This weekend, come to The Player’s Centre to check out Side by Side by Sondheim, the Tony Award-winning Stephen Sondheim musical revue. The show, which is the first in The Player’s Centre’s season of productions, made its season premiere on September 8th and will make its final appearance this weekend.

Side by Side by Sondheim kicks off The Player’s Centre 93rd season, entitled Six That Matter. “Our artistic director chose that title for our upcoming season because it features six shows that all explore different facets of life. They all have their own unique ways of inspiring us and showing the true beauty of life--they all matter in their different ways,” says Amanda Heisey, Marketing Director at The Player’s Centre.

Side by Side by Sondheim is a particularly apt production regarding the season’s theme of “Six That Matter” due to Stephen Sondheim’s recent passing in 2021. “Sondheim was such a big figure in musical theater and many of his songs are really poignant and explore different aspects of life, that it just felt right to do,” says Heisey.

New this year to The Player’s Centre are changes with the performance space. Off-season renovations have transformed the performance venue to a theater in the round format, making it more accessible for audience members. “Going into the round lets us add more seats so that the audience can see better, we’re one of the few theater’s in town that performs in the round,” says Heisey. “The format makes for a more interesting and artistic way to tell the story. While it takes more creativity from our directors and is more challenging for our actors, it feels like a more natural viewing experience from the perspective of audience members and we’re really excited to share that experience with them this year.”

Tickets:$30 Adult $13 Student, Studio 1130, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130, Sarasota. Box Office: 941-365-2494. 

For more information or to purchase tickets click here.

Boldly Go is Shatner’s third non-fiction book and my first foray into ‘the guy I used to watch as Captain Kirk as a little girl on Saturday nights as my parents got ready for their weekly night out’. I assumed his book might be like some I’ve read, celebrity level trivial. Boy, was I wrong!!!

First, Shatner is a huge philanthropist from autism programs to children’s hospitals, to veterans recovery initiatives, he has a huge heart who gives freely to worthy projects. He’s so intuitive to kids’ emotions that I was in tears after reading about one encounter he had with a shy autistic fan at a signing event.

Second, he’s grateful for everything he has attained, but also admittedly candid about his fears that haunt him when he lived out of his pick up truck AFTER Star Trek, back in the dark ages when tv stars were not granted royalties and gigunda salaries.

Third, he’s an animal lover extraordinaire. He recounts powerful stories throughout history about the power of the horse-human connection. Ditto for the canines that have enriched his life.

Last, (but there’s so much more to read when you purchase this late in life memoir, as Shatner is 91) his experience of going into space with Jeff Bezos will blow your mind in a way I could not have predicted.

A great gift idea for virtually anyone, but especially those who appreciate a sage caring humanitarians and animal lovers.

Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder by William Shatner with Joshua Brandon Publication Date: 10/4/22, ISBN #: 9781668007327. The book is available for pre-sale on BookStore1’s website www.sarasotabooks.com or in store on October 4th at 117 S. Pineapple, Sarasota. 

The Players Centre for Performing Arts presents local powerhouse talent Ann Morrison in her new show Merrily From Center Stage Sept. 24 at 7:30pm and Sept. 25 at 2pm at Studio 1130 located in the Crossings at Siesta Key mall (3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239). Broadway veteran Morrison brings to The Players her performance, including insights and never heard tales ofMerrily We Roll Along from the perspective of her award-winning character Mary Flynn. Forty years later and a few years wiser, in her signature playful and heartfelt style, Ann reprises the Stephen Sondheim songs she had the honor of introducing to the world. Ann will be joined by John Shirley as musical director and accompanist John played with Ann in her last show,My Furniture Set. Performances: Sept. 24 at 7:30pm, Sept. 25 at 2pm at Crossing at Siesta Key – Studio 1130, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Patrons are asked to park and enter the mall by Connors Steak and Seafood. 

To learn more click here.

Congratulations to the 7 winners of the 2022 Sunset Photo Contest sponsored by two local magazines, South County Healthy Living and Englewood Healthy Living. The winners include Rachel Wells, Shane Fowler, Marie Laforge, Katie Sontowski, Laura Roy-Fink, Patti Campbell, and Alison Belsan Horton. Fowler is a three-time winner of the annual contest, and both Laforge and Roy-Fink are two-time winners. “The sunset photo contest acknowledges the natural beauty of our region and the creative talent of locals enjoying the outdoors,” said Randy Moore with Triple 3 Marketing. “The contest is also an opportunity to thank the many individuals and organizations that maintain and protect our beaches, parks and preserves.” 

Pictured: One of the winning submissions from the 2022 Sunset Photo Contest by Rachel Wells.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens will debut its new, Halloween-inspired light show on October 14 at its Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey. “Lights at Spooky Point” will run nightly through October 31, with two admission times per evening (6:30 and 7:45 p.m.). Selby Gardens also has added a limited-capacity, narrated sightseeing cruise that will enable guests to arrive at “Spooky Point” by boat on select nights. Full details and online ticket purchasing for the light show and the boat tour package are available at selby.org. "Lights at Spooky Point" will feature a variety of original, light-designed creations dreamed up in collaboration with Affairs in the Air, Selby Gardens’ lighting partner for its iconic Lights in Bloom® open-air holiday light show. Visitors to “Spooky Point” will follow a lighted path through the wooded campus and past several historic areas, encountering fantastical creations around every turn. Light installations will include suspended “orchid spiders,” flying “ghost orchids,” giant “bat orchids,” and many more surprises. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, and a hay maze will await visitors near the end of their journey. Tickets cost $20 for Selby Gardens members, $25 for non-members, $15 for ages 5 to 17, and free for children 4 and under. Advance ticket purchase is required. For an enhanced experience, Selby Gardens will offer “Set Sail to Spooky Point” on five nights of the light show (Oct. 14, 15, 21, 28, and 29). On those evenings, up to 30 guests will depart from the Downtown Sarasota campus aboard the Miss Clara, arrive at Historic Spanish Point to tour the light show for about an hour, and then return by boat to Sarasota. On both legs of the boat tour, Selby Gardens education staff will highlight the history, flora, and fauna of the area, including some Halloween-themed commentary custom-developed for the tour. Tickets for Set Sail to Spooky Point are $125 for Selby Gardens members, $140 for non-members, and include admission to the light show. For details on timing and to reserve seats on a boat tour, go to selby.org. 

To learn more click here.

Realtor Joey Lamielle of RE/MAX Alliance Group has earned an invitation to RE/MAX’s exclusive Torchbearer event. The invitation-only conference is limited to the top 40 agents under age 40 in each RE/MAX region in the United States and Canada, based on their closed transaction sides in 2021. This year’s Torchbearer event took place September 11-13 at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar in San Diego. Attendees participated in two days of business-building sessions, the opportunity to engage with RE/MAX leaders, and networking and referral opportunities with other successful under-40 attendees. Speakers included RE/MAX President and CEO Nick Bailey. A Sarasota resident for more than 30 years, Lamielle brings extensive knowledge of the market, including single-family homes, condominiums, foreclosures, short sales and commercial properties. A former professional golfer, he competed in the 2008 and 2011 U.S. Open. His commitment to professionalism is reflected in his various real estate designations, including Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI), Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) and Seller Representative Specialist (SRS). Lamielle is based in the Sarasota office at 2000 Webber Street, Sarasota. He can be reached at (941) 350-0016 or JoeyLamielle@gmail.com. 

The “Freedom to Get Fit” has hit the Suncoast! Patriot Fitness is a new, locally owned gym at 5802 Bee Ridge Road, Ste 102, near Cattleman Road, flexing no frills, no judgement, and no closing hours. The new neighborhood gym serves as an alternative to big-box fitness centers with costly classes and unused amenities. Patriot Fitness offers access to its facility with staffing available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Members can safely use the gym 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For anytime access to the facility, gym-goers wave a downloadable key, made available for their smartphones at signup, in front of the lock at the entrance door. The investment team is comprised of Sarasota locals who had been searching for a gym that provided a no-nonsense workout environment and comradery amongst its members. When they couldn’t find one, they created their own. The facility offers the fundamentals – free weights, plates, squat racks, the latest cardio (Cybex) equipment, a stretching area, private bathrooms with showers, and 75-inch TVs throughout. Patriot Fitness has also partnered with American Specialty Health’s Silver&Fit and Active&Fit programs, which cover gym membership costs for eligible enrollees of participating insurance and employee benefit plans. Patriot Fitness memberships start at $39.95 per month with additional discounts for military personnel, veterans, and frontline workers, including law enforcement, fire fighters, healthcare workers, teachers, and dispatchers. For more information and membership opportunities, please visit thepatriotfitness.com. 

Pictured: 24/7 access to the fundamentals of fitness. Photo courtesy of Patriot Fitness.

Over 300 business professionals, community leaders and philanthropists attended the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties’ 16th Annual Intertape Polymer Group Leadership Breakfast on Friday, September 9, 2022. Initiated by Community Youth Development in 2006, the Leadership Breakfast was adopted by Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties in 2016, and honors two local trailblazers each year for their commitment to empowering teens as tomorrow's leaders. This year's event recognized the dedication of Carolyn Mason, Community Leader, and Steve Cantees, Secondary Schools Executive Director. Proceeds from the event support the organization's award-winning slate of Teen Programs, which includes leadership training, service opportunities, entrepreneurial education, workforce development and college and career prep. Senator Lisa Carlton acted as the event's MC, and welcomed guests to the event. Senator Carlton acknowledged the sponsors who made the event possible including Presenting Sponsor, Intertape Polymer Group; Signature Sponsors, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation; Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust; Champion Sponsors - Caldwell Trust Company; Gulf Coast Community Foundation; Shumaker, and FCCI Insurance Group; Visionary Sponsors - Mabry Carlton Ranch; Cool Today; Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay; Sarasota County Sheriff's Office; Neal Communities; Shutts & Bowen; Ringling College of Art & Design; Nancy Mina; Synovus; The DeLieto Team at MS&C Commercial; Blistex, Williams Parker; Ric Smalley; Seacoast Bank; Martella Family Foundation; Media Sponsors - Captivation Agency; Palm Printing; SRQ Media. Congratulations to the 2022 Leadership Honorees Carolyn Mason and Steve Cantees, and a special thank-you to our MC, Senator Lisa Carlton. 

Pictured: L to R - Bill Sadlo, President and CEO, Honoree Steve Cantees, Honoree Carolyn Mason, BGCSDC Board Member Lee DeLieto, BGCSDC Board Chair Meghan Serrano, Esq., Dr. Brennan Asplen.

THE GREAT PANGRATION | Many worried the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 would cripple Sarasota tourism forever. Instead, it prompted a massive migration, both of visitors and new residents to the region.

Read more about THE GREAT PANGRATION through this link, on our social media, or in the September edition of SRQ Magazine! 

https://www.srqmagazine.com/articles/1713/The-Great-Pangration