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Arts + Entertainment | Reviews

Gregg Weiner, Glenn Obrero and Greg Watanabe star in The Great Leap. (Courtesy photo: Cliff Roles)
    By
  • Marty Fugate
  • February 24, 2022
Sports and politics intersect in Asolo Rep's 'The Great Leap'

The tragedy of history collides with the game of basketball during China’s Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989. There are no winners, just survivors.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Reviews
Gil Brady as Chris, Jacqueline Jarrold as Sandra, Freddie Lee Bennett as Trevor, Timothy C. Goodwin as Jonathan, and Jordan Ahnquist as Max in "The Play That Goes Wrong." (Photo courtesy of John Jones)
    By
  • Marty Fugate
  • February 17, 2022
FST shows it's all right to go wrong

“The Play That Goes Wrong” illustrates Murphy’s law on the Florida Studio Theatre stage.

  • 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
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Latest in Arts + Entertainment

1
Paul Nicholas and David Cantor star in "A Tailor Near Me" at Florida Studio Theatre through Feb. 15.
  • December 18, 2025
Florida Studio Theatre's 'A Tailor Near Me' stitches threads of friendship and art
2
Justin Gomlak helps bring big city glamour to the Sarasota stage in "A Very Broadway Christmas," which plays Monday, Dec. 22, at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
  • December 17, 2025
The Van Wezel wants you to have 'A Very Broadway Christmas'
3
Richard Thomas stars in "Mark Twain Tonight!" at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Dec. 19-20.
  • December 16, 2025
The best things to do in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat for Dec. 18-24
4
Trevor Stalcup and Jessica Assef star in George Balanchine's "Mozartiana," in Sarasota Ballet's Program Three, "Masters of Movement," which runs Dec. 19-20 at the Sarasota Opera.
  • December 16, 2025
Sarasota Ballet taps a Balanchine disciple to stage his final major work
5
Tree Fort Productions takes a recovery road trip, one classic car at a time
  • December 15, 2025
Tree Fort Productions takes a recovery road trip, one classic car at a time

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