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Arts + Entertainment | Reviews

Peter Van Wagner, John Rapson, Dayne Lee Palya, Suzanne Grodner and Zachary Prince star in Asolo Rep's production of Grand Horizons. (Photo courtesy of Cliff Roles)
    By
  • Marty Fugate
  • February 3, 2022
'Grand Horizons' meets great expectations

The Asolo Rep’s production of “Grand Horizons” is seriously funny. And, sometimes, just plain serious.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
A bar serves as the backdrop for Tim Finnegan's tale in "The Smuggler." (Courtesy photo: Dylan Jon Wade Cox)
    By
  • Marty Fugate
  • January 28, 2022
The road to hell is paved with eloquent rationalizations in 'The Smuggler' at Urbanite

Ronán Noone’s one-man play takes audiences on an entertaining ride on one immigrant's hell-bound train of snatch-and-grab.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
Alex Benito Rodriguez as George Gibbs and Caroline Mixon as Emily Webb in Asolo Rep's production of "Our Town." (Courtesy Photo: Cliff Roles)
    By
  • Marty Fugate
  • January 19, 2022
Surprisingly mystical 'Our Town' creates a sense of universality

“Our Town” explores the cycles of human life in a moving Asolo Rep production.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
Peter Raimondo and Zoya Martin in FSU Asolo Conservatory’s production of Belleville. (Photo: Frank Atura)
    By
  • Marty Fugate
  • January 10, 2022
'Belleville' brings out the ugly truth in two Americans in Paris

In The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training's latest production, a young couple’s life seems too good to be true. It is.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
    By
  • Spencer Fordin
  • January 4, 2022
An introduction from the Observer's new A+E Editor

Spencer Fordin, the Observer's new Arts + Entertainment editor, comes with two decades of experience in journalism but not much skill at all at singing and dancing.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
Victoria Hulland, Dierdre Miles Burger and Ricardo Rhodes in Sir Peter Wright's "Giselle." (Photo by Frank Atura)
    By
  • Sara Rachon
  • December 20, 2021
Sarasota Ballet's 'Giselle' delivers the drama

The dancers bring the story of tragedy alive in their performance of Sir Peter Wright's classic.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
Charnette Batey as Dionne and the cast of Asolo Rep's production of "Hair." (Photo by Cliff Roles)
    By
  • Marty Fugate
  • December 16, 2021
'Hair' today, gone tomorrow

'Hair' was a musical of its time. The Asolo Rep creative team reimagined it for our time.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
Marijana Dominis and Ricardo Graziano perform in Twyla Tharp's "Nine Sinatra Songs."
    By
  • Sara Rachon
  • November 22, 2021
Sarasota Ballet shines day and night

The second program of the season highlights two very different works.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
Michael Perrie Jr. plays Buddy Holly in FST's production.
    By
  • Marty Fugate
  • November 18, 2021
Remember When Rock Was Young?

The music lives in 'Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story' at Florida Studio Theatre.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
"Everybody" (Christian Douglass) tries to bring "Stuff" (Dreaa Baudy) on his journey in the Asolo Conservatory production.
    By
  • Marty Fugate
  • November 16, 2021
Dying on stage

'Everybody' explains life, death and everything in the FSU/Asolo Acting Conservatory’s imaginative production.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
Donovan Session and Shea Petersen bring Urbanite's "At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen" to life. (Photo by Dylan Jon Wade Cox)
    By
  • Marty Fugate
  • November 6, 2021
What a drag it is not getting old

'At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen' cracks the intersectional code of identity at Urbanite Theatre.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
Timothee Chalamet is Paul Atreides. Photo via HBO Max.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • October 22, 2021
Cringe Blog: "Dune" reminds you that fear is the mind-killer

Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi blockbuster is on "HBO Max" right now.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
James Badge Dale in "The Empty Man." Photo via HBO Max.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • October 14, 2021
Cringe Blog: "The Skeleton Key" and "The Empty Man" bring the atmospheric horror

"The Skeleton Key" is on Peacock, and "The Empty Man" is on HBO Max.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
Eili Harboe in "Thelma."
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • October 12, 2021
Cringe Blog: "Escape Room" is dumb fun, and "Thelma" provides held-breath mystery and thrills

Plus, the trailer for the next "Scream" movie drops.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
Hamish Linklater in "Midnight Mass." Photo via Netflix.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • October 1, 2021
Cringe Blog: "Midnight Mass" and "Malignant" usher in October

The 2021 spooky season starts on two different notes.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
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Latest in Arts + Entertainment

1
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  • December 3, 2025
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2
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3
Lijana Wallenda perches on a chair balanced on a shoulder bar carried by her brother Nik Wallenda and Paul Matthew Lopez in the "Wonderland: Believe" circus, which runs through Jan. 4 in a big top near the UTC Mall.
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4
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Sarasota Opera Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi and General Director Richard Russell.
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