Florida Studio Theatre kicks off its Summer Cabaret series on Tuesday, June 14th with the performance of Rock & Roll Reignited with Not Fade Away - an hour-long show featuring revitalized rock and roll classics from artists such as The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Roy Orbison, and Buddy Holly.

Not Fade Away is a tribute band fresh off a national tour and created by frontman Jared Mancuso, who has performed nationally as Buddy Holly in Buddy Holly: The Buddy Holly Story.

“We started Not Fade Away in 2016 based on an idea that we wanted to create a new style of tribute show. It was more about us and our relationship with the music - playing the music with a little more edge than it traditionally had and making it our own without going totally overboard,” says Mancuso.

The musical arrangements for Rock and Roll Reignited were created by Mancuso with fellow bandmate Nick Gallardo, who has performed internationally in the musical tribute show December ‘63.

“It’s such a neat thing as a performer to look around at your friends on stage with you and think, ‘wow we're doing this’. I don’t get tired of playing the same music over and over again, because the audiences are so infectious with what it means to them regardless if they grew up with this music or not. I love being able to connect with the audience in every show,” states Mancuso.

Even though Not Fade Away puts their own style on these rock classics, what makes the music particularly significant to Mancuso is how it has stood the test of time. “At its core it is so catchy and well done. We’ve done shows where the bulk of the audience is millennial, yet they were still all on their feet and dancing - it’s the type of music that sits in people’s subconscious,” attests Mancuso.

Rock & Roll Reignited With Not Fade Away will begin June 14th, 2022 at FST’s Court Cabaret. Run Time: 70 minutes with a 15 minute intermission 941-366-9000 

PIctured: Jared Mancuso, creator of Rock & Roll Reignited with Not Fade Away. Photo courtesy of Jared Mancuso.

For more information click here

The Van Wezel Foundation is pleased to announce that Julie Schwartz has joined the Foundation as director of development. In this role, Schwartz is responsible for annual giving operations and fundraising initiatives to support the Foundation’s mission of creating and sustaining a vibrant performing arts center, advancing education and enriching communities by inspiring minds through the power of the arts.  Schwartz comes to the Foundation with more than 20 years of experience working at renowned arts and culture organizations. Most recently, Schwartz worked at Carnegie Hall in New York as a senior project manager, responsible for the strategy and implementation for the replacement of the Hall’s enterprise software system which is used for artistic planning, repertoire management and organizational operations. Prior to that position, Schwartz was director of development services for Carnegie Hall’s advancement programs. In addition, she has held project manager positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and senior development positions at The Clark Art Institute and Boston Symphony Orchestra. 

To learn more, click here

On Thursday, June 16, 2022, over $76,000 in grants will be awarded to a variety of charitable causes from Sarasota and Manatee County, bringing the total amount of giving SFG has provided since inception, to $208,441. The $76,850 is a $30K+ increase over 2021. SFG has come a long way since thier first two grants in 2013 of $500 each. Grants Impact: SFG positively assisted 3,147 individuals in 2021 and 5,501 in 2022 alone. Collectively since 2011, SFG has assisted 18,446 individuals in need, living in Manatee & Sarasota Counties. SFG is: An 100% volunteer, all-female 501(c)(3)* organization with common goals to positively impact qualified non-profit organizations in Manatee and Sarasota Counties, while embracing group philanthropy. 

To learn more, visit

Anela Ajkic (Riverview High School), Mya Fraser (Venice High school), and Megan Meese (Riverview High School)—recently graduated high school seniors who served as members of their school’s Coexistence Club—were awarded $1,000 four-year renewable scholarships by Embracing Our Differences. They join Chloe Labrecque and Cam Pham, juniors at the University of Florida, who received their first scholarship in 2020; Emilia Przepiora, a sophomore at the University of Florida, who received her first scholarship in 2021; and Kennedy Hart, a sophomore at Rice University, who received her first scholarship in 2021. The students are part of an EOD scholarship initiative that grants annual $1,000 renewable scholarships to three students at regional high school Coexistence Clubs. Current Coexistence Club locations include Booker, North Port, Pineview, Riverview, Sarasota, Suncoast Polytech, and Venice high schools, IMG Academy and SCF Collegiate Bradenton and Venice in addition to two middle school clubs at Laurel Nokomis School and Venice Middle School. Coexistence Club members serve as docents for thousands of students who visit EOD’s outdoor exhibit every year in addition to designing and leading student-driven initiatives in their schools to promote inclusion and acceptance.

For 19 years, Embracing Our Differences has drawn on the passion and perception of artists, students, writers, and others to create powerful statements of diversity and acceptance in its annual outdoor public art exhibition consisting of 50 billboard-sized works of art and accompanying quotes. The scale and impact of this outdoor exhibition has continued to grow, attracting more than 4 million visitors since its inception. This exhibit is the heart of a year-round program of activities designed to use art as a catalyst to create awareness and promote diversity. 

Pictured: Mya Frazer speaking at the 2022 EOD annual luncheon. Photo by Cliff Roles.

Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services (MMS) is encouraging the community to 'Fight the Bite' as mosquito populations increase due to the arrival of rainy season. This is the time of the year when mosquitos carrying potential diseases thrive by breeding in standing water, and present a greater threat to those enjoying the outdoors. According to MMS Manager Wade Brennan, mosquito bite prevention is key to avoiding mosquito related illnesses in both humans and animals. Simple steps like treating or removing bromeliads, and eliminating potential breeding grounds, can go a long way to alleviating potential issues with mosquitos. Scheduling a service request, registering for spray notifications and learning about planned spray missions, along with additional information regarding MMS services, are available by visiting scgov.net or calling 311. 

Homebuyers at The Founders Club, Sarasota’s premier golf community, have two final opportunities to create the custom home of their dreams and enjoy golf membership without the wait list. Only two homesites are available, offering a choice of sweeping views across the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed championship golf course and a preserve. With only 262 single-family homes in 700-acres, The Founders Club’s low-density design maximizes vistas from every home and large homesites ranging from nearly half an acre to over an acre. Homebuyers purchasing one of the final two lots have the choice between renowned builders London Bay and John Cannon Homes and require a minimum of 3,500 square feet of living area. Available homesites in The Founders Club are priced from $740,000 for a picturesque preserve view to $930,000 overlooking the flag on the first green, a lake and wetlands. There are no CDD fees at The Founders Club. Three new custom model homes are now open for viewing and showcase luxury designs by AR Homes, Lee Wetherington Homes and John Cannon Homes. Visitors can stop by The Founders Club Sales Center Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. located at 3001 Founders Club Drive, three miles east of I-75 on Fruitville Road, Exit 210. For more information about The Founders Club, call 941-378-0900 or visit the community’s website at www.TheFoundersClub.com. 

Fishman & Associates is working with Port Royal Club in Naples, Florida to remodel all of their food service areas. Bob Daly, the president and owner of Fishman & Associates, made the announcement today. The remodeling includes two main kitchens, a service bar, and miscellaneous food service stations throughout the club house. Fishman & Associates was established in 1986 to provide food service design support to diverse clients nationwide. The business sectors they support include top restaurants, assisted living and retirement centers, private clubs, resorts, clubhouses, hospitals, other healthcare facilities, hotels, schools, churches, and more. The Fishman team has supported more than 360 senior living projects in 25 states. Its expertise includes kitchen design, bar and dining room layout, equipment specification, cost budgeting, refrigeration, and fabrication for new and remodeled food service facilities.