Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is a Sarasota landmark, an architectural gem that is set in a beautiful location along Sarasota’s bayfront.  The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, built in 1968 and owned and operated by the City of Sarasota, offers a venue for a wide variety of performances, including music, dance, comedy, and theater.

The Van Wezel is located at 777 North Tamiami Trail in Sarasota.  It has 1,736 seats available in the Roskamp Auditorium for consumers of arts and culture.  The Hall was renovated in the year 2000, and now has an additional 25,000 square feet.
 

The Hall includes large elegant lobbies, a 6,000-square-foot Grand Foyer, a new stagehouse, a Founders Lounge and Greenroom, a Terrace, and the Selby Education Center.  The most current sound and lighting systems further enhance the experience of performance attendees.  The Hall also offers ample restroom facilities, and is fully assessable to disabled guests.

On site at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is a gift shop and restaurant.  The restaurant, Michael’s at the Van Wezel, offers creative and delicious food in a pre-performance buffet that can be purchased for $31.50.  Reservations are required, and can be made by calling Michael’s at (941) 366-0007 or online at http://www.bestfood.com.
 
Since its first season of hosting entertainment productions, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall has been the location for symphony concerts, opera, classical and modern dance, jazz, pop, Broadway shows, and many other types of performances from entertainers across the country and from abroad.
 
2007 events at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall are scheduled to include the popular musical Mamma Mia!, musician Kenny Loggins, and comedian Lily Tomlin.  Box office hours are Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The box office can be contacted via telephone at (941) 953-3368, or toll free at (800) 826-9303.  Tickets an also be ordered online at the Van Wezel website, http://www.vanwezel.org.  Most ticket prices fall between $30.00 and $75.00.  Season passes also are available.
 
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall offers numerous educational opportunities.  A series of "Schooltime Performances," with an admission charge of $6.00 apiece, gives young people from preschool to high school an introduction to worldwide arts, science, and culture.  Programs range from international music and dance, to Shakespeare, to a "journey to the moon."
 
"Arts Odyssey" is a professional development program for teachers in the Sarasota community.  The Arts Odyssey offers teachers hands-on experiences that are aimed to help them develop their own classrooms further in the context of arts and culture.  Numerous workshops are offered, such as 2007’s "Ragamala," which explores the culture, arts, and history of India.
 
Other opportunities for exploration and education at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall include lectures, demonstrations, master classes, backstage tours, and residency programs.  Availability, times, and prices for all opportunities are available at the website of the Hall, at http://www.vanwezel.org.
 
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall hosts numerous special events throughout the year, and the Hall can also be rented for private parties.  More information can be located at the website, or by telephone at (941) 955-7676 or toll free at (800) 826-9303.