Sarasota's 5 Things To Know: State Department Official Visits Asolo

1. U.S. Department of State' senior advisor on Western Hemisphere Affairs will participate in a roundtable discussion tonight at Asolo Reperotry Theatre about Cuban-American identity and culture. called To Be Or Not To Be/Ser Or No Ser?

Dan Erikson of the Department of State and author of The Cuba Wars, will join Dr. Andy Gomez, senior fellow of the Institute of Cuba and Cuban American Studies from the University of Miami and Michael Donald Edwards, the adaptor and director of , which plays at Asolo Rep. Former Sarasota mayor and UNIDOSNOW director Kelly Kirschner will moderate the conversation.

The talk is free and open to the public and starts at 5 p.m. The event is preceded by cocktails and coffee in the Asolo Rep's main lobby. For more info, call 351-9010, ext. 3320.

2. AMC will feature Sarasota's own Clockwork Home Services  in a new unscripted series (you know, reality game show) The Pitch at 10 p.m. Monday. The show pits two top advertising agencies against each other to develop a creative ad campaign for a client on the show. Clockwork's brands include One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and .

3. May is ALS Awareness Month in Florida. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease and is a progressive, fatal, neurodegenerative disorder of the upper and lower motor neurons. Striking healthy, fit adults in the prime of life, ALS often proves fatal within two to five years of diagnosis, according to the ALS Association Florida Chapter.

This year, advocates will focus on continuing funding for vital ALS research programs, including the National ALS Registry and the Department of Defense ALS Research Program (ALSRP). The National ALS Registry may become the single largest ALS research ever created and not only can help us determine the true impact of ALS on the country, but also learn what causes the disease and potentially ways to prevent it. The ALSRP is promoting translational research and specifically is designed to find a treatment.

4. Sarasota's Nik Wallenda is expected to be on ABC's Good Morning America today to announce that he will walk the tightrope across the Niagara Falls on June 15, according to Buffalo and Niagara Falls news outlets. The stunt's been in the works for two years and he had originally expected to complete the walk in August, but it looks like he'll have two fewer months to prepare.

5. Saturday Night Live alumnus Kevin Nealon will perform at May 19 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Nealon is a regular on Showtime's Weeds as Doug Wilson and has a Showtime stand-up special Now Hear Me Out. He is also the voice of Glenn Martin, DDS on Nick at Nite. Tickets start at $29.