Newsletter 159

NEWS FROM THE SUNCOAST

RECORD RAINFALL

The month of August, as well as the summer overall, were the wettest on record for the Sarasota and Bradenton region, according to a climate summary from the National Weather Service in Ruskin. It rained a total of 47.32 inches over the summer in Sarasota-Bradenton, the highest rainfall total in 2024 for an area in West Central and Southwest Florida. The figure includes rainfall between June 1 and Aug. 31. Normal summer rainfall for the area is 23.55 inches, according to the weather service data. The Sarasota-Bradenton area also saw 23.55 inches of rain in August alone, compared with the normal total of 9.11 inches. The figure doesn’t include rainfall that was not captured on Aug. 5 because of equipment failure, but local rain gauges indicate that 3-4 inches of rain on that date would increase the total August and summer rainfall even more. Venice also saw its wettest August on record with a total of 21.96 inches of rain. Normal rain in August for Venice is 8.34 inches. September is also off to a wet start, with 2.76 inches record in the first five days, more than an inch greater than the normal 1.53 inches by this point in the month. The combined June, July and August period also measured as the fifth warmest summer on record, with an average temperature of 83.7 in Sarasota-Bradenton, compared with the normal 82.8 degrees. National Weather Service Forecaster Austin Flannery said that without a doubt Debby was the highest contributor of rain, dumping a high amount of rain in a short amount of time. The area also saw intense rainfall that led to flash flooding in downtown Sarasota in early June. Those couple of events will skew everything on the high side, but it has overall been a wet summer, Flannery added. The increase of rainfall can be attributed to an increase of easterly winds, Flannery said. Summer thunderstorms are driven by the wind patterns and sea breeze. Since land heats faster than water, the cool air from the sea acts like a shovel, pushing the air upward and causing storm development. Flannery said that the increase of easterly winds can be attributed to the location of the Bermuda high, a high-pressure system in the western Atlantic that dictates what the winds do. For more information on this story, courtesy of Sarasota Herald-Tribune, please click here: Record Rainfall

CLIMATE SHIFT LIKELY INTENSIFIES STORMS

Repeated historic rainfalls have struck Sarasota and Manatee counties over the past two years, turning roads into rivers, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage and killing 11 people. The frequency of the flooding has sparked alarm among residents as once rare deluges appear to be more common, putting lives and property in jeopardy at greater frequencies. Some people are demanding answers and action from local officials. An online petition has been created calling for a pause in new development of vulnerable areas and demanding Sarasota County officials conduct an independent hydrology report. More than 660 people had signed the petition as of Friday afternoon. Some of these storms were classified as 100-year or 200-year or even 1,000-year events, with a 100-year event having a 1% chance of happening in a given year. But one Sarasota-based meteorologist believes because of a warming climate those classifications will need to be updated — along with how we prepare and build for such events in the future. Bob Bunting, the CEO and chairman of the Sarasota-based Climate Adaptation Center, said if a storm the size of Tropical Storm Debby had taken the same path in 1975, the rainfall “had a strong potential of around nine inches” in a 24-hour-period. Now, given a rise in global average temperatures that has caused more moisture to stay for longer in the atmosphere, along with warmer ocean temperatures, Debby had a maximum ability to dump more than 18 inches of rain over parts of Sarasota and Manatee counties. “The fact is that the climate warming that’s been created since the industrial revolution is enhancing the impacts of natural events,” he said. “We’re looking into the past and saying that’s what it’s going to look like in the future, but it’s not,” he said. “The climate has already shifted.” Please click here for more: Climate Shift Intensifies Storms

MOTE EXAMINES DEBBY’S IMPACT

Mote Marine Laboratory is reporting substantial changes in water quality and wildlife a month after Tropical Storm Debby’s record-breaking rainfall and flooding overwhelmed the Sarasota community. Scientists from Mote shared that Debby caused “a significant ecological impact on Sarasota Bay,” reporting chemical changes in the water and damage to nearby sea turtle nests. The data comes as Mote begins to take stock of the impact of the storm, and the laboratory said it’s unclear whether the changes will fade in the coming months or linger long-term. An initial analysis of the bay’s water quality revealed a spike in nitrate and ammonia concentrations, a drop in dissolved oxygen levels and elevated turbidity and true color, per a Mote press release. The skewed levels could pose a threat to local wildlife, as the water’s high nitrate concentration and lower oxygen levels could bolster the growth of toxin-producing bacteria and the raised turbidity could block underwater plants from receiving vital sunlight. “The combination of low pH, elevated nutrients and low oxygen concentrations can disrupt the balance of the ecosystem,” Mote’s press release notes. “When oxygen levels are as low as some Mote water samples indicate, it can stress or even kill marine life.” Debby’s impacts to local sea turtle nests were particularly notable, with Mote’s analysis finding that 42% of the recorded nests were completely washed out and 79% were at least partially impacted. Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol recorded almost 3,000 active turtle nests prior to the storm: By the end of August, that number shrank to a little more than 1,100. Mote attributed the nest impacts to Debby’s storm surge, which changed the beach profiles and added sand to some areas. The laboratory’s Turtle Patrol tracks nesting activity from Longboat Key to Venice during the nesting season from April to October. Despite the damage, Mote remains hopeful that the local sea turtle population will recover and persevere. Melissa Macksey, a senior biologist and conservation manager of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program, said the storm puts the resilience of sea turtles on display. “Their evolutionary adaptations to these dynamic conditions are a testament to their enduring survival,” Macksey said. “Tropical Storm Debby is a reminder of the ongoing need to understand and protect these remarkable creatures.” There’s more to read here: Mote Examines Debby’s Impact

HOME MARKET BACK TO NORMAL?

The Sarasota-Bradenton area real estate market has undergone a “market correction,” with conditions more similar now to those before the COVID-19 pandemic, than the supercharged buying frenzy that resulted after the health crisis eased, with bidding wars and record prices, according to a report on July sales. The Realtors Association of Sarasota and Manatee’s most recent monthly report noted that both counties “experienced a cooling in market activity” in July, pointing to properties sitting on the market longer than has been typical over the past three years. Other signs the real estate market has fully returned to pre-COVID conditions include the number of homes on the market above levels in 2019 and a decrease in the median price of a sold home. The pricing of properties just entering the market has also been on the decline. Despite the less than rosy statistics, real estate professionals view a return to a balanced market as a good thing, when buyers have more leverage with sellers needing to be more realistic on pricing. “The market is getting back to how it was before the pandemic, and while it might seem like things are cooling off, that’s actually a good thing,” said Tony Barrett, 2024 Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee president and broker owner of Barrett Realty. “It means we’re in a more balanced market, which is great news for both buyers and sellers.” In July, Sarasota County property owners sold 642 single-family homes, which was 1.4% more than in July 2023. This indicates that demand for property has not evaporated, although the median price that a single-family home sold for fell 12.1% to $470,000, according to the RASM report. The average sales price in Sarasota County also fell by 2.1% to about $679,000. While it was a modest decrease in single-family home pricing in Sarasota, the number of properties for sale has increased dramatically, shooting up to 3,068 single-family homes for sale in Sarasota County — an increase of 59.5% comparing July 2023 to July 2024. Both Sarasota and Manatee counties saw declining median sales prices in the townhome and condo market. In Sarasota County, 285 multifamily properties were sold with the median sale price coming in at $365,000 — a 6.3% decrease from July 2023. There’s more on this story here: Home Market Back To Normal?

MOST EXPENSIVE PROPERTY HITS MARKET

An Italian-styled villa by the Field Club overlooking Little Sarasota Bay has been listed for $28.35 million, making it the most expensive residential property currently for sale in Sarasota County. The property at 1310 South Lake Shore Drive recently underwent a “multi-year renovation” from Italian architect Andrea Gallo, listing agent Steve Wexler of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty said. The seller, Gene Myers, bought the site in 1990 for $700,000, before building the 9,225-square-foot estate in 1992. Wexler told the Herald-Tribune that the seller’s attention to detail and high-quality materials has created a “true masterpiece of architectural brilliance” that has “timeless elegance.” The 1.26-acre estate provides “panoramic water views” and includes 4,185 square feet of air-conditioned garages and hobby space for potential buyers who may need additional storage. “The walled and gated entrance opens to a world of refined luxury. Intricate Venetian plaster walls, hand-painted frescoes, and exquisite gold leaf accents adorn the interiors,” marketing material from Premier Sotheby’s said. The property features a dock with 20,000-pound lift, outdoor kitchen, a mosaic pool area and a 657-foot long privacy wall. “This extraordinary residence represents a rare opportunity to own a piece of European-inspired grandeur in the heart of Sarasota,” Wexler said. “Experience a lifestyle of timeless elegance and sophistication in a home with a legacy that will outlast the ages.” If the property sells above $20 million, it will set a record price for the region. In recent months, the local luxury market has seen a slowdown from the high pace in 2021 and 2022, although record prices have been achieved this year in both Sarasota and Manatee counties. Most recently, a $19.75 million sale on northern Longboat Key in June for the Ohana Estate established the high-water mark for a Manatee County property. The sale of the Ohana Estate broke a 2022 sales record set by the $16 million sale of an Anna Maria Island property located at 100 Beach Ave. in late 2022. A 17th-floor unit in The Epoch at 605 S. Gulfstream Blvd. set the record for a condo property in late May in an $11.35 million transaction, breaking the record by about $200,000. Please follow the jump for more on this story: Most Expensive Property Hits Market

APARTMENT BOOM WON’T FADE

A new report projects the Sarasota-Manatee County metro area to continue to see a boom in apartment construction, even after the area has seen more than 10,000 apartments added in the past five years. Over the next five years, Yardi Matrix, a market intelligence company for investment professionals, anticipates 13,441 apartment units to be built in the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton metro, according to a report published by RentCafe.com. Doug Ressler, a senior analyst and business intelligence manager for Yardi Matrix, told the Herald-Tribune those estimates are based on direct conversations with developers by a robust team of market researchers with the data updated monthly. The Yardi Matrix research staff notes that from 2019 to 2023 the Sarasota-Manatee metro had 10,575 apartment units constructed. That culminated in another 3,148 more units expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Multifamily developers set a nationwide record for the number of apartment units constructed this year. “By the end of the year, developers are on track to complete a staggering 518,108 rental units, marking a 9% increase compared to 2023 and a staggering 30% rise from 2022,” the RentCafe report stated. Ressler said the number of units expected in the combined Sarasota, Bradenton, North Port region shows strong demand for the cultural and recreational amenities offered. He also expects the pace of development to pick up. “We see a significant − and I’m not understating this − a significant number of units coming on board between now and 2029,” Ressler noted a downside to the growth of the rental market, as many of the new properties will be luxury units potentially contributing to inflationary pressures and affordability concerns in the local market. Sarasota, he said, already has 6% higher inflation than the rest of Florida and about 4% higher inflation than the rest of the state. Housing costs are 15% higher in Sarasota than the state as a whole, driving local inflation. “It’s the long pole in the tent,” he said of housing costs. Please click here for more: Apartment Boom Won’t Fade

SARASOTA COUNTY OK’S 3H RANCH PLAN

A controversial and massive development that will overtake a swath of land in eastern Sarasota County has the County Commission go-ahead after a recent lengthy meeting. The commission voted 4-1 to approve action items clearing the way for 3H Ranch — a mixed-use master-planned community consisting of more than 6,500 residential units, 250,000 square feet of commercial space, and 120,000 square feet of office space — with Commissioner Mark Smith in dissent. The development, which was proposed by developer Pat Neal, will stretch across more than 2,700 acres south of Clark Road and east of Interstate 75. The development will consist of 14 interconnected neighborhoods with a variety of single-family homes, duplexes, and apartments. The neighborhoods will include open space, parks, walking trails, and other amenities, with at least one “village center” with commercial enterprises. As a development with more than 1,000 units, 3H Ranch was reviewed and approved as a Development of Critical Concern: a designation that requires a more rigorous application process with greater criteria than smaller developments. The site was also rezoned from Open Use Estate and Open Use Rural to Village Planned Development, which grants the development the density and use provisions required to construct the proposed site plan. Tensions ran high in the chamber, as the Sarasota community is still reeling from the aftermath of Tropical Storm Debby’s historic rainfall and flooding. In a theme that carried through much of the day’s agenda, public speakers and commissioners discussed 3H’s stormwater management protocols at length, and opponents protested the use of longstanding county rainfall standards to guide the development’s storm preparations. About 4% of the 3H Ranch property lies within Flood Zone A, which describes areas with a 1% annual chance of experiencing a 100-year flood. The remaining 96% of the land, per application material, is classified as Flood Zone X, or areas outside the 0.2% annual chance of experiencing a one-in-500-year flood. Debby’s more than 15 inches of rainfall in less than 24 hours set a Sarasota County record, and the Invest 90L tropical system two months earlier similarly dumped significant rain on the area. Ken Natoli, an Isles on Palmer Ranch resident, said treating the two storms as rare events and not indicators of more severe weather patterns to come would set future development up to drown. “A hundred-year storm is just not enough anymore,” Natoli said. “You put a whole bunch of development and you keep the same standards, you’re going to get a whole lot of flooding.” The commission pressed pause on a rezone application minutes before considering 3H Ranch because of stormwater management concerns, citing a need to research and refine the development’s drainage protocol. Opponents of 3H urged commissioners to exercise the same caution when voting on the ranch. Ed Vogler, general counsel for Neal Communities, argued the previous application that moved to rezone 10 acres north of 17th Street and east of I-75 significantly differed from 3H Ranch’s proposal. Because of this, he said, the commission should not regard both applications with the same approach. Please click here for more: 3H Ranch Plan OK’d

HYATT PLAN SET FOR REVIEW

A redevelopment plan for the Hyatt Regency Sarasota has been filed with Sarasota city officials showing the owner’s plans to demolish the longstanding downtown hotel and construct two towers in its place. The development application calls for a mixed-use development with 224 condominiums, 166 hotel rooms, a 7,000-square-foot ballroom, and 4,700 square feet of commercial space on about 4.5 acres at 1000 Boulevard of the Arts. The current Hyatt — built in 1974 — has 294 hotel rooms, a 10,000-square-foot ballroom, and a 3,944-square-foot restaurant. The project will be developed by KT Sarasota Bay LLC, a subsidiary of Palm Beach-based Kolter Urban, a prominent developer who also built The Ritz Carlton Residences at The Quay, The Mark, The Vue, and Bayso Sarasota, and is currently building The Ritz Carlton Sarasota Bay. Kolter plans to phase construction of the building, with construction of the eastern tower set to be first. That tower is planned as a Thompson-branded hotel on the first 12 floors of the mixed-use building, according to John Harper, a development executive with Kolter Urban. Harper said no formal agreement has been yet reached on the hotel’s flag. Thompson is Hyatt’s luxury brand. The project addressed its phasing while seeking clarity from city officials on parking requirements and the timing of construction of parking garages. The developer owns 49 parking spaces in the nearby Beau Ciel condo tower and will factor those spaces into its parking requirements, according to the development application. Detailed engineering plans show the hotel will be in the eastern 18-story tower with the hotel portion ending on the 12th floor. The 4,700 square feet of commercial space will be on the ground floor of the L-shaped building along Boulevard of the Arts. The second tower will be 19 stories, one more than is usually allowed under Sarasota’s zoning code. The additional floor could be permitted because the design calls for a “liner building” that permits for a parking level to not be counted as a story. The tallest part of the building, a cooling tower, exceeds 273 feet, although the roof of the top residential floor appears set at 253 feet with the parapet wall about 260 feet. The redevelopment of the site will also require removal of 208 trees with the developer replacing 46 on the property. Another 168 trees are proposed to be replaced off site. The project is estimated to cost $250 million with plans a construction start date not yet possible, according to development plans and a Kolter executive. Please click on the link for more: Hyatt Plan Set For Review

ARCHITECTS SEEK INPUT FOR NEW ARTS CENTER

The public will get a first glimpse of the initial ideas developed by the architects hired to design a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center during two town hall sessions on Sept. 18. Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the Italian firm selected as design architects for the project, will provide updates on the development of their work and seek feedback from attendees. They will be joined by representatives of Sarasota-based Sweet Sparkman, the local architect of record for the building. “This will be the first presentation of a scheme and design,” said Kerry Joyce, an associate at Renzo Piano, a firm with main offices in Genoa, Italy, and Paris and extensive experience designing cultural buildings around the world. Plans for the new performing arts center grew out of discussions about the need for a larger venue than the 1,700-seat Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the desire to transform the Sarasota Bayfront around the hall into a public park. The first phase of the park opened in October 2022, and the second is expected to be completed in late 2026. The new venue, which is being overseen by the Foundation in partnership with the City of Sarasota, which owns the land, is expected to have about 2,200 seats in its main theater and a smaller flexible seating holding about 300 people. It will essentially supplant the Van Wezel as the main center for touring Broadway shows, comedy, concerts, dance, and more. A special panel appointed by the City of Sarasota is exploring alternative uses for the 54-year-old Van Wezel. Tania Castroverde Moskalenko, CEO of the foundation, said the new building could be completed by 2030. The city has agreed to share the costs (estimated to be between $250 million and $300 million) with the Foundation, which is working on raising its share for a facility that is expected to last into the 22nd century. Earlier this year, Moskalenko, who was named CEO in February, said she is eager to have new drawings to use to help sell the project to the public. The only image that has been available for the last five years is a conceptual drawing of the Bay Park master plan that includes a nondescript performing arts building on the northern end. Joyce described that drawing as a “great step in the Bay Park master plan to get people thinking of what the site can be. The drawing has been out there for a long time and people get used to it, but it doesn’t influence us much. What we appreciate with the Bay Park is that it pushed us forward into seeing how the building can be incorporated into the park.” There’s more here: Architects Seek Input

CULVERHOUSE STEPS IN AGAIN TO COVER COSTS

Stepping forward yet again to make up for cuts in social services funding by the Sarasota County Commission, attorney and developer Hugh Culverhouse Jr. has donated $100,000 to Legal Aid of Manasota to help keep pro bono legal assistance available for vulnerable residents. The donation comes after the commission cut $172,000 in funds to Legal Aid of Manasota for the second year in a row. Much of that was designated for helping local residents with evictions, foreclosures, and other housing emergency cases handled by the agency. Those types of cases are on the rise amid an ongoing housing crisis in one of the most expensive markets in the nation. “The cuts to Legal Aid of Manasota come at a time when our community needs them the most,” said Culverhouse, CEO and owner of Palmer Ranch Holdings. “Ensuring that those who are struggling have access to legal representation is essential for maintaining fairness and justice. I hope this donation helps bridge the gap left by the loss of public funding and inspires others to donate.” The donation will make an enormous difference, said Linda Harradine, CEO of Legal Aid of Manasota, which is a court-designated agency providing free legal assistance to about 5,000 residents of Sarasota and Manatee counties every year. And the donation’s timing couldn’t have been better, she added, given that Hurricane Debby’s flooding has brought even more cases streaming into her offices. “His generosity will be life-changing for our clients,” she said of Culverhouse. Legal Aid is the latest program that Culverhouse and his family have helped rescue over the past year following public funding cuts. Last month, Culverhouse and his wife, Eliza, announced that they were donating $107,643 to Embracing Our Differences to make up for the loss in support from Sarasota County and the state. In March, Culverhouse provided a one-time gift of $109,000 to United Way Suncoast for the 211 helpline service to make up for cuts by the Sarasota County Commission. There’s more on this story here: Culverhouse Covers Cut Costs Again

SARASOTA ORCHESTRA NAMES NEW DIRECTOR

Giancarlo Guerrero, a conductor who grew up in Costa Rica and has been music director of the Nashville Symphony since 2008, has been named the new music director for the Sarasota Orchestra. Guerrero, a six-time Grammy Award winner who announced plans last year to step down from his role in Nashville at the end of the 2024-25 season, will serve as music director-designate in Sarasota during the upcoming season and officially take over artistic leadership next fall. Next season he also will become music director laureate in Nashville and has committed to conducting at least four weeks the following season in Nashville. The 55-year-old has agreed to a six-year contract in Sarasota beginning with the 2024-25 season and is expected to conduct about eight concerts each season while being actively involved in the development of the Sarasota Orchestra’s planned music center. In an interview recently, Guerrero said when he was in Sarasota in January to conduct a concert featuring Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, he realized during the first rehearsal “that this orchestra is really good. The most positive impression you can have is with the first downbeat. It’s chemistry. It’s one of those mysteries in our art form, but sparks were flying.” Prior to the recent announcement, Guerrero was scheduled to return in late January for the “Heroic Spirit” Masterworks concerts, but he will now make his music director-designate debut Nov. 8-10 with the “Going Places” program. Rune Bergmann, who was scheduled to lead that concert, is expected to return to Sarasota as a guest conductor at a future date. Joseph McKenna, the Orchestra’s president and CEO, said the search committee “coalesced and clicked immediately after Giancarlo was here. He mentioned chemistry between the orchestra and musicians and it was clear from the first rehearsal to everybody that we had found the right person.“ In Nashville, Guerrero “has taken an orchestra that was at a certain place and helped it grow and that’s what we have to do here,” McKenna said. “He’s got a great reputation as an orchestra builder.” Guerrero said his goal is to “provide audiences with unforgettable, meaningful, life-changing musical experiences. In the end, it is what drives us.” In Sarasota, Guerrero will become the seventh music director of an orchestra that has been without one, essentially, since Anu Tali departed in 2019 after two three-year contracts. Guerrero succeeds the late Bramwell Tovey, who died in 2022 of complications from cancer, a year after he was named to the position and before he could officially begin his appointment as music director. Prior to Tali, Leif Bjaland led the orchestra for 15 years after he succeeded the late Paul Wolfe, who was music director for 34 years. There’s more on this story here: Sarasota Orchestra Names New Director

BROADWAY MUSICALS, NEW PLAYS FOR FST SEASON

At a time when our divided society appears to see everything with a political edge on one side or another, Florida Studio Theatre plans a 2024-25 season that leaders hope will boost mainstage attendance and bridge a gap with two major Broadway musicals bookending new plays that address contemporary issues in surprising ways. Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins said the season will open this fall with the Sara Bareilles musical “Waitress,” based on a hit independent film, and close in the spring with the long-running Broadway hit “Jersey Boys,” about the lives and careers of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It’s a show Hopkins has wanted to produce for years. Hopkins said the two musicals have high marquee value and have something to say. “These are shows dealing with real people and how they really behave,” he said. “They’re enlightening and they enliven our spirit.” In between, the theater will present the regional premiere of “The Heart Sellers,” Lloyd Suh’s award-winning comedy about two young recent Asian immigrants who are homesick and trying to adjust to a new country, and “The Cancellation of Lauren Fein,” a drama by Miami-based lawyer and playwright Christopher Demos-Brown, about cancel culture and its impact on a college professor and scientist. Familiar music also is behind the three original revues the theater is creating for its cabaret series, including “Off the Charts!” a fast-paced survey of Billboard Top 100 hits from the 1950s through the 1990s; “59th Street Bridge,” celebrating the music of such folk-rock stars as Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, John Denver and more; and “Divas: Time After Time,” which is filled with songs by such female superstars as Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston and Cher. Hopkins said FST has been trying to determine why attendance for its winter mainstage series has not yet recovered to pre-COVID levels, while ticket sales are way up for its summer mainstage and the winter and summer cabaret series. “There’s not a perfectly simple answer,” he said. “We look at what we’ve been doing. The mainstage puts on some challenging work and if people are a little too challenged they go away. But we also know that our winters had a lot more snowbirds and they were the first not to come back after COVID.” Please click here for more: New FST Season

A VARIETY OF LEGENDS FOR VAN WEZEL NEW SEASON

For the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall’s 2024-25 season, Executive Director Mary Bensel is hoping audiences are in the mood for laughter, a few musical legends, some local debuts and an extensive array of current and recent Broadway hits. Last season included a sold-out, two-week run of the ground-breaking musical “Hamilton.” It represented something of a milestone for the hall, and Bensel said she wasn’t trying to top it except by bringing in as much variety “to meet our audience expectations.” The new season was a little tougher to put together because more artists seem to be touring in the summer, “but I think this was a joyous year to plan for. We’ve got a lot of comedy, some of the greatest artists coming back and we have some new people we’ve never had before.” After earlier announcing the Broadway lineup that includes touring productions of Broadway hits “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” “Beetlejuice” and “Funny Girl,” Bensel is following tradition by revealing the full season lineup before the box office opened at 10 a.m. Sept. 7. Comedian Lewis Black, who riled up audiences on “The Daily Show” with his dyspeptic views of the world and politics, returns for what is billed as his “Goodbye Yeller Brick Road: The Final Tour” just a month after the presidential election. Paula Poundstone, who has been a fixture on the NPR series “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me,” is back for the first time in several years, while former late-night comedy rivals Jay Leno and Arsenio Hall share the stage for the first time. And Leslie Jones, the former “Saturday Night Live” performer who starred in the 2016 reboot of “Ghostbusters” and a recent series of commercials seen during the Olympics, makes her Sarasota debut. Rising comedian John Crist is one of the rentals taking over the hall in September. “I think we all need to laugh, so I’m happy we have so many comedians this year,” Bensel said. Bensel also is bringing a wide array of musical artists to make their Van Wezel debuts, including the legendary trumpeter Herb Alpert, longtime leader of the Tijuana Brass. Alpert, who was also a co-founder of the independent record label A&M, will be joined by his wife, singer Lani Hall. Alpert hit the Top 40 list 14 times with such songs as “A Taste of Honey,” “This Guys in Love With You” and “Spanish Flea” during the 1960s and 1970s. “I always loved his music,” Bensel said. “They apparently have been in Sarasota and driven by the theater and said they wanted to play at the Van Wezel.” Debbie Gibson, who became a star at 16 in the 1980s and became known for such hits as “Only in My Dreams” and “Foolish Beat,” makes her Sarasota debut with the holiday show “Winterlicious.” In recent years, she has been performing in stage musicals on Broadway and in London, including “Les Miserables” and “Cinderella.” “Winterlicious” is inspired by her 2022 album, which featured more than a dozen holiday favorites. Matteo Bocelli, the son of singer Andrea Bocelli, makes his Van Wezel debut as he builds his own solo career after appearing in some of his father’s concerts. Like his father, he has become a rising star in the crossover classical music scene. Bocelli released his self-titled debut solo album last year. There’s more to read here: A Variety Of Legends For Van Wezel

SARASOTA LIVING ARTS FESTIVAL SET FOR NOVEMBER

Since he took on the task of spearheading a new festival celebrating Sarasota’s abundant and diverse arts scene about three years ago, Jeffery Kin has been juggling a lot of challenges, but none more important than trying to define and establish exactly what Sarasota Rising’s first Living Arts Festival would be. Kin, the former producing artistic director of the Sarasota Players, always had a vision for an event that would highlight the dozens of arts organizations in the community, along with individual artists, even before those groups signed on or understood what he was trying to do. The idea behind the festival was to create an event that would promote the region’s diverse arts scene while expanding its reach across the state, nationally and eventually internationally. “I spoke with about 90 percent of the arts groups, took the time, did lunches, coffees and teas, listened to their dreams and tried to incorporate all that into the festival,” Kin said. “It was a big pyramid of ideas and thoughts and it literally came down to me, with as much common sense as I could come up with, figuring out how to do it.” It was the ultimate chicken-and-egg situation. Arts organizations were interested but were often hesitant to commit to an event that had no clear shape, and, Kin couldn’t shape it until the arts groups were willing to sign on. In the end, Sarasota Rising will present five official events and be involved with several others from Nov. 8-17 at different locations around Sarasota County, featuring local groups and performers and highlighting youth programs. There are also several other programs on the schedule. It’s the first of what he hopes will be many festivals that will shift and grow over the years. In the end, the festival will be a mix of parties and showcases that opens Nov. 8 with the Living Arts Festival Fete, a preview of the week to come at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. Kin said each of the five major events “have their own purpose. We know we will learn a great deal from this one that will inform what we do in the future.” There’s more on this story here: Sarasota Living Arts Festival Set For November

CANDLELIGHT CONCERTS COMING TO TOWN

For a minute, it feels like you’ve traveled back in time to Victorian England. Or maybe you’re on the set of Bridgerton, instead. Four musicians sit onstage surrounded by flickering candles everywhere ― hundreds of candles, their soft light reflecting off the polished wood of the musicians’ violins, viola and cello. But wait, that’s not Mozart they’re playing. Or Beethoven. It’s Queen. And not the queen of England, either: Iconic classic rockers Queen. Specifically, it’s the song “Under Pressure.” Complete with a violin taking on Freddie Mercury’s emotional, soaring vocals, and a cello with finger-picked strings playing that instantly recognizable bassline: Dum dum dum da-da dum dum, dum dum dum da-da dum dum. Think “Bridgerton’s” pop-classical cover songs, and you’ll have a good idea what to expect from Candlelight Concerts: Queen, Taylor Swift, ABBA, Adele and other pop-rock favorites, all given the classical treatment with a string quartet on a romantic, candle-lit stage. The ongoing concert series has been packing venues all over Florida ― and the rest of the United States, too. “They are definitely growing in popularity,” says David Lisker, a professional violinist who helps find many of the shows’ high-end, professional musicians through his New York City-based company, Listeso Music Group. “They are expanding into more and more cities.” One thing’s for sure: Audiences love it. Candlelight Concerts shows are often sold out in venues all over Florida, including Sarasota, Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Lakeland and more. The same goes for the nearly sold-out Queen show recently at Fort Myers’ Music & Arts Community Center. The Queen audience cheered, whistled and clapped along to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You” and other Queen hits – plus a few classical and opera tunes by Mozart, Puccini and more that one violinist joked they “snuck into” the setlist. For some audience members, it was their first-ever classical concert. And it might not be their last. After the show, Bev Howard of Fort Myers said she loved the surprise classical and opera songs, and she might even listen to more later on her own. “We love Queen,” Howard says. “And then they threw in some opera songs, and we loved that as well. … It was wonderful.” That’s the whole idea behind Candlelight Concerts: Give people the songs they love in a cool, laid-back setting and introduce them to the joys of classical music, too. “It’s a great concept,” says Andrew Kurtz, executive director of The MACC. “It’s an amazing experience. … The candlelight makes for a really beautiful atmosphere.” Those electric candles ― a lake of flickering artificial flame, surrounding the musicians and extending up the theater’s aisles, too ― help transport audiences and get them in the right frame of mind for some beautiful music. “There’s something about the candlelight ambiance,” says Lisker of Listeso Music Group. “It’s dim, but it’s very romantic. It’s very intimate. And it sort of focuses your senses to just enjoy the music.” And unlike, say, an arena or a packed auditorium, these smaller, intimate shows feel like time traveling to an older, simpler age. “It sort of creates a nostalgia for a simpler time of experiencing music that we may not have even realized we needed,” Lisker says. If you live in Florida, chances are good you’ll find a Candlelight Concerts show somewhere near you. They’re everywhere. Upcoming Sarasota concerts include a “Tribute to Adele” at 8 p.m. Sept. 20; “A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics” at 8 p.m. Oct. 25 and a “Holiday Special Featuring ‘The Nutcracker’ and More” at 8 p.m. Dec. 20. All Sarasota Concerts are at St. Boniface Church, 5615 Midnight Pass Rd., Sarasota. Tickets are $44-$71. For more information, visit candlelightexperience.com.