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!

Great movie watching experience. The seats were comfortable and spacious. The picture quality was…read moregreat, even close to the screen. Theater was clean and service was good.

I have been finding myself coming to this theater almost every two weeks now. Even though I live…read moreoff of US 41, the location is still fairly close and there are places to dine and drink in the area too. Nights and weekends the tickets here are $2.50, which is a nice break from the $8-10 prices that are at most theaters in Florida. This theater takes you back to the 80's, with the arcade games and décor that are offered. The places looks old and busted, but there is charm in that. The movies played here are often still in wide release and they also offer at least one foreign film at a time, which is a stretch for this area, if you want to watch on a full size screen (not a TV screen). The popcorn is really good too!

This little theater was fantastic. Very intimate. But don't let the size fool you! The sound…read moretranscends. It was a great space with not a bad seat in the house. The sound and lighting effects are phenomenal here. We popped in to visit a friend who had flown down from Broadway and we were treated to the sights and sounds of an amazing production: Lucky Stiff! Will be planning a trip back to the Sarasota area and will have to catch another show when we return. The prices were very reasonable for such an equity cast. Brava!

December 2025 - Been going here as annual supporters/members since 2021 when we moved. Had been at…read moreWalnut Street Theater in Philly for two decades and then in Long Island and on Broadway for 16 years. FST ------- WE LOVE IT!! Of course no pictures BUT we did get a little snake the other day and since I usually do only food reviews on Yelp....... here is one for the FST. Banana Ice Cream Sandwich (new) is fantastic!!! And the Pecan Pie with vanilla Ice cream is very good (in truth the pie is pecan covered on top but the pie filling is just a sugary gelatinous filling and could be improved....but it was slightly warmed and was very nice. (see pictures) We don't go here for the food, but a lite snack and drinks are awesome and convenient and fairly priced!!!

The signage is horrible. We couldn't find it based on the address. Almost went home without seeing…read morethe performance we paid for. Small directional to direct us into the parking lot would have been helpful. Signage that isn't flush with the building would have helped as well. Having a live parking attendant is another solution. Frustrating when you are with someone who is disabled. That said.... The performance was the best of the season.... "Too fat for China" !!!

This was the smallest venue I've attended but it is setup well, seats are comfortable and the views…read moreare all excellent. All seating is open - first come first serve. Masking was not required and most of the patrons were not masked. Greeted enthusiastically, offered a free glass of white or red wine. The play was thoroughly enjoyable, perhaps a bit slow in the middle, with a cool twist at the end. Support local art!!

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..."

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.