Sarasota Opera Association Inc

I saw a beautiful production a while back, and would recommend it if you can afford it, but be careful with the cell phones. No one cared when a friend had hers on during intermission (never during the performance!) while sitting in the balcony, but we sat in the orchestra at a subsequent performance and she got chewed out for having it on before the performance. Ushers weren’t even polite about it. Seems like the head honcho was a big weirdo about phones, and it trickled down into douchey behavior by ushers. It was our fault for not seeing the sign in the lobby (and it’s quite noticeable, so we’re not sure how we missed it), but beyond that we only saw/​heard the standard references to turning phones off that in our minds meant just during performances (they were really general and didn’t indicate that you specifically couldn’t have them on at all in the theater). If I’m harping on cell phones, it’s because we were that annoyed by the tone and general dickbaggery of the ushers in question. I’m hoping they’re a bit more level-​headed nowadays, and to be fair, everyone else we encountered in the theater was really accommodating and polite.
Other than that, again, the production I saw was truly beautifully done for a regional opera house. I would recommend it. Nothing looked cheap and the voices were truly impressive. I’m thinking there are a lot of old people with money in Sarasota, because they certainly have an opera house they can be proud of.

If your an Opera lover like me, you will appreciate that while your in Sarasota you can have your cake and eat it to! Warm weather, sunny skies, water and beaches… and yes.
you can even catch an opera! (during opera season).
I love that during my stays here in the fall /​winter, I can attend an opera just a short distance away, right in downtown Sarasota. Restaurants and parking nearby… a fantastic way to spend an evening…
Growing up, my father was an avid listener & opera goer… and so my love for the opera grew as well, having been exposed at an early age. Puccini & Verdi are two of my favorite composers and the stories expressed through music, are much like reading an exceptional book… its a powerful force that takes you on an emotional journey… through the eyes of its composers… truly captivating… if you have an interest, but have never been, I recommend a visit… the experience always leaves me satiated.
I have been to SO many times and always enjoy the productions. A historic building that not only showcases some great composers, such as Verdi & Puccini… but HD shows during the summer, tours, concerts featuring Artists and new talents performing various opera songs and Broadway classics… musically, they have something for everyone year round…
Was recently here to see La Boheme for opening season. I have seen this opera many times at Lyric Opera, but this was my first production at SO. I have to say the cast, production, set, costume design… maestro…all fabulous… Mimi was played by Jessica Rose Cambio; Italian Soprano. Beautiful voice. Not quite the Anna Netrebko (Russian Soprano), but nonetheless, she did a wonderful performance. Tenor Martin Nusspaumer played Rodolfo… again, outstanding. The fact that he was handsome too, made him even more enjoyable to watch.
The opera house itself is much smaller in scale compared to Lyric in Chicago. SO seats roughly 1,200 vs. Lyric which holds ALMOST 4x’s that many…
It is not as ‘grandious’ but neither are ticket prices. We sat in Box for $ 60/​tix. (range is $ 60-​$ 140). Mezzanine level starts at $ 30…huge difference in price here, yet we didn’t compromise on the performance. A fantastic deal for an opera in an intimate setting.
The interior is simple but elegant…
Great acoustics & quality. Comfort of seats are ‘ok’, not a whole lot of leg room on ground level, yet I’ve always felt the seating at Lyric was rather ‘tight’ and ‘cramped’. English subtitles are displayed above the theatre. Parking is a breeze here. There is a garage directly behind the opera house on Palm Ave. and its FREE. They offer Valet parking as well.
Many nice restaurants in the area to grab a drink or light dinner before the show. We stopped at Café Epicure, less than a mile away for a quick bite… then returned after show for a delicious cappuccino.
While this may not have been the best production of La Boheme I have seen, the performance was very, very good — — the music, touching. There is something to be said about experiencing an opera in a more intimate setting like Sarasota Opera… I love the comfortable and personal feel… however, in terms of production, I prefer the Lyric…

Love the new summer opera, theater and ballet offerings in HD. Amazing to see top quality operas, Shakespeare, and Bolshoi and Royal ballets, all from around the globe. The movie screen and sound system is fabulous. Love the live introduction to the opera by SOH staff. The presentation is always perfect. The seats are comfortable and the temperature has been cool. The program presentation at SOH is far superior to that offered at movie theaters. I have compared them and where there is a choice in venue, the SOH can be counted on.

While I haven’t visited this place in person, I did TRY to purchase a gift certificate as a present for someone over a period of 4 days. How hard is it to purchase a gift certificate, you ask? Apparently extremely, or maybe even impossible if my experience is the norm. You can’t just purchase a gift certificate on their website, which instructs you to call the box office. When you call the box office you reach an answering machine and are told to leave your contact information so they can call you back. Which they don’t. Even if you leave repeated messages. And then when you call and speak to an actual person who takes down your contact information so they can give it to the person who is supposed to be calling you back you STILL don’t get a call back. As a last ditch effort I called one more time and was basically told that they are sooo busy selling these mythical tickets they can’t ever get back to you. And also, they are a non-​profit and don’t have the funds to hire someone to get back to you. Even if that someone is a person trying to give you money. Good luck, Sarasota Opera House. I’m sure you will continue to provide wonderful performances to people who somehow manage to buy tickets to them. I guess my intended gift recip just won’t be one of them.