Community Calendar

April 2, 2025 @ 7:00pm | April 3, 2025 @ 7:00pm | April 4, 2025 @ 7:00pm | April 5, 2025 @ 7:00pm

Step into the world of Big Fish, a heartwarming and family-friendly musical that celebrates the joy of storytelling, the importance of family, and the power of human connection. Based on the celebrated novel by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film directed by Tim Burton, this extraordinary show tells the story of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest—and then some! His incredible, larger-than-life stories captivate everyone around him, especially his devoted wife, Sandra. But his son, Will, now expecting a child of his own, is determined to uncover the truth behind his father’s epic tales. Overflowing with heart and humor, BIG FISH is an extraordinary musical that reminds us why we love going to the theatre—for an experience that’s richer, funnier and bigger than life itself.

U.S. citizens Lali and Beng are being held prisoner in a small, dirty cement cell. Where have they been taken? How much time has passed? Are they alive? Has their story been broadcast to the world? How did they get here? What will happen to them?

Inspired by true accounts of the plight of captured and detained journalists and aid workers, NO ONE IS FORGOTTEN is a story about intimacy, surrender, and the will to live for someone else.

When Myah punches her boss in the nose and walks out of a soul-crushing corporate job, her life unravels in ways she never expected. Crashing into the spare room of an older woman with her own hidden wounds, Myah embarks on an unpredictable transformation journey. Filled with raw emotion and poignant story-telling that captures the painful process of letting go, finding connection, and embracing change.

Warning: Adult Language and Themes

Life is filled with choices. Some people don’t make the best ones. To the outside world, John Scanlon appears to be a successful businessman, a leader in his church, and happily married to Rene. This image means more to John than anything else in his life. But it is a façade behind which John carries out nefarious business activities. This front begins to unravel when John falls behind on his payments to a loan shark and Lou, a representative of the loan shark arrives at his home. Lou is here to offer John a way out of this financial morass. However, Lou’s also falling in love with Rene. Ultimately, they all must make a choice that their lives may depend on, who do they trust?

April 2, 2025 @ 7:00pm | April 3, 2025 @ 7:00pm | April 4, 2025 @ 7:00pm | April 5, 2025 @ 7:00pm

Step into the world of Big Fish, a heartwarming and family-friendly musical that celebrates the joy of storytelling, the importance of family, and the power of human connection. Based on the celebrated novel by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film directed by Tim Burton, this extraordinary show tells the story of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest—and then some! His incredible, larger-than-life stories captivate everyone around him, especially his devoted wife, Sandra. But his son, Will, now expecting a child of his own, is determined to uncover the truth behind his father’s epic tales. Overflowing with heart and humor, BIG FISH is an extraordinary musical that reminds us why we love going to the theatre—for an experience that’s richer, funnier and bigger than life itself.

U.S. citizens Lali and Beng are being held prisoner in a small, dirty cement cell. Where have they been taken? How much time has passed? Are they alive? Has their story been broadcast to the world? How did they get here? What will happen to them?

Inspired by true accounts of the plight of captured and detained journalists and aid workers, NO ONE IS FORGOTTEN is a story about intimacy, surrender, and the will to live for someone else.

When Myah punches her boss in the nose and walks out of a soul-crushing corporate job, her life unravels in ways she never expected. Crashing into the spare room of an older woman with her own hidden wounds, Myah embarks on an unpredictable transformation journey. Filled with raw emotion and poignant story-telling that captures the painful process of letting go, finding connection, and embracing change.

Warning: Adult Language and Themes

My Unauthorized Hallmark Movie Musical is a unique and captivating blend of live theater and cinema, offering audiences a spellbinding escape into the magic of a rom-com where they, too, can discover their inner love warriors. The story follows Eloise, an exhausted essential worker, who finds solace in binge-watching cheesy Hallmark movies. As she attempts to write her own Hallmark-inspired musical, the characters come to life on screen, suddenly taking over the story and challenging Eloise to wade through the cheese and find a happy ending.

To make your night even more special, we're offering FREE Hallmark Keepsake giveaways to some lucky ticket holders! You might receive a limited-edition Hallmark collectible ornament as a memento of this unforgettable experience.

Join us for the stories of WWII heroines brought to life on stage through music, art and dance! April 4, 7:30 pm and April 5, 2:30 & 7:30 pm at Manatee Performing Arts Center in Bradenton. Step into history and experience the incredible stories of courage, defiance, and resilience as Women of Resistance, in partnership with Sarasota Contemporary Dance, present an unforgettable theatrical tribute to the heroines of World War II. Tickets range from $25-$50 https://bit.ly/WORtickets25

Robert Harling's "Steel Magnolias" takes place in Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser (“I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a bad mood for forty years”); an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry a “good ole boy.” Filled with hilarious repartee and not a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play moves toward tragedy when, in the second act, the spunky Shelby (who is a diabetic) risks pregnancy and forfeits her life. The sudden realization of their mortality affects the others but also draws on the underlying strength—and love—which give the play and its characters the special quality to make them truly touching, funny, and marvelously amiable company in good times and bad.

"Steel Magnolias" is directed by David J. Valdez and presented through Dramatists Play Service.