Visit the Music Compound this Friday night to witness a free exciting live show from some of Sarasota’s best homegrown musicians. The local music school, which has branches in both Sarasota and Bradenton, is hosting a Songwriter Showcase – celebrating the original music of the students in their various programs.

“It’s an event that we host annually. We not only try to expose our students to a variety of different genres, but we want to encourage them to be individual artists,” says Jenny Townsend, owner of Music Compound. “Part of inspiring them to be their own artist are our songwriting courses and summer camps, which encourage them to write their own songs. Even our kids in classes at ages four, five and six write their own songs.”

Headlining the event – which will consist of six to seven individual artists along with a youth and an adult band – is Oxidation, an alternative rock band that was conceived initially at Music Compound when current Riverview High School students Caleb Adcock, vocals, and Michael Hackney, lead guitar, were a part of Music Compound’s Band Program.

“Oxidation was formed out of a youth band at Music Compound called The Intellectuals. They’ve started booking their own gigs, doing all of their own management and promotional work – using a lot of those skills they learned from being in our Band Program for two to two and a half years,” says Townsend. “The Band Program is made up of individual students and bands. We also host a concert every single month which features students of all different genres and ages and is a way for them to showcase all the skills they’ve learned in their private lessons or programs. Depending on what type of program they’re in will determine the performance – we have opera singers, rock groups, and country artists – it’s a wide variety of genres. This month’s theme, however, is specific for singer-songwriters.”

Friday, January 20, 6 p.m. at Music Compound SRQ , 1751 Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota, 941-379-9100. 

Pictured: Local rock band Oxidation will headline the January 20 Songwriter Showcase at the Music Compound Sarasota location. Courtesy of Music Compound.

To learn more click here.

Broadway’s master songman, Mandy Patinkin, accompanied by Adam Ben-David on piano, will bring his newest theatre concert Mandy Patinkin in Concert: BEING ALIVE, to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall for one performance only on February 16, 2023. Tickets on sale now. Mandy Patinkin in Concert: BEING ALIVE presents the acclaimed actor / singer / storyteller in his most electrifying role: concert performer. “Mandy Patinkin is in the business of showstopping,” raves The New Yorker, and that’s exactly what he does in this powerful, passionate evening of song. BEING ALIVE is a marriage of many of Mandy’s favorite Broadway and classic American tunes, along with selections from his newest recordings on Nonesuch Records, Mandy Patinkin Diary January 2018 and Mandy Patinkin Diary April/May 2018. From Randy Newman to Stephen Sondheim, from Harry Chapin to Rufus Wainwright, Mandy Patinkin takes you on a dazzling musical journey you’ll never forget. Tickets for Mandy Patinkin in Concert: BEING ALIVE are $37-$82 and can be purchased at www.VanWezel.org, by calling the box office at 941-263-6799 or by visiting the box office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should contact 941-263-6726. Pre-show dining is available through Mattison’s at the Van Wezel which is located inside the theatre. Reservations can be made on VanWezel.org or through the box office. 

Pictured: Mandy Patinkin will be live at the Van Wezel, February 16. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Asolo Repertory Theatre proudly presents Douglas Lyons’ Chicken and Biscuits as the third play in its 2023 repertory season. Bianca LaVerne Jones, who served as associate director of the 2021 Broadway production, will direct. Chicken and Biscuits begins previews on Feb. 15, opens on Feb. 17, and runs through April 13, in the Mertz Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. Chicken and Biscuits introduces us to the Jenkins family, as they gather to celebrate the life of their beloved and recently deceased father and grandfather, the Revered Bernard Jenkins. When an unexpected guest reveals a secret, they all discover that nothing brings a family together like a big side of drama. This side-splitting new Broadway comedy explores the tenderness of family, the joy of reconciliation and the nourishing power of love. Chicken and Biscuits contains mature content and language. Chicken and Biscuits runs Feb. 15 – April 13. Previews are Feb. 15 – 16. Visit asolorep.org for a full performance schedule. Orchestra and Mezzanine seats start at $65 and Balcony seats start at $33. Tickets are available now in person at Asolo Rep's Box Office at 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, by phone at 941.351.8000 or 800.361.8388, or online at asolorep.org. 

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is thrilled to host a collective of Florida Highwaymen for a special one-night-only exhibition of their legendary art. The event will take place, Wednesday, February 22 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the foundation’s Burrows-Matson House headquarters at Bay Preserve, 400 Palmetto Avenue in Osprey. Artwork will be available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Conservation Foundation. From the early 1950s through the 1980s, twenty-six African-American artists - now known as the Florida Highwaymen - used vivid and bright colors to paint scenes of beautiful, untouched Florida. Excluded from showing their work in galleries or museums in Jim Crow era Florida, they piled their paintings into the trunks of their cars and sold them along US Highway 1, thus earning the name “Highwaymen.” Today, their vibrant paintings are highly-collectible and widely sought after. Three of the original twenty-six artists – Curtis Arnett, Al Black, and Robert L. Lewis – along with one second-generation Highwayman – Roy McLendon, Jr. – will be in attendance with artwork on display and available for purchase. Registration for the reception is required. To RSVP, visit Conservation Foundation online at conservationfoundation.com/events or call 941-918-2100. To learn more about the individual artists or the Highwaymen as a whole, visit floridahighwaymenpaintings.com. 

Pictured: Painting by Robert L. Lewis. Courtesy of Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.

On Saturday, January 28th, 2023 from 12:00-2:00 pm, Sarasota Opera House will be opening its doors to the community for performances, activities, backstage tours, and more. Throughout the afternoon, attendees can hear musical selections from our artists, take a glimpse at costumes from our collection of over 55,000 pieces, watch our make-up designers at work, and have the opportunity to stand on our stage in a behind the scenes tour. Artists from the 2023 Winter Opera Festival will be available during the afternoon to share the excitement about our upcoming productions of Madama Butterfly, Don Giovanni, Ernani, and Therese. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, visit SarasotaOpera.org, call our box office at (941) 328-1300, or visit us in person at 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236. 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens announced today that Crystal Bailey, Esq. has joined the staff of Selby Gardens in the newly created position of Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel. Bailey comes to Selby Gardens from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, where she served for the past eight years, most recently as general counsel on the Sheriff’s executive staff. Prior to her roles with the Sheriff’s Office, Bailey worked as a prosecutor handling all levels of offenses in Pinellas County. In this new role, Bailey will oversee legal matters, human resources, volunteer engagement, and guest experience for Selby Gardens. She also will provide expert and strategic legal advice to Selby Gardens’ Board and staff leadership. Bailey earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Miami University (Ohio) and a Juris Doctor degree from Stetson University College of Law in 2009. She is a member of the Florida Bar and Sarasota County Bar Association, Florida Association of Police Attorneys, Florida Association of Women Lawyers, and International Association of Chiefs of Police. Bailey served on the City of Sarasota’s Charter Review Committee in 2022 and is a graduate of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation Leadership Institute.  

 Adeline’s Mystic Earth is hosting a DIY Manifestation Jar Workshop: Manifesting Self-Love and Self-Healing on Feb. 4th from 10:30-noon at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime. This workshop will guide you through creating a manifestation jar, setting your intention, and sealing your practice with a short guided meditation circle. You will create your own 30-ml manifestation jar using herbs, crystals, dried flowers, and more. The theme is focused on your self-love journey. This workshop is designed for anyone wanting to embrace or affirm self-love and heart-healing for any reason. Creating manifestation jars is a meditation within itself, but they also hold intentions and can be used during other meditations, journaling, or even left on an altar . Regina Klein is a Certified Crystal Healer and has been in-tune with universal energy throughout her life using that connection to assist friends and family before making it a career. Her personal mission and that of Adeline's Mystic Earth is to make crystals and other energetic tools accessible to everyone through classes, workshops, individual sessions, and the store itself as a means to enhance daily living and complement each person's healing journey. The workshop is only $25 and registration is required. For more information visit https://adelinesmysticearth.com/ or call 941-504-2151. The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime is located at 821 Apricot Ave, Sarasota. 

Five years ago, the LWRBA’s Community Engagement Committee launched Alliance Gives Back (AGB). Since its inception AGB has brought nearly 1,000 volunteers to over 100 projects in the region. Last year, we wanted to expand upon that effort by creating another path to support our local non-profits, through a grant cycle partnership with the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. Our 5th annual AGB was a huge success with a record number of volunteers and volunteer opportunities and right as the fundraising portion was launched, Hurricane Ian hit and we paused our fundraising portion of Alliance Gives Back to focus on local fundraising hurricane relief efforts. We are excited to now re-launch our Alliance Gives Back Grant Initiative! Here are some frequently asked questions: How do I get involved? Donations are live! We will be raising funds from now until February 6. Where does the money go? The LWRBA will be awarding grants at the April 19 luncheon. How does a non-profit apply for a grant? Beginning February 9th, the grant applications will be available online. You must be an Alliance Member and 501c3 to be eligible. All grants will go through the normal LWRCF grant process. The LWRCF will be choosing the grant recipients and The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance will have no input to the awarding of the grants. We hope you will join us in continuing to support our non-profits in the region through Alliance Gives Back! 

Click here to donate.

Join us on March 7, 2023 at Michael's On East for a dynamic luncheon symposium centered on conversations focused on regional philanthropic topics. The luncheon will include a panel discussion to explore the ever-changing world of non-profits and honor outstanding individuals who have made a meaningful impact within the community. 

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