Arts + Entertainment 11.27.25

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Here are eight ways to celebrate the holidays without losing your cool.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

“What a time to be alive!”

That expression is usually delivered in an ironic fashion, but it’s true nevertheless.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, mobile devices and instant delivery services, you can have almost anything you want in two hours or less — except perhaps compassion and world peace.

This makes the process of hunting and gathering holiday gifts less time-consuming. The horrors of Black Friday shopping, replete with dawn scrums to score doorbuster specials, are thankfully behind us.

But while we have mastered logistics, we still haven’t figured out how to control time. Even if shopping is a breeze, the 28 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year aren’t sufficient to see all the magical shows on offer. What’s more, the days are growing shorter. You don’t have to be an anthropologist to recognize that the lights on a menorah or a Christmas tree are a human defense mechanism against the longest night of the year at the Winter Solstice. Even the frenetic pace of the holidays seems designed to ward off darkness. But take a deep breath. You can relax because we’ve made a holiday sampler for you. Call it “Curated Christmas” or “Heavenly Holidays.” These eight shows produced by local cultural groups are sure to spark joy and keep the spirit of hope burning bright during the Yuletide season.

‘Oh, What Fun!’

When: Dec. 10-14

Where: Holley Hall in Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $48 and up Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Guest conductor Chelsea Gallo leads the Sarasota Orchestra in a holiday-themed concert in its Great Escapes series. Held in Holley Hall, these casual concerts don’t have intermissions, except on Saturdays, and start at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays so you can eat after the show. It’s a low-key way to get your classical music fix without all the muss and fuss. Come for the hassle-free experience; stay for holiday crowd pleasers, such as “Festive Sounds of Hanukkah,” “The Twelve Days of Christmas” with a local twist and movie music from “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Polar Express.”

SCD + YaYa Diamond and the Dream Chasers

When: Dec. 4-7

KEEP CALM MERRY ON AND

Where: Cook Theatre at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $25-$50 Info: Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance.org.

Sometimes you’re in the mood to go out during December, but you’d prefer to skip the familiar Christmas tunes and well-worn tales of holiday cheer. We’ve got just the ticket for you: Sarasota Contemporary Dance is collaborating with YaYa Diamond and the Dream Chasers for a funk-infused show that’s sure to get your feet tapping. You may even start dancing yourself in your chair. Get your groove back with this joyful kickoff to SCD’s 20th anniversary season, which honors founder and Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott.

Christmas Carol Trolley

When: Dec. 1-23

Where: Discover Sarasota Tours, 1826 Fourth St.

Tickets: $34.99-$58.99

Info: Visit DiscoverSarasotaTours.com.

Looking for a harmless way to get high? You’ll find it on Discover Sarasota Tours’ Christmas Carol Trolley. Scientific research has proven that singing releases endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers. But you don’t need science to know that hopping onboard an air-conditioned trolley with a band of fellow carolers and The Trolley Troubadours is a great way to have fun. Carolers are encouraged to dress up in festive outfits for this 75-minute tour on Dolly the Trolley. There are light beverages for the kids, wine and beer for adults and stocking stuffers galore in the Cottage Gift Shop. Best of all: free parking. Ho! Ho! Ho!

‘Lights in Bloom’

When: Dec. 6-23, 26-30 and Jan. 1-3, 2026

Where: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St.

Tickets: Early entry at 5:30 p.m. $44 for nonmembers; $39 for members; $24 for ages 5-17; free for 4 and younger. General admission at 6:30 p.m. $34 for nonmembers; $29 for members; $19 for ages 5-17; free for 4 and younger. Info: Visit Selby.org.

We don’t get snow in these parts, but it’s still possible to walk in a “Winter Wonderland.” There won’t be any sleigh bells at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens from Dec. 6 to Jan. 3, but there will be 3 million twinkling lights as “Lights in Bloom” celebrates its 22nd year. There’s a lot to celebrate: There weren’t any hurricanes this season, so Selby could focus on creating a dazzling holiday display overlooking Sarasota Bay rather than storm cleanup. If you’re worried about parking, purchase a voucher for $19 online while supplies last to park in the Morganroth Family Living Energy Access Facility, which looks like a parking garage from the outside. See the website for other parking options.

‘Joy and Wonder’

When: 4 p.m. Nov. 30

When: Dec. 3-19

Where: The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road.

Tickets: $45-71

Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.

If you didn’t see Peter Rothstein’s moving tribute to a littleknown chapter of World War I in its sold-out run last year, don’t miss it this year. Better yet, see it again. Rothstein, producing artistic director of Asolo Reper-

tory Theatre, based “All is Calm” on the true story of soldiers who put down their arms for one night to honor Christ’s birth. Their longing for peace comes to life through excerpts of letters and Christmas carols sung in English, French and German. This production is being staged in The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, a jewelbox venue whose interiors were rescued from a palace in Italy.

Ben Johnson, Riley McNutt, Andrew Wilkowske and Daniel Greco perform in Asolo Rep’s “All Is Calm” in 2024.

Where: Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets: $20-$55.

Info: Visit KeyChorale.org.

Since his arrival at Key Chorale in 2007, Artistic Director Joseph Caulkins has made a name for himself with innovative collaborations between the symphonic chorus and other arts groups. Some have become local traditions, such as the holiday celebration that pairs Key Chorale and the Sarasota Ballet Studio Company. This year’s show, “Joy and Wonder,” features Lithuanian soprano Lina Dambrauskaite, who will join the program for two medieval-inspired works. Other highlights of the show choreographed by Brittany Pollack and Maximiliano Iglesias are new holiday compositions by Jacob Narverud, Dan Forrest and Karl Jenkins.

Sailor Circus Holiday Show: ‘Winter’s Dream’

When: Dec. 26-29

Where: Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia Vista St. Tickets: $20-$40.

Info: Visit CircusArts.org.

‘A Christmas Carol’

When: Dec. 4-21

Where: Venice Theatre, Raymond Center, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice. Tickets: $30; youth $18. Info: Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

The holiday yarn that Charles Dickens knocked out in a hurry to stave off financial ruin has spawned many adaptations since its arrival in 1843. A version of “A Christmas Carol” with original book and lyrics by Sarasota educator, actor and director Scott Keys has become a local tradition. The Venice Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol” celebrates its 25th anniversary this year as veteran Brad Wages returns as Scrooge and newcomers take the stage for the first time. The adaptation features original music by Suzan Ott, and additional music by Keys, Jason Brenner and Eli Schildkraut. If you’re feeling as generous as Scrooge after receiving nocturnal visitations, consider making a donation to the Venice Theatre. It’s still rebuilding after its mainstage Jervey Theatre was damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022.

Superstar aerialist Nik Wallenda’s “Wonderland: Believe” circus may grab headlines, but it’s hard to beat the Sailor Circus Holiday Show for heart and hope. If you’re new to Sarasota, you might expect the Sailor Circus to feature a nautical theme. But you’d be wrong. Dubbed “The Greatest Little Show on Earth,” the Sailor Circus shares its name with the sports teams of Sarasota High School. Run by the nonprofit Circus Arts Conservatory, the Sailor Circus is the nation’s longestrunning youth circus, with 76 years of training to its credit. See young circus artists ages 6-18 demonstrate their acrobatic skills and gain confidence that leads to success in other arenas.

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Fixing the world one song at a time

Tom Lubben and Shawn Allison will perform at Benderson Park in a Hermitage Sunsets concert.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

The folk musician Woody Guthrie traveled the U.S. during the Great Depression with a guitar that had a sticker on it reading, “This machine kills Fascists.”

Pretty powerful stuff. But Tom Lubben’s favorite expression of Guthrie’s is: “A folk song is what’s wrong and how to fix it.”

The middle brother of the folksinging triplets The Lubben Brothers, Tom Lubben doesn’t endorse the lifestyle choices Guthrie made during his 55-year life, but he supports the idea that folk music can solve problems.

As Lubben sees it, a big problem right now is division between people. Folk music can help bridge that gap by establishing common ground, he says. With the backing of Key Chorale, Lubben was chosen as a fellow in a program developed by the Hermitage Artist Retreat for artists with ties to local arts groups.

Dubbed the Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative, the program gives

artists the opportunity to work on a project in a beachside bungalow in Englewood. Part of the fellowship includes performing for the community. Lubben is fulfilling his end of the bargain with a sunset concert at Nathan Benderson Park on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Hermitage Sunsets @ Benderson Park also includes Shawn Allison, a saxophonist and music professor at Florida Gulf Coast University who was sponsored for a Hermitage fellowship by the contemporary classical musical group ensembleNewSRQ, called enSRQ for short. The evening wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of the Koski family, notes Hermitage Artist Retreat CEO and Artistic Director Andy Sandberg. The Lubben Brothers have been performing with Key Chorale since 2022, not long after they graduated together from Palm Beach Atlantic University. Tom Lubben majored in English while his older brother Michael and his younger brother Joshua both majored in music composition.

Raised in Iowa and home-schooled by music-loving parents, who also hired music teachers for them, the Lubbens spent three years hunkered down in Minnesota’s Great North Woods before attending college. It was there that they developed their unique sound that some compare to the Lumineers. It also is where Tom Lubben befriended Bob Wenzel, a luthier (musical instrument craftsman) who introduced him to a violin named “The Magini.” That helped open the door for Lubben to start playing fiddle when he and his brothers perform in addition to his mainstay of the accordion.

In a telephone interview, Tom Lubben said he and his brothers ended up working with Key Chorale after

he cold emailed its artistic director, Joseph Caulkins. “I knew they did a lot of cross-genre collaborations, and I thought it would be great to work together. I didn’t hear back right away, but I almost fell off my chair one day when I saw his email saying he was interested.”

As the sun sets in Benderson Park, Lubben and six members of Key Chorale will perform three classic folk songs with arrangements that he developed during his stay at the Hermitage on Englewood Beach.

The three songs are Pete Seeger’s “If I Had a Hammer,” which became an anthem of the civil rights and anti-war movements in the 1960s, Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are AChangin’” and Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.”

In past collaborations with Key Chorale, The Lubben Brothers have performed multilayered songs by Crosby, Stills and Nash and explored the influence of American troubadours. But for a symphonic chorus such as Key Chorale with more than 100 members to perform songs originally written for banjo and harmonica, dense, new arrangements have to be written.

That’s how Tom Lubben spent his recent stint at the Hermitage Artist Retreat. “When I look at a song like ‘If I Had a Hammer,’ I don’t want to change it because it’s perfect. So I start with the melody and layer in choir harmonies. There’s lots of opportunities for call-and-response and to add contrapuntal elements,” Lubben says, sounding like the musician that he is.

Asked what the best things were about his time at the Hermitage, Lubben cites “uninterrupted stretches of time” and meeting his fellow Hermitage Fellow Allison. “I got twice as much done as I normally do,” he says.

Lubben won’t be performing it at Benderson Park, but he’s working on a medley of “900 Miles” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” that he’s excited about.

Today, Tom Lubben and his wife

Asked what the best things were about his time at the Hermitage, Lubben cites “uninterrupted stretches of time” and his fellow Hermitage Fellow Shawn Allison.

and brothers live outside Nashville, where they moved to gain more visibility in the music industry. But he feels at home in Sarasota because his wife is from here. Asked where they like to have breakfast, he replies without hesitation: “Yoder’s because they have head-sized cinnamon rolls.”

Lubben tries to eat vegan but late nights spent writing songs and rehearsing can lead to pizza runs at Five-Star Pizza.

“It’s a chain, but they’re open late and the pizza is really good,” he says.

THIS WEEK

FRIDAY

WONDERLAND CIRCUS: ‘BELIEVE’

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at LECOM Big Top at UTC, 195 University Town Center Drive

$35-$125

Visit WonderlandCircus.com.

Just in time for the holidays, deathdefying aerialist Nik Wallenda returns to University Town Center with his Wonderland Circus, featuring a new tent with plush seats, cupholders and lots of room between rows. Joining Wallenda will be his faithful sidekicks — daredevil clown Johnny Rockett and master of ceremonies Ty McFarlan — as well as new family friendly circus acts and immersive video to help deliver the message: “Believe!” Runs through Jan. 4.

ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN

7 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

$41-$82 Visit VanWezel.org.

Gary Mullen has been performing the hits of the iconic glam rock band Queen for more than two decades, along with his musical associates in the Works. They’ve taken their tribute band throughout the world, with tours in the U.K., U.S., Europe, South Africa and New Zealand. We can guarantee that Mullen and the Works will rock you.

‘LUCKY STIFF’

7 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.

$39-$59 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Based on the humorous murder mystery “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo,” Florida Studio Theatre’s “Lucky Stiff” tells the story of an English shoe salesman whose $6 million inheritance depends on passing off a recently embalmed body as his live uncle, who was murdered while on vacation in Monte Carlo. What could go wrong? Directed by Ben Liebert. Runs through Dec. 28.

‘RECIPE FOR THE HOLIDAY’

7:30 p.m. at Tree Fort Productions, Crossings at Siesta Key Mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail $25 Visit TreeFortProductionsProjects. com.

Don’t miss Tree Fort Productions founder Katherine Michelle Tanner’s Yuletide show, “Recipe for the Holiday,” which follows a radio show shrink dispensing much needed advice during a very stressful time of year. Runs through Dec. 14.

La Musica Chamber Music opens its 40th season in Sarasota with a rare, complete performance of all of J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. The concert will feature artists from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, of which La Musica Artistic Director Wu Han and her husband, David Finckel, are co-artistic directors.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3

Where: Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

Tickets: $80-$205

Info: Visit LaMusicaFestival.org.

‘COME FROM AWAY’

7:30 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $35 and up Visit AsoloRep.org.

When the U.S. shut down its airspace after the 9/11 attacks, thousands of inbound travelers wound up stranded in the small town

Gary Mullen and the Works come to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Friday, Nov. 29 for One Night of Queen.

of Gander, Canada. Newfoundland locals dubbed the travelers “Come From Aways” — and welcomed them with open arms. With its driving Celtic-rock rhythms and heartwrenching humor, this ensemble production by Asolo Repertory Theatre reminds us how trying times can bring out the best in people. Directed by Peter Rothstein. Runs through Dec. 28.

‘FEELING GOOD’

7:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $18-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

“Feeling Good” pays tribute to contemporary crooners like Michael Bublé and Bette Midler. A dynamic trio — Haley K. Clay, Andrew Leggieri and Russell Mernagh — makes its Florida Studio Theatre debut with such swingin’ hits as “Come Fly With Me,” “It Had to Be You” and “Me and Mrs. Jones.” Runs through Feb. 8.

LANGSTON HUGHES’ ‘BLACK NATIVITY’

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $54 adults; $24 students 25 and younger and active military Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe offers a Nativity story that blends gospel, blues, spiritual and Christmas music with the poetry of Langston Hughes. This is not just another Christmas show. Runs through Dec. 21.

‘THE AMISH PROJECT’

7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice $18-$38 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

Written by Jessica Dickey, “The Amish Project” explores the forgiveness expressed by the Amish community after an outsider opened fire in 2006 on a schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, shooting 10 girls. There are seven fictional characters in the play, which are sometimes played by one actress. This production is an ensemble project. Runs through Dec. 7.

‘THREE PIANOS’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $18-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Under Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, Florida Studio Theatre has grown into downtown music and theater campus with something for everyone. FST’s winter cabaret “Three Pianos” is an ode to superstars of the keyboard such as Ray Charles, Elton John and Alicia Keys. Runs through April 19.

SATURDAY

‘DECK THE HALLS’

10 a.m. at FST’s Keating Theatre

$12 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Celebrate the holidays in Florida style with palm trees decorated with twinkling lights, sand snowmen and Santa on a surfboard. The family friendly show returns this year with new sketches and songs. Runs Saturdays through Dec. 24.

THE ORCHID SHOW 2025

10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St. $30; $28 online Visit Selby.org.

This year’s Orchid Show explores the theme of survival and features an immersive art installation of preserved flowers by British contemporary artist Rebecca Louise Law in The Richard and Ellen Sandor Museum of Botany & the Arts. Law’s installation is juxtaposed with a vibrant display of live orchids and other plants in the living museum’s Display Conservatory. Runs through Dec. 7.

SUNDAY

DAVE KOZ & FRIENDS

CHRISTMAS TOUR

7 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $56 and up Visit VanWezel.org.

After a career spanning nearly three decades, platinum-selling saxophonist Dave Koz has made a lot of friends. Some of them are joining him for his 2025 Christmas tour. Celebrating the season with Koz are Jonathan Butler, Hailey Reinhart, Kayla Waters and Casey Abrams.

MONDAY

‘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.

OUR PICK

‘MONSTERS OF THE AMERICAN CINEMA’

In Christian St. Croix’s haunting play, Remy (Jon Gentry), a gay Black widower, bonds with his late husband’s straight, white teenage son Pup (Tyler Geva) over scary monster flicks until ghastly cinematic creatures seemingly escape the silver screen. Or are they monsters from within? Through Dec. 7.

IF YOU GO When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29

Where: Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. Tickets: $5-$44 Info: Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

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 holdings. For the first time, this collection has a permanent home in The Ringling’s Gallery 12 after a decadelong project to restore and display the treasures.

‘ART DECO: THE GOLDEN AGE OF ILLUSTRATION’

10 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free for museum members; $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

The Sarasota Art Museum celebrates the 100th anniversary of the exposition that kicked off the Art Deco movement. More than 100 eyecatching posters from the Crouse Collection, as well as industrial furniture, home furnishings and other objects loaned by the Wilsonian-Florida International University are on display. Through March 29, 2026.

TUESDAY

CANADIAN BRASS

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $36-$81 Visit SCASarasota.org.

Kick off the holiday season with a concert by Canadian Brass, a pioneer in audience engagement. There isn’t an audience with which Chuck Daellenbach and his band can’t connect. Daellenbach has gotten a little practice since helping found the band in Toronto in 1970.

The legendary tuba player is joined this year by Joe Burgstaller on trumpet, Jeff Nelson on French horn, Keith Dyrda on trombone and Misio Sasaki on trumpet. They’ll play holiday favorites as well as signature tunes such as “A Closer Walk With Thee,” the traditional closing number of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans.

Will the real Mark Twain please stand up?

Alan Kitty, a local actor who embodies the author, is launching a festival in Twain’s honor.

IF YOU GO THE SARASOTA MARK TWAIN FESTIVAL

Alan Kitty has spent more than four decades stepping into the white suit, wild hair and razorsharp wit of Mark Twain — not as an impersonator, but as a living conduit to America’s greatest humorist. His performances have taken him across the country, from classrooms to festivals. But it’s always the same mission — keep Twain’s voice speaking to the present. Now, Kitty brings that voice home to Sarasota with the first annual Mark Twain Festival at the historic Crocker Church in Pioneer Park.

Sponsored by the Mark Twain Society, it’s part celebration, part revival meeting and part literary time warp — all anchored by a performer who’s made Twain his life’s work. For some, the first event is an appetizer for the revival of “Mark Twain Tonight!” starring Richard Thomas that’s coming to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Dec. 19-20. What first drew you to Mark Twain — his voice, his biography, his world view or all of the above?

All of the above, eventually. But it really started when I was 8. I read “Tom Sawyer,” tied my “valuables” in a kerchief, put it on a stick and ran away from home. I didn’t get far. Hunger has a way of changing your plans when you’re 8. Later in life, in 1979, I wanted to turn professional as an actor. I admired Hal Holbrook’s “Mark Twain Tonight!” and decided I should have a show ready before I moved to New York City. If nothing else worked out, at least I’d have Twain. There were also coincidences. The year I read “Tom Sawyer,” my parents took me to New York. I fell in love with it! Twenty-two years later, I moved a half-block from a building where

When: Dec. 6-Feb. 1, 2026

Where: Historical Society of Sarasota, 1260 12th St.

Tickets: $5-$30; full season, $110

Info: Visit MarkTwainEducation.org.

Twain had lived. Those coincidences followed me my whole life. Eventually, I realized we shared a world view — we’re kindred souls.

Was there a moment you thought, “I need to play this man onstage?”

Yes, in 2007. A friend and I rowed the entire Erie Canal — 324 miles in 10 days. I was the oldest person to row it in a racing shell. Somewhere along that long row I realized, “It’s not enough to do what Twain has done. I need to become Mark Twain.”

Which parts of Twain’s personality resonate with you?

Humor — our senses of humor are very similar. I love his irony, and a little sitcom timing sneaks into my work. I also love Twain’s approach to speech. As a writer and dramaturg, I gravitate toward dialogue. I’ll often modernize Twain’s rhythms when I adapt him, so contemporary audiences can catch the jokes.

How do you physically and vocally prepare to become Twain? I assume it’s more than wild hair.

Yes, a bit more. (laughs) I study Twain’s character and dialects. He was a man from Missouri trying to sound like a Yankee, and his travels influenced his accent and rhythms. Twain was also a 20-cigar-a-day

man, so he had a gravelly voice — which I try to emulate. He loathed being thought a “country bumpkin,” which he was by birth, and he spent much of his life shedding that image. Twain wanted to mingle with the elite, dreamt of wealth and power, and even of finding treasure in caves. He was a self-made cosmopolitan with a rural origin. That tension shapes how I play him. Your performances are unscripted, right? Right. I don’t memorize a fixed script. I internalize Twain’s stories — especially from his “Autobiography” — and follow an arc that makes sense each night. Every show is different. It depends on where my mind goes and what the audience responds to.

What’s the toughest part of accurately capturing Twain? Finding his dialect — and finding the right balance between the younger, more rural Twain and the older, worldly Twain. His speech didn’t stay the same throughout his life. He definitely softened his

crats, Calvinists, atheists, Italians, Chinese, French ... Twain was an everyman. And he belongs to everyone.

What’s your favorite, lesserknown Twain piece?

“Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven.” It’s incomplete, written late in life and it contains one of my favorite Twain quotes — about Halley’s Comet. He was born the week the comet appeared and died the week it reappeared. He predicted the timing himself. It’s quintessential Twain — cosmic humor with a spiritual wink.

Has Sarasota become a significant part of your audience?

More and more, yes — especially as I prefer to travel less. Sarasota audiences tend to be older. They grew up reading Twain, who isn’t taught so much in Florida anymore.

After embodying Twain for decades, has your perception of him changed?

Yes. I’m constantly discovering new things. I’ve read a lot of academic analysis, and I disagree with much of it because scholars try to pin him down — and Twain refuses to be pinned. His opinions wandered because he was always informing and revising them. He’s hard to categorize — like nailing a blob of mercury.

What do you want audiences to take away from your performances?

dialect as he aged. And his public and private personas were also very different. When I mingle with audiences before a show, I’ll strike a middle ground between the public and private Twain.

Do you portray a specific era of Twain’s life or leapfrog across decades?

That depends on the evening. If I get into politics, I might draw from Twain’s time as a young Washington correspondent. If I’m talking technology, I might lean into the period when he wrote “A Connecticut Yankee.” My show draws from Twain’s entire autobiography, so the “era” shifts with the stories I tell.

What’s a major popular misconception about Mark Twain? It’s not so much a misconception as an oversimplification.

Which is?

The notion that you can fit Twain into any neat pigeonhole. You can’t! Twain was a Renaissance man — a universal man. That’s why everyone claims him: Republicans, Demo-

Our festival’s theme is determination, resilience and perseverance. Twain had all three — and needed them. Despite likely being bipolar, he worked constantly to become the best version of himself. I want audiences to ask themselves what it’ll take to become their best selves.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

A young student once came up to me after a show and said, “I never knew Mark Twain was funny.” That made my day.

What’s the favorite moment in your Twain travels? I once performed at a school in western Pennsylvania, near the Johnstown Flood site. Afterwards, we had a question session — and a girl raised her hand immediately. I expected enthusiasm. Instead, she asked, “Can we go now?” Later on, she returned to apologize to me. I asked, “Why?” She said, “Because my teacher told me to.” I told her she didn’t owe me an apology. It was one of the best questions I’d ever received because she’d followed her heart. She hugged me and handed me a card with “BFF — Best Friends Forever” written on it. That may be my favorite moment.

Honoring the best of humanity in the worst of times

Asolo Rep’s ‘Come From Away’ celebrates the heroes who kept their heads when their world turned upside down.

Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s “Come From Away” has landed on the Asolo Repertory Theatre stage. This musical dramatizes the real-life events of “Operation Yellow Ribbon” after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Death from above was now a ubiquitous possibility in the U.S. The Federal Aviation Administration responded by diverting dozens of incoming flights. Thirtyeight planes wound up in a huge airport in the tiny island town of Gander, Newfoundland.

The townsfolk had no advance warning. The 7,000 passengers were stuck inside their planes for hours. When they finally got off, they got the bad news. Then what?

If you’ve seen a play or a musical in your life, you know what to expect. The citizens of Gander will embrace the stranded passengers. (They do and it’s touching.)

But the show’s not just a series of warm-and-fuzzy Hallmark moments. It celebrates Gander’s radical empathy.

But it also faces the harsh, new, post-9/11 reality.

Aside from hugging, sharing and learning, the villagers and travelers are forced to improvise solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems.

What do they come up with?

The musical shows you. Along with character studies of the problem solvers.

“Come From Away” demonstrates Toynbee’s theory of “challenge and response.” It’s a story of grace under pressure. Actually, it’s many stories — with no main character. The musical

IF YOU GO

‘COME FROM AWAY’

When: Runs through Dec. 28

Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $37-$150

Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.

weaves their narratives together. The result defies any short, sharp summary. But here goes ...

The “Kevins” (Will Branner and Zummy Mohammed) are a gay couple whose bond starts to break in the crisis; Beverly Bass (Aléna Watters) is American Airlines’ first female captain. Flying is her first love — and terrorists turned planes into flying bombs. It breaks her heart.

Beulah (Diana DiMarzio) is a teacher who converts her school into a makeshift hostel. Janice (Sara Esty) is a rookie local TV reporter forced to cover a lifetime of news in five days. Claude (Aaron Kaburick) is Gander’s quietly heroic mayor — who’s suddenly responsible for 7,000 unexpected guests.

Hannah (Carla Woods) is a mother desperate to reach her firefighter son in New York City.

Ali (Mohammed) is a Muslim passenger who’s suddenly the scary Other.

Nick (Erick Pinnick) and Diane (Michelle Barber) are a British man and a Texan woman who find unexpected romance. Bonnie (E.J. Zimmerman) is an animal shelter worker who sneaks into the airplanes’ cargo holds to care for forgotten pets.

These aren’t the only characters. It’s a true ensemble production. There are no lead characters; the 12 actors play multiple roles. They’re all at the top of their game.

While passengers are grounded, the musical moves. Asolo Repertory Theatre Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein directs with a hard-charging velocity.

Just like the characters, you’re swept up in the mad events. While the characters might be confused, you aren’t. Rothstein always keeps the action clear.

Adam Koch’s multilayered set is a bravura display of inventive, imaginative world-building. Before the musical opens, it’s a working bar where Asolo Rep audience members can order a Canadian brew.

After that, it’s an airplane interior, a school, a bar — you name it. The rotating stage cleverly evokes the relentless churn of events.

Greg Emetaz’s projections add to the sensory overload with snippets of news media mania.

Angela Steiner’s music direction is an uplifting joy. She’s got great material to work with. The musical’s songs pulse with Celticfolk energy, ensemble drive and heartfelt intimacy.

Highlights include the propulsive “Welcome to the Rock,” the poignant “Me and the Sky” and the devastating yet hopeful “Prayer,”

an anthem of communal solidarity. A sizzling Celtic band fills the air with these songs. (Eight musicians; Steiner’s one of them.) They’re usually backstage, but stroll into sight every now and then.

Kelli Foster Warder’s kinetic choreography is adrenalinefueled and inventive. It’s dance as characterization. You can tell who the characters are by how they move.

Tracy Dorman’s mercurial costume changes are deceptively simple — a jacket swapped, a scarf added, a shirt reversed — but they allow actors to transform from townspeople to passengers in the blink of an eye.

That’s the flight crew behind this great show. It’s a trip well worth taking. And far more than empty entertainment.

“Come from Away” is a crowdpleaser. But it doesn’t pander. While they based their script on a true story, the musical’s creators didn’t have to stay true to that story. Sankoff and Hein might

have been tempted to airbrush out the harsh details of the post-9/11 world — the blood drops of pain, trauma and loss. They didn’t.

Not every character gets a happy ending; some of their worst fears come true. That’s the reality of those days. The script reflects it.

The musical acknowledges the terror, xenophobia, isolation and global fracture of 9/11. But it also insists that human beings can meet the challenge of a crisis — not with grand gestures, but with casseroles, spare bed linens, borrowed clothes and unasked-for kindness.

The terrorist attacks on 9/11 were a dose of bad medicine.

“Come From Away” isn’t a spoonful of sugar disguising the nasty taste. It celebrates the everyday heroes of that lousy day. It doesn’t ignore the pain of that day. The musical’s entertaining. But it’s also honest.

That’s the highest compliment I can give.

BLACK

26th annual

Fall Gala

With 450 enthusiastic guests piling into The Ora, the venue was electrified, energized and decked out in retro décor on Nov. 15 for Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s 26th annual fall gala.

The sensationally popular WBTT was thrilled to present “Hitsville USA,” which celebrates the music of that portmanteau familiar to most everyone: Motown.

More than a record label, Motown is revered as a genre of music that blends R&B, gospel, soul, jazz and pop. Its strong melodies and danceable arrangements make it popular, catchy and remembered by all generations since its founding in 1959.

As hits by stars such as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, The Supremes, Tammie Terrell, Stevie Wonder and others filled the ballroom, the energy was popping.

Performers included some of the WBTT’s most beloved artists, including Brian L. Boyd, Jazzmin Carson, Chris Eisenberg, Delores McKenzie, Raleigh Mosely II, Leon S. Pitts II, Maicy Powell, Sheldon Rhoden and Stephanie Zander.

Etienne “EJ” Porter led a live band as music director and drummer, with Alan Robinson on the piano, Brandon McCrea on the axe and keyboardist Zacchur Porter. WBTT honored Doris A. Johnson as its Heart & Soul Philanthropy honoree. An ardent supporter since attending her first summer show in 2012, Johnson is a subscriber as well as current board chair.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2025

Saturday, Nov. 15, at The Ora | Benefiting Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe

“Our fall gala has become one of the hottest tickets in town, and we are dedicated to making sure we keep the event vibrant, fun and meaningful each and every year,” said WBTT Executive Director Julie Leach. “We are thrilled to recognize Doris’s significant contributions to our success while supporting the mission and work of WBTT.”

Carolyn Anderson and Nancy Flanagan co-chaired the event.

— JANET COMBS

Sarasota Orchestra Brunch

How Safe Children Coalition Helps Families Reimagine The Future

When life unravels, finding hope can feel impossible. Yet, every day in Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties, families facing their hardest moments find someone standing beside them, someone who believes in their future, even when they can’t see it yet. That someone is Safe Children Coalition (SCC).

The organization’s theme for 2026, “Reimagining the Future,” reflects exactly what SCC does best: helping children and families in crisis see that a new chapter is still possible.

“Just because families find themselves involved in child welfare does not mean they can’t reimagine the outcome,” said Jacqueline House, SCC’s Vice President of Communications & Community Engagement. “That’s what our 300 staff members do every day, helping children rebuild.”

As the community-based care agency for Florida’s Circuit 12, SCC provides foster care, adoption, and prevention services for more than 10,000 children and families each year. Their mission reaches far beyond what government contracts fund. Private donations and community partnerships make it possible to go the extra mile, whether that means a safe place to sleep, a ride to counseling, or a mentor who won’t give up. And those “extras” can change everything. House recalls a mother who, after losing custody of her children, fought the system at every turn. “She was angry and didn’t trust anyone,” House said. “But over time, she realized that the only way to get her children back was to work with her case plan, and she did.” That same mother is now reunited with her children and is helping others walk the same difficult road she once faced.

Her story is one of hundreds SCC witnesses every year, stories of healing, courage, and the quiet power of second chances.

SCC has faced its own challenges, too. Hurricanes, staff shortages, and the

emotional toll of child welfare work have tested the organization’s resilience. With the help of a Barancik Foundation grant, SCC invested in trauma-informed training and innovative tools like the Predictive Index to strengthen recruitment, staff wellness, and long-term planning. “We’re building not just a workforce,” said Brena Slater, SCC President and CEO, “but a community of caregivers who are equipped and supported to do this important work.”

That commitment to care extends to SCC’s next major project, a new 9,000-squarefoot Youth Shelter, designed to give up to 200 children aged 10 to 17 each year a safe, welcoming place to stay when home isn’t an option. With Phase 1 of the $9 million Capital Campaign now complete, SCC is launching Phase 2 and inviting the community to help bring this vital resource to life.

“My goal for 2026 is to see the Youth Shelter move into its new space so it can help more kids,” said House. “This is a community project, built by local generosity for local children.”

Safe Children Coalition isn’t just another nonprofit. It’s part of the foundation of this region, a safety net woven by neighbors who believe that every child deserves a chance to thrive and every family deserves the opportunity to start over.

On Giving Tuesday, December 2, 2025, and every day of the year, you can help SCC continue reimagining the future for children and families right here at home. Donate online at sccfl.org/donate, or join as a sponsor for the 4th Annual Giving Breakfast on March 26, 2026.

PRESENTED BY DIAMOND SPONSOR

• Old Salty Dog

• Pascone’s Ristorante’

• Pesto

• Poppo’s Taqueria

• The Resort at Longboat Key Club

• Ringside at Cirque St. Armands

• Beachside

• Sara’s Italian Kitchen • Stonewood Grill & Tavern

• Tsunami Sushi

• Tyler’s Gourmet Ice Cream

• Ventura’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar

• Viento Kitchen at Zota Resort