If play's the thing, region delivers

Bradenton and the surrounding area offers a vibrant theater scene full of musicals, dramas, star-studded concerts, comedians and much more.

At the heart of it all is the Manatee Players, the city's national award-winning community theater troupe that is known for its high-quality shows. The troupe, which resides at the Riverfront Theatre, will move into its new, state-of-the-art performing arts center in fall of 2008.

This season, it will perform the "Wizard of Oz" and "Cats," among other shows.

Anna Maria Island, just minutes from downtown Bradenton, is home to the Island Players. The intimate community theater is in its 59th season.

Nearby Sarasota is home to several professional theaters, including the Asolo Repertory Theatre, which, this fall, produced the world premiere of the bound-for-Broadway show, "A Tale of Two Cities." Florida Studio Theatre's three-stage venue features fun, thought-provoking shows, cabaret and edgier theater offerings. The Sarasota Players, a community troupe and the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre also offer a broad Broadway series of shows among other performances.

The Golden Apple also plans to open a new, 250-seat dinner theater in Lakewood Ranch's San Marco Plaza in spring or summer 2008, hosting plays, musicals and cabaret.

Also, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall hosts some of the best entertainment money can buy. This season includes comedian Bill Cosby, the Broadway touring productions of "Rent" and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and talented vocal artist Patti La Belle.

Other professional theater venues can be found on the other side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. For instance, St. Petersburg, just 30 minutes away, is home to American Stage Theatre Company. And the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, about an hour away from Bradenton, has an assortment of offerings, such as Disney's "The Lion King" and the hit Broadway show "Jersey Boys."

With so much theater available, living in Bradenton will be a dream come true for those who love spending a night out on the town.

Manatee County

Manatee Players at the Riverfront Theatre: 102 Old Main St. Bradenton. (941) 748-5875, www.manateeplayers.org.

Island Players: 10009 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria. (941) 778-5755, home.earthlink.net/~islandplayers/.

Sarasota County

Asolo Repertory Theatre Company at the Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts: 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 351-8000, www.asolo.org.

Banyan Theater Company at the Jane B. Cook Theatre: Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 358-5330, www.banyantheatercompany.com.

Florida Studio Theatre: 1241 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota. (941) 366-9000, www.fst2000.org.

Golden Apple Dinner Theatre: 25 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, and a new dinner theater opening in Lakewood Ranch spring or summer of 2008, (941) 366-5454, www.thegoldenapple.com.

Houdini's Showplace, magic show and dinner at the Sarasota Cay Club Marina and Resort: 7150 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 925-8021.

The Players Theatre: 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 365-2494, www.theplayers.org.

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall: 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 953-3368, www.vanwezel.org.

St. Petersburg

American Stage Theatre Company: 211 Third St. South, St. Petersburg. (727) 823-7529, www.americanstage.org.

Tampa

Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center: 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa. (813) 229-7827, www.tbpac.org.