The best things to do in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat for May 21-27

Thursday, May 21

Art Opening
5 p.m. at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail
Free
Visit ArtSarasota.org.

Celebrate the opening of the latest exhibitions at Art Center Sarasota, where admission is free and works are for sale. The exhibitions include “Anja Palombo: Composed,” “Designing the Cultural Coast” (co-curated by Marty Hylton),“Cat Tesla: Living by the Water” and “Medium Mutiny,” juried by Ed Swan Jr. Complimentary valet parking available. Runs through July 31. 

‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’
7 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.
$42
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Created by Aaron Gundy, “Leaving on a Jet Plane” features an acoustic trio who take you on a flight to the feel-good era of folk music in the late 1960s and 1970s. Among the singer/songwriters whose works are featured in this upbeat show are Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Lovin’ Spoonful. To quote the Spoonful’s John Sebastian and Steve Boone, this show “didn’t have to be so nice;" we would have loved it anyway.

‘Confederates’
7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave.
$41 adults, $16 students 25 and under, active military
Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

Past and present collide as two stories of Black women fighting oppression unfold centuries apart in “Confederates,” Dominique Morisseau’s time-travel drama produced by Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe in its Howard Millman black box theater. Runs through May 24.

Photo by Adrian Van Stee

‘Fiddler On The Roof’
7:30 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail
$37-$99
Visit AsoloRep.org. 

At Asolo Repertory Theatre, what’s old is new again under Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein.  Director Rothstein breathes new life into “Fiddler on the Roof,” the feelgood musical set in a Russian village circa 1900 by bringing the music onstage and casting actor/musicians. Famous from both stage and screen, “Fiddler” follows the milkman Tevye’s efforts to find husbands for his daughters as he balances the traditions of the past and the opportunities of the present. Runs through May 24.

‘Marie and Rosetta’
7:30 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail
$65-$71
Visit AsoloRep.org.

Students of popular music know that Sister Rosetta Tharpe earned the nickname “the godmother of rock ‘n’ roll” for transforming gospel music with her fierce guitar playing. She also influenced the music of Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash and Jimi Hendrix. Asolo Repertory Theatre’s latest production captures the first rehearsal between Tharpe (Maiesha McQueen) and one of her acolytes, Marie Knight (Alexis J. Roston), as they prepare for a world tour. Directed by E. Faye Butler. Runs through May 31. 

Friday, May 22

Courtesy image

'Music for New Bodies'
7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$50
Visit EnSRQ.org.

Got a hankering for a modern, cutting-edge opera? “Music for New Bodies” is just the ticket for you. A co-production of contemporary classical music group ensembleNew SRQ and Artist Series Concerts, “Music for New Bodies” is making its Sarasota premiere after being presented in a handful of cities, including Houston, New York, Seattle and Aspen, Colorado. Its creators, Matthew Aucoin and Peter Sellars, are coming to Sarasota to participate in the culmination of ensembleNewSRQ’s 10th anniversary season and Artist Series’ Concerts’ 30th.

‘One Hit Wonders’
9 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s John C. Court Cabaret, 1265 First St.
$37-$42
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Is it better to have had just one song top the charts than to have none at all? You’ll have time to think about that question as you listen to such hit songs as Don McLean’s “American Pie,” a runaway hit that eclipsed nearly everything else in the troubadour’s career, and “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” from Bobby McFerrin. Created by Richard and Rebecca Hopkins, “One Hit Wonders” is directed by FST Associate Producer Catherine Randazzo with arrangements by Jim Prosser. Runs through June 21. 

Saturday, May 23

St. Armands Fine Art Festival
10 a.m. at St. Armands Circle Park, 1 St. Armands Circle.
Free
Visit SarasotaFL.gov.

Experience the visions and creative talents of artisans from across Florida and the United States in this outdoor gallery of original fine arts and crafts. 

‘Pippi Longstocking — The Musical’
2 p.m. at Tree Free Productions, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail
$25
Visit TreeFortProductionsProjects.com.

Tree Fort Productions founder Katherine Michelle Tanner creates her own musical inspired by Pippi Longstocking, the headstrong young heroine with red hair created by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren in the 1940s. Since her debut in print, Pippi has gone on to become a star of TV and movies around the world. This show features members of Tree Fort’s Youth Production Company. 

Photo by Salvatore Piccolo

‘Blockbusted’
7:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre's Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St.
$15-$18
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

What’s the best entertainment bargain in town? No, it’s not a movie ticket ($15.99 at the Regal Hollywood 11). It's not Netflix ($19.99 month for standard service). It’s the Saturday night performances of Florida Studio Theatre Improv, which top out at $18 a ticket. You’ll laugh so hard you cry at these ever-changing improv programs. “Blockbusted” takes audiences back to the days of the video store as fearless improvisers face off against each other in sketches powered by audience suggestions. It’s the perfect date night for young and old. Runs through May 30.

Monday, May 25

Memorial Day Parade
10 a.m. to noon at Main Street and Orange Avenue
Free
Visit SarasotaFL.gov. 

The city of Sarasota and the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee host this annual parade, for which this year's theme is “All Gave Some…Some Gave All.” The parade is followed by a ceremony at J.D. Hamel Park, 99 Bayfront Drive, which will feature guest speaker Charlie Halley, a U.S. Army veteran and media personality. The parade will include the Sarasota Military Academy band, local law enforcement agencies, first responders, color guards, veterans’ groups, community organizations and local dignitaries.

Ancient Art from Cyprus and the Mediterranean
10 a.m. at The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Road
Free with $30 admission; Mondays free
Visit Ringling.org.

In 1928, circus magnate John Ringling moved beyond collecting Baroque paintings with a major acquisition of more than 2,000 pieces of Cypriot art at the Anderson Galleries in New York, where the Metropolitan Museum was selling parts of its ancient art collection. For the first time, Ringling's treasures have a permanent home in Gallery 12 after a decadelong project.

Memorial Day Concert
5 p.m. at the Sarasota National Cemetery, 9810 State Road 72
Free
Visit LWRWindEnsemble.org. 

The Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Joe Martinez, presents “Memorial Day — In Their Memory.” The patriotic and free public observance will feature the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard and guest speakers. The program will include music such as “Semper Fidelis,” “God of Our Fathers,” “Hymn to the Fallen,” “Armed Forces Salute” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

Tuesday, May 26

Photo by Marty Fugate

Alexander Calder: The Nature of Movement
10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St.
$28
Visit Selby.org.

In this year’s Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is showcasing artist Alexander Calder and his abstract moving sculptures, dubbed “mobiles.” Calder’s interest in suspension provides a provocative pairing with Selby’s collection of epiphytes, or air plants. Runs through May 31.