Suncoast Culture Club

In 2016, she embarked on a mission to restore Judy Garland's original orchestrations, culminating in a song-for-song recreation of Garland's 1961 Carnegie Hall concert. At Michael Feinstein's invitation, she serves as Editor of the Judy Garland Carnegie Hall Concert Restoration Project for the Judy Garland Heirs Trust. Recently, she was given the privilege of restoring the newly-discovered MGM film arrangement of Ove...

You saw her guest conduct the Sarasota Orchestra last February and now she returns to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Monday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m., courtesy of the Sarasota Concert Association, to conduct her very own orchestra, the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic.
For their Florida tour, conductor JoAnn Falletta, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and guest violin soloist Sandy Cameron will  present  Kodaly's Dan...

She has had an amazing career in marketing and public relations for orchestras such as the Baltimore Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and Atlanta Symphony, but in October of 2020, she moved to Sarasota to be the first executive director in the 78-year history of the Sarasota Concert Association.
Take a listen to Linda Moxley's fascinating life and career while learning all about the history and current offerings of the Sa...

He was the theater teacher and director at Booker's Visual and Performing Arts High School for 22 years, has directed shows at nearly every theatre house on the Suncoast, has won so many awards, we don't have room to list them here, and now he is working on a brand new project called On the Roof featuring the music of Carole King and James Taylor to open at the Venice Theatre in January.
Join Amanda Schlachter and Rob...

The Pops Orchestra celebrates this holiday season with all your favorite Hollywood holiday film scores, featuring original movies made to the arrangements by four SCF Film students. Their teacher, Chris Bellanca, joins the Pops too as the featured narrator to 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Join conductor Robyn Bell as she talks to Lake Simms, Max Sorba, Michael La Placa, and Delaney Recupero about their lives as bu...

Robert Vodnoy brings almost 50 years of conducting experience to the Chamber Orchestra of Sarasota, which he founded in 2017.
They have grown from one concert a season to five, and Bob joins the club this week to tell us about the inception, growth, and planned upcoming season of his chamber orchestra, which begins on Thursday, December 1.
You might also be able to answer the question, "Just what in the world IS a &apo...

Eddie Weaver hails from Atlanta, was an acting apprentice for Florida Studio Theatre last year, and is now one of the four stars of FST's cabaret "The 70s: More Than a Decade," showing now through February 12 at the John C. Court Cabaret.
Take a listen to Eddie's journey to the Suncoast, his dream to run his own theatre company in his hometown, and the best place in Sarasota to get pies, pasta, and chicken!<...

Actors Morgan Lavenstein and Jake Fallon join the Suncoast Culture Club Podcast to talk about their lives, journey to the Suncoast, and this crazy, wacky, dark, raucous family comedy about a brother and sister who are launching a plot to kill their 100-year old grandfather, but only dialogue through the miscommunication laden platforms of text and email.
Urbanite Theatre's production of "The Burdens" is running n...

The Pops Orchestra welcomes Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe performers Amber Myers, Maicy Powell, CJ Melton, and Raleigh Mosely II  in presentation of The Spirit of America, featuring spirituals, gospel tunes, and anthems, along with stirring patriotic selections to honor our nation's veterans.
Join conductor Robyn Bell as she talks to these four talented singers about their lives, careers with WBTT, and the importance of ...

You might know him as the former Producing Artistic Director at the Players Centre, but Jeffery Kin has a new job and mission and he wants to share it with the world.
Join Robyn Bell and Jeffery Kin as they both talk about their new jobs, the vision of Sarasota Rising, and their plot to get the Benderson Corporation to explore one more philanthropic initiative, this one for the arts organizations of Sarasota County.
All tha...

The first 20 years of her career was spent performing leading roles in more than 30 opera houses across Europe. Her second 20 years was spent teaching voice at Utah State University and Boston University. Her next 20 years has been spent on the Suncoast where Joy McIntyre volunteers for countless arts organizations including the Artist Series Concerts, Suncoast Music Scholarship, Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning (past-presid...

Who has the coolest job in town? Why, it would most certainly be Jay Handelman, the arts editor and theatre critic for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune , his employer since 1984. Jay joins the club to talk about his career at the paper, the many changes he has witnessed in the arts scene on the Suncoast, and how to walk that tightrope when a performance doesn't quite hit the mark for him.
All that and more on this episode of th...

The SCF Theatre Program presents its first play of the year, "Nothing Serious" written by Rich Orloff,  September 23 through October 2 in the Howard Studio Theatre on the SCF Bradenton campus. 
The play's director, faculty member Amanda Schlachter, and assistant director, SCF Theatre major Tori Flounders, join the club this week to talk about their experiences, the importance of the SCF Theatre Program in the liv...

She is a graduate of FSU's Asolo Theatre Conservatory and owner and artistic director of Sarasota's Tree Fort Productions. Katherine Michelle Tanner is an actor, playwright, singer, dancer, filmmaker, choreographer, photographer, and teacher, and for the next month, she is producing and performing the one act play she wrote and choreographed about World War II Polish Jewish ballerina, Franceska Mann called Mann's Las...

When she was in college, if you would have told Kerry Smith that she would be anything other than a professional viola player, she would have told you to go fly a kite. How she ended up being an arts administrator and becoming the Director of Artistic Planning for the Sarasota Orchestra is a fascinating and heartwarming story. One that has seen her make beautiful personal connections and experience great loss of those she has come ...

Sarah Yonko, Chris Cordero, and Mike Nolan join the club to talk about their careers as community musical theatre performers, lives outside of the theatre hall, and performances in the upcoming run of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, playing at the Manatee Performing Arts Center August 11 through August 21.

Directed and choreographed by Rick Kerby, music directed by Rick Bogner, and featuring Alex Zickafoo...

Each summer, the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe hosts a 5-week summer camp for students ages 10 to 18 called "Stage of Discovery."  Jim Weaver, WBTT's education director and artistic associate, and Astrid Victoria, a Stage of Discovery alumnus who now serves on the staff of the camp, join the club this week to tell us about this wonderful program, the growth and progress of the students, and this year's theme fo...

From Pennsylvania to Tucson, the Buddy Holly Story to Dollywood, and many stops in between, Jared Mancuso and Nick Gallardo combined their love of playing rock 'n' roll and formed the band "Not Fade Away." Now, they can travel the country performing your favorite 50's and 60's rock 'n' roll tunes in their reimagined arrangements. Their show "Rock 'n' Roll Reignited" is pla...

Actors Lea Sevola and Emma Giorgio, along with director Summer Dawn Wallace, join the Suncoast Culture Club Podcast to talk about their lives, journey to Urbanite, and this amazing story of two strong young ladies who start as fencing foes and end up wanting something for each other...something more than they want for themselves.
Urbanite Theatre's production of "Athena" is running now through July 10. Get your t...