This week, the Sarasota Players opened its 96th season with the city-premiere of The Wedding Singer. The musical, which was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical after premiering on Broadway in 2006, is an ode to the 1980s where big hair and even bigger emotions reigned supreme. The Wedding Singer, based upon the 1998 film of the same name starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, follows Robbie Hart, a wedding singer in 1985 New Jersey. Things are going well for Hart—his band is playing well and he’s about to get hitched to his fiancee Linda—until Linda leaves him at the altar, claiming that she wanted to marry “a rock star” and not just a wedding singer.

Hart is distraught and begins sabotaging every wedding he plays, until he meets Julia, a waitress, and quickly falls in love with her. Julia, however, is engaged to Glen, a smooth-talking Wall Street executive who cares more about finance than he does his fiancee. “This season’s title is Rebels and Dreamers: A Season of Bold Voices,” says Amanda Heisey, director of marketing at the Players. “Our five productions range from dreamers chasing love to rebels challenging society’s rules and each shows a story of resilience, ambition and a fight to be heard. The Wedding Singer follows mostly the same plot of the film—Robbie is left at the altar and has to get out of his funk and ends up falling in love himself.”

To those who aren’t familiar with the film, the plot may sound dire, but the story itself is lighthearted and funny. Hart’s emotions veer wildly from arrogance to desperation, propounded by original musical numbers such as Somebody Kill Me, Come Out of the Dumpster and Move That Thang. The Wedding Singer has also never been produced in Sarasota—the Players had the rights to the production for its 91st season, but had to cancel the production due to the pandemic.

“Just like the movie, the musical is also a really fun story. There are a lot of new songs that people may not have heard, but everything has that ‘80s flair,” says Heisey. “Every year, we like to put in a show that’s new to our area, so we chose to bring The Wedding Singer back into this season and produce it.”

The Wedding Singer, September 24-October 5, The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 200, Sarasota, 34239 

Christos Nicholoudis as Robbie Hart and Lacey Knispel as Julia in "The Wedding Singer." Provided photo.

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Audiences could not stop raving about 2023’s symphonic screenings of Star Wars: A New Hope! It’s time to dust off those Darth Vader helmets as Sarasota Orchestra presents Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back live in concert, with the Orchestra playing John Williams’ extraordinary music and the iconic film on the big screen. Since the original Star Wars release over 45 years ago, the saga has profoundly influenced cinema and culture through its mythic storytelling, captivating characters, and iconic musical scores. The battle for the galaxy intensifies in the saga’s thrilling fifth episode, and little does Luke Skywalker know that all his Jedi training will be called upon so soon. A stunning revelation and a seeming life-or-death duel with Darth Vader await in Sarasota Orchestra’s performances, led by conductor Conner Gray Covington on October 24 and 25, 2025, at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Tickets are available at SarasotaOrchestra.org. 

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Senior Friendship Centers announces the continuation of its popular “Joyful Journeys” authors series this fall, made possible, in part, through a generous $6,000 sponsorship, from AARP. Amy Matovina, AARP’s associate state director for Tampa Bay, awarded the sponsorship in support of the organization’s signature literary program, which brings diverse voices — from debut memoirists to award-winning novelists — to the community. The series is also supported by the Phyllis Lovrien and Community Foundation of Sarasota County.  

The Orchid Show 2025, presented by Better-Gro®, features the work of British contemporary artist, Rebecca Louise Law, who is well known for creating immersive installations using natural materials. Rebecca’s beautiful installation at Selby Gardens occupies the Richard and Ellen Sandor Museum of Botany & the Arts at the Downtown Sarasota campus. Here visitors are encouraged to navigate through a quiet and contemplative space filled with preserved flowers, leaves, and other plant parts suspended from the ceiling. Accompanying Law’s installation is a stunning presentation of living orchids and other plants in the Display Conservatory. Designed by Selby Gardens’ horticulture team, the presentation draws inspiration from both Rebecca’s work and the institution’s own preserved plant collections. The spectacular results blur the lines between art and nature in fun and surprising ways. 

Oktoberfest at The Bishop is happening on Friday, September 26, 6–9pm. For just $25, you’ll step into a German celebration filled with: Lively music and entertainment, traditional German games, authentic Oktoberfest beers and delicious German cuisine for purchase. This is your chance to enjoy the best of Oktoberfest—without leaving Bradenton! Gather your friends and celebrate an evening of food, music, and culture. 

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Bat City Comic Professionals invites the community to celebrate its Third Year in Bradenton during its Local Comic Shop Day Zine Fest on September, 27, 2025. Shop thousands of new, backstock, and graded issues of comics, all while benefiting the charity’s educational programming. The event runs from 12PM-5PM at 915 Manatee Ave E in Bradenton, FL. The celebration includes a chance to meet local artists and makers, free comics for all-ages, a Collaboration Station where people can contribute to our community Zine, deals throughout the store, and a special comic release and signing with local creators, Anthony Pizzo, Shannon Live, and Marty, the Bradenton Marauder.  

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After more than three decades as a cultural cornerstone in Burns Court and on Palm Avenue, the award-winning Burns Gallery has moved and relaunched in a reimagined space where fine art and curated design converge. Burns Gallery on Central now occupies a 2,500-square-foot industrial space with soaring 20-foot ceilings and movable walls, creating a dramatic and flexible environment for large-scale art, sculpture and immersive installations. The gallery has soft-opened at 1348 Central Avenue, with a grand opening celebration planned for November.  For gallery updates, follow @burnsgalleryoncentral on Instagram or visit burnsgalleryoncentral.com.