Florida Studio Theatre Unveils its 2026-27 Winter Season

SARASOTA, Fla. (August 24, 2026) — Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is proud to announce the lineup for its 2026-27 Winter Season, featuring a four-show Mainstage Series and a three-show Cabaret Series. From Tony Award-winning Broadway favorites to compelling new plays and original musical revues, this season celebrates extraordinary stories and the connections that bring people together.

FST’s Mainstage Series opens with the five-time Tony Award-winning Kimberly Akimbo, featuring book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. This Best Musical winner has been called “howlingly funny,” “refreshingly off-kilter,” and simply “extraordinary” by The New Yorker. Kimberly is a teenager navigating first love, family dysfunction, and a rare condition that causes her to age rapidly. As she confronts the uncertainties of growing up, she discovers that life isn't measured by the years you're given – it's what you do with them. Performances begin November 18, 2026, in FST's Gompertz Theatre.

Next is The Bully Pulpit by Michael O. Smith, beginning December 9, 2026, in FST's Keating Theatre. In this acclaimed one-man play, Theodore Roosevelt revisits the hardships and defining moments that shaped his remarkable life – from personal tragedy to the presidency. Originally premiering at FST in 2004, the production has been praised as a “fascinating” production with “unbounded enthusiasm” by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Beginning February 3, 2027, FST presents Upgrade by Sandy Rustin in the Gompertz Theatre as part of its world premiere. Following its appearance in FST's 2026 Burdick New Play Reading Festival, this clever new comedy explores what happens when AI becomes a little too involved in an Upper West Side couple’s marriage. A funny and thought-provoking look at love, technology, and whether the perfect upgrade is really worth it.

The Mainstage Series concludes with a new play, How the Light Gets In by E.M. Lewis, beginning April 7, 2027, in the Gompertz Theatre. Written by the playwright behind FST favorite Dorothy's Dictionary, this moving drama follows four lives unexpectedly intertwined. These disparate identities find a way to connect, heal, and let hope break through the deepest cracks. BroadwayWorld has praised the story as “vibrant,” “excellent,” and “one of the most creative and innovative [plays] I have ever seen.”

“These four plays were not chosen because they tell the same story. They were chosen because they ask the same question: How do we live in a world that often seems out of balance?” said FST Executive Producer Richard Hopkins. “Each playwright offers a different answer. Some find it in courage. Some in laughter. Some in love. Some in our willingness to embrace our imperfections rather than escape them.”

“The theatre has never been a place that tells us what to think,” he continued. “At its best, it invites us to see the world differently. And sometimes, that is enough to set the world – if only for an evening – a little more right. That is the journey of our 2026-27 season.”

FST's Winter Cabaret Series features three original musical revues celebrating the artists and songs that have shaped generations. With fresh arrangements and engaging storytelling, each production offers audiences a unique musical journey.

The Winter Cabaret Series begins September 23, 2026, with Sailing: Yacht Rock and Beyond in FST's Court Cabaret. Featuring favorites like “Sailing,” “Margaritaville,” “Brandy,” and more, this breezy musical escape captures the smooth sounds, rich harmonies, and laid-back spirit of the ‘70s and '80s.

Next is American Rebels, starting November 4, 2026, in the Goldstein Cabaret. Celebrating America's 250th anniversary, this joyous revue honors the rebels and visionaries who gave voice to generations of Americans. From “Born in the U.S.A.” to “Man in the Mirror,” this cabaret celebrates the iconic artists who used their music to challenge, inspire, and bring people together.

Closing the Cabaret Series is Laughing Matters: Volume 7, beginning February 10, 2027, in FST's Court Cabaret. Artificial intelligence, weight-loss shots, pickleball, traffic circles…nothing is off limits in this fast-paced comedy revue. Laughing Matters finds the humor in today’s biggest trends and the everyday quirks of life on the Suncoast.

“Each Cabaret season gives us the opportunity to explore a different musical landscape,” said FST Executive Director and Lead Cabaret Creator Rebecca Hopkins. “This year, we're celebrating the songs that have become part of our shared experience – from the soft rock anthems that remind us of summer nights and first love, to the music that has shaped the American story, to a new installment of Laughing Matters where we find the humor in the headlines, trends, and everyday moments we all recognize. Together, these productions remind us that great music – and great comedy – have a unique way of bringing people together.”

Committed to making professional theatre accessible to as many people as possible, FST offers subscriptions to all four Mainstage productions for as little as $79 and all three Cabaret productions for as little as $59. Subscriptions are now on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or by calling (941) 366-9000.

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SEASON AT A GLANCE:
MAINSTAGE

Kimberly Akimbo
Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Directed and Choreographed by Ben Liebert
Nov. 18, 2026 – Jan. 3, 2027
Gompertz Theatre 

Winner of 5 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Kimberly is a teenager navigating first love, family dysfunction, and a rare condition that causes her to age rapidly. As she faces the complications of growing up and an uncertain future, she discovers that life isn't measured by the years you're given – it's what you do with them. A funny, heartfelt coming-of-age story about family, friendship, and making the most of the time you have.

The Bully Pulpit
Written by Michael O. Smith
Directed by Kate Alexander
Dec. 9, 2026 – Feb. 14, 2027
Keating Theatre 

Theodore Roosevelt comes to life in this compelling one-man show. America's 26th President revisits the triumphs, tragedies, and defining moments that shaped his extraordinary life – from personal loss and public service to the presidency and the Nobel Peace Prize. Along the way, he reveals the man behind the legend: a devoted father who considered his family his greatest achievement. Both inspiring and deeply human, The Bully Pulpit offers an intimate portrait of one of America's most dynamic and enduring leaders.

Upgrade
Written by Sandy Rustin
Directed by Richard Hopkins
Feb. 3 – Mar. 21, 2027
Gompertz Theatre

World Premiere. An Upper West Side couple discovers that an empty nest is nothing compared to sharing their lives with AI. When their new digital companion starts blurring the line between helpful and intrusive, everyday life takes an unexpected turn. Audiences are calling Upgrade “mind-blowing” and praising its “exceptional writing” in this smart new comedy about love, technology, and whether the perfect upgrade is really all it’s cracked up to be.

How the Light Gets In
Written by E.M. Lewis
Directed by Kate Alexander
April 7 – May 23, 2027
Gompertz Theatre

Four strangers find their lives unexpectedly intertwined. A travel writer longing for adventure, a Japanese architect searching for purpose, a gifted tattoo artist, and a runaway teen discover that healing often begins with the courage to truly see one another. A heartfelt exploration of lost connection and the remarkable ways hope breaks through even life's deepest cracks.

CABARET

Sailing: Yacht Rock and Beyond
Written by Richard Hopkins & Rebecca Hopkins
Directed by Catherine Randazzo
Musical Arrangements by Jim Prosser
Sep. 23, 2026 – Feb. 7, 2027
John C. Court Cabaret 

Set sail with the smooth sounds of the ’70s and ’80s in this feel-good celebration of Yacht Rock and beyond. Featuring favorites like "Sailing," "Margaritaville," "Brandy," "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)," "Arthur's Theme," and more, this breezy musical revue charts a course through the songs that became the soundtrack to romance, adventure, heartbreak, and endless summer nights.

American Rebels
Written by Rebecca Hopkins & Richard Hopkins
Directed by Catherine Randazzo
Musical Arrangements by Jim Prosser
Nov. 4, 2026 – Mar. 21, 2027
Goldstein Cabaret 

The American spirit has always been driven by those willing to challenge the status quo. Celebrate the rebellious nature of America through the music of artists who challenged convention, inspired change, and gave voice to generations of Americans. Featuring unforgettable songs like "Born in the U.S.A.," "Blowin' in the Wind," "What's Going On," "The Gambler," "Man in the Mirror," and "True Colors," this joyous musical journey celebrates the rebels, dreamers, and visionaries who helped shape the American story.

Laughing Matters: Volume 7
By Head Writer Rebecca Hopkins
With Contributing Writers Sarah Durham, Kevin Allen, Jim Prosser, Steven deGhelder, & Nick Santa Maria
Directed by TBD
Choreographed by TBD
Musical Arrangements by Jim Prosser
Feb. 10 – June 27, 2027
Court Cabaret

Between artificial intelligence, shots to melt away the fat, pickleball, and traffic circles, we've officially run out of normal. Laughing Matters is an all-new collection of songs and sketches inspired by the headlines, trends, and everyday moments everyone seems to be talking about. From the latest cultural obsessions to the quirks of life here on the Suncoast, nothing is off limits in this fast-paced comedy revue that finds humor in the wonderfully ridiculous world we're all trying to navigate.

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About Florida Studio Theatre

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is Sarasota’s contemporary theatre. Founded in 1973, FST has grown to a village of five theatres located in the heart of downtown Sarasota. Each theatre is small in size and large in impact – providing intimate and engaging settings for high-quality, professional performances. 

Today, FST has established itself as a major force in American Theatre. FST is the largest subscription theatre in the state of Florida and among the largest in the country, serving more than 225,000 live attendees each year across its diverse programs: Mainstage, Cabaret, Stage III, Children’s Theatre, Improv, The FST School, and New Play Development.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to as many people as possible. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. Hip and historical, entertaining and challenging, we are where everyone is welcome to engage in the art of theatre.