Upcoming Events

16-time Grammy award-winning musician, composer, and producer DAVID FOSTER and acclaimed singer, television, and Broadway star, KATHARINE MCPHEE are bringing their viral Instagram show on the road. Coming directly from the living room to the stage, this intimate show with the powerhouse duo will be packed with David’s hits from Chicago, Whitney Houston, Josh Groban and more, and Kat’s biggest songs from American Idol, Smash and Wai...

Program Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 4 Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2 Brahms – Symphony No. 1 Featuring Peter Oundjian, conductor | Nobuyuki Tsujii, piano Rachmaninoff dedicated his Second Piano Concerto to the therapist who successfully treated him for depression. The work stands today as one of his most beloved compositions. Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, blind since birth and described as “the...

Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian, will be joining the series in February. Michael was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and got serious about swimming after joining the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Phelps, a prodigy at the sport, got close but did not medal at his first Olympics, in Sidney 2000, when he was 15 years old. Michael would go on to dominate the next four Olympic Games, finishing the most decorated athlete at each one. Since ...

A selection of classes that focus on a different discipline each class. Classes will include: singing, dancing, stage combat, cold reading audition workshop. In this series, teens will gain exposure to multiple disciplines. Each class is 75 minutes long, starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, February 7: Wicked Song/Dance Workshop $30 per class. $100 for all 4 classes. Teens ages 13-17. Location: The Selby Education Room at the Van We...

Legendary performer MICHAEL FEINSTEIN salutes and celebrates the great Judy Garland on her 100th Birthday! Executive produced by Liza Minnelli, audiences are invited to join a nostalgic and spectacular musical journey of Garland’s illustrious career. Filled with special surprise moments, Feinstein and audiences will come together in celebrating Garland’s unparalleled talent and charisma. No one could break or lift your heart like J...

MOMIX’s internationally acclaimed dancer-illusionists conjure the magical world of the White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts in this stunning reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s novel. Journey down the rabbit hole with MOMIX and the visionary choreography of Artistic Director Moses Pendleton. Filled with visual splendor and startling creative movement, Alice reveals that nothing in MOMIX’s world is as it seems! ...

A selection of classes that focus on a different discipline each class. Classes will include: singing, dancing, stage combat, cold reading audition workshop. In this series, teens will gain exposure to multiple disciplines. Each class is 75 minutes long, starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, January 31: Stage Combat Tuesday, February 7: Wicked Song/Dance Workshop $30 per class. $100 for all 4 classes. Teens ages 13-17. Location: Th...

SCOTTY McCREERY launched his recording career by making history in 2011 as both the first country artist and the youngest male artist of any genre to debut his first studio album, the Platinum-certified Clear as Day, at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. In 2021, McCreery released his fifth studio album Same Truck. The first two singles from the album, “You Time” and “Damn Strait,” have each hit...

Call it “musical comedy heaven” (Rolling Stone). Call it “the most uproarious new musical in years!” (The Hollywood Reporter). Call it TOOTSIE! This laugh-out-loud love letter to the theater tells the story of Michael Dorsey, a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until one show-stopping act of desperation lands him the role of a lifetime. Featuring a hilarious Tony®-winning book by Robert Horn an...

Do you want to live out your performing arts dream? Learn numbers from Broadway shows, taught by a Broadway veteran! In this series, adults will dance and sing their way through musical numbers. Each class will begin with a warmup and focus on one number from a Broadway musical. Each class is 75 minutes long. 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Wednesday,February 15: TOOTSIE Thursday, April 20: CATS $30 per class. Adults ages 18-up. ...

With Adam Ben-David on piano. Before he was an Emmy-winning TV star, MANDY PATINKIN was already a Tony-winning Broadway legend. Mandy Patinkin in Concert: BEING ALIVE, presents the acclaimed actor / singer / storyteller in his most electrifying role: concert performer. “Mandy Patinkin is in the business of showstopping,” raves The New Yorker, and that’s exactly what he does in this powerful, passionate evening of song. BE...

PARAMOUNT’S LASER SPECTACULAR has become a cult classic, presenting the music of PINK FLOYD, as you’ve never seen before. The entire show is presented with the original master recordings of PINK FLOYD. Surrounded by walls of concert-quality sound, LASER SPECTACULAR carries listeners away on a mind-expanding journey driven by cutting-edge effects, high-powered lasers, large-screen video projection and special lighting effects. Your ...

As THE BEACH BOYS mark more than a half century of making music, the group continues to ride the crest of a wave unequalled in America’s musical history. The Beach Boys – who have become synonymous with the California lifestyle and an American icon, are bringing their shows to fans around the world. Since the band’s co-founder, lead-singer and chief lyricist Mike Love penned the lyrics to The Beach Boys’ first hit, ...

Comedy legends RITA RUDNER AND ROBERT KLEIN team up for a new, exciting tour! One of the country’s top comedians and a New York Times best-selling author, Rita Rudner is also an award-winning television personality, screenwriter, playwright and actress. For more than forty years, Robert Klein has entertained audiences and continues to have an acclaimed career in comedy, Broadway, television and film....

AILEY II is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s finest early-career dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers. Founded by Alvin Ailey, the company embodies his pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people. Since its 1974 inception, Ai...

Featuring Kensho Watanabe, conductor | Stefan Jackiw, violin Join conductor, soloist, and full orchestra for a 60 to 75 minute “guided tour” into the history, context, and personal connections behind the music of Copland and Stravinsky. You’ll experience excerpts from the full Masterworks program, integrated with the insights about what makes these works great. Tickets from $26-69. Visit Sarasota Orchestra for C...

Program Jessica Hunt – Climb Stravinsky – Violin Concerto in D Major Copland – Symphony No. 3 Featuring Kensho Watanabe, conductor | Stefan Jackiw, violin Rising young conductor Kensho Watanabe returns to Sarasota to lead an intriguing program including two 20th-century masterpieces. In his 1931 Violin Concerto, Stravinsky composed a work with a playful character and light touch in the style of neoclassicism. ...

A Florida native, Admiral James Stavridis NATO’s 16th Supreme Allied Commander will speak as a trusted authority on the European crisis and global security.  Admiral Stavridis attended the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, and spent 37 years in the Navy, rising to the rank of 4-star Admiral. Among his many commands were four years as the 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, where he oversaw operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, th...

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter SARAH McLACHLAN is loved by fans around the world for her tender lyrics and indelible vocals. She has earned three Grammy® Awards and twelve Juno Awards and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Her songwriting is an inspiration to people everywhere and her countless hits, including "Angel", "I Will Remember You", "Adia" and so many others, continue to have a profo...

Hailed as one of the greatest orchestras in the world, the Chicago Symphony makes its highly anticipated return to Sarasota.  In his final season as Music Director, Riccardo Muti leads the internationally-acclaimed orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.  One of the world’s preeminent conductors, Riccardo Muti has forged an extraordinary artistic partnership with the Orche...

Featuring Byron Stripling, conductor Sydney McSweeney, vocalist Sarasota Orchestra shines a spotlight on great composers of the early 20th century. Jazz trumpeter Byron Stripling dons two extra hats as conductor and vocalist, joined on keys by Bobby Floyd, member of the legendary Count Basie Orchestra, and chanteuse Sydney McSweeney. The result: an inspiring journey through the shaping of the Great American Songbook. 2 hours. Inclu...

NEIL BERG’S 113 YEARS OF BROADWAY is back for its annual sell-out thrilling performance. Neil Berg brings his company of extraordinary Broadway stars to Sarasota with an all-new show to light up the night. Each musician is an accomplished star in their own right. It's an evening of "Broadway Heaven" not to be missed, featuring songs from your favorite stage productions....

For this 50th anniversary celebration, PILOBOLUS questions its own “givens,” turns its traditions sideways, and brings its past into the future. As fresh and vibrant as ever, Pilobolus – that feisty arts organism – puts the “Oh!” in BIG FIVE-OH!, and continues to morph its way thrillingly into audiences’ hearts and minds. The celebration includes signature works from vintage classics to their trend...

Enjoy a soulful evening of Motown music with THE TEMPTATIONS AND THE FOUR TOPS. The Temptations, often referred to as “American Music Royalty,” are revered for their phenomenal catalog of music and prolific career. The Four Tops rose to stardom with their first Motown hit “Baby I Need Your Loving” and continued to produce chart-topping songs for decades. Join these iconic, world-renowned superstar groups for a joyful co...

Don’t miss NYGASP's new and critically acclaimed production of THE MIKADO. Join Messrs. Gilbert, Sullivan and D’Oyly Carte themselves on a fantastic voyage to a land where the matchless libretto, beautiful music, and all of your favorite characters await! Enjoy the abounding absurdity and astounding wit that are as fresh and full of laughter now as when Gilbert & Sullivan first brought the story to life. ...

KENNY LOGGINS has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide and has won two Grammy® Awards. His songs have left his musical imprint on “the soundtrack of our lives.” Over the last four decades, his chart-topping songs have included “This Is It,” “I’m Alright,” “Footloose," “Danger Zone,” and so many more. In addition to his string of successful recordings, Loggins became the...

The London-based English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jose Serebrier, presents a program of beloved chamber music including Mozart’s Divertimento in D major, and Haydn’s Symphony No. 49, La Passione.  The most recorded chamber orchestra in the world, the English Chamber Orchestra has made 860 recordings of 1500 works by 400 composers, and has performed in more countries than any other orchestra. This performance is pres...

In March, TOWN HALL will welcome José Andrés: Chef, Restaurateur, and Humanitarian. José Andrés is an internationally-recognized culinary innovator, author, educator, humanitarian, and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup. A pioneer of Spanish tapas in the United States, he is also known for his groundbreaking avant-garde cuisine and his award-winning group of nearly three dozen restaurants located throughout the country an...

ON YOUR FEET! is the inspiring true story about heart, heritage and two people who believed in their talent—and each other—to become an international sensation: Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Now their story is an all-new exhilarating original musical winning the hearts of critics and audiences alike, with the Chicago Tribune declaring “IT’S A HIT!” and The New York Times cheering, “The very air in the room seem...

IRELAND WITH MICHAEL LIVE is a multimedia experience that combines the music, dance and stories of Ireland. Emmy® Award-nominated singer and voice of Riverdance on Broadway, Michael Londra interlaces songs and stories of Ireland to a backdrop of spectacular footage filmed for his PBS travel series, creating an immersive journey around the Emerald Isle for his audience. ...

Program Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor) Prokofiev – Symphony No. 5 Featuring Paul Daniel, conductor | Behzod Abduraimov, piano Acclaimed British conductor Paul Daniel presides over a program of fifths in his first Sarasota appearance. Young Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov, whom The Independent calls “the most perfectly accomplished pianist of his generation,” makes his own debut in Beethoven&rsq...

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary Season of this leading national arts incubator, Hermitage Artistic Director Andy Sandberg returns to his roots as a performer to sing a benefit concert at Sarasota’s iconic Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. This one-night-only event will raise funds for the Hermitage Artist Retreat following the impact of Hurricane Ian earlier this season. Sandberg is a director, writer, performer, and Tony Award-winning p...

GORDON LIGHTFOOT has recorded 21 albums and has five Grammy nominations. His songs have been aired regularly for over 50 years, earning him Radio Singles Chart Positions in North America achieved by few others. Lightfoot's radio hits in the USA have earned five #1s, five Top 10s and thirteen Top 40 hits. In Canada he has earned sixteen #1s, eighteen Top 10s and twenty-one Top 40 hits. In June of 2012 Lightfoot's legacy was further enha...

MICHAEL BOLTON is a multiple Grammy® Award winner and Emmy®-nominated singer, songwriter and humanitarian, who has sold more than 65 million records globally and continues to tour the world....

Music Director JoAnn Falletta leads the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic in Dvorák’s Symphony No. 7, and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto featuring violinist Sandy Cameron. Hailed as “one of the finest conductors of her generation” by The New York Times, JoAnn Falletta has led the Buffalo Philharmonic on national and international tours, they have won numerous awards, and together they are one of the leadin...

From The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to stand-up comedian, best-selling children’s book author, much-in-demand corporate speaker, lovable TV and movie voice-over artist, pioneering car-builder and philanthropist...it’s no wonder that JAY LENO is widely characterized as “the hardest working man in show business.” Leno is the recipient of many honors, including Emmy®, People’s Choice and TV Guide Awards, as well ...

One of the most successful singer/songwriters in music, with over 100 million albums sold, PAUL ANKA has the distinction of being the only artist in history to have a song on the Billboard charts during seven consecutive decades. This concert features Anka's instantly recognizable hits including “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” “Diana,” “My Way,” “Puppy Love” and "Lonely Boy,” among...

Program Sarah Gibson – Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Commission Korngold – Violin Concerto R. Strauss – Ein Heldenleben Featuring Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor |Gil Shaham, violin Sarasota Orchestra concludes the Masterworks season with a program of heroic proportions. Internationally acclaimed violinist Gil Shaham shines in one of his signature works, Korngold’s sweeping, cinematic Violin Concert. Th...

In early April 2023, Thomas Friedman three-time Pulitzer Prize winner rejoins the lecture series, being only the second person to be invited back to TOWN HALL. Friedman is an author and American political commentator. Renowned for his direct reporting and accessible analysis of complex issues shaping the US and the world. He is the winner of three Pulitzer Prizes and cited by the Pulitzer board for his clarity of vision, extensive reporting, a...

THE HIGH KINGS formed in June 2007 as a ballad group specializing in traditional Irish music. It didn’t take long during their first studio rehearsal for them to realize that the way their individual voices blended together, they were onto something special. They will be joined by chart topping Celtic band, GAELIC STORM. After two decades and more than 2000 shows, they are a true force to be reckoned with. THE HIGH KINGS AND GAELIC STORM...

Direct from Broadway, MEAN GIRLS is the hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey (30 Rock), composer Jeff Richmond (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and director Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naï...

“Dance With Your Kiddo” Series A mixed-generation program on Saturdays before a matinee. Saturday, April 15, 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. (before the 2 p.m performance): MEAN GIRLS $30 per class for adult and child. Location: The Selby Education Room at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. About Justin JUSTIN GOMLAK is a veteran of nine Broadway shows, originating companies, understudying major roles, and serving ...

Direct from Broadway, MEAN GIRLS is the hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey (30 Rock), composer Jeff Richmond (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and director Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naï...

 CATS, the record-breaking musical spectacular by Andrew Lloyd Webber that has captivated audiences in over 30 countries and15 languages, is now on tour across North America! Audiences and critics alike are rediscovering this beloved musical with breathtaking music, including one of the most treasured songs in musical theater—"Memory”. Winner of 7 Tony Awards® including BEST MUSICAL, CATS tells the story of one magica...

Do you want to live out your performing arts dream? Learn numbers from Broadway shows, taught by a Broadway veteran! In this series, adults will dance and sing their way through musical numbers. Each class will begin with a warmup and focus on one number from a Broadway musical. Each class is 75 minutes long. 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Thursday, April 20: CATS $30 per class. Adults ages 18-up. Location: The Selby Education...

Featuring William Waldrop, conductor Carmen Ruby Floyd, vocals Celebrate Broadway with conductor William Waldrop and extraordinary vocalists. Enjoy beloved hits from Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, and Wicked. The concert will also highlight Broadway’s classic era with music from Carousel, Gypsy, and 42nd Street. 2 hours. Includes intermission. Tickets from $40-90. Visit Sarasota Orchestra for Concert Detail...

Times change and trends come and go, but – like a 1961 Jaguar XK-E – the classic sounds of the past only appreciate with age. POSTMODERN JUKEBOX'S LIFE IN THE PAST LANE TOUR is a celebration of the greatest 20th century musical genres, fused with the recognizable hits of our own modern era, for the perfect patina of "vintage" and "modern."...

RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES performs songs from Abbey Road & the Rooftop Concert LIVE, in addition to all your favorites hits. This mind-blowing performance takes you back in time with the legendary foursome delivering a note-for-note theatrical event that is the next best thing to seeing the Beatles. Experience the worlds’ most iconic band and get back to where you once belonged with RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES....

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and Key Chorale honor the “Queen of Soul” on the 50th anniversary of her groundbreaking Grammy Award-Winning album Amazing Grace. Be swept away by soulful gospel songs and Aretha Franklin’s most famous R&B classics. One night only featuring the high energy sizzle of WBTT and the thrilling harmonies of Key Chorale. Hear songs such as What A Friend We Have In Jesus, Amazing Grace,  Mary, ...

MELISSA ETHERIDGE stormed onto the American rock scene in 1988 with the release of her critically acclaimed debut album. For several years, her popularity grew around such memorable originals as “Bring Me Some Water,” “No Souvenirs” and “Ain’t It Heavy,” for which she won a Grammy® in 1992. Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Etheridge has remained one of America’s favo...

THE CONCERT: A TRIBUTE TO ABBA brings one of the greatest pop phenomena back to life. The audience and press all agree, “this is the closest to ABBA you’ll ever get.” THE CONCERT: A TRIBUTE TO ABBA continues to be the top ABBA tribute group in the world, dazzling all who see their fantastic performance while playing the most iconic hits from ABBA, including “Mamma Mia,” “Waterloo” and “Dancing Qu...

NIKKI GLASER is one of the funniest female voices in comedy today. For over a decade at clubs across the country, and as the host of three hit podcasts; the new HBO MAX reality dating series Fboy Island and Comedy Central, she has been honing her shockingly-honest, no-holds barred style of comedy. Her upcoming nationwide comedy tour THE GOOD GIRL TOUR is kicking off in 2023. Recommended for mature audiences only....