Good News Friday: Biz(941) Supports - May 1, 2015
Campaign Against Summer Hunger
March 31 - May 9
When school ends, hunger begins for 21,000 students in Sarasota County who are on free or reduced lunch programs during the school year. Join All Faiths Food Bank’s Campaign Against Summer Hunger to help feed children and their families this summer. Please empty your shelves and make a donation at allfaithsfoodbank.org. Together, we can make sure that no child goes hungry this summer. Food may be dropped off at any Sarasota County Goodwill. Call (941) 379-6333 for more information.
Never Marry A Girl With Cold Feet…and other life lessons from Vaudeville
Feb. 18 – June 7
Vaudeville was the original American entertainment. Celebrate its greatest musical artists such as Fanny Brice, George M. Cohen, Jerome Kern, and Al Jolson at this rollicking show, featuring irreverent humor and unforgettable melodies like “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Birth of the Blues,” “Give My Regards to Broadway,” and “Nobody.” “Never Marry a Girl With Cold Feet” opened this week and continues through June 7 in the Court Cabaret. For tickets, go to floridastudiotheatre.org.
Spunk
April 15 – May 17
"I git to the git with some pain n' some spit n' some spunk." The rich, earthy language of writer Zora Neale Hurston is evident in these three tales of love, revenge and redemption. Spunk, with its music and dance, humor and intensity, breathes new life into her remarkable short stories from the Harlem Renaissance. They are “tales of survival told in the key of the blues,” with a common theme of hope for the future. An award-winning, off-Broadway show. Get tickets at westcoastblacktheatre.org.
Luck Be A Lady: The Iconic Music of Frank Loesser
April 28 – May 24
Frank Loesser’s songs earned him four Tonys, a Pulitzer, a Grammy, an Academy Award, and an iconic place in American music history. From his Broadway musicals Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying – to his enormously popular hits “Heart and Soul” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” – Loesser beautifully captured the human experience through his music, and his songs continue to touch our hearts and funny bones today. This brand new musical will feature some of Broadway’s finest, singing and dancing their way through the songbook of this incomparable composer. Go to asolorep.org for show times and to purchase tickets.
EDC Sarasota County Economic Outlook 2015
May 1
Sean Snaith, Ph.D., director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Competitiveness returns to present an Economic Update for our local, regional, and national economy. Go to edcsarasotacounty.com for more information.
The Ballets Russes – A Tribute to Nijinsky
May 1-2
This final program of the season opens with a special tribute to Sergei Diaghilev and The Ballets Russes. Stretching 20 years, The Sarasota Ballet pays tribute to the Fokine era, presenting Fokine’s Les Sylphides and Petrushka, along with Nijinsky’s Afternoon of a Faun, presented with live music by the Sarasota Orchestra. Go to sarasotaballet.org for tickets and show times.
PoetryLife Weekend
May 1-2
This series of memorable events and experiences brings poets together with readers to celebrate, learn, love and live poetry. Featured are Billy Collins, U.S. Poet Laureate 2001-2003, and Marie Howe, New York State Poet Laureate 2012-2014, and special guest will be Pulitzer Prize winning poet Tracy K. Smith. To see all the events and get tickets, go to floridastudiotheatre.org.
Food and Wine on Pine
May 2
Enjoy a culinary and cultural experience on historic Pine Avenue in Anna Maria, showcasing the area’s finest food, wine, art and music. Go to foodandwineonpine.com for more information.
Going for the Gold – An Unbridled Evening
May 2
Hold onto your hats, the YMCA Foundation’s 24th annual Going for the Gold event is taking over the Kentucky Derby! View live the 141st Run for the Roses, in company with the best Sarasota has to offer. Come prepared for a Southern spree of unbridled action, entertainment and generosity for the benefit of Y kids, families and community. For more information and tickets, go to thesarasotay.org.
Designing Daughters Fashionable Gala: Mystery Men and Bond Girls
May 8
Attendees can expect a mysterious night filled with old-school glamour. The event will feature hors d’oeuvres, casino games, live entertainment by Jonathan Cortez and an open bar with beer, wine and signature cocktails. Directly benefiting the Designing Daughters grant program, all proceeds will be awarded to local nonprofit organizations. For more information and reservations, contact the gala chair Kelly Baldwin at 941.404.9396 or go to designingdaughterssarasota.com.
Companies Tee Off and Women’s Executive Tee
May 15
Leading business executives and philanthropists join Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast for this signature event, Companies Tee Off, featuring the Women's Executive Tee. While corporate teams of experienced golfers will compete on the course, a select group of women executives will enjoy an afternoon clinic learning the game with personalized lessons from a golf pro. The day concludes with a keynote reception featuring Golf Channel anchor Lisa Cornwall. For more information and to register, go to bbbssun.org.
10th Annual Dick Vitale Gala
May 15
This year’s honorees of ESPN’s Hall of Fame Sportscaster Dick Vitale are Jim Boeheim, head coach of men’s basketball at Syracuse, Jimbo Fisher, head football coach at Florida State, and Lovie Smith, head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Join celebrities from the sports and entertainment world at this star-studded event to raise funds for The V Foundation for Cancer Research and enjoy the music of Blood, Sweat and Tears. Go to jimmyv.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
Sarasota Chamber Prime Time
May 20
Meet, greet and eat with 30+ member exhibitors and new business customers. Enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres provided by Chamber member restaurants and a cash bar. No pre-registration required. Go to sarasotachamber.com for more information.
Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week
June 1-14
Plan your summer culinary adventure around the Sarasota area’s award-winning restaurants without breaking the bank. During Savor Sarasota, enjoy three-course meals for just $15 per person for lunch, and $29 per person for dinner. Summer never tasted so good. Find out who’s cooking and view the delectable menus from participating restaurants at savorsarasota.com.