The Story Matters
Calendar p.14 A Little Torture, Some Disney, Easter Eggs, Paul McCartney, Some Karma and A Slice of Jewish Life. La Chaim!
Vol. XXV No. 13
April 2, 2010
Visit us at miamisunpost.com
BACH IN HAVANA Concert Pairs Traditional Cuban with Classic Music MAYHEM P.4
NEWS P. 6
POLITICS P. 7
HISTORY P.8
PROFILE P. 10
CALENDAR P.14
411 P.17
FILM P. 22
SEE PAGE 12 ART P.24
FASHION P. 26
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www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • Page 3
Tropical Mayhem BITS AND PIECES OF MIAMI LIFE
Miami through my iphone
MIAMI, SPEAK YOUR MIND!
Nara Camicie Hits Miami
HUNGRY? by Ines Hegedus-Garcia - miamism.com - ines@miamism.com I was playing around with a new iphone app at a bakery that I frequent and got quite a bit of interest from this photograph. Somehow it opened up many people's appetites - I hope it at least brought some business to Moises Bakery in Miami Beach.
BY VERONICA ALIAGA One of the best things about living in South Beach is that you can get the best of every country in the world in just one place. There’s no doubt we’ve got the best restaurants, the best stores and we can go on… So I really had a great surprise when I found out that Nara Camicie has just opened a store in Miami, on Eighth Street between Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive. For those not familiar with the store, Nara Camicie is the most important brand in Italy for shirts, with celebrity costumers like Sophia Loren or Rafaella Carra. They have more than 400 stores around the world, mostly in Europe and Asia. Nara Camicie has just started to expand
Luxury Chrono The perfect gift for your motorsports enthusiast. A limited edition (they're only made 158 of them) Alphina 12 Hours of Sebring Automatic Chrono GMT. Boy, that is a mouthful! To celebrate the partnership between Alpina and Sebring International Raceway, the luxury sports watch brand from Geneva has introduced this new limited edition timepiece. The matt black stainless steel watch features a black dial with red and silver elements. It has a sophisticated chronograph function with a 12-hour counter in the lower half of the dial and a subtle red '12' symbolizes the finish line. The watch also shows time and date and offers a GMT function. Makes you feel like you're behind the wheel of a really fast car! $3,995. racewatches.com Page 4 • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
in the United States, opening first in New York City and San Francisco last year. They are famous for their perfect tailoring and use of amazing fabrics like shantung and organza in fashion-forward designs, all made and designed in Italy of course. Nara Camicie is the right store if you are a man or a woman looking for any kind of shirt, even just a plain white shirt (they have a huge collection!). Definitely a mustsee store if you live in town and want classic Italian style. Information: www.naracamicie.it SPEAK YOUR MIND, MIAMI! WE WELCOME YOUR THOUGHTS, REVIEWS, MUSINGS, AND PONTIFICATIONS ON ANYTHING TO DO WITH
MIAMI LIFE. PLEASE MAKE IT SUCCINCT, NEWSWORTHY, INTERESTING AND UNDER 300 WORDS. EMAIL YOUR THOUGHTS TO KIM@MIAMISUNPOST.COM ATT: SPEAK YOUR MIND.
www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • Page 5
News
Triathletes Take to Shore of South Beach By Michael W. Sasser On Sunday morning, April 11, hundreds of swimmers will take to the waters off the shore of South Beach, but none will be taking time to sunbathe. Runners will navigate a course nearby but none will be stopping for breakfast. Two thousand bikers will be out and about, but not doing any slow sightseeing. Instead, these 2,300-plus athletes will be taking part in the Third Annual Nautica South Beach Triathlon benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “This is our third year and we had about 1,000 participants the first year so the growth has been extraordinary,” said event Executive Producer Michael Epstein. “It’s succeeded beyond our wildest expectations.” Epstein said the event was launched as a sister event to one held in Malibu in September. “We were looking for a similar formula — something high profile, beautiful beach, celebrity appeal,” he said. “Once I saw South Beach, I just fell in love with it.” At 7 a.m., the all-new International Distance Race will kick off with an invigorating 1.5K ocean swim, rev up with a 40k bike over Miami Beach’s causeways, and conclude with a 10K run alongside Miami Beach’s famous Art Deco District. At 7:30 a.m. participants in the Classic Distance Race will hit the beach for a half-mile ocean swim, 19-mile bike and four-mile out-andback run. Both races will make their grand finish on the warm, smooth sands of South Beach. Both races are sold out but hundreds of spectators are expected to witness the fierce competition as well as enjoy an activity-filled day. Racers have the option to compete individually or as part of a relay team. “Last year, we raised $130,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” Epstein said. “This year we will raise more.” Funds are raised from a corporate challenge for corporate participants and from individual participant efforts. Rafael Garcia from AutoTrader.com has participated in the triathlon since its inception and actually got involved because of the charitable component. “I’m not a triathlete by any stretch of the imagination,” Garcia said. “I did it because it was a fundraiser and it turned out to be a lot of fun.” Garcia said the team he has put together has 25-30 people participating and with the company match of donations, he hopes to have raised $20,000 by next week. “It’s my only form of exercise,” Garcia said. As in previous Nautica South Beach Triathlons, celebrity participation is another appeal for prospective spectators. Celebrities expected to compete in this year’s races include co-anchor and national correspondent for NBC's Today, Natalie Morales; actress Eliza Dushku; former NBA player Rick Fox; Australian triathlete and five-time Ironman champion, Chris “Macca” McCormack; NBC’s The Biggest Loser winner, Ali Vincent; actress Heather Tom; actor Andy Baldwin; three-time Winter X Games freestyle skiing gold medalist, Sarah Burke; and actor Geoff Stultz. Other celebrities set to appear include Hannah Montana and Fame star Anna Maria Perez de Taglé, who will
Bottle Beach We have pieced together images from a video clip posted on You Tube. This wonderful little video shows the beach behind Nikki Beach Club, South Beach, just after the March 2010 World Music Conference. Posted by BottleBeachSlum on March 31, 2010. This is what they had to say: The City of Miami Beach is unprepared to deal with "Special Events" in the residential South Of Fifth Street ("SOFI") area. This is what the beach looked like the moring after the stabbing of two girls just yards away. NO MORE SPECIAL EVENTS South of Fifth Street!!! Page 6 • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
kick off the festivities by singing the National Anthem; actress, model and former professional wrestler Stacy Kiebler, who will start the kids’ run and tot trot; and NFL Carolina Panther running back DeAngelo Williams, who will host the awards ceremony. The growth in participation in the Nautica South Beach Triathlon mimics an increase in the popularity of the sport, which has been noted in media around the country. “It had always been a popular fringe sport but over the last five to eight years, it’s just exploded,” Epstein said. “It’s on people’s must-do list. A lot of people plan to do it once and then keep doing it.” Part of the sport’s burgeoning popularity is that people can compete at different levels. Epstein said the South Beach triathlon is “pretty much” entry level and that training for it could be done in as few as eight weeks. Garcia, for example, described himself as a 40-year-old obese male who does not exercise regularly at all. However, six to eight weeks before the triathlon, he “quits drinking and smoking, gets on the bike and gets ready.” He then competes in the biking portion of the team competition. “At the end of the day, I am in a lot of pain but it is nothing like the kids at St. Jude,” Garcia said. Enthusiasts feel the event offers good times for a good cause. “It [the triathlon] is a lot of fun with all of the activities surrounding it — there’s so much going on,” said Junee Warner. “It’s not just you go out and race and go home. With the expo on the beach it’s a great place to spend the day, mingle and meet people that are also enjoying South Florida and contributing to the kids at St. Jude.” The location also has strong appeal. “I live in South Beach. The starting line is two blocks from where I live,” said Denis Beausejour. “It’s the easiest race to wake up for! The course is beautiful; it’s such a well-set-up racetrack.” Fifth and Ocean is the epicenter of the race, both for participants and spectators. “Everything starts and finishes there and it is pretty spectator friendly,” Epstein said. For more information visit www.SouthBeachTri.com.
TIDBITS
LEFT: ACTRESS ELIZA DUSHKU. ABOVE: ANNA KOURNIKOVA COMPETING IN LAST YEARS RACE.
Politics COLUMN
Straight Outta Wonderland By Jeffrey Bradley
Is the Miami Beach Police Department in free fall? It sure seems like they’ve gone headfirst down the rabbit hole. Fact is, if Johnny Depp was eating a crispy creme at Dunkin’ Donuts dressed as a Miami Beach cop, we couldn’t be more surprised. “Disorderly Conduct,” an article in the March 25 Miami New Times, details a bizarre trail of mayhem, impropriety and nutty conduct that provides a harrowing peek behind the blue curtain down at Rocky Pomerantz Plaza. Actually, we haven’t found something this disturbing since that old Twilight Zone episode where the twisty pig-faced mutants were the norm and the beautiful people the outcasts (“Doctor, please, please, help me!”). Freaky. Reading the article, we could almost hear ominous background drumming as the deplorable infractions kept surfacing like weird fish from abyssal depths. It makes you wonder what the person who cries “Help! Police!!” really means. And while policing is no easy job, still… The disturbing reports rumbling out of Beach Police headquarters for years have now gone critical mass; we’ve become the butt of late-night TV, and suddenly got the Big Bang of scandals. So how do we go about piercing the Blue Wall of Silence? Do we want to? In über spin mode and desperately playing catchup by tamping down the coverups, suspensions and internal investigations, the department displays all the frantic momentum of a kicked anthill. And there’s no telling what deplorable scandals still lurk in the pipeline. We pay the police to interface with the bad guys, not become black hats themselves. Yet here are stories of menaced citizens jailed because of the “crime” of observing rogue cops doing nefarious deeds — cops who respond, in a move both bogus and brazen, with concocted charges, intimidation and infamy. Many also rack up scads of questionable overtime on the taxpayer dime or otherwise manipulate the system in ways that, if done by any of us, would surely bring these very cops down on our heads! And what does the department have to say of the beatings, harassment and brownshirtism that’ve got nearly every “community’s’” nose out of joint? “I thought we had a great relationship,” said Police Chief Noriega. (The chief recently took medical leave and may or may not be back —oddly enough!) Who knew? It’s this entitlement mindset that really sets the distress flares rocketing into the night. The New Times investigation revealed several disturbing patterns:
• Time after time a blind eye is turned to egregious behavior before actually rewarding it. Offending officers are only given the boot when their behavior crosses the red zone into outright embarrassment — then depart with a nice fat severance check (money that should be withheld to punish moral turpitude or something equally deplorable). • Fifty percent of police officers make six figures a year — so why is the crime “close rate” hovering at an abysmal 15 percent? So, despite the reprimands, drug use and loutish behavior, these loose cannons still deserve additional remuneration? We hope when they accept these checks they’re walking backwards because they can’t look the man in the eye. And what has the city to say about the piles of ducats being doled out like candy? “I certainly didn’t realize our police officers were making so much money,” said Mayor Matti Bower. How could she not? She’s the mayor. Let’s not even discuss their political arm, for whose “endorsement” commissioner-candidates mouth the words “I support all your demands.” And the SWAT, er, negotiating team brings the same hardball tactics to the bargaining table that it brings to the streets. Why not? It works! They may threaten a walk-out — who wants to see thugs with guns (the bad guys, we mean, not the cops) ruling the streets? — but wouldn’t it just be easier to lay their guns down on the table as they pull up a chair? Makes the same point minus the histrionics. And what does the state have to say? “Who wants to piss off a cop?” asked Florida State Rep. Juan Zapata. Yeah, who? A tough job description hardly seems to justify the beyond-lucrative contract negotiated over the years (the city again giving away the farm). Various commissions not only acquiesced to nearly all demands put forth by this Ime-mine mentality but threw in a few perks to boot. Our favorite? That “me too” clause guaranteeing that however the firefighters union ups the ante in contract goodies, the same automatically devolves on the police. (Say, we’ve got a few “me too” codas we’d like considered!) For a town that can’t provide shade trees or public transportation and wrings its hands over the “high cost” of painting some white lines on the street as “bicycle lanes,” they sure are quick to bust the budget by shoveling sweetheart deals to rapacious unions. Unfortunately, all this greed will cost us. No doubt the city will be creative finding ways to spread the pain around. What services do you think should be cut so police officers can keep every benefit, no matter how wasteful, expensive or self-serving? Listen, we’ll make book that the most they concede are a few minor tweaks, or some meaningless deferral; otherwise, nada. What do they care? They’ll negotiate using the Chinese menu approach, but instead of a little from column A and a little from column B they’ll, you know, take it all. So there you have it. Maybe the troubles stem from the fact that officers don’t consider themselves public servants but enforcers of the law. As such, they display a deepening rift with the community and misconduct that’s slow to be punished. It seems a closed system, buttressed by ramparts of disreality and walls of warped values; essentially, it’s a collection of rich men with issues. And a gun and a badge and a license to use them.
“And what does the state have to say? “Who wants to piss off a cop?” asked Florida State Rep. Juan Zapata”
To see this video for yourself go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/BottleBeachSlum www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 2, 2010 • Page 7
A Special Moment in Time COLUMN
How We Loved Both Kinds of Cheesecake! By Seth H. Bramson mrfec@yahoo.com
Last week our readers—as I was told in several emails and phone calls—really enjoyed learning about “cheesecake” and the origin of the name for the beautiful young girls romping on Miami Beach to attract visitors beginning in the 1920s. In fact, Jane Fisher, wife of Carl, the founder of our fair city, actually posed on one occasion with a scanty—for the time—bathing suit. In her wonderful book, Fabulous Hoosier, Jane recounted how she wore this very sexy-looking bathing suit and was even photographed in it, complete with arms and knees showing! Afterwards, she wrote, she was almost afraid to face Carl, but when he saw the picture, wherever it appeared, he smiled broadly and told her how terrific she looked but suggested that she probably shouldn’t do it again. And she didn’t. However, as we know, a bevy of long-legged hotties (again, for the time) posed alluringly for Steve Hannagan and then for other photographers in pictures taken on Miami Beach which were sent by wire service to every newspaper in America east of Denver. Hannagan had come up with a winner, and, indeed, it was his genius that put Miami Beach on the map, he the person responsible not only for the name “cheesecake” which glorified the delightful young women whose beauty and appeal helped to make “Miami Beach” a household name throughout the country, but also for the huge sign on the massive pylon that stood next to the Grand Central Expressway during the 193940 New York World’s Fair, and which, every day during the late fall, winter and early spring, was lit up to read “The temperature in Miami Beach today is….” And boy, did that make an impression on New Yorkers! There was, however, another “cheesecake,” and that delicacy, in many cases as beautiful as the young women pictured in Hannagan’s photos and on postcards being sent by tourists all over the country, also had a flavor and taste that today is probably not available anywhere outside New York City except for Epicure Market on Alton Road and in Sunny Isles Beach. The Miami Beach cheesecake was the real and true king of the cheesecakes, not that nothing supermarket or Sara Lee stuff (OK, OK, Sara Lee isn’t bad but that’s like saying Thomas’s bagels, which aren’t bagels but are bread dough baked in a circle with a hole in the middle aren’t bad but the problem is that those ersatz “bagels” aren’t bad for bread but they sure aren’t bagels!) but, rather, an incredible almostconfection like delicacy made with real—as in Philadelphia brand— cream cheese, not ricotta cheese! It is possible that the first of the great Miami Beach (and, to a lesser extent, Miami) cheesecakes was available at the Rosedale, which first opened on Miami Beach and then moved to Northwest Fifth Street in Miami to be folPage 8 • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
ABOVE: ONLY IN NEW YORK WAS THE CHEESECAKE AS GOOD AS MIAMI BEACH'S, A PIECE OF PUMPERNIK'S TRADEMARK DESSERT SHARING THIS ADVERTISEMENT WITH ANOTHER OF THEIR WONDERFUL DELICACIES, A SLICE OF CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE. LEFT: STILL STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL TODAY, MYRNA MEYERS DOES THE CHEESECAKE ROUTINE NEXT TO A MIAMI BEACH POOL.
lowed on the beach by Joe’s Broadway and then a series of great cafeterias and restaurants, the food tastes of which remains, sadly, only in the memories of those who were fortunate enough to have had the experience of enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner at one or more of them. The names roll off the tongue and the keyboard and what happy thoughts envelop the mind when we mention the Ambassador, Governor, Dubrow’s and Concord Cafeterias and then add restaurants such as Wolfie’s, Junior’s Pumpernik’s and Rascal House as well as several shorter-lived dining emporiums of the Jewish style deli/restaurant ilk, including the long-gone and lamented Pickled Herring Charlie’s at Northwest 62nd Street and 37th Avenue. Whether it was plain, chocolate, strawberry or blueberry cheesecake the LEFT: IN THIS EARLY 1920S POSTCARD VIEW, THREE memory of that wonderful dessert—and of the beautiful girls who were the LOVELIES APPLY THEIR descendants of the Steve Hannagan variety of cheesecake—will remain in MAKEUP ALONG A SEA WALL. BELOW: POSTCARDS WITH our hearts and minds for as long as there is a Miami Beach. CAPTIONS SUCH AS "MERELY A MATTER OF FORM" WITH BEAUTIFUL GIRLS POSED SEDUCTIVELY ON MIAMI BEACH WERE ALL THE RAGE IN THE 1920S AS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CAME TO SEE AND BE SEEN AT AMERICA'S NEWEST AND GRANDEST RESORT.
Seth H. Bramson is Adjunct Professor of History at both F I U and Barry University, where he serves as Historian-in-Residence. The Company Historian of the Florida East Coast Railway, he is the America’s number one published Greater Miami history book author, with twelve of his seventeen books dealing directly with the villages, towns, cities and people of Miami-Dade County.
www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • Page 9
PHOTO: MITCHELL ZACKS/MAGICAL PHOTOS
PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY YOU SHOULD KNOW
Howie Kleinberg Chef By Thomas Quick
Avoiding Miami's sass can be a mission to say the least, but with cuisiners like our city’s own Howie Kleinberg, laying back with a braised brisket and a beer is an attainable indulgence locals are welcome to enjoy. Chef Kleinberg’s North Miami restaurant, Bulldog Barbecue, nominated "Best Barbecue in Miami" by NBC 6, was not an overnight sensation. The nationally acclaimed chef spent almost the entirety of his years working toward pleasing the populace through his craft as a culinary artisan. In and out of the restaurant industry since the age of 14, Kleinberg's passion impelled him to attend the distinguished culinary institution Johnson and Wales University. In only one year, the young student was at a crossroads, having been given the opportunity to either continue his studies or stage and work on the near-to island of Puerto Rico. Like any aspiring chef, he jumped at the opportunity to travel and become accustomed to the flavor palette of a curiously new area. Returning to Miami after a year training in the Isle of Enchantment, Kleinberg went right back to the grind. Claiming to have worked in just about every kitchen in Miami, the eager cook climbed his way up the culinary ladder, grabbing work as the sous chef of Tantra, chef at Timo and Ivy, and then spending a small nick of time as an executive chef, driving to open the doors of Surfside's Food Gang. It was his short shift with "the Gang" that turned the tables for Kleinberg after having his name thrown into the mix as a potential contestant for Bravo TV's renowned show Top Chef. Although many folks dream of the day they can bask in televised stardom, chefs often have a humble air about them, communicating through their art form, Page 10 • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
and Howie is no different. "When you’re opening restaurants, you don't think about things like that because it's not realistic. You can't walk away from opening a restaurant and spend six weeks competing," says Kleinberg. In time, he realized he didn't see himself long-term with Food Gang and thought the reality show could be an open window, allowing him to showcase his talents to the rest of the world. Recalling how he allowed himself to be susceptible to nationwide judgment, Kleinberg stated, "You have to have thick skin to be a chef regardless, because there's always going to be someone who's going to say something about what you make because food is so subjective that you need to be prepared to take a lot of criticism." Due to his abrasive attitude on the show, America soon knew Howie Kleinberg as "the Bulldog," a brand given to him by a fellow competitor. The label stuck and became more of a theme for the chef, who built his eatery with the name in mind and also rescued an English bulldog. Upon returning from the show, Kleinberg opened Bulldog Barbecue and plans for expansion are already in the works. Generating his style from summers in the Carolinas, the chef is proud to be credited with an establishment where grandiose shams should be left at the door. "Any place where I have to put on pants on my day off to go to is usually a negative for me. I like to kick it in shorts and flip-flops. Keep it casual," Kleinberg says. And if you have any questions about the man and his craft — as he stated on the show, "Let the food speak for itself."
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www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • Page 11
THE GUYS OF TIEMPO LIBRE
COVER STORY
BACH IN HAVANA Concert Pairs Traditional Cuban with Classic Music Written by Michael W. Sasser
When Jorge Gomez and his friends who make up Tiempo Libre were in school together in the 1980s at Cuba’s well-respected La ENA conservatory, their schedules were composed of polar opposites. By day, they were all classically trained, spending untold hours mastering the discipline needed to conquer the Old World, Baroque style. It was illegal to even listen to American songs on the radio. Russian instructors didn’t exactly encourage appreciation for Cuba’s own rich legacy of energetic music. Nights were very, very different. “At night we went to clubs and danced to the Cuban music there,” Gomez said. “We lived with both of those worlds inside us.” These days, those two worlds have collided in an increasingly artistic and commercial success. Gomez is band director for Tiempo Libre, the group comprised of those longtime friends from Havana, and their music is their story. “We never really thought about making a band,” recalls Gomez. “We stayed friends and did things together — baseball, dominoes, but never talked about becoming a band.” Even after the friends arrived in Miami and began their careers in music, it did not occur to them to play together regularly. Individually, they worked with significant performers in Latin music including Albita, Cachao, Arturo Sandoval, NG La Banda, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Isaac Delgado “We all had to make a living,” Gomez said. However, the band members had a strong desire to play their own music and eventually, about eight years ago, they began to play together in their free time. Tiempo Libre, “free time,” is what emerged from the seven friends finally getting together to explore and celebrate their own artistic roots and to become the nation’s first all-Cuban timba band. “When we talked about it, we knew it was going to be hard because it was really a new kind of music in the United States,” Gomez said. The talented collaboration worked. Miami-based Tiempo Libre has been nominated for two Grammy Awards, has performed all over the world and has an international following. In an über-pop-culture crossover, they have Please see Bach on page 20
Calendar
WHAT TO DO IN MIAMI THIS WEEK
Page 14 • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
SAVE THE DATE:
April 2
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10
ART Instruments of Torture Just as there are works of art that radiate a message of love and peace, there are also objects that attest to the capacity of inhumanity in the world. This darker side of mankind is captured in Instruments of Torture through the Ages, an exhibition, on loan from the Museo Toscana in Italy, of nearly a hundred instruments designed for torturing and executing. Through August 29. $7-$15. Freedom Tower, 600 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. For info: mdc.edu.
April 2-4
EASTER Egg Hunt Miami Seaquarium holds their annual Egg Hunt Celebration on Easter weekend. Activities take place continuously throughout the day, check out 'Bunny-palo za' with 5 acres of rides, slides, music, bounce houses, the South Florida Parenting Kids' Pavilions and other fun activities. Egg hunts will run continuously. Easter Bunny Arrival Parade each day at 11 a.m. featuring costume characters Flipper, the dolphin, Lolita the killer whale, Rocthe crocodile, and Romeo and the manatee. Miami Seaquarium, 4400 Rickenbacker Cswy., Key Biscayne. For info: 305-361-5705 or miamiseaquarium.com
April 2-4
LILITH FAIR AFTER A TEN YEAR ABSENCE, LILITH FAIR -- THE TRAVELING, FEMALE-FEST -- WILL RETURN IN AUGUST. THE INITIAL LINEUP WAS JUST ANNOUNCED, AND WHILE IT FEATURES NOT-SO-SURPRISING VETS LIKE INDIGO GIRLS AND LILITH FAIR CO-FOUNDER SARAH MC L A C H L A N , T H E R E ' S A L S O PLENTY TO BE EXCITED ABOUT! NO R A H J O N E S , M A R T I N A MCBRIDE, COURTYARD HOUNDS, THE GOSSIP, CORINE BAILEY RAE, SIA, KATEZENJAMMER, CECI BASTIDA AND THE RESCUES ARE ALSO ON THE BANNER FOR THE PALM BEACH SHOW. TICKETS ON SALE NOW. $252.00, $127.00, $97.00 AND $51.50 FOR RESERVED SEATS AND $41.50 FOR THE FESTIVAL LAWN. CRUZAN AMPHITHEATRE, PALM BEACH. FOR INFO: LILITHFAIR.COM
EASTER Eggstravaganza South Florida's longest-running Easter party returns to Jungle Island. Fun activities like an Easter Egg Hunt with over 50,000 eggs stuffed with more than 800 pounds of candy, toys and prizes, pie-eating contests, arts and crafts stations, animal encounters and bounce houses fulfill every child's greatest wish. Appearances by Babar the Elephant, Pepe the Parrot and the Easter Bunny. The 3-day event benefits the Parent Academy. 11am. $29.95, $23.95 or kids. Jungle Island, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami. For info: 305-400-7000 or jungleisland.com
April 3
MUSIC Paul McCartney Former Beatle, Paul McCartney will make his only Florida appearance on his new tour in Miami. This will be his first appearance in Miami since his 2005 concert. McCartney’s new Up and Coming Tour will feature a diverse set list, with songs ranging from his days in the Beatles, to Wings and his solo career, and even include tracks from his more experimental work as The Fireman. $39-$249.
NORAH JONES
8pm. Sun Life Stadium, 2267 Dan Marino Blvd., Miami Gardens. For info: ticketmaster.com or paulmccartney.com.
April 3
MUSIC Afro Roots Fest 12th Annual Afro Roots World Music festival celebrates the evolution of African Culture in Miami. Featured acts include Delou Fatala, and the Nag Champayons, Headlining is Grammy nominated Cuban Son group Conjunto Progreso. Also featured is painter, LEBO, who will be painting live alongside the group. DJ V will be spinning music in between the live sets all night long. $10. 6pm. North Beach Band Shell, 7250 Collins Ave., Miami. For info: communityartsandculture.org
April 3-4
SPORT Tennis Finals The most sought after tickets at the Sony Ericcson are the mens and women's final matches. This is where the big names are flouted like Williams, Federer, Nadal and Bartoli. $52-$425. 12pm. Crandon Park Tennis Center, 7300 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne. For info: sonyericssonopen.com.
April 4
THEATRE Miss Saigon Catch the last performance of the production of this classic love story. In Miss Saigon, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michael Schönberg, creators of last season’s acclaimed hit Les Misérables, along with Richard Maltby, Jr., bring Puccini’s Madame Butterfly to the modern world in a moving testament to the human spirit and a scathing indictment of the tragedies of war. 8pm. $42. Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables. For info: 305-444-9293 or actorsplayhouse.org.
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Please see Calendar on page 16 www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • Page 15
Calendar WHAT TO DO IN MIAMI THIS WEEK
SCARLET MILKWEED AT SPRING FLING
April 4
pants will adopt an endangered or threatened animal that lives at that longitude and paint an image of that animal on one of the flags. Biscayne National Park, 9700 SW 328th St., Homestead. For info: 305230-7275 or nps.gov/bisc
Artwork by participants in the Museum of Contemporary Art’s nationally acclaimed outreach program for at-risk teenage girls, Women on the Rise! will be featured in a special exhibition, Spontaneous Alternatives. The featured works are inspired by women contemporary artists such Wangechi Mutu, Yoko Ono, Shinique Smith, Mickalene Thomas, and Carrie Mae Weems who are featured in Women on the Rise! workshops. Roxcy O’Neal Bolton Women’s History Gallery, 10251 Flagler Street, Miami. For info: mocanomi.org.
April 6
ART Spontaneous Alternatives
April 4
FILM A Slice Of Jewish Life From 20-year-old filmmaker Aaron Davidson comes A Slice of Jewish Life in Greater Miami. This young filmmaker caught the last day of Rascal House before it was shut down for good. He has also done shorts on Miami Beach's landmark Jewish businesses like Abraham's Kosher Bakery and Goldstein & Sons butcher shop. Screening is 2pm. Jewish Museum of Florida, 301 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. For info: jewishmuseum.com
April 4
KIDS Disney on Ice Fantasy takes flight with Disney's newest ice spectacular, featuring four fun-filled classic and current Disney stories. Worlds of Fantasy showcases characters from Cars, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, as well as the magical cast of Tinker Bell. A bonus experience is the Disney Princess PreShow where ticket holders will be treated to an exclusive collection of enchanting ball gowns and mementos from the Disney Princess stories. 7:30pm. $30 and up. American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. For info: disney.go.com/disneyonice
April 5
GREEN Endangered World Miami artist Xavier Cortada has created an art installation to raise awareness about global green issues. Endangered World: Biscayne National Park is his latest project that features 360 brightly colored flags lining the roads and trails, each representing one degree of the planet's longitude. ParticiPage 16 • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
SPORTS Pool Tourney On the first Tuesday of every month hit Bar for their new pool tourney. We Have the Pool, You Bring the Shark is hosted by barfly, Enrique and should be a fun evening. Hipsters, billiards and cocktails...sounds fun to me. $10 entry fee. 10:30pm. Bar, 28 NE 14th St; Miami. For info: 28ne14st.com.
April 8
COMEDY Scottish Stand-Up Award-winning comedian Danny Bhoy brings his US debut one-hour special, Subject to Change, to Miami Improv in the Grove. 8pm. $16.05. Miami Improv, 3390 Mary Street, Miami. For info: 305-441-8200 or improv.com.
April 9
BOOKS Instamatic Karma John Lennon is the most famously photographed Beatle—everyone from Iain MacMillian to Annie Lebowitz took iconic images of him—but there have never been pictures of him like these taken by May Pang, Lennon’s girlfriend from 1973 to 1975. In Instamatic Karma, they’re collected for the first time. May has written rich captions to accompany her photos. The photographs in Instamatic Karma are both color and black & white, casual Polaroids and more composed shots. Each one is an intimate glimpse into a fascinating time in John Lennon’s life. May Pang will be at the Lincoln Road branch to sign her books and answer questions. 7pm. Free. Books & Books, 927 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. For info: 305-532-3222 or booksandbooks.com.
April 10
SHOP Spring Fling Spruce up your yard with beautiful butterfly-attracting flowers, native plants and other colorful flowers at Arch Creek Trust's annual Spring Fling Plant Sale. Take a Nature walk at 10:30am. Learn about Florida Native plants growing in the park and how they can work around your yard. The fun begins at 9am until 1pm. Proceeds benefit Arch Creek Park. Arch Creek Park, 1855 NE 135 Street, North Miami. For info: 305-788-0484. FAR ABOVE: COMEDIAN DANNY BHOY. ABOVE: ARTWORK FROM MOCA WOMAN ON THE RISE! INSPIRED BY YOKO ONO’S WISHING TREE. LEFT: VENUS WILLIAMS.
Bound COLUMN
Selling “The Pleasure Paradise of the World” Chronicling Florida’s First Booms and Busts By John Hood
There is no shortage of good books about what makes the Sunshine State so great. Hell, the SunPost’s very own Seth Bramson has himself written a small library full of them. There’s also a large barrage dedicated to what makes our state notso-great, from the flimflam artists that first staked claim to this tropical paradise, to the politicos that have made their careers out of fleecing the very people who voted ‘em into office. Paradise for Sale: Florida’s Booms and Busts (The History Press $21.99) is a bit of both. On the one hand, authors Nick Wynne and Richard Moorhead cite the more benevolent barons of our collective past, the Flaglers and Deerings and Merricks and Mizners. On the other, the two go to
some length to get with the shadier elements that helped propel us into the current cauldron, the con artists and the hucksters and the carpetbagging fly-by-nights. It’s a colorful story, all right, and no less so in the retelling. Then again, you knew that already. You live here. And you see firsthand what all the hot fuss has made of us. The authors’ focus is on the boom years of
1925 and ‘26, “when millions of dollars were tossed around like so much confetti”; the two years it took the boom “to get started” (‘21-‘23) and the two that it took for it “to die” (‘27-‘28). To them no book besides David Nolan’s 1984 Fifty Feet in Paradise has told the whole story, and backed by some recent archival unearthings and a keen sense of the time, they’ve vowed to do just that.
And they succeed. The twin pillars of Florida’s robust boom were — and remain — myth and industry. Ponce de Leon got the mythic started with his so-called “Fountain of Youth,” and four centuries later dime-a-dozen hucksters duly followed suit. Then there was the industry of Flagler and Plant, who had to find a way to unload the large tracts of land they were awarded by the state for every mile their railroads laid waste. Piggybacking on the legitimate — albeit cutthroat — efforts of Flagler and Plant was a more immoral band of “adventuresome rogues and visionaries” who “came with schemes” that would eventually make the notion of “buying Florida land” about as viable as “buying the Brooklyn Bridge.” But not before the boom would blow up the entire Sunshine State. From Chicago widower Bertha Palmer’s buying up of Sarasota (at her death she held some 160,000 acres) to Indiana-born Carl Fisher’s dredging up of bay bottom to make Miami
Beach, the ‘20s roared in Florida as much if not more than anywhere else in the country. Like I — and the authors — have said: Much of the story has been told, but mostly in bits and pieces. For anyone with any interest in how we got here, however, this retelling is an eye-opening delight. What makes it even more delightful are the many period photographs, be they depicting bathing beauties on some dubious land-sale circular, or the shot of perpetual presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan hawking parcels of Coral Gables from the front of a streetcar. There’s Babe Ruth teeing off, the Venetian Causeway just rebuilt, Addison Mizner’s Boca Club in all its opulence, and a Mrs. A.O. Weeks of Dania sitting in the bathtub of the home the hurricane of ’26 robbed of its walls. Perhaps the most amazing thing about Paradise for Sale, though, isn’t that the story has been told and retold, but that we continue to live it, boom to bust and boom again. And oh, how we live it well.
www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 2, 2010 • Page 17
The 411
Macy Gray at Alize Oasis during WMC 2010
Darren Thompson, Seven Seas Spa Hospitality Suite at Raleigh
Marnie Howard, Michael Kirkland, Marco Marquez after Stephane Pompougnac's performance at Setai
COLUMN
March Madness By Mary Jo Almeida-Shore maryjoshore@miamisocialholic.com Photos by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore
DJs Steve Aoki and Paul Oakenfold at Alize Oasis
Raleigh-WMC 2010 (15).JPG
Winter Music Conference coinciding with spring break and Sony Ericsson redefines the concept of March Madness every year — not to downplay the college hoops, we’re just saying… College kids dressed head to toe in neon (when did that resurrect from the ‘80s?), Ed Hardy and multicolored kicks (remember Punky Brewster?) fist-pumping day and night to global beats, in all their sweaty glory jammed the streets, pools, hotels and clubs of South Beach for the better part of last week. A few happenings stood out, some even WMC-related to those with an aversion to the March Madness described above, or basically anyone over the age of 20. It’s no secret that we’re suckers for any party in a penthouse — even if it’s at the Holiday Inn. So it came as no surprise that one of the best parties during the WMC, with the chicest crowd, took place at the Penthouse Extreme WOW Suite at W South Beach Thursday night for the launch of W Hotels’ new Symmetry CD, created by W’s recently appointed Global Music Director (and DJ extraordinaire), Michaelangelo L’Acqua, who spun at the party. Guests mingled on the private penthouse rooftop taking in breathtaking panoramic views of Miami Beach while sipping on Veuve Cliquot. Later in the evening New York City-based electro-popsters The Golden Filter performed an entire concert. Noteworthy attendees included Gigi Ganatra, Eva Ziegler (Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide), Jillian Jacobson-Altit, Michelle Leshem, James Wall, Dana Shear, Chris Oh, Jamie Jo Harris, Jeff Morr, Laure Heriard-Dubreuil, Suzanne Birbragher, James Wall, Aaron Resnick, Michael Comras, Daniela Swaebe, Anne Owen and Alan Roth, and DJ Mia Moretti. On the same night, Josette Wys, Andy Katz and friends were entertained with a private set in Stephane Pompougnac's Setai suite prior to his performance to a standing-room-only crowd on Friday night at the Setai's reflection pool. Pompougnac played se-
Posing at the Raleigh during WMC 2010
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lections from his latest Hotel Costes Volume 12 CD, along with many of his classics, while Wys, along with Marnie Howard, Michael Kirkland and Marco Marquez danced on the DJ platform all night. Two noteworthy birthday celebrations took place on Thursday night as well. DJ Erick Morillo threw a huge birthday bash at a private residence, where Kelly Bensimon, Carl Cox, Paulina Rubio, Sander Kleinenberg, Louie Vega, Jose Nunez, DJ Tiesto, Felix da Housecat and several other VIPs partied and enjoyed Grey Goose Caipiroskas. Every table at Vita was filled on Thursday for several birthday celebrations, including girl-abouttown Natalie Murillejo’s, whose central table of more than a dozen beautiful girls included Marnie Howard and Beatriz Alvarez. On Saturday night, Cafeina was the place to be for the Dangerous Muse performance. Hipsters of all ages gathered alongside intellectuals from New York to Paris and everywhere in between at the Wynwood boite for a night of debauchery and fun. Dangerous Muse’s performance was so “hot” that their smoke machine set off the fire alarm. Cafeina’s owner, Ivette Naranjo, didn’t seem to mind, posing for shots with Dangerous Muse’s Mike Furey and guests instead.
WMC: THE DAY SHIFT The Alize’ Oasis at the Raleigh Hotel provided the perfect respite during WMC for VIPs and DJs from Wednesday through Friday. Each day, about 150 lucky guests relaxed, dined, got massages and nail treatments from the Seven Seas Spa and were gifted a variety of goodies such as Penguin clothing and fashion accessories. Some guests were also treated to a vibrating Vida massager, otherwise known as a “luxury pleasure object.” We hear that “Real
Kelly Rowland at ONE Bal Harbour Resort & Spa.
Kelly Bensimon at Alize Oasis during WMC 2010
Housewife” Kelly Bensimon declined the buzzing toy, citing that she “fornicates to procreate!” Bensimon ended up taking one after all and Tommy Lee took four. Legendary producer Tommie Sunshine was even convinced to get his signature lengthy locks trimmed at the pop-up Barracuda salon. Thursday featured a lineup including John Suracci for Smashmode, and Steve Aoki. The unmatched Macy Gray DJed for the better part of the afternoon on Friday, one of the best DJ sets we heard all week — she even had the otherwise “relaxed” attendees dancing in the rain. Other notables who came through included DJs David Guetta, Bob Sinclar, Paul Oakenfold, Mia Moretti, Little Boots, Belkys Nerey, Louis Aguirre, Tara Solomon and the now Miami-centric Jersey Shore cast. A few doors down in the W Hotel Bungalows, more VIP treatment took place at the Belvedere Sirius Music Listening Lounge featuring DJ sets by chart-topping acts like Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox, Liquid Todd, Bob Sinclar and Scumfrog. We had the pleasure of meeting the delightful Mary J. Blige and newcomer Starshell, whom Blige just signed to her record label, Matriarch. Gorgeous songstress Mya spent Friday afternoon trying to stay dry during the rainstorms between the Belvedere Sirius Lounge and Alize’ Oasis. Other performers at the Belvedere Lounge included Agnes, Bob Sinclar, Crystal Method, DJ Ruckus, Kelis and Macy Gray, to name a few. Among the celebrities in attendance: Behrouz, DJ Benny Benassi, Cedric Gervais, Dangerous Muse, DJ Erica Jayne, Estelle, Kelly Bensimon, Kimberly Locke, Lil Jon, Mark Farina, Nero, Paul Van Dyk, Randy Jackson, Tommy Lee. The Lounge was so successful that Belvedere, Sirius and BMF will be back for WMC 2011. Daytime music fun also took place at Café Bustelo in the Gansevoort Hotel and at the Clinton Hotel on Eighth & Washington.
COMING UP: NAUTICA SOUTH BEACH TRIATHLON The third annual Nautica South Beach Triathlon takes place on Sunday, April 11, to benefit pediatric cancer research for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Participants expected in this year’s races include co-anchor and national correspondent for NBC's Today, Natalie Morales; actress
Kim Kardashian at the I Heart My Girlfriends charity bash
MYA at Penguin Gifting Suite at the Raleigh for WMC 2010
Eliza Dushku; former NBA player Rick Fox; Australian triathlete and five-time Ironman champion, Chris “Macca” McCormack; NBC’s Biggest Loser winner, Ali Vincent; The Bold and the Beautiful’s Heather Tom; three-time Winter X Games freestyle skiing gold medalist, Sarah Burke; WPLG Local 10’s news anchor Sasha Andrade, and WKMG Orlando’s news anchor Michael Garolfalo. The “fun” starts at 7 a.m. (yes, in the MORNING) on Fifth street and Ocean Drive. For more information, please visit www.SouthBeachTri.com.
CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS: A slew of celebs dined at Mr. Chow over the weekend, including: Diddy with Jamie Foxx; tennis pros Boris Becker, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick; Sharam from Deep Dish; Kimberly Locke with Randy Jackson, David Guetta, Paul van Dyk, Christian Audigier, and Pharrell Williams. Taking a break from the Winter Music Conference mayhem, Kim Kardashian (with Jonathan Cheban in tow), Serena Williams, Lala Vasquez, Miss America Caressa Cameron and New York Giant Kareem McKenzie attended a party in honor of Kelly Rowland, at ONE Bal Harbour Resort & Spa on Sunday to celebrate the worldwide launch of Rowland’s new charity: I Heart My Girlfriends. Guests and close friends of Rowland's toasted her latest philanthropic success with cocktails courtesy of Grey Goose Vodka at the 5-star resort’s View Bar terrace. Last Tuesday, the original “hip-ster,” Shakira, was spotted dining at Midtown’s Sugarcane raw bar grill. Tennis greats Victoria Azarenka and Robin Soderling stayed at the Sonesta Bayfront Hotel Coconut Grove. In 2009, Azarenka defeated Serena Williams in the finals 6–3, 6–1 to win the Sony Ericsson Open. Soderling is the first and only tennis player to defeat Rafael Nadal in the French Open. Seen enjoying themselves at Delano Tuesdays this week: Jamie Foxx, David Guetta, Kevin Martin of Candlebox, Live’s Patrick Dalheimer, Gerry Harrison of the Talking Heads, baseball pro Roger Clemmens and tennis pro Andy Murray, all sipping Leblon Mojitos.
Mike Furey of Dangerous Muse With Ivette Naranjo at Cafeina
Michelle Leshem at the Raleigh
Starshell at W for WMC 2010
Miss America Caressa Cameron & Nat Jackson at ONE Bal Harbour Resort & Spa
www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 2, 2010 • Page 19
COVER STORY
Bach in Havana cont’d from page 13 even performed on Dancing with the Stars. This week, they are performing for a hometown audience. The new Miami On Stage project, which regularly features local performing artists in Miami Beach’s North Beach neighborhood, presents Tiempo Libre at the Byron Carlyle Theater on Saturday, April 3. The evening features the Miami theatrical premiere performance of the group’s Bach in Havana, a salsa-meetsclassical-music mashup based on the Grammy-nominated CD of the same name. The Miami On Stage series is produced by FUNDarte, one of South Florida’s most adventurous and successful presenters of alternative culture, especially with a Latin flavor. “We presented them for the first time in Miami and we continue to want to nurture their careers,” said FUNDarte Executive Director Ever Chavez. “The last time we presented them, it was very successful. They have a great reputation all over the world. It’s going to be very
exciting.” Chavez said Bach in Havana is challenging for audiences who might typically prefer one of the other styles of music, but challenging in a good way. “People who like Cuban music don’t necessarily like classical music and people who like classical music don’t necessarily like Cuban music,” Chavez said. “Both audiences are going to wonder how it sounds. They will be surprised and excited. It’s not just salsa, conga… some is very quiet and moody.” Gomez feels the merger of styles is only natural in that it reflects the lives the musicians have lived. It combines traditional elements with classical and also new American influences. The idea to combine musical styles actually occurred in contract discussion with Sony. “Timba is not a big seller, so in talking with them, we asked what they thought about merging with classical music and they liked the idea,” Gomez said. “It’s working.” In fall 2008, Tiempo Libre brought its dynamic AfroCuban beat to leading flutist Sir James Galway’s album O’Reilly Street, released by the RCA Red Seal label. The
Page 20 • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
album features an exciting new Latin jazz arrangement of music from the Claude Bolling Jazz Suites including “Baroque and Blue,” as well as a timba take on Bach's “Badinerie” and a number of vibrant new compositions, all by Tiempo Libre’s musical director and pianist Jorge Gomez. The result is rich in the traditions of multiple genres, authentic yet emotionally seductive, transcending the borders between classical, jazz and Cuban music. Following up being named “Best Latin Band 2008” by the Miami New Times, Tiempo Libre brought a true Cuban experience to its American hometown of Miami with the interactive musical production Miami Libre. The show premiered at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in July 2008, featuring a cast of 25, including Tiempo Libre’s seven members. Miami Libre, based on the band’s collective immigrant experience, is told through English and Spanish narrative, sizzling music and explosive dance. Tiempo Libre’s popularity is international. In summer 2002, at their Ravinia Festival debut opening for Celia Cruz, Tiempo Libre dazzled a crowd of more than 12,000 people. They were quickly re-engaged by
Ravinia for summer 2003, where they shared a bill with Aretha Franklin and performed before an enthusiastic crowd of 20,000. Summer 2003 also included performances at the new Heineken Jazz Festival in Hua Hin, Thailand, where Tiempo Libre was the undeniable sensation of the festival. Return trips to Asia have included sold-out shows at Hong Kong’s Kwai Tsing Theatre; at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, the glorious concert hall at the foot of the famous twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and at the 2005 Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia. Since that time, the group’s busy
in November 2007, Tiempo Libre has performed the work with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Portland (Maine) Symphony and the San Antonio Symphony. Bach in Havana is a result of a most recent evolution for the acclaimed musicians. “People don’t understand what we’re doing at first but then they think that it’s incredible,” Gomez said. “They see a whole symphony orchestra and wonder how they are going to dance to this. Later they see how the music changes and that they can dance.”
Health COLUMN
Being Me Smoke-Free By Jennifer fragoso
“The evening features the Miami theatrical premiere performance of their Bach in Havana, a salsa-meets-classical-music mashup based on the Grammy-nominated CD of the same name.” touring schedule in the United States has included performances at Miami’s JVC Jazz Festival, Yoshi’s in Oakland, Calif., SOB’s in New York City, Lincoln Center, Celebrate Brooklyn, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Festival International de Louisiane, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Society of the Performing Arts in Houston, Kimmel Center, Orange County Performing Arts Center, California Center for the Arts, New Haven Jazz Festival, California World Fest, Lotus Music Festival, New York’s River-to-River Festival at the South Street Seaport, as well as the Colorado, Interlochen, Green and Eastern music festivals. August 2005 brought Tiempo Libre’s European debut. Among the highlights of that tour was Tiempo Libre’s performance at the closing concert of the new Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona, Italy, where the band wowed a sold-out house. Subsequent tours have brought sold-out houses in Italy, Greece and Turkey. The band’s debut album release, Arroz con Mango, received tremendous attention in the press and was featured in numerous national publications including Latin Beat, Hispanic Magazine, Jazziz and American Airlines’ American Way Magazine. In spring 2007, Tiempo Libre embarked upon another exciting project, the creation of a new work — Rumba Sinfónica — for symphony orchestra and Cuban band. The composition, a collaboration with the highly respected Venezuelan classical composer Ricardo Lorenz, was commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, the Ravinia Festival and the Festival of the Arts Boca. Since Rumba Sinfónica’s premiere in Minneapolis
However, Gomez said that while audience members can dance, they don’t have to — the music lends itself to relaxing listening as well. Despite Tiempo Libre’s popularity around the United States and the world, the band’s particular style and story told though their music is strongly appealing to South Florida audiences. “It’s quintessential Miami for those of us who appreciate the blend of cultures we have here,” said Miami’s T.S. Albright. “If you appreciate what we have here in South Florida, you can appreciate Tiempo Libre.” The Tiempo Libre concert on Saturday, April 3, begins at 8 p.m. at the Byron Carlyle Theater, 500 71st St., Miami Beach. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 students (under 25) & seniors (over 65) with ID. Tickets may be purchased in advance through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com and by phone 800-745-3000 (service charges apply). Tickets are also available in-person at the Byron Carlyle the day of show and in advance at the Colony Theatre box office (1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach), Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. (no service charges). A limited number of $15 discounted general admission tickets are also available for 33141 zip code buyers with ID in-person at both theater box offices only. More information about the Miami On Stage series and the upcoming Tiempo Libre concert can be found online at www.fundarte.us or by contacting FUNDarte at info@fundarte.us or 305-316-6165.
Name: Jennifer Fragoso Age: 38 Years smoking: 23 SMOKE FREE: Four Weeks
WEEK 5: THANKFULLY EVERYONE IS STILL ALIVE As I started to discuss last week, quitting smoking has opened a whole mess of things up for me. Detoxing has been a long and arduous experience with a side of self-awareness that can’t be bought in stores. Coming down off the ledge feels nice and I’m beginning to get my sea legs back. I’m starting to be able to walk among my fellow humans without barking, grunting or even snorting. I’m also able to party among smokers without wanting to light up. Hmmm, excuse me, what was that? I’M CURED, you think??! No way, not even close is all I can say. However, it does seem I’m pretty much out of the me, me, me childish- tantrum-throwing, grief-stricken phase I now know was a part of my detox. Now my body is working overtime to clean itself up. I have been sick for the last month, coughing and intermittingly experiencing flu-like symptoms and yearning for sleep more than I ever thought possible. I’ve gained a little weight and been craving both salty and crunchy food. In an effort to health it up, I have turned to the Caesar salad to provide me with relief for my salty, crunchy cravings and have begun a campaign abolishing late-night snacking. As you can clearly read, the intricacies of quitting smoking are about as glamorous as a dirty ashtray. However unglamorous these musings may be, the reality is that I do hope they serve as public record to any and all who want to quit smoking and prove that it can be done, although it may not be fun. That’s what it’s all about — encouragement! If I can do it, so can you and you and you. I liken myself to the host of Romper Room, at the end of each show holding up the “magic mirror” and seeing all of you out there going through this experience with me. I see Michael and Jessie, Dalila and Mariana, Andrea and Max, Anajulia and Paola all out there trying to figure out how to live the rest of their lives smoke-free. Hopefully they can see me, read my words and gain some insight into their own plight. Regardless of position in life we are all powerless over this addiction, just like any other, but we are not powerless for long. Every day I remain smoke-free makes me stronger and I hope every day anyone who reads this remains smoke-free makes them stronger. For the next couple of weeks I would like to share other people’s stories on how and why they have chosen to live smoke-free. If you would like to share your story, please email me at fragosofashion@aim.com — and you just might be in an upcoming Being Me Smoke-Free journal entry. www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 2, 2010 • Page 21
Cinema COLUMN
White Ribbon, Black Heart By Ruben Rosario Michael Haneke is a cold-hearted bastard. His perverse world view is hard on his characters and even more unforgiving on his audiences. Just when you think there might be light at the end of the tunnel he tends to sweep the rug from under your feet. I think of the many ways he gets under my skin and I’m tempted to curl up in a fetal position. Which is exactly why I highly recommend his work. Very few directors have Haneke’s rare ability to portray mankind at its worst. Whether it’s the racially charged tension in Code Unknown, the destructive sadomasochistic affair between a music prodigy and his instructor in The Piano Teacher, or the unspeakable torture a bourgeois family suffers at the hands of two polite sociopaths in Funny Games, the Austrian filmmaker sure knows how to make compelling drama out of the evil we do to each other. It’s easy to see why The White Ribbon, Haneke’s justly lauded return to European cinema after his polarizing American remake of Funny Games, has alienated some of his supporters. (The Miami Herald’s Rene Rodriguez, a longtime admirer, called it “an artsy bore.”) The Oscar-nominated film, which screens this weekend at the Miami Beach Cinematheque following a one-week run at the South Beach Regal Cinemas back in February, is an austere, cerebral and deliberately paced look at the breakdown of a seemingly stable society. It also shows a new level of maturity and formal splendor that turns the film into a departure for Haneke… up to a point. Covering roughly a year in the lives of the inhabitants of a rural village in northern Germany right before World War I, The White Ribbon unfolds like a dense, richly detailed novel. The film is narrated by the local schoolteacher, who serves as the conscience of this community but is not, Haneke suggests, the most reliable witness. The incident that kicks the story into gear is what appears to be a freak accident. The town doctor, riding back to his house, falls from his horse and suffers several fractures. The police discover a nearly invisible wire tied between two posts. At this point, the old Haneke would have begun to turn the screws on the viewer, especially once it becomes clear that some of the village children might be implicated in the increasingly severe violent acts that take place. Instead, Haneke places the characters under his magnifying glass and proceeds to chronicle, over the next two and a half hours, their day-to-day existence in minute detail. The film’s detractors have failed to convey just what an immersive experience The White Ribbon is. It’s also his best-looking film to date. Working with longtime cinematographer Christian Berger, Haneke has chosen to shoot The White Ribbon in pristine black and white, and the interplay of light and shadow serves as crucial counterpoint to the town’s moral decay. A burning barn has never looked so beautiful. Of the myriad households Haneke examines, by far the most arresting is that of the pastor, who rules over his family with puritanical zeal. When his oldest children come home way past curfew, he punishes them with a few good lashes, and, as penance, forces them to wear the piece of cloth that gives the film its title. Fortunately for Haneke, he refuses to let what could have been a heavy-handed irony get the better of him. I do, however, wish that he could have found a way to leave the viewer with a little more closure. The film’s stubborn lack of resolution is by design, and not only because confounding expectations is something that’s near and dear to Haneke’s pitch-black heart. He is attempting to dramatize the growth of the groupthink ideology that led to German fascism, and given the way things turned out for the country in the 1930s, a conventional conclusion to his tale probably seemed beside the point. He’s right, of course, but that doesn’t make the denial of catharsis any less frustrating. The rest of The White Ribbon, though, is a notable achievement. Is it a sign of a kinder, gentler Haneke down the road? As a proud bearer of the psychic scars inflicted by his previous cinematic assaults, I can only hope as much.
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ABOVE: LOCAL YELLOWTAIL SNAPPER GRILLED WITH FRESH ROSEMARY AND EVOO. BELOW: 22 OZ. GRILLED RIB EYE BONE SERVED WITH ROASTED POTATOES.
Food
Il Grissino Ristorante By Marguerite Gil (megs@famae.org) Restaurant Row, along Giralda Avenue in the heart of Coral Gables, has a new addition to the multitude of eateries offering foods from around the world. Il Grissino is a casual yet romantic Italian restaurant that brings foodies a taste of traditional Italian favorites at reasonable prices. The walls are peachy-hued with cloth napkins of the same color. Chairs are beautifully tailored and the dark ceramic, wood-colored stained floors add a touch of the old country to this modern, 3,000-square-foot eatery. The façade that faces the sidewalk is made of glass from ceiling to floor, so dining inside feels like dining outside without the discomfort of car exhausts, street noises and the South Florida heat. Guests are welcomed to their tables, where they can expect complimentary house-made grissini, (the namesake breadsticks), along with mini-antipasto of yummy house-cured olives, salami and fresh bocconcini (little mozzarella balls) to whet il appetito. I chose the Dentice Intero Steccato al Romarino con Olio Profumato, which translates into a moist local yellowtail snapper covered with aromatic olive oil, topped with fresh rosemary and grilled to perfection ($21). The fish is accompanied by fresh veggies, including some quarter-cut morsels of artichoke, thinly sliced potatoes and strips of peppers in a lovely white wine, lemony sauce. Everything on the menu is very finely sliced, which I believe gives the preparations a delicate taste and looks really nice on the plate. My dining partner tried the Ravioli di Pesce all’Erbette, homemade ravioli stuffed with Branzino fish, slightly tossed with fresh cream and herbs ($13). It was delicious and very filling. Also on the regular menu: linguine, spaghetti, tortelli, tuna, filet mignon, rib-eye steaks and a variety of additional meat and fish platters. From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, the eatery offers a special “corporate” two-course meal plus dessert for $13 that might include chicken parmigiana, mahi-mahi with capers and lemon sauce or even grilled jumbo calamari. Il Grissino has a wide selection of wood-fired pizzas ranging in price from $11.50 to $13.95. There is, of course, the traditional Margherita with rich tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Then there is the Bianca Neve, which also has mozzarella and mascarpone cheese but adds handfuls of mushrooms and bite-size pieces of ham to the whole pie and is then smothered with light truffle oil. The Formaggi pizza is made with four cheeses while the Salmone pizza adds slices of smoked salmon to the sauce and cheese. Overseeing day-to-day operations at Il Grissino is Salvatore Domanti, who along with his parents and the Da Prato family (longtime business partners) brings decades of expertise to this chic but affordable, new Italian restaurant. Il Grissino is located at 127 Giralda Ave., Coral Gables. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. Details: 305.461.3391.
Music COLUMN
Chicago: A Fresh Shot of Creative Adrenaline By Alan Sculley As recently as last spring, it appeared that Chicago’s days of making new albums of original material might be over. In an interview with this writer last May, keyboardist Robert Lamm revealed that while individual members were still writing songs, some band members had concluded there was no point in Chicago releasing new music. That sentiment was understandable. While Chicago had enjoyed a huge resurgence in popularity during the 1980s, crafting albums alongside producer David Foster that emphasized power ballads like “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” and ‘You’re The Inspiration,” that run of success had ended by the early 1990s. Since then the band had recorded only sporadically, and its albums hadn’t made much impact commercially. Radio and major labels no longer seemed interested in Chicago. As a touring act, though, Chicago has remained a strong draw, co-headlining amphitheaters every summer. And with its deep catalog of hits spanning a 43-year career, the group was assured of a healthy career built around touring alone. But as Chicago has started another busy year of touring, trombonist and original band member James Pankow, says the band members see the kind of creative rebirth happening within the group that no one would have predicted a year ago. The reason can be traced back to last August, when keyboardist/singer Bill Champlin, a key figure in Chicago’s 1980’s resurgence, quit the band to resume his pre-Chicago career fronting the group Sons of Champlin. The musician brought in to replace Champlin, keyboardist/singer Lou Pardini, has given the group a fresh shot of creative adrenaline. Pankow said Pardini’s understanding of music making in today’s new digital age is fueling enthusiasm for bringing new music and archive material to the market. “The way of doing business as we’ve known it is over. The record business is gone essentially, and we’re looking at the 21st century and we’re looking at the internet,” Pankow said. “We are looking at the possibility with Lou, who is very literate and very plugged in to working on a digital level and very aware of looking at reaching our audience in new ways. I personally have sat with him, whether on an airplane or back stage, and this guy is so pumped, he’s so full of fresh ideas. He’s bringing that into the mix. “We’re already looking at creating new songs and sometime in the next year perhaps creating a way for fans to download new songs, exclusive releases via the internet, perhaps not unlike ‘Live By Request,’ logging on and coming into the studio or the songwriting process with the band, a live performance of allnew material that people can log into by streaming, plug ins available at shows,” he said.”There are all kinds of possibilities that had never existed.” While fans wait to see how Chicago will put the internet and other tools to work in releasing new music and other ventures, they can get acquainted with the revamped lineup in person. The group has started a run of headlining shows that wraps up May 30. Then on June 15, Chicago and the Doobie Brothers team up for a summer co-headlining tour that plays outdoor amphitheaters. The trombonist offered a sneak preview of the headlining tour. “We have a new stage, a new production, a bit of a fresh look,” Pankow said. “We have a new member in the band. So that’s good. You have to keep a fresh face on this for people who are willing to throw down hardearned money every year to see you. And you don’t want to give them the same old. You want to go
out there and give it everything we have. “In terms of the music, every year it gets harder and harder. I mean, how do you take 40 years of music and condense it into two hours?” he said. “Every year we’re trying to reinvent ourselves and our approach to our show. There are requisite songs that if you don’t do the, you’re going to get tomatoes thrown at you. They are the anthems, like ’25 or 6 to 4’ and ‘Colour My World’ and ‘Hard To Say I’m Sorry.’ There are songs you’re expected to do, and so those are an automatic. Then the balance of the material, which has various degrees of commercial success, you try to be as effective as you can be… There will always be songs where people go ‘Why didn’t you do that?” You can’t please everybody all the time, but you try to create as good a cross section as you can.” new wrinkle may come in the encore. Pankow said the band may return “Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon,” a 13-minute suite from “Chicago II,” to the show. “We’re actually looking at (playing) ‘The Ballet,’ which is the only multi-movement piece in our history,” he said. “By virtue of the nature of that piece and (how) it illustrates just about every musical groove that this band does, we have decided to put that in the encore because it’s a great button on the show. That’s something that we haven’t done. I think it’s a great thing to leave people walking away with.” While Pankow and his bandmates, Lamm, Pardini, Walt Parazaider (flute/sax), Lee Loughnane (trumpet), Jason Scheff (bass, vocals), Tris Imboden (drums) and Keith Howland (guitar) – are obviously excited about the next phase of Chicago, the trombonist said losing Champlin was nonetheless a big deal. In addition to his considerable abilities as a singer, Champlin brought into the group a special talent for arranging vocals and integrating them into the group’s music. Still, Pankow said the split was unavoidable. “Bill is an incredibly talented guy, one of the sweetest guys in the world, had been with the band a quarter of a century, and it was not easy to say goodbye,” Pankow said. “But on the other hand, Bill was indeed feeling stifled because he had so much to say in his own right, didn’t really have the time to express that because the band is so busy. And he was expressing frustration because of that. We agreed to disagree, and he’s now off doing his own thing, and he’s happy. “And it’s about a happy family,” he said. “The same unhappiness existed with (former singer) Peter Cetera. You don’t want to harbor that kind of discontent because it affects the whole bunch. So we moved on.” Ironically, the band was introduced Pardini by Champlin. And Pardini came to Chicago with some impressive credentials, having written hits for Smokey Robinson (the Grammy-nominated “Just To See Her”) and Kenny G (“We’ve Saved The Best For Last”), and done extensive writing for television and film. He also has two solo albums to his credit. “Lou is very like-minded (compared to Champlin), an amazing musician, singer/songwriter/arranger, very much in the niche of Bill Champlin’s background and expertise,” Pankow said. “Because he’s kind of from the Bill Champlin school, ideologically, he’s a great fit. And there’s no more frustration and unhappiness. We’re looking at the next chapter with a fresh face and a happy mix, and the band is slamming on all cylinders. I don’t think there would have been a better choice.” www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 2, 2010 • Page 23
Art COLUMN
Wearable Art By Marguerite Gil (megs@famae.org) Silvia Tcherassi is on a fashion quest. This daring and admired designer has incorporated three-dimensional textures achieved through the multi-layering of different materials including printed velvet, chiffon, taffeta, Swarovski crystals and metals in her latest creations. Tcherassi uses unusual materials that she applies in an artistic, avant-garde manner through an elaborate weaving process of the textiles. Her final silhouettes are fluid and flattering. This year, during Fashion Week in Miami in the Design District, Tcherassi featured a color palette for fall that included intense midnight blues, softening blushes and bright golden hues. After the runway show, the more than 600 guests who checked out her collection were encouraged to view the newest fashion frenzies created by the students of the Ai Miami International University of Art & Design (14th Street and Biscayne Boulevard) in the adjacent space under the same tent. I was one of the curious writers who wandered around and scrutinized the students’ exhibition, and in my humble opinion… the young designers stole the show. What do you think? A PAIR OF OPEN-TOED BOOTS CREATED BY ADRIANA VARGAS
BELOW: THESE SHOES WERE CREATED BY AJA BUTLER BURNS. RIGHT: THIS HYPNOTIC DRESS WAS FASHIONED BY ADRIANA VARGAS. BELOW: UNUSUAL PLATFORMS ARE MADE FROM CORKS BY MICHELLE COSTA. RIGHT: GOHAR RAJABZADEH MADE A FUZZY WARM COAT FOR THE EXHIBITION
Page 24 • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
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www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • Page 25
Style COLUMN
The Theme Party: Fashion Friend or Foe? By Jennifer Fragoso (fragosofashion@aim.com)
Ever been invited to a theme party? If you live in Miami, odds are you have. In Miami there are multiple parties each and every day; sometimes it seems the only way you can distinguish one from another is by the theme. From White Parties to Pink, Disco to Moulin Rouge, it is hard for a girl to keep her wardrobe on trend and up to party standards without feeling a little frenzied. Here are a few helpful little rules to get you through the rest of theme party season 2010 and perhaps give you a jump on the upcoming 2011 season. Rule #1: The first fashion rule of thumb is if you are looking for it, you will never find it. However, as they say in football, the best defense is a great offense. The next time you are in a store and happen to find a purple ostrich feather cocktail dress that looks smokin’ on you and say to yourself, “I’ll never wear that,” remember this is Miami — and you never know when someone will decide to throw a “Livin’ La Vida Purple Party.” So if you have the money and feel fabulous in the dress, go ahead and buy it. Put it in your closet and pray for a Purple Party to come your way. Rule #2: Think the event through. Consider the time of day, date and season the event will be held on and dress accordingly within the confines of the theme. Sure, toga parties are fun, but if the event is going to be held outside during the middle of a cold rainy season, you may want to bring a wrap and forgo the Jerusalem slippers for something with a closed toe. Rule #3: Take the time to think about the look you want to achieve. The party is a “White Garden Party.” How do you want to look? Do you want to go cute and casual or sleek and sexy? Both looks fit in the theme, so the only deciding factor is you. What message do you want to convey? Figure that out and you are halfway there. Remember, if you stay true to who you are, you will always look good. Rule #4: Borrow if you can. Oftentimes shopping can be a fruitless experience. Whenever you are looking for something specific, you are more than likely to leave the store empty-handed. Rather than fight the laws of nature, ask your friends if you can borrow something from their closet. You never know — maybe one of your friends had the perfect gold and black dress you could have borrowed for the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Cocktail Party you were invited to last January, but since you didn’t ask you now find yourself with an overpriced frock you never ever want to rock again. Rule #5: Always, always check the store’s return policy. Imagine running all over town trying to find an outfit for the “Think Pink Breast Cancer Benefit” you’ve just been invited to. You stumble upon something that might work and is on sale and think, “Jackpot!” But steady hands win the race so before you snap up that “perfect” item, take the time to reevaluate and revisit rules #2 and #3 and ask about the return policy. If the store where you are considering purchasing Page 26 • Thursday, April 2, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
an item does not give cash back, ask the salesperson if they can put the item aside for you and take 24 hours to make a decision. This way you really know if you want the item rather than feeling pressured just to having something pink to wear. When you go out you want to have fun, and half the fun should be preparing for the evening, so remember not to take things so seriously. Chances are, if Diddy isn’t throwing the party there’s a little leeway when it comes to the theme so don’t fret. Remember the last time you went to a themed event and thought how beautiful everyone looked all dressed up, and suck it up. Once you get a couple of drinks down, all of the pre-event drama will become a distant memory and you will inevitably live to party another day. THREE PERFECTLY PRETTY PINK DRESSES TO WEAR TO ANY PINK-THEMED SOIREE. ABOVE: VERSACE ‘FLOWER BURST RUCHED V-NECK DRESS, $1,750. ABOVE LEFT: ZAC POSEN GEOMETRIC KNIT DRESS, $850. LEFT: VERSACE TWIST FRONT JERSEY DRESS, $1,535. ALL AVAILABLE FROM NORDSTROM, AVENTURA OR ON NORDSTROM.COM
www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 2, 2010 • Page 27
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