70+ arts events to experience in February in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte counties
February may be the shortest month (even with an extra day for leap year), but it is a busy one on the arts scene in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties, with dozens of new plays, musicals, art exhibitions, classical and pops concerts, salutes to Hollywood, dance and more. Here is a look at what is happening this month in the region.
Chelsea Guo
This Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota luncheon program features singer Chelsea Guo, who won the 2022 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, and her debut album hit No. 7 on the Billboard classical chart. She is joined by pianist Joseph Holt. 11 a.m. Feb. 1, Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. $68. 941-306-1200; artistseriesconcerts.org
Musical Moods
This Hermitage Artist Retreat program features Hermitage fellows Amir ElSaffar, a composer and multi-instrumentalist, and multidisciplinary artist, musician and educator Chris Ryan Williams. They will share their own music and talk about their work. 5 p.m. Feb. 2, Nathan Benderson Park Finish Tower, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. $5 registration. Hermitageartistretreat.org
‘Sincerely Sondheim’
Singer and actor Nicholas Rodriguez, who recently appeared in the gender-switched Broadway revival of “Company," sings the music of Stephen Sondheim and shares stories about his relationships with Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerry Herman, Jonathan Larson and more. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2, Glenridge Performing Arts Center, 7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota. $25-$30. 941-552-5325; gpactix.com
‘SquareRoot of ARTivism’
Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition hosts a panel discussion, moderated by former PBS and NPR correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault, as part of a remembrance of Sarasota artist John Sims, who died in 2022. It will feature Sims' longtime archivist, along with a mental health counselor and art therapist, an historian, a choreographer and others. The film “No Laws UnJust Shall Silence Us,” shot at the Gamble Plantation in Palmetto will be screened. 2-4:30 p.m. Feb. 4, Historic Leonard Reid House, 2529 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. A community celebration of Sims will be held there 5-7 p.m. Feb. 10. contact; kyleelisetht@gmail.com
Schubert Trios
The La Musica International Chamber Music Festival launches its 2024 season with a program of Schubert Trios featuring Artistic Director and pianist Wu Han; her husband, cellist David Finckel; and violinist Philip Setzer. The expanded season includes a March concert and three in April. 5 p.m. Feb. 4, Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota. $60. 941-347-9656; lamusicafestival.org
Choral Cinemagic
Choral Artists of Sarasota present a concert celebrating music of the movies including songs from James Bond films, “Sister Act,” “Mamma Mia!,” and Mac Huff's “Cinemagic” arrangements highlighting Academy Award winners, love songs and more. 7 p.m. Feb. 4, First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak St., Sarasota. $40, $5 for students. 941-387-4900; choralartistssarasota.org
Ariana Kim
The violinist and Cornell University professor talks about music and her career in this Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning Music Mondays program. Feb. 5 10:30 a.m. at Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Rd., Sarasota; 3 p.m. at Venice Presbyterian Church, 825 The Rialto, Venice. $15, available at the door. sillsarasota.org
‘The Flip Side’
Florida Studio Theatre’s final original cabaret revue of the season focuses on humor with songs by such artists as Shel Silverstein, Ray Stevens and Randy Newman who take funny, sometimes dark and satiric, looks at the world around us. Feb. 7-June 16, FST Court Cabaret, 1265 First St., Sarasota. $18-$46. 941-366-9000; floridastudiotheatre.org
‘Smoke and Fire’
Guest conductor Rune Bergmann, music director of the Calgary Philharmonic, leads this Sarasota Orchestra Masterworks program with violinist Stella Chen. The program features Nielsen’s Overture to “Maskerade,” Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8, Neel Performing Arts Center, 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton, and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9-10, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 11. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail. $35-$105. 941-953-3434; sarasotaorchestra.org
‘Calendar Girls’
Two different productions of Tim Firth’s comedy overlap. It is running through Feb. 11 at Venice Theatre while the Charlotte Players opens its own version of the story of some British women in a small village who decide to pose nude for a calendar they put together for charity. Feb. 8-25, Charlotte Players, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte. $27, $14 students. 941-255-1022; charlotteplayers.org
Colson Whitehead
The author of the best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning books “The Underground Railroad” and “The Nickel Boys” and his latest, “Crook Manifesto,” is the guest speaker at the sold-out 2024 Love Our Libraries Author Luncheon presented by the Library Foundation for Sarasota County. 11:30 a.m. Feb. 9, Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Remaining tickets are at mezzanine level high-top tables. $225. Sarasotalibraryfoundation.org
‘Script, Screen and Stage’
Nambi E. Kelley, an actor, writer and producer known for her work in Chicago theater and the TV series “Bel Air,” talks about her varied career in a Hermitage Artist Retreat program in partnership with Booker High School and Manasota ASALH. 5:30 p.m. Feb. 9, Booker High School courtyard, 3201 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. $5 registration required. Hermitageartistretreat.org
‘Hooray for Hollywood’
Singer, pianist and musical historian Michael Feinstein joins The Venice Symphony in this concert that celebrates music from the movies, including “New York, New York,” “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Singin’ in the Rain.” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10. Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave., Venice. $75-$100. 941-207-8822; thevenicesymphony.org
‘Beauty and the Beast’
Ren Pearson and his Gothic Library return with an immersive audio experience that brings the gothic novel “Beauty and the Beast” by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont to life in a new way, with live actors and sound design. 8 p.m. Feb. 9-10, Bookstore1Sarasota, 117 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. $25. 941-365-7900; sarasotabooks.com/events
‘Born With Teeth’
Liz Duffy Adams’ play about the relationship and careers of William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe comes from Houston’s Alley Theatre. The play imagines that the two great playwrights worked together on “Henry VI Part III” and all the intrigue, betrayals and subterfuge involved. Feb. 9-March 29, Asolo Rep, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $29-$95. 941-351-8000; asolorep.org
‘Romanticism Throughout the Ages’
Pianist Eleonora Lvov performs a program of romantic works by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Albeniz and Gershwin and talks about the composers and their creations in this concert and talk. 2:30 p.m. Feb. 10. Selby Public Library, Geldbart Auditorium, 1331 First St., Sarasota. Free. Reservations required. 941-861-1110; scgovlibrary.librarymarket.com/event
‘Triumph of Love’
Key Chorale presents the U.S. premiere of “The Legend of Bijan and Manijeh” by the contemporary Persian composer Farhad Poupel. Written for piano, choir and orchestra and featuring pianist Jeffrey Biegel, it is based on an ancient Farsi love story. The ensemble also performs works by Mahler and Sibelius. 4 p.m. Feb. 10, Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. $35-$45, $10 for college students, free students under age 18. A pre-concert talk is at 3 p.m. 941-552-8768; keychorale.org
‘Michael Lasser and Friends’
Michael Lasser, a broadcaster, lecturer, writer and critic, is joined by singer Jessica Ann Best and singer/accompanist Alan Jones for a survey of the music of Cole Porter. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10, Glenridge Performing Arts Center, 7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota. $20-$25. 941-552-5325; gpactix.com
Poetry Mic
Local poets Michael Maul, Don McLagan and Liz Kelner Pozen read from their own work in the monthly Poetry Mic at Bookstore1Sarasota. 2 p.m. Feb. 11, 117 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. Free. 941-365-7900; sarasotabooks.com/events
‘I Love You to the Moon and Back’
Robyn Bell leads The Pops Orchestra in this Valentine’s Day-themed concert featuring singers Anne Tormela and Nick Palance performing standards that touch on nature, the stars and the moon. 3 p.m. Feb. 11, Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12, Neel Performing Arts Center, 5840 26th St., West, Bradenton. $30-$60. 941-926-7677; thepopsorchestra.org
‘Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O’Keeffe’
For its eighth Jean and Alfred Goldstein Exhibition, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens presents “Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O’Keeffe.” It features work by the Japanese conceptual artist tied to her relationship with O’Keeffe, who became a mentor. It also will feature photos and lithographs by O’Keeffe. Feb. 11-June 30, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St., Sarasota. Free with regular admission. 941-366-5731; selby.org
Oleg Kruglyakov and Terry Boyarsky
The Russian duo perform traditional music with a classical touch. Kruglyakov is a balalaika virtuoso from Siberia. Boyarsky is an American concert pianist. Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning Music Mondays. 10:30 a.m. Feb. 12, Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. 3: p.m. Feb. 12, Venice Presbyterian Church, 825 The Rialto, Venice. $15, available at the door. Sillsarasota.org
Punchline Quartet
Four alumna of the Perlman Music Program created the Punchline Quartet in 2022 to promote creativity and lifelong learning among a younger generation of musicians. Violinists Kate Arndt and Ria Honda, violist Sarah Sung and cellist Elena Ariza perform works by Caroline Shaw, Beethoven and Dvořák in a PMP/Suncoast Alumni recital. 7 p.m. Feb. 12, McGuire Hall, Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $20. perlmanmusicprogramsuncoast.org
‘Miss Julie’/’Clyde’s’
The FSU/Asolo Conservatory is trying something new this season with its own version of rotating repertory. Second-year students will perform August Strindberg’s “Miss Julie,” about the relationship between a count’s daughter and a servant, alternating performances with Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage’s “Clyde’s,” about ex-cons who run a sandwich shop. Feb. 13-March 10, Cook Theatre, FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $28.80-$32. 941-351-8000; asolorep.org
‘An Ode to Love’
Bookstore1Sarasota presents a special Valentine’s Day program with readings of Pablo Neruda’s love poems (in English and Spanish) performed by professional actors. There will also be music, beverages and desserts. 8 p.m. Feb. 14, 117 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. $35. 941-365-7900; sarasotabooks.com/events
Sarasota Orchestra Gala
The Sarasota Orchestra celebrates its 75th anniversary with this gala program led by creative partner Peter Oundjian and featuring pianist Garrick Ohlsson playing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The program also includes Gershwin’s “An American in Paris,” Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” and Joan Tower’s “Fanfare No. 1 for the Uncommon Woman.” 7 p.m. Feb. 15, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $59-$159. 941-953-3434; sarasotaorchestra.org
‘Creole Soul’
The Ringling Museum’s Art of Performance series presents trumpeter, composer and storyteller Etienne Charles, who has performed at jazz festivals around the world and won a 2015 Guggenheim Fellowship. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15-16, Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. $30-$40. 941-360-7399; ringling.org
Circus Sarasota
The 26th edition of this annual winter tradition features the acrobatic hand balancing of the Bello Sisters, who competed on “America’s Got Talent.” Joseph Bauer Jr. returns as ringmaster leading a show that includes horseback riding, diablo juggling, the double wheel of destiny, contortion, flying trapeze, hula hoops and clowning. Feb. 16-March 10, Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. Tickets are $30-$80, with 20% discount on the opening week’s shows. 941-355-9805; circusarts.org
Favorite Poem Reading Project
In 1997, when he was Poet Laureate of the United States, Robert Pinsky launched a program to get people to read poetry aloud and talk about poems they love. That program continues at Bookstore1Sarasota. 1 p.m. Feb. 17, 117 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. Free. 941-365-7900; sarasotabooks.com/events
Diego Figueiredo
The jazz guitarist who has released 28 albums and three DVDs and performed in more than 60 countries brings his mix of jazz, bossa nova and classical music to the Glenridge Performing Arts Center. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17, 7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota. $20-$25. 941-552-5325; gpactix.com
‘Carmen’
The Sarasota Opera opens its 65th season with one of the world’s most popular works, Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,” about the seductress who spurns Corporal Don José in favor of the bullfighter Escamillo. Chelsea Laggan sings the title role, with Victor Starsky as Don José and Andrew Manea as Escamillo. Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi leads the orchestra and Martha Collins is the stage director. Feb. 17-March 22, Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. $42-$155. 941-328-1300; sarasotaopera.org
‘Thrill of a Lifetime’
Conductor Michael Repper leads a special concert featuring members of the Sarasota Orchestra’s Youth Philharmonic joining with the professional musicians from Sarasota Orchestra. The youth orchestra is made up of eight ensembles of students from third grade through high school representing more than 50 schools. 1 p.m. Feb. 18, Riverview High School, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota. $16. 941-953-3434; sarasotaorchestra.org
‘Two-Gether at Last’
Legendary Broadway stars Lee Roy Reams and Anita Gillette share the stage in a special program benefitting Sarasota Rising, the organization planning a living arts festival in Sarasota in November. 3 p.m. Feb. 18, McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. $45. 941-925-3869; mccurdyscomedy.com
Music Mondays with Doug Wright
The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright of “I Am My Own Wife” and the musicals “Grey Gardens,” “The Little Mermaid” and “War Paint,” talks about his career and theater in the Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning Music Mondays program. 10:30 a.m. Feb. 19, Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. 3 p.m. Feb. 19, Venice Presbyterian Church, 825 The Rialto, Venice. $15, available at the door. sillsarasota.org
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
The Sarasota Concert Association presents the acclaimed orchestra, led by music director Jader Bignamini and featuring cellist Alisa Weilerstein performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor. The program also includes “Emerge” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade.” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $35-$125. 941-966-6161; scasarasota.org
Tomorrow’s Voices Today
More than 200 singers of all ages take part in this annual High School Choral Festival, which features Key Chorale and choirs from Booker, Riverview and Sarasota high schools. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20, Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota. $10. 941-552-8768; keychorale.org
Empire Wild
This genre-hopping trio features three classically trained musicians who create their own music bringing together elements of pop, folk, Broadway and more. They were the winners of the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Ambassador Prize. Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota. 5:30 p.m. Feb. 21, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St., Sarasota. $40. 941-306-1200; artistseriesconcerts.org
‘Ain’t Too Proud’
The Broadway hit “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations” tells the story of The Temptations, a singing group that rose from the streets of Detroit to Motown stardom and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Feb. 21-25, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $45-$125. 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org
‘Misery’
In William Goldman’s stage version of the Stephen King novel, Alison Guerrero-Heideman plays Annie Wilkes, who saves her favorite author after an accident and then holds him hostage when he reveals he plans to kill off a major character she loves. Jeremy Guerrero-Heideman plays the author, Paul Sheldon, and Mark Lennox is the sheriff. Kelly Wynn Woodland directs. Feb. 21-March 3, Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130. $30, $15 for students. 941-365-2494; theplayers.org
‘A Night in November’
Marie Jones’ Irish comedy explores the period known as “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. One actor plays all the characters, focused on an opinionated government clerk dealing with his wife, in-laws and a Catholic boss. Things take a turn the night the Republic of Ireland qualifies for the World Cup against Northern Ireland. Feb. 21-March 15, Florida Studio Theatre Stage III, Bowne’s Lab Theatre, 1265 First St., Sarasota. $25-$46. 941-366-9000; floridastudiotheatre.org
‘Rave Lucid’
This Ringling Art of Performance program is a tribute to electro dance, the first French urban dance created in clubs in the 2000s before spread around the world. It is performed by Mazelfreten, a dance company led by dancer/choreographers Brandon Masele and Laura Defretin. 11 a.m. Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23-24, Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. $30-$40. The group will lead a dance masterclass at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 22. 941-360-7399; ringling.org
‘The Sound of Music’
The hills are alive once again with this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic (their last collaboration) being presented by the young performers in the Rise Above Performing Arts program. The musical is about an Austrian nun who becomes a nanny to the children of a Navy captain. Feb. 22-March 3, Rise Above, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1105, Sarasota. $25-$33. The 2 p.m. Feb. 24 performance is an audience sing-along. 941-702-4747; riseabovearts.com
Sarasota Opera Studio Artists
Performers in the Sarasota Opera’s Studio Artists program, who also perform in mainstage productions, take part in this Sarasota Concert Association Music Matinee program. 2 p.m. Feb. 23. First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak St., Sarasota. Free. Registration required. scasarasota.org/music-matinees
Live Arts in Museum Spaces
Elizabeth Doud, The Ringling’s Curator of Performance, joins Limor Tomer, who runs the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Live Arts program, to talk about performance melding with art in museums in this Hermitage Artist Retreat program. 5 p.m. Feb. 23, under the banyans at The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. $5 registration required. Hermitageartistretreat.org
Carmen Fantasy
A benefit concert program for the Sarasota Opera featuring violinist Alexander Markov, pianist Heiki Doerr, artist Natasha Turovsky and poet Bubba Henson. It will feature a selection of violin/piano works and the “Carmen Fantasy,” along with art and poetry inspired by the opera “Carmen.” 6 p.m. Feb. 23, Art Avenue, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $50. 440-227-4592; email paul@artavenueflorida.com
‘Magical Maestro: A Tribute to Alan Menken’
The Venice Symphony is joined by Key Chorale to celebrate the career of composer Alan Menken, performing selections from his film and stage musicals, including “Aladdin,” “Newsies,” “Pocahontas,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24, Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave., Venice. $39-$71. 941-207-8822; thevenicesymphony.org
Lin Ye
The pianist who is an Artist Series Concerts prize winner, returns to Sarasota after impressing audiences in 2019 with two sold-out Beethoven programs. This time, he plays works by Rachmaninoff and a chamber version of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1. 4 p.m. Feb. 24, Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. $40. 941-306-1200; artistseriesconcerts.org
‘Lucia di Lammermoor’
Gaetano Donizetti’s popular opera about deceit, murder and madness. Ashley Milanese stars as Lucia who has been promised by her brother, Enrico (sung by Jean Carlos Rodriguez), to a Scottish nobleman, instead of Edgardo, the young man she loves from a rival family. Mark Freiman is the stage director and Jesse Martins is the conductor. Feb. 24-March 23, Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. $32-$155. 941-328-1300; sarasotaopera.org
The Four Freshmen
The classic vocal quartet that traces its start to 1948 performs American songbook classics embellished with a jazz sensibility. 2 p.m. Feb. 25, Glenridge Performing Arts Center, 7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota. $35-$40. 941-552-5325; gpactix.com
‘Heavenly Harmony’
This Sarasota Orchestra Chamber Soiree features Jules Massenet’s “Meditation” from “Thais” arranged for a cello quartet, along with Roussel’s Serenade for Flute, String Trio, and Harp and Mozart’s Wind Serenade No. 11. 4 p.m. Feb. 25, Holley Hall, Symphony Center, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $42-$52. Sold out. 941-953-3434; sarasotaorchestra.org
Music Mondays opera
Puerto Rican baritone Ricardo José Rivera, who is part of the Sarasota Opera’s 2024 season, and soprano Carmenchú Dominguez, who has sung throughout Puerto Rico and her home country of the Dominican Republic, sing in this Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning program. 10:30 a.m. Feb. 26, Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. 3 p.m. Feb. 26, Venice Presbyterian Church, 825 The Rialto, Venice. $15, available at the door. sillsarasota.org
Stanley Tucci
The Academy Award-nominated actor Stanley Tucci, who has appeared in more than 90 films, talks about his career and lessons learned in a Ringling College Library Association Town Hall series talk. 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $85-$125; 7:30 p.m. talk sold out. rclassociation.org/schedule/stanley-tucci
‘Jagged Little Pill’
Alanis Morissette’s acclaimed album, which sold 33 million copies and won five Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, was turned into a stage musical in 2018, with a book by Diablo Cody. The songs and story explore joy, love, heartache, pain and healing. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $80-$120. 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org
Silver Foxes 30th anniversary
Venice Theatre marks 30 years of its senior performance troupe with a variety show filled with song, dance and humor. Brad Wages stages this annual showcase. Feb. 27-March 3, Venice Theatre Raymond Center, 140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice. $26. 941-488-1115; venicetheatre.org
‘Ruby’
Delayed by the COVID pandemic, the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe presents the world premiere of a musical play by founder and artistic director Nate Jacobs and his brother Michael Jacobs, along with Nehemiah Luckett, Brennan Stylez and Antonio Wimberly. It’s about the 1952 murder of a white doctor in Live Oak, Florida, by a Black woman and a case widely covered by writer Zora Neale Hurston. Feb. 28-April 7, 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. $50, $20 for students under 25 and active military, $40 for previews. 941-366-1505; westcoastblacktheatre.org
‘Dreams of Drowning’ book launch
Patricia Averbach, an author, poet and former director of the Chautauqua Writers’ Center, launches her new novel “Dreams of Drowning” with a reading and signing event. 11 a.m. Feb. 29, Bookstore1Sarasota, 117 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. Free or $19 with a copy of the book. 941-365-7900; sarasotabooks.com
‘The Glass Menagerie’
The Manatee Players presents an intimate production of one of the great American classics, Tennessee Williams’ tender story about an aspiring writer who copes with trying to support his demanding mother and his innocent sister in 1937 St. Louis. Feb. 29-March 10, Kiwanis Studio Theatre, Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton. $27. 941-748-5875; manateeperformingartscenter.com
Continuing
‘Hadestown’
Anaïs Mitchell’s Tony Award-winning musical is a modern retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, weaving together a variety of stories. Through Feb. 4, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $45-$125. 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org
‘Fully Committed’
Doug Shapiro plays many characters in Becky Mode’s one-man comedy about an out-of-work actor who supports himself by handling reservations at Manhattan’s number one restaurant. Sarasota Jewish Theatre. Through Feb. 4, Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Suite 1130. $18-$28. 941-365-2494; theplayers.org
‘Calendar Girls’
Tim Firth’s play, based on the hit 2003 film, is about a group of British women who decide to raise funds for charity by posing nude for a calendar. Through Feb. 11, Venice Theatre Pinkerton Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice. $35, $22 college students, $15 youth. 941-488-1115; venicetheatre.org
Ringling College
Several shows continue in different galleries at Ringling College of Art and Design. “Picture This: The Inaugural Sketchbook Library Exhibition” is the first exhibit of student sketchbooks. Through Feb. 23. Brizdle-Schoenberg Special Collections Center. “Che Colore” features selections from the Richard and Barbara Basch glass collection in the Basch Gallery through March 22. “Fluid Impressions: The Paintings of Syd Solomon,” an exhibit curated by students, continues through March 25 in the Stulberg Gallery. 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941-359-7563; ringlingcollege.gallery
‘Beauty of Inflections and Innuendoes’
Bradenton and Sarasota fiber artists Ellen S. Goldberg, Rebecca Levine Quigley and Michael R. Stevenson are artists-in-residence at the Gaze Gallery in Sarasota. Through Feb. 29, Gaze Gallery at ARCOS, 340 Central Ave., Sarasota.
Sarasota Art Museum
“Embodied Memories, Ancestral Histories,” an exhibition of work by Cuban-born artist Juana Valdés, exploring her Caribbean identity, Cuban roots and African ancestry. Through Feb. 11. “Contemporary/Traditional,” an exhibit of glass work from the collection of Richard and Barbara Basch from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Through Feb. 11. “Picking Up the Pieces,” a new installation created for the museum by Judy Pfaff, is on display through March 24. 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941-309-4300; sarasotaartmuseum.org
‘Judith’
Urbanite Theatre presents the world premiere of Katie Bender’s one-woman play about the sister of William Shakespeare who dresses as her brother and writes the plays we know by him under his name. Livy Scanlon stars. Through Feb. 18. Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St., Sarasota. $42, $28 under age 40, $5 students. 941-321-1397; urbanitetheatre.com
Florida Studio Theatre
In addition to new works in February, the company is offering several continuing performances. The Children’s Theatre production of “Red Riding Hood” by Allison Gregory continues on weekends through Feb. 10 in the Keating Theatre. $10. The Stage III production of Lindsey Ferrentino’s “Ugly Lies the Bone,” about a disfigured military veteran dealing with emotional and physical scars when she returns home, continues through Feb. 9 in Bowne’s Lab Theatre. $29-$46. Sharr White’s “Pictures From Home,” about a photographer trying to capture images of his parents, continues through Feb. 18 in the Keating Theatre. $25-$39. The cabaret show “Up on the Roof” continues through Feb. 4 (and will return March 8-24) in the Court Cabaret. $34-$39. “Take it to the Limit” continues in the Goldstein Cabaret through April 14. $39-$59. 1241 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota. 941-366-9000; floridastudiotheatre.org
‘The Amish Project’
Katherine Michelle Tanner stars in Jessica Dickey’s one-woman play based on the true story of the 2006 schoolhouse shootings in the Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. Through Feb. 11, Tree Fort Productions Projects, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $40. Treefortproductionsprojects.com
‘The Sunshine Boys’
Neil Simon’s comedy is about two former comedy partners who had an acrimonious split as they try to perform together in a special about the history of comedy. Through Feb. 11, Lemon Bay Playhouse, 96 W. Dearborn St., Englewood. $25, $20 students. 941-475-6756; lemonbayplayhouse.com
‘A Soldier’s Play’
Charles Fuller’s gripping, Pulitzer Prize-winning play is about an investigation into the murder of a Black sergeant on a U.S. Army base in the South during World War II. Through Feb. 18, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. $50, $20 students age 25 and younger and active military, $40 previews. 941-366-1505; westcoastblacktheatre.org
‘Inherit the Wind’
The classic drama by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee based on the Scopes Monkey Trial features two prominent attorneys facing off in a Tennessee courtroom about evolution. Through Feb. 24, Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $29-$95. 941-351-8000; asolorep.org
‘Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville’
The Broadway musical is built around the chart-topping songs by the late Jimmy Buffett, including “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “Margaritaville.” Through Feb. 18, Venice Theatre Raymond Center, 140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice. $37, $22 college students, $15 youth. 941-488-1115; venicetheatre.org
Embracing Our Differences
The annual exhibition of 50 billboard-sized works of art accompanied by inspirational quotes from students and adults from around the world returns for its 21st season to Sarasota's Bayfront Park. Through April 14, 5 Bayfront Drive, Sarasota. It will be presented March 2-31 at Poynter Park, 3rd Street South and Ninth Ave. South, St. Petersburg. embracingourdifferences.org
Art Center Sarasota
Art Center Sarasota hosts three solo shows and the annual Juried Members Show. Brian V. Jones’ “Looking for Home” is a photo exhibit exploring his relationship with life in Sarasota. Carole Lyles Shaw’s “Black Women: Music of the Heart & Soul" is a display of textile collages or art quilts celebrating Black women musicians. Christopher Skura’s “Social Studies” captures life in lower Manhattan with influences of street art. Through March 2, 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941-365-2032; artsarasota.org
The Ringling
There are multiple shows on display at the museum complex. “The True Story of Eve” features work by author and multimedia artist Michele Oka Doner. Through June 2, Monda Gallery. “Mountains of the Mind: Scholars’ Rocks from China and Beyond” continues through June 23 in the Chao Center for Asian Art. “Working Conditions,” an exploration of labor seen through the lens of photographers, continues through March 3 in the Searing Galleries. 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. 941-359-5700; ringling.org
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 70+ arts events open in February in Sarasota-Manatee-Charlotte
