Arts + Entertainment 3.13.25

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

TIME TO TAKE

The Sarasota Jazz Festival celebrates its 45th anniversary with an all-star lineup of musicians and vocalists.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

With so many arts organizations competing for stages, it takes flexibility and imagination to plan a season schedule or put on a festival in Sarasota. Throw in a pandemic or hurricane-related closures and the job gets even more challenging. But local arts organizations have gotten creative in recent years by moving events to theater balconies, churches and parks.

In 2023, the Sarasota Jazz Festival turned to Nathan Benderson Park and held outdoor concerts and latenight jam sessions. Some jazz fans digged the al fresco feel of shows; others, not so much.

For its 45th anniversary edition, which runs from March 17-22, the Sarasota Jazz Festival is back at the Municipal Auditorium, where it returned last year. Fortunately, the FEMA team has vacated the venue, which it occupied for two months in late 2024 for disaster recovery operations.

The festival has decided to skip outdoor performances entirely this year, according to Carlos Pagán, a board member of Jazz Club of Sarasota, which organizes the jazz festival each year. Pagán has been working closely with the club’s president, Nik Walker, and is acting as ombudsman for the festival.

A perusal of the history of the Sarasota Jazz Club, written by Nancy Roucher for its 40th anniversary, reveals that the Sarasota Jazz Festival is no stranger to improvisation when it comes to venues.

In 1999, when the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall was closed for renovation, the festival moved its concerts to the Sarasota Opera House and a circus tent. That year’s fest built on a circus theme by having headliner Dick Hyman, a jazz pianist and composer, play a calliope that was loaned by the Ringling

IF YOU GO

MONDAY, MARCH 17

MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT THE CABARET WITH JEREMY CARTER BAND Where: Florida Studio Theatre’s Court Cabaret Tickets: $34-$39

TUESDAY, MARCH 18

JAZZ TROLLEY/PUB CRAWL When & Where: 5:30 p.m. Downtown Sarasota Tickets: $25

THURSDAY, MARCH 20

EMMET COHEN TRIO WITH GABRIELLE CAVASSA AND TERRELL STAFFORD Opening Act: Gustav Viehmeyer Trio with Joscho Stephan When & Where: 7 p.m. at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium Tickets: $60-$150

FRIDAY, MARCH 21

TONY MONACO AND ERIC ALEXANDER WITH SPECIAL GUESTS JAMES SUGGS AND PAUL GAVIN Opening Act: MJR Latin Project led by Mauricio J. Rodriguez When & Where: 7 p.m. at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium Tickets: $60-$150

SATURDAY, MARCH 22

MARCUS MILLER

Opening Act: Thomas Carabasi Quintet When & Where: 7 p.m. at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium Tickets: $130-$150 For information for all events: Visit SarasotaJazzFestival. com.

Museum’s circus collection.

In advertising its dates for this year’s Jazz Festival, the jazz club included its March 17 Monday Night at the Cabaret program at Florida Studio Theatre’s Court Cabaret, in the festival lineup.

Monday Night at the Cabaret is part of the weekly schedule organized by Jazz Club of Sarasota during a longer and longer season. The club’s weekly schedule also includes Jazz @ 2 on Friday afternoons at Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota and the monthly Thursday Night Jazz outdoor concerts at Sarasota Art Museum’s Marcy and Michael Klein Plaza.

These weekly events showcase a plethora of local jazz musicians and sometimes feature performers from Tampa.

Jazz lovers certainly aren’t starved for entertainment during season, thanks to the efforts of the Jazz Club of Sarasota, which has about 1,500 members, says Pagán.

BRINGING IN BIG NAMES

FROM OUT OF TOWN

But the difference between a regular week of jazz during season and the dates of the Sarasota Jazz Festival?

The headliners come from out of town and represent some of the biggest names in the business.

It’s not only the performers who visit Sarasota for the jazz festival. The event has become a draw for tourists from all over the country. They come to enjoy all kinds of jazz, from straight-ahead jazz to swing, bebop, blues, Latin and smooth jazz. Making the trip even more appealing to some is the parallel programming of Baltimore Orioles spring training at Ed Smith Stadium. Like other arts groups that draw tourists to the area, the Sarasota Jazz Festival receives support from Sarasota County’s Tourist Development Tax.

The crowds coming to the Municipal Auditorium during March for the Sarasota Jazz Festival are a far cry from the intimate gatherings in the early days of the Jazz Club of Sarasota, when retirees Hal and Evelyn Davis welcomed friends and fans to their living room to listen to jazz.

A retired PR and marketing executive who had managed big band lead-

er Benny Goodman’s tours around the globe, Hal Davis is given credit for founding the Jazz Club of Sarasota after noticing a gap in cultural options that included orchestra, opera and theater but not jazz.

The group eventually outgrew the Davis living room and moved to a condo complex’s meeting room and then a bank’s community room before producing its first concert in a public venue. That took place in 1980, when the Jazz Club of Sarasota hosted guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and his then-16-year-old son, John, for a concert at Holley Hall.

After formalizing its existence and naming Hal Davis as its first president, the club later opened an office at the Sarasota Opera. This was before technology facilitated the sale of tickets and the solicitation of donations online.

Over the years, the club’s board has realized it’s not enough to be a focus for jazz aficionados, who are often retirees; it must spread the gospel of jazz among younger generations, as well.

Last year’s concert combo of jazz prodigy and saxophonist Grace Kelly and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon brought down the house and attracted some younger faces to the Municipal Auditorium, no doubt helped by educational outreach by Kelly at Booker High School’s Visual and Performing Arts program.

Pagán sees promoting jazz appreciation among the younger members of the Sarasota community as one of the main missions of the Jazz Club of Sarasota.

“Jazz is America’s original art form, but it is no longer the most popular American music. We are in the business of promoting the evolving nature of jazz and bringing younger people back to jazz,” he said during a telephone interview.

During its 45-year history, the Jazz Club of Sarasota has awarded $500,000 worth of scholarships to promising young musicians, he notes.

Under its past president, Ed Linehan, the Jazz Club of Sarasota increased the ranks of its membership from a low of about 500 members in 2018 to about 1,500 now. The high point was about 3,000 members in the 1990s.

When it comes to star power, this year’s Sarasota Jazz Festival prom-

ises not to disappoint. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a few days in sunny Sarasota during March? Not many artists would turn down that invitation.

The 2025 Sarasota Jazz Festival is programmed, as it has been in recent years, by Terell Stafford, a professional trumpet player and director of Jazz Studies at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Stafford also programs and performs at the long-running Village Vanguard, a bastion of jazz in New York City’s Greenwich Village.

Stafford will join the Emmet Cohen Trio during the opening night concert on Thursday, March 20, which will also feature Gabrielle Cavassa, who may be the only female headliner on this year’s schedule. (It’s possible some of the featured bands are bringing women musicians.)

Although the Jazz Club of Sarasota is excited about all the performers at the 2025 jazz festival, Pagán points to the concert by Marcus Miller as a “big finish.” Miller, who played the 2023 edition of the jazz fest, is back this year by popular demand, Pagán says.

“Marcus is a bassist, but he’s a great songwriter, record producer and band leader in his own right,” he says.

Earlier in his career, Miller was a producer for the late R&B crossover singer Luther Vandross. Miller’s also worked with Wayne Shorter and David Sanborn. “He’s a funky jazz player and one of those band leaders that seeks out promising talent,” Pagán says.

Pagán is also jazzed about the Friday mainstage concert featuring Tony Monaco, a virtuoso on the Hammond B-3 Organ who has become an internet star through his instructional videos.

“He’s a real wild man on the keyboards,” he says. Bring it on!

“She

‘Anne Frank’s Tree’ grows in Sarasota

Chamber Orchestra of Sarasota will perform the Florida premiere of Victoria Bond’s 2023 composition.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Many people are aware that Anne Frank’s words survived her death at the hands of the Nazis, but how many know that her spirit — and her beloved chestnut tree — live on in music?

On Thursday, March 20, the Chamber Orchestra of Sarasota will present the Florida premiere of “Anne Frank’s Tree.” First composed for the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra by Victoria Bond, the work includes music and words from “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

As many schoolchildren have learned, Frank began writing her diary on her 13th birthday on June 12, 1942, while in hiding with her family in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. She continued to confide in a mythical friend she called “Kitty” until August 1944, when her diary ends. Frank, who was Jewish, died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, presumably from the typhus epidemic that engulfed the camp.

After her death, her father, Otto Frank, had her diary published in 1947. Sprinkled between girlish observations are profound expressions of hope and courage that have made the diary a must-read.

To date, more than 30 million copies of “The Diary of Anne Frank” have been sold, and it has been translated into at least 70 languages. The diary has also inspired a movie and a play.

In her diary, Frank brings to life the seven other people who hid in a secret annex behind a warehouse and the six people who helped them during captivity.

Perhaps the most famous quote

IF YOU GO

‘ANNE FRANK’S TREE’

When: 7:30 p.m. on March 20

Where: First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak St.

Tickets: $42; $5 students.

Info: Visit ChamberOrchestra Sarasota.org.

of Frank’s, considering the circumstances under which she died, is “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

The quote from Anne Frank’s diary that speaks to Robert Vodnoy, music director of the Chamber Orchestra of Sarasota, is, “I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death!”

Vodnoy, a former professor of strings and music history at Northern State University in South Dakota who co-founded the Chamber Orchestra of Sarasota in 2017, got the idea of presenting “Anne Frank’s Tree” in Sarasota from his friend, Pieter Kohnstam.

A board member of the Anne Frank Foundation who knew Frank, Kohnstam is a member of the Jewish Congregation of Venice, where Vodnoy worships.

“I’ve known Pieter since we moved four or five years ago,” Vodnoy recalled in a telephone interview. “We were exploring ways we could work on a project. He was very encouraging.”

Kohnstam and wife, Susan, were among the first sponsors to help fund the performance of “Anne Frank’s Tree.” They were joined by several other benefactors, including Judy and Lowell Seyburn, B. Aline Blanchard and Arthur Siciliano and Leigh and Harvey Cohen, to name just a few.

Other contributions came from The Exchange Foundation, Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and the Raymund Foundation. The

performance was also paid for in part by the Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax.

One reason there has been so much interest lately in the chestnut tree that sustained Frank while she was in hiding was that it died in 2010 because of fungus and high winds. Before then, grafts were taken from the beloved tree and sent all around the world to grow saplings.

One of those places where an offspring of Anne Frank’s tree is thriving is the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. That sapling inspired the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra to commission Bond’s work, which premiered in January 2024.

The first woman awarded a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the Juilliard School in New York City, Bond is artistic director of the Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival. She has received commissions from the American Ballet Theater, Jacob’s Pillow and the Houston and Shanghai orchestras, among others.

Bond first read “The Diary of Anne Frank” as a teenager, and it has stayed with her ever since. “I was struck by the important role the tree that grew

outside Anne’s window played in her emotional life — it represented nature, beauty, freedom and hope,” she says.

On Feb. 23, 1944, Frank wrote in her diary, “Nearly every morning I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs. From my favorite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind.”

In another entry, she asks, “As long as this exists, how can I be sad?”

The narrator in Bond’s composition “Anne Frank’s Tree” will be Alexa Scharf, a Booker High School senior.

“I auditioned for ‘Anne Frank’s Tree’ because it felt like a great chance to dive into a complex character and really challenge myself,” Scharf says. “The whole experience has been really rewarding. It’s pushed me both as an actor and as a person, helping me grow in ways I didn’t expect.”

Also on the Chamber Orchestra’s program for its March 20 concert are

On Feb. 23, 1944, Frank wrote in her diary, “Nearly every morning, I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs. From my favorite spot on the floor, I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind.”

works by Erich Korngold and Felix Mendelssohn, both of whom were banned during the Third Reich. Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor will feature violin virtuoso George Maxman, who completed his study in violin performance at the Moscow Conservatory. Maxman’s wide-ranging career has included such positions as Artist in Residence at the University of Sydney, concert violinist and teacher in Shanghai, and acting assistant concertmaster of the Houston Symphony.

THURSDAY

HISTORY UNCOVERED SERIES:

THE MIND OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

10 a.m. at The Ora, 578 McIntosh Road

$49-$125

Visit YourObserver.com.

Rutgers University’s superstar historian Louis Masur explores how Abraham Lincoln’s legacy shaped the nation and continues to inspire generations today.

HORNS OF PLENTY

11 a.m. at Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd.

$70

Visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org.

Artists Series Concerts presents Sarasota Orchestra’s co-principal horn, Hugo Bliss, and Milwaukee Symphony hornist Scott Sanders, whose career began in Sarasota. Together with Choral Artists of Sarasota Artistic Director Joseph Holt on piano, they pay tribute to the horn with a program that includes Beethoven’s sextet for two horns and string quartet. Plus there’s lunch!

‘DANCE MAKERS’

7 p.m. at Jane B. Cook Theater, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail

$20-$50

Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.

Sarasota Contemporary Dance presents “Dance Makers,” a program including “Hope Horizon,” by Kristin O’Neal and Gregory Catellier. It’s followed by “Raze” by Rosanna Tavarez and “Labyrinth” by Bliss Kohlmyer. The program ends with “Te-Time,” by Tania Vergara Perez. Runs through March 16.

THIS WEEK

‘THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO’

7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$34-$157

Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

Which is the better opera about Figaro — Rossini’s mirthful “The Barber of Seville” or Mozart’s masterpiece,”The Marriage of Figaro?” Decide for yourself during the Sarasota Opera’s 2025 Winter Festival, which features both. In “Barber,” Figaro helps his master, Count Almaviva, win the hand of Rosina through disguise and trickery. In “Marriage,” the Count begins to covet Figaro’s betrothed. But when he tries to bed her ahead of Figaro, he makes a surprising discovery. Runs through March 28.

OUR PICK

ITZHAK PERLMAN IN RECITAL

Is there a more beloved violin virtuoso in the world than Itzhak Perlman? Not in Sarasota. Perlman is well-known to local audiences because through the Perlman Music Program Suncoast, which brings young musicians and free music performances to town each January. In this performance, classical music’s most prominent advocate is joined by his longtime recital partner Rohan De Silva for an unforgettable night of music.

IF YOU GO

When: 7 p.m. Sunday, March 16

Where: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $70-$125 Info: Visit VanWezel.org.

GREAT ESCAPES: A MUSICAL COMEDY

7:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail

$47-$63

Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Directed by Tamara Dworetz, this Great Escapes program by the Sarasota Orchestra hits a high note with humor. Leroy Anderson’s “The Typewriter” recasts the 20th-century office staple as a solo instrument. Also on the bill are the Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra from the Indiana Jones film franchise and music from “La Cage aux Folles” and “The Producers.”

ZZ TOP: THE ELEVATION TOUR

7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

$73-$160

Visit VanWezel.org.

Everybody’s crazy ’bout a sharpdressed man, and they’re still crazy for ZZ Top after all these years. After the death of bassist Dusty Hill in 2021, Elwood Francis joined the band, whose members include Billy Gibbons on guitar and Frank Beard on drums. Formed in Houston in 1969, these Rock & Roll Hall of Famers continue to entertain audiences with their love of fast licks, fast cars and fast women while sporting their trademark beards.

‘FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE’

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $22-$52

Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

“Five Guys” tells the story of Nomax, who is down on his luck because his girlfriend has left him and he’s broke. Suddenly, five guys step out of a 1930s-style radio to give him encouragement. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s musical tribute to R&B pioneer Louis Jordan promises to delight audiences not only with Jordan’s music, but with lively dance numbers. Runs through April 6.

‘FUN HOME’

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Unit 1130 $34 Visit ThePlayers.org.

The Sarasota Players presents the Tony Award-winning musical “Fun Home,” based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel with music by Janine Tesori. The coming-of-age tale gets its title from a shortened version of the Bechdel Funeral Home, the family business that is the setting for the tale. Runs through March 16.

FRIDAY

‘THE BABY LAURENCE LEGACY PROJECT’

11 a.m. at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road

$30-$40 Visit Ringling.org.

The Ringling Art of Performance presents a program that celebrates Donald “Baby” Laurence, a Baltimore artist whose influence on tap and jazz has been largely overlooked by modern audiences. Runs through March 17.

Chasm: Governing

GLOBAL ISSUES I

GLOBAL ISSUES II

‘THESE SHINING LIVES’

7:30 p.m. at The Crossings at Siesta

Key Mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail

$40 Visit TreeFortProductions.com.

Tree Fort Productions presents “These Shining Lives,” the true story of Catherine Donohue, a worker at the Radium Dial Co. in Ottawa, Illinois, whose employees were poisoned by radium. Runs through March 16.

ROY BOOK BINDER

8 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court

$30 Visit WSLR.org.

When blues guitarist Roy Book Binder comes to town, a one-man blues festival begins. Binder’s street cred is unparalleled: He’s toured with Hot Tuna, JJ Cale and Bonnie Raitt, he teaches at Fur Peace Ranch along with Jorma Kaukonen and has been featured on a PBS special.

JAY LENO WITH SPECIAL GUEST

ARSENIO HALL

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

$85-$130

Visit VanWezel.org.

Two superstars of late-night TV come together on the same stage at Sarasota’s beloved Purple Palace, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center.

SATURDAY

LOS ANGELES GUITAR QUARTET

7:30 p.m. at Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way

$48-$68 Visit GuitarSarasota.org.

Guitar Sarasota presents the Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. Made up of John Dearman, Douglas Lora, Bill Kanengiser and Matt Greif, LAGQ plays programs ranging from bluegrass to Bach.

‘STIFFELIO’

7:30 at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$34-$157

Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

Verdi’s“Stiffelio” tells the tale of a Protestant minister torn between the Christian forgiveness he preaches and his desire for revenge after he discovers his wife’s infidelity. Runs through March 30.

‘LIFE’S A BEACH’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Bowne’s Lab Theatre, 1265 First St.

$15-$18

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Florida Studio Theatre’s Improv Troupe performances are a surefire way to have fun without breaking the bank. Whether you’re a snowbird or a local, arrive with a good sense of humor, because the cast uses audience suggestions to poke fun at roundabouts and other local traditions. Weekends through March 22.

SUNDAY

TRIBUTE TO SINATRA AND BASIE

3 p.m. at Northminster Presbyterian Church, 3131 61st St. $5 Visit SuncoastConcertBand.org.

DON’T MISS

‘LOST IN YONKERS’ BY NEIL SIMON

Neil Simon’s heartwarming play about family dynamics and the healing power of love is directed by Sarasota Jewish Theatre Artistic Director Carole Kleinberg. The cast features several of Sarasota’s favorite actors, including Carolyn Michel as Grandma Kurnitz, Michael Raver as Louie Kurnitz, Scott Ehrenpreis as Eddie and Jill Schroder as Gert, to name just a few. Runs through March 30.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19

Where: The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Unit 1130

Tickets: $30-$42 Info: Visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.com.

The Suncoast Jazz Ambassadors perform a musical ode to Ole Blue Eyes and the Count. Call 941-9074123 to check on ticket availability and please be sure to dial the right number.

MONDAY

‘CRITICAL MOMENTS’

7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 1031 S. Euclid Ave. $30 Visit EnSRQ.org.

Contemporary classical music group ensembleNewSRQ presents “Critical Moments,” a program highlighting George Perle’s sextet of the same name along with string and wind compositions of Carolyn Chen and Kenji Bunch. The evening also features the world premiere of “Rota Fortunae,” a newly commissioned work by Paul Mortilla for enSRQ, whose co-founder Samantha Bennett takes center stage in Marcos Balter’s “Violin Concerto.”

TUESDAY

‘MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL’

7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

$50-$185 Visit VanWezel.org.

Not every theatrical adaptation of a hit film is a success, but “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” swept audiences off their feet — and the Tony Awards. The story told by the eye-popping Baz Luhrmann film set in Belle Epoque Paris remains the same — boy meets wrong girl. Can love bloom between a chorine at the world-famous nightclub in Montmartre and a bohemian poet? Yes, it can-can. But like flowers, some romances can only last a season. Runs through March 23.

WEDNESDAY

‘CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA/ PAGLIACCI’

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$39-$162 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

The Sarasota Opera’s 2025 Winter Festival features the double bill of “Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci,” an adulterous duo staged together so often that they are known as “Cav” and “Pag,” for short. “Cav” takes place on an Easter Morning in a small village in Italy, while “Pag” is a play within a play and is the mother of all sad clown stories. Runs through March 29.

WBTT Westcoast Black Theater Tickets available at WBTT Box Office WED. MARCH 26 | 7:30 PM

EATING WITH EMMA

Wok this way: The best Chinese takeout in town

These Sarasota eateries get high marks for rice, spice and everything nice.

This time of year, I’m constant-

ly reminded why I moved to Sarasota nearly a decade ago.

How could I possibly miss Connecticut? Just last weekend, my husband took my friends, my mom, our dog and me out on the boat for the perfect Saturday morning.

We kicked things off with ooey-gooey breakfast sandwiches and mimosas, were treated to an impromptu dolphin show and breathed in the crisp, red-tide-free Gulf air, all before noon.

The weekend before? A casual vow renewal at the stunning Powel Crosley Estate, where our friends from back home swapped their winter coats for sunglasses, danced under palm trees and disco balls and soaked up every bit of Sarasota

sunshine before heading back to cold, harsh reality. Waving them off to delayed flights and dreary forecasts almost felt mean.

March in Connecticut? Can’t say I miss it.

Not even a little — generally speaking.

Generally? As in General?

Oh, snap ... General Tso’s.

Shoot!

I’ve been holding off on tackling takeout for awhile. If you were raised on Tri-State Chinese culinary creations, like me, your standards for rice, spice and everything nice aren’t generally met in our Gulf Coast community. When you grow up 45 minutes outside New York City, your dumpling diaries read differently from those in the rest of the U.S.

But listen up, my fellow Lo Mein lovers and dim sum superstars. I’ve found what I believe to be the best

Chinese takeout in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

TASTE OF HONG KONG

2224 Gulf Gate Drive, Sarasota; 941-922-6765; TasteOfHongKongSRQ.com

How I (Egg) Roll: I would be remiss not to shout out my dear friend Elaine for opening my eyes and taste buds to this Gulf Gate eatery. Elaine, a proud Tri-State foodie, doesn’t think twice about making the trek from Longboat Key (even in peak season traffic) just to get her fix at Taste of Hong Kong. I get it. Their modern takes on classic Chinese dishes, made with fresh, high-quality ingredients, are worth every mile from the island to the mainland. One bite of their chicken Lo Mein ($9.99+) and suddenly, I’m back in NYC — the cream of the crop when it comes to Chinese food

— chopsticks in hand, living my best takeout dream.

Bao Down: If there’s an egg roll hall of fame, Taste of Hong Kong’s ($1.89) deserves a special place. This little golden masterpiece delivers can’t-miss crunch and crispy, flaky perfection, giving way to a savory, well-seasoned filling that hits just right. It’s the kind of bite that instantly transports you to a bustling Manhattan street corner, minus honking cabs and the guy in a hurry who just knocked over your $20 cup of coffee. Absolute egg roll excellence!

DIM SUM KING CHINESE CUISINE 8194 Tourist Center Drive, Bradenton; 941-306-5848; DimSumSarasota.com

How I (Egg) Roll: If you’re the type of person who stares at a menu like it’s a life-or-death decision, brace yourself — this one’s a doozy. But trust me, no matter what you pick, your taste buds will do a happy dance like mine do every time I order the Mongolian beef ($15.99). We’re talking tender, stir-fried beef, perfectly seared and coated in a rich, spicy brown sauce, mingling with caramelized onions, scallions and just the right amount of hot pepper heat. It’s saucy, savory and just spicy enough to keep things interesting.

Bao Down: My little dumplings, prepared to be devoured by this bao-tiful list of recommendations. Shanghai-style dumplings ($5.59) burst at first bite with savory broth, while the crispy fried pork dumplings ($4.59) are crunchy and comfortingly meaty. The chive and shrimp dumplings ($6.49) are scrumptious foodie pillows. All items swing in with umami-packed flavor.

RAINBOW ISLAND

5209 33rd St. E, Bradenton; 941-7515773; RainbowIslandBradenton.com

How I (Egg) Roll: If it were socially acceptable to eat crab rangoon for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, I think I might just eliminate the “What’s for dinner” conversation in my household altogether. I would quite literally do anything

for a stellar crabby, cream-cheesy, fluffy and crunchy wonton wrapped gift. Sit in Ringling Bridge traffic for two hours for a bite of crab rangoon? Sign me up. Direct tourists during rush hour through roundabouts for an order of six? When do I start? Rainbow Island, you are my salvation for bringing me eight ($7.25, per order) of these sweet and savory takeout staples.

Bao Down: My husband sees fried rice on a menu and it’s a done deal — no need to browse further. And honestly, I can’t blame him when the house fried rice ($11.75) is this good. We’re talking a steaming, flavor-packed bowl of stir-fried perfection, loaded with crisp veggies and your choice of protein, all tossed together in that irresistible wok-fired magic. It’s the kind of dish that’s comforting, satisfying and so good you’ll find yourself stealing bites off your partner’s plate.

JADE GARDEN SARASOTA 4346 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota; 941377-4200; JadeGardenSarasota.com

How I (Egg) Roll: I finally found a sesame chicken plate that leaves me stuffed and satisfied. Jade Garden, you had me at first bite. At $12.25, this dish is saucy perfection. Need a little extra heat? The Szechuan chicken ($11.75) brings the spice and then some. What’s even better than the sauciness is this Bee Ridge gem is takeout and delivery only, meaning your cravings don’t have to wait long. Fast, delicious and straight to the point; this is how Chinese takeout should be.

Bao Down: I’m tempted to keep this lunch special to myself, but good food is meant to be shared — so consider this your inside scoop! From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week, you can feast on a plate of crispy, saucy General Tso’s chicken served with flavorful fried rice, plus your pick of an egg roll, a refreshing soda or a cozy bowl of wonton or egg drop soup, all for $9.50. It’s the kind of deal that makes you feel like you’re getting away with something. I totally get it if you start making this your new lunchtime ritual.

Architecture Sarasota has named the landscape and urban design firm OLIN as the 2025 recipient of its Philip Hanson Hiss Award in recognition of its recent revitalization of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

The award is named for Philip Hanson Hiss III, a driving force in the Sarasota School of Architecture, whose members tailored their designs to the geography, climate and lifestyle of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Past recipients of the Hiss award include architects Toshiko Mori and Lord Norman Foster. Philadelphia-based OLIN won the Hiss award for its work on Phase One of Selby Gardens’ master plan. Phase One, which opened in January 2024, included a new Welcome Center with a circular plaza featuring plants from Selby’s botanical collections.

The expansion features such state-of-the-art facilities as the Morganroth Family Living Energy Acess Facility incorporating hurricane-resilient design and green infrastructure, The Green Orchid garden-to-table restaurant and the Steinwachs Family Plant Research Center.

Selby is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns and other tropical plants.

“Echoing the core values and

principles of the Sarasota School of Architecture, OLIN demonstrates that thoughtful, contextually driven design can celebrate the unique character of a place while enhancing the life of communities and its residents,” said Morris Hylton III, president of Architecture Sarasota, in a statement.

Formed in 2021 through a merger between two predecessor architecture organizations, Architecture Sarasota is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Sarasota School of Architecture and to educating and advocating about the importance of good design.

Following OLIN’s work, Selby Gardens has been the recipient of several awards, including Time magazine’s World’s Greatest Places in 2024, a 10 Best Reader’s Choice Award from USA Today and a mention in the Wall Street Journal’s “Best Architecture of 2024” roundup.

OLIN Chief Purpose Officer Richard Roark will accept the Hiss award from Architecture Sarasota at a gala and benefit on March 28.

The day before, Roark will lecture on OLIN’s philosophy of using landscape architecture to achieve sustainable urban transformation.

Both events will be held at Selby Gardens. For more information, visit ArchitectureSarasota.org.

Sarasota Orchestra’s musical powers shine brightly in Masterworks: ‘The Planets’

Every section and nearly every principal was highlighted in Holst’s ode to seven planets.

GAYLE WILLIAMS MUSIC CRITIC

In the latest Masterworks concert, guest conductor Peter Oundjian and the Sarasota Orchestra put their best foot forward at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on March 7 with an infinitely appealing performance starting with “Overture to The Wasps” by Ralph Vaughn Williams.

If you ever wondered how a swarm of wasps could be re-created by an orchestra, here it is at the start of this overture. Setting the scene with scurries of notes in a tight crescendo to decrescendo for a burst of buzz, the orchestra flew off into a sound world marked clearly by the composer’s unique style and folk-tinged melodies.

Violinist Grace Park displayed a deep sensitivity to the winsome melodic charm of Antonin Dvorak’s Romance in F minor, Op 11. Her sweet and shimmering tone spoke straight to the heart, but at times seemed overwhelmed by the orchestra.

This was not an issue in Maurice Ravel’s “Tzigane,” where Park dug deeper, often using a dark, gritty tone to convey the Roma gypsy fire and passion of the music. Versatile and possessing the technique to give wings to the music, Park was impressive. It has been a pleasure hearing the results Oundjian has produced from the Sarasota musicians in each of his numerous previous performances. This concert was a particular treat with Gustav Holst’s iconic seven-movement

orchestral suite “The Planets.” Based on the astrological characteristics of each planet, the score put the orchestra through its paces. The results were exquisite.

The contrast between Mars and Venus alone was breathtaking. Brass and percussion drove the menacing force of Mars, given voice as well by a memorable euphonium solo. Opening with a horn solo and soothing flutes and harp, Venus presents a lovely pillow of sound. Mercury takes up with fleeting triplets, tossed around the orchestra moving like quicksilver.

The giants Jupiter and Saturn filled the hall. The Jupiter movement, like Mars, gained wider popularity replete with cheer and melodic goodwill. The basses set the ponderous pulse of Saturn, which grew to full force striding on like the march of time.

Every section of the orchestra and nearly every principal had their chance to shine through the seven planets. The brass, timpani and bassoons set up Uranus for a

bold and rollicking venture waxing and then waning after a full march workout.

Unusually, the entire suite ends with an ethereal Neptune, the mystic, which is largely soto voce and atmospheric, as if to send us off to the heavens. Flutes, harps, celeste and strings created lines that floated like fluffy clouds accumulating here and there reassuringly.

Holst scored this movement with a women’s chorus and that is what we seemed to hear in this performance. However, to maintain the mystery Oundjian prefers using synthesizer, which produced the same other-worldly touch wafting through the hall. With the music diminishing to nothing at the finale, we are left in a blissful silence.

Oundjian’s judgment and his leadership was on the mark. Solo instruments in the orchestra deserve our thanks as well as every single musician for such a tour de force, or so said the mighty applause from the audience.

Saturday, March 29, 2025 | 5:30 pm The Westin Ballroom | sarasota, fl

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2025

Signature Luncheon

Friday, March 7, at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota | Benefiting Tidewell Hospice

More than 500 guests came out on March 7 to enjoy Tidewell Foundation’s Signature Luncheon and presentation at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. The annual event raises money for Tidewell Hospice in the Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto county areas.

“Although this is the 16th annual luncheon, we have held 17, and all right here in the RitzCarlton. Our first event raised about $20,000, and last year we raised over $200,000,” said Cindy Stuhley, who founded the event.

Dr. B.J. Miller, a highly regarded physician, author and speaker who is an expert in palliative and hospice care, was the keynote speaker. He also has something many of us don’t have: a profound experience facing death after an accident during college left him as a triple-amputee.

After graduating Princeton University in 1993 and medical school at the University of California San Francisco, Miller currently resides in California, where he is on staff at UCSF. He also sees patients and caregivers through Mettle Health, his online palliative care service, where he designs a graceful and dignified end of life.

“Hospice is an orphan in the medical field. The community support, pride and family feel within Empath and Tidewell is magical. This luncheon will raise money for the things that are not funded — grief support, music, art and pet therapy. Each of these activities raise the goals and outcomes of care,” said Miller.

— JANET COMBS