Sarasota Visitors Guide 2008 - (Page 15) Stage Struck To paraphrase Shakespeare, it sometimes seems as if all of Sarasota’s a stage. One of the nation’s foremost regional theaters, the Asolo Repertory Theatre has been delighting audiences since the ’60s. The Asolo’s charismatic new artistic director, Michael Edwards, has fashioned an intriguing season that includes two Tony Award-winning dramas, Doubt and Equus. Also on the schedule is Misery, by part-time Sarasotan Stephen King. On Florida Studio Theatre’s three stages, you can sample a mix of contemporary dramas, comedies and musical revues. The Players, Sarasota’s oldest performing-arts organization, specializes in musicals like Jekyll and Hyde and 42nd Street. The food for thought at the popular Golden Apple Dinner Theater includes the bountiful buffet and shows such as Laughter on the 23rd Floor by Neil Simon and Evita. Venice Little Theatre’s eclectic season encompasses My Fair Lady, the sex farce Run for Your Wife and the provocatively titled but very funny Urinetown. You can watch plays and enjoy concerts in the newly renovated Historic Asolo, an ornate 18th-century Italian theater on the Ringling Museum grounds. The Westcoast Black Theatre is one of a dozen organizations that perform in the jewelbox setting. And you don’t have to come in the cooler months to see great theater. The Banyan Theater Company stages classic and Venice Downtown Art Fest poster by BJ Carson modern works from June through August. As you can see, now is definitely the best of times to immerse yourself in the arts in Sarasota. Charlie Huisking is a former arts writer for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. A Sarasota native, he has remained here largely because of the extensive arts offerings. Courtesy of the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art Howard Tibbals’ miniature circus Sarasota’s Circus Heritage Though Sarasota is no longer the winter home of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, it’s still known worldwide as the greatest circus town on earth. The circus legacy is celebrated in museums, in parks and under the big top, where Sarasota-based circus troupes still perform. On John and Mable Ringling’s estate, visitors can tour the circus king’s mansion, his art museum and the Ringling Circus Museum – a treasure trove of circus memorabilia. One of the biggest Ringling exhibits is also one of the smallest. Howard Tibbals’ fantastic hand-crafted miniature circus fills the entire first floor of the new Tibbals Learning Center. Even on an outdoor stroll, you’ll be reminded of the area’s circus connections. A statue of John Ringling commands attention in Sarasota’s St. Armands Circle, where dozens of circus performers are also honored with plaques. A statue of animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams stands at the historic Train Depot in Venice. Circus Sarasota, the city’s resident professional troupe, keeps the sawdust-andgreasepaint tradition alive every February. And young performers show off their skills in the PAL Sailor Circus, which unveils a holiday show in December and a spring circus in March and April. www.sarasotafl.org 15 Courtesy of Venice Downtown Art Fest http://www.sarasotafl.org
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