- July 15, 2025
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Summer Circus Spectacular
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road
$20 adult, $13 child
Visit CircusArts.org.
Pack up the car with Grandpa and the kids and head for the Circus Arts Conservatory’s annual Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, a jewelbox venue that elevates any show. This thrilling, 60-minute circus of fresh new acts is perfect for people of all ages with short attention spans. There’s room for walkers, strollers, wheelchairs, you name it — but please arrive early so ushers can store them. Make it a circus day by adding a ticket to The Ringling’s famed Circus Museum for just $5 on the day of the show. Runs through Aug. 9.
Sights + Sounds
6 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch
Free
Visit LakewoodRanch.com.
The free Sights + Sounds concert series continues at Waterside Place with a performance by the Sarasota Concert Band. The concert will be a patriotic extravaganza featuring vocal soloist Kathryn Parks. Limited seating will be available, so bring a lawn chair.
Carl Rimi
7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Club, 1923 Ringling Blvd.
$26
Visit McCurdysComedy.com.
If you’re a comedy fan, you may be familiar with Carl Rimi, because he’s been doing standup for more than 30 years in comedy clubs across the country and on cruise ships. In 2013, Rimi began performing in front of the camera and in 2021, he made and starred in his first feature film, “iPossessed,” a horror movie written by a stand-up comic. His next platform is TV, where he will write, direct, produce and star in “Mid-Life College.”
‘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. Whether she’s singing songs by Ray Charles, whose ditty, “Sinner’s Prayer,” is featured in the film “Sinners,” Frank Sinatra or Patsy Cline, she exudes a retro vibe. What’s more, her cool costumes in “Too Darn Hot” evoke everything from flappers of the 1920s to the neo-swing era of the 1990s. Runs through Sept. 14.
‘How Sweet It Is’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.
$18-$42
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
As the mercury rises, locals know how to escape the heat — with Florida Studio Theatre’s Summer Cabaret. The series kicks off with a Motown tribute called “How Sweet It is.” Led by dynamic vocalist and songwriter Luke McMaster, an energetic trio demonstrates the enduring appeal of hits like “Tracks of My Tears,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” Runs through Aug. 3.
‘Dames at Sea’
8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.
$42 and up
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Fresh from his success with Florida Studio Theatre’s “Jersey Boys,” Ben Liebert directs and choreographs “Dames at Sea.” A parody of 1930s musicals, “Dames at Sea” first debuted Off-Off Broadway in 1966 starring Bernadette Peters. With the help of a sailor/songwriter Dick, Utah chorus girl Ruby lands a role in a musical that’s trying to find its footing. FST’s Ruby is Emily Ann Brooks, making her FST debut. Runs through July 13.
Star-Spangled Spectacular
6 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch
Free
Visit LakewoodRanch.com.
Lakewood Ranch is pulling out the stops for Independence Day this year with its first annual Star-Spangled Spectacular. A show by Circus Arts Conservatory at 8 p.m. and a drone show at 9 p.m. are the highlights of a special, free holiday event at Waterside Place. The festivities will include a carnival-inspired experience with circus acts, games, vendor booths, food and family-friendly fun that includes a Kids' Zone. A DJ will provide the musical entertainment. All parking is free, and a trolley will run continuously between Waterside Place and lots at The Out-of-Door Academy and Grace Community Church from 5:30-10 p.m.
Patti Smith: A Book of Days
10 a.m. at Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey
Included with $20 admission
Visit Selby.org.
Selby Gardens collaborates with poet and musician Patti Smith, its artist-in-residence, on an outdoor exhibition of large prints taken from her newly published bestseller, “A Book of Days.” By displaying her photographs outdoors, Selby brings them into conversation with nature. Runs through Aug. 31.
FST Improv: 'Freedom! The Musical'
7:30 p.m. FST’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St.
$15-$18
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Feeling patriotic but looking for a laugh? Florida Studio Theatre Improv explores "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Laughter" in this comedy musical with a promise to share an untold story of the American Revolution. A second performance is July 12.
'Lilian Blades: Through the Veil’
11 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College,1001 S. Tamiami Trail
Free for museum members; $20
Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Award-winning artist Lillian Blades invites visitors to get lost in her first solo museum exhibition at Sarasota Art Museum. Her installation of “veils” combine handcrafted and found objects to create a mesmerizing display. Blades attributes her use of dazzling color to her childhood in The Bahamas and her process of creating large-scale assemblages from a hodgepodge of materials to her late mother, an accomplished seamstress. Runs through Oct. 26.
