One of the BEST things about this venue is free parking and gorgeous views outside (waterfront,…read moreDali museum, airfield). It is also a theatre where every seat is good (unless very tall people sit in front of you) and sound is excellent. We've seen many shows here and find the paid and volunteer staff welcoming and helpful. The bathroom situation is similar to other places in that they have several places to go, but it can be a lengthy wait if more women than men attend the event. Men always seem to be much more quick! Our latest outing here was for ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN. It was louder than we wanted (Apple Watch went off many times warning of hearing loss). The light show was amazing. The musical side was good, but not spectacular (why could we not understand what they were singing for the first 4 obscure Queen songs?). We look forward to attending more events here.

Great size theater, hard to find a bad seat. The lobby has beautiful water views. They have a good…read moresize parking lot and parking was included for the event I attended!

Went to see Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021) A Little Nigh Music last night…read more The good news is they're or will renovate the venue. One of the fundraising efforts is, selling a seat, starting at $1,000. As usual, they seat the late comes; a few patrons non stop talking; candy wrappers ... for a moment, it feels like a zoo or among kindergartners. I think if they enforce the late comer rule, people may respect it a little more.

This historic arts venue and theater built in 1925 features an 880 seat concert hall. Formerly a…read morechurch and designed in the Basilican in the Romanesque Revival style of architecture. It was sold in 1998 to the Palladium Theatre and renovated. Then in 2007 was given to St. Petersburg College. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. We purchased tickets $25 for the modern dance show Beacon. We had great seats and sat second row center. It was very entertaining and had an enjoyable evening.

What can you day about art....hmmm ....well how about there is no eARTh without art. When you…read morecombine art with physical performance and you turn the human body into the brush and the music is your canvas ....you have ballet. We are blessed to have a world renowned choreographer set down roots in our fair town and we are already seeing dancers arriving from far and wide to train with Mr Servy Gallardo. It is a great opportunity for all dancers young and "young at heart", aspiring to earn a living a or to dance for the joy. The conservatory even has an adult class for those of us who want to try or never want to stop trying. I am over joyed to see a professional ballet conservatory open its heart and soul in St. Pete and excited to see more of Mr. Gallardo's art in motion!

So this is not my typical place to review. I'm a sports loving guy who likes to find good places to…read moreeat. I feel like this place needs to be out there a little more so the word will get out. My daughter started here a little over a year ago. This school at the time had only been open about 6-7 months and they were starting to grow. The Melton's (the owners) are great people and are more than a pleasure to deal with. They want nothing but success for the dancers here. They have what is considered to be two studios that are very large for a ballet studio that when opened up become a nice sized theater. There is some seating upstairs in a balcony type area where you can watch classes and rehearsals taking place. The instructors Servy and Alexe Gallardo are excellent and professional at what they do. My daughter began with Alexe and thrived with her. Alexe took my daughter in who knew nothing about ballet and she has taught her so much. My daughter now also has a class with Servy and she has loved working with him as well. He works his students very hard and pushes them to achieve more than they realize they can do but he does it in a way where there is a lot of encouragement and the students also enjoy what they are doing. My daughter always comes home a little sore and tired but is always wanting to do more and she always says how much she enjoys both Servy and Alexe. For any parents reading this. This is definitely a family type of environment with kids ranging in age from 5 years old to late teens and possibly early 20's. The classes are broken up so they are appropriate for age and skill level. The students are not competitive with each other and are more encouraging to each other which makes this a fun environment for all. The studio has now put on multiple shows at its location. Each show has only gotten better and definitely showcases the improvement each dancer has made over time. There have been many dancers (younger and older) that have have wowed the crowd during these shows with how skilled they are and how much they learn. They will be doing a full length Nutcracker here in December. I would encourage anyone to look this place up and check out the show. To any parents with a current ballet dancer or one wanting to become a dancer I would say run don't walk to this studio and enjoy the professional instruction and atmosphere this conservatory has to offer. There are not enough nice things I can say about what they have all done for my daughter and the other dancers at this location.

This is my first opera since moving down here from NYC 11 years ago. In tonight's case, we have…read moretickets for Il Trovatore (Giuseppe Verdi). Even though downtown Sarasota is a total conglomeration of small and poorly laid out streets, it was easy to get here. I lucked out and found a spot on Central Ave right around the corner. Just $2 to park until 8pm, after which it's "free parking," to borrow a phrase from Monopoly. They refurbished this place not so long ago so it's quite nice in the auditorium itself. It kinda has a Spanish colonial feel both inside and outside. When I hear "opera house," I think of the Metropolitan Opera House and Lincoln Center. This place is quite small and more closely resembles a theatre where one would expect to see "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" or "Hello Dolly." I purchased orchestra box seats, which come 4 to a box, two rows per box. No one right near us but two couples front of us in the next box forward. I'm tall enough to have seen over Madame Blue Hair, so I had to switch seats with my dear Queen Bee. Sight lines could be better, IMHO. Meantime, I even received a personalized thank you letter from the Opera House "Powers That Be" upon entering our "box." Two free drinks were ours for the taking..."does not include spirits." Still a nice touch though. Free Diet Pepsi/Coke awaits us in the future! Woo Hoo!! Acoustics seemed okay rather than too loud, too muffled or too tinny. As I said above, sight lines are rather mediocre but at least one isn't totally packed in like a tin of sardines. Both our seats (stand alone moveable chairs) and standard row seating seem comfortable enough.

Stopped into this hundred year-old historic Opera House in the arts district of Sarasota. The…read moreSarasota Opera House is a historic, beautifully renovated 1,119-seat theater in downtown Sarasota, known for hosting opera, ballet, concerts & film festivals. Originally opened in 1926 as the Edwards Theatre, it features a restored auditorium with excellent acoustics and is part of a larger complex that includes a pavilion for events. The venue is on the National Register of Historic Places and offers a variety of performance and event spaces.

We absolutely love my daughter's ballet class! She's only 3, and Miss Ann makes it such a special…read moreexperience for her. The classes are well-structured, engaging, and still so fun for the little ones. What really stands out is how she takes the time to focus on each child individually, making them feel seen and encouraged. It's been amazing to watch my daughter grow in confidence and joy each week. We're so grateful for such a caring and dedicated teacher

Today was my last day of the Adult Intro to ballet. I was extremely nervous about doing it but this…read moreyear is all about doing things that I've always wanted to do. The class sessions were roughly 2 hours and once weekly. My teacher was Anne, who is also the owner. She's so passionate about teaching and i love it! I want to say every single class she's stayed to help someone with their questions. We've all had a teacher explain something and not get it but with Anne that does not happen she gives very detailed descriptions and corrections and so gracefully at that. For example one of the phrases for tucking our pelvis was " scoop your marbles". How cute!? I've completely changed my posture and picked up a new hobby so i will be continuing my ballet journey. The class cost 150 for 6 weeks so very affordable. There was a very diverse age range in my class, so please go , if you are thinking about it, it is never too late. Additionally, the ladies on the phone and front desk were always so pleasant. I took ballet , but i know Jazz and pointe are also available. Great place, beautiful environment, great community, social events, opportunities for adult performances ... what more can you ask for?! Thank you for a wonderful 6 weeks Anne! You're doing a really great thing here.

Came here to see Moulin Rouge. I won the tickets through opportunity to enter to win and got to go!…read moreI heard this was a must see show. Picked up my ticket at will call, which was easy. The venue is very nice. Spacious seats. Had plenty of leg room at 5'9. I don't know that there would be a bad seat. My tickets were in the top back right but I could see and hear very well. They do sell food and drinks. Parking was free and easy. Even exiting at the end was easy with staff helping guide everyone out of the parking lot.

This is a beautiful venue! This was our first time here and we were not disappointed! The entire…read morestaff we interacted with (the ticket scanner, the ushers and food service workers) were pleasant and helpful. The ingress and egress was well managed, with plenty of free parking. We don't think there is a bad seat in the house, albeit we were dead center and about 15 rows back for the show were there for. The acoustics were great, as were the mixers on audio and lights. We purchased a few food items and the prices were not hateful, compared to other venues we have been to. I will gladly return here for a show, notwithstanding the terrible drive (traffic-wise) that we endured. We learned a valuable lesson, to leave extra early to avoid rush hour traffic and plan a leisurely dinner nearby.

My two boys have taken music classes here for two years and love it. The teachers here are great…read moreand have helped them grow. My oldest is now in the band and it has helped he gain a lot of confidence. My youngest is playing the drums and it has helped his coordination in other areas of his life too. I highly recommend it!

Love School of Rock. I am an adult beginner. My instructor, Vince, is great. Patient and…read moretalented. Staff are accommodating with scheduling issues and everyone is very personable!

The Academy of Ballet Arts inspired my son to become a professional dancer, so I have spent many…read morehours there watching him take class. What I love about ABA is the way the teachers speak to the students. They encourage, correct, and praise in such a way as to give each child what he or she needs at that point in his/her dance education. The children love being there because of the camaraderie of the other kids and the family atmosphere. The older students take the younger ones under their wings, but don't substitute for the teachers. The performances are not stressed-out recitals but wonderful showings of what the students can now do. I would absolutely recommend this studio to parents who want a safe, caring experience for their children!!

The training I received at Academy of Ballet Arts was instrumental in my development as a dance…read moreartist. With the professional training, performance opportunities, and mentorship that is ever-present at ABA I was fully prepared to go on to a college conservatory majoring in dance, and to now be a professional dancer in NY. Thank you ABA.

I was impressed with Jaeb Theater at the Straz Center. I went to see Suzy Eddie Izzard there…read morerecently and enjoyed the intimacy of the theater. Being so close to the stage from our seats front and center allowed for this pure engagement as Izzard performed all 23 roles of Hamlet. The Jaeb Theater at the Straz has high ceilings in the lobby but it's fairly tight once it's full with people waiting to enter the theater. There is a corner reserved for refreshments and eats, with a limited spirit selection, beer, wine, and other non alcoholic products. Their cookies were wicked tasty with the white chocolate and macadamia nuts. The other side has two restrooms that fill up during intermission but there were ample stalls. The staff were friendly and ensured we made it to our seats, which were front and center. The experience was magical.

It's such a treat to be able to experience Broadway locally!…read more I celebrated Galentine's by seeing &Juliet with a group of 10. Patrick from group ticket sales was incredibly helpful in facilitating the ticket purchases. Everyone had an amazing time. Our seats were great and the spacing means heads in front of you don't block too much, even if you are short. I can't wait to come back!

Date of Visit: 11/08/2025 5:30pm…read more After some shopping at the mall the wife and I were wanting to grab a beer somewhere. As we were heading out the parking I mentioned CJ's across the street. We have never been there before but friends of ours do play there once in while. So that's where we headed. As others have stated there is plenty of parking, in the main lot and in back. We parked in the main lot. Walked inside an immediately notice this was a place for music. No bands were playing since it was early. Found a spot at the bar, may have been ten others sitting at the bar. There was only one bar tender working the bar and she was working it. She came and saw us right after sitting and got our drink orders. Not sure if we wanted to eat but we still looked over the menu. We decided to get some food. I noticed they do a smashburger and I am always up for a that. The wife has been watching what she eats and decided on the chicken strips. The food didn't take long to arrive and both looked very good. My burger was done right, double cheesesmash with LTO just the way I like it. I got fries with it as well and I must say these were some mighty good fries. My wife really liked her chicken strips too. They were not battered and not overly fried, still very moist on the inside. She has been trying to stay away from overly fried foods and these were not overly done. I believe she ate them all as well. Since it was early there were no seating issues like I have read from others. And if your a car person they do a last Sunday of the month breakfast buffet and car show in the morning. Looking forward to that. All I can say is give this place a try. May have to go in the evening and listen to some live music. Peace.

Miss the old Cj's on the island before it was torn down. I think we all miss it. This location is…read morekind of ok. Not great but worth going to. Really isnt the sale being off the beaxh. The music is ok sometimes here. The waiters and waitresses are always on point here perfect though I can say that much. Wont go here as much as the island but will still pop in once in awhile