- July 8, 2025
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How do you dig out historic buildings engulfed by 9 feet of sand?
By hand, mostly.
If it seems like hard work, it is, according to Dave Newman, operations and facilities manager of the Hermitage Artist Retreat on Manasota Key. The arts incubator was hit by both hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.
In addition to using professional contractors, the Hermitage was assisted in sand removal by neighbors, according to Andy Sandberg, CEO and artistic director.
“That expression about ‘neighbors helping neighbors’ in Florida really is true,” says Sandberg, who joined the Hermitage in 2019 after a career as a performer, director and producer on Broadway and London’s West End that’s not over yet.
By now, Sandberg, a native New Yorker, is an old Florida hand, having survived not just Helene and Milton, but Hurricane Ian, which struck in September 2022.
It turns out that it’s not just Sandberg and neighbors who want the Hermitage to survive. So do its patrons and fellows, as the artists who come for residencies at the idyllic beachfront sanctuary, are known.
Incorporated as a nonprofit in 2002, the Hermitage is on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of its buildings date back to 1907 and are quite storm-resilient, says Sandberg. He likens managing hurricane preparations and recovery to “directing a play, only it’s not as much fun.”
On a recent Friday afternoon, sitting on a screened porch overlooking the Gulf of Mexico in the Hermitage's Palm House, Sandberg was in high spirits. He had recently returned from not just one, but two reunions.
After making sure his visitor takes a seat facing the Gulf so they can enjoy the view, Sandberg excitedly relays the news that Sarasota actress Ann Morrison is joining the touring production of “Kimberly Akimbo,” whose music was written by Hermitage Fellow Jeanine Tesori.
Morrison will join “Kimberly Akimbo” in Cleveland after the close of Asolo Repertory Theatre’s production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” on June 29. She is playing King Herod in the rock opera.
“Annie is perfect for the role of Kimberly,” exudes Sandberg, who keeps a foot in the theater world himself. “Having known her for many years, I immediately thought of her when I saw the New York production.”
"Kimberly Akimbo" tells the story of a teenager with a rare genetic condition that causes her to age rapidly, requiring a player who can act youthful but who has a mature appearance.
But about those reunions: The first was at Yale, where Sandberg was a member of the Ivy League college’s famed Whiffenpoof singing group back in his university days. The second was a gathering in New York City of the Hermitage’s star-studded alumni ahead of the Tony Awards ceremony on June 8.
More than 200 Hermitage alums gathered at the Sanctuary Hotel’s Haven Rooftop on June 2 to toast the arts incubator’s national and international impact. Among those attending were Pulitzer Prize winners, Tony and Grammy Award winners, MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellows, National Book Award winners and others.
While Sandberg was up in New York, he found a plastic bottle of hand sanitizer in a restaurant with the Hermitage label on it. It’s a relic from the COVID-19 era, when the organization handed them out at events.
“Would you like one?” Sandberg asks.
In describing the Hermitage reunion, Sandberg makes a special plea: “Don’t call us a hidden gem. We’re one of the most important artistic organizations in Florida and in the country,” he says.
With his showbiz background, no one can accuse Sandberg of hiding his light or that of the Hermitage under a bushel. If anyone’s working overtime to make sure that Sarasota gets mentioned in the same breath as entertainment capitals New York, Los Angeles and London, it’s Sandberg.
But in addition to hosting glitzy parties, Sandberg’s job involves wrestling with hurricanes and making nice with Hermitage donors and neighbors. Besides pitching in with sand removal, those helpful folks hosted some Hermitage fellows who weren’t able to stay on the retreat’s campus because of hurricane cleanup.
Sarasota County is the Hermitage Artist Retreat’s landlord, but much of the cleanup costs have been borne by the Hermitage itself. Approximately $750,000 has been spent to date and another $250,000 in expenditures will be necessary to get the premises back in shape, Sandberg says.
Of course, when you’re dealing with historic structures, government regulations come into play. But that doesn’t preclude upgrades to the grounds and to the 2000-era Palm House.
After the Hermitage and its helpers removed tons of sand from its campus, Sandberg and Newman covered the path that runs from the Palm House to the nearby Whitney section of the retreat with small shells. The enclave is named for Alfred Whitney, who built a hurricane-proof house and a water collection system in the 1940s.
What was once a water-filled cement pool next to the Palm House is now empty and seems to be headed for removal, pending permits and approvals. But that’s the least of Sandberg’s worries.
He and Hermitage Managing Director Stacia Lee are preparing to host their first beachfront event since the hurricanes hit last year. The June 26 program will feature Daniel and Patrick Lazour, finalists for the 2024 Hermitage Greenfield Prize, and returning Hermitage Fellow Mark Sonnenblick.
In addition to a Hermitage residency, the Greenfield Prize comes with a $35,000 commission. It rotates between theater, music and visual arts.
Hermitage Fellows, whether they’re Greenfield Prize winners or not, are required to interact with the public. They often use community events as an opportunity to workshop new material. Local audiences appreciate the sneak peek of work heading to world-class stages.
If you’re not up to date on current theater news like Sandberg is, let us tell you that Sonnenblick is coming to Englewood after a West End collaboration with Elton John in “The Devil Wears Prada.”
Sonnenblick also appeared at a Hermitage event at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in January, where he gave audiences an in-depth look at how songs are written and woven into a narrative musical.
The Lazour Brothers recently received several nominations for their New York production of “We Live in Cairo.”
Welcoming the Lazour brothers back to the Hermitage Retreat is meaningful for Sandberg because the two brothers were the last artists to perform on the beach in 2024 before the hurricanes arrived. On the night of their show, Aug. 23, a storm mercifully passed by even though it looked as if the concert would be rained out.
In the weeks following the hurricanes, the Hermitage, like other arts organizations in Sarasota, had to cancel performances and scramble for venues. A Hermitage event that was moved to the roof of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe was ultimately canceled.
Not all Hermitage Fellows were up for dealing with a hurricane-ravaged community. One who was: Britton Smith, a Hermitage Greenfield Prize finalist. Smith headlined a program at Selby Gardens on Oct. 17, a little over a week after Milton hit.
Smith, a Tony Award winner and Hermitage Greenfield Prize finalist, is the bandleader for an alternative soul band called Britton and the Sting.
“I was so grateful to Britton and to Selby, which was in the midst of its own hurricane cleanup,” Sandberg says. “We didn’t know how many people would come, but it was packed.”
Another artist who wasn’t afraid to make the trip to Sarasota post-hurricanes was Claire Chase. The Hermitage Fellow presented a solo flute program called “Destiny of Density” on Dec. 5 at Selby Gardens’ Historic Spanish Point campus. “Claire is just wonderful,” Sandberg enthused.
For this year’s first beach performance, Sandberg is expecting a crowd. He encourages attendees to bring their own chairs.
As are all Hermitage performances, the June 26 program, “Key Change: Return to the Beach,” is just $5 with registration. What make it possible to host public events that are essentially free is the generosity of Hermitage donors. The Lazour Brothers residency was sponsored by Carol White Bold and Larry Bold, while Sonnenblick’s residency was sponsored by Jane and Bill Knapp.
Even though the Hermitage has plenty of beach chairs, it doesn’t have public restrooms. Sandberg advises attendees to “go before you go. It’s only a 60-minute program.” Bring any beverages you would like to consume during the concert.
Those traveling to Hermitage Beach should take the south bridge to Manasota Key, the Tom Adams Bridge, because of ongoing road repairs.
As the Hermitage restores its buildings and grounds, it’s also restocking its team. The organization is currently conducting a search for a development director and a programming director.
Arts organizations are notorious for asking a lot of their employees, and the Hermitage is no different. The old Navy slogan “It’s not just a job; it’s an adventure” could easily apply to Sandberg’s operation, which often calls for all hands on deck.
Come hurricane season, those hands may be hoisting sandbags or wielding shovels.
