Sarasota Orchestra began in 1949, with efforts from music teacher Ruth Cotton Butler, businessmen Dr. W.D. Sugg and J. Lorton Francis of Bradenton, and George Gibbs, an amateur musician from Venice.
Paul Wolfe was the artistic director and conductor for 35 years in 1961. Giancarlo Guerrero is the current one since 2025.
… more pix n videos on Google Maps, Yelp; add it to TA
Will return.
Dark wood and granite (?) decor on a lovely street. It has indoor and outdoor sections. A big fireplace outside.
Love their thin stems and water tumblers. … but then the server gave us different glasses the second run: dull and thick. If I knew I would not have ordered another drink.
Ok, I went to the bar and asked for a thin stem.
Like their spicy olive oil a lot.
Are they New York Italian? No sure: is it Little Italy Italian or Arthur Avenue in Bronx Italian? In any case, their food is delicious.
We’ve
– arugula salad w/ Shiitake mushrooms
– eggplant rollatini
– clams in white
– mussels in red with raw garlic and pungent wine sauce… and I took the sauce home – can’t take me anywhere.
Thanks for deciding the salad. When they brought the hot food, they warned us that the plates are hot … in fact, non of the three are hot, not even warm.
I thought the eggplant rollatini would be thin and small that I can finish it all as an appetizer. Wrong: three large and fat piece: a little too ‘meaty’. After one I felt I’m full.
William Yang is performing his first concert after his win in Miami last month. He’s good but his appearance could use some update: nerdy, greasy and woody. Un-enthusiasm might be his style. I closed my eyes and thinking of Lang Lang 郎朗 (1982-), Khatia Buniatishvili (1987-) and Wang Yuja 王羽佳 (1987-): lively, infectious and the tremoring hair.
Yang took $100k prize in Miami as well the guaranteed entry to Warsaw in October. Good luck kiddo.
His performance is presented by the Polish-American Association of Sarasota, a town with 57k residents. I’m impressed. English isn’t the predominating language; we’re the only Asians in the audience.
After every piece, Yang bows 90 degrees followed by a little nod while left hand on the piano. He speaks briefly after the Polonaise Fantasy in Ab Major Op. 61 which was his winning piece last month. My impression of him seems to improved a little.
During the intermission, five or six Europeans (likely Polish) smoke by the entrance, which is very inconvenient to us when we want to go out for a moment.
Yang seems loosening up a little when he attacks Quatre Mazurkas Op 33, D major (Vivace)
The two co-chair women thankfully talked about their association’s relationship with Chopin Miami, which enable them to put out this performance, every five years. They couldn’t scan the digital tickets, and their event isn’t on their calendar, shows, perhaps, this isn’t Sarasota Orchestra sanctioned.
Then more laugh followed, when the two co-chair presented him a bouquet of flowers, then took out a limp red bag (for what??), and fish out a white t shirt from it … It’s pretty embarrassing for all.
On the Manatee River, west of Green Bridge. Huge. Indoor and out sections. Busy. Fish tanks. Red sauce. Warm bread – 70 degree is cool by the water. Good service and very good food.
We’ve
Escargo
Calamari w/ white sauce
Grouper cake w/ white sauce
Chowder
Mushroom Arancini w/ red sauce
All are delicious, except the two white sauces – just too sweet. I asked for their red instead, which is so much better. I also don’t care for their butter which is house made with butter, cream cheese, Boursin – tastes good but I prefer the simple butter.
The chowder is good but Smith & Wollensky’s having had it just couple of weeks ago, is better, not as thick.
If I’ve to pick one in this area, I prefer this one over Oak n Stone.
A town with 54,842 residents, their ballet company is quite exceptional. Although they perform at various sites, including the Opera House, this venue, next to Ringling Museum, is their main home, with 661 seats. Many patrons do dress up for the occasion.
This ballet company was founded in 1987 by dancer Jean Weidner-Goldstein (Your observer; Tribune). The current director Iain Webb (1959-) was once a dancer, started out with Royal Ballet (1931-) of UK.
Rococo Variations | Choreography by Renato Paroni | Music by Tchaikovsky
Brandenburgs | Choreography by Paul Taylor | Music by Bach
World Premiere | Choreography by Gemma Bond | Music by Rachmaninov
Modern ballet with classical music – a good combo. The Tchaikovsky piece is in light blue tutu; the second and the third are modern costume, skimpy skintight.
I enjoyed the first two, especially the second one by Rachmaninov. Reportedly many come to see the third. Oh well, I’m not a Bach fan -:)
Rachmaninov’s music sounds tumultuous, struggles, pathos but this ballet interpretation is beautiful and well done. I also like their costume the best, simple clean line is aesthetically pleasing. All dancers are more or less of the same physique, with good skill.
I don’t really follow ballet but saw Misty Copeland once. No one in this ballet company is of Misty Copeland’s fame but the dancers are very enjoyable to watch.
Out of curiosity, I googled the following annual budget:
$102m The New York City Ballet’s (NYCB) 2024
$45m The American Ballet Theatre (ABT) where Copeland dances
$9m Sarasota … oh well – someone is doing well with less
2025 Sarasota opera season begins with a welcome reception. General director Richard Russell makes runs with the patrons, and introduced the three entertainers, and gives us a little history of the opera house.
It’s a well choreographed event, last a little over an hour. About 30 people attended.
The house began as a theater, named after its first mayor, Edwards in 1926. Elvis Presley performed here 3 times in 1953, ticket price was 50¢.
In 1984, this building opened for opera. They had no debt, which’s smart. They bring in the pros for the season. Their size is the same as Philadelphia: population Sarasota 54,842 and Philly 1,603,797 in 2020.
Richard Russell came here as an apprentice artist in 1989, with Sarasota for four seasons. He also worked for Citigroup’s Emerging Markets Sales and Trading group. Rejoined Sarasota Opera in 2005 as the director of marketing for a five years run; then rejoined again in 2012 as the Executive Director. Under him, individual giving has increased over 50%, more than doubled its endowment. He also managed the construction and fundraising for the new Steinwachs Artist Residences for Sarasota Opera, which encompasses 30 fully furnished units housing up to 70 artists.
Since they’ve no colleges in the area, apprentice are from elsewhere, around 12-20. They own 20 apartments to house the out of town performers and apprentice. The 50 os so musicians are free lance. The company has about 300 staff. Union; many are fm circus world, such as fire reader (so they don’t have to hire a fire Marshall). This year or next, they’ll add fall productions, which is a music to my ears.
The two singers are great, especially the soprano, not only beautiful but her slim figure, which reminds me of Denyce Graves (1964-). Great voice isn’t rare but shapely figure is, imho.
Their stage is very shallow. So most of stage sets are designed and tailor made for them, at $200k per, and might put into storage at the airport if they’ll reuse that set. Each costume costs from $1k to $2k. They use natural voice never amplified.
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The annual meet & greet at a small market opera house
Its size, makes it more of a space than a park, surrounded by the Main Street where many restaurants are, the opera house on N Pineapple Ave, Selby library on 1st Street/Central Ave.
It’s owned and operated by the City of Sarasota Parks and Recreation District.