Tom Hall

In 1991, retired Texas retailer Roger Horchow convinced Broadway Producer Elizabeth Beck Williams that they should remake George and Ira Gershwin’s 1930 dud “Girl Crazy.” They got permission from the songwriters’ estate and had Ken Ludwig to write a totally new musical using songs from the Gershwins’ Great American Songbook. The result was “Crazy for You,” which is on stage at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre through April 5.

On Tuesday, the director of grants, Jessica McElwee, told the Fort Myers Public Art Committee that the city is preparing to open the application window for this year’s arts & culture grants. If all goes well, that window will open April 1 and close on May 16, 2025.

This is the 39th year that the Alliance for the Arts has organized its 'All Florida Exhibition.' As the name implies, it features work by artists from across the state of Florida. Overall, the exhibition reflects the wide array of subjects and themes that weigh on the minds and hearts of Florida-based artists.

Two outdoor art festivals take place in Southwest Florida March 22 and 23: the 37th Annual Downtown Naples Art Fair and the Art League of Marco Island Craft Show.

This week, only Sarasota Opera House is conducting performances. It is staging eight performances of five separate operas between Tuesday and Sunday afternoon.

Between 2004 and September of 2022, local historian Gerri Reaves wrote a weekly column for The River Weekly News. Most of her articles traced the occupancy of Fort Myers’ historic buildings. She shared some of those stories last week with members of the Southwest Florida Historical Society during a presentation she titled “Scenes from Downtown History.” Her pithy observations prompted several members to ask how to go about preserving her writings and research for posterity.

This week, six shows open, three close and 12 others continue their runs at equity and community theaters from Marco Island to Sarasota. In addition, Southwest Theatre at Gulf Coast Symphony's production of 'West Side Story' will be at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall for two shows only on Saturday and Sunday, March 22 & 23.

From Sarasota to Marco Island and Venice and Sanibel to Arcadia and LaBelle, Southwest Florida is home to more than a dozen art centers. Most host visual art exhibitions showcasing member, regional and nationally renowned artists that change every month. In March, there are 24 shows at these venues. Each will stimulate your imagination and underscore the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

When Iliana Lopez and Franklin Gamero joined Gulfshore Ballet 12 years ago, they envisioned the day they’d be able to establish a professional ballet company. That day came last year, and the results will be on display when Gulfshore Ballet performs Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty” ballet at the Wang Opera Center on Saturday.

The 3rd Annual Downtown Sarasota Fine Art and Craft Fair will be held along Main Street and the 17th Annual Peace River Art Festival will be held in Laishley Park on Nesbit Street in Punta Gorda on the weekend of March 15 & 16.