Weekend Things To Do

Itzhak Perlman, Students Ring In A New Year of Music

Gifted music students create inspired music under the direction of celebrated conductor and violinist Itzhak Perlman.

For an up-close and personal glimpse of some of the most talented young musicians in the world, you need look no further than the Celebration Concert at the Sarasota Opera House on Saturday, Jan. 5. In this presentation of The Perlman Music Program (PMP)/Suncoast, 36 gifted music students will perform a collection of musical pieces under the direction of classical musician Itzhak Perlman. The concert itself is the culmination of a two-week residency program in which the students undergo intense training and rehearsals with Perlman and other staff members. According to Elizabeth Power, executive director of the PMP/Suncoast, many of this season’s group of student performers are traveling quite a distance to participate in this special …

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Sarasota Opera Launches Smartphone App

The Sarasota Opera app for iPhone, iPad and Android allows opera fans to preview performances and buy tickets.

Planning a night out in Sarasota can be random, and Sarasota Opera hopes that a Verdi performance can be included in that spontaneity thanks to a new app. Sarasota Opera launched a smartphone app in July that its leaders believe can offer added convenience for those new to the opera as well as longtime subscribers. Starting today, single tickets can be purchased for the 2012-2013 season both through the app and at the box office, too. "I think in Sarasota, it will be helpful with the amount of visitors we have," said Greg Parry, director of marketing for the Sarasota Opera. "We may have visitors who are visiting for a couple of weeks or months and they probably don't bring their desktop computers with them, so they'll be traveling with …

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Suzette Jones

8:18 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Fantastic! The Sarasota Opera App also shows the wide variety of ticket prices! Did you know you can see an opera for only $19? What a great way for opera newbies to try it out!   more ›

Sarasota Opera's Record Ticket Sales

'Madama Butterfly' gave Sarasota Opera its highest ticket sales ever for a fall opera at the Sarasota Opera House.

Sarasota can't get enough opera. Sarasota Opera announced last week that its fall production of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly grossed about half a million dollars in ticket sales for the fall season, which set the bar for highest selling show since 2008 when the venue started fall operas. The show ran Oct. 15 through Nov. 15. Four of the six performances sold out, according to a news release issued by the Opera. A commonly performed show helped achieve that mark, a Sarasota Opera spokesman said. "It's a very well known show and the most performed show in North America, so I think there's an elevated level of familiarity with it, and it's an accessible show," said Samuel Lowry, communications officer for Sarasota Opera. "People coming …

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Your Child Could Perform with the Sarasota Opera

There is a casting call this weekend for Madama Butterfly this Saturday, Oct. 1, at 4:30pm at the Sarasota Opera House.

Sarasota Opera is hosting a casting call to find two-three children to portray Butterfly’s son in the 2011 fall production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly this Saturday, Oct. 1, at 4:30pm at the Sarasota Opera House.   According to a news release, this is a volunteer position and the period of commitment will be from Oct. 6 through Nov. 15. Availability days, evenings and weekends is required however rehearsals and performances are not daily.   In the opera, the character is three year’s old. Sarasota Opera is seeking children who are: At the casting session, Martha Collins, the stage director for the production, will interview the children. The release said the children will have an opportunity to meet some of the cast members of Madama …

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