Your Top 9 Things to Do: Feb. 15-21
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Feb. 16
The Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning superstar showman makes his Van Wezel debut in support of his newest album, This is My Town: Songs of New York. Buy a ticket for the concert only, or splurge and attend the Van Wezel Foundation gala, which includes prime seating, an elegant pre-show dinner and post-show party. See what he talked about with our own Kay Kipling here.
Ed Smith Stadium
Orioles Sarasota Springfest at Ed Smith Stadium
Feb. 17
Spring is in the air, and that means spring training baseball. The Orioles invite everybody out to Ed Smith Stadium Saturday morning for its annual Springfest. Watch pitchers and catchers in action on the back fields, catch a Q&A with 2017 American League Rookie of the Year Finalist Trey Mancini, take a behind-the-scenes tour of the ballpark and try your hand in a “Pitch for Charity” benefiting All Faiths Food Bank. Oh boy! Free admission.
Image: Shutterstock.com
Thunder by the Bay
Feb. 15-18
Get ready. The full-throttle motorcycle festival hits the Sarasota County fairgrounds Saturday and Sunday with a classic bike show, stunt riders, a Miss Thunder by the Bay contest, live music, food and more. To get you in the mood, the Born to Be Wild kickoff party is Thursday night at Michael’s On East and there’s a Bikes on Main block party Friday night on Main Street in downtown Sarasota.
Chris Tipp and Alexis Hyatt in Constellations.
Image: Matthew Holler
Constellations
Opening Feb. 21
Florida Studio Theatre’s intriguing, edgy Stage III series continues with this two-character drama billed as an “unusual love story of infinite possibilities and the difference between choice and destiny.” The New York Times calls it “a magnificent work.” Through March 16 in FST’s Bowne’s Lab Theatre.
Tenor Cody Austin as the soldier Don José and mezzo soprano Lisa Chavez in the title role of Sarasota Opera’s production of Carmen.
Image: Rod Millington
Sarasota Opera presents Carmen
Opening Feb. 17
George Bizet’s gorgeous opera about the ill-fated, all-consuming love between a spirited gypsy and a corporal. If you know only a couple of opera songs, you certainly know “The Toreador Song” and Carmen’s famous “Habanera.”
Gil Shaham
Image: Christian Steiner
Gil Shaham and Akira Eguchi
Feb. 21
More first-class classical music from the Sarasota Concert Association’s Great Performers Series Wednesday evening at the Van Wezel: Grammy Award-winning violinist Gil Shaham and rising star pianist Akira Eguchi in a program that includes works by Prokofiev and Bach.
The Hot Sardines
The Hot Sardines
Feb. 18
Hot jazz from this rollicking eight-member musical ensemble, making their Van Wezel debut.
Somi
Image: Robert Allen Mayer
Ringling New Stages: Somi – Petite Afrique
Feb. 16-17
This year, the Ringling Museum’s New Stages performance series focuses on world music, and this vocalist/songwriter, born to Rwandan and Ugandan parents and founder of the nonprofit New Africa Live, is a perfect example. Two performances Friday and Saturday evening in the Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theatre.
Andrew Hardaway in The Rehearsal.
The Rehearsal
Feb. 20-March 11
Next up for the talented actors of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training: The Rehearsal, Jean Anouilh’s The Rehearsal, a comedic satire about class, love and sex in the French aristocracy. Tuesday night is the “pay what you can” preview performance.
