Ringling International Arts Festival Blog in Sarasota, FL. Theater, Dance, Music and Visual Arts

Who thought Sarasota was a sleepy tourist town? Not at the Ringling International Arts Festival. The Festival will feature two mind blowing performances Friday, the 8th and Saturday, the 9th starting at 10:30 pm. And the selections are perfect for the late night audience… and affordable… as low as $10!

Meow Meow
In the Mertz Theatre, international cabaret sensation Meow Meow will perform Beyond Glamour: The Absinthe Tour. Her style of kamkikaze cabaret has wowed audiences across the world, from Sydney, Australia to New York and Paris. Cabaret will never be the same.

“Meow Meow drags cabaret kicking and screaming into the 21st century.”
-Time Out New York

“Meow Meow is a sequinned sex bomb waiting to detonate…”
-Sydney Central

Eight
Ella Hickson’s Eight will perform in the Historic Asolo Theater. Direct from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Eight was awarded the coveted Best of The Edinburgh Award. Hickson mixes biting humor with deep emotional honesty to create a theatrical piece that is both entertaining and insightful.

“One of the most self-assured, startlingly well-written and moving pieces of theatre around.”
-The Herald, Scotland

“[Ella Hickson] writes with a heightened sense of the rhythms and quirks of everyday speech and uses vivid, sensory details to create believable emotional states.”
-The New York Times

Special Offer by Ringling Museum
On Thursday, Oct. 8-Saturday, Oct. 10, the Museum will stay open from 5-8 p.m. in the evening. On Thursday and Friday, during these three-hours, adults can get into the Museum for $10 and children for $5. On Saturday, Oct. 10, children (17 & Under) get in FREE all day. On Saturday, adults will get in for $10 from 5-8 p.m.

>>Get your tickets now by calling (941) 360-7399 or visiting www.RinglingArtsFestival.org

It is a  rare occurance when the Ringling Museum offers special admission prices to the Estate. It is even rarer that they open the Estate during the evening hours.  The only time it does so is for the Holiday Splendor event in December which, by the way, is a big hit and a wonderful way Ringling gives back to the community. 

The  spectacular line-up of events at the Festival has given the Museum reason-enough to offer specials. On Thursday, Oct. 8-Saturday, Oct. 10, the Museum will stay open from 5-8 p.m. in the evening.  On Thursday and Friday, during these three-hours, adults can get into the Museum for $10 and children for $5.  On Saturday, Oct. 10, children (17 & Under) get in FREE all day. On Saturday, adults will get in for $10 from 5-8 p.m.

So on these rare occurrences it is wise to take advantage of them because they don’t come around often. Even more to this point, the Festival doesn’t come around often either (the next one is slated for 2011) so get your tickets to the performances and to the Museum today.

María Pagés is renowned for her charismatic stage presence and innovative approach to flamenco. Pagés began her career as a member of the Antonio Gades Company, and in 1990, she established Compañia María Pagés. Since then, she has created a repertory that illustrates her mastery of traditional flamenco, and also her keen interest in other art forms, from theater to modern dance: Sol y sombra (1990), De la luna al viento (1994), El perro andaluz. Burlerías (1996), La tirana (1998), Flamenco Republic (2001), Ilusiones FM for the Spanish National Ballet (2002), Canciones, antes de una guerra / Songs, Before a War (2004), and Sevilla (2006). María Pagés and her company have performed at some of the most prestigious stages in the United States, England, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Israel, Egypt, Russia, Mexico, Honduras, and Spain. Pagés is the recipient of many international awards, including: Spain’s National Dance Award for Creation (2002) and National Choreography Award (1996), Italy’s Leonid Massine Award (2004) and Flamenco Award for Best Artist and Best Creator (2005), and four awards at the Biennale of Arte Flamenco.