Your Top 5 Things to Do: May 17-23

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Battle of the Garage Bands at Historic Spanish Point
May 19
Get ready to rock ‘n’ roll when the usually placid Historic Spanish Point presents its inaugural Battle of the Garage Bands. Six local bands will thrash it out, each with a 40-minute performance, for the title, “Best Garage Band.” Food for purchase, a great sunset, and you can even bring your dog.

FST Improv
FST Improv presents "FST Freestyle"
May 19
Free-form improv—a “daring improv style with no rules or limits,” according to the folks at Florida Studio Theatre—takes center stage when FST Improv presents FST Freestyle Saturday night, and every Saturday night through June 20, in the intimate Bowne’s Lab Theatre.

Image: Courtesy Sarasota Opera
La Boheme
May 20
A screening of the stunning Royal Opera House production of Puccini’s La Bohème kicks off the Sarasota Opera’s HD at the Opera House summer series Sunday. The series brings us weekly screenings from some of the world’s best opera, ballet and theater companies all summer long. Get the complete schedule .

Image: Courtesy Selby Gardens
Selby Gardens presents Ari and the Alibis
May 20
Next up in the popular outdoor Garden Music Series at Selby Gardens: the funk, jazz, samba, blues-soul and rock (whew!) sounds of Ari and The Alibis. Included in your paid admission to the Gardens.

Image: Cliff Roles
Ragtime continues at the Asolo Rep
Thru May 27
Still time to catch the Asolo Rep’s fresh new production of the Broadway hit, Ragtime, but you’d better hurry—it closes May 27. (The show’s so popular, an extra 7:30 p.m. performance has just been added that evening.) Our own Kay Kipling calls the production, “compelling” and “imaginatively reconceived;” read her entire review here.
Special Events
Battle of the Garage Bands
Concerts
Ari and The Alibis at Selby Gardens
Theater