Connect Savannah | August, 2023

ADMINISTRATIVE ERICA BASKIN PUBLISHER erica@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4378

ERICA LANG DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT elang@connectsavannah.com

WENDY WICKHAM BUSINESS MANAGER wendy@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4373

CONTENT

CHRISTOPHER SWEAT CREATIVE | CONTENT DIRECTOR christopher @connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4358

CHANTEL BRITTON MANAGING EDITOR chantel @connectsavannah.com

MCKENNAH DRURY GRAPHIC DESIGNER (912) 721-4354

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Jesse Blanco, Beth Logan, Bunny Ware,, Alan Sculley, Lauren Wolverton, Kareem McMichael, Travis Jaudon

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

DEAR CONNECT SAVANNAH READERS,

Happy August, everyone! Get ready to dive into the eleventh season of the Savannah Voice festival, as we kick off this month's issue with a celebration of arts and music.

And join us in applauding the homegrown talent of Brian Harman, who triumphed in the British Open, making Savannahians proud!

Craving some British charm? We've got you covered with the grand opening of Pie Society's new British pub in Pooler: Crown & Anchor. Indulge in the culture and flavors of the UK right here in the Coastal Empire.

Helen Bradley's debut novel "Breach of Trust" takes center stage in our book section, inviting you to embark on a captivating literary journey.

Prepare to laugh your heart out as we present Frank Ricci's exclusive interview with the

ON THE COVER

incredibly talented comedian, Alia Janine. Head to the Wormhole; her wit and humor will surely leave you in stitches.

Music lovers, mark your calendars! The dynamic duo of Devon Allman & Donavon Frankenreiter is bringing their 'See It All Tour' to Tybee Post Theatre. Don't miss this fantastic musical experience.

Of course, that's not all. Our August issue is packed with exciting news and events to keep you entertained all month long.

From concerts and festivals to art exhibits and food delights, we've got your social calendar covered.

As we venture into August, let's embrace the spirit of adventure and inspiration. The pages of Connect Savannah are here to keep you busy (and maybe indoors away from all the high temps!)

HAPPY READING!

ERICA

BASKIN, PUBLISHER

OUR VALUES

Connect Savannah is an arts, entertainment and news magazine, focused on Savannah and the Coastal Empire life and experience. We strive to feature stories that impact our community and the people who live here— to educate, entertain, inform and foster conversation.

We appreciate and encourage readers to share news and information with us, and to share any criticism and questions. We want to be your comprehensive source for what happens in our community and beyond. We are here to serve you. Find us on the following social media platforms or reach out to us at news@connectsavannah.com or 912-721-4378.

SVF artists Bridget Johnston and Zachary Sebek in the Festival’s rendition of “Return to Brigadoon” during its 10th season. Photo provided by Savannah Voice Festival.

AUGUST

AT A GLANCE

YAPPY HOUR AT ELECTRIC MOON THURSDAYS

AUG. 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31

Yappy Hour offers guests the opportunity to bring their dogs to the popular Moon Deck rooftop bar for two hours of fun. Sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Yappy Hour at Electric Moon will feature canine-themed Tito’s cocktails, exciting giveaways, shareable menu items and dog-friendly experiences on the Moon Deck. plantriverside.com

MONSTER JAM

AUG. 4-6

The most unexpected, unscripted and unforgettable motorsports experience for families and fans in the world today revving into Savannah for the first time ever for an adrenaline-charged weekend at Enmarket Arena. ticketmaster.com

BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH

BENEFITTING P.A.C.K

AUG. 5 - 12

Join us for our Back-to-School Bash filled with family friendly activities! Enjoy music by DJ Matt Gunn, face painting, and photo ops with your favorite super heroes! Put on your thinking caps because there will be a trivia question or challenge every half hour with big prizes! packsavannah.com

HALDORA PRESENTS : MYRIAD OF VISUAL EXPRESSIONS”

AUG. 7- SEPT. 3

Haldora’s lifetime spent exploring art visually filters into a creative lifestyle. Her visionary sense and passion to create manifests in an eclectic style across different mediums: Self-taught, she has explored various forms of artistic expression including fiber arts, fashion design, ceramics, sculpture, drawing, watercolor, acrylic, mixed media and oils. Her current focus is with oils and acrylics. sobagallery.com

DAWG DAYS OF SUMMER HAPPY HOUR AT TACO STACHE

AUG. 9

Join the UGA Alumni Savannah Chapter for a Dawg Days of Summer Happy Hour at The Taco Stache in Pooler. Grab a beverage or some tacos at this alumni-owned business and enjoy an early evening! There is no cost to attend, but guests will be responsible for purchasing their own food and beverages. thetacostache.com

THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG

AUG. 10-13

This classical musical by Neil Simon and Marvin Hamlisch will have you laughing, crying, and everything in between.

Nominated for

COASTAL EMPIRE WRESTLING

Tony Awards in Best Musical and Best Book, this romantic comedy explores the ups and downs of the professional and personal relationship of songwriters Vernon and Sonia. Tybeeposttheater.org

PURPLE MADNESS

AUG. 11

The “Purple Madness” is the ultimate celebration of the most widely beloved entertainer and profoundly influential artist of all-time. Bobby Miller presents an electrifying performance that can be best described as, high energy.victorynorthsavannah. com

GUYS AND DOLLS LIVE ON STAGE

AUG. 11-27

The Historic Savannah Theatre presents the classic Broadway musical comedy set in the late 1940's in New York City and filled with hilarious rowdy gamblers and their sassy showgirls. 2 hours of colorful costumes and nostalgic singing and dancing. Fun for all ages! 222 Bull St., 912 233-7764 or savannahtheatre.com

COFFEE CONCERTS

AUG. 12

During the Festival Season, you can start your weekends off in an historic setting with

a cup of coffee, a pastry, a friendly crowd and of course, a SONG!! A true Festival Favorite! Savannahvoicefestival.org

LIFT EVERY VOICE: OSSABAW/PIN POINT

AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY TOUR

AUG. 12

The museum tour emphasizes the crabbing and oystering culture of early/mid 20th century Pin Point. The Pin Point community was founded in 1896 by groups of freedmen (formerly enslaved people) many of whom had lived and worked on Ossabaw Island both while enslaved and after emancipation. Interpretive guide will be Gail Smith, a Pin Point resident and descendant of the Dilward family who founded Pin Point, and the Martin family whose relatives worked on Ossabaw in the 20th century. Ossabawisland.org

COASTAL EMPIRE WRESTLING

AUG. 19

Live Wrestling in the BREWERY! Kids 10 and under get in FREE! Doors open at 6pm. Bell rings at 7pm! coastalempirebeer.com

CRAFTS ON THE RIVER

AUG. 25-27

Crafts on the River brings original art and handmade items right to River Street with

Thompson Savannah, the upscale hotel perched along the Eastern Wharf, is home to the dining concept Fleeting, which offers a hyperlocal and seasonallyfocused menu. The restaurant also boasts a large wood-fired grill that is overseen by Fleeting’s Chef de Cuisine, Cameron Dempsey.

Grilling is a summer pastime. Families and friends gather around the grill for fun backyard barbecues that are best enjoyed during this time of year. Every barbecue buff has their own tricks and tips for great grilling, but we’re here to share some solid advice from a seasoned professional.

“With a wood-fired grill, you get a lot more flavor and depth of smoke on everything that you cook on it,” said Dempsey. “It also gives you the ability to control hot spots and how you cook on the grill because you’re feeding that fire constantly."

GRILLING IS SO HOT RIGHT NOW

50+ artists and crafters. Shop woodcrafts, local photography, original art, candles, soap, specialty foods, jewelry, apparel, and more! The events benefit Inheritance of Hope, a group that serves young families facing the loss of a parent. Craftsontheriver.com

SAND IN MY BOOTS

AUG. 26

Meet up at South Beach on 19th Street beach access on Tybee Island for some country swing! Bring that coastal cowboy energy to Tybee! No boots, no shirt, no problem! Dance until the sun sets (or rises!!) shindigssavannah.squarespace. com

BAILE & VINO

AUG. 28

Latin Fusion dance and wine at Sobremesa! Learn a different style of latin dancing every last Monday of the month! No partner or experience required. Shindigssavannah.squarespace. com

DISNEY TRIVIA

AUG. 30-31

If you wished upon a star for Disney Trivia, your wish has come true! Join B&D Burgers Pooler in the Cave of Wonders, under the sea, before the stroke of midnight and before the final petal falls for Disney Trivia! 2 nights, 2 chances to win! bdburgers.net

HIGHLIGHTED PICKS FROM HOSTESS CITY HAPPENINGS THIS MONTH

To have your event considered for inclusion, please visit connectsavannah.com and enter your event in our online calendar. There, you can manage your entries, change and add dates, times, etc.

NOW:

Visit ConnectSavannah.com to find our 24/7, comprehensive list of all the things to do in Savannah this month. From theater performances to live music shows, art exhibitions to food festivals, Connect Savannah has got you covered. So, check out the website now and start planning your perfect month in the Hostess City today!

Dempsey shared his secrets for sizzling success when grilling out this summer:

USING ENOUGH OIL OR FAT IS CRUCIAL.

“Using enough oil or fat is really important when you’re on a grill. If you don’t, you get that lean meat to dry out and you lack caramelization because there’s no way for that heat to transfer to the item that you’re cooking. That’s what oils and lubrication and fats are going to do for you,” Dempsey explained.

While most lean meats like chicken and fish will dry out quickly in the heat of a grill, Dempsey recommends using

high heat resistant oils like grapeseed or sunflower oil to make things easier to handle, improve sear and develop depth of flavor.

KEEP IT HOT.

To lock in sear and achieve caramelization, Dempsey says direct heat is the way to go. Whether you’re using gas, charcoal, wood or any combination thereof, maintaining a hot level cook surface is essential.

AVOID FLARE UPS.

Lots of open flame and flare ups are

things to avoid when grilling. Open flame will burn seasoning or fats leaving the item being grilled. It can also leave an unpleasant carbon taste, particularly with gas grills. Dempsey advises grillers to build up a coal base and avoid feeding the fire’s direct center.

“I like to add wood from the edges of the coal bed and allow it to burn out before combining with the main coal bed,” he said.

Savannahian Robin Reeves has a reputation for really good food.

“I’ve been cooking for years. My wife was my first guinea pig, and from there, it led to me cooking for cookouts for my family and friends. They would always ask, ‘what did you put on this meat? How did you get the food to taste like this?’”

His secret? Superb seasonings. He would create unique spice blends in his home kitchen that delivered undeniable flavor when applied to a wide variety of foods. Eventually, all the positive feedback motivated him to start bottling up his blends and selling them. And so, he launched his premium seasonings company

INTRODUCTIONS: MEET ROBIN REEVES ROBIN

MIXING UP THE SPICE OF LIFE

Mason Jar Money in January of 2020.

The business name came from Reeves’ father, who nicknamed him Mason Jar Money because he’d always show up to family functions with mason jars full of his special spice blends.

“Everytime I came around, it was ‘Mason Jar Money.’ So, I turned that into my whole company name,” Reeves explained.

Since its inception, business has been great for Reeves.

“It started out really good [with] the support I was getting. People were so surprised, [saying] they haven’t seen many black-owned seasoning companies,” he said.

Then, when the pandemic hit, business really started taking off.

“It just made it blow up even more because now people were home. They needed things to cook and they needed things to cook with. They were shopping with me. It was really good,” Reeves remarked.

Currently, the Mason Jar Money lineup consists of five seasonings, each with a unique name that has personal significance for Reeves. One of his best-sellers is called Port Life, named for the Savannah seaport.

“It’s great for seafood . . . and it’s very spicy, just like our city is,” Reeves said.

His top-selling product is called Cowboy, which is named for his favorite football team. It’s an all-purpose seasoning that sells all throughout the country.

“I get people buying that from California, Texas, New York. I even sent some over to Japan because people really love that Cowboy spice,” told Reeves.

His personal favorite is a green blend called Friday, which was named after his favorite movie “Friday,” a stoner comedy starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker.

“It’s green. It’s an herbal seasoning, so it looks like what they were doing on Friday, but it’s not that,” he said with a laugh. “It’s all herbs and different spices. . . I love to use that one on my steaks, chicken, anything that I’m cooking in my kitchen. I can always sprinkle some Friday in and it’s perfect.”

Reeves says his seasonings are unlike anything that can be found in a store.

“What makes mine special is I hand blend my stuff. . . It’s not anything that has been sitting in a warehouse. . . It’s all coming straight from my head, and I haven’t tasted anything like it. All of my customers would say the same thing,” he expressed.

Another distinguishing factor is the size of his products.

“You’re getting more bang for your buck. You’re not just getting a little shaker. . . You’re getting a 4-ounce, 8-ounce or 16-ounce mason jar full of straight flavor,” he explained. “And it’s low in sodium. All of my spices are low in sodium and they’re not lacking flavor. . . It doesn’t really have salt, but . . . you’re still going to get a mouthful of flavor every time you bite into anything you cook using my spices.”

He added, “You should buy my seasonings because not only is it looking out for your health, but it’s also bringing a whole different dynamic into your kitchen and into your food every time you cook.”

Reeves encourages people to give his products a try “because you want your food to be better and you want to feel better after you eat.”

In addition to the seasonings, Reeves also sells a cookbook with plans to expand the product line within the next year. He also does catering for cookouts and other functions and plans to start doing cooking classes in the future.

“We’re doing couples nights where we’ll be cooking together with couples and helping them bring their marriage back together by teaching them how to cook together. It’s going to be a big, big family-oriented type of thing that we’re moving into,” said Reeves.

Speaking of family, he has two young daughters who have taken interest in the business, making Mason Jar Money a family affair.

“My nine-year-old daughter loves it, so now she’s into the whole process of cooking. She actually goes to a cooking camp now, and she’s been in the kitchen trying to come up with her own blend. I’m actually looking at coming out with a whole line for kids based off of my daughter,” he explained.

“We are a family line of products,” Reeves stated with pride. “[My daughters] are interested in helping create spices and different products of their own.”

His daughters are getting ready to launch their own pancake mix called Flapjack Fortune, which will be available for purchase online soon. Though plans to grow into a brick and mortar business are on the horizon, Reeves currently sells exclusively online.

To learn more, visit masonjarmoney.com and connect with Reeves on Facebook @ RockyReeves or Instagram @masonjarmoney.

- Chantel Britton

raising voices OVER A DECADE OF

SAVANNAH VOICE FESTIVAL PRESENTS ELEVENTH SEASON AUG. 6-20

By Chantel Britton

The Savannah VOICE Festival returns for its eleventh season August 6-20. Over the course of these two weeks, the Hostess City will enjoy more than 25 performances taking place at venues across the Coastal Empire. SVF is a special celebration of classical voice highlighting artful sounds of opera, musical theatre and popular song. The festival is the product of renowned operatic baritone

Sherill Milnes and his wife, soprano Maria Zouves.

“The Savannah VOICE Festival . . . is all rooted in the legacy of great singing left behind by its co-founders and presidents. . . .The festival grew out of its sister organization, VOICE Experience, which started in 2000 and aimed to mentor young, aspiring singers in the craft,” said Chad Sonka, SVF executive director. “The Savannah VOICE Festival grew out of a need for a place for those artists to exercise that craft, and the Hostess City was a fabulous place for that because there was a need for something like that here.”

This season’s theme is “A Lasting Legacy,” honoring the artistic legacy of the Milnes VOICE programs.

“‘A Lasting Legacy’ is really about highlighting the legacy of great singing left behind by Sherill and Maria — that we are honoring a legacy of singing that moves so many

Performers raise a toast at the 2022 Savannah Voice Festival

2023 SAVANNAH VOICE FESTIVAL

A LASTING LEGACY: SAVANNAH VOICE FESTIVAL SEASON ELEVEN

AUGUST 6-20

ARIA: A FESTIVAL KICKOFF

Sunday, Aug 6 at 5pm | Christ Church, Savannah, 28 Bull Street (at Johnson Square)

The Savannah VOICE Festival welcomes you to the 11th Season with a parade of operatic solos performed by selected Festival and Studio artists. Hear returning artists from the past season and meet some new talent at the place where it all began, Christ Church. Post show reception will follow the event.

$45 Premium | $25 Standard

Sponsored by: Phyllis & Dan Huffer and Marcia & Larry Wills. Post Show Reception Sponsored by: Dayle and Aaron Levy

MASTERS IN VOICE: MELANO MASTER CLASS

Tuesday, Aug 8 at 1pm | Yamacraw Performing Arts

Center, 649 W. Jones Street

Renowned stage director Fabrizio Melano, along with psychotherapist Laura Melano Flanagan, share their unmatched expertise with a new generation of artists, taking the dramatic aspects of music to another level for the audience to enjoy.

Free and Open to the Public

VOICES IN SONG

Tuesday, Aug 8 at 6:30pm | Telfair Academy, 121 Barnard Street

The art of song can take you far away and back again in just a few moments. We introduce you to a world of emotion and experiences beautifully sung at the salon-inspired Telfair Academy Rotunda, curated and performed by composer/pianist Jodi Goble.

$45 Premium | $32 Standard

Sponsored by: Jean & John Fishburne

people and really trying to cultivate that in young artists as well as instilling that in patrons to seek it out as much as possible,” said Sonka.

This year, SVF will feature more than 40 participating artists, presenting an exciting range of experience and ability.

“What I love about the VOICE programs is that they speak to all levels. We have study grant artists who are here to build and hone their skills all the way through professionals who are out singing all over the world including Broadway and [international] opera houses. We have a wide range of wonderful talent as well as brilliant production staff that help us,” he expressed.

Each year, SVF presents an array of compelling performances as a part of the Savannah OPERA season, and this year, festival goers are in for a real treat. This year’s Savannah OPERA package comprises three spirited performances including English Baroque composer Henry Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas,” Wolfgang Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and Giacomo Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.”

“All three of these operas speak to our season beautifully because they are the cornerstones of what we know opera to be, which is the Olympics of singing. It truly is the total art,” said Sonka.

Beyond the opera package, Sonka also highlighted the “As Time Goes By” tribute to post-World War II music taking place at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler, which is happening for the first time at SVF. Other festival firsts for this year include new venues and partnerships.

IN RECITAL: MINGHAO LIU, TENOR WITH HOWARD WATKINS, PIANO

Wednesday, Aug 9 at 6:30pm | Telfair Academy, 121 Barnard Street

Join us in a tour through Italy and its music – and more! This recital features tenor Minghao Liu, who took the festival by storm last summer, and Metropolitan Opera pianist Howard Watkins at the iconic Telfair Academy Rotunda.

$45 Premium | $32 Standard

Sponsored by: Winston Willis IMO Barbara Lane

MASTERS IN VOICE:

HOWARD WATKINS MASTER CLASS

Thursday, Aug 10 at 1pm | Yamacraw Performing Arts Center, 649 W. Jones Street

Yale Presidential scholar, renowned pianist, and vocal coach Howard Watkins works with our studio artists as part of this educational series. Free and Open to the Public

PURCELL’S DIDO & AENEAS | A SAVANNAH OPERA PRODUCTION

Thursday, Aug 10 at 6:30pm | Telfair Academy, 121 Barnard Street

The Festival brings this baroque masterpiece and timeless story of love and deception to life for the first time in Savannah. Chad Sonka directs and Jorge Parodi conducts this score full of drama and beauty in the perfect setting of the Sculpture Gallery of the Telfair Academy with a small baroque orchestral ensemble.

$55 Premium | $35 Standard

Sponsored by: Helen Downing

AS TIME GOES BY: A TRIBUTE TO POST-WAR ERA

MUSIC WITH THE ELITE PARTY BAND

Friday, Aug 11 at 6:30pm | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Ave, Pooler, GA

Branching out to the Pooler Community, SVF presents your favorites songs of a bygone era, with the passion and nostalgia of the WWII-inspired shows. Director Justin Havard is joined by SVF Artists and members of the Elite Party Band, as they perform under the wings

of the B-17 Flying Fortress “City of Savannah” at the Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. There will be a post-show meet and greet with the cast.

$45 Premium (with post show meet & greet)$25

Standard

Sponsored by: The Salt Table and Jean & John Fishburne

COFFEE CONCERT SERIES I & II

Saturday, Aug 12 at 10am & Saturday, August 19 at 10am

Davenport House Museum Preservation Room, 323 E. Broughton Street

During the Festival Season, you can start your weekends off in an historic setting with a cup of coffee, a pastry, a friendly crowd and of course, a SONG!! A true Festival Favorite!

$30 General Seating

Sponsored by: Dave Lake & Linda Wright

MOZART’S DON GIOVANNI

A SAVANNAH OPERA PRODUCTION

Saturday, Aug 12 at 6:30pm | Asbury Memorial Church, 1008 Henry Street

In a time of Savannah’s beginnings, Mozart and master librettist Da Ponte teamed up for this masterpiece adaptation of Don Juan’s last night on earth. Now you can see it live with a traditional production that originated at the Estates Theater in Prague (where the opera premiered). Savannah OPERA brings it to the Asbury Memorial Church with the production’s original directors, Sherrill Milnes and Maria Zouves. Conducted by Andrew Bisantz with a Savannah OPERA Chamber Orchestra.

$55 Premium | $35 Standard

Sponsored by: The Marjorie E. & B.H. Levy Charitable Fund

VOICES IN SACRED SONG

Sunday, Aug 13 at 5pm | First Baptist Church, 223 Bull Street

A Festival favorite event, Timothy Hall and the Festival artists offer an afternoon of musical inspiration and comfort in the beautiful sanctuary of downtown’s First

“We are going to be at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center, which is where ‘Madama Butterfly’ will be taking place. We are also partnering with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra for the first time to do a concert we’re calling ‘Voices Under the Stars’ out there in Hilton Head, which is one of our musical neighbors. . . We are engaging with partners and venues that we’ve never done before, which is really healthy to the vibrant musical community that this area has to offer,” he explained.

Though there are a few exciting new additions, the main appeal of the VOICE Festival remains unchanged.

“People should attend this year’s festival for the same reason they always should, which is the voice. We are the Savannah VOICE Festival. The unamplified singing voice is something so powerful and so visceral that when you hear it, you can’t help but have an emotional connection to it. We always want to highlight the beauty of these voices that come from all over the world to perform here in Savannah,” said Sonka.

He added that SVF works to make these experiences accessible with subtitles, translations and program descriptions for foreign language performances, and he encourages the community to come out and enjoy everything this season has to offer.

“Our artistic director Jorge Parodi and I are really excited to further the legacy that Sherill and Maria have built over 10 years ago,” he stated. “ This is our 11th season here in Savannah, so we’re just excited and honored to further our lasting legacy.”

To learn more about the Savannah VOICE Festival or to purchase tickets for this year’s season, visit savannahvoicefestival.org

Baptist Church.

Free and Open to the Public

Sponsored by: Ruth & Tom McMullin

OPERA MOVIE NIGHT: HOMAGE TO VERDI

HOSTED BY SHERRILL MILNES

Monday, Aug 14 at 6:30pm | Charles H. Morris Center, 10 East Broad Street

The most recorded American artist of the century, Verdi baritone Sherrill Milnes, with emcee Chad Sonka, present selected footage of his documentary about the composer mingled with personal videos, stories of his life and fun anecdotes of a four decade career on the stage.

Donations at the Door

Sponsored by: Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming

MASTERS IN VOICE:

SHERRILL MILNES MASTER CLASS

Tuesday, Aug 15 at 1pm | Charles H. Morris Center, 10 East Broad Street

Continuing the legacy of his four decades on the stage, legendary baritone Sherrill Milnes shares his wealth of musical and dramatic knowledge with up-and-coming stars.

Free and Open to the Public

VOICES UNDER THE STARS: A HILTON HEAD PARK CONCERT

In partnership with Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra

Tuesday, Aug 15 at 7:30pm | Lowcountry Celebration

Park, 94 Pope Ave, Hilton Head Island, SC

Pack up your picnic basket and come enjoy our singers with members of the Hilton Head Symphony as they team up for an unforgettable evening of favorite arias and show tunes al fresco at Celebration Park on Hilton Head Island.

Free and open the public.

Sponsored by Naomi & Barry Cohen

CONCERT: CARLTON MOE AND FRIENDS

Wednesday, Aug 16 at 6:30pm | Charles H. Morris Center, 10 East Broad Street

After closing the iconic Phantom of the Opera, SVF’s own Broadway star comes back, with a few beloved colleagues, to tell us about his exciting journey. Enjoy a fun concert that celebrates the legacy of the Savannah VOICE Festival through Carl’s favorite tunes at the Morris Center with Justin Havard at the piano.

$45 Premium | $32 Standard

Sponsored by: Kathie & Les Anderson

MASTERS IN VOICE: MARIA SPACAGNA MASTER CLASS

Thursday, Aug 17 at 1pm | Yamacraw

Performing Arts Center, 649 W. Jones Street

Soprano Maria Spacagna, a VOICE Program faculty member for over two decades, was the first American soprano to sing the title role of Madama Butterfly at La Scala. She comes back to Savannah to work one on one with our artists, sharing her international expertise with the next generation.Free and Open to the Public

LEGACY: OPERA SCENE NIGHT

HOSTED BY SHERRILL MILNES | DIRECTED BY FABRIZIO MELANO

Thursday, August 17 at 6:30pm | Charles H. Morris Center, 10 East Broad Street

Teaming with Milnes is Metropolitan Opera veteran Melano, who has worked with everyone from Maria Callas to Luciano Pavarotti to Sherrill himself. Celebrate Sherrill Milnes’ unrivaled career through a program of scenes and stories from his signature operas with SVF favorite, Dan Gettinger at the piano.

$60 Premium | $40 Standard

Sponsored by Susan & Garry Spector

SALON CONCERT: VERDI, PUCCINI AND SOMETHING CALLED THE RING WITH JAMES MORRIS & SUSAN QUITTMEYER

Friday, August 18 at 6:30pm | Green Meldrim House, 14 W Macon Street

As part of the legacy season, opera legend James Morris invites you to an historic night, where he shares stories of his career from his early days as a young artist, to being the formidable Wotan of the century.

Passing the torch as an educator, Morris presents some of his mentees and other Study Grant artists as they share music that was in, and around, Morris’ life. Maria Zouves emcees this wine reception, parlor concert and elegant post performance supper in one of Savannah’s most iconic spaces.

$95 Includes Wine Reception, Concert and Post Performance Dinner Buffet

Sponsored by: Jamie Farnsworth and Shelagh Thomee

PUCCINI’S MADAMA BUTTERFLY |

A SAVANNAH OPERA PRODUCTION

Saturday, Aug 19 at 6:30pm | Savannah Cultural Arts Center

Under Jorge Parodi’s baton, a timeless story comes to Savannah for the first time to win everyone’s heart. This Puccini classic – performed as part of a cultural exchange in its traditional form - is a Savannah OPERA production in collaboration with the Tokyo International Vocal Arts Academy.

$60 Premium | $40 Standard

Sponsored by: Carolyn Donovan

FINALE PARTY: A FABULOUS FAREWELL WITH SPECIAL LEGACY ARTISTS AND THE FABULOUS EQUINOX ORCHESTRA

Sunday, Aug 20 at 5pm | The DeSoto Hotel, 15 East Liberty Street, Savannah

As we finish out Season 11, tap your toes, clap your hands and hum your cares away with the music of big band and popular hits. Everything will be fabulous: literally - with the Equinox Orchestra and the Festival’s veteran singers. From the cocktails, the party food and the backdrop of the stunning DeSoto Savannah Hotel Ballroom, we end with a party to remember!

VIP Table of 8 - $2,000

Individual Table Seat - $80

Sponsored by: Toby Hollenberg FOR

SAVANNAHVOICEFESTIVAL.ORG

PROPERTY MATTERS SAVANNAH AGENDA:

By Eric Curl savannahagenda.com

While some people binge Netflix, I binge building permits and meeting agendas. This column is based on what I find.

Stay Engaged Savannah!

RESTAURANT PLANNED FOR 222 W. DUFFY ST.

Michael Condon, who owns Vintage Home Restoration, is planning on opening a new restaurant at the historic building he is renovating at 222 West Duffy St., according to the rezoning petition going before MPC on Tuesday.

The 2-story building, which is a contributing resource within the Victorian Historic District, was constructed in 1894 as a pharmacy/drug store and the first floor was historically commercial, according to the MPC. The West Duffy Cafe’ previously operated out of the space.

A menu for “Le Biscuit” with the submission packet includes biscuits, sandwiches, salads and main courses comprised of Shrimp and Grits, Steak and Eggs and soft shell crab benedict.

Condon said that the restaurant will be run by chef James Cininillo, who is also preparing to open a restaurant, Coop De Ville, at Eastern Wharf, as previously reported.

“If we get everything lined up, it will take six months to build it out,” Condon said. “I would shoot for a St. Patrick’s Day week opening.”

Staff is recommending approval of the request to rezone the property from TN-1 (Traditional Neighborhood-1) to TC-1 (Traditional Commercial-1).

Condon is also seeking a special use permit to allow for alcohol sales at the restaurant. Staff is recommending approval with the condition that the restaurant’s operation be limted to Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Both petitions will have to go before the Savannah City Council for final approval.

222 W. Duffy St. is being renovated by Vintage Home Restoration.

Photo by the Metropolitan Planning Commission.

DEMOS, APARTMENT COMPLEX PROPOSED FOR EAST BROAD AT GWINNETT

The developer behind the planned Starland Village development is proposing to construct another mixed-use apartment complex along East Broad Street on nine parcels between East Gwinnett and East Bolton streets.

The zoning petition notice was posted on the vacant lot where a church was demolished in 2021, with the buildings at 610-612 and 614-16 Bolton Street in the background, which would be demolished to make way for the mixed-use complex. Eric Curl/July 1, 2023

Foram Development is petitioning to construct the complex consisting of two 5-story buildings with about 200 units on the upper floors, retail and restaurant space on the ground level and an underground parking garage.

Located in an area listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the EastsideMeadows-Collinsville Historic District, the site includes a now vacant lot at 810 East Broad St. where the Faith on the Move Ministries church was demolished in 2021, along with currently affordable housing that would be demolished to make way for the project, according to Metropolitan Planning Commission staff.

While the National Register district designation provides federal tax incentives for rehabilitation of historic properties, the area is not protected by a local historic overlay district that would prevent the demolition of historic structures. Of the seven structures within the subject property, five of them were identified as contributing to the historic character of the Eastside district in the National Register nomination. The buildings include one-story, side-byside duplexes at 610-612 and 614-16 Bolton Street and 611-613 and 615-617 Bolton Lane.

The petition to rezone the site from TC-2 (Traditional Commercial-2) district to a S-PD (Small-Planned Development) was scheduled to go before the MPC on July 11, but the meeting was postponed to July 25 due to a lack of a quorum.

COLONIAL GROUP SHELLS OUT $30M TO BUY SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS BUILDING

Colonial Group, Inc. the parent company of Colonial Oil and the Enmarket convenience store chain, purchased the former Savannah Morning News building for $30 million on July 12, according to sales records.

The company announced in a press release Thursday that it plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to the 3-story office building, at 1375 Chatham Parkway, which includes 145,000 square feet of warehouse space previously used as a newspaper press and distribution facility.

Colonial’s Savannah area employees currently work in eight different offices that have reached or are nearing capacity, according to a statement issued by President and CEO Christian Demere.

“This location will create a more collaborative atmosphere for our employees, which will allow us to better support our operations and accommodate our needs as we continue to grow,” Demere said.

Employees of the Savannah Morning

News vacated the building earlier this year as the publication’s former owner, Augustabased Morris Communications, made preparations, including the dismantling of the newspaper press, to sell the property it had built for the newspaper in 2003. Morris sold the publication in 2017. Gannett Co., publisher of USA Today, acquired SMN about two years later through a merger.

Savannah Morning News staff now work remotely.

The zoning petition notice was posted on the vacant lot where a church was demolished in 2021, with the buildings at 610-612 and 614-16 Bolton Street in the background, which would be demolished to make way for the mixed-use complex. Eric Curl/July 1, 2023

The Savannah Morning News building at 1375 Chatham Parkway. Eric Curl/March 28, 2023

SAVANNAH'S SON SHINES BRIGHT ACROSS THE POND

JAUDON SPORTS: SAVANNAH NATIVE, SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN GRADUATE BRIAN HARMAN WINS FIRST MAJOR

By Travis Jaudon @JaudonSports

“I've got a lot of layers, man. I'm like an onion.”

Savannah native Brian Harman only said this jokingly after winning The 151st Open Championship at The Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England on Sunday, July 23.

All joking aside, the layers to Harman are real. The thing is, he hasn’t been big on peeling any of them back for us to see during his career. Over the weekend, the Savannah Christian graduate and former NCAA Champion at the University of Georgia used a self-described “gritty” mentality to win his first ever major championship, also becoming the first Savannah native ever to win one of the Tour’s “Big Four” events (Masters, US Open, PGA Championship, British Open).

Layers or not, he now has a place among the immortals of golf. There aren’t many major champions walking around this planet and now he is one of them and Savannah has produced one of them. It is one of the biggest sporting achievements in the city’s history, and I would argue it’s THE BIGGEST.

Just so happens, the 5-foot 7-inch lefty is the one who produced it.

“I'm over the moon,” said the man of few words and fewer putts. “Stoked.”

Harman, who shot 13-under for the week, became just the third left-hander ever to win The Open (Bob Charles, 1963 and Phil Mickelson, 2013). He joined an illustrious list of former Open champions at The Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Harman is on it, alongside names like Tiger Woods, Walter Hagen, Rory McILroy and Bobby Jones.

It was his third career win on the PGA Tour and his first since 2017. After winning the 2014 John Deere Classic and the 2017 Wells Fargo Classic, Harman played in 167 professional events without winning. Lucky No. 168 was a start that ended with him earning the largest first-place payout in Open history ($3 million) and a place among the immortals of the game.

“You know, I've always had a self-belief that I could do something like this,” said Harman after his historic six stroke win on Sunday. “It's just when it takes so much time it's hard not to let your mind falter, like maybe I'm not winning again. I'm 36 years old. Game is getting younger. All these young guys coming out, hit it a mile, and they're all ready to win. Like when is it going to be my turn again. It's been hard to deal with.”

Fellow Savannah native Gene Sauers won the 2016 U.S. Senior Open on The Champion’s Tour, and that too was a big deal. Winning The British Open is a completely different level, however. For whatever reason, Harman doesn’t seem to have the same support from Savannah as the city gives many of its other star athletic products. Perhaps it’s because Harman is, as The Guardian’s Michael Butler wrote, “neither an underdog nor a superstar.” Or maybe it’s because a lot of fans in Savannah are irked by his longtime decision to ignore (or allow) Sea Island, Georgia to be called his “home.”

He lives in Sea Island and he is from Savannah. What “home” means can be a big deal to some and Harman rarely if ever mentions Savannah in any public way.

(You can see my Twitter account @JaudonSports) for more of those layers to Harman’s story).

The crowd at Royal Liverpool actually booed Harman on the first tee on Sunday. Why? Who knows, but Harman gave a glimpse underneath another layer of his when he talked about the fans rooting against him Sunday.

“After I made the second bogey (on Saturday), a guy, when I was passing him, said, ‘Harman, you don't have the stones for this.’ So that helped,” said Harman.

“If they didn’t want me to play well, they should have been nice to me.”

How’s that for an English onion? His legendary junior amateur career began at Southbridge Golf Club and it has reached its pinnacle across the pond. It’s time for Savannah to give Harman his flowers. The city government should recognize him, as should the leaders at Savannah Christian. How they do it is up to them, but this shouldn’t be dismissed as a surface-level accomplishment. Levels (and layers) to it, man.

It took 151 years for Savannah to have a major champion winner. So, chances are, none of us here today will get to witness another one again. Think about the significance of that. Harman will be while he holds The Claret Jug for the next 12 months.

“It's pretty surreal. It really hasn't sunk in yet,” he said in the short-and-sweet(ish) fashion with which he answers most questions.

One reporter asked: “Curious, do you have anything specific in mind that you're going to drink out of that jug?” Harman’s complete answer of “Guinness” was followed-up with another question: “Tonight?”

“Tonight,” he said. “I'll be buying lots of beers when I go home.”

FROM PIES TO PINTS: BRITISH BAKERY EXPANDS INTO CHARMING PUB EXPERIENCE IN POOLER

EAT IT AND LIKE IT

By Jesse Blanco eatitandlikeit.com

It felt like old times visiting with the Wagstaff Family.

The visit to their soon to be open English Pub in Pooler featured a long stroll down memory lane.

The first time we met, Winter of 2013, they were a couple of weeks into their brand new bakery on Canal Street in Pooler.

Sister Emma made the call back to England. Her brother Edward had finished college but was most passionate about baking. She had moved here in 2007 to work for JCB.

"I called him and said he should consider opening a bakery here. I told him no one here was doing pies like we have back home." she recalls.

There wasn't a lot of arm twisting to be done.

In August 2012, Edward arrived in Savannah with mom in tow, with plans to open a British style bakery. Savory pies and maybe some other items. Pie Society was born. It was an instant hit.

"We were big with the lunch crowd from Gulfstream," Emma says referring to the largely British contingency that visited them early on.

Over time, locals came to love them as well. To the point where these days Pie Society is somewhat of a household name in Pooler.

"We are being asked every five seconds when we are going to open

PRESENTED

here." Sister Melissa says when referring to their newest venture, The Crown and Anchor Pub by Pie Society.

"Everywhere" Emma adds.

Sister Melissa was back in England when Pie Society hit the scene in 2013. Shortly after she finished 'university', as it is called across the pond, she decided to come to Savannah to help the family business out for a few months.

That was seven years ago. Melissa married a fireman and is in charge of operations at their Little Crown Pub in City Market, a 540 square foot cute-as-a-button watering hole on Jefferson St.

The siblings agree that it was the success of that space that planted the initial seed to open a full blown English Pub.

They had outgrown their space on Canal St. in Pooler years before. Development in the city and subsequent traffic made it increasingly difficult for their regulars to get to them for a quick business lunch.

They had to do something. They looked into expanding at their original location but spaces weren't coming available. Ultimately, in 2017 they moved their baking operations into a space on Highway 80. With a location allowing them to increase production, they put two food trucks on the street. One for their signature pies and Ark Royal Burgers, one of Savannah's more popular burger trucks.

Still, all knew they wanted more.

“We’ve been making our food for a while. We really wanted to give it more of an evening setting. There are a lot of dishes we wanted to try that just didn’t make sense in the bakery.” Melissa says.

As these things tend to happen, the space next door to their production facility on Highway 80 was coming available. It would double their size and the kitchen was already in place.

They signed a lease in late 2022 with plans to open their first full blown pub featuring foods the siblings grew up on in England and of course their handmade savory pies.

"Pubs in America are a little stereotypical when it comes to the food you get. We are trying to be more traditional." Melissa is very quick to point out.

The space is beautiful. Fairly traditional in its decor. 2100 or so square feet dominated by a large 20 seat bar in the middle. The bar will feature over a dozen beers on tap. Mostly British, of course, but a couple of local brews will fill out their roster. Fifty plus seats will fill the dining room along with a room in the back for groups of 10-15. That room is enclosed by a massive fish tank they inherited from the previous owner. They've named the fish inside already. They've become part of this family.

The menu is rather straight forward when you consider they are aiming to create a proper pub. The Fish and Chips I nibbled on for lunch were outstanding. The tartar sauce (made in house) was a perfect compliment. The full size serving is huge. There's a Ribeye steak on the menu and other feature items. Of course, you will find a nice selection of their signature savory pies and the burgers they offer on their truck. A few appetizers round it out. Basically, everything they've been doing for years here in the area will be available at this pub. Plus a few extras like Halloumi fries-delicious-and a couple of house-made curries.

This is going to be a big hit in Pooler. A retail pie shop by day, proper pub next door by evening and night.

The location isn't ideal for those that live deep in the heart of what Pooler has become.

The Crown and Anchor Pub is on Highway 80 to the East of I-95 and shares a parking lot with the very popular Spanky's.

The crowd that enjoyed the now closed Molly McPherson's on that end of town will now have to drive a little bit to get to this gem. But the family still loves the spot.

"People drive highway 80 to and from work every day." Emma says. "Plus we have a lot of people who stop here to see us every year on their drives to and from Florida. They are here all of the time. This will be easier for highway traffic."

Savannah is going to love this Pub. There a couple of televisions at the bar. Large enough to enjoy some Premiere League football on weekends. We know many of you will. Their plans for now will be offer dinner service until 10pm when they will flip to a condensed late night menu. On weekends they could stay open until midnight or later. That's a discussion in progress, but they absolutely recognize the need for late night eats in the area. We just don't have many options and they know it.

AMBUCS 12TH ANNUAL BOWLAPALOOZA KICKOFF EVENT

The Savannah AMBUCS hosted their 12th Annual Bowlapalooza Kickoff Event at the Kehoe Iron Works Thursday, July 20

See more photos by scanning the code.

by Odyssey Wade for Bunny Ware

DEBUT NOVELIST HELEN BRADLEY: FEELING THE LOVE

By Beth Logan CULTURE COLUMNIST

Buoyed up by supportive family members, a plethora of girlfriends, former co-workers and fellow board members, gym buddies, local business owners, and by the colleagues in her weekly writing group, Helen Bradley has successfully published her first novel at the age of 60-plus and is doing a stellar job of promoting it!

She has had speaking engagements in the library of her hometown of Bethune, SC, and at Savannah’s

Senior Citizen’s Inc. Learning Center, several book signings, and numerous appearances at regional book clubs, where she particularly enjoys talking about her writing journey and the publishing process.

We meet in the spaciously funky Friendship Coffee Company on Wilmington Island, where Bradley lives with husband Jay and their 15-year-old grandson.

Published by South Carolina’s Moonshine Cove Publishing, her novel "Breach of Trust" is sold at the coffee shop.

Nearby, on the other side of Johnny Mercer Blvd., is Islands Cottage Art, a recently opened consign-

ment art gallery and spacious studio space (offering classes on everything from handbuilt pottery to belly dancing) which graciously hosted her book launch this June.

Bradley is clearly delighted, if not a little surprised, when she tells me that the evening broke The Book Lady Bookstore’s record for the greatest number of books sold at an event.

In the words of Savannah author Susan Earl, who, along with Beverly Willett and Judy Bean, make up the current members of Bradley’s weekly writing group, “'Breach of Trust' is a humdinger of a debut novel. Helen used her insider’s knowledge as former longtime head of a Savannah-based, nationally recognized crime victim advocacy program to create this compelling read. Despite facing an agonizing moral decision, Anne Gardner – Helen’s fully-drawn main character – maintains her zany sense of humor, providing a welcome respite from the novel’s mounting tension.”

Longtime Savannahians will recognize the issues of the “novel’s mounting tension”…. the protagonist’s young male employee accuses their boss, the district attorney, of sexual harassment.

Her website’s synopsis teases, “Should Anne remain quiet to keep the career she loves? Or should she publicly accuse him in order to deter him from victimizing others? Can Anne be sued for defamation?...To further complicate matters, the district attorney was her friend before he became top prosecutor. The harassment allegation – along with evidence that the DA’s corruption may have enabled a young mother’s murder – dredges up painful memories from Anne’s past, causes friction in her marriage, and propels her into a moral crisis.”

At the suggestion of a judge, Bradley became a wedding officiant (Savannah Simple Weddings) after retiring from the courthouse and enjoys working part-time with her sister who provides photography.

She also volunteered for the Deep Center, mentoring middle school students who ultimately inspired her “to write her heart out.”

In a nonfiction writing group for the nonprofit’s volunteers, she chose to write about the courthouse drama as her final assignment, “and everyone in that group said, ‘we have to know more!’”

She continued to flesh out a fictionalized novel with the assistance of her writing group for almost ten years.

“This book would not exist without them,” she says. “They have been phenomenal in critiquing, supporting, and encouraging me.”

When we meet, I am bursting to know how much of the novel is factual! A very fast-paced read, I confess to Googling my way through it, comparing what happened to Anne and her new boss, the newly elected DA, to what really happened to Bradley and the controversial supervisor who caused her early retirement. But Bradley remains firmly and resolutely tight-lipped, proclaiming that

“while the book is certainly inspired by some courthouse happenings, it is purely fiction.”

Indeed, the copyright page purposefully declares, “Any resemblance to actual events, locales, conversations, opinions, business establishments, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and unintended.”

Like her protagonist, Bradley earned her undergraduate degree from Clemson University and wrote for the student newspaper, "The Tiger."

After graduation she worked as a journalist for the "Sumter Item" daily newspaper and the "Greenville News" before moving to Savannah.

Here, under the leadership of DA Spencer Lawton, who held his post for 28 years, she created and directed Chatham County’s Victim-Witness Assistance Program for 27 years.

Also serving on the boards of several child advocacy, domestic violence, and sexual assault organizations, Bradley spearheaded passage of a dozen pieces of legislation, including the Georgia Crime Victim’s Bill of Rights and crime victim’s compensation program.

It is fascinating to delve into how the program works through the experiences of her novel’s characters.

I admit it is fun to pick out the local references – the steps of First Baptist Church, Coach’s Corner, the view from the roof of the courthouse garage, The Landings, T.S. Chu’s department store, and so forth, but sometimes, in her efforts to engage and educate those not familiar with our city, the descriptions can be a bit clunky and unwieldy.

For example, just four pages after a lengthy paragraph’s explanation of the history of Colonial Cemetery, Bradley has her main character rather unnaturally remark that it’s

a good thing she’s not wearing heels as, “the oyster shells in this tabby sidewalk are hard enough to walk on.”

Bradley is proud that one reviewer described her book as a “beach read with a bite.”

She says, “It’s a quick read but it covers some serious subjects.” It is interesting to me that while she covers the internal dramas of the justice system, she assiduously avoids any mention of racism in Savannah, another example of her not wanting to stir controversial waters too deeply.

Ultimately, Savannahians will be itching to know the ‘real’ story and the ‘real’ characters of Bradley’s tale.

But if you can get past that piddling frustration, the novel is gripping and engaging, offering empathy to victims of crime, and compassionate insight into the slow, insidious nature of sexual harassment and abuse.

This October, Bradley plans to donate some of the proceeds from her book to Safe Shelter, Savannah’s only shelter dedicated to victims of intimate partner violence and their underage children.

Like her protagonist Anne, she is, quite simply, a good and moral person.

Helen P. Bradley’s "Breach of Trust" is available at Wilmington Island’s Friendship Coffee, Marsh & Co., Island’s Cottage Art, and Sanders Gifts & Home Accents; in Savannah at E. Shaver, Bookseller, the Davenport House gift shop, and at The Book Lady Bookstore; and on Tybee at The Irritable Pelican Artisan Gallery.

It can also be purchased online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble (but please shop local!).

Sign up for her newsletter or request her to speak at your book club at helenpbradley.com and follow her on Facebook at helenpbradleyauthor

Retired Chatham County District Attorney Spencer Lawton and the author at her June book launch.

Savannah’s Independent Bookstore since 1975 offering a selection of fiction, nonfiction, regional, and children’s books

WHAT ARE WE READING?

PRESENTED AND CURATED BY

E. SHAVER, BOOKSELLER

The back-to-school season beckons us to embrace the allure of learning, the pursuit of knowledge, and the mysteries that lie within the hallowed halls of academia. E. Shaver, Booksellers, invites you to immerse yourself in the captivating world of dark academia with three mesmerizing titles.

IF WE WERE VILLAINS

BY M.L. RIO

Step into the cloistered world of an elite performing arts college with If We Were Villains. In this Shakespeare-infused novel, M.L. Rio weaves a gripping tale of friendship, rivalry, and tragedy. Oliver Marks, once part of a tight-knit group of seven drama students, now emerges from a decade-long prison sentence, convicted of a crime that haunts them all. As he recounts the events leading to that fateful night, secrets unravel, and the line between performance and reality blurs.

BUNNY BY MONA AWAD

Prepare to enter a world of surreal and macabre academia in this wickedly original novel. Samantha Heather Mackey is an outsider at Warren University, an Ivy League school with a clique of rich and enigmatic girls collectively known as "The Bunnies." Invited into this strange and secretive circle, Samantha finds herself drawn into a bizarre, dreamlike reality that blurs the boundaries of friendship and fear. As the Bunnies' peculiar activities take increasingly sinister turns, Samantha must confront the darkness lurking beneath their charming veneers.

A DEADLY EDUCATION BY NAOMI NOVIK

326

Behind

eshaverbooks.com

El Higgins, a powerful sorceress, possesses magic so dark that she is feared by her fellow students at the Scholomance—a place where the graduation rate is dismal, and the dangers are deadly. With malevolent creatures lurking in every corner, alliances are critical for survival. When El finds herself inexplicably bound to the enigmatic Orion Lake, the most charismatic and skilled student, she must navigate a treacherous path to protect her life and sanity.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE COMEDY CLUB

FRANK RICCI INTERVIEWS ALIA JANINE

You sometimes hear about the bizarre career changes of famous people. Brad Pitt drove a limo. Stephen King was a janitor. Pope Francis was a nightclub bouncer. Depending on your perspective, moving from adult films to stand-up comedy makes perfect sense, or it makes none at all. If you choose the latter, you’ll have to explain the very real existence of Alia Janine (ahl-ya, not ah-leeah). She entered adult films at the unusual age of 30 and spent only four years before moving on to a successful and busy comedy career. She’s performing at The Wormhole in August, so Connect wanted to find out why you should go.

TELL ME ABOUT GROWING UP IN WISCONSIN. I KNOW YOU HAVE THAT BREWERS TATTOO.

Yeah, I don't ever want to live back there. That’s mostly because of the winter. I'm not a fan of the cold at all, which is why, when I moved out of Wisconsin, I moved to Florida and then to California. So moving back to a colder climate [in NYC] was iffy for me, but the winters aren't that bad here, right? I like the change of the seasons because living in Florida and California. There's none. It makes time stand still, if that makes sense.

YOU’RE IN YOUR EARLY 20S, AND BEFORE YOU WERE IN ADULT MOVIES YOU WERE STRIPPING AND YOU GOT AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN POLICE SCIENCE, AND YOU WORKED SECURITY. HOW DID THAT ALL WORK? AND WHAT WAS THAT LIKE AFTER DANCING?

I danced a little bit because I was going to school because I needed to pay for it. I would dance at clubs outside of the city where I knew no one from town would be, because back then it was more frowned upon, and it could affect being hired as a police officer. I worked concert security, I drove an armored car for a while, I got my PI license and worked loss prevention. I’ve had all of the jobs. I get bored easily.

SPEAKING OF THAT, WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GIVE ADULT MOVIES A TRY AND SINCE YOU JUST MENTIONED IT, DID YOU GET BORED AFTER 4 YEARS AND JUST SAY, WELL I'M DONE WITH THIS AND MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE?

Yeah, basically. (laughs) I was just going to try it and make one movie. But I really liked it, and the money was good, so I thought let me give this a try. And I was a dancer, so that was my main thing for years. I was a dancer longer than I was a pornstar, and I did movies so I would have credits and be a featured dancer.

SO THEY CAN ADVERTISE A DANCER THAT HAS APPEARED IN ADULT FILMS?

Yeah. This was before the internet boom. I needed credit. But I learned a lot about myself and healed some childhood trauma, and shit like that. As for

dancing, I did well, but I was terrible at customer service.

THAT’S A BIG PART OF THAT JOB, ISN'T IT?

(laughs) Yeah, like I make most of my money just sitting at the bar talking to guys. Then I would like to take you to the champagne room and then I basically be their therapist. Some regular customers were really helped. I’d get emails years later just thanking me for listening. But porn fans are more obnoxious.

HOW DID YOU INTERACT WITH THEM? LIKE IN PERSON AT EVENTS LIKE IN VEGAS, OR WAS IT ONLINE AND STUFF LIKE THAT?

I've only done a couple conventions because like the first like convention that I ever did was Exotica. The first guy I met handed me a 15-page script where I’d be hypnotized and beaten and much worse. Yeah, so I was like “I never need to meet my fans again.”

THAT REALLY WAS THE FIRST FAN?

Yeah.

IS HAVING A RELATIONSHIP IN THE REAL WORLD POSSIBLE WHILE DOING THAT KIND OF WORK?

Well, one of the reasons why I also did porn was to get back at an ex-boyfriend. He found my list of boys, including guys I made out with in high school, and he called me a whore. I said I’ll show you!

SO HOW DID YOU MAKE THE DECISION TO LEAVE?

I had no idea how many women were doing porn. I remember nudie mags my father had, and it seemed like the same few girls. But there were so many, and it was getting free, so it was time. If there was OnlyFans back then, I probably would have done that. But when you leave, you don’t really leave.

THE INTERNET IS FOREVER.

Yeah, I have new fans that don’t know about the movies and some comedy fans that just know the comedy.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 32)

Photo: Alia Janine, Social Media

SAVANNAH SHAKEDOWN: DEVON ALLMAN & DONAVON FRANKENREITER BRING THEIR 'SEE IT ALL TOUR' TO TYBEE

By Thomas Crone

“Since I came onto the scene,” he said in a late-June interview, “I’ve switched up my game every three years, or so. I had a band named Honeytribe and did a couple of records with them. Then I did the Royal Southern Brotherhood, which I formed with Cyril Neville, and did a few records as that. I joined forces with Duane Betts in the Allman Betts Band. And, now, it’s been nice to focus on my solo stuff. Boom, I’m doing a single with Maggie Rose and an EP with Donavon Frankenreiter. I’ve always loved shaking up my game. Instead of looking back at 15 years and having 15 Devon Allman (releases), well, that seems a little too safe, too monotonous to me.

He says of Frankenreiter that “we met at the Americanafest about five years ago. We bro’d up and realized instantly that we were cut from the same cloth. We had simpatico sounds. It didn’t take long for me to think of him for the Allman Family Revival, which celebrates the life and music of my dad (Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band). Once he was on the Revival Tour, we got to know each other and really had a chance to jam every day.”

That has led to “Rollers,” a new six-song EP. The mini-album’s release serves a few purposes.

For starters, it’s a way for Allman and Frankenreiter to perform together on a collaborative album, something they’d thought about for a bit. With the two going out together on a wild tour in 2023 – more on that in a moment – the pair now have shared material through “Rollers” that can be played during every night’s setlist.

“Everybody seems to be digging it,” Allman said. “It’s our soundtrack for the upcoming

tour. I’d already been writing with Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars. Halfway through, Donavon, Luther and I were writing and what’s cool about the songs is that they’re not rockers. They’re rollers. They all have motion, a fantastic sense of motion. It may sound like it’s an amalgam of different genres but what you have is some western feel, some gritty blues, some pop, some R&B, some this, some that. Each song rolls by. It’s highway music, the perfect summer soundtrack.”

The songwriting trio kept things relatively tight for this round. They created six disparate tracks that, as Allman suggests, hang together despite some real differences in mood and feel. As an introductory work by a new songwriting unit (on which both lead performers sing), the half-dozen songs on “Rollers” make for a great, if short listen.

Down the road, there could be more music as Allman is “still a fan of the full-length album. It takes nine, 10, 11 songs to tell a whole story. Funny enough, EP stands for ‘extended play,’ a single with a few extra tunes along with it. So it’s like a postcard, an EP, instead of the long love letter of an LP. Initially, we were going to do an LP, but with everyone’s attention spans so being short because of digital streaming…”

The EP, as noted, will be the centerpiece of the full-band tour that Allman and Frankenreiter are undertaking this year, with each adding two or three of their own songs to the mix. To add on a little extra fun, Allman’s thinking they will add an encore to each show, featuring a song unique to that gig. That process would start by selecting a cover track on the bus and running through it acoustically.

(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

Devon Allman’s been a performer long enough that he’s got a nice catalog built up, with plenty of collaborative projects sitting alongside those that bear his name.

Then they’d bring it to sound check, running through the cut a few times. And then into the stewpot it’ll go.

“We’ve talked about having a different encore in every state,” Allman suggested. “We could do a Peter Gabriel song one night, The Doors on the next night. Each tour stop would be really special that way. And wouldn’t it be neat to have that catalog of really great covers at the end?”

If that sounds a bit ambitious, let’s pause and focus on one part of the quote above: “... in every state.” They’re calling their upcoming tour run the “See It All Tour” and starting in early August, Allman, Frankenreiter and company plan to live up to that name by touring all 50 states of the US, playing 50 shows. They’re even doubling up on one day of the tour, meaning that they’re going to complete this absolutely bonkers idea in only 49 days, which will set the record for most states played in the shortest number of days.

Apparently, it only took about a decade and the right partner for Allman’s long-simmering idea to come together, during the year of his 50th birthday.

“I’ve had this crazy idea for the tour for about ten years,” Allman recounted. “Finally it started to hit me that I’m turning 50. And the 50 shows in 50 states tour should happen when I’m 50. How lame would it be to do that on my own? ‘Wait, Donavon’s turning 50? And he’s f***ing crazy! This is the perfect co-conspirator to help me on my quest!’ I called him one day and said I had an idea. ‘Okay.’ ‘What if someone did 50 shows in 50 states and…’ ‘Let’s do it!’ This guy’s done 41 shows in a row in Europe, so I knew that he

was nuts enough to do it. More nuts than me. I like to tour for five days, have two days off. I’ve even flown home to get off the bus for a couple days, to be home with my wife and pups. And sometimes I’ve just hung out and seen art museums and done the tourist thing.

“But this is going to be 50 shows without a day off,” Allman said. “There’s not going to be any flying home. The voice inside is getting f***ing loud. It’s saying ‘I think this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.’ But you only live once. We are touring troubadours. We have toured like literal beasts for decades. And if anyone’s going to do this, it’s us. We want the braggin’ rights.”

Allman can go in detail about how he’ll be able to make it through this touring run, from tackling the Hard 75 nutrition and training program, to banning himself

ALIA JANINE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

WHAT MADE YOU GO FROM PORN TO COMEDY. I ASSUME YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD A SENSE OF HUMOR AND IN THE SCENES FROM THE MOVIES THAT LED UP TO THE SEX SCENES, YOU TRIED TO INJECT COMEDY IN THERE, SO YOU'RE A BIT OF A NATURAL?

Yeah, I used to get into a lot of trouble for that.

OH, YOU WENT OFF SCRIPT?

Yeah. Some of the scenes were so…like

I am trying to teach my “daughter” to do something, how is it not a hilarious situation?

ARE THERE ANY TOPICS IN COMEDY THAT YOU WON'T GO NEAR, OR YOU'LL AVOID BECAUSE IT'S JUST HARD TO BE FUNNY, EVEN THOUGH IT COULD BE?

No, absolutely not. I have jokes about abortion, jokes about race, jokes about anything. I don’t GAF. I do jokes about Gen Z sensitivity that are very popular.

YOU KNOW, FOR ANYBODY WHO'S CONSIDERING THE SHOW NEXT

from post-show hangs, to getting into the bunk for sleep as soon as the gig’s over. If it sounds like a lot of work and discipline, it’s exactly that. And, yet, at this point in his life, Allman feels as if he’s got things figured out just enough.

“The first five years,” he said, “you have to pound the pavement and prove yourself. Once you sell some tickets and find your people, it can scale back a little bit. Now you’re going to a town once a year, instead of three times. Once you put in the work on the front end, you can live a normal life. I can relax now. I have my own record label and can sign acts and produce their records. It’s nice to have time to be a human being.”

Devon Allman & Donavon Frankenreiter play the Tybee Post Theatre on Aug. 19. For more information, visit tybeeposttheatre.org

MONTH OF THE WORMHOLE HERE IN SAVANNAH, AND SITTING ON THE FENCE, WHY SHOULD THEY COME OUT?

Because I’m awesome and you should see me tell some jokes. I do a little bit about my former career here and there, and I’m dark and pretty quick. I also give time for the audience to react. I am better at that now.

See Alia Janine perform at 8 pm, Saturday, Aug. 12, at the Wormhole, 2307 Bull St. Visit wormholebar.com for more information.

Photos courtesy Devon Allman and Donavon Frankenreiter

ACROSS

1. Unfreeze

5. Late-week exclamation

9. Faucet issue

13. Revolutionary War spy Nathan

14. Exasperate

16. Munich article

17. Letters on egg cartons

18. 1960s art-rock group Procol ___

19. “Johnny’s Theme” composer Paul

20. More petty golf assistant?

23. Temperature tester

24. Nightstand topper

25. Intrusively forward

28. ___ kwon do

30. Casino game

34. Sugar bowl invader

35. Text messages for the public, e.g.

38. ___ occasion

39. Devices to watch movies like “Rambo” and “Rocky”?

42. Lose energy

43. Indian cheese

44. “What ___ you suggesting?”

45. Song of lament

47. It may be shared by coworkers

48. ___ Ring (2022

George R.R. Martininvolved RPG)

50. Autobahn auto

52. Took down

53. Equipment in

THE CONNECT CROSSWORD PUZZLE

an unruly hybrid of “Dancing with the Stars” and “Hockey Night in Canada”?

60. Result of dividing by 2

61. Overseas money

62. Skeleton segment

63. Moisturizer additive

64. Have ___ at the table

65. Divisible by 2

66. Tick relative

67. Some Morse code

68. Oboe player’s need

DOWN

1. “As a result ...”

2. Greasy spoon dish

3. “M*A*S*H” star Alan

4. Opulence

5. State-straddling lake

6. Nibble away at

7. As to

8. Like some naughty words, length-wise

9. High-grossing 2016 comic book adaptation

10. Cheese protector

11. Like a starless sky

12. Carrot cohort, in the frozen food section

15. Exercise spot with a song written about it

21. Faithful

22. Sound booster

25. Command after “copy”

26. No later than

27. Look fixedly

28. Jack Black/Kyle Gass duo

29. Olympics venue

31. Work out dough

32. ___ nous (just between us)

33. Nevada senator Jacky who used to be a computer programmer

36. Prune trees

37. MS submitter’s enclosure

40. Court charge

41. Emmy winner Goldstein

46. “Westworld” actor Brynner

49. Stoller’s partner in songwriting

51. “The Sopranos”

actress ___ de Matteo

52. Short staffers?

53. Tourist-heavy

Indonesian island

54. Bunches

55. Layered cookie

56. Castle protection

57. Cabot ___ (“Murder, She Wrote” setting)

58. Bendy joint

59. Transmit

60. Black Forest ___

“MAKE ME ONE WITH EVERYTHING”--IT’S A LOT TO INCLUDE. by Matt Jones

©2023 | Matt Jones

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

GOING TO THE DAWGS

On July 27, The Savannah Chapter of the University of Georgia Alumni Association hosted a 'Freshman Sendoff' event at Trustees' Garden for local youth heading off to UGA this Fall. Boom and Que, the current and previous "Uga" mascots made a surprise appearance, and food was provided by Donatos Pizza. The group hosts events for local alumni (and UGA fans) and is working toward funding a local scholarship to send a Savannah area student to the University. See more photos at connectsavannah.com

PHOTO BY ANN LERCH

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