Tom Hall

March promises to be just as busy for Southwest Florida theaters as February was. This week, four shows open, three shows enjoy one-night performances and 11 others continue their runs.

This week, Luciano Pavarotti Foundation President Nicoletta Pavarotti will share details of her life with the famed tenor in the Wang Opera Center in Naples, Puccini’s “La boheme” and Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Mikado” will each be performed twice in Cambier Park as part of the 5th Annual Opera Naples Festival Under the Stars, and The Sarasota Opera House will perform four different operas, while Sarasota Ballet will present the final performance by the acclaimed Mark Morris Dance Group.

Amer Kobaslija is one of three artists being featured by The Baker Museum of Art in its 12th Annual Florida Contemporary exhibition. His paintings explore the landscape, people and history of Florida, demonstrating the Bosnian-born artist’s complicated relationship with the state he calls home. Museum Director Courtney McNeil provides context.

Famous opera singer Luciano Pavarotti died in 2007 at the age of 71. Six months later, his widow, Nicoletta Pavarotti, established a foundation in his name to keep his memory alive and bring opera to more people, as he always tried to do. She’s in Naples this week and next for the Opera Naples Festival Under the Stars. On March 3, she’ll appear at the Wang Opera Center to share details of her life with the famed tenor.

Eggs are top of mind for a lot of people right now. Back in 1595, they were for Nick and Nigel Bottom, too. In their quest to one-up William Shakespeare, they're producing history's very first musical, "Omelet."

Fort Myers City Council voted 5 to 2 on February 18 to start over procuring bids for repairs to the columns and fencing that surround Rachel at the Well. Rachel, a 99-year old statue of a Grecian maiden that stands at the entrance to Edison Park at Llewellyn Drive and McGregor Boulevard, is fine, but her "surround" has still not been rebuilt more than two and a half years after Hurricane Ian.

It’s a busy week in Southwest Florida for area theaters, as seven shows open, eight shows close and five others continue their runs.

Three outdoor art festivals take place in Southwest Florida the weekend of March 1 & 2.

“Boca” is on stage at Florida Rep for just a few more shows. Playwright Jessica Provenz was in the audience on Sunday to see the play she wrote four years ago. That’s primarily because she and Director Chris Clavelli made some changes to make the laugh-out-loud comedy even funnier.

This week in Southwest Florida, Opera Naples and the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation will produce the 5th Annual Festival Under the Stars in Cambier Park, the Sarasota Opera House will perform three different operas, and Sarasota Ballet will present six performances by the acclaimed Mark Morris Dance Group.