Feb 9 2025

Holley Hall


Holley Hall
709 N Tamiami Trl
Sarasota, FL 34236

… more pix & videos on Google Maps,

This 400 seat hall is one of Sarasota Orchestra‘s performing venue.

The hall is decent, one level, a parking lot away from Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

The touchiness faucet in the bathroom dispenses burning hot water. Good heaven, in Florida, why do they need hot water.

.
.
.


Feb 9 2025

Sarasota Orchestra


Sarasota, FL

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.

… they’ve several venues

  1. Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center
  2. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
  3. Sarasota Opera House
  4. Neel Performing Arts Center
  5. North Port High School Auditorium

 


Feb 9 2025

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

 


777 N Tamiami Trl,
Sarasota, FL 34236

One of the venues for the Sarasota Orchestra.

They’re on the Gulf of Mexico, west of the barrier island Longboat Key.


Feb 9 2025

Pazzo on Orange, Italian


481 N Orange Ave,
Sarasota, FL 34236

… 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.

We’re too full to try their dessert.
Next time.

The busy girl (?) is pleasant, warm and cute.

Rushing home to watch the rest of Super Bowl!


Feb 9 2025

William Yang


Holley Hall
709 N Tamiami Trl
Sarasota, FL 34236

more

This 400 seat hall is one of Sarasota Orchestra performing venues.

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.

After the show, an elderly woman climbed up to the stage to take a selfie with him and asked his to sign her program. This uncouth conduct is shocking.

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.

William Yang (2001-)

23岁的娃 上个月赢了迈亚密的肖邦赛. 10月会去华沙比赛 🈵🈵的祝福 (希望他能够改善一下外表😂 别像个中年油腻大叔[闭嘴])

这是他赢后第一场演奏. 主办方是一不到六万人 小城的波兰美国协会.
完后 一大妈爬上台… 200观众看的目瞪口呆
二个主持人送完花. 还加送一红袋子和白T恤. … 哄堂大笑😂


Feb 4 2025

Pier 22, Bradenton


1200 1st Ave W,
Bradenton, FL 34205

… more pix n videos on Google Maps, Yelp, TA & OpenTable.

Will return.

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

  1. Escargo
  2. Calamari w/ white sauce
  3. Grouper cake w/ white sauce
  4. Chowder
  5. 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.

Parking is relatively easy on this Monday night.

A very good stop before the ballet.


Feb 4 2025

Sarasota ballet


FSU Center for the performing Arts
5555 N Tamiami Trl,
Sarasota, FL 34243

… more pix & videos on Google Maps, Yelp & TA

Will return.

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.

  1. Mertz Theatre: 535 seats
  2. Opera House: 1,119 seats
  3. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall: 1,741 seats

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.

Tonight’s performance P4 Quintessential has three individual segments:

  1. Rococo Variations | Choreography by Renato Paroni | Music by Tchaikovsky
  2. Brandenburgs | Choreography by Paul Taylor | Music by Bach
  3. 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:

  1. $102m The New York City Ballet’s (NYCB) 2024
  2. $45m The American Ballet Theatre (ABT) where Copeland dances
  3. $9m Sarasota … oh well – someone is doing well with less

We’ve dinner at Pier 22 in Bradenton.

 


Jan 29 2025

Selby public library


1331 1st St.
Sarasota, FL 34236

This library in Sarasota began in 1907 by the Ladies’ Town Improvement Society. It had moved several times, and the current building opened in 1998.

I always go to visit before my opera event, which is across the street.

In 2025, I found this sign by the door amusing, especially after visiting LA’s Central library in November 2024: the homelessness.

The library is beautiful. The small arch is actually an aquarium.

A grey hair gentleman is playing Sergei Rachmaninoff: “I’m performing tomorrow …”


Jan 29 2025

Prelude to 2025 opera season


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.

The annual meet & greet at a small market opera house

Operatic figure 有各种解释 理解. 但很多时是指肥肥. 大都会的当家花旦Denyce Graves (1964-) 红极一时. 其一就是她的体型非常漂亮出众. 60分种📺采访她时也就此大做文章. 她的Carmen 卡门有些后无来者: 就是那么帅 润耳. 我看完她的一年后去三藩市的卡 … 没法比 😂

每年季节开始前的见面会. 福利 笼络 推广 推销 无论如何 主办方很周到 捐赠解囊 愉愉快快 😁
小市场的歌剧院没有当家不当家 因虽然但是职业但没有长期合同… 今年的这个女娃身材不输 Graves, 人也蛮漂亮的. 希望今年的几个剧目也精彩.

继续守夜 😂

a short video

… more

 


Jan 28 2025

Selby Five Points Park


1 Central Ave,
Sarasota, FL 34236

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.