Arts & Entertainment

ArtsBeat

Orchestra Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero Connects With the Community

Giancarlo Guerrero has brought new energy to Sarasota Orchestra as he announces programs for his second season.

04/27/2026 By Jay Handelman/ArtsBeat.org

On View

Two New Exhibitions Open at Sarasota Art Museum

One features the work of a solo artist; the other borrows extensively from local collectors.

04/23/2026 By Kay Kipling

Things to Do

What to Do in Sarasota and Manatee Counties This Week

A giant parade! Elmo! Blueberries! A mangrove dance! Music, books and more! There's so much to do this weekend.

04/23/2026 By Kim Doleatto

ArtsBeat

Manatee Theater Expands With New Building

The Manatee Performing Arts Center quickly outgrew the building that opened in 2013. A new four-story structure will add more space for rehearsals and education programs.

04/20/2026 By Jay Handelman/ArtsBeat.org

Review

Asolo Rep Presents 'Fiddler on the Roof' for the First Time

And it's well worth the wait.

04/20/2026 By Kay Kipling

ArtsBeat

FSU/Asolo Conservatory Casts a Spell With ‘Midsummer Night's Dream’

Jonathan Epstein's staging is as colorful and spirited as theater critic Jay Handelman has ever seen it.

04/15/2026 By Jay Handelman/ArtsBeat.org

Just Keep Swimming

Renny Harlin and Gene Simmons Bring Their Action Flick 'Deep Water' to the Sarasota Film Festival

“I want viewers to feel the best feeling I can describe, which is when you walk out of the theater and feel like you’re a foot off the ground," Harlin says of the film, which will get a theatrical release May 1.

04/14/2026 By Kendall Southworth

Lectures

Ringling College Announces 2027 Town Hall Speakers

What do two journalists, an AI expert, an Olympic gold medalist and the former prime minister of Canada have in common?

04/14/2026 By Staff

Review

WBTT's 'Lies, Spells & Old Wives' Tales' Leans into Ancestral Wisdom

The world premiere show features original songs and some entertaining stories.

04/13/2026 By Kay Kipling

ArtsBeat

Sarasota Ballet Celebrates Two Decades Under Iain Webb’s Leadership

The upcoming season will feature 16 ballets from 13 choreographers and eight company premieres.

04/13/2026 By Carrie Seidman/ArtsBeat.org

Lost Shaker of Salt

Norbert Putnam Produced Six Jimmy Buffett Albums. Catch Him in a Sarasota Film Festival Documentary Next Week.

"We’d get a six pack of beer, crank the diesel, pull her out and get her into the wind, tie her off and crank the stereo."

04/09/2026 By Lauren Jackson

Review

FST Closes Mainstage Season with Poignant 'Birthday Candles'

The play by Noah Haidle is a reminder of how fleeting even a long life can be, and how important it is to savor it.

04/06/2026 By Kay Kipling

Review

'A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical' Packs in All the Hits at Van Wezel

Plus, audiences will learn a little about what lay behind the songs.

04/02/2026 By Kay Kipling

Final Frame

Artist Susan Curry's Mosaics Are Made From Hundreds of Salvaged Fragments

Women and nature take center stage in her pieces.

04/01/2026 By Kendall Southworth

ArtsBeat

Theater Review: 'The Crucible' Stays Potent in Changing Times

The Arthur Miller classic about the Salem witch trials speaks to new generations at Sarasota Players.

03/30/2026 By Jay Handelman/ArtsBeat.org

ArtsBeat

Venice Theatre Takes a 'Drive' Through Sensitive Subjects

Paula Vogel won a Pulitzer Prize for her engaging and disturbing "How I Learned to Drive."

03/25/2026 By Jay Handelman/ArtsBeat.org

Review

What's the Buzz in Urbanite Theatre's 'The Apiary'?

The bees aren't doing so well in Kate Douglas' play. Neither are the humans.

03/23/2026 By Kay Kipling

Camera, Action

Actor Dylan McDermott Brings His 'Magic Realism' Exhibit to Sarasota

McDermott's street-photography exhibition opens Sunday, March 29, at Burns Gallery on Central.

03/20/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Suncoast Searchlight

Sarasota Erased Downtown Art Without Public Notice. Now Artists Are Seeking Damages.

Nine artists have filed claims against the city of Sarasota, alleging their rights were violated when officials removed pavement art in response to a state directive from the Florida Department of Transportation.

03/20/2026 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight and Carrie Seidman/ArtsBeat.org

Movie Talk

Here's the Full Lineup for the 28th Annual Sarasota Film Festival

There's a movie for everyone, whether it's a big-budget action thriller, a thoughtful documentary or a locally produced student work.

03/19/2026 By Staff