Gulf Coast Life Arts Edition

The Southwest Florida Symphony will open the 2024-2025 performance season with new maestro Stilian Kirov after the sudden departure of music director Radu Paponiu in April. We listen back to our August conversation with Kirov and get a preview of what’s in store for the symphony’s 64th season.

Florida Repertory Theatre in downtown Fort Myers kicks off its 27th season this week with an ambitious roster of productions including music revues featuring 1950s-era favorites, iconic women artists of the 1960s, an Agatha Christie murder mystery, a time-traveling love story and plenty of comedy, including a play based here in Florida. Florida Rep. Producing Artistic Director Greg Longenhagen joins the show for a preview of the season ahead.

Tampa-based blues, roots rock and sacred steel musician Damon Fowler performs Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Alliance for the Arts’ “Art Is Essential” bash. Ahead of the concert, we’ll talk with Fowler about his musical journey and hear songs from his latest album “Barnyard Smile.”

The Southwest Florida-based rock band Rosaline drops a new album titled “Zhuzh” on Sept. 6 and will play an album release concert Sept. 7 at Nice Guys in Cape Coral. Ahead of the release, we get a preview from the band’s frontman Caleb Neff.

The Southwest Florida Symphony will open the 2024-2025 performance season with new maestro Stilian Kirov after the sudden departure of music director Radu Paponiu in April. We’ll meet Kirov and get a preview of what’s in store for the symphony’s 64th season.

In an unexpected and unprecedented move, Governor Ron DeSantis, in June, vetoed $32 million dollars in state grants for more than 600 arts and culture organizations throughout Florida. We hear an encore of our conversation with Molly Rowan-Deckart from the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, Elysia Dawn with United Arts Collier, and arts reporter Tom Hall about how local arts and culture organizations are coping with the lost funds and about the economic impact of the region’s arts and culture industry.

Laboratory Theater of Florida is mounting a production of playwright Lynn Nottage’s comedic play “Clyde’s.” Nottage is the first and only woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice. We explore the play in a conversation with the production’s director Tijuana Clemons, actor Sonya McCarter, and Lab Theater founding artistic director Annette Trossbach.

Delta Blues guitarist, bassist and vocalist Anthony “Big A” Sherrod performed live in studio while in Southwest Florida for a Big A & The All Stars concert at Florida Gulf Coast University earlier this month. We’ll hear music and conversation from Sherrod along with Delta Blues documentarian, organizer and advocate Roger Stolle.

In an unexpected and unprecedented move, last month, Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed $32 million dollars in state grants for more than 600 arts and culture organizations throughout Florida. We hear from Molly Rowan-Deckart with the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, Elysia Dawn with United Arts Collier, and arts reporter Tom Hall about how local arts and culture organizations are coping with the lost funds and about the economic impact of the region’s arts and culture industry.

Internationally renowned psychosexual therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer died, July 12 at the age of 96. In remembrance, we listen back to our 2018 interview with Dr. Ruth ahead of her visit to Fort Myers to attend Florida Repertory Theatre’s production of a play about her life titled “Becoming Dr. Ruth.”