- August 11, 2026
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Jazz Thursday at SAM
5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail
Free with museum admission of $20
Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Jazz Club of Sarasota presents the Ruffus 4tet on the Marcy and Michael Klein Plaza for Jazz Thursday at SAM. The evening features extended hours in the galleries, bistro and gift shop.
‘The Last Romance’
7 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.
$46
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Love is in the air this summer at Florida Studio Theatre. “The Last Romance” is one of the off season’s hottest tickets. Like the movie “Forrest Gump,” a lot of the action in this play takes place on a bench. Only this bench is in a dog park, not at a bus stop. If you’re looking for a nuanced look at late-in-life love, you’ve come to the right place. But sometimes last chances come with strings, or should we say “leashes,” attached to them. Runs through Aug. 16.
Strings Con Brio Summer Concert
7 p.m. at St. Andrew United Church of Christ, 6908 S. Beneva Road
$15
Visit StringsConBrio.org.
This evening of light orchestral music will be conducted by Strings Con Brio maestro Kenneth Bowermeister and will include patriotic and Americana standards such as “America the Beautiful” and “Shenandoah,” as well as songs from “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Pirates of the “Caribbean.”
The Sarasota Players New Play Festival: ‘Radical Honesty’
7 p.m. at Sarasota Players Black Box Studio, 1400 Blvd. of the Arts
$15
Visit ThePlayers.org.
The winner of the 2025 Sarasota Players New Play Festival, “Radical Honesty” follows a couple who invites an actress into their home. Over the course of the evening, social niceties are upended in this volatile drama written by Jeffrey Steiger. Runs through Aug. 16.
‘Into The Woods’
7:30 p.m. at Rise Above Performing Arts, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail
$22-$35
Visit RiseAboveArts.org.
Come see the fairy tale-driven favorite by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine performed by students at Rise Above Performing Arts’ new space in the Crossings at Siesta Key mall. Part of the youth theater company’s new look is a huge LED screen, which gives the production an immersive feel. Runs through Aug. 23.
Movie in the Park
7 p.m. at Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch
Free
Visit LakewoodRanch.com.
“Tangled,’’ Disney’s animated take on the classic story of Rapunzel is the featured movie this month for Movie in the Park, which begins at 7 p.m. at Waterside Place. Food and drinks will be available. Seating is first-come, first-served. Inflatables for the kids will be available at 7 p.m.
Classic Movies at the Opera House: ‘The Truman Show’
7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$12
Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
“The Truman Show” stars Jim Carrey as the star of a reality TV show who doesn’t know it.The 1998 movie was surprisingly prescient about the virtual worlds that envelop us today.Adding to the “meta” aspect of “The Truman Show” was the fact that it was filmed in Celebration, Florida, a planned community built by the Walt Disney Co. that “celebrates” suburban perfection.
Ronn McFarlane and Andrew McEvoy
7-11 p.m. at WSLR + Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court
Up to $27.
Visit WSLR.org.
Grammy-nominated lutenist Ronn McFarlane and renowned guitarist Andrew McEvoy are creating a new kind of sound. Both musicians blend together to create a sound said to be entirely of its own. McFarlane and McEvoy bring the sound experience of Renaissance Italy and England, all composed by McFarlane.
‘Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812’
7:30 p.m. Dingbat Theatre Project, 7288 S. Tamiami Trail
$19 and up
Visit DingbatTheatre.org.
Tolstoy fans may spot the references to “War and Peace” in the title of what is being billed as a “scandalous slice” of the Russian novel. As some Sarasota playgoers already know, Luke Manual’s Dingbat Theatre Project takes classic tales and puts its own iconoclastic spin on them. What “The Jellicle Ball” did for “Cats” is what Dingbat does for all its shows. Runs through Sept. 13.
Limelight Market
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave.
Free
Visit BazaarOnApricotAndLime.com.
On the third Saturday of each month, The Bazaar holds a pop-up Limelight Market. Visit guest vendors with local and handcrafted gifts and items, enjoy live music and food from Hamlet’s Eatery, and meet new furry friends looking for a home from Tenderheart Charities.
Sarasota Anime-Fest
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Robarts Arena, 3000 Ringling Blvd.
$20
Visit SarasotaFair.com.
Prepare your cosplay and wallets for an anime themed day. Guests can meet voice actors Adam Gibbs and Brian Mathis. Explore all the different anime vendor booths, including local Manga artists, Pokemon collectables and much more. Guests can participate in the Cosplay Contest and attend a Q&A Discussion Panel.
SCD In-Studio: Delores McKenzie
3 and 7 p.m. at Sarasota Contemporary Dance, 1400 Blvd. of the Arts
$20
Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance.org.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe favorite Delores McKenzie has been expanding her reach, performing at venues such as American Stage, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre and The Sarasota Players. In her one-woman show, “Hello, Gorgeous,” McKenzie pays tribute to Barbra Streisand with songs and storytelling.
Out of Bounds
7:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St.
$15-$18
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Florida Studio Theatre Improv presents "Out of Bounds," a smackdown between two teams of experienced improvisers who face off with games, skits and songs to win the audience's admiration. Runs Saturdays through Sept. 19.
HD at the Opera House: ‘Samson and Delilah'
1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$12-$20
Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
The biblical story makes its way to The Royal Opera and to the silver screen at the Sarasota Opera House. Richard Jones stages Camille Saint-Saëns’ sensuous opera at Covent Garden in London.
Sarasota Jewish Theatre Newish Jewish Play Reading
7:30 p.m. at The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail
$18
Visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.org.
If it’s summer in Sarasota, it’s time for new play festivals all over town. These festivals showcase new works selected from dozens and sometimes hundreds of entries. They have directors and feature talented local actors, but not costumes and sets. The winners of the festivals are often produced in future seasons. The first play of the Sarasota Jewish Theatre’s Newish Jewish Play Reading is Michael Schwartz’s “Punchline,” about a Holocaust survivor who creates a TV show featuring “funny” Nazis.
Jazz Happy Hour: Barbara Jordan Quintet
6 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St.
Free
Visit SarasotaMusicArchive.org.
The Sarasota Music Archive presents its final Jazz Happy Hour of the summer season. Join Barbara Jordan as she takes you on a musical journey of timeless classics. Originally from Montreal, Jordan performs locally and out of town. She has appeared with Vince Giordano in New York City, the Palm Court Cafe in New Orleans and with Les Rois du Foxtrot at Le Petit Journal in France.
