Monica Gagnier

Sarasota

Arts and Entertainment Editor at Observer Media Group

Coal miner's granddaughter. Berlin-born Army brat living car-free. @NewhouseSU grad who ❤️ Main St. Eye on arts, kids and climate. Views mine

Articles

Come one, come all to the Summer Circus Spectacular

4 days ago | yourobserver.com | Monica Gagnier

Circus Arts Conservatory co-founder Pedro Reis stepped down from management of the circus nonprofit last November, but as production strategist, he still is responsible for producing the CAC’s tentpole events, like the Summer Circus Spectacular. Bringing star performers from all over the globe to Sarasota is getting harder, with longer waits for U.S. visas, and increased scrutiny at border crossings and airports. For the CAC’s Circus Sarasota, held this year from Feb.
Squeaky Wheel Fringe keeps the momentum going in its third edition

5 days ago | yourobserver.com | Monica Gagnier

The 19th century showman P.T. Barnum gets credit for saying, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity,” and Megan Radish, who founded Sarasota’s Squeaky Wheel Fringe festival three years ago, would be the first to agree. A lot of people in Florida hadn’t heard of fringe festivals until Gov. Ron DeSantis cited them during a press conference in June 2024 when he explained why he had cut $32 million in arts grants in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Sarasota Music Festival holds a mirror to history

1 week ago | yourobserver.com | Monica Gagnier

Festival programmers are always looking for a theme or a thread to connect all the events. Last year’s Sarasota Music Festival celebrated its 60th anniversary, so there was lots of looking back at the festival’s history. Co-founded at New College by Paul Wolfe, the SMF merged in 1985 with the Florida West Coast Symphony, which rebranded in 2008 as the Sarasota Orchestra.
Escape the heat — and the news — with FST's Summer Cabaret series | Your Observer

1 week ago | yourobserver.com | Monica Gagnier

It’s an article of faith in the entertainment business that baby boomers want to relive the happy days of their youth with tribute bands and jukebox musicals. For those with more catholic (lower case “c” here, folks), that kind of programming can get redundant, no matter how fresh the material is or how talented the stars. That’s why it’s a relief to see that Florida Studio Theatre is mixing it up this year for its popular Summer Cabaret Series. Can’t get enough Motown?
Summit highlights challenges and opportunities for Sarasota arts scene

2 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Monica Gagnier

Arts organizations that depend on government grants for funding are typically reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them. Witness the muted response to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' unprecedented veto in June 2024 of $32 million in Florida arts grants for the fiscal 2025 year. It wasn't much of a surprise, especially in a "nice" town like Sarasota.
Benny Sato Ambush steps down as artistic director of Venice Theatre

3 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Monica Gagnier

When Benny Sato Ambush got the call from Venice Theatre in January 2021, he only expected to spend a year as artistic director at the nation's second largest community theater. More than four years later, as steel beams rise from the bowels of the Venice Theatre's mainstage Jervey Theatre and a videographer prepares to shoot the last installment of a documentary about the history of the 76-year-old company, Ambush says it's time to go.
Save the date for these fall arts and entertainment events in Sarasota

3 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Monica Gagnier

As the 2024-25 season winds down and the snowbirds head north, it's not too early to think about marking your calendar for some blockbuster events coming up in the fall. Many cultural groups have already announced their 2025-26 seasons to great fanfare in the hopes of attracting new and repeat subscribers. Depending on the arts organization, individual tickets for next season may not be on sale just yet.
Suncoast Composer Fellowship Program explores musical storytelling

3 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Monica Gagnier

Perlman Music Program alumni Max Tan is a violinist and what might be called a cultural entrepreneur through his classical music nonprofit Soundbox Ventures. He’s also proven himself a bit of an amateur meteorologist. Or maybe he’s just plain lucky. After founding the Suncoast Composer Fellowship Program to partner emerging composers with mentors and performers, Sarasota Orchestra member Tan launched the inaugural Suncoast Composer Festival and scheduled it for October 4-7, 2024.
Funnyman Will Leura shows a serious side in 'Entangled'

1 month ago | yourobserver.com | Monica Gagnier

When Sarasota theater patrons hear the name “Will Leura,” they’re likely to think of humor and improvisation. Rightly so. For a decade ending in December 2024, Leura was the director of improvisation at Florida Studio Theatre, where he was in charge of programming and education for FST Improv as well as organizing the wildly successful Sarasota Improv Festival, which comes to town each July.
Funnyman Will Luera shows a serious side in 'Entangled'

1 month ago | yourobserver.com | Monica Gagnier

When Sarasota theater patrons hear the name “Will Luera,” they’re likely to think of humor and improvisation. Rightly so. For a decade ending in December 2024, Luera was the director of improvisation at Florida Studio Theatre, where he was in charge of programming and education for FST Improv as well as organizing the wildly successful Sarasota Improv Festival, which comes to town each July.