“Growing up, all my babysitters were actors. I was always at rehearsal because there was no one there to watch me when my parents were at work,” says Naarai Jacobs. “And so naturally, I wanted to be a part of it. I was tired of sitting in the dressing room, I wanted to be on stage.”

It wasn’t long before Naarai, the daughter of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe founder and artistic director Nate Jacobs, got her chance. “I came up through the company when we were struggling,” says Naarai with a laugh. “The experience was very different and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It challenged our discipline, our creativity and taught me a great deal of commitment. My first show I ever did was Black Nativity, in 2002 or 2003, and after that I started taking piano lessons and finding roles and different ways that I could be a part of the theater.”

Naarai has parlayed an upbringing in the arts into a career as a professional singer–after graduating from Howard University in 2015, Naarai moved west to Los Angeles, where she’s provided background vocals for artists such as Beyonce, Tori Kelly, Mariah Carey, and Kanye West.

Now, Naarai is coming home to take part in a special collaboration between the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and Key Chorale titled Grace: The Spirit of Aretha. The concert, which will take place at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Monday, May 8th, is a tribute to Aretha Franklin and will feature performances by Naarai, WBTT vocalist Matelyn Alicia and the 100 singers of Key Chorale.

“My dad and I started talking about the show in 2022. It’s basically just a culmination of Aretha’s music, the first half focusing on her gospel records, and then the second half is more so just her love songs and more notable pop radio hits. It’s a really great show,” says Naarai. “To be able to come home and perform is a huge blessing. I grew up as a little girl seeing concerts at the Van Wezel, so to be able to sing music there with other incredibly talented singers is really special.”

Key Chorale Box Office: 941-552-8768, Monday, May 8, 2023 at 7:30 p.m,Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall , 777 N. Tamiami Tr. Sarasota. 

Pictured: Matelyn Alicia (left) and Naarai will be the featured vocalists for Grace: The Spirit of Aretha, a collaboration of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and Key Chorale. Photo courtesy of WBTT.

For more information or to purchase tickets click here.

It’s common to see orchids grown in pots but did you know that most of them grow on trees in nature? The roots of an orchid wrap around or adhere to the bark without actually penetrating it. Unlike parasites, orchids don’t take any nutrients from their host plant. Most orchids are epiphytes, which derive nutrients from the air, rain, water, or debris and only use other plants, like trees, as an anchor. With some initial support, mounting an orchid to your tree or a wooden plank can be a fun, easy process! For a hands-on workshop, join UF/IFAS Extensions Manatee County on Saturday, May 20 at 10:00AM for Orchid Mounting: Make and Take Workshop. Learn how to properly mount an orchid, care for it after, and take home your own orchid and wooden plank for $25! 

Register online at

Asolo Repertory Theatre’s Education & Engagement team announces an exciting lineup of creative camps for young artists ages 6 to 14 this summer. The weeklong sessions run June 12 through Aug. 4, and each week of camp brings a new and exciting theme, so campers can choose to attend more than one session. Campers can also attend partial weeks, choosing their own adventure by picking which days they’d like to attend. Participants of all experience levels will have the opportunity to blossom and hone their theatrical skills in a creative, playful and welcoming environment. No experience necessary–theatre is for everyone! Early Bird pricing is available now through May 15 th . Each week of camp is $200 with morning and aftercare available for an additional cost. For more information and online registration visit asolorep.org/summercamp. Registration is also available by calling Asolo Rep’s Box Office at 941.351.8000. Theatre for All scholarships and financial assistance are available through generous support from the Barancik Foundation.  

To learn more click here.

After a national search, Asolo Repertory Theatre’s incoming Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein along with the Board of Directors has selected Ross Egan as the new managing director. Egan will assume the role on July 1, 2023 following the planned departure of Linda DiGabriele on June 30, 2023. DiGabriele has been at Asolo Rep for 50 years, with 35 of those years in the position of managing director. On Egan’s appointment Rothstein shared, “I am thrilled to craft the future of Asolo Rep in collaboration with Ross Egan, who brings a depth of business acumen and a palpable passion for the art form. He understands the complexities of leading a non-profit theater in these challenging times and is driven by a spirit of creativity and innovation.” Since 2019, Egan has been Managing Director of the historic Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA where he shepherded the organization through the pandemic by building and producing Barter at the Moonlite Drive In, becoming one of the first theatres in the world to produce at the time. Prior to joining Barter's leadership team, he was Director of Operations for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival and founded the Joseph Jefferson award-winning Refuge Theatre Project in Chicago, producing music theatre in unique spaces across the city. Ross has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theater from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Illinois State University.

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is proud to announce the lineup for its 2023 Summer Season, featuring a three-show Mainstage Series and a three-show Cabaret Series. The Mainstage Series includes the comedic whodunit, Shear Madness; the uplifting drama, Black Pearl Sings!; and Ken Ludwig’s A Comedy of Tenors, a fast-paced comedy. The Cabaret Series features some of the country’s top Cabaret artists celebrating the soaring harmonies of The Beach Boys, great contemporary female vocalists like Aretha Franklin and Celine Dion, and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s songbook. A complete season schedule at a glance can be found in the press release copied below my signature.  With its mission to make theatre accessible to as many people as possible, FST offers all three Summer Mainstage productions or all three Summer Cabaret shows for as little as $49. Subscriptions are now on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or at 941.366.9000. 

From July 29 to August 25, Art Uptown Gallery will display their artists’ creative interpretations on the theme: “FLORA.” The gallery will offer paintings and flower-filled collages, plein-air landscapes, abstract and traditional florals, decorative glass, ceramics, whimsical garden sculptures, bronze and glass mosaics to enchant visitors with a variety of “plant-based” fine art. FLORA ’s First Friday opening public reception will be on Friday, August 4 from 6 - 9 pm. The exhibit opens on Saturday, July 29 and runs through Friday, August 25. Art Uptown Gallery welcomes patrons and friends at 1367 Main Street where the diverse work of regional award-winning artists is exhibited. Summer Hours: OPEN: Tuesday - Saturday: 11 am - 5 pm. Fridays - 11 am - 5 pm, closed: Sunday - Monday. Telephone 941-955-5409 or visit www.artuptown.com for further information. 

The Hermitage Artist Retreat is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Tony Award-winning Roundabout Theatre Company, the nation’s largest not-for-profit theater with a celebrated history of producing iconic works for nearly 60 years. The partnership, structured on an ongoing basis, furthers the Hermitage's mission to inspire and foster the most influential and culturally consequential art and artists of our time. This collaboration will provide an opportunity for some of the theater world's most exciting new voices to explore their work on the historic Hermitage campus before the potential for production at one of the country’s most prestigious theatrical institutions. The inaugural year of this new partnership will launch this summer with playwrights York Walker and Dave Harris. 

The “Clean Girl Aesthetic” has been trending in the beauty space. This beauty trend is based around looking effortlessly casual but still elevated and chic and seems to have been made popular by makeup moguls Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez.

You can achieve this “you but better” look a few different ways. First by perfecting the “no makeup” makeup look. In brief, this is generally a light skin-like foundation, fluffy brows, light mascara and a tinted lip. The real key to achieving this effortless look however is through beauty services and treatments to help you look your best without a big makeup routine and The Brow House is the perfect spot for this.

The Brow House is a local beauty studio located in Downtown Sarasota. They offer an array of services and treatments for brows, lashes and more that fall perfectly in-line with this trend. At The Brow House they believe each individual holds their own unique beauty. One of their most popular services at the moment is the brow lamination. This process is like a keratin treatment for the brows; it gives you a full, fluffy and textured look. The lamination process straightens the brows to help them lay flatter and appear overall fuller for a semi-permanent style. Another popular service is a lash lift and tint to boost curl and give the appearance of longer, thicker lashes. This allows you to ditch mascara for 4-6 weeks. Other services include permanent makeup and facial waxing. You’ll wake up feeling your best and your morning routine will be a breeze.

The Brow House has also been partnering with other local businesses to offer different services on a pop-up basis. Some of these pop-ups have included nail artists specializing in long term nail and hand health, hair specialists offering fringe and face framing haircuts and hand poke tattoos, commonly referred to as stick and poke tattoos—a machine-less method of permanent tattooing, much more delicate to the skin and less painful than traditional tattooing.

I spoke with co-owner of The Brow House, Dallas Trigg who shared “We enjoy networking with fellow small businesses to create workshops and services at the studio to help create community in Sarasota.”

Lastly, on your way out, you can browse their growing Home and Garden section. They carry plants from a local plant company, Wally’s Old Florida Plant Shop. They also have an array of on-trend accessories and home goods.

Kendall Stone is owner and fasion buyer for Motel Therapy, 532 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, 941-960-2277.

The Brow House 1853 Fruitville Rd Sarasota, 941-554-8205, hello@thebrowhousesarasota.com. 

Pictured: Natural makeup and laminated brows are trending in fashion. Photo courtesy of The Brow House.

To learn more click here.