Sarasota Opera House — Attraction in Sarasota

A Disrespectful and Disturbing Experience – Nutcracker December 2024

I never write reviews, ever*. But today, months later, I finally felt compelled to share what happened. My parents just told me they are coming to visit again, and it brought back the memory of a deeply upsetting experience we had at the Sarasota Ballet Opera House this past December. I’ve held off saying anything for a long time, but I can’t ignore how it made us feel.

This past December 2024, I brought my elderly parents (ages 88 and 79) to see The Nutcracker. We had just bought a home in Sarasota, and they were spending the holidays with us. It was their very first time at an opera house in the U.S., and since they don’t live here, don’t speak English, and have health issues, we were excited to create a warm, cultural memory for them.

Instead, we were left heartbroken and shocked by how they were treated.

During the first act, my mother quietly took a couple of photos from her seat, “without flash”. At intermission, a woman (apparently part of the Nutcracker production) approached her in a loud, aggressive, and demeaning tone, saying:

“Why are you taking photos?! Another guest complained! I saw you taking photos!”

She repeated this over and over, publicly shaming my elderly mother, who had no idea what was happening. My mother was alone with my father at the front of the theater due to their limited vision, while I was seated in the back. When I saw the commotion and heard the woman yelling, I rushed forward and calmly explained that my mother doesn’t speak English and didn’t realize photos weren’t allowed. I apologized and said it wouldn’t happen again.

But instead of accepting that with grace, the woman remained rude and condescending, embarrassing my mother further in front of nearby guests.

What made this even worse is what happened next. As my mother began to feel unwell from the stress of the incident, I switched seats with my father to sit beside her. To our disbelief, the same woman came and sat down directly next to us, clearly to monitor my mother. Her body language and presence were confrontational. It felt like we were being surveilled., as though we were a problem.

This behavior was unforgivably rude, invasive, and deeply unprofessional. And honestly, it felt discriminatory. My family and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being treated differently, because we weren’t local, didn’t speak English (my parents) and looked “foreign.” What could’ve been handled with a simple, respectful request turned into a situation that was humiliating and hurtful.

What should have been a joyful, magical holiday evening became an awful memory we now associate with Sarasota’s cultural scene.

We will never return to the Sarasota Opera House, and I truly hope the leadership reviews how guests, “especially elderly, non-English-speaking ones are treated”. My family deserved basic respect and compassion, and what we received instead...

As a warning to anyone and everyone who decides to go to this venue, you are required to have your vaccine card or a negative COVID test prior to entry. It is NOT placed on this platform for public viewing, nor is it easily accessible on the main pages of their website. They do not openly welcome those who have 1-chosen not to receive the vaccine 2-are in the recovery stages of the illness 3-do not wish to share their personal health information with the public 4-those who have religious or ethical beliefs that are not aligned with vaccinations or 5-those who have contraindicated health conditions to the vaccine. To make matters more disappointing, the staff they have outside of the venue “turning the above patrons away,” are extremely inconsiderate, disrespectful, and unhelpful. They forecfully hand you an index card to write your information on to receive a “refund.” When asked why this information is not readily available on the website prior to purchase, they simply state “I do not make the rules,” and turn away without allowing you to further discuss the issue. I overheard another family asking how it was acceptable after the recent Supreme Court and Governor regulations being passed and he stated “there’s a clause” and walked away from the family, not offering any kind of discussion or reprise. My family and I were extremely excited to support local performers and enjoy the art Sarasota has to offer, however, regardless of any future changes, be our own health or the venue making any changes, I do not foresee being able to consciously support a business who does not see medical freedom of choice as a priority. It begs to question, are the employees and performers being forced into making this choice? Are they being held to the same overbearing options? Is wearing a mask to protect myself and others not efficient enough? This evening not only did the Sarasota Opera House truly disappoint many families of this area, but they deliberately alienated a large portion of the locals with ropes that separated us from those who were being accepted inside, as though we are less than. Sincerely, a very disappointed healthcare worker who stood on the front lines with no vaccine to care for you, your family, and your friends with nothing but a...

WORST OPERA EXPERIENCE AND OPERA VENUE EVER! Just got back from Don Giovanni at the Sarasota Opera House and I do not know where to begin.

The seats are crammed in such narrow aisles that even when people stand up in their seat to let you squeeze past, it is an undignified and incredibly difficult feat to pull off. They are so close together, that I specifically measured using my fingers and I could only squeeze two fingers between my knee and the seat in front if I sat all the way up and back in my seat. People dress up all fancy to the opera only to have to fumble around and trip trying to make it to their seats. So undignified.

The temperature is way too hot. So hot in fact that a lady two seats to my left was fanning herself throughout the performance with her opera magazine. To make matters worse, her husband who sat between her and I had horrible body odor and his jacket was so dusty and dingy you could see the dust on it and the smell was suffocating. I could barely concentrate on the performance as I was suffocating breathing in his BO his wife was wafting my way. My mom, who sat on my other side also said the smell was unbearable. We could smell it on us after we got in the car.

After intermission, there was microphone feedback (that loud mosquito like noise) kicking in throughout the remainder of the performance. It was so bad that the opera was stopped twice to try to resolve it and patrons yelled at other patrons to turn off their hearing aids. A staff member over the microphone also asked to turn off hearing aids during one of the forced pauses.

Between the heat, the BO, and the constant speaker ringing, it was not possible to enjoy the performance and I honestly have no idea what happened in the second part of the opera.

This was a complete fiasco and one incredibly hellish experience for mom and I. We have been to various other opera houses in other states and never had anything like this. We will be asking for a full refund. Someone would have to pay me to endure this level of discomfort.

I actually feel bad for the performers who did try. This opera house is not worthy of such...