Some things are even better the second time around. Such is the case for Big Sexy: The Fats Waller Revue, now in production at the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe until September 7. The show, which stars WBTT favorite Leon S. Pitts II as Waller, the legendary American jazz pianist, originally ran during the theater’s 2022-23 season to much acclaim. Now, the show is back with the same cast as its original run, giving audiences a deep dive into the storied life of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

“The story of Thomas “Fats” Waller is a brown and black story that needs to be propagated. Why? Because he was a genius,” says WBTT founder/artistic director Nate Jacobs. “I was looking for the opportunity to bring the show back—our five cast members did such a remarkable job the first time around—and I said I’d only do it if we could get the original cast and we were blessed to do just that.”

Big Sexy serves as not only a tribute to Waller—whose progression in the Harlem stride style laid the foundation for much of modern jazz piano—but also to Pitts II, who has been performing with the troupe since he was 17-years-old and Ariel Blue, another WBTT favorite, who plays the leading lady, Devenae Darling. Interspersed throughout the show are moments where Pitts II addresses the audience directly, relaying his own journey as a musical artist to that of Fats Waller.

In taking on Big Sexy for a second time, the cast, which includes Jazzmin Carson, Andrea Jean and Ulric Alfred Taylor, were able to bring a fresh perspective to the 1930s and ‘40s jazz numbers that permeate the show. “We have more room to play because we’ve done it before,” says Carson, who plays Henrietta Hash. “Now it turns into how can we make it stronger? In “Stormy Weather” for instance, I’ve grown as an artist and a person so much in the last two years that I’m singing it with a different deeper meaning and feeling.”

Andrea Jean, who plays the effusive Sherry Sunshine, noted that the improvisational nature of jazz combined with returning to the characters for the second time, has given the cast greater creative liberties over their performance. “There’s a foundation in jazz, but there is so much that you can explore, not just vocally but in the way we present the characters,” says Jean. “Fats Waller based his career in stride piano—the left hand plays a specific pattern while the right is free to create—it’s similar to how we’re approaching the show the second time around.”

August 22-September 7, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota, 34236 

The cast of WBTT's 'Big Sexy: The Fats Waller Revue' includes (from l-r) Andrea Coleman, Ulric Alfred Taylor, Ariel Blue, Leon S. Pitts II and Jazzmin Carson. Photo by Sorcha Augustine.

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Via Nova Chorale launches its 16th season in November with a dynamic four-concert series that runs through May 2026. The season’s theme, “Finding a New Way Together,” is a curated experience of excellent music from the classics to the gifted songwriters of today, all of it focused on the hopeful future we are creating as a human family. Via Nova Chorale’s “audience-first” approach aims to make each concert an immersive experience that fully engages the imagination from start to finish.  Tickets are $40 for adults and $10 for students who are college age and under and can be purchased at ViaNovaChorale.org. For more information, call 941-263-2086. 

From high-voltage jazz to timeless folk harmonies, the Glenridge Performing Arts Center (GPAC) is turning up the spotlight for its 2025–2026 season. Running September 27, 2025, through April 21, 2026, this year’s season showcases beloved returning performers, acclaimed classical ensembles, theatrical gems, legendary tribute acts, and laugh-out-loud comedy. Highlights include the iconic harmonies of The Kingston Trio and The Four Freshmen; a Shakespearean sampler from the Asolo Rep; Sarasota’s own Maria Wirries, fresh off a Broadway run; and laugh-out-loud comedy from Tom Briscoe. There’s also dazzling chamber music by the Sarasota Piano Quartet, vocal brilliance from Seraphic Fire, and big band swing from the Pine View Jazz Band. Add in jazz greats like Stephanie Nakasian and Judy Carmichael, musical tributes to Chicago, Bruce Springsteen, and Barry Manilow, plus programs that explore folk traditions, soul, and early music—and it’s clear: there’s something for every taste. 

Venice Theatre is excited to present "Nunsense, A Musical Comedy" by Dan Goggin, opening Sept. 12, 2025, and running through Oct. 5 in the Raymond Center. Having last staged this zany musical in 2004, the theatre is ready to revive fun memories for longtime patrons and introduce new audiences to the Little Sisters of Hoboken. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. All generations are encouraged to attend this wholesome show, perfect for a family outing. Tickets are $40 for adults/seniors, $28 for college students and educators, and $18 for youth at www.venicetheatre.org or 941-488-1115. Carolyn & Ed Boudreaux and Gary & Joanne Cook are the generous sponsors for this event.  

Venice Theatre's popular concert series is getting an early start this season on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, with a live show starring Resident Music Director Michelle Kasanofsky and Executive Director Kristofer Geddie. Part of Wellen Park's Solis Hall Summer Series, "Songs of the Season" will feature fresh takes on songs from VT's upcoming musicals "Nunsense," "Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show," "The Sound of Music," "Honky Tonk Laundry," "Annie," and more. Showtime is 6:30 p.m. at Solis Hall, 19745 Wellen Park Blvd., Venice, FL 34293. All tickets are $25. 

More than 400 adult enrichment classes in a wide range of subjects will be offered this Fall 2025 term, running from Monday, September 29 to Saturday, December 13. ACE patrons may begin enrolling in classes on Tuesday, September 2. The cost of Patron membership is $60 per year, allowing Patrons to register early for popular classes and attend a free class chosen by ACE each term. This fall’s free offering for Patrons is “Art, Antiques & Collectibles: Is It Valuable or Just Old?”, offered by Marian Aubry on Friday, October 3 from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.  Come join STC’s ACE program this fall – be inspired and find your new passion!Online, over-the-phone, and in-person registration opens to the public on Monday, September 8. Registration is ongoing until classes are filled. For more information and to view ACE’s fall schedule, please visitwww.sarasotacountyschools.net/o/ace or call 941-361-6590. 

The First 1,000 Days Suncoast initiative, in collaboration with Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), is proud to announce a NICU Mobile Library—a program providing families with books and literacy resources while their babies receive care in the NICU. The NICU Mobile Library encourages parents and caregivers to read aloud to their newborns, helping foster bonding, comfort, and early language development even in the most challenging circumstances. Families select books to read at their baby’s bedside and are given free books to take home, ensuring that the love of reading continues beyond the hospital walls. The program was launched through the generous support of The Patterson Foundation through the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and Felicia and Gary Donson of Mom’s Book Nook, along with the ongoing partnership of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. Their contributions have made it possible to bring comfort and connection to families through the power of books. 

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