by Drew Eberhard - March 02, 2026
The Quintessential voice, the one and only Audra McDonald. Captivating the room and singing selections from Broadway’s Great American Songbook, totaling 15 incredible selections in a swift 90-minute presentation. ...
by Peter Nason - March 01, 2026
It's a fabulous journey led by a fine cast and the legendary theatre teacher and director, Sabrina Hydes....
by Drew Eberhard - February 14, 2026
&Juliet is a 2019 jukebox musical, featuring a book by David West Read and music by Max Martin, a Swedish Pop songwriter. On the surface, its story is fairly simple when laid out, but the adventures of its characters and how they traverse the narrative is whatreally get to the heart of the story....
by Deborah Bostock-Kelley - February 11, 2026
Created by the Emmy®-winning writer from Schitt’s Creek, &Juliet at the Straz was a witty burst of female power, driven by knockout vocals. Anne’s challenge to Shakespeare to imagine a stronger woman set the whole story in motion. Though even with strong performances from the men, this show bel...
by Peter Nason - January 31, 2026
A high octane tour de force, brilliantly directed by Karla Hartley....
by Peter Nason - January 20, 2026
Does GUYS AND DOLLS belong in the conversation as the greatest musical written in the 20th Century? The answer may certainly be a big fat “YES,” but the competition is fierce; it must go head to head with the likes of West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Gypsy, Cabaret, Sweeney Todd and any of the...
by Deborah Bostock-Kelley - January 18, 2026
This was a technicolor circus‑concert fever dream. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a circus, a rock concert, and a neon‑soaked art installation had a baby, the answer is simple: Blue Man Group. And let me tell you — it was amazing, bright, colorful, and unapologetically LOUD in ...
by Drew Eberhard - January 03, 2026
The year, 1967, the place, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and its central narrative came from the scrawlings of a 16-year-old named Susan Eloise Hinton, and the rest as we know it is solidified into literary history. History so much, that it has sparked a re-birth with a new generation and with the new stage adap...
by Deborah Bostock-Kelley - December 28, 2025
STOMP at the Straz Center is a loud, brilliant, wildly inventive work of art, a thunderous, joyful explosion of rhythm and creativity that turned everyday objects into pure theatrical adrenaline....
Past Shows
The story of a marriage is at the center of I Do! I Do!, an intimate and nostalgic work by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones...
Make your Valentine's weekend reservations and bring your special someone to the Manatee Performing Arts Center. See some of your favorite performers live in concert...
By turns wicked, funny, warm, romantic and touching, The Music Man is family entertainment at its best. Meredith Willson's six-time, Tony Award-winning musical comedy has...
The Lion King has captivated the imagination of audiences around the world. The African savannah comes to life with Simba, Rafiki and an unforgettable cast...
Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding is an "environmental/immersive theatre" event based on a traditional Italian-American wedding and reception, with warm and intrusive stereotypes exaggerated for comic...
This hilarious musical parody staged to classic tunes from the '60s, '70s and '80s will have you cheering and dancing in the aisles. See what...
It's the Roaring Twenties a cast of outrageous characters gather in New York to celebrate the wedding of a wealthy playboy. Things don't go as...
A variety show like no other. Featuring the talents of the Manatee Performing Arts Center's resident senior theatre troupe, DraMature. Come enjoy the hard work...
The original Godspell was the first major musical theatre offering from three-time Grammy and Academy Award-winner, Stephen Schwartz, and it took the world by storm....
Pre-war Germany, it shows how a liberal-minded professor whose best friend is Jewish, could not only be seduced into joining Nazism, but step-by-step end up...
The Manatee Performing Arts Center would like to invite aspiring young performers to apply for the Teen Idol Contest. All teens ages 13-18 are eligible...
Based on Louisa May Alcott's American classic, this Civil War story of love and family stands the test of time. Rating: G...
Three couples work their way towards parenthood under three VERY different sets of circumstances. Rating: G...
Members of this group include past cast members of Disney Orlando. This group has played it all from corporate shows to sold out theaters. This...
From the Academy Award-winning team comes a lushly scored retelling of Victor Hugo’s epic story following Quasimodo’s journey of love, acceptance and what it means...
Driving Miss Daisy follows the relationship of an elderly white Southern Jewish woman, Daisy Werthan, and her African-American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn, from 1948 to 1973....
One of the most popular and recognizable comedians of the 1980's, Gallagher has to his credit fourteen comedy specials for Showtime, ran for Governor, and...
Guido Contini is a wreck. Torn between his wife, mistress, and the star he needs to make a great movie, he runs off to Venice,...
Manatee Performing Arts Center's resident senior theatre troupe, DraMature presents Guys and Dolls Sr. Frank Loesser's celebrated musical comedy about rolling the dice and falling...
Sarasota Musica Viva presents "Peter and the Wolf" and other youthful classics performed by the Sarasota Musica Viva Woodwind Quintet. This program will celebrate the...
Decades Rewind is an incredibly memorable & nostalgic show that you’ve been dreaming of! Featuring the top hits of the golden age of music (from...
Leapin' Lizards! The irrepressible comic strip heroine takes center stage in one of the world's best-loved musicals. Rating: PG...
The compelling story of Charlie Gordon, willing victim of a strange experiment - a moron, a genius, a man in search of himself. Poignant, funny,...
Based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, with a beloved book and score by Tony Award-winners, Thomas Meehan,...
Sarasota Musica Viva presents "Divine Inspiration", a program of flute and harp repertoire. This refreshing program includes a variety of styles of music with interactive...
Florida's hottest Doo-Wop/Oldies Group singing all of your favorites from the 50s and 60s. Nostalgic street corner harmonies, just the way you remember them. TheGoldTones.com...
BASE (Business, Arts, Science and Entertainment) Talks is an outreach lecture series designed to enhance community engagement, add value to the arts and entertainment in...
Stephen Sondheim's romantic 19th century waltz whisks us away to a weekend in the country. Rating: PG...
The world of a middle-aged New York couple is turned topsy-turvy when the husband brings home an exceptionally engaging canine running loose in Central Park....
Take a trip down melody lane with Decades Rewind, featuring over 60 songs effortlessly blended into unique medleys from the most prominent decades in music...
When Broadway director Julian Marsh falls on hard times with both his health and his finances, he helms an ambitious musical as a final production...
Dorothy, a restless Kansas farm girl eager to see more of the world, is transported by a tornado to a magical world of Munchkins, witches,...
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