A New Theatre Comes to Fort Myers

THE ARTS ARE IN FULL SWING IN SARASOTA WITH ONE OF A KIND PERFORMANCES AND ART SHOWS COMING TO THE AREA THAT INCLUDES A NEW EXHIBIT AT THE SARASOTA ART MUSEUM, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE UNIQUE BLEND OF PRETTY INCREDIBLE ARTIST. IT'S JUST ONE OF THE MANY EXCITING EVENTS HAPPENING IN THE COMING WEEKS. >> TOM HALL JOINS US NOW. AND HE HAD A REALLY ROUGH ASSIGNMENT. YOU HAD TO GO TO SARASOTA AND SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY. >> IT WAS TOUGH, BUT SOMEBODY HAD TO DO IT. WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT? >> WELL, I WENT UP THE ROAD IN ORDER TO TO CHECK OUT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS. I WAS THERE TO CATCH A GROUNDBREAKING MUSICAL COMEDY AT WEST COAST. BLACK THEATER TROUPE CALLED LIES SPELLS AN OLD WIVES. TALES. I WAS THERE TO GET THE LOW DOWN ON FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE, SUMMERS TALK SHOWS AND I WANTED TO SEE A HUGE EXHIBITION OF 85 ARTWORKS THAT HAVE BEEN LOANED TO THE SARASOTA ART MUSEUM BY 10 PRIVATE COLLECTORS FOR A SHOW CALLED SOMETHING BORROWED. SOMETHING NEW. NOW THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THESE ART WORKS BECAUSE ONCE THE EXHIBITION'S OVER AND EVERYTHING'S RETURNED, YOU'LL NEVER EVER SEE THESE PAINTINGS SCULPTURES, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS AGAIN, EVEN IF SOMEHOW SOMEDAY YOU GET AN INVITATION INTO THE HOME OF ONE OR MORE OF THESE COLLECTORS. HERE'S THE MUSEUM'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VIRGINIA SHARE WITH MORE. >> IS HOME TO A NUMBER OF PROMINENT ARE COLLECTORS AND ALSO, OF COURSE, THEY'RE WONDERFUL. OUR COLLECTIONS. WE'RE REALLY FORTUNATE HERE AT SARASOTA ARMIES. AND FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH OUR AUDIENCE IS 10 INCREDIBLE PRIVATE COLLECTIONS FROM ST. PETERSBURG TO SOUTH SARASOTA AND THESE COLLECTORS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS HAVE BEEN COLLECTING WORKS OF ART BY SOME OF THE MOST WELL-KNOWN 20TH AND 21ST CENTURY ARTISTS. THESE ARE ARTISTS THAT YOU WOULD TYPICALLY SEE IN A MAJOR MUSEUM COLLECTION ARE MAYBE FRESH OUT OF THE GALLERY SCENE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW CLOSE, YOU KNOW, AI WEI WEI GEORGE CONDO CARS. CINDY SHERMAN, INCREDIBLE ARTISTS WORKING IN A VARIETY OF MEDIA THAT WE'RE REALLY THRILLED TO HAVE HERE AT SARASOTA ART MUSEUM. >> TOM, YOU'VE REPORTED IN THE PAST THAT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IS HOME TO 35 COMMUNITY AND EQUITY THEATERS. BUT I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GETTING ONE MORE. >> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. JENNIFER. >> YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO DINNER THEATER, BROADWAY PALMS THE GOLD STANDARD. >> BOTH THEIR FORT MYERS AND LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA LOCATIONS HAVE MADE IT INTO THE USA'S TOP 10 DINNER THEATERS IN THE COUNTRY. BUT FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE IN SARASOTA OPERATES TO DINNER THEATERS IN CONNECTION WITH THEIR CABARET PRODUCTIONS AND LOCALLY. THE SEMINOLE GULF MURDER MYSTERY DINNER TRAIN PROVIDES UNIQUE DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCES. BUT SOON THEY WILL BE A NEW PLAYER IN THIS GROWING INDUSTRY. MICHELLE AND JEREMY CONCEDE BEEN BUILDING SOMETHING SPECIAL, SAYS OPENING FORT MYERS THEATER 5 YEARS AGO AND THEY HAVE SOME NEWS THEY WANT TO SHARE WITH OUR AUDIENCE. HERE'S MICHELLE. >> WE ARE SO EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT WE ARE OPENING A BRAND NEW THEATER CALLED THE FORT MYERS IN A THEATER LOCATED OFF OF CRYSTAL DRIVE. WE ARE HOSTING A GALA FOR OUR AUDIENCE. MEMBERS ARE PATRONS AND OUR LOCAL FANS TO COME OUT AND SEE OUR NEW SPACE. IT'S GOING TO BE THE GREAT GATSBY THEME. A GREAT NIGHT OF ENTERTAINMENT GETTING DRESSED UP AND PERFORMANCES. NOT ONLY ARE WE HOSTING THAT. WE ARE STARTING OUR FIRST PERFORMANCE OF JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH IN JULY. WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL SEE US THEN. >> THAT TIME YOU SAID THAT THE DINNER MARKET IS GROWING, BUT I'VE HEARD REPORTS THAT IT ACTUALLY DWINDLING. WHAT? >> WHAT'S THE STORY? IT IS KIND OF INTERESTING. >> KEN DAVENPORT IS A TWO-TIME EMMY WINNER. >> AND HE'S A ALSO A BROADWAY BLOGGER. NOW WOULD BASICALLY HE SAID IT IS. RING THE BELL BECAUSE DINNER THEATERS DYING. BUT HIS CONCLUSIONS CONTRADICTED BY A BRAND NEW INDUSTRY REPORT. THE PROJECTS THE DINNER, THEIR MARKET WILL NEARLY DOUBLE BY 2033. AND THAT'S FUELED BY YOUNGER AUDIENCE IS TO DEMAND IMMERSIVE PERSONALIZED IN SHAREABLE EXPERIENCE IN OUTINGS OVER TRADITIONAL DINING OR THEATER, ONLY PERFORMANCES. NOW THE COUNTRY'S PLAN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TREND BY PROVIDING GLITZY RED-CARPET OPENINGS DRESS IN COSTUME EVENINGS, THEMED APPETIZERS THAT AND ENTREES AND DRINKS TO COMPLIMENT THE THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE. HEALTH CONSCIOUS FARM TO TABLE INGREDIENTS CHILD-FRIENDLY MENUS, IMMERSIVE AUGMENTED REALITY MURDER MYSTERY TYPES STORY LINES MULTI-SENSORY SPECIAL AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO MINGLE AND TAKE SELFIES IN PHOTOS WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE CAST. YOU'LL ALSO BE COURTING TOURISM, CORPORATE AND FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT SECTORS WHILE BENDING EVERY EFFORT TO KEEP TICKET PRICES AFFORDABLE. SO THEY DO PEOPLE CHECK THEM OUT DURING THEIR JUNE 13TH GALA AND THEIR SEASON OPENER ON JULY 20TH. AND WHERE IS IT IN FORT MYERS, THIS THEATER? >> WELL, THEY ARE HAVE NOT REALLY MADE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU IF YOU LIKE BOWLING, YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE THE NEW LOCATION. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL SOUNDS LIKE SOUNDS WONDERFUL. I LOVE DINNER THEATER AND THIS IS REALLY GREAT INFORMATION. >> THANK YOU, JENNIFER. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. THANKS, TOM.