- December 5, 2025
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Steve White
7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.
$26
Visit McCurdysComedy.com.
How many comics can say Eddie Murphy gave them their first big break? Steve White can. Murphy cast White in his first film role, “Coming to America.” A former director’s assistant to Spike Lee, White appeared in several of Lee’s films, including “Mo’ Better Blues.” White has done stand-up on “Showtime at the Apollo” and has covered the NHL and MLB for Comedy Central. He’s had his own morning radio show in Las Vegas and has presented wealth-building seminars. White’s all over the map, but wherever he is, he makes audiences laugh. Through Aug. 30.
‘Big Sexy: The Fats Waller Revue’
7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. 1012 N. Orange Ave.,
$52; students under 25 and active military $22.
Visit WestcoastBlackTheatreTroupe.org.
Don’t let this summer cabaret show pass you by. “Big Sexy: The Fats Waller Revue” is not part of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s subscription series, but it’s got a lot of bang for the buck. The show tells how the life of Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller inspired WBTT leading man Leon S. Pitts II. With no less than 30 songs, it recalls the days of rent parties and speakeasies in Harlem and brings the eternal mating dance to life with the cat-and-mouse antics of Pitts and diva Ariel Blue. Through Sept. 7.
‘A Band Called Honalee’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 Palm Ave.
$39 and up
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
The subtitle to Florida Studio Theatre’s last cabaret show of the season is “A Tribute to Peter, Paul Mary… and Friends,” but any self-respecting folk rock fan can spot the play on words in the name “A Band Called Honalee.” ICYMI, it refers to the mythical land made famous by the children’s song “Puff the Magic Dragon.” The Band Called Honalee includes Brian Ott, a veteran of FST’s “59th Street Bridge." Also on stage are Michael Grieve, Geoffrey Neuman and Sigrid Wise. Through Oct. 26.
‘Too Darn Hot: Songs for a Summer Night’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St.
$39 and up
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Songstress Carole J. Bufford easily skips eras and genres in this showcase of stories and songs featuring the months June, July, August and September. Whether she’s singing songs made famous by Janis Joplin or Randy Newman, she leaves the audience with something they never knew before. What’s more, her cool costumes evoke everything from flappers of the 1920s to the neo-swing era of the 1990s. Through Sept. 14.
‘The Prince of Egypt’
7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W, Bradenton
$42.50
Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter.com.
Directed and choreographed by Rick Kerby,”The Prince of Egypt” brings the biblical tale of Moses to the stage. The musical, which comes from the creators of “Wicked,” includes such memorable songs as “When You Believe.” The Manatee Players production features musical direction by Daniel Lauritzson and Rebecca Dikranian. Through Aug. 31.
‘Don’t Dress for Dinner’
8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.
$42 and up
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Even the best laid plans for adultery can go awry, especially when a jealous wife sees an opportunity for a little hanky-panky of her own with her husband’s best friend. Written by Marc Camoletti (“Boeing-Boeing”) and Robin Howdon, “Don’t Dress for Dinner” is a high-speed farce sure to shake anyone out of their summer torpor. Runs through Sept. 7.
Classic Movies at the Opera House: ‘The Apartment’
7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$12
Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
The year was 1960 and the sexual revolution was about to burst forth, thanks to the advent of the Pill. But a boss (Fred MacMurray) who wants to cheat on his wife still has to lean on one of his underlings (Jack Lemmon) to find a pad for his assignations with yet another employee (Shirley MacLaine). Plenty of mishaps occur on the road to mischief in this Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment,” a hilarious portrayal of the Organization Man run amok.
‘Don’t Touch That Dial’
7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s, 140 Tampa Avenue W, Venice
$40
Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
By popular demand, Venice Theatre revives its tribute to TV theme songs, Roger Bean’s “Don’t Touch That Dial,” which uses a gameshow-within-a-gameshow format. If you’re the kind of person who remembers the opening song to “Hawaii Five-O,” this one’s for you. Runs through Sept. 14.
‘The High Life: Contemporary Photography and the Birds’
10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St.
$28; $23 online
Visit Selby.org.
Organized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, the exhibition features 70 breathtaking works of birds in a variety of locales, including the wild, the studio and the museum. The show is curated by William Ewing and Danaé Panchaud, the same team that brought "Flora Imaginaria" to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in 2022. The photos are displayed in the Museum of Botany & the Arts and throughout the gardens, where some appear right at home. Through Sept. 14.
Play Music on The Porch Day at The Bazaar
Noon to 3 p.m. at The Bazaar on Apricot and Lime, 821 Apricot Ave.
Free
Visit HamletsEatery.com.
The Bazaar joins the movement of Play Music on the Porch Day, which encourages people to go outside and play music on their porch. Every year, musicians in more than 70 countries and 1,000 cities participate.
‘Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration’
11 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail
Free for museum members; $20
Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
The Sarasota Art Museum celebrates the 100th anniversary of the exposition that kicked off the Art Deco movement. More than 100 eye-catching posters from the Crouse Collection as well as industrial furniture, home furnishings and other objects loaned by the Wilsonian-Florida International University are on display. Prohibition may have existed in the U.S. from 1920-1933, but in Europe Americans were living cheaply thanks to a favorable exchange rate and toasting the Jazz Age with alcoholic concoctions of all kinds. Don't miss the A.M. Cassandre triptych of posters for the aperitif Dubonnet. In addition to consumer products, there are posters for automobiles, train and ocean travel, as well as sports competitions that reflected a growing love of speed and luxury in spite of the Great Depression. Through March 29, 2026.
HD at the Opera House: ‘Starstruck’: Gene Kelly’s Love Letter to Ballet
1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Opera House
$20
Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
Calling all balletomanes! Winner of the 2022 Best Dance Film Award at the National Dance Awards, “Starstruck” transports audiences to Paris in 1960, when Hollywood star and choreographer Gene Kelly was invited to create an original work for the Paris Opera Ballet. In collaboration with Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, the Scottish Ballet’s artistic director Christopher Hampson revived the jazzy, joyful “Pas de Dieux,” with help from designer Lez Brotherston.
