On July 30, the Sarasota Players will premiere its production of the award-winning musical Cabaret. The fact that Sarasota's oldest community theater is producing Cabaret is not shocking—Cabaret is one of the timeless classics of American musical theater, filled with incredible musical numbers and topical themes that are always relevant.

How the cast and crew of the Players’ production of Cabaret has approached the show, however, is distinct. Set in post-World War I Berlin, Cabaret follows struggling American writer Clifford Bradshaw, whose quest for inspiration leads him into the sensuous and captivating world of the cabaret. Bradshaw strikes up a romance with cabaret performer Sally Bowles, but as time passes, a once-thrilling stay in Berlin turns sinister as the Nazi party begins to take hold of Germany. This past week the Players substituted a rehearsal for a far more poignant interaction—a conversation with Sarasota resident Helga Melmed, a Holocaust survivor who lost her family in the atrocity and spent much of her adolescence imprisoned in different concentration camps.

“Everyone was very focused and quiet as we first listened to her talk for around 50 minutes,” says Marketing Director Amanda Heisey. “There was a lot of crying at different points for people—I think certain parts of her story resonated differently with each cast member. You realize how important it is to listen to someone who actually saw and experienced these atrocities.”

For director Brian Finnerty and the cast, Melmed’s testimony is a reminder of why the story of Cabaret still matters. In it, some of the characters are faced with a choice—turn a blind eye to the growing darkness and disappear into the world of the cabaret or make a stand against tyranny? The experience of hearing Melmed’s story—of a young girl who, by the time she was liberated at nearly 18-years-old, weighed just 46 pounds—grounds the production in a somber reality. “When you actually hear about it from somebody who has lived through it, it makes it click for you,” says Finnerty. “I think that the cast will go into the show with more empathy and more thoughtfulness about every action they take—there were multiple times when Helga would say something and it was an exact line from the script. Everybody has been handling the material with such care, but hearing her words and knowing who we are playing adds so much to the production.”

July 30-August 3, August 6-10, The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 34239

The cast and crew of "Cabaret" with Holocaust survivor Helga Melmed. Provided photo.

To learn more click here

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe was recently honored to be awarded an Empowering the Arts Grant of $50,000 from Gulf Coast Community Foundation. The funding from Gulf Coast will support WBTT’s 2025-2026 theatre season; its signature fundraising events, Fall Gala and April Fête; and outreach education programs. 

To learn more click here

Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources invites readers, writers and literary lovers of all ages to the 2025 Off the Page literary celebration, a monthlong literary celebration during November featuring bestselling authors, writing workshops, book signings and more. This year’s headlining author is Amy Tan, internationally acclaimed author of The Joy Luck Club. Tan will discuss her latest memoir, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, at the Riverview High School Performing Arts Center. The event kicks off Nov. 1, with a writer’s conference at Selby Library with publishing professionals and instructors from Ringling College of Art and Design. Attendees can meet industry experts, participate in hands-on workshops and swap books with fellow writers. 

To learn more click here

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is thrilled to present Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical for five performances, including one sensory-friendly performance, in Sarasota from November 14-16, 2025, as part of the 2025-2026 Broadway season. Hailed by The New York Times as “100 times better than any bedtime story,” this classic holiday musical will enchant adults and children alike. Tickets will go on sale to the public on July 24 at 10 a.m. for a special 48-hour pre-sale celebrating Christmas in July. Tickets start at $56 and will be available at VanWezel.org. Following this limited time pre-sale, single tickets for The Grinch go on sale in September along with the rest of the Van Wezel’s 2025-2026 season. Groups of 10 or more should contact 941-263-6726. 

The Hermitage Artist Retreat is pleased to announce the fourth season of the Sarasota Cross Arts Collaborative, made possible once more with generous support from the Koski Family Foundation. This initiative is designed to give frequent performers and company members from leading Sarasota arts organizations a chance to expand their artistic practice from ‘performer’ to ‘creator.’ As with previous years, the Hermitage is awarding Cross Arts Collaborative residencies to artists from two selected partner institutions. This program is designed to inspire and encourage generative work created by some of the best and brightest in our vibrant performing arts community. Artists are invited by their respective organizations to submit proposals for consideration; finalists are then submitted to the Hermitage for consideration, and recipients are selected in consultation with current or past members of the Hermitage Curatorial Council. This year’s Cross Arts proposal review was led by world renowned flutist, Hermitage alumna, and former Curatorial Council member Claire Chase. Hermitage audiences had the opportunity to hear Chase perform in December at a Hermitage program held at Historic Spanish Point. 

To learn more click here

Sarasota Opera is pleased to announce that Arthur Bosarge has joined the company as Artistic Administrator. Bosarge has been a key member of Sarasota Opera’s music staff since 2022, most recently serving as Chorus Master and Director of the Apprentice Artists Program. 

To learn more click here

Join us for the inspiring 10th Annual SRQ Women Who Roar Leadership and Awards Luncheon, celebrating local women leaders who significantly impact our community. Enjoy a dynamic program featuring the introduction of the esteemed 2025 Leadership Circle inductees, engaging PopUp Boutiques, and opportunities to network during our post-event reception. 

Get ready to be inspired at the Annual Giving Coast Luncheon: Philanthropic Agenda & Good Hero Awards, recognizing local changemakers. Join us in bringing the philanthropic community together on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at Michael's On East and help celebrate the nonprofit spirit of our area. Featuring a panel of distinguished philanthropic leaders discussing giving trends, the honorable Good Hero Awards, and the interactive Giving Tree Program, this event will be nothing short of spectacular. Also highlighting the acclaimed SRQ Lifetime Good Hero Achievement Award, the program will uplift attendees and spark meaningful change.