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!

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!!!

We have enjoyed many events at McCurdy's Comedy! The entertainment has always left us laughing and…read moresmiling! I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys comedy!

The servers are all amazing. They are fast and work as one big team. The menu has many options…read moreand you can mix and match your "required" purchases. Our table had no problems with ordering and receiving drinks. We didn't order food but what we saw looked ok. The place is very nice inside. There is a separate lounge area inside the door that is convenient for waiting or chatting. We went for a concert and look forward to more in the future. The location is walking distance so we didn't need parking but you should have no problem finding a spot.

What a great circus! It is intimate and small. The performers were excellent. After the show…read morethere was an opportunity to meet the performers - speak with them and get photos with them. I highly recommend this circus!

5 stars obviously! So fun! Johnny is sigma. Its a cool experience to have! But the bathrooms are…read morereally gross...

We finally had a show we enjoyed. Arsenic and Old Lace was really good, so we are trying a few…read moreother shows this season. The Kiwanis Theatre is so intimate and you are right on top of the actors. Great experience.

It was our first time here and we were presently surprised. The Performing Arts Center was top…read morenotch. The building is maintained,clean and comfortable. The performance was Fame and it was great. We will definitely be back.

Totally sucked it's not a circus and not a music concert the sound totally sucked for an orchestra…read moreperformance. The few acts were lame Total rip off for the amount of money they charge. No butter for the popcorn BYO

Circus performance at the tent next to the University Town Center Mall organize by the Circus Arts…read moreConservatory of Sarasota. The performance by the season artist who are the winner of many circus honorary. This circus include an orchestra, chorale, and the performer. The orchestra is awesome to attached to the circus. The chorale team also is very good. However the circus act did not impress me. The are momentum build up but not follow with wow factor act. I between the show, there are too many not interesting section or keep up the beat of the show. Lost my interest in many moment. Overall they have a good portable bathroom. They are good and clean. This cuscus has only two shows. It is good for the community and people to spent their time with family.

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.

If you're on the beach on Sunday afternoon- it's worth a stop. Depending on when sunset is, it…read morestarts about an hour before. Here in May, sunset is at 8:15 and this started around 6:30. It's a bunch of locals that dance and play drums and other instruments. It's a great for people watching. Local beach goers will join in on the dancing and the kids are all out there playing as well. They form a bit of a circle, leaving a large dance floor area and people set up chairs to enjoy the spectacle. There is no leader. People just play. The music is repetitive and catchy. I just had random conversations with people around me. Everyone was in a good mood and happy to be there. It's totally free. You'll hear the music as you approach. It's close to public beach access.

It was a dark and dismal day on Siesta Beach, but the lure of the sea still drew us in. I asked the…read morelifeguard where the Drum Circle met, and it was just a short ways over. I have never been to a Drum Circle, but in my mind I pictured guys pounding away on bongo and other types of drums. Boy was I off base! As more and more drummers arrived, it was apparent that I didn't have a clue. This event turned out to be a percussion extravaganza of the likes I have never seen. These were talented and gifted musicians that performed in such a manner that they were totally in snyc. No microphones or any type of electrical enhancements were necessary. After it started to rain, the party moved to a covered Pavillion, and the acoustics were incredible! They played and played and played as many other guys & gals joined in and took turns taking breaks. Not only were they gifted percussionists they were also athletes to maintain the strength and energy needed to perform like that. Freaking unbelievable. The final set I heard was so moving that it filled my soul and my heart. It turned into a rhythmic frenzy that conjured up visions of half naked women dancing around a fire . An unbelievable amount of energy & stamina was required to complete that presentation. IMPRESSIVE!! I left the beach with a peaceful, yet exhilarated spirit. If you do not experience the same emotions, you didn't open your mind and soul. Bring a tambourine, beverages, glow in the dark bracelets, or any hand percussion instrument you have and join the fun! Be prepared to DANCE!

Will return. A town…read morewith 54,842 residents, their ballet company is quite exceptional. Although they perform at various sites, including their Opera House, this venue, next to Ringling Museum, is their main home. Many patrons do dress up for the occasion. This ballet company was founded in 1987 by dancer Jean Weidner-Goldstein (Your observer; Tribune). The current director Iain Webb (1959-) was once a dancer, started out with Royal Ballet (1931-) of UK. Tonight's performance P4 Quintessential has three individual segments: Rococo Variations | Choreography by Renato Paroni | Music by Tchaikovsky Brandenburgs | Choreography by Paul Taylor | Music by Bach World Premiere | Choreography by Gemma Bond | Music by Rachmaninov Modern ballet with classical music - a good combo. The Tchaikovsky piece is in light blue tutu; the second and the third are modern costume, skimpy skintight. I enjoyed the first two, especially the second one by Rachmaninov. Reportedly many come to see the third. Oh well, I'm not a Bach fan -:) Rachmaninov's music sounds tumultuous, struggles, pathos but this ballet interpretation is beautiful and well done. I also like their costume the best, simple clean line is aesthetically pleasing. All dancers are more or less of the same physique, with good skill. I don't really follow ballet but saw Misty Copeland once. No one in this ballet company is of Misty Copeland's fame but the dancers are very enjoyable to watch. Out of curiosity, I googled the following annual budget: $102m The New York City Ballet's (NYCB) 2024 $45m The American Ballet Theatre (ABT) where Copeland dances $9m Sarasota ... oh well - someone is doing well with less

The Sarasota Ballet is a treasure which delights with every fresh viewing. The venue is gorgeous…read moreand offers wonderful sight lines from a variety of seats. I am from out of state and always enjoy coming here when I am in town. Most recently I went to see the Mark Morris Dance Group show which included his works Pacific, Ten Suggestions, Candleflowerdance, and Going Away Party. All four pieces were exquisitely done and evocative in vastly different ways. The dancers were top notch. I especially was moved by Candleflowerdance. The performances here stay with you for a long time. I found the audience here to be respectful and quiet. That is always a pleasant occurence in public art spaces. Well recommended. Sarasota should be proud of their amazing arts offerings.