I'm a big fan of Cirque du Soleil, so it was hard to not compare. It definitely would not be fair…read moreto do so. With that said, this is a touring circus with decent acts. I enjoyed 3 or 4 of them. My seat was excellent, first tier, last row. But either section would have provided a great viewing of the show. No need to sit up close. Would I attend another tour? Maybe.

Very safe for young adults. A lot of profanity but sexual exploitation…read more This is a unique experience. It was a bit of Halloween mixed with Christmas that surprisingly works. Many amazing acts and a couple that will wow you. Think gymnasts and acrobats. The men and women are all gorgeous and have put in alot of time to perfect their act. I was highly impressed. They interact just enough with the audience that keeps you on your toes. I will say there is 1 or 2 acts that I find unnecessary. Ie- the main guy comes out in his undies. It was sexual or even humerous.

We've been attending this Sarasota circus for years at UTC as we are blessed to have the Flying…read moreWallenda's Family here locally. They are amazing! The circus was even better this year because Nick Wallendas sister joined their act today, which is always fantastic, and they built a new Big Top with very comfy seats too! The acts were phenomenal! Very impressive. Must see!

Nik Wallenda's WONDERLAND CIRCUS, is family-friendly, fun, surprising, delightful and unique…read more.. each performer we saw was outstanding at what they did, from the tiny contortionist that "bent" and folded in ways you'd never think possible, to the "silks" flyer/gymnast who performed in ways that were breathtaking and unlike ANY we'd ever seen before...remarkable skills on display by every performer. Nik and his amazing family topped the show with their wire-walking abilities, and inspiring true story of overcoming adversity that lifted everyone's spirits. Our own "hometown superstars..."

The Asolo Theater is currently showing Shakespeare Hamlet. It is the largest Equity theatre in…read moreFlorida, and the largest Repertory theatre in the Southeastern United States. Asolo Rep is a resident regional theatre company which also invites in guest artists. It works in conjunction with Florida State University's MFA Acting program, the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. This is a horse-shoe shaped theatre with 4 tiers of boxes and was modeled after La Fenice. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the building was the home theatre of the great Italian actress Eleonora Duse. In 1930, the Asolo Theatre was dismantled and put into storage. In 1949 the museum director of the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art learned of the theatre's existence and saw the theatre as an ideal acquisition for the museum. It's been in existence here for 67 years since 1958.

Stunning architecture, this building is from the 1500's in Oslo, Norway. It was transported to this…read morelocation & is truly remarkable how they are able to keep it up. There are very small parts of it that had to be reconfigured & restored that was damaged & didn't make the trip over, however about 85% of it is still in its original condition. It seats about 550 people & the acoustics are marvelous. My family & I went to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. As being someone who grew up going to broadway shows, this show transported me back to New York City! The friendliness of about half of the staff could be significantly better, nevertheless, everything else about this place was spectacular. Thanks Team Asolo Theater!

As snowbirds, we love to support and enjoy local theatre. The Manatee Players are exquisite in…read moretheir sets, execution and hospitality. The venue is very nice. Our first play, The Cemetary Club, was held in the smaller theatre. Only con was the proximity of the chairs to the foward row. My 5'10" friend had her knees jammed into a chair back for most of the show. Our second play, Bright Star, was in the Stone Hall portion of the venue. It was true theatre seating and elevated stage. These volunteers do a wonderful job of entertaining. Highly recommend.

Saw "Newsies" at Manatee Players tonight (Friday). Best opening show since Les Miserable in my…read moreopinion. The cast defies adequate superlatives to communicate their amazing performance. The youthful cast permeates the audience with their energy and enthusiasm. Music is by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and book by Harvey Fierstein and the show is based on Disney's the Newsies. It takes place in the 1890's but the story seems very relevant to today's news. Rick Kerby has outdone himself with this production. His direction of dance numbers leave the audience exhilarated and clapping. Kudos to the entire production team but special note to the set designer Donna Buckalter. In the opening number the set moves like a Rubik's cube into cleaver formations. Each and every member of the cast is perfection. They work together like they have done it for years. Everyone should be mentioned but due to space I will laude the leads Austin Greshem as Jack Kelly, Alexander Zickafoose as Crutchie, Savannah Sinclair (Katherine Plummer) and all the newsies. Javisha Strong as Medda Larkin is literally show stopping in her number "That's Rich". The cast dance numbers are Broadway worthy. Simply breathe taking. The tap number at the opening of the second act had my heart beating faster than it should. The entire show reminded me why I love theater. This show is not to be missed if you are in the area. 5/5 stars.

We thought this show was connected to the traveling Cirque du Soleil shows which we have seen in…read moreNorthern and southern California. It obviously is not. Those other shows were as good as the permanent shows in Las Vegas. This was a very small venue, with what appeared to be amateur or emerging talent. They weren't bad, but they did not rise to the level of Cirque shows. And it certainly was not for children. We are not prudes, but some of the acts were a bit racy with women being rather provocative. The Alcatraz theme was totally lost. The worst part were the clowns/comedians who were simply not funny and had foul mouths which brought nothing to the act. The flying guy and the acrobats were pretty good, but again, not at the level we expected. We were disappointed, like a lot.

You should disregard the negative reviews about this show. No - it's not part of Cirque du Soleil,…read morenor do they represent it to be. Lol. A 1 star review for having the word "Cirque" in their name and the reviewer being ignorant is not fair. No - it's not a great show for children, nor do they represent it to be. They literally have a massive disclosure on their website homepage stating that the show is RATED R. They don't allow anyone under 13, and anyone 13-17 must be accompanied by an adult. As for any of the other slanderous nonsense reviews about this show - I just say to you - If you're an adult looking for a fun date-night or night out with friends, this is a really good time for 90 mins or so. The performers engage with the entire audience, there's tons of personalized photo opportunities, and the performance is edgy but very fun. You should definitely give it a shot! It's standard concession service inside (popcorn, slushies, soda, etc). No alcohol. I suggest dinner/drinks beforehand.

Saw LES MIS last night - a performance by super-talented high school actors & younger. It was well…read moreover a ten! The minimalist, effective sets & handling their setups was effective. The youth were superbly talented in their approach to this classic play, in full, glorious voice & touching roles well-played. Very hard to believe these were not professional actors - but then they were! It is brilliant, it shines, it is not to be missed if you can get on standby as the plays are all sold out at this point - but I got in, so tickets can be had... DO NOT MISS IT! Absolutely stunning in presentation, quality & presentation!

I have been volunteering both on and off stage as well as seeing shows at the players and I have…read morealways had a blast. The staff here is amazing and always very kind. Service wise, I have never had a negative experience here and performances are always great, considering that it's a community theatre. I would also recommend volunteering if you can, it really helps the theatre out and it's allot of fun working with and meeting new people every show you do.

We attended a salon-type evening with piano accompanying the creation of art. A unique experience…read moreand well worth doing.

Wow! Amazing Couple, Art Gallery full of Midge's creative art, colorful, unique! She has art…read moreclasses...& Alan is an Outstanding Pianist! They are a Fantastic team Full of Creativity....concerts happen weekly so go check their place out! You will be THRILLED you did!!!!

Nice small theater in the round. Great shows and local actors. Always a great production andread more