiree. “European Passport” is the title of this season’s opening chamber music performance, Sept. 22 at Holley Hall. Featured: works by Shostakovich, Turina, Arnold and Szervansky. 953-3434.

 

Sports

Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix. The annual summer fest kicks into high gear with the Kilo World Speed Record Event, starting at 7 a.m. July 1 just north of Sarasota’s Centennial Park, and continuing that day with Powerboats by the Bay. Then on July 2, there’s a Motorcycle “Speed Card” Ride and the Miss Super Boat Grand Prix Bikini Contest, followed by the Super Boat Grand Prix Boat Race itself July 3 (best viewed on Lido Beach, with heats at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.). The whole thing is capped by the fireworks spectacular July 4 along Bayfront Park. 371-8820 ext. 1800 or suncoastoffshore.org. 

 

Theater

Cowgirls. This Mary Murfitt-Betsy Howie musical about classical musicians playing a country music hall ends its run on Florida Studio Theatre’s mainstage July 3. 366-9000.

Roberta MacDonald: Songs, Stories and Sketches. The veteran stage actress and co-founder of the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre reminiscences to our own Bob Plunket about her life in the Big Apple, including turns on Broadway in South Pacific and Cyrano, through July 3. 366-5454.

Marilyn: Forever Blonde. The legendary screen star’s story is told in her own words, through July 10 in the Asolo Rep’s Mertz Theatre, with star Sunny Thompson. 351-8000.

Becky’s New Car. This Steven Dietz romantic comedy about a middle-aged mother suddenly meeting a millionaire Prince Charming continues through July 17 in a Banyan Theater Company production at the Cook Theatre. 358-5330.

Our Son’s Wedding. In this family comedy, an Italian-American plumber and his wife arrive at their son’s wedding—to another man. Complications ensue. Onstage July 6-31 in FST’s Gompertz Theatre. 366-9000.

Stop the World I— Want to Get Off. It’s been a while since there’s been a local staging of this Leslie Bricusse-Anthony Newley musical about Littlechap, trying to make his way through the world while singing tunes like What Kind of Fool Am I and Gonna Build A Mountain. Opens July 6 to run through Aug. 7 at the Golden Apple. 366-5454.

The Soul Crooners. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe keeps the summer moving with this show featuring more than 40 sweet soul hits originally performed by such stars as The Stylistics, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder. Onstage July 12-24. 366-1505.

The Foreigner. Larry Shue’s comedy about a shy man pretending to be a foreigner in order to avoid talking to people on his vacation runs July 14-17 at the Players Theatre. 365-2494.

Animals Out of Paper. Playwright Rajiv Joseph’s Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo has been on Broadway recently starring Robin Williams; see this Joseph work, which uses the Japanese art of origami as a metaphor, right here in Sarasota, July 21 through Aug. 7 in a Banyan Theater Company production at the Cook. It’s a reminder of how not everything in life can be neatly folded and shaped. 358-5330.

Undaunted. This new piece by area playwright Bernie Yanelli takes a look at the sometimes scandalous life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, July 21-24 at the Players. 365-2494.

Over the Tavern. The Players close out their summer season with Tom Dudzick’s comedy about a young Catholic boy in the 1950s who decides he’d rather shop around for a new religion. Onstage July 28-31. 365-2494.

The Savannah Disputation. Two elderly sisters stage a theological showdown between a young evangelist and their parish priest at a devilish dinner party. Aug. 3-28 on FST’s mainstage. 366-9000.

The Players New Play Festival. At least six brand-new plays will be presented in staged readings, Aug. 8-13 at the Players Theatre, in this annual festival. One of them will then receive a full production next summer. For more info, 365-2494.

I Do! I Do! The Golden Apple’s popular production of this two-hander about a long-married couple (starring real-life newlyweds Heather Kopp and Craig Weiskerger) returns for a summer run Aug. 10 through Sept. 4. 366-5454.

Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun. The Banyan Theater Company ends its summer season with a Norm Foster play about a young man who suffered brain damage as a child—and later meets a young woman with challenges of her own to form a special relationship. Onstage Aug. 11-28 at the Cook. 358-5330.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The popular musical about middle-schoolers facing challenges of both spelling and puberty at a small-town competition turns up once more, in a Venice Theatre cabaret production Aug. 12-28. 488-1115.

Dynamic Duets of the ’70s. Another WBTT summer show, this one focuses on tunes from that decade by such pairings as Ashford & Simpson, Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack, and Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. Playing Aug. 16-28. 366-1505.

Chicago. It’s time for All That Jazz with this Kander-Ebb hit about some sexy murderesses in 1920s Chi-town, Aug. 18 through Sept. 4 at the Manatee Players. 748-5875.

Kiss Me Kate. Cole Porter returns to the Players with the musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic Taming of the Shrew tale, Sept. 15-25. 365-2494.

The Sound of Music. Meet Maria and all the Von Trapps in the Rodgers and Hammerstein megahit, Sept. 22 through Oct. 9 at the Manatee Players. 748-5875.

The Dixie Swim Club. Venice Theatre describes this show about five Southern women who get together every summer to renew their friendship as “Steel Magnolias meets Same Time Next Year.” It’s onstage Sept. 27 through Oct. 16. 488-1115.

 

For a complete listing of this month’s events, go to sarasotamagazine.com.

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