ENTERTAINMENT

Arts news for Sarasota-Manatee: March 7-13

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Siblings Casey and Kiley Berkery will play brother and sister in the Venice Theatre production “John and Jen” as part of the theater’s reopening schedule.

Venice Theatre reopens in March

Venice Theatre is reopening its doors for live performances with a series of musical programs that begin March 26.

“Things will continue to be different for a while,” Murray Chase, the theater’s producing executive director, said in a statement. “Shows will still feature smaller casts and all performances will take place in our main stage Jervey Theatre with a distanced seating plan.”

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The theater returned to live performances last fall with a few productions before COVID positive rates began to rise.

Michelle Kasanofsky, a popular music director, will take the stage with her son Mikal Mancini and drummer Joel Broome for “2020: The Year That Almost Was” at 7:30 p.m. March 26 and 27.

Dwight Icenhower returns for another visit of his Elvis Presley tribute show “Dwight Icenhower – Up Close and Personal,” April 5-7. He is joined by Shawn Bryant as Buddy Holly.

Tom Becker will recall one of music’s most popular stars with his tribute show “Back Home Again, a Tribute to John Denver,” April 10-12.

Siblings Casey and Kiley Berkery play a brother and a sister in a production of the off-Broadway musical “john & jen” by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald. It runs April 17-25.

And from May 7-10, the Folk Legacy Trio brings the spring series to a close.

Chase said the theater will follow the same protocols it employed last fall, with required face masks, temperature checks and limited seating capacity. The bar will be closed at first and reopen in stages depending on conditions of the pandemic within the community. Chase said he expects to offer a full season beginning in July.

For more details contact: venicetheatre.org

The FST Improv troupe returns with its socially distanced “Triple Play” featuring a rotating cast of three performers.

FST Improv returns

The FST Improv troupe is returning to weekly live performances beginning at 8:30 p.m. March 20 with its show “Triple Play.” It is a full-length show designed for social distancing involving a rotating cast of three improvisers playing a variety of improv games, scenes and songs with audience suggestions.

“It was certainly an artistic challenge to reimagine our shows,” said Will Luera, FST’s director of improv, who will be taking his turn in the cast. “But as improvisers, we don’t shy away from challenges.”

Performances will be presented for in FST’s Keating Theatre, a much larger space than the troupe’s usual home in Bowne’s Lab. The theater also is opening two cabaret shows in its larger theaters to allow more people to gather safely.

Tickets are $15. For more information: 941-366-9000; floridastudiotheatre.org

Actor, director and fight choreographer J. Paul Nicholas has joined the staff of Florida Studio Theatre as an associate artist.

Actor joins FST artistic staff

Florida Studio Theatre is expanding its staff with the hiring of J. Paul Nicholas as an associate artist. An actor, director, teacher and fight choreographer, Nicholas appeared in the world premiere of Sarah Bierstock’s “Honor Killing” at FST in 2018. He also was part of the national tour of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”

At FST, he will be involved in the theater’s New Play Development program and lead classes in the FST School.

“Paul is a triple threat: he is an actor, director and manager rolled into one,” said Richard Hopkins, FST’s producing artistic director. In “Honor Kllling,” he played four different roles. He also has appeared at such regional theaters as Seattle Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville and wooly Mammoth.

In a statement, Nicholas said “it is difficult to express how honored I am to have this opportunity. I am thrilled that, as a member of FST’s Artistic Team, I will be supporting playwrights during their creative process and helping guide actors to their most truthful portrayal of characters.”

SCF music students earn state honors

Three State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota music students took top prizes in the Florida College System Activities Association 2021 Student Artist competition.

Jacob Wicks, a sophomore and member of the SCF Guitar Ensemble, won for classical guitar. Henley Connor, a sophomore drummer and a member of the SCF Big Band and Symphonic Band, was honored in jazz. And Nathan Reid, a freshman tuba player and a member of the SCF Big Band, Symphonic Band and Bradenton Symphony Orchestra, was recognized in the brass category. They were among eight SCF students who competed in the event, which was conducted online in eight different categories.

Winners receive a $2,000 scholarship once they transfer to a four-year university as a music major.