September 20, 2024 - two attending - Even after 75 years the magic must still be in the air and the…read morearea!!! The main theatre was ravaged and destroyed in Hurricane IAN so they are trying to rebuild and get back to normal - so while you buy tickets and attending you are helping out as well. (If you are not local i am sure they will take a check or card for no seat!! Give 'em a call) https://mailchi.mp/venicetheatre/opening-weekend-tickets-available?e=64b049ba14 REALLY enjoyed this clever & witty play with some very comical and talented characters and actors! Giving it 5 stars here but also a ZERO on the Daddy Z Meter. That is the best score since I did NOT nod off or fall asleep once because this was engaging throughout and really kept my attention and had me laughing!! BRAVO! (cross posting Yelp, Google, etc etc)

I love this place but their projectors' for the movies are very very dim. The stair lights may be…read morebrighter

The Asolo Theater is currently showing Shakespeare Hamlet. It is the largest Equity theatre in…read moreFlorida, and the largest Repertory theatre in the Southeastern United States. Asolo Rep is a resident regional theatre company which also invites in guest artists. It works in conjunction with Florida State University's MFA Acting program, the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. This is a horse-shoe shaped theatre with 4 tiers of boxes and was modeled after La Fenice. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the building was the home theatre of the great Italian actress Eleonora Duse. In 1930, the Asolo Theatre was dismantled and put into storage. In 1949 the museum director of the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art learned of the theatre's existence and saw the theatre as an ideal acquisition for the museum. It's been in existence here for 67 years since 1958.

Stunning architecture, this building is from the 1500's in Oslo, Norway. It was transported to this…read morelocation & is truly remarkable how they are able to keep it up. There are very small parts of it that had to be reconfigured & restored that was damaged & didn't make the trip over, however about 85% of it is still in its original condition. It seats about 550 people & the acoustics are marvelous. My family & I went to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. As being someone who grew up going to broadway shows, this show transported me back to New York City! The friendliness of about half of the staff could be significantly better, nevertheless, everything else about this place was spectacular. Thanks Team Asolo Theater!

The signage is horrible. We couldn't find it based on the address. Almost went home without seeing…read morethe performance we paid for. Small directional to direct us into the parking lot would have been helpful. Signage that isn't flush with the building would have helped as well. Having a live parking attendant is another solution. Frustrating when you are with someone who is disabled. That said.... The performance was the best of the season.... "Too fat for China" !!!

This was the smallest venue I've attended but it is setup well, seats are comfortable and the views…read moreare all excellent. All seating is open - first come first serve. Masking was not required and most of the patrons were not masked. Greeted enthusiastically, offered a free glass of white or red wine. The play was thoroughly enjoyable, perhaps a bit slow in the middle, with a cool twist at the end. Support local art!!

Loved it! Beautiful experience all around. Spectacular sunset. Beautiful people expressive dancing…read moreand rhythm. Look forward to experiencing this again.

The Nokomis Drum Circle was something we found on Facebook! They perform every Wednesday and…read moreSaturday evening, approximately 2 hours before sunset, rain or shine. What is the drum circle exactly? They are drummers, musicians, and dancers who invite you to join them in celebrating life on Nokomis Beach. We were visiting from Texas, looking for a unique experience, this was awesome! For outsiders like us, we didn't know "how" to find them. TIP: Use Google Maps and search Nokomis Beach public parking. When you reach Pelican Alley (intercoastal waterway) the Nokomis Beach public parking is at the end of this road. We went on a Wednesday, got there around 6pm -- the lot was full including the handicap spots. This parking area is tiny, I'd say it holds approximately 50 cars. However, there is more free public parking across the street, look for the marina storage in the distance. There was a lot of parking available when we arrive but an hour later around 7pm there were no parking spaces left. I have no idea where you can park after everything is full. After you park, of course, you listen for the drums and start walking in that direction. We watched an elderly couple struggle to walk the distance plus navigate several stairs. Once they got to the beach they realized it was too far to walk to the drum circle in the sand, they turned around and left. That literally broke our hearts. We didn't know how to help them. But once we accessed the beach and walked towards the drum circle we learned a very important trick for others who may have the same type of problems. TIP: If you walk towards the white shelter / pavilion on the North West corner of the Nokomis Beach parking lot, it's all ground level, you will be 3/4th of the way to the drum circle location. From the parking lot to this pavilion plus the sandy path to the drum circle is all flat ground to walk on (no stairs). The drum circle is set up right at the end of this sandy walkway, can't miss it! We stayed approximately two hours. Visitors range from age 2- 100. Some people come prepared with beach chairs and coolers others sit on towels. Bring whatever you need to be comfortable sitting out in the open, in the sun and sand, it does get hot. The drummers are passionate, focused, and love their audience. It was a lovely spiritual and positive experience. Our favorite part was the flowers and decorations set up in the center, in memory of members of their community, place there by the Tribe. We were lucky to witness the sage blessing and be a part of that ritual.

Saw Grace and Glorie on June 21, 2025, at 7:30. The set and acting was excellent. The woman that…read moreplayed Grace was an exception actress. Looking forward to purchasing single tickets to several play after August 1, 2025.

I have seen multiple productions at this theatre and I have never been disappointed. They perform…read moreeverything from comedy, to musicals and beyond. You never get a "bad" seat as the theatre is small and you quickly forget your surroundings as you get pulled into the show.

Saw a production of Purlie, performers were absolutely fantastic, facility is impeccable.read more

This is a really nice spot! Been there several times. Super intimate.... your high school…read moreauditorium is bigger!!! How I got over Gospel Review was great albeit way way way too loud! I should have said something as checking with others this is a common complaint! The actors/ singers are so talented and the theatre is so small they honestly don't need the microphones which make it over the top loud. Still love this place!!!

The great part for us, the audience, is our chance to see and experience performances from a world…read moreclass ballet school in our own back yard. The joy of live dance performances is both uplifting and energizing. The Sarasota Cuban Ballet (SBC) in the Cuban style, for me, is the next positive step in the evolution of the ballet genre: diverse, graceful, emotive and powerful! As a school to send your child.....So to qualify myself first because everyone's opinion, like flavors, is 1 of 3: sweet, savory or tart and all have their place which is why our world is such a wonderfully creative combination of flavors. I am an active dance dad. I have tried and thoroughly and personally love tap and ballet....noting that my lack of skills drops the grace/ability bar so low it is but a "mark" on the floor. I have been watching and supporting my daughter along her( to date 10 year ) dance journey. I have been learning and growing along the way in areas of technique, presentation, physical injury & recovery, mental/ psychological strength .....from a parent's perspective of course. My daughter has trained at several good and some fantastic studios...I have been witness to a small part of the behind the scenes issues and joys of this HUGELY creative & GINORMOUSLY physical art form.... She attended the Sarasota Cuban Ballet summer intensive on recommendation from another wonderful ballet conservatory and decided stay and continue her training towards becoming a professional ballerina. That said.... I make the first entry of my impression to date: This team of teachers knows how to train without over training, cares about their students and can provide a clear (and proven) path to a professional ballet company contract. Because a dancer typically discovers their passion for dance arts at a young age, parents typically take a more active role in their journey. As a parent still learning about this profession and seeing lots of haze and ambiguity in the path ahead there is a greater sense of calm that at least we have found a clearer path with a "knock-able" doors of opportunity. We all know there are no guarantees for a job: skill level, injuries, health and mental disposition are all obstacles of opportunity for every dancer wanting a professional career. Sarasota Cuban Ballet (SCB) impresses me to have the experience, empathy and teaching skills to give every dancer a real shot at their dream. Over the last decade of working with various studios, this is both rare and precious. Now, mind you, I am sure and am familiar with several other schools around the world and in this area who also excel in the same and for different dance genres. Kudos to them. I have learned that everyone is uniquely similar... we all excel or languish in different environments. There is no single school of any type that is a perfect fit for all or for all time. I believe in SCB we have found the three (3) "E's" we are seeking: Empathy, Excellence and Experience

I was just married this past Friday in Venice and Billy of Left Coast Karaoke was a big part of the…read morereception's success. The karaoke company that the country club recommended was faaarrr more expensive, so I took a chance on Left Coast. It was worth it: his equipment is top-notch; he had 30K songs on his laptop so everyone got their request; he was very attentive--hustling the mic up to me when I made a speech; and he organized a perfect mix of karaoke and the ubiquitous wedding dance songs. I am so thankful I made the decision and my wife, who manages the money, might be even happier. I paid him more than he asked for, because he deserved it. Thanks, Billy!