Discovering The Sarasota Opera on the Suncoast

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A Sarasota theater built 100 years ago by the city’s first mayor is now home to the Sarasota Opera, after the building came close to being demolished in the 1970s. A gamble on Sarasota’s futureA.B. Edwards was Sarasota’s first mayor and was known as “Mr. Sarasota,” according to Sarasota author and historian Jeff LaHurd. Edwards was orphaned at 14 and never finished school. “A.B. Edwards was a very important person in Sarasota history. For one thing, he was the City of Sarasota’s first mayor... he was known as Mr. Sarasota,” LaHurd said. Edwards built the theater for visitors from cities such as New York and Chicago who were accustomed to top-rated shows and opera, LaHurd said.“He knew that people that came from New York or Chicago were used to top-rated shows and opera. So he built this,” LaHurd said.Near demolitionThe theater opened in 1926. Edwards lost the building during the Great Depression, and it became the Florida Theater. Elvis Presley performed four sh