Every Weekday
[ talk radio ]

Talk of the Suncoast has returned to WSRQ AM 1220 from 4:00 - 5:00 pm every weekday. Join host Cliff Roles and a never-ending list of arts and entertainment guests and more. December 27 Cliff’s guests are Pedro Reis from Circus Sarasota and photographer Rebecca Baxter. December 28, Ilan The Magician, illusionist and mentalist. Listen to the live stream on your computer right here.

Tickets are on sale now for Circus Sarasota’s 11th Season titled “Soaring to New Heights”. Performances in Sarasota open on February 1, 2008 with an unparalleled all-star lineup of thrilling circus acts. There will be eight performances per week from February 1st through the 24th at the Big Top located at the corner of 12th St and Tuttle Ave adjacent to Ed Smith Stadium. Visit their site to purchase your tickets and redeem your $5.00 off coupon.

So, you’re an artist and you think your work is pretty good. You hung a painting on the wall in your dining room, printed 12,000 business cards on your computer and now you’re wondering why you haven’t sold anything. Fret no more! Suzie Seerey-Lester answers all of your questions, and more, in her new book My Painting is Done, Now What Do I Do? Click here for more information about the book and how to get it. 

At the Madonna Stella Studio, Main Street Sarasota, experience the ceramic art of Madonna Stella and the photography of Arieh Aizenberg. Artist reception during First Friday from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. Call 941-706-2119 for details.

Not sure which better describes this short video clip shot on Siesta Key. Check it out by clicking here.

The Creative Queen’s Superfabulicious Colorific Adventure Book will be featured at Circle Books, on St. Armand’s, at 1:00 pm. Author Laura Dessauer will discuss the therapeutic coloring book designed to develop healthier communication, strengthen relationships and create life-long skills. Call 941-388-2850 for more scoop. 

CATS at the Van Wezel at 4:00 & 9:00 pm. Catch the CATS cast as they perform over 20 Andrew Lloyd Webber melodies in the classic musical that won 7 Tony Awards; CATS. Call 941-953-3368.

The live finale of High School Idol 4 is live at Sarasota High School at 7:00 pm live. Over 150 contestants have performed and now the finalists are ready to perform before a live audience. You can watch live or on television. It is great fun and the judges are a hoot; Sharon Scott, Jeff Kin and some guy named Cliff Roles. Did we mention it is live? Call 941-361-6355 for details. Click here to watch some video of the contestants singing pre-live.

The Peter Paul Gallery welcomes the public to experience “Fabric of Our Lives,” the medium of fabric as art and sculpture. On exhibit are rare Navajo weavings, a 19th century Japanese needlepoint and the work of Sheryl Haler, Leslie Fry and Joan Aaronson. Special gallery reception during Palm Avenue’s First Friday on January 4 from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. The exhibit runs through January 25. (shown: Daughter by Leslie Fry) 

It’s the first Friday of the month, the first Friday of 2008 and the First Friday Arts Walk in downtown Sarasota. Whether you are a local, snowbird or somewhere in between, there’s nothing quite like strolling the streets with a glass of wine, bopping in and out of stores and galleries with live music and experiencing entertainment everywhere. Official hours are 6:00 – 9:00 pm. First Friday includes Palm Avenue, parts of Main Street and Pineapple and Burns Court.

The Dabbert Gallery is exhibiting the work of artist Kathrin Longhurst, of Seaforth, Australia, through January 29th. A special reception with the artist is from 5:30 – 8:00 PM during First Friday.

What would you think of if I said Revueltas, Schoenberg, Danielpour and Arvo Part? Who are cotemporary composers for $2000, Alex? Join the Florida West Coast Symphony and maestro Dirk Meyer as they explore 20th Century modernism at 7:30 pm at the symphony’s Holly Hall. Call 941-953-4252 for details.

Herald Vocal Arts Ensemble presents Twelfth Night Concert at 4:00 pm at the First United Methodist Church in Bradenton. Herald is a professional group from St. Petersburg and will be performing in full Renaissance costumes, presenting madrigals and carols of the middle ages with harpsichord, guitar, and flute. Call Jim Johnston for more information at 941-747-4406. The church is located at 603 Eleventh Street W. in Bradenton. (photo by: Jerry Rennick)

A rehearsed reading of the new dark comedy by Jack Gilhooley called “The Girl in the Back of the Cab” will be presented at the East Village Cabaret at 7:30 pm. The production will be followed by a talkback with the playwright and cast; Jamie Day, Onjay Mrotek, Sage Hall, Alex Rotella and Sherry Crelin. Tickets are only $5 and available at 941-373-3933.

Art Center Sarasota routinely offers yoga classes on Monday nights. On the 7th, however, there is no charge for yogis of all skill levels to come out at 6:00 pm and try it. Bring your own mat and flex your mind, body and spirit. Come on, don’t break your resolution already! Call 941-365-2032 for more information.

Musikgarten Early Childhood Music Classes at the Suzuki Institute School of Music. Register January 7 - 11, 9:00-12:30 pm, at 3100 S. Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. Programs offer a comprehensive, sequential plan for the musical development of your child from birth to age 9. For information call 941-377-8242. 

The popular Grand Hotel promises a grand time at The Players. The musical takes place over a weekend in a lavish Berlin hotel in 1928. A wild mix of guests includes a fading prima ballerina, a handsome but destitute Baron, a cynical doctor, a typist with Hollywood dreams and a fatally ill Jewish bookkeeper. The show is directed by award winning director/choreographer Bob Trisolini, who recently staged Jekyll & Hyde and Nine on the Players main stage. *may extend through the 27th. For tickets and information click here. 

At the Venice Little Theatre, a play by movie actor Jeff Daniels. Apartment 3A centers on Annie Wilson, Director of Fundraising for Public Broadcasting Channel 68, who is faced with a series of dilemmas in her personal and professional life – from whether to cancel Sesame Street to whether to fall in love again. Pursued by one man, she pursues another to a fascinating and mysterious conclusion. (shown Sara Trembly and Bill Czarniak)

(arts weekend note: too much to write about so we are re-printed the Arts Council’s description of each day’s/night’s events)
The weekend will kick off Friday at 7:30 pm with the ever-popular Arts Night – a hip, interactive evening of expressionistic activities designed to attract young professionals and the young at heart. In addition to bountiful food, libations, and general merriment, Arts Night guests will enjoy an evening filled with creative majesty. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Sarasota County Arts Council to help offset production costs of Arts Weekend Sarasota (click here for a PDF of the schedule). For a copy of your invitation click heree. For tickets, please contact the Arts Council reservation line at 941-365-5118, ext. 308.

The Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir, an Emmy nominated ensemble of 51 singers, will perform Music of the Theater and Many Cultures at 7:30 pm at the Church of the Redeemer on Palm Avenue. The entire community is welcome. No charge. Call 941-955-4263 for more information.  

January 12
[ art in the city ]

Revelers will be treated to a new event this year with Arts Weekend Sarasota’s launch of Art in the City, 10:00 – 4:00 pm Saturday, when the eclectic galleries, shops, and restaurants that comprise the heart and soul of downtown Sarasota will open their doors in an unprecedented melding of art and commerce. Whether Arts Weekend patrons take a Sarasota Trolley architectural, historical or gallery tour, peruse the enchanting wearable art boutiques, or simply take in the festivities from a sidewalk café. Residents and visitors alike will bask in the seemingly endless opportunities to express themselves in downtown Sarasota.

Arts Weekend Sarasota 2008, 10:00 – 5:00 pm Sunday, will culminate with the 18th Annual Arts Day – our jubilant celebration of Sarasota County’s vast and diverse artistic offerings. Consistently named as one of the “Best of the Best” by Sarasota magazine, Arts Day attracts over 25,000 arts and culture enthusiasts from across the globe to downtown Sarasota. With a creatively redesigned festival map, multiple performance stages, hundreds of artists and craftsmen, and dozens of culinary vendors, downtown will boast a veritable feast of sensory delights. This year’s event will combine all the successful aspects of Arts Days past with inspired ideas from top local and regional talent to encourage every resident and visitor to experience and participate in the many facets of art that we, as a community, cherish.

January 15 – February 3
[ run for your wife ]

At the Venice Little Theatre, Run For Your Wife Cliff Roles, who will make his VLT stage debut with this show. His wives are played by Maureen Young and Laurie Colton-Farrar. Also in the cast are Ken Fromer, Matt Erickson, Fred Pazona, David Scolnick and Shawn Watkins.

January 10 & 11
[ youth opera auditions ]

Placement classes for singers who plan to join Sarasota Youth Opera will be held Thursday and Friday. The program is open to all students age 8 (or those who entered third grade in 2007) through high school. These classes are necessary and students who are interested in participating must attend both days’ sessions, which are from 4:45 - 6:30 pm. Singers do not need to prepare a song for the placement exercise. The program admits all who apply, regardless of skill level and provides vocal and acting training. No one is turned away. Tuition for the program is $125 per term. Partial payments can be arranged and there are a limited number of scholarships available. Spring Term begins in early January and ends in mid May. A highlight of the season will be the American premiere of Dean Burry’s “The Hobbit” in May. Other features of the spring semester’s program include performing arts career exploration, opportunities to volunteer for the Festival season, and the experience of performing and working with world-class artists.
To participate in Sarasota Youth Opera’s Spring Term, call 941-366-8450, ext 221 and leave your name with the Receptionist. For more information contact Becky Taylor, Director of Youth Opera Programs at (941) 366-8450, ext. 255.

Venue Theatre is seeking to better utilize their delightful Black Box theatre space to produce "intimate and stimulating" works and is seeking qualified directors and others who have a like vision for small productions with minimal trappings. Join them at their OPEN HOUSE on January 13th (3:00 - 7:00 pm) to learn how you could "bring life to" that production you have always wanted to direct. If you are interested but can't attend the open house, please submit a cover letter and resume to Mary Kay Cyrus at mkc_va@hotmail.com or call her at 804-405-2770 by Feb 1, 2008.

Information about show times, places and dates is assumed accurate but not guaranteed. Please contact the presenting organization directly, by the link or phone number provided, to confirm information.

You are receiving this email because 1. Christine Alexander and Rick Hughes know you are an artist or an arts patron and/or 2. You signed up for it, or 3. One of your friends has forwarded it to you because they knew you’d love it. To ensure that you continue to receive emails from us every two weeks, please add info@anythingarts.com to your address book today. Also, please send us your news!