The Blue Eyed Bettys to Return to Florida Studio Theatre This Summer

The Blue Eyed Bettys are back this summer at Florida Studio Theatre! FST's 2017 Summer Cabaret season continues with this favorite local trio, known for their show-stopping harmonies and versatile instrumental talent. The Blue Eyed Bettys opens in the John C. Court Cabaret on July 20 and runs through August 20.

Subscriptions for all three Summer Cabaret shows are available for as little as $39. Subscriptions may be purchased online at www.floridastudiotheatre.org, by phone at (941) 366-9000, or by visiting the Box Office.

With Daniel Emond on banjo, Sarah Hund on fiddle, and Ben Mackel on guitar, The Blue Eyed Bettys delight with their contemporary bluegrass sound. An original music group formed while performing in the hit FST Cabaret show Poems, Prayers, and Promises, audiences are snapped to attention with their powerful vocals, three part harmony, inventive storytelling, and natural onstage chemistry.

"We are so excited to come back to FST where it all began!" said Mackel. "Over the past three years, since we met, we've made two albums: The Blue Eyed Bettys and Covered Up (and are working on a third). We've toured extensively playing everywhere from hospital cafeterias to Lincoln Center in NYC. We've grown so much as a band and as individual songwriters and we can't wait to share everything on the stage where we first met."

Since that first meeting, critics have also taken notice of this bright blue-eyed band. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune calls them the "Most exciting Americana act to hit Sarasota," with "Sweet harmonies" and "Smart originals." The Blue Ridge Muse describes them as "Eclectic and entertaining."

Their passion for music runs deep and the inspiration for their songs often comes from every day encounters. According to Hund, "We meet all kinds of interesting characters on the road, from a woman yelling about her opossum named Walter during a show to a guy bicycling his way across the country while pulling his two dogs, Tracks and Troubles, behind him in a bicycle trailer. One of my favorite things about playing music is all the characters we meet."

Come out and listen to this trio as they create their signature exciting and inventive musical arrangements. The show opens in the Court Cabaret on July 20 and runs through August 20. Subscriptions for all three Summer Cabaret shows are available for as little as $39. Subscriptions may be purchased online at www.floridastudiotheatre.org, by phone at (941) 366-9000, or by visiting the Box Office.

Known as Sarasota's Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Artist Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company eventually settled down into a permanent home, acquiring the former Woman's Club building - now renamed the Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio Theatre established itself as a major force in American Theatre, presenting contemporary theatre in its five theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the Gompertz Theatre, the Goldstein Cabaret, the John C. Court Cabaret, and Bowne's Lab Theatre.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience. Under Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. As FST grows and expands, it continues to provide audiences with challenging, contemporary drama and innovative programs.

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