Musical revue created, adapted and directed by Nate Jacobs to feature decades of Broadway’s greatest hits

SARASOTA, FL – Back by popular demand – from its world-premiere run during the summer of 2017 – Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe presents “Broadway in Black,” updated for 2022. In this musical revue created and adapted by WBTT Founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs, WBTT will salute Broadway musicals with songs that span decades and a wide variety of musical styles that will appeal to audiences of all ages.

Reading of powerful play – which recently began a one-month run on Broadway – by Dominique Morisseau will be presented on WBTT’s Rooftop Terrace on February 26

SARASOTA, FL – Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe continues its celebration of Black History Month with a staged reading of Dominique Morisseau’s powerful play, “Skeleton Crew.” The reading, presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. will take place at WBTT on February 26 at 4 p.m.

The Bay Park to host a public performance of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s touring education program

SARASOTA, FL – Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is celebrating Black History Month with a free performance of “Jazzlinks: Songs and Stories of the Civil Rights Movement” outdoors at The Bay on February 17. The Jazzlinks touring education program – a collaboration of WBTT, the Jazz Club of Sarasota and Sarasota County Schools – is an integrated arts experience presented at all Sarasota County high schools to help illustrate, through music and theatre, the contributions of African Americans in U.S. history.

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will receive $50,000, with the National Endowment for the Arts recommendation for American Rescue Plan funding

SARASOTA, FL - Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe has been approved to receive an American Rescue Plan grant by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); these grants are intended to help the arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic. WBTT is recommended to receive $50,000 over the next two years, which it will use to support artistic team salaries.

‘A Place for You,’ an hour-long concert celebrating Black history, will feature marimba player Steph Davis and numerous collaborating artists

SARASOTA, FL – On February 14, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and Modern Marimba present “A Place for You,” an hour-long concert celebrating Black history. The program features Steph Davis – co-founder of Modern Marimba – on marimba and several collaborating artists.

Highly-anticipated world-premiere musical will still be workshopped and recorded to inform future full stage production

SARASOTA, FL – Due to continuing breakthrough positive COVID-19 test results and a few cases among the “Ruby” cast and crew, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe has made the difficult decision to cancel its impending and highly-anticipated world-premiere musical, “Ruby.” The show had originally been scheduled for the 2019-2020 season and then its January 12, 2022 opening was delayed due to positive COVID-19 tests among the production crew of WBTT’s holiday show, “Joyful! Joyful!”; with disruptions to the rehearsal schedule and the ongoing surge of Omicron throughout the community, the organization felt it would be in the best interests of public, artist, crew and staff health and safety to cancel the show instead of trying to work around affected individuals.

Original production, created by WBTT founder/artistic director Nate Jacobs and his brother, Michael Jacobs, tells the story of a 1952 murder in Live Oak, Florida

SARASOTA, FL – The world premiere show “Ruby” (which was originally scheduled for the 2019-2020 season but delayed due to COVID-19) is a musical retelling by WBTT founder/artistic director Nate Jacobs and his brother, Michael Jacobs, of the shocking killing of a White doctor in Live Oak, Florida, by a Black woman – Ruby McCollum – who was tried in the case and eventually committed to Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, Florida.