Arts + Entertainment 4.17.25

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

TEEN DIRECTOR TAKES CHARGE

Nya Chambless makes her directorial debut with ‘My Guardian Angel.’

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Lots of people of all ages dream about going back to their old school. The rock group Steely Dan made a hit song vowing they would never do such a thing. But there’s no denying that classroom and playground memories are powerful, whether you want to revisit them.

Teen film director Nya Chambless returned to her old elementary school, Bay Haven School of Basics Plus, to shoot scenes for her feature film, “My Guardian Angel,” which premiered April 12 at the Sarasota Film Festival.

“My Guardian Angel” tells the story of Nya’s childhood friendship with Teeja, who was her best friend in Pre-K and died of cancer on New Year’s Day in 2015. Nya, now a student at Booker High School, was moved to make a short feature film about Teeja not just as a tribute to her friend but to raise awareness about pediatric cancer and the scourge of bullying.

Nya was a new student at her PreK and just 5 years old when she met Teeja, who was a year older. “We both bonded because we had lamb jackets and we would roll around in the mulch so we would look like real lambs,” Nya recalled in a video interview “We became really close.”

At the time, Nya’s fashion style consisted of layering clothes, wearing lots of colorful bracelets and

Nya Chambless made a feature film, “My Guardian Angel,” based on her friendship with a childhood friend who was bullied while fighting a life-threatening disease.

alternating her hairdos with different looks like “two buns and waterfall ponytails.” Teeja couldn’t join in the tonsorial fun because she had lost her hair due to her cancer therapy. But she wore colorful scarves to hide her baldness.

Not all of the school’s other students were able to overlook Teeja’s condition the way that Nya did. First Teeja, and then later Nya, were subjected to name-calling and bullying. Other girls warned Nya not to play with Teeja because she had “cooties.”

“The bullying got to the point where they would push her,” Nya says. “My entire rainbow butterfly view of the world got bursted like a balloon.”

Despite the fact that Nya was taunted by other kids, she maintained her relationship with Teeja. She was the only one of Teeja’s school friends to be invited to her house for a play date. But not long after that, Teeja stopped attending school and was hospitalized.

Nya wanted to go see her friend in the hospital during the last days of her life, but wasn’t able to. “Teeja told her parents that she wanted Nya to remember her how she was when she last saw her,” said Nya’s father, Jerry Chambless.

During a panel discussion after “My Guardian Angel” was screened to a full house at Ringling College’s Morganroth Auditorium during the Sarasota Film Festival, Nya said she doesn’t remember clearly what hap pened after Teeja died.

She does recall Teeja’s parents cut off contact with her for a year because she was a painful reminder of her daughter’s death. They ulti mately moved to Georgia and had two more children. They gave their consent to Nya’s film, but she is trying to protect their privacy with by changing the names of the characters.

Though Teeja’s family moved away, Nya never forgot her friend. Her desire to make a feature film based on their

friendship gained momentum during COVID. During the pandemic lockdown, memories came flooding back to Nya. She and her father, who is a film producer and adjunct film faculty member at Ringling College of Art and Design, had lots of time to brainstorm.

SHE KNOW WHERE SHE’S GOING

SEE DIRECTOR PAGE 2

who dismiss Nya’s achievement of writing and directing a 25-minute short feature film at the age of 15 haven’t met her. Did she get help from her father, who gave her “notes” (showbiz talk for recommendations) as she went through 25 drafts to finally reach a shooting script of 18 pages? Most certainly. But the creativity and drive behind “My Guardian Angel” springs from Nya herself.

Chambless also helped his daughter put together a team who helped her cast, shoot and edit her film and add original music. He also helped assemble a team of professionals and find the equipment to finish the film during the technical process called “postproduction.”

As his credit on “My Guardian Angel” notes, Chambless served as producer for the film. That job calls for doing anything and everything to help get a movie made, particularly attaching talent to a project and raising money.

Even though her friendship with Teeja had taken place in Pre-K, Nya decided to set the film in elementary school and use older children because they could remember dialogue and take direction more easily.

In the playground scenes in “My Guardian Angel,” Chambless served as what might be called “child wrangler” by keeping the many extras in the scenes under control. “That was part of my job as first AD (assistant director),” he says.

Everyone knows how rambunctious children can be when they’re playing on slides and swings. Chambless had to coach the extras on how not to disrupt the action between the key actors. That freed up Nya to embrace the role of director.

As the daughter of a film producer, Nya had made films before “My Guardian Angel,” but this is her first full-scale production with a crew and a cinematographer, Natasha Thornton.

Nya found the actors for her film by placing ads in industry publications such as Backstage Magazine and Actors Access. Many of her actors are local. Some will be recognizable to Sarasota arts patrons, like Katherine Michelle Tanner of Tree-

fort Productions and Jeffery Kin of Sarasota Rising. But others came from out of town.

One thing that surprised Nya was how people applied for roles for which they didn’t seem wellsuited. “We got a 60-year-old man who wanted to be one of the moms. Casting is so strange,” she said during the panel discussion, rolling her eyes, shrugging her shoulders and reminding you that “as if!” way that she is indeed a teenager.

Nya cast Daria Droteva as Kirina, a stand-in for herself and Katie Makovec as Aurora, the film version of Teeja. There are two other female characters who interact with the friends. One is Maura, the mean girl played by Brindisi Capri, and the other is her reluctant follower, kind-hearted Paige, played by Eva Wisniewski.

All of the child actors are experi-

enced, but Makovec is particularly convincing as Aurora. Her character grabs the simple joys of life while she still can and tries to stay positive despite the hostility of her peers. Aurora’s bald look was achieved with a cap and makeup applied by special effects experts from Ringling College.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Production on “My Guardian Angel” took place over the long Thanksgiving weekend of 2024. The shooting schedule was going to be short to begin with; it was sped up when an incoming storm threatened to rain out the playground scenes at Bay Haven School.

Despite the compressed schedule, the shoot was a success, Nya said. “Production was great. We had crew ranging from professionals to college students to seniors at my high school

that I had never met,” she said. “It turned out to be a great working environment. We had all different ages on the set and the older ones mentored the younger ones.”

The one problem? “The kids didn’t want to be bullies at first. They know it’s wrong,” Nya said.

In the film business, people who help raise money or gain exposure for a film often get executive producer credits. On “My Guardian Angel,” they include business consultant and Disney veteran Adam Armbruster, Sarasota Film Festival Chairman and President Mark Famiglio and Elizabeth Coplan, a playwright who heads up a nonprofit called Grief Dialogues.

Coplan helped Nya make a “pitch deck” (finance lingo) for PowerPoint presentations to potential donors and community foundations to get backing for her project.

Nya also used her on-screen presence to raise money to produce “My Guardian Angel” Those who attended last year’s Sarasota Film Festival may remember her trailer that screened before films unspooling during the fest.

For an anti-bullying film with a social message like “My Guardian Angel,” fundraising doesn’t stop once the film is “in the can.” The next push is to acquire funds to screen the film in schools and hospitals around the country, all the while boosting awareness about pediatric cancer.

The opening titles for “My Guardian Angel” include a reminder that in December, $194 million was cut from government funding for pediatric cancer.

Joining Nya in her efforts to spread the word about the need for continued research about the disease and to promote acceptance of young cancer patients is an affiliate of Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, where Teeja died. No spoilers here, but “My Guardian Angel” includes a plot twist that Nya Chambless is just getting started on her creative and socially conscious journey. No doubt her family, friends and Sarasota’s generous philanthropists will be there to lend a hand when she embarks on her next project. Who can say “no” to that smile?

LEARN MORE

For more information or to help fund educational outreach on “My Guardian Angel,” visit GriefDialogues.com/ My-Guardian-Angel.

Chilly scenes of winter

Shakespeare’s classic drama offers tragedy and comedy in the same play.

MARTY FUGATE

hakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” is FSU/Asolo Conservatory’s latest production. Is it a tragedy or a comedy? According to director Jonathan Epstein, both. Tragic news first: King Leontes of Sicilia wrongly suspects his pregnant wife, Hermione, of infidelity with his best friend, King Polixenes of Bohemia. He sentences Hermione to death, she apparently dies, their son dies from grief and their newborn daughter, Perdita, is left to die on a hill in Bohemia.

The good news? In the second act, the story shifts gears to comedy. A kindly shepherd rescues Perdita and raises her as his very own. When Perdita comes of age, she falls in love with Polixenes’ son. The story culminates in magical reunions, forgiveness, joy and lots of music and dancing. According to Epstein, there’s more to it than that. Here’s the rest of the story ...

Is “The Winter’s Tale” a tragedy or a comedy?

It’s both. The first half is a Shakespearean tragedy driven by jealousy, while the second half is a pastoral romance full of music and comedy. The play ultimately ends in redemption — almost everyone is restored, except for poor Antigonus, who gets eaten by a bear. But even his actor returns to play a pickpocket. The final moments are deeply moving — the audience rarely leaves with dry eyes. Was this mix of tragedy and comedy unusual for Shakespeare?

No. “The Winter’s Tale” belongs to the group of tragicomedies that Shakespeare wrote later in life.

IF YOU GO

‘THE WINTER’S TALE’

When: Through April 27

Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555

N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $25-$40

Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.

These were inventive fusions of two art forms. In comedies, the drive to procreate wins, ending in marriage. In tragedies, the need for justice dominates, often resulting in death. Tragicomedies like “The Winter’s Tale” blend the two. The play is beloved among actors for its intricate, transcendent language. It doesn’t just reflect character — it creates character. George Bernard Shaw even said that Shakespeare didn’t fully understand jealousy when he wrote “Othello,” but had mastered it by “The Winter’s Tale.”

Why do some scholars consider “The Winter’s Tale” a “problem play?”

Because they insist on rigid dramatic structure. Because Shakespeare broke the rules. Aristotle’s principles — the unities of action, time and place — don’t apply to “The Winter’s Tale.” The action is a tragedy in the first act and a comedy in the second. Sixteen years pass during intermission, and the setting shifts between Sicily and Bohemia. Shakespeare, like Picasso, mastered traditional forms but then broke the rules. By this point in his career, he wasn’t writing within conventions — he was reinventing them. From Shakespeare’s perspective, rules are for other people.

How do you handle the radical tonal shift between acts? You commit to it and trust the playwright.

Leontes’ murderous jealousy seems to come out of nowhere. How do you explain his rapid

descent into paranoia? Or do you?

I think you let the audience figure it out. Each actor who plays Leontes has also got to come up with their own explanation. I’ve played Leontes before. He’s got everything to be happy about. He’s there with his best friend, his fine young son and his pregnant wife. One moment, he’s kissing his wife affectionately. Then he says, “My heart dances.”

To me, that sounds a lot like an atrial fibrillation. Right after that, Leontes is suddenly overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts. A-fib was my explanation as an actor, though I didn’t telegraph it to the audience.

Why does “The Winter’s Tale” still resonate today?

Because it mirrors today’s world. People in power behave badly in this play, just as they do now. Sicilia was

a patriarchal society; our country has a largely patriarchal structure today. Without checks and balances, powerful leaders abuse their power.

Suspicion of guilt becomes conviction, and that leads to disastrous actions — just like today. This play also explores the slow, difficult process of forgiveness. That doesn’t happen overnight; it requires humility, time and commitment. Look at South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation process — postapartheid didn’t bring instant paradise. “The Winter’s Tale” lets us witness the end of such a journey.

How do you guide young actors in complex roles like Leontes and Hermione?

I encourage them to draw on their own emotional responses. I’m not a jealous guy, so my portrayal of

was

Our Leontes, Billy Lyons, has a natural sense of physical jealousy, so his interpretation is different. Uri Zhang, the actress playing Hermione, brings a powerful authenticity. As a foreign actress, she understands her character’s sense of isolation and powerlessness in Sicilia. This makes her performance deeply truthful. When Zhang transforms into a lively shepherdess in Bohemia, you can also see her comic side. She’s a great singer and dancer, along with Yaala Muller. After starting out so seriously, they turn into free-spirited shepherdesses strutting around to ZZ Top. It’s fun for me, and I hope it’ll be fun for the audience.

THIS WEEK

OUR PICK

SAILOR CIRCUS RED TROUPE: VICTORIOUS!

Founded in 1949, the Sailor Circus Academy is the longest-running youth circus arts training program in the country, training students in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Set to a soundtrack of power ballads and rock anthems, this show features over 50 students performing on the Russian swing, trampoline wall, bicycle for five, duo straps and flying trapeze, to name just a few of the many circus arts. Plus, there will be clowns! Runs through April 19.

IF YOU GO

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17

Where: Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia Vista St.

Tickets: $20-$40

Info: Visit CircusArts.org.

THURSDAY

LUNCHEON: PETER ROTHSTEIN, ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE

11 a.m. at Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd. $45-$50 Visit ArtsAdvocates.org.

Arts Advocates presents a luncheon talk with Asolo Repertory Theatre Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein. After 25 years as founding artistic director of Theater Latté Da in Minneapolis, Rothstein joined Asolo Rep in 2023, where he has directed “Man of La Mancha,” “Sweeney Todd” and “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914,” which he created.

LA MUSICA CHAMBER FESTIVAL: BARBER, BLOCH, FAURÉ

7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $64 Visit LaMusicaFestival.org.

The last of three concerts during La Musica’s annual chamber music festival features La Musica artistic director Wu Han and Orion Weiss

on piano, Aaron Boyd and Kristin Lee on violin, Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt on viola and Dmitri Atapine on cello. They will perform Barber’s Souvenirs for Piano, Four Hands, Op. 28, Bloch’s Piano Quintet No. 1 and Fauré’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 15.

‘SYNCOPATED AVENUE’

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

With “Syncopated Avenue,” created, adapted and directed by Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs, the company is producing its first tap dance revue, which explores the history of the art form. Runs through May 25.

SARASOTA ORCHESTRA POPS: CELEBRATE JOHN WILLIAMS

7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $39-$105 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Get ready for summer movie blockbuster season with this Pops tribute to famed film score

composer John Williams. Guest conductor Stuart Chafetz leads the Sarasota Orchestra in a program featuring Williams’ music from “Star Wars,” “E.T.,” “Schindler’s List,” “Jaws,” “Close Encounters” and more. Runs through April 19.

‘DANCING AT LUGHNASA’ 7:30 p.m. at Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail

$35-$95 Visit AsoloRep.org.

Joe Dowling, the former artistic director of both the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis and the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, directs Brian Friel’s Tony Award-winning play about the five Mundy sisters living in rural Ireland in the 1930s. The play gets its name from the Gaelic word for August, which is the month agrarian folk celebrate after bringing in the crops. Runs through April 19.

‘GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR’ 7:30 p.m. at Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $35-$95

Visit AsoloRep.org.

Most famous for his role in “An American in Paris,” the celebrated pianist and raconteur Oscar Levant largely has been forgotten. Directed by Peter Amster, “Good Night, Oscar” focuses on Levant’s appearance on “Tonight Starring Jack Paar,” where he spoke frankly about his mental health issues. Runs through April 26.

‘NO ONE IS FORGOTTEN’ 7:30 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St.

$5-$44 Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

Written by New York playwright Winter Miller and directed by Urbanite Artistic Director Summer Dawn Wallace, “No One is Forgotten” is the moving tale of two female Americans who withstand captivity in a foreign prison through grit, humor and loving solidarity. The tale is based on real-life accounts. Runs through April 27.

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‘INTO THE WOODS’

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Unit 1130

$34

Visit The Players.org.

Fairy tales come to life on the stage of “Into the Woods.” Directed by Brian Finnerty, this beloved Sondheim show weaves together “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack and the Beanstalk” and other childhood staples into an entertaining musical that appeals to theatergoers of all ages. Runs through April 20.

‘SHEDDING A SKIN’

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

$25-$46

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Part of Florida Studio Theatre’s edgy Stage III series, “Shedding a Skin” follows Myah, a young woman whose topsy-turvy life is transformed when she befriends an elderly Jamaican woman. Runs through April 25.

THE COMMODORES

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

$45-$95

Visit VanWezel.org.

Lionel Ritchie, frontman for the Commodores, departed for a solo career back in 1982, but the beat goes on for one of the great R&B bands of all time. Today, the Commodores today consists of founding member William King, drummer Walter Orange and vocalist J.D. Nicholas. They will perform their greatest hits like “Easy” and “Brick House,” delighting fans old and new.

‘JERSEY BOYS’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.

$49-$69

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

There are countless imitations, but there is only one “Jersey Boys.” Winner of both the Tony and Olivier awards, the musical tells the true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. This isn’t a musical revue; it’s a full-fledged musical directed by Ben Liebert. Runs through May 25.

SATURDAY

COMEDY ROULETTE

8:30 p.m. at FST’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $15-$18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Looking to have fun on a Saturday night without breaking the bank? Look no farther than Florida Studio Theatre Improv Troupe. A team of four experienced improvisers deliver a mix of short form, long form and musical improv. Weekends through May 30.

SUNDAY

‘GEORGE HARRISON:

A GARDENER’S LIFE’

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

Walking around the 15-acre sanctuary on the Sarasota bayfront where gardens and botanical displays have been erected to mirror those in George Harrison’s Friar Park estate, you can’t help feeling the late Beatle would approve of this living tribute. Runs through June 29.

MONDAY

‘CONJURING THE SPIRIT WORLD: ART, MAGIC AND MEDIUMS’

10 a.m. at The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bayshore Road Free with $25 admission; Mondays free Visit Ringling.org.

Go on the trail of things that go bump in the night with this fascinating interactive exhibition, which follows the growth of Spiritualism in the mid-19th century from its roots in dining room seances to traveling shows featuring magicians and mediums.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN:

EXPLORING THE VAN WEZEL

FROM THE ART TO THE STAGE

1:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $15 Visit ArtsAdvocates.org.

One of the best things about the reopening of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is the revival of tours by Arts Advocates. A docent leads a tour of the paintings and sculptures. Participants then step onto the stage where a Van Wezel guide shares stories and anecdotes. Proceeds benefit the education/ outreach programs of Arts Advocates and the Van Wezel.

‘POWER COUPLE’

4 p.m. at Fischer/Weisenborne Residence, 7459 Cabbage Palm Court $65 Visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org.

Artist Series Concerts bills violinist Diana Cohen and pianist Roman Tabinovich as “Power Couple,” and who are we to argue? Cohen serves as concertmaster of the Calgary Philharmonic and is founder and coartistic director of the ChamberFest Cleveland. Tabinovich made his Israel Philharmonic debut at the age of 10 and appears as a soloist with the world’s great orchestras. They will play music by Clara Schumann, Schubert, Strauss and Lutoslawski.

MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ WITH MICHAEL ROSS AND COMPANY

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $34-$39 Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

DON’T MISS

LIVIA MATTOS TRIO

Jazz Club of Sarasota presents Sarasota bassist Michael Ross and his bandmates. They’ll play “straight-ahead” jazz along with contemporary and original compositions from Ross’ acclaimed new CD “Giraffe.”

TUESDAY

‘BEETLEJUICE’

7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $50-$135 Visit VanWezel.org.

Based on Tim Burton’s classic film, this musical tells the story of a teenager whose life changes when she meets a newly deceased couple and a demon who likes to dress in stripes. With its witty book, surprising set and enchanting score, “Beetlejuice” is familiar and new at the same time — a winning formula for Broadway musicals based on hit films. Runs through April 27.

What do you get when you cross circus with bossa nova? We’re not sure, but this performance by Brazil’s Livia Mattos Trio might provide some clues. Mattos began her career as a circus performer and now is an accordion player, songwriter, vocalist, filmmaker and visual artist. Mattos is touring with her band, which includes Rafael dos Santos (drums) and Jefferson Babu (tuba), to support her latest album, “Apneia.” Runs through April 19.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 18

Where: The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road Tickets: $40-$50 Info: Visit Ringling.org.

That’s a wrap!

However you prefer your bundle of joy, you’ll find something to tempt your taste buds on this list.

EMMA JOLLY

CONTRIBUTOR

Fun fact: I included my husband’s love of burritos in my first wedding vows. I promised to stand by him through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, as long as he continues to demolish burritos the size of his forearm.

Watching him unwrap a burrito with the same appreciation as an art curator contemplates a masterpiece is one of the many things I love about him. It’s right after when he pretends to listen to me talk about the latest “Dateline” episode, murder documentary or true crime podcast.

But beyond Patrick’s passion for burritos, there’s a rich history behind this wrap of foodie dreams that makes it even more satisfying. The burrito, which originated in Northern Mexico, is a portable meal meant for those who are always on the go — and who isn’t these days?

A simple combination of ingredients, whether spicy, savory or cheesy, makes each bite irresistible.

So, whether you’re a burrito enthusiast like Patrick or just looking to try the best local spots, grab a napkin (You’ll need it.) and join me on a mouthwatering journey to discover the most delicious burritos around.

Once you’ve tasted these, you’ll be wrapped up in love too.

GUERRERO’S BAKERY AND MEXICAN RESTAURANT

3557 Webber St., Sarasota; 941-9234459; OrderGuerrerosBakery.com

Beans a Lot to Me: Craving a burrito that’ll make your taste buds

do the salsa? The Mexican-style burrito ($12.99) is packed with scrambled eggs, spicy chorizo and jalapeños, all drizzled in ranchero sauce. This bold bundle of joy that my husband rips into as frequently as possible comes with rice and beans to make sure you’re completely satisfied.

That’s a Wrap: Burrito Cancun ($13.49) is stuffed with juicy shrimp, succulent crabmeat and a medley of fresh zucchini, spinach and onions. This coastal creation is then smothered in cheesy goodness, making it the ideal oceaninspired indulgence, all wrapped up in a warm tortilla.

LOS CHILUDOS FRESH

MEXICAN GRILL 3232 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach; 941-345-4102; LosChiludos.com

Beans a Lot to Me: Surf and turf ($19.95) burrito is the perfect blend of ocean and land: jumbo shrimp and grilled steak, fluffy rice, fresh pico de gallo, zesty tomatillo salsa and creamy guacamole. For an extra indulgence, make it a wet burrito topped with tomatillo salsa, melted cheese or rich chile con queso.

That’s a Wrap: Rosarito burrito ($15.95) is a vibrant and flavorpacked delight featuring crispy breaded fish, savory white rice and a refreshing and colorful mango salsa. Topped with crispy, crunchy red cabbage and

Sizzling burrito ($17.99) from Mr. Tequila is topped with queso fresco and cheese dip — not for lactose-intolerant foodies.

a smoky chipotle aioli, this burrito brings the perfect balance of tangy, spicy and savory in every bite.

MR. TEQUILA 3969 Cattlemen Road No.140, Sarasota; 941-312-5110; 491 Cortez Road W., Bradenton; 941-751-9006; MrTequilas.com

sizzling option, you can add shrimp for $3.

POPPO’S TAQUERIA 8471 Cooper Creek Blvd., Bradenton; 941-359-3720; 4220 53rd Ave. E. Suite 108, Bradenton; 941-727-1078; 6777 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton; 941-251-6982; 212C Pine Ave., Anna Maria; 941-254-7941; PopposTaqueria.com

Beans a Lot to Me: Brace yourself for the bee sting burrito ($10.95), with its sweet and spicy sensational flavors wrapped in a warm flour tortilla. Inside, you’ll find a tasty combo of white rice, black beans, smoky ancho chicken, crisp romaine, fresh pico de gallo and melty jack cheese, all finished off with a fierce and fiery kick of pineapple hot sauce. This burrito might just leave you buzzing for more. That’s a Wrap: The classic burrito ($12.25) comes in a large flour tortilla filled with melted jack cheese, white rice, pinto beans, carnitas, pico de gallo and salsa verde. Or make your own and choose from additional toppings such as guacamole, feta cheese, arugula, honey lime cabbage, roasted corn, red onion, pickled onions, jalapeño relish or lime wedges.

Beans a Lot to Me: Sizzling burrito ($17.99) is a monster of a meal packed with grilled chicken, chorizo, crispy French fries, creamy sour cream and hearty beans, all smothered in gooey cheese dip, more chorizo, queso fresco and a dollop of guacamole. Need even more? Throw in some shrimp for just $3! If you’re craving a drink to wash it all down, Sarasota’s happy hour runs from 5-7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and features $4.99 small house margaritas, while Bradenton’s Taco Tuesday is your ticket to $5.99 margaritas. That’s a Wrap: Burrito loco ($17.99) is a huge burrito filled with a choice of grilled chicken or steak, black beans, rice, grilled onions and bell peppers topped with cheese dip, red sauce, queso fresco, sour cream and pico de gallo. As with the

CASA PATRON 4000 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; 941-487-8722; Casa-Patron.com

Beans a Lot to Me: The supremo burrito combo ($18) starts with a soft flour tortilla filled with rice and your choice of ground beef, shredded chicken or shredded beef, topped off with crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes (None for me, thanks!) and a dollop of sour cream. Combo means it comes with a side of beans to round out the feast.

That’s a Wrap: The Burrito Azteca Combo ($21) is a taste sensation wrapped in a warm flour tortilla, filled with marinated grilled chicken and shrimp and drenched in a rich sour cream sauce. Loaded with tender mushrooms and garnished with a side of rice, beans and fresh avocado slices, this dish is a satisfying feast.

Even geniuses get the blues

Asolo Rep’s gripping production takes audiences back to Oscar Levant’s soul-baring appearance on Jack Paar’s talk show.

MARTY FUGATE

THEATER CRITIC

Oscar Levant was a wit, a composer, a pianist, a mental patient and the most reluctant celebrity of the 20th century. Doug Wright’s “Good Night, Oscar” considers all sides of this multifaceted talent on the Asolo Rep stage.

The play unfolds in 1958. It’s the night Oscar Levant (Max Roll) appears on “The Tonight Show” with Jack Paar (Sasha Andreev). That takes some doing. Levant’s been committed to a psychiatric facility.

His wife, June (Gail Rastorfer) gets him a four-hour pass on false pretenses. As the play begins, Oscar fidgets in the green room. Bob Sarnoff (David Breitbarth), the NBC network president, gives him three conditions: no discussion of religion, politics or sex.

Oscar breaks all three boundaries. Before that, he also breaks his agreement with the orderly — and downs an entire bottle of Demerol that he manages to steal. By the end of the evening, he’s flying. His auditory and visual hallucinations ramp up — and he’s ultimately confronted by the hallucinatory ghost of the late composer George Gershwin (Harris Milgrim). Gershwin was everything Oscar wanted to be — and failed to become. He’s Oscar’s idol — and a symbol of his unfulfilled musical legacy.

In the real world, Oscar reluctantly plays the piano on “The Tonight Show” to placate Sarnoff. He’d wanted to play his own tune, but — prodded by his mentor’s specter — winds up playing Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” instead. Oscar’s playing is more demonic than rhapsodic. He brings down the house — just before his collapse. The orderly puts him back together and — despite an offer of reconciliation from Oscar’s wife — takes him back to the facility. Oscar’s a broken man. He knows where he belongs.

Director Peter Amster keeps the pacing crisp. The show clocks in at just over 90 minutes but covers a lifetime of artistic self-doubt, OCD rituals and pharmaceutical shenanigans. The show’s schizoid structure alternates between the objective reality of NBC studios and the inner reality of Oscar’s mindscape. Amster keeps the picture clear.

Andreev’s Paar is no saint. He knows Oscar’s volatile, transgressive, Mad Hatter genius will make for good celebrity television. That said, Paar’s not just using Oscar as a cynical ploy to boost ratings. He genuinely believes his guest’s sardonic voice needs to be heard.

IF YOU GO

‘GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR’

When: Through April 26

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

Tickets: $33-$95

Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.

Oscar’s wife, June, may qualify for sainthood. She’s on her husband’s side — and it costs her. She puts up with a world of grief from her Oscar — but won’t put up with abuse.

Breitbarth’s Sarnoff avoids the “Animal House” cliché of the bullying authority figure. He just wants to do what’s best for NBC — and thinks having crazy guests on a national show is just plain crazy.

Sarnoff’s nephew Max (Jonathan Acosta) is a starry-eyed fanboy and a walking encyclopedia of Hollywood trivia. Oscar manipulates the kid with ease.

Alvin (Ibukun Omotowa) is an orderly orderly and not so easily conned. Milgrim’s George Gershwin is superior and slick. His character’s not the real composer, but a creation of Oscar’s mind — a sneering phantom who tells Oscar he never was a real composer.

Roll steps into Oscar Levant’s loafers — and slips inside his skin and soul. The actor doesn’t merely play Oscar — he channels the man, from his caustic one-liners to his mad-genius stare. The actor pulls off this balancing act of comedy and crackup with sheer force of personality.

Roll’s final “Rhapsody in Blue” is part virtuoso piano concert, part exorcism — each keystroke strikes a hammer blow to the devils in his head.

Robert Perdziola’s sets and costumes are a perfect fit for the play’s inner and outer realities. His set captures the pastels and geometric designs of midcentury modernism. His costumes are tailored to the 1950s media-sphere. Bob Sarnoff’s a sharp dressed man in a doublebreasted blazer; Oscar (to steal a phrase from his wife) looks like “Eeyore in a cheap suit.”

Nicely done.

Levant’s fiercest demon was his own self-loathing. The Ghost of Gershwin Past gives it visible and auditory form in this play. The real composer died at age 39 and left behind an enduring musical legacy.

Despite his disabilities, Levant lived to 65 and raised a family. He had a smattering of popular hits, but most of his serious compositions remained unfinished. Who had the most impact?

“Good Night, Oscar” reminds us of Levant’s legacy. There were giants in those days. He was one of them.

If you walked into the theater not knowing Oscar Levant from Oscar Meyer, you’ll know what a giant he was when you leave.

BLACK

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2025

MISSION PAWSSIBLE

Friday, April 11, at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Benefiting Humane Society of Sarasota County

With tickets sold out, 300 animal-loving guests poured into The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota on April 11 in support of the Humane Society of Sarasota County.

The annual PAWS event has a mission to raise the critical funds necessary for shelter, medical care, food and enrichment activities for more than 3,000 animals served annually.

Channeling Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt character from the Mission Impossible franchise, the HSSC’s team of co-chairs, event planners, volunteers and staff used stealth and wit to successfully orchestrate their 2025 theme:

“Mission Pawssible.” If there was any doubt that the heartstrings of all guests would not be tugged on, ample supplies of tiny puppies and kittens were available for snuggles.

Guests were greeted with champagne and black sunglasses. Vendors were also in supply as guests enjoyed the pre-lunch hour by shopping, mingling, snuggling with animals and enjoying entertainment.

Liebe Gamble and Caryn Wilbraham co-chaired the annual event, which provides an opportunity to support the lifesaving work of HSSC.

— JANET COMBS