- December 5, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
Summer Circus Spectacular
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road
$20 adult, $15 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. 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.
‘A Year With Frog and Toad’
7 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 555 N. Tamiami Trail
$15-$19
Visit AsoloRep.org.
Asolo Repertory Theatre rolls out a fun, family-oriented production that’s priced right. Most people taking a cursory glance at the title of the show assume it’s based on Kenneth Grahame’s classic tale, “Wind in the Willows,” but that is not the case. Adapted from Arnold Lobel’s beloved children’s stories, Robert and Willie Reale’s musical is structured as a series of vignettes that follow the friendship of Frog and Toad through the seasons. Runs through Aug. 3.
‘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. Runs through Sept. 14.
‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’
7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Pinkerton Theatre, 140 Tampa W., Venice
$37, $15 youth
Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
Brad Wages directs the Venice Theatre’s production of the Tony Award-winning musical about six lovable kids in a bid to win a highly competitive spelling bee. Wages choreographs while Michelle Kasanofsky is music director for the show, which is recommended for middle school students and older. Runs through Aug. 3.
‘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 “The Tracks of My Tears,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” Runs through Aug. 3.
‘Dorothy’s Dictionary’
8 p.m. at FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave.
$42 and up
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Alice M. Gatling stars as Dorothy, who introduces a troubled teen played by Ethan Jack Haberfield to the healing power of books. Directed by Kate Alexander, the tale explores memory, identity and how relationships can transform our lives. Runs through Aug. 10.
'Vice & Virtue'
10 a.m. at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail
Free
Visit ArtSarasota.org.
Art Center Sarasota is one of Sarasota’s best kept secrets, even though it’s about to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2026. Located in The Bay, the center offers free admission to its galleries, where the artwork on display is for sale. Its annual juried regional show, “Vice & Virtue,” features artists from across the Southeast tasked with exploring the dualities of the human condition. Runs through Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
John Wynn
6:30 and 8:50 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.
$26
Visit McCurdysComedy.com.
Do you like your stand-up with a dash of intellect? John Wynn’s the comedian for you. The former college professor was named Miami New Times Best Comedian. Other honors include first place in the World Series of Comedy and winner of the KLIQ comedy contest in Los Angeles. His comedy can be streamed on Hulu and heard on “Raw Dog Comedy” for Sirius XM radio. Runs through Aug. 3.
‘Cabaret’
7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130
$35; student $15
Visit ThePlayers.org.
Beat the summer doldrums with “Cabaret,” Kander and Ebb’s sexy, scintillating musical set in Weimar Germany. There’s lots of naughty fun and games to be had at the Kit Cat Club, but the men in uniform have a sinister agenda stashed up their Nazi sleeves. Director Brian Finnerty brings the tale of Sally Bowles and her fellow performers to a round stage.
Loomis Bros. Circus
7:30 p.m. at Robards Arena, 3000 Ringling Blvd.
$30 for adult admits two children free, each additional child $8
Visit LoomisCircus.com.
Ringmaster Justin Loomis presides over a thrilling three-ring circus designed to bring back the glory days of the bigtop. This year’s acts include “America’s Got Talent” competitors the Official Flyerz Boys, who bring a hiphop vibe to acrobatic derring-do, as well as Miss Natasha on trapeze, motorcycle daredevils, foot jugglers, the Loomis Bros. Band and animals of all kinds, including zebras, ponies, poodles and elephants. Get ready to salute the red, white and blue with a flag-waving tribute to America. Runs through Aug. 3.
'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 and curated by photography experts William Ewing and Danaé Panchaud, the exhibition features 70 works of birds by more than 50 photographers from around the world. The photos are displayed in the Museum of Botany & the Arts and outside in the gardens, where some of the birds look like they just flew in. Runs through Sept. 14.
‘A Tale of Duty and Valor’
7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$20.60-$41.20
Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
SaiNrityalaya School for Dance uses the Bharantanatyam dance form from Southern India to tell the tale of an exiled prince’s quest to rescue his wife from a demon monarch.
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.
Rauschenberg: A Centennial Celebration
10 a.m. at The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Road
Free with $25 admission; Mondays free
Visit Ringling.org.
The Ringling joins museums around the world in honoring the centenary of maverick artist Robert Rauschenberg, who burst onto the art scene in the mid-20th century with collages he called “combines.” The first American to win the grand prize at the Venice Biennale, Rauschenberg set the stage for the Pop Art movement. The exhibition includes works that The Ringling has in its collection, including pieces Rauschenberg created during his time on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Runs through Aug. 3.
'Lillian Blades: Through the Veil’
10 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 to her late mother, an accomplished seamstress. Runs through Oct. 26.
