Richard Russell News

For the first time, Sarasota Opera and the Sarasota chapter of the Alliance Francaise will partner to present a free program entitled "Dialogues of the Carmelites: Beyond the Stage" on Wednesday, February 15th at 7pm in the Kamlet Library at the Sarasota Opera House. 

Jacqueline E. Lawton's new political thriller Intelligence makes its world premiere at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Under the direction of Daniella Topol (Round House's Ironbound), Intelligence explores the cost of deception and the consequences of speaking truth to power. Due to popular demand, the production has been extended for one week with eight additional performances and will run February 24-April 9, 2017 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.

Sarasota Opera is casting to find three children (boy or girl) to portray Butterfly's son in the 2017 Winter production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

Sarasota Opera has been awarded a $50,000 Arts Appreciation Grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. The grant offers unrestricted funding to area arts organizations in support of their artistic mission.

Sarasota Opera and the Hermitage Artist Retreat in Englewood, FL will collaborate once again on a series of talks to be held at the Sarasota Opera House.

Sarasota Opera and the Hermitage Artist Retreat in Englewood, FL will collaborate once again on a series of talks to be held at the Sarasota Opera House.

Right at the start of Robert Schenkkan's mesmerizing Tony Award-winning play ALL THE WAY---now playing in an outstanding new production at Orange County's South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through October 2---actor Hugo Armstrong is introduced in what would become one of the most powerful, fiery acting performances I have witnessed on this very stage. Commanding, and yet remarkably relatable without ever traversing caricature, Armstrong deftly portrays one of American History's most complex leaders, our 36th President, Lyndon B. Johnson. Armstrong's powerhouse portrayal is the explosive epicenter of a richly dense, dialogue-heavy drama that recounts the rocky 11-month period leading up to Johnson's re-election as the leader of the world's most powerful nation. The play spends its entirety focusing on this contentious time which finds Johnson pushing for the passage of the Civl Rights Act---which itself incites a tug-of-war between his longtime pro-segregation Dixiecrat friends and the African-American community lobbying for rights that have been long overdue.

Today, September 10, 2016, Sarasota Opera will open its doors for the 3rd annual Taste of Downtown Food & Wine Festival at the Sarasota Opera House.

Saturday, September 10, 2016, Sarasota Opera will open its doors for the 3rd annual Taste of Downtown Food & Wine Festival at the Sarasota Opera House.

Maestro Victor DeRenzi and Executive Director Richard Russell are proud to announce new additions to both the artistic and administrative staff at Sarasota Opera effective immediately.

Florida resident Ruth Anderson drew heavily from real life experience in creating her debut novel,Whistle Blower and Double Agents.  A sensational, suspenseful, and shocking spy thriller penned by a writer who worked intimately for the U.S. Government during a crisis long forgotten, Whistle Blower and Double Agents is now available nationwide.

After a nationwide search, Sarasota Opera is proud to announce that composer/librettist Rachel J. Peters has been commissioned to compose Sarasota Youth Opera's next world premiere. Ms. Peter's opera, Rootabaga Country, which is being written now and will have its premiere in November 2017, was selected over 12 other submissions. This will be the sixth opera commissioned by the Sarasota Youth Opera program.

After a nationwide search, Sarasota Opera is proud to announce that composer/librettist Rachel J. Peters has been commissioned to compose Sarasota Youth Opera's next world premiere. Ms. Peter's opera, Rootabaga Country, which is being written now and will have its premiere in November 2017, was selected over 12 other submissions. This will be the sixth opera commissioned by the Sarasota Youth Opera program.

Sarasota Opera – Thrilling music, exciting new voices, and compelling theater will launch Sarasota Opera into its 58th Season of presenting grand opera on the south Florida gulf coast, the first season in 28 years to not include any operas by Giuseppe Verdi.

Thrilling music, exciting new voices, and compelling theater will launch Sarasota Opera into its 58th Season of presenting grand opera on the south Florida gulf coast, the first season in 28 years to not include any operas by Giuseppe Verdi.

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved an Art Works award of $20,000 to support the winter 2017 production of The Dialogues of the Carmelites by Francis Poulenc. More than $82 million has been designated to fund local arts projects and partnerships around the country in the NEA's second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2016. This production will be a part of the newly launched “Sarasota Firsts” initiative in which the company will produce operas never before seen on the Sarasota Opera House stage.

Bryan Cranston, Anthony Mackie were live in Times Square this morning to discuss their roles in the new HBO film, ALL THE WAY.

Following its critically acclaimed, award-winning Broadway run, ALL THE WAY, a riveting behind-the-scenes look at President Lyndon B. Johnson's tumultuous first year in office in the wake of President Kennedy's assassination, comes to HBO on SATURDAY, MAY 21