Carolan Trbovich - Page 7

Sarasota's edgy Urbanite Theatre is to theatre what Chihuahuas are to the world of canines. Tiny but mighty. Chihuahuas are said to be the smallest of breeds but after meeting one you would never know it. In their minds they can do anything. They are fearless. They know no boundaries and stand tall in a world that dwarfs them. Much like the Chihuahua, (what I am going to call their unofficial mascot), the Urbanite once again shows its big dogteeth in staging Jonathan Fielding and Brenda Withers' Northside Hollow.

Rise Above Performing Arts Presents Grease

Who doesn't appreciate the beloved film Singing in the Rain? Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor sang and danced their way into our hearts in this 1952 movie classic about the pandemonium that plagued the movie industry in the late 1920s when motion pictures morphed from silence to full sound. In the film, Monumental Pictures found themselves with a popular silent film star who possessed an awful speaking and singing voice and would not transition well in to the new world of movies with sound. What to do, what to do. If you have seen the film, you know how the winsome story evolves.

Not a lot of plays are written for the 50+population of which makes up a good percentage of theatregoers, according to statistics from Broadway League. This doesn't help the rising number of tenured actors looking for work either. Writer Carey Crim's Morning After Grace satisfies both the mature audience's appetite for age-relatable entertainment and the seasoned actor's fancy for distinguished roles.

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Pays Homage to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With Production of The Mountaintop

Under the clever and fun direction of conductor Andrew Lane, the Sarasota Orchestra gave us a merry evening of popular Christmas songs in the cozy Holley Hall. Mixing in a little traditional with a little jazz, celebrating songs from around the globe and blending classics with contemporary was on the delicious menu for the evening.

Re-imaginings of originally presented productions often fail in execution and relevance. Some, such as Wicked's re-imagining of The Wizard of Oz, become blockbusters of their own. Sarasota Ballet's John Ringling's Circus Nutcracker is an homage to The Nutcracker and a beautiful tribute to Sarasota's own John and Mable Ringling. British choreographer Matthew Hart skillfully infused the theme, beauty and elegance of the original Nutcracker with the history, acrobatics and spectacle of the circus. Throw in a nod to the Rockettes and Michael Jackson's Thriller and you've got quite production indeed.

Playing through December 23 at The Players Centre is The 1940's Radio Hour, A Prairie Home Companion-type production that takes us back to the good ole days of radio, where voices and sound effects allowed your mind to wander and create a world only you could envision. Although film and television have taken that away from us and replaced it with stunning visual effects, I still like to listen to the old radio shows, especially the mysteries. This production makes you feel comfy cozy as if you were home listening, all warm and bundled up, while it snows outside.

Under the direction of Dr. Joseph Holt, The Choral Artists of Sarasota, previously known as Gloria Musicae, an ensemble of 40 singers, presented Too Hot to Handel, their gospel version of Handle's Messiah last year to a crowd that wanted more. This year they moved the performance that packed the Opera House last year to the Van Wezel Hall and added the State College of Florida Concert Choir, the Festival Singers of Florida and the Manatee School for the Arts Chamber Choir.

Berlioz's 'Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9', Barber's 'Violin Concerto, Op. 14', Berstein's 'West Side Story, Symphonic Dances', Stravinsky's 'Suite from the Firebird' (1919) was a part of the stunning repertoire presented by the Sarasota Orchestra under the magnificent direction of celebrated Guest Conductor Larry Rachleff.

Hauntingly Beautiful Echoes Plays at The Urbanite

The Book of Mormon at The Straz Tampa

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Triumphantly Stages A Motown Christmas

Sarasota Ballet Metropolitan

Fun Home is a coming-of-age musical about a lesbian and her repressed gay father, who teaches literature, manages the family funeral home and eventually commits suicide. The musical is based on the memoirs of writer/cartoonist Alison Bechdel. Bechdel's 2006 book and was adapted into a musical with book and lyrics by Lisa Kron and music by Jeanine Tesori.

Evita Triumphant At Asolo Repertory Theatre

Verdi's renowned La traviata, (The Fallen Woman), formerly titled Violetta after its tragic heroine, is beautifully cast and staged at Sarasota Opera. Story has it, inspired by a performance Verdi saw of Alexander Dumas fils's The Lady of the Camellias, he immediately started to pen La traviata. This is a wonderful opportunity to see one of Giuseppe Verdi's well know works by one of the most outstanding opera houses in the country.

Lively Production of Once Wows Sarasota Audiences

Join the Conga Line In Tampa for On Your Feet

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, under the brilliant direction of Nate Jacobs, produces some of the best entertainment theatregoers will savor. From the simplicity of beautifully staged plays to lavish musical productions and intimate talkbacks, audiences can always expect a high-end caliber of artistic endeavors.