The Story Matters
Mayhem p.4 Miami Speak Your Mind! Our readers have spoken: The Miami Design District Rocks!
Vol. XXV No. 16
April 29, 2010
Visit us at sunpostweekly.com
LOVE: EURO STYLE Romance in a Can Does It with a Continental Twist MAYHEM P.4
PROFILE P. 6
POLITICS P. 8
HISTORY P.9
CALENDAR P.14
411 P.18 DO P. 21
FILM P. 22
SEE PAGE 12
FOOD P.22
SEX P. 24
FASHION P. 26
Letters Grumpy Old Farts, Get Over It! A Different Perspective on the South Pointe Issue
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kim Stark kim@miamisunpost.com SOCIETY EDITOR Jeannette Stark jeannette@miamisunpost.com
To the Editor: Unfortunately, a lot of grumpy old farts have difficulty coming to terms with their own mortality, so they lash out at the young, who have what they lack: time. Frank Del Vecchio is nothing more or less than a grumpy old fart who, like most grumpy old farts, sees his time on this earth ticking to its end and can't stand the thought that others -- in this case, the young -- are out having fun (which he likely enjoyed, too, in his youth) while the most exciting part of his ebbing life is looking forward to the next CVS sale on Metamucil and when his next bowel movement might be. Jeffrey Bradley and the SunPost, which more and more seems to be the only local official journal of record remaining for the grumpy old farts population, should come down off the soapbox. Del Vecchio is full of it, as the City Commission that Bradley chides in his April 15 column likely already recognizes. Young people aren't going to stop coming to South Beach and South Pointe merely because you jack up the parking rates. Get over it already! If you can't stand the "coolers and bodies and nonsense over our dunes and onto our streets," then consider removing thee to Wyoming, where you can have all the peace and quiet thine tired old achy, grumpy bones could want! And plus, you've got ample acreage out there for digging the holes you'll need for your eventual dirt naps. Which should be any moment now... Charles Branham-Bailey South Beach (submitted online)
[Editor’s Note: This South Pointe issue has been an ongoing battle between residents and club owners for many years. It has generated a lot of positive and negative response. We have chosen to air both sides of the issues. The SunPost welcomes more of your opinions and we will continue to publish them. Jeffrey Bradley is a columnist of the SunPost and his opinions are his own and not a reflection of the publication’s Editorial staff.] WE WELCOME LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FROM OUR READERS FOR PUBLICATION. IF YOUR LETTER IS PRINTED, PERSONAL INFORMATION IS FOR VERIFICATION PURPOSES ONLY. O NLY THE LETTER WRITER' S NAME AND CITY WILL BE PUBLISHED. P LEASE KEEP YOUR LETTER TO 300 WORDS OR LESS. L OG ON TO OUR WEBSITE SUNPOSTWEEKLY. COM AND USE THE LETTERS LINK OR EMAIL US AT: LETTERS@ SUNPOSTWEEKLY. COM OR BY MAIL: P. O. BOX 191870, M IAMI B EACH, FL 33119
COPY EDITOR Mary Louise English
PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Kim Stark kim@miamisunpost.com ACCOUNTING Sandie Friedman SALES DIRECTORS Jeannette Stark Stuart Davidson
CALENDAR EDITOR Jake Orsinni calendar@miamisunpost.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jeffrey Bradley Stuart Davidson Marguerite Gil Mary Louise English Jennifer Fragoso John Hood Dr. Sonjia Kenya Thomas Quick Ruben Rosario Mary Jo Almeida-Shore Michael Sasser Kim Steiner
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Tropical Mayhem BITS AND PIECES OF MIAMI LIFE
Miami through my iphone
ROBERT RODRIGUEZ CALANTHIA DRESS. $1,195. AT EN AVANCE BELOW: HOURGLASS MONEY BANK $45. FROM AVANT GALLERY. BOTH IN THE MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT.
THIS IS WHY WE LOVE MIAMI by Ines Hegedus-Garcia - miamism.com - ines@miamism.com This panorama was taken from a Tower Suite at The Mondrian in South Beach. You can see The Port of Miami, Star Island, Hibiscus and Palm Island, Monument Island, The Venetian Islands and even The City of Miami. The Sunsets from this condo must be spectacular! If you look closely, you will see that the birds flying above are Pelicans - their flight pattern stitched together with the iphone app.
Aerobathon for Kid Empowerment This sounds fun and it ‘s for great cause! MPower Project Fitness (the swanky new gym that just opened in Miami Shores) is hosting an aerobathon for charity this Saturday, May 1. A full day of Aerobics of all styles in 3 hour sessions. Try jumping rope or my personal fave, Zumba . All fitness levels are welcome. The best part of this event is that your kids can participate too by signing up for the free Bully Proof Workshop. 45 minutes of self defense techniques taught by a black belt martial artist. Proceeds to benefit The Kids United Foundation’s Get Fit Summer Program. The foundation is all about empowering kids to deal with bullying, child abduction, fitness and safe driving. So grown-ups hit the gym for some fun and lively aerobic sessions and do something for yourself and to help empower our kids. Event begins at 9am and runs until 7pm. $25 for MPower members, $35 for non-members. Bully Proof workshop is free. MPower Project Fitness, 9301 NE 6 Ave., Miami Shores. kidunitedfoundation.org or mpowerproject.com. Page 4 • Thursday, April 29, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
MIAMI, SPEAK YOUR MIND!
Miami Design District BY JENNIFER DIAZ
Have you checked out the Miami Design District lately? I hadn’t for a few months and recently went to Q American Barbeque for dinner. It was delish, but that’s for another submission. After dinner we took to the streets to window shop. (I think my all time favorite past-time.) A trip to the design district to ogle the beautiful windows of Ornare or drool over the fabulous bags at Nazly Villamizar or try on a bikini at Tomas Maier is something my sister and I really enjoy doing together. But this time, the vibe was different. There was so much more happening. The outdoor space at Maitardi was hopping, (personal note: must go there for cocktails this weekend) and there were some new boutiques like Sebastien James and Maison Martin Margiela.
I really loved the AE District space, that would be a genius venue for a launch party with a fashion show. Very, very cool. I could go on and on, but if you only come to the Design District during the day, then change that and check it out for dinner or cocktails or just to drool over the unbelievable goodies at Luminaire or the at hausScape. And then there’s the art, don’t get me started on the fabulousness of Avant Gallery or 101/exhibit. Just a few of my favorite things. Miami Design District is located between 2nd Avenue and 39th Street in Miami. For info: miamidesigndistrict.net 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@SUNPOSTWEEKLY.COM
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PHOTO: MAGICAL PHOTOS/MITCHELL ZACKS
PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY YOU SHOULD KNOW
Master Sang Martial Artist By Thomas Quick As you step through the doors of Master Sangs dojo, a sense of total calm overcomes you. Possibly, the understanding of a spiritual awakening to come. But this serenity is at odds with the fierce, high-energy martial arts sessions Master Sang has proudly conducted for the last twenty-years. Growing up in Korea, Sang trained and mastered his form in Tae-Kwon-Doe and Muay Thai and in 1983, left the East for America and Miami Beach. He went to Beach High and then Florida State where he honed his athletic skills as a field goal kicker for the FSU Seminoles. He returned to the beach, with plans to open a martial arts training facility, which he did on 71st and Collins Avenue, where he could teach his mix of martial arts called TNT. A blend of Tae-Kwon-Doe, Muay Thai, and Boxing, which relieves the incessant structure of formal Tae-Kwon-Doe training while still managing to teach discipline and respect. It is within his adult classes where TNT makes its bang, drilling his protégés with consistent workouts and self defense routines that develop mind, body, and spirit. This understanding of the art and it’s teachings has rewarded this dojo with not only a loyal and selective clientele, but with recognition as the 2010 martial arts school of the year by TaeKwon Doe Times. The popularity of his program did not come easy to Sang, a combination of integrity, public recognition and hard Page 6 • Thursday, April 29, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
work made it successful. Master Sang has received his sixth degree black belt, been recognized with a proclamation by City of Miami Beach and holds three different Keys to the City, listing October 3rd as Master Sang Day. Hollywood came calling in 2000 and the martial artist landed a role in Rush Hour 2 and again in 2007 where he taught and fought Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 3. His most recent acting endeavor, is a role in a TV pilot called, Chaos. The mentor accepts students from almost any age group including the Little Tigers program (ages 3-6) and a Junior class, which consists of students ranging from the ages of seven to twelve. “My goal is not to teach them just to become a fighter but I’m more focused on giving them life guidance; making sure they gain confidence, making sure they obey mom and dad cheerfully and do well in school.” Says Sang. “I like to teach them that goals we set are goals that we get” One thing is for sure, no matter what Sang does or where he goes or how many awards he gets, the martial arts master will always keep his heart and mind with his students. Teaching honor and respect and enlightening them with dignified morals. It is these eminent teaching methods that have those from around the world hoping to one day learn from the master, Master Sang himself. Master Sangs South Beach facility is located on 1420 Alton Rd. For more info: sangsacademy.com
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Politics COLUMN
Down in the Park With a Friend Called Five By Jeffrey Bradley
South of Filth Residents continue to take comfort in limiting activities in their park. In fact, many battle-weary South of Fifth Neighborhood Association (SOFNA) members passed on yet another opportunity to vent during last week’s Breakfast with the Mayor. This bit of intimacy attracted some four dozen diehards to the second floor veranda overlooking Government Cut. But not even a Smith and Wollensky breakfast (served by a waitstaff of stealthy step) could rouse the surfeited foot-soldiers still relishing their latest victory—rallying the troops and filling the halls with scores of residents after sounding the tocsin for that April 14 commission meeting, we mean. As noted, they’d swirled to the rostrum in waves, like dive-bombers, to lament the trash, people and excess lapping the shores of now world-popular South Pointe. Popular, sure—because, as they’ll be glad to tell you, of those outrageous property taxes they pay. That frenzy, over the swelling strains of the Cork Friedman video, was equaled or surpassed by the storm of campaign rhetoric and wacky ideas that rolled down from the dais. Still, a victory they claimed nonetheless. Back of the hubbub, basic enforcement of existing quality of life laws apparently requires more resources than City Hall can muster. To Commissioner Weithorn’s suggestion that mobile “camera bots” be put on beach patrol to record what happens, and by whom, Commissioner Gongora observed that “I might have to give up my Speedo”. Well! But this didn’t prevent SOFNA from crowing in a recent email blast about the power they wield over elected officialdom: “…The Commission voted unanimously not to hold public or private events at South Pointe Park and not to even consider the question again until the Park is restored to its original and pristine condition”. The only exception the SOFNistas agreed to was—perhaps—allowing school children on field trips to use limited parts of the park… by day only, please. Even this concession was wrested after the realization that the area is, indeed, a public Miami-Dade County park. However, even that will be up for grabs as use of the park heads yet again for another committee meeting, this time the Neighborhoods/Community Affairs Committee on Tuesday, April 27, 2010. Yet SOFNA’s apparent victory to “gate” their community flies in the face of what most people consider to be the essence of South Beach: a celebrated destination open to everyone and hosting as many exciting events as possible, even at night, to generate that precious lifeblood, buzz and money. Instead, the rarified residents atop the gleaming towers lining South Pointe abide by the notion that the park is a flawed, unsafe eyesore. It’s their contention that use should be curtailed “until the park is restored to its original and pristine condition.” Which was when, exactly? But it does boil things down to three major issues: the playground, the water park, and the turf. And the residents have a point. One, the playground is unsafe. Instead of just buying kiddie equipment, the park’s “world class” designers custom built the pastel playset that opened with predictably disastrous results. While pretty, their stuff just didn’t hold up. So there it sits, roped off, while the rest of
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the rubbermat tot area stays open. Two, the water features are flawed. A series of water guns line the entrance on Washington Avenue, and the Tot Lot has sprinklers, sprays and showers. During planning and approval, much discussion focused on how the wind would affect these cannons, and if bums would turn it all into an artsy encampment. (Judging by the number of crackheads who walk around carrying on extremely important conversations with somebody, “homelessness” must be another law the police choose not to enforce). In the event, the County waded in to this “Public Swimming Pools” issue to demand certain standards. Instead, surprise!, City Hall turned them off. And three, the grass is an eyesore—if you’re a bird. Growing the stuff here has always been contentious, as the City Manager memorialized in vivid detail in Letter To Commission 228-2009 September 1. But it is hard to grow, truly; few persons maintain their own lawns because it’s expensive, time-consuming work, and results can be ratty. Whatever the resolution is, just replacing it ain’t one. The proof’s in the pudding; they’ve already got grass that, you know, failed. We say, spray paint it all green so it looks good from the penthouse until you can find something better. <Sigh> It’s evident that this and other fearsome battles will rage—with finger-pointing and blame aplenty—until peace descends. Lawsuits will be filed, briefs entered and motions granted as endless flaws are uncovered that desperately need litigation. (With obviously enough there to keep any ambulance chaser worth his shenanigans up at night with excitement). All will no doubt take years to resolve, so we’re guessing the aim is to hold the park hostage in a misguided attempt to promote law and order in direct response to the hysteria-driven politics. What’s next, residents complaining that the huge lit-up Shhh! sign is too loud?
THE NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT We were wrong! (There’s an admission you won’t see often, so savor it.) Actually, we were technically just a little off: We wrote that the Transportation & Committee Meeting featuring the Baylink discussion had already occurred. It hadn’t. That’s coming up May 12. Here are the details: On behalf of Alan Fishman, Vice-Chair of the City of Miami Beach Transportation and Parking Committee, we are extending an invitation to you to attend the May 10th, 2010 committee meeting where a discussion on Baylink will take place. The meeting is scheduled for 3:30pm and will be held at City Hall – 1700 Convention Center Drive, City Manager’s Office (4th Floor) – Large Conference Room. See you there.
A Moment in Time COLUMN
May 1, 2010: Miami History in the Making By Seth H. Bramson (seth@sunpostweekly.com)
As our readers well know, this column deals with great and mostly happy events in Miami history but from time to time something occurs in the here and now that is history making in and of itself and needs to be commemorated as it happens and one of those events is occurring on Saturday, May first. May first marks the 39th anniversary of Amtrak, America’s rail passenger train network, which began in 1971 by taking over the mostly moribund passenger train services of those railroads which, for the most part, may have still had passenger trains but, also for the most part, wanted to eliminate them. Over the years, with innumerable ups and downs including (mostly) Republican congresspeople who were (and remain) in the pockets of the oil and gas companies, the road builders, the tire and rubber companies and the automobile manufacturers and who have tried time and again to close down the system under the rather specious and totally nonsensical claim that “they don’t make money,” Amtrak has, somehow, managed to survive. Problem is, if that claim were legitimate, then every bus line, every barge line, every airline in the US would need to be closed down also, for without the government subsidization, none of them would make a penny. But why then is this particular May first as important as this writer claims? Because on this May first, Amtrak and the Florida East Coast Railway will operate the first passenger train from downtown Miami in more than 47 years, the last northbound train having operated on January 22, 1963, the day before the non-operating unions went on strike and walked off their jobs. Then Miami mayor Robert King High sued the railroad and the Florida Supreme Court found that the terms of the railroad’s charter required it to run passenger trains daily except Sunday and issued an order to that effect. On August second, 1965, the FEC, complying with the order, began operating a beautiful but short streamlined passenger train daily except Sunday between North Miami depot and Jacksonville Union Terminal, a service that provided for coach and first class accommodations and even allowed passengers to order lunches which were put on the train at Vero Beach. However, with the lack of passengers (the trains did not carry checked baggage nor did they connect north of Jacksonville) the FEC petitioned the Supreme Court for the right to discontinue the trains. The court allowed the FEC to end the service on July 30, 1968. Amtrak, over the years, has expressed its desire to operate trains up and down the east coast of Florida, and in 2002 an Amtrak/FEC demonstration train made the Jacksonville—Miami round trip. Unfortunately, for Florida and rail passengers, the money was not yet in place to begin the hoped-for service, but, or so it appears, it is now, and on Saturday, May first, Amtrak and the FEC will operate a Miami—Jacksonville passenger train carrying only invited guests and stopping in West Palm Beach, Stuart, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Melboune, Cocoa, Titusville, Daytona Beach, St. Augustine and Jacksonville and it is hoped and believed that this historic cooperative Amtrak—FEC run will be the catalyst to finally re-start a service that ended on January 22, 1963. Our readers—and all Miamians—are invited to join us at Northwest First Avenue and Eighth Street on Saturday morning, May first, any time after 7:30 AM to see the train (no visitors will be permitted on board, though) and watch it depart at 8:30, this, indeed, one of the most historic events in the history of both the FEC and Greater Miami. As Jim Dooley used to say on the beloved Northeast Airlines commercials, “Cuhhhh monnn down!” We’ll hope to see you there!
PHOTO ABOVE: NAMED FOR THE FEC'S FOUNDER, THE 1939 PASSENGER TRAIN "HENRY M. FLAGLER" HAS JUST ARRIVED FROM JACKSONVILLE. PHOTO FAR ABOVE : AFTER THE FEC RECEIVED ITS BEAUTIFUL NEW DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES COMPANY PHOTOGRAPHER HARRY WOLFE MADE THIS BEAUTIFUL SHOT LOOKING NORTHEAST, THE DADE COUNTY COURTHOUSE GIVING THE APPEARANCE THAT IT WAS THE FEC'S MIAMI STATION. PHOTO BELOW: TWO OF FEC'S GIANT 800 SERIES STEAM LOCOMOTIVES AWAIT THE DEPARTURE SIGNAL JUST PRIOR TO LEAVING MIAMI'S DOWNTOWN PASSENGER STATION, SOMETIME DURING THE 1935-36 SEASON. PHOTO LEFT: A COMPANY PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN MIAMI CIRCA 1940 SHOWS THE FAMED PASSENGER TRAIN "THE CHAMPION" READY TO DEPART FOR NEW YORK WHILE BEHIND IT IS THE JUST-ARRIVED "HENRY M. FLAGLER."
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A SCENE FROM THE MOVIE HERE AND THERE
COVER STORY
Love
EuroStyle Romance in a Can Does It with a Continental Twist Written by John Hood
M
iami is picture perfect. Its light and its dark, its skyline and its shoreline, and, yes, even its people, are all suitable for framing. Furthermore, Miamians be-
have as if they’re living their very own movie; and at any given moment each of us is ever ready for that proverbial close-up. So it makes perfect sense that this Magic City would have more than its fair share of film festivals. From the Brazilian to the Italian, the Underground to the Borscht, the Miami Gay & Lesbian (which is up and running till May 2) to the International itself, at some time or another during each and every year, something cinematic is going down somewhere in our town. This week is exceptionally no exception. Why? Because this is the week where we get what’s called Romance in a Can, the one film fest where nothing but love is in the air – and on the screen.
COVER STORY
Love Euro Style cont’d from page 11 Actually, make that a long week, on a very hallowed screen. From April 29 through May 10, in fact, all at Miami-Dade College’s landmark Tower Theater, which of course is located in bustling Little Havana. In addition to the main line-up, there’s also a night of student-made shorts at Miami Beach Sr. High, which is undoubtedly one of the most inspiring things we’ve seen offered to students in a good long while. But enough with the kidstuff. Or maybe not. Because we’re here as adults to talk about the one thing that has the potential to make each and every one of us act as
if
we
According to festival founder Isabelle Lambert, the idea to show Demy’s work comes from Tower Theater director Orlando Rojas, who one day mentioned how much he loved watching French films while growing up in his native Havana. After Lambert asked Rojas which among the directors he most admired, and Rojas answered with Demy, an honoree was born. Last year’s tribute went to Josephine Baker, so you can clearly see what kind of tone Lambert is taking with Romance. In fact, she says it’s not all about love; well, at least not all the films are entirely about love anyway. But they are all independent, and each at least has a certain romantic undercurrent – if not a charming overbite. Take the other two highly romantic classics which round-out that part of Romance’s calendar – Jules Dassin’s Greek reworking of Pygmalion, Never on Sunday (1960), and German director Helmut Käutner’s take on Gue de Maupassant’s Romance in a Minor Key (1942). Not only should both be required viewing whether you’re in or out of love, but each has that kinda quirky take on life that makes it most livable. Kinda like Leonard Cohen’s quip about there being a crack in everything, which is how the light gets in. But the bulk of Romance in a Can’s calendar is devoted to contemporary films from, in some form or another, 10 different countries. France and Germany are best represented with, respectively, three and five flicks each. For France it’s Could
were
teenagers all over again. And that’s that
thing
called
love.
ABOVE: A SCENE FROM GERMAN ENTRY, KEBAB CONNECTION. BELOW: CYNDI LAUPER IN HERE AND THERE. FAR RIGHT: SMALL JERUSALEM AN ENTRY FROM FRANCE. LARGE PICTURE RIGHT: NOTHING PERSONAL ALSO FROM FRANCE.
his year’s signature filmmaker is French director Jacques Demy, he of 1964’s all-singing Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), which will be showing twice during the fest, as will be his ’72 movie, The Pied Piper. Also on tap will be Demy’s Peau d'Âne (Donkey Skin), another hypercolorful musical, this one based on a fairy tale by Charles Perrault, he of everything from “Little Red Riding Hood” to “Puss in Boots.”
T
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This Be Love?, Nothing Against You and Small Jerusalem. For Germany, there’s Anna’s Summer, The Beloved, Kebab Connection, Malou and Memory. Both countries also chime in with Jaffa (Germany/Israel/France), and France seconds and thirds an assist with Eccentricities of a Blond Girl (Portugal/Spain/France) and A Talking Picture (Por-
tugal/Italy/France). There are also offerings from Italy (At a Glance), Poland (Little Moscow), Serbia (Here and There) and Spain (An Invisible Woman; Seven Minutes), as well as dual productions between Serbia and Slovenia (Red Coloured Grey Truck) and Colombia and Spain (The Accordeon Angel). Spain being Spain, the Spanish film, An Invisible Woman, which is directed by Oscar-winning producer Gerardo Herrero (The Secret in Their Eyes), closes the love fest. And its leading actress, María Bouzas, promises to be in attendance for the festivities. But fret not you English-as-an-only-language types, for each and every film in this fest is duly subtitled. Still, even if they weren’t, there’s little chance you wouldn’t be caught up in the romance. After all, no native tongue has a corner on love. There’s something to be said about someone deciding to bring to our town a different way of looking at things, something very keen indeed. That Isabelle Lambert went out on her own to deliver us from violence and to give us a respite from the crass American commercial marketplace, should resoundingly
be applauded. That she’s done so with such a winsome idea means we also owe her our thanks. And what better way to say “thank you” than to grab your baby by the hand and head on over to Romance in a Can?
ABOVE: MUJER INVISIBLE FROM SPAIN. ON THE COVER: AT FIRST GLANCE FROM ITALY
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Calendar WHAT TO DO IN MIAMI THIS WEEK
NICOLE HENRY
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SAVE THE DATE:
April 30
TUESDAY, MAY 11
BOOKS Candace Bushnell
SPRING AWAKENING
Before Carrie Bradshaw hit the big time in the City, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. Candace Bushnell’s The Carrie Diaries fills us in on all the Carrie stuff pre-Sex and the City. Meet the author and hear excerpts from the new book. Tickets required. 7:30pm. The Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables. For info: booksandbooks.com
BROADWAY’S MOST TALKED ABOUT NEW MUSICAL WILL BE COMING TO MIAMI, AFTER WALKING AWAY WITH 8 TONY AWARDS. SPRING AWAKENING IS THE GROUNDBREAKING FUSION OF MORALITY, SEXUALITY AND ROCK & ROLL THAT HAS AWAKENED BROADWAY LIKE NO OTHER MUSICAL IN YEARS. IT CELEBRATES THE UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY FROM YOUTH TO ADULTHOOD WITH A POWER, A POIGNANCY AND A PASSION YOU WILL NEVER FORGET. 8PM. $25 - $75. ZIFF BALLET OPERA HOUSE, 1300 BISCAYNE BLVD. MIAMI. FOR INFO: ARSHTCENTER.COM
April 30
MUSIC Poetry in Music Entice your senses by listen to new poetry by local poet Carlos Pintado with sounds from the Elgar String Quartet. 7pm. $15. Andy Gato Gallery-Barry University, 11300 NE 2nd Ave Miami Shores and on May 2 at 6pm at Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach. For info: sobechamberensemble.org
April 30
DANCE Swans & Pasta Concluding its 10-year anniversary season, Miami Contemporary Dance Company returns with Swan & Pasta, fa compilation of two audience favorites Dying Swan and Nonna’s Pasta Dances and the world premiere of Shadow Light, with music by New York composer Kevin Keller. Created by Artistic Director and Founder Ray Sullivan. 7pm. $20-$35. Colony Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Rd; Miami Beach. For info: miamicontemporarydance.net.
April 30
LEFT: THE CARRIE DIARIES. BELOW: DANIEL TOSH.
May 1
KIDS Young Bohemians Do not miss this evening of creative exchange for ages 13 – 19. Teen musicians, artists, and writers will come together for an eclectic event featuring musical performances, readings and art to promote interaction among a new generation of creative thinkers. The event will feature an exhibition of artwork and photography by high school students from Miami Dade County curated by MOCA’s Junior Docents. 6 – 9 pm. Free. Museum of Contemporary Art, 770 NE 125th St; North Miami. For info: mocanomi.org
April 30
PERFORMANCE Coco Peru She is the one and only Miss Coco Peru, comic chanteuse and a completely entertaining and hilarious tour de force! Unforgettable for her roles in cult favorite films like, Trick and Girls Will Be Girls, Miss Peru brings her magic to the city for this one night only performance. $40 VIP tickets included reserved seating and a Meet & Greet. $25. General admission. 8pm. The Playground Theatre, 9806 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores. For info: mglff.com
May 1
COMEDY Daniel Tosh Currently one of the most requested headliners in the country, comedian Daniel Tosh’s casual style and sharp material have proven to be greatly appreciated by his audiences, young and old. His credits and appearances run the gambit from his own series on Comedy Central called Tosh.0, to The Late Show with David Letterman. Ft. Lauderdale Improv, Seminole Paradise, 5700 Seminole Way Hollywood. For info: 954-981-5653 or improvftl.com
ART Digital Mayhem
Running only until May 9 is the brilliant exhibit of video and digital images from artist Cory Arcangel. The exhibition features significant works including videos, video game consoles, film, photographic prints, sculpture, drawings, web-based work, sound, and performance. $5. Museum of Contemporary Art, 770 NE 125th St; North Miami. For info: mocanomi.org
May 1
PETS
Pet Care Fair To celebrate culmination of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Months, the ASPCA is holding a Pet Care Fair. Activities include a Fun Walk for dogs and their owners, photo ops, pets for adoption; face painting, frisbee dog show, grooming demonstrations, pet care education and booths. 9:30am. $20 entrance with all proceeds going to the ASPCA. Bayfront Park, 301 North Biscayne Blvd., Miami. For info: aspca.com
May 1
MUSIC Nicole Henry
Miami's own fabulous songstress, Nicole Henry will be crooning her own sultry brand of jazz. 11:30pm. $10 cover. Jazid, 1342 Washington Ave Miami Beach. For info: jazid.net
May 1
THEATRE Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Hilarious and touching, Girls Night: The Musical follows five friends in their 30s and 40s during a wild and outrageous girls night out at a karaoke bar. Together, they reminisce about their younger days, celebrate their current lives and look to the future, while belting out It's Raining Men, I Will www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • Thursday, April 29, 2010 • Page 15
Calendar WHAT TO DO IN MIAMI THIS WEEK
COCO PERU
Survive, Lady Marmalade, Man I Feel Like a Woman, and Girls Just Want to Have Fun. 8pm. Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way; Hollywood. For info: hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com
May 2
May 1
Raised in Captivity is a funny, original dark comedy about guilt, redemption and self-punishment. Estranged twin siblings attend their mother’s funeral, after she was killed by her broken, flying showerhead. Add in a husband, a ghost, a convicted murderer, a male escort and a therapist and what you get is a whacky, absurdist comedy. 8pm. $35. New Theatre, 4120 Laguna Street, Coral Gables. For info: 305-443-5909 or new-theatre.org
THEATRE Raised in Captivity
KIDS The Art of Storytelling Storytellers from around the world will take center stage in downtown Miami for the 10th Annual Art of Storytelling International Festival. A magical adventure awaits with the Bit’s ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre; Mother Goose, Little Red Riding Hood, Madeline, Geddy the Gecko, and many others. Geeta Dias: Bollywood Indian Dancers, the Momentum Dance Company, Ife-Ile Afro-Cuban dancers, Esquilo Prieto’s Capoeira Dancers will perform throughout the day. Magic shows, face-painting, arts and crafts, giveaways and much more. Free. 10:30am. Miami-Dade Main Library, 101 W. Flagler St., Miami. For info: 305-375-2665 or mdpls.org
May 4
MUSIC Carmen We know the story and we adore the music. The seductive and tempestuous gypsy, Carmen, captures the heart of a young soldier, Don José. He sacrifices everything to be with her. She loves someone else and casts him aside...and the tragic murder that concludes the opera devastates audiences as much today as it did in 1875 when Carmen first premiered. Featured in the title role is American mezzo-soprano Kendall Gladen. 8pm. $27.75-$253.75. Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami. For info: 305949-6722 or arshtcenter.org
May 2
MUSIC Gypsy Kings
May 5
No music is more synonymous with South Beach in the '80s and early '90s than the Gypsy Kings. People were table dancing to Bamboleo in restaurants all over the city. Re-live a little of that crazy time with the Gypsy Kings when they hit Miami for a one night performance. 7pm. $40-$85. Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way; Hollywood. For info: hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com
WORKSHOP Writers institute Four days of intensive workshops on fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plot, and more! All of them taught by respected visiting writers at the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade. Includes Graphic Storytelling with Mark Siegel, Open Poetry with Carolyn Forché, Memoir Writing with Rick Bragg and Mysteries and Thrillers with Garcia-Aguilera among others. $425-$450 individual workshops; $525 all-access pass. MDC Wolfson Campus, 300 NE 2nd Ave; Miami. For info: flcenterlitarts.com
May 2
MUSIC Juan Carlos Formell Cuban singer, songwriter and guitarist Juan Carlos Formell represents the third generation of one of Cuba's most important musical families. Those roots come through in the rippling beats of his music, full of evocative nature imagery and bittersweet memories. 9pm. Van Dyke Cafe, 846 Lincoln Rd. Miami Beach. For info: Vandykecafe.com
May 2
PARADE Lag B’omer Unity Fair A marching parade featuring colorful Jewish themed floats, music, marching bands, dancing and juggling clowns will culminate at a carnival with over 50 amusement park rides and carnival games. Music by Gad Elbaz, Skafyah, Yossi Bayles. Glatt Kosher barbecue and traditional bonfire. 11am. Free. Gulfstream Park, 901 S. Federal Highway, Hallandale. For info: LagBaomerFlorida.com or 954-252-1770.
Page 16 • Thursday, April 29, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
May 5
FILM Racing for Film This sounds like a blast for filmmakers everywhere – A national filmmaking competition where participants have to write, shoot edit and score an original film all within 24 hours. These are then shown at the Cosford Cinema at UM. They will be judged and then will be entered into a national competition. Bill Cosford Cinema, 1111 Memorial Dr; Coral Gables. For info: filmracing.com LEFT: GIRLS NIGHT OUT. ABOVE: CORY ARCANGEL, CLOUDS. FAR ABOVE: RAISED IN CAPIVITY
FOR ADVERTISING RATES AND INFO CALL KIM 305-482-1785 www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 29, 2010 • Page 17
The 411
AMG Mens team AMG Polo World Cup Winning Team Hublot with GREY GOOSE
COLUMN
Ooh Ooh Ooh, Honey! By Mary Jo Almeida-Shore maryjoshore@sunpostweekly.com Photos by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore
Nacho Figueras and Jeffrey Donovan
Nacho Figueras and Maria Celest Arraras
At the risk of dating ourselves, we’ll admit it- when it comes to the movie Grease, we had it all- the poster, the record (yes, kids, that’s what we called them in those days), the Candies, the (inappropriate-for-our-age) off-shoulder black top and tight jeans, the movie photo-book and the 18 movie stubs. With regards to the Grease fan club, meet the president! Talk about “Hopelessly Devoted!” So we are delighted to report that a childhood dream was actualized last Thursday when we met “Sandy” a.k.a. Olivia Newton John at the Raleigh for the Pink and Blue For Two fundraiser, sponsored by Grey Goose Vodka. To say that our heads almost exploded when she sang “You’re the One that I Want” with Jon (Secada- not Travolta, but we’ll take what we can get- after all, he did play “Danny” on Broadway) is the understatement of the year! “Oh yes indeedeeed!” The otherwise sophisticated crowd went crazy, jumping, screaming and dancing on the sand. The performance culminated a series of terrific musical acts including: Inner Circle who played a concert, which included Bad Boys, the theme from Cops, Brett Goldsmith, Olivia Newton John’s nephew who flew in from Australia to sing and play the acoustic guitar and Jon Secada, who sang his hit, Just Another Day, before his duet with Newton John. This star-studded event was made possible by Michael Valdes, Senior Vice President of One Sotheby's Realty, who has been a friend of the Newton-John family for almost 20 years. According to Valdes, “When Olivia's nephew, Emerson, began Full Speed 2 A Cure and Full Speed Promotions (the latter being the entity that planned Pink and Blue for Two) and Olivia decided to host their inaugural charity
GREY GOOSE Master Mixologist Nick Mautone
Page 18 • Thursday, April 29, 2010 • The SunPost • www.miamisunpost.com
fundraising event in Miami, they contacted me right away.” Valdes’ international rolodex and influential friends, including Louis Aguirre who emceed, Commissioner Michael Gongora, who presented Newton-John with the Key to the City and the uber-fabulous, DJ Diva, Elaine Lancaster, who kept the crowd dancing in the sand with her masterful spinning skills and perfect mixes brought this remarkable evening to life. Valdes said that the party exceeded even his expectations. "I have never planned an event of this magnitude and I wanted to make sure that it represented Olivia in a very positive light," says Valdes. Elaine Lancaster adds: “The Pink and Blue event was truly magical. The chic set, peppered through the sandy tableaux, dined al fresco and enjoyed divine tunes, dreamy weather and food. Olivia Newton John and Jon Secada’s performance of “You're the One That I Want” and the music spun by the fantastic DJ (wink, wink) provided the perfect soundtrack for the casual evening of elegance.” Among those in attendance to witness this historic event: Barry Gibb, Dr. Julio Gallo, Lisa Pliner, Malinka Max, Consul General to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Lucita Alam, Cocaine Cowboys star Mickey Munday, Hip Hop star Renegade Foxx, local songstress, Maryel Epps, Carlos Betancourt and comedian, Guy Richards.
KIDS HEAR NOW GALAOPULENT SPLENDOR The Villa by Barton G. was aglow in purple light on Saturday night for the Kids Hear Now Foundation's second charity gala. With six-foot centerpieces comprised of unique stone pots filled with roses,
The Hon. John Schesinger and the Hon. Marlyn Milian at the Barton G. gala.
hydrangeas, and cherry blossoms (leave it to Barton!) atop golden brocade tablecloths- we can honestly say we’ve never seen the former Versace manse look more beautiful. The food wasn’t too shabby either: shrimp as big as your head, bone-in filet and a dessert bar right out of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale. Among the highlights of the evening was the touching video of the foundation’s success stories, the soundtrack of which guests listened to via state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen headsets which they later got to take home (not bad for a parting gift, huh?). Lucky guests were also given an authentic, limited edition Versace plate. Another highlight was a unique performance by a capella group, Naturally 7, which employs ``vocal play,'' in which instrumental sounds are made using only their voices- which sound exactly like a full band (remember the guy in the Police Academy movies?). In all, $750, 000 dollars was raised for the cochlear implant charity- which provides surgery to deaf children, enabling them to hear right away- hence the name: Kids Hear “NOW!” This wonderful fundraising effort added to the already generous 5 million dollar donation made by the Barton G. Kids Hear Now Foundation has committed to establish the Barton G. Kids Hear Now Cochlear Implant Family Resource Center.
HORSEPOWER The AMG Miami Beach Polo World Cup tournaments took place this past weekend on the sands outside of the Setai Hotel. AMG, the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz, also supported two of the polo teams including the AMG women's team lead by Sunny Hale, considered to the best female polo player today, and the 2nd place finishing AMG men’s team led by Michael Liss and teammates Nacho Figueras, whom we’ve nicknamed Ultimate Nacho and Pelon Escopite. Introducing its own unique brand of “horsepower” to the Chukas this year, Mercedes-AMG also had a stable of exclusive performance vehicles available for test drives and on display, including the 2011 SLS AMG, the brand's supercar. Some say it was hotter than Nacho Figueras! But we beg to differ. Let’s just say the jury’s out on that one. Bombay Saphire and Grey Goose Vodka provided the “happy
Nick znd Lynn Buoniconti at the Kids Hear Now gala.
Barton G. Weiss and Jill Viner in The Villa By Barton G.'s Onyx Bar during the Barton G. Kids Hear Now gala.
juice” to the VIP tent, which featured gorgeous dancers, light bites and dance music.
CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS: Nigel Barker was on-hand on Thursday night at the Humane Society/Chefs for Seals Earth Day celebration to promote awareness and work towards ending commercial seal slaughter. The party took place in the Moore Building and highlighted Nigel Barker's photographs of the harp seal nursery. Tony Allen of the Boston Celtics, Nacho Figueras and Ric Pipino had dinner at Mr. Chow Thursday night. Gloria Estefan was spotted with girlfriends this weekend eating at Hakkasan. The three ladies enjoyed dinner and drinks and headed out early. Paulina Rubio came dined at STK on Saturday night with some of her best friends, JR and Loren Ridinger. Over the weekend, Tony Brown of the Tennessee Titans proposed to his girlfriend at The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar. Of course, she said “yes!” Above Right: Michael Gongora, Miami Beach City Commissioner, John Grandy, The Humane Society of the United States and Nigel Barker at the Moore building. Right: Nigel Barker, poses with Pat Ragan, John Grandy and Heather Sullivan from The Humane Society of the United States, and many of the more than 70 Miami area chefs that have pledged to boycott Canadian seafood until the commercial seal slaughter is ended for good. The Humane Society of the United States and Chefs for Seals held an Earth Day celebration of Canada's seal pups in an effort to end the Canadian commercial seal slaughter.
www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 29, 2010 • Page 19
411
Pink and Blue for Two- Elaine Lancaster with the Tsygan brothers of the Valanetti group
Lauren Foster and Carlos Betancourt
Olivia Newton John and Elaine Lancaster
Olivia Newton John and Jon Secada sing You're the One that I Want
Miss Florida at the Pink and Blue for Two event
Louis Aguirre and Lisa Pliner
John Easterly (Olivia's husband), Olivia Newton-John, Michael Valdes, Malinka Max and celebrity architect Rob Brown (Obama's interior designer) Pink and Blue for Two- Maryel Epps
Olivia Newton John with her publicist, Michael Caprio.
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GO! EVENTS
Upcoming Social Events By Mary Jo Almeida-Shore maryjoshore@sunpostweekly.com
WE LOVE SAM ROBIN AND IRAN ISSA KHAN Lucy and Ethel, Laverne and Shirley, Sam and Iran: they’re stylish, they’re fun and they’re everywhere! In a word, to quote Iran’s raspy, trademark expression: “FABULOUS!” Because we love them, and we love the people who love them, we suggest you head to Cafeina on Thursday, April 29 for the 3rd installment of the “People We Love” party series, honoring Miami’s tastemakers, influencers and philanthropists. Sam Robin is Miami’s “Queen of Design,” who earned top honors from DCOTA this year and Iran Issa Khan is a celebrated photographer, artist and columnist. Guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres by our favorite executive chef Guily Booth along with complimentary cocktails from 9 – 11 p.m. International mash-up master and “People We Love” resident DJ Joe Dert will keep you dancing. So whether you already love or have yet to meet Sam and Iran- head to Cafeina on Thursday. RSVP to cafeina@taraink.com or 305.864.3434 ext. 125.
HEAD TO THE “CANE” Kick back, eat well and stay a while at Sugarcane raw bar and grill in Midtown Miami. The freshly muddled cocktails and signature tapas have turned Sushi Samba’s little sister into Miami’s sweetest spot. Sugarcane and Ocean Drive magazine are celebrating the official opening of ‘the Cane” with South American spirit and live music by the Spam Allstars on Thursday April 29th from 79pm. Confirmed VIPS include: Tracy Wilson
Mourning, Suzy Buckley, Lisa Pliner, Laura Posada, Andrew Frey, Kevin Bruk, Max Pierre, Tony Cho, Jim Jonsin and Ariel Stein. Got a sweet tooth? RSVP to sugarcane@oceandrive.com.
WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN The Bass Museum of Art invites members to experience the ancient world on Thursday, April 29, when the museum inaugurates the only Egyptian Gallery and mummy in Florida at their premiere event, A Night at the Museum. The evening will feature curator-led tours by Bass Museum’s Executive Director Silvia Cubiña and Brooklyn Museum’s Egyptologist (yes, there is such a thing) and special exhibition curator, Dr. Edward Bleiberg, which will take guests on a journey to learn about one of the world’s oldest and most mysterious civilizations from its surviving objects including an Egyptian sarcophagus and mummy! Membership costs $125 and admits two people to this private opening event, during which guests can enjoy cocktails by Grey Goose Vodka and Bervini Prosecco, special desserts from Stella’s Sweet Shoppe and raffle prizes. Bass Museum’s Egyptian Gallery opens to the public on April 30. The opening night party takes place on Thursday, April 29th, from 8:3010:30 p.m. at the Bass Museum of Art, 2121 Park Avenue on Miami Beach.
GET YOUR PRESCRIPTION FILLED The Gansevoort Miami Beach has got your Saturdays planned out. Start the day at Plunge’s new RX Pool Party where the genetically blessed sip on Pink Elephant cocktails while listening to ear candy by DJ Justin Sheppard before taking a dip in the rooftop pool. After a power nap it’s time for dinner at Miami’s sexiest steakhouse STK where Miami’s finest rub elbows with celebs like Fergie, Josh Duhamel, Adam Sandler and Jenny McCarthy. Had a few too many Lil Big Macs? Dance them off next door at Coco de Ville, the small and intimate lounge makes you feel as if you were in your own living room…where dancing on couches IS encouraged! All this fun can be yours at 2377 Collins Avenue. www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 29, 2009 • Page 21
a
Cinema REVIEW
Family Skeletons By Ruben Rosario (ruben@sunpostweekly.com) Documentaries about filmmakers are like catnip to a movie buff like myself. Films like The Kid Stays in the Picture, based on the book by legendary producer Robert Evans, and Tell Them Who You Are, about cinematographer Haskell Wexler, give viewers a rare peek into the life and career of individuals who have left an indelible mark on the medium. What, then, to make of Felix Moeller’s Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Süss? This compelling but rather dry film, which screens this weekend at the Miami Beach Cinematheque and the Bill Cosford Cinema in Coral Gables, provides a glimpse at the legacy of Veit Harlan, the most popular director of the Third Reich. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, that’s because posterity has favored that other purveyor of Nazi propaganda, Triumph of the Will director Leni Riefenstahl. Moeller, the son of Rosa Luxemburg director Margarethe von Trotta, is primarily concerned with the role Harlan’s 1940 historical melodrama Jew Süss played in fueling hatred towards Europe’s Jewish population. The film in question is a woefully distorted portrait of Joseph Süss Oppenheimer, an 18th Century banker and financial planner who was tried and hanged for treason, among other charges, in 1738. In Harlan’s reimagining, Süss rapes and kills a young woman and the townsfolk demand his head on a plate in a scene reminiscent of the climax of James Whale’s Frankenstein. Moeller utilizes the international success of Jew Süss as a point of departure to chronicle the effect Harlan’s work has had on his family across the generational divide. We see his oldest son Thomas, visibly affected by his father’s refusal to take responsibility for the atrocities his film enabled. We relate to his daughter Maria, an actress who tried in vain to find work while retaining her last name, only to discover her manager had changed it behind her back. The most piercing testimony comes from his granddaughter Susanne Jacoby, who witnessed her mother Susanne’s descent into despair after losing her husband, a Jewish man seventeen years her senior. What we hardly get during whole stretches of Harlan is a deeper sense of the director’s contribution to German cinema. His gift for “creating artificial sentiment and lending it credibility” makes him come across like a more ideologically inclined Douglas Sirk. His 1951 potboiler Hanna Amon, for instance, has the lush color scheme – and over-the-top histrionics – of the tearjerkers Sirk made later that decade. His 1945 nationalist period epic Kolberg, about the German city that stands up to Napoleon’s army, was actually censored by Joseph Goebbels for Harlan’s refusal to shy away from depicting the carnage of war. It’s clear that Harlan’s work is worth a second look, but you don’t get nearly enough of it in Harlan, which plays like a less intimate variation on confessional nonfiction films like My Architect, a portrait of renowned designer Louis Kahn by his illegitimate son
Nathaniel. Moeller offers an engaging look at a family shaped by its skeletons, but the man in the center remains an elusive cipher, both in front of and behind the camera. I wish Moeller would display half the empathy Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho shows towards his title character in Mother, a sensational tale of crime and punishment from one of the most exciting directors currently working in Asian cinema. To call it a whodunit would do a huge disservice to the multifaceted performance by the talented Kim Hye-Ja. We first see her on a desolate field, staring straight at the camera. She then begins to dance, and the foreboding moment turns humorous, then melancholy, all in one extended shot. The same could be said of the movie, in which Bong careens between domestic drama, social satire, slapstick comedy, and pulse-pounding thriller with virtuosic ease. Bong’s other films, the riveting police procedural Memories of Murder and the enthralling monster movie The Host, walk a similar tightrope between different genres. With Mother, though, Bong attains a depth of feeling only hinted at in his previous work. The story centers on Kim’s character, who lives in a constant state of agitation as she tries to stay one step ahead of Yoon Do-joon, her problem-prone mentally challenged son. When a teenage girl turns up dead and the evidence points to Yoon, this seemingly helpless woman with the modest smile and timid demeanor takes it upon herself to clear her son of murder charges. A stinging takedown of Korean bureaucracy as Kim’s character tries to work within the system gives way to a meaty murder mystery as she launches her own investigation. This gives Bong the opportunity to indulge in some of the genre’s trappings (i.e. red herrings, dead ends). There’s even a scene which finds our resolute heroine trapped in a closet after snooping around in the apartment of her son’s friend, and Bong milks it for all its worth. Unlike other gumshoe tales, here you feel like anything can happen. “You and I are one,” she tells Yoon Do-Joon. “We’ve only got each other.” With this expertly crafted film, Bong peers down the dark alleyways of a mother’s psyche and emerges with a haunting ode to familial love. Don’t miss it. For showtimes of Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Süss, go to mbcinema.com and com.miami.edu/cosford. Mother is now showing at Regal South Beach Cinemas. For showtimes go to fandango.com
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SISTERS LOTTE, NELE AND LENA HARLAN IN HARLAN - IN THE SHADOW OF JEW SÜSS.
DELECTABLE DELICACIES AT SUGARCANE
Food Sugarcane Hits the Spot By Marguerite Gil (megs@sunpostweekly.com) Who could have ever guessed that Midtown would become the spot for succulent meals and fun shopping? The vacant block of land that was an enduring, intolerable Miami Midtown eyesore laded with rusty abandoned containers has morphed into a chic and trendy hotspot where people are flocking to enjoy the latest multi-cultural amenities. The exterior sidewalk dining space at Sugarcane is reminiscent of a European café. The interior has an industrial warehouse appearance, complete with wall colors that look like someone was trying different paint samples and couldn’t decide on any one hue, so they just left all of them there for further artistic contemplation. My favorite accessory is not the floor to ceiling wine/spirits illuminated back-wall bar/wine cellar (30 different brands of rum and 40 international bottled beers are available), or the trendy leather banquettes or not even the Colonial style, white-washed, mismatching tables and chairs. My favorite design items are the heavy, handmade, stoneware, rustic looking plates that frankly have got to be any ceramist’s delight. Well, the food that is served on the plates is pretty amazing as well. The name Sugarcane was chosen because the countries that grow sugarcane have some serious input into the menu items. Chef Timon Balloo is of Chinese-Trinidadian descent and creates dishes with the tropics in mind. He incorporates plenty of healthy flavors in his preparations as well as some very unusual combinations. Plates such as beef tongue, topped with a whole duck egg, cilantro, goat cheese, all columned onto a crispy piece of bread, are frankly impressive and let’s face it, not your run of the mill snack. Or, the egg plant, smothered with a sweet sauce, sesame seeds and watercress, and almost as an after-thought, one fleshy-crunchy octopus leg, complete with tentacles resting lightly next to the whole thing. Or the pork bellies wrapped with slices of cucumber and garnished with a sprig of cilantro. Although I’m not too crazy about tripes or Brussels sprouts, I must admit, I did enjoy the small portion of very spicy tripes that was served with blanched Brussels sprouts and carrots. Good chefs can take food that you’ve never enjoyed and transform it into something delicious. Our waiter reminded us that appetizers at this raw bar grill are meant to be shared and so we dutifully tasted the steamed pork buns with apple kimchi and the bacon wrapped dates that were crispy and tender. Besides the robata items (which are traditionally prepared over bincho-tan charcoal), there are more familiar bites like the Jumbo shrimp cocktail (Madagascar) and the sushi and sashimi specialties such as salmon and Florida snapper. After many intriguing nibbles of this and that (check out the Snacks, Tapas, Robata Grill, Raw Bar, Sushi, Desserts and Cocktails custom designed menu items), we made room for fried bananas and espressos and reflected on the restaurant’s motto: Kick Back, Eat Well and Stay Awhile. It is a trendy, urban, kick back, kind of place with casual dining and plenty of after work chatter. You’ll also find uncommon food combos, now that Balloo has tapped into his Asian-Caribbean roots and created some rather unique treats. And as for staying a while, yep we noticed that people seemed to relish the moment and linger. To Go: Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill is located 3250 NE First Ave. in Midtown Miami. For info: 786.369.0353.
Bound COLUMN
Sonic CPR Steve Almond Insists Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life By John Hood For the past eight years Steve Almond has been racking a succession of collections that are suitable for praising. From his first book of short stories (My Life in Heavy Metal) to his last look at whatever the hell he wanted ((Not That You Asked)), Almond has charted a course that’s self-deprecating without being pouty, ironic without being snarky, knowing without being preachy and confident without being fat-headed. Mostly though, be it in fiction or in fact, he reveals a kinda breathless zest for whatever’s on his plate that goes beyond the pose and gets with the guts of what it means to be alive in these times. Almond’s latest foray is called Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life (Random House $23), and as his subtitle says, it’s “a book by and for the fanatics among us.” SunPost Weekly got with the wily wordslinger and gave him 13 questions to answer. Here’s what he gave back: For those who’ve yet to read your book (stevenalmond.com), what are some of the characteristics that make for a “drooling fanatic”? First and foremost, we own at least 3000 albums. We get deeply involved with obscure bands and become incredibly evangelical about them. But if they dare to get popular, we're immediately resentful. We also tend to refer to members of our favorite bands by their first names, as if they are friends of ours – which they are not. We're also people who need music to reach the feelings inside us that are inaccessible by other means. You’ve said you “fall in love with a new album about once a week.” What have you fallen in love with lately? Ike Reilly's new one, Hard Luck Stories, is fantastic. He's got a song called "Lights Out, Anything Goes" that's a brilliant portrait of life in the new recession. I'm also loving Florence & the Machine's disc Lungs. It's like a mash-up of Kate Smith and PJ Harvey. Oh, and this guy down in Jackson, MS gave me a disc by a local band called The Furrows. His brother is the drummer. I was like, 'This is gonna suck.' But it's awesome. At their best, these guys sound like vintage 70s Stones. Drooling fanatics are famous for telling others what to listen to – or else. Do you ever listen to what others tell you to?
Oh yeah. I've got my suppliers. The whole point of Drooling Fanaticism is to increase your joy (or diminish your sorrow) via music. So I'd be a fool not to listen to other people's drooling recs. There's only so much stuff I can find myself anyway, now that I've got two kids and debts no honest man can pay. Do you get pissed when someone is on to a new thing before you (and do you let that influence how you hear it)? I certainly used to, but not so much anymore. I mean, I get a certain narcissistic buzz off feeling like I "found" a band before the rest of the crowd. But as I've gotten older, I've realized that basing your ego on other folks' talents only gets you so far. What matters is the pleasure you take in the music, not how many people are in the crowd. How important is the live experience to the drooling fanatic? It's huge. I'm thinking of all those years I spent in the front row of metal concerts. I was the reviewer, so I didn't always love the bands. But I could see that the kids around me – mostly poor kids from El Paso and Juarez, kids who might have spent a month's wages on their ticket – were being absolutely transformed by the music. And my worship of artists like Boris McCutcheon and Bob Schneider has been based on the incredible talent and energy of their live shows. Music becomes something entirely new in concert, especially given the world we live in today, which is filled with screen zombies who rarely actually experience any kind of art in a live setting. It's the idea of possibility – that at any moment something could happen that you've never seen or heard before. And you get to share that, in real time, with the band and the people around you. It's like a form of religious communion. Speaking of shows, all tolled, about how many concerts would you saw you’ve caught over the years and what were some of the most monumental? Oh gosh, it's got to be well over a thousand. Maybe 1500? As anyone who was there knows, most of Nil Lara's shows at the Stephen Talkhouse in the mid-90s were just insane riots of joy. Same goes for most of the Bob Schneider shows I've seen. And I can remember seeing the Tragically Hip absolutely destroy this tiny club in El Paso in 1990. Steve Earle and the Dukes in
Las Cruces, 1991 – they shredded. Oh, and Ike Reilly. Any time I can see him. Dayna Kurtz played for me and four other people in a tiny Cambridge club and brought me to tears. I could go on. In all those shows, how many caused you to embarrass yourself? I do a lot of hooting and hollering. I scream out obscure covers I want the band to play. (I've been trying to get one of my favorite bands to play a cover of TLC's "Scrubs" for the past fifteen years). I dance in a manner that causes others terror. You know – the usual. Rock and Roll comes with its own (stevenalmond.com/soundtrack) “bitchin’ soundtrack). How’d you select the songs and did the process cause you many sleepless nights? Yeah, the soundtrack was tough, but the Desert Island Playlist at the end was even more brutal. I've probably fallen in love with 2000 albums in my life, and to have to choose a top ten was both excruciating and awesome. You seem to have a particular fondness for hyper-literate white guys with acoustic guitars. Why do you think that is? Hmmm. Because I'm an elite racist? Could that be it? Actually, the hyper-literate part is pretty easy: I'm a writer. I care about the language. I'm drawn to the sorts of musicians who know how to tell stories that reach the unbearable truths, as opposed to stringing together clichés with a rhyming dictionary. And the artists I praise most elaborately in the book are Gil Scott Heron, Nil Lara, and Dayna Kurtz, none of whom fit the profile. In the end, all I care about is the songs. I could care less about anything else. It's a sad and limited way to look at things. Speaking of Nil Lara, you call him “Our Messiah.” Can you please explain why? Yeah, I spend a chapter explaining why. But it boils down to what Nil calls "barbaric expressions of the
soul." Anyone who was fortunate enough to see him and his band in action in those Talkhouse days knows exactly what he means. He simply made us believe in everything – in him, in music, in love, in the great fate that awaited all of us. Is being a Christ figure some kinda prerequisite for rock stardom? Yeah, probably so. In the sense that Christ was a dude who walked around half naked and activated people's ecstatic wishes and cured the sick and tended to wicked. So yes, there's a lot of overlap with rock stars. But honestly, nobody deserves that kind of pressure. And it tends to crush musicians, who really just want to release the songs that live inside them. You look at a guy like Elvis Presley – he was basically killed by the fame around his music. Same thing with Cobain. The list goes on. But I'm not a believer in that Myth of the Suffering Artist. The whole idea of art is to make people feel less alone and thereby more connected to themselves and the people around them. Surely the devil plays some kinda role too, no? (And it’s a lot more fun!) Yeah, all that being said, the whole point of music is also to release your ass from the ass cage. To allow you to feel the full range of your feelings, some of which are angry, depressed, horny, even violent. I mean, it's "Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll," the holy trinity of teenage misbehavior. But I'd call it more a liberation of those barbaric impulses that Nil talks about – of music forcing our bodies to admit how much they need. If I’m not mistaken this is your 6½ book. What’s next on the print plate? It's hard to tally up the books, because – weirdly, probably stupidly – I've started making my own books. But the next project is actually a short story collection called God Bless America. I get to return to my first love! It won't be out until next year. For now, it's all rock, all the time. Lighters up!
www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 29, 2010 • Page 23
Sex
Health COLUMN
COLUMN
Being Me Smoke-Free
Doing the Deed with Disabilities
By Jennifer Fragoso (jennifer@sunpostweekly.com)
By Dr. Sonjia Kenya Would you have a sexual relationship with someone who is physically disabled? Let me clarify. I’m not asking whether you would stay with your partner if they became disabled. After all, most of us will become disabled if we live long enough. I’m wondering whether you would begin a new relationship with someone who was disabled before you ever had sex. “ My first thought would be no, but I’m not one of those people who could say I would never date a disabled person,” revealed a single father in his late 40’s sipping Miami’s best capirhinas at Boteco in the Mimo district. “I had children when I was young and spent most of my life taking care of my kids as a single dad. They’re adults now and this is the first time that I’m not caring for someone else so I’m enjoying things I never could. If I met someone, fell in love and they happened to be disabled, then maybe it could work but that’s not exactly what I’m looking for. I’m not looking to take care of someone else.” Hmmm. I thought all relationships involved caring for someone else. I moved the conversation to Sugarcane, midtown’s favorite new watering hole. Fun and conveniently located, the place was packed with professional movers although the capirhinas leave much to be desired. When I asked a single male business owner in his early 40’s whether he would date a disabled woman, his point of view was surprising and also scary. “I could be with a disabled woman if she was really wealthy and only looking for good conversation, companionship, and a close friend. I wouldn’t have to work if she was wealthy so I could be her companion but I probably wouldn’t have sex with her.” Obviously, this response required justification. “ Well a deep, meaningful relationship is built on companionship and conversation. I like to have sex with different women but don’t want a deep relationship with them. So I could have a real meaningful relationship with a disabled woman and get my sexual needs met elsewhere. Somehow, I think she would be ok with this. After all, she is disabled.” Clearly an emotionally disabled man whom all women should avoid, I got away from him as fast as I could. The next respondents, three single women between 36 and 49 years old, shared some refreshing insight. “ I wouldn’t think twice about it. Yes, I definitely would,” said the blonde leader of the pack. She continued, “Relationships are about trust, communication, and a
special bond between two people. A physical disability does not impact any of those important aspects. I know this for sure because I have a cousin who is disabled. If we weren’t related, I’d probably fall in love with him.” O.k. that’s not too weird, right? Her girlfriends agreed. Several months ago, at the Lowe’s Hotel in South Beach, I attended an outdoor fundraiser for a disability research project. I immediately noticed countless gorgeous women standing on their knees to socialize and flirt with men confined to wheelchairs. Several men openly flirted with me, and at times, used their disability to initiate contact. One wheelchair-bound man grabbed my thigh as I headed to the bar. Reading my shocked facial expression, he pleaded with a handsome smile, “ Well, it’s easier for you to get a drink from the bar. So I wanted to know if you would get one for me but your leg was the only thing I could reach.” Funny how his voice worked perfectly but instead of using it to get my attention, he chose to feel me up. Was he checking the merchandise before buying? Of course his tactic worked and when I returned with his drink in hand, his friend (wingman) attempted to support his cause,“We’re taking pictures for Facebook. You’re much taller standing, so why don’t you sit on his lap and we can get a picture of both of you together?” Really? The Camera doesn’t zoom out? After returning home that night, I thought out loud: “Can people wheelchairs have sex? Is his height in the chair about the same height as her private parts when she’s in bed? Do they just have oral? Can you ever break up with someone if they’re physically dependent on you? How do you talk about sex with a disabled person? I turned to one my dearest friends who happens to have a physically disability. My friend has ‘finished’ several long relationships with men who were not disabled but, at the time, had no experience seriously dating a man with disabilities. I asked her why so many able bodied women were chasing disabled men at the fundraiser. “I don’t know. “ was her immediate reaction. This helpful conclusion was followed by more uncertainty, “How would I know why women want disabled men? I’ve never dated a disabled guy until now.” At 45 years old, my friend with a disability was having her first intimate relationship with a disabled man. Previously engaged to be married and a survivor of many relationships gone sour, she finally gave her new
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guy a shot after they developed a deep friendship. Within a few months he changed his profile from new divorcee playing the field to newly in love with a woman living 2,000 miles away. He just moved to Miami so they could finally be together. “ It’s nice being with someone who has the same disability,” My friend gushed,” He just wants to take care of me all the time and I’ve never been with anyone like that.” She expanded, “Taking care of me means he doesn’t let me off the hook because I have a disability. I’ve never had a companion do that and I don’t think someone without a disability would get it.” Compared to non-disabled men, “How’s the sex?” “It’s the best sex I’ve ever had. I feel like he really sees me and wants to please me. I’ve had giving lovers before, but there’s a deeper connection emotionally and physically. We have to be creative of course because we both have physical limitations, but it makes it more fun and creates more dialogue around sexual pleasure. I’ve never felt comfortable being so open about having good sex.” After listening to her glowing review, I had to talk to the man behind all this pleasure. “This is the healthiest relationship I’ve ever been in but it has nothing to do with our disabilities. My ex-wife had no disabilities but we got divorced. My current relationship started over the phone but it wasn’t long before I began to rely on her support. She wasn’t physically by my side but she held my hand through an extremely difficult time and has been there for me ever since. When I moved to Miami, she made it clear that she doesn’t depend on me physically and doesn’t ever want to. ” And how’s the sex? “She’s very adventurous and our sexual communication is awesome.” He went on to share a funny story about his woman, “She was recently giving a presentation when someone asked her if the disability affects her sex drive. She blushed, and didn’t know how to answer. So I helped her out by responding. I looked her in the eye and said, ‘Your sex drive is incredible!,’ He grinned before adding, “ She’s very hungry and that’s one of the reasons I picked her.” Miami has the third largest population of people living with disabilities in the United States which means lots of disabled people are having sex in this town. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll have the opportunity to experience awesome, communicative sex with someone who knows how to get physically creative!
Name: Jennifer Fragoso Age: 38 Years smoking: 23 SMOKE FREE: Eight Weeks
WEEK 9: IT IS ABOUT TIME For the past nine weeks you’ve all been patiently reading about my experiences quitting smoking. Well the title is Being Me Smoke-Free so I’m sure you expected a heavy dose of Jen time but now I feel as though inner struggles are becoming less important. Basically I’m tired of talking about me. (I bet you wish last week’s blind date had that same thought) So I’m not. Instead, this week I would like to talk about what smoking leaves behind. Smoking, I thought, was a very selfish thing to do. As is writing about my experiences quitting smoking but what I never realized was that apart from the second hand smoke produced by my nasty habit that I could further perpetuate the destructive cycle of smoking. However, it seems smoking produces a rotten gift that keeps on giving. A reader and former smoker gave me the 411 on what researchers are dubbing as “third hand smoke“ and boy am I appalled. This toxic garbage just won’t go away…Apparently smoking isn’t as selfish a habit as I thought. Researchers have been studying the effects smoke leaves behind on your clothes, in your cars and on your carpet. Dubbing the term “third hand smoke”. Keep reading, it gets better…“Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that remnants of a smoke don’t just inertly settle onto surfaces, they can react with a common gas to create carcinogenic compounds known as tobacco-specific nitrosamines [Scientific American]. The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Can I get a what? What? Please! Just think of little Timmy tooling around on grandpa’s living room rug, which has been marinating in Pall Mall juice for the past 20 years. Ugh! The horror! Considering these compounds can easily be ingested and thusly can pose, and I quote, "an unappreciated health hazard." So for little Timmy’s sake give that carpet and those other household surfaces a good scrub and if you must smoke please go out doors. We all know smoking is bad for us, bad for the environment and now bad for our gas stoves. What more do we need to turn over a new leaf? That question might be better if left to the individual. I’m not here to preach. I’m here to share what I’m going through and what I’m learning in order to help those of you out there that are inching towards making a change. I’ve got to run out and get some bleach. See you next week. If you want quit but don’t know where to begin log on to tobaccofreeflorida.com it is a great place for you to start. Good luck! Thank you to MJ King for suggesting I research “third hand smoke“. For more information go to your favorite search engine and type in “third hand smoke“ .
www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 29, 2010 • Page 25
Style INTERVIEW
The Secrets of Makeup Artist Scott Barnes By Jennifer Fragoso (jennifer@sunpostweekly.com) Scott Barnes celebrates the launch of his book About Face: Amazing Transformations Using the Secrets of the Top Celebrity Makeup Artist Makeup artist to the stars, Scott Barnes, a.k.a. the man who gave J. Lo her famous glow, is in town this week doing publicity for his new book About Face. Which is the zenith of Barnes’ long running career as a makeup artist for celebrities such as Kate Hudson, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez and a testament to his signature approach to beauty. About Face is all about the details. From the quality paper the book has been printed on and the layout, to the step-by-step instructions including corresponding photographs to the written dialogue between makeup artist and model in the margins. This book is a pleasure to both read and follow. Every makeup challenged woman in the world (you know who you are) should add this book to her library and use it. Barnes maps out looks from day to night and everything in between like addressing makeup application on different skin tones to creating contours and working with bronzer. Scott basically gives the reader everything she needs to take his “transformations”, as he calls them, from the page directly to her face. Commentary on products, brush strokes and how to enhance specific features make About Face standout. More importantly what you are able to do with makeup once you follow Scott’s instructions will make you stand out. In case you are unable to see Scott while he is in town he has graciously answered a few questions this writer thought you might have for him.
How much fun did you have putting this book together? It took me almost three years to get this book written. Over that time, I had so many wonderful experiences, met a lot of interesting people and learned a lot about publishing. I am very excited about my next book project. If a woman only had enough room in her evening bag for 3 items what 3 items do you think they should be? Mascara, eyelash curler and lip-gloss
You promote bringing out the beauty within in your book. In the world we live in today so many people look to procedures and injections in an effort to feel their best. Your approach seems simple, straightforward and refreshing did this philosophy come from personal experience? Yes. My brother died of Melanoma skin cancer three years ago so I am a big advocate of staying out of the sun and taking care of your body. Sun damage ages you and so many people then need to get procedures to reverse the aging process. Eating healthy, proper exercise and drinking lots of water keeps your body fresh and young. There is nothing wrong with faking a tan, that’s why I created Body Bling. From painting on canvas to painting faces what made you realize being a makeup artist was it for you? It was something that I was able to easily translate from a canvas to a woman’s face. It was a challenge for me that I took on and as with any challenge I take on, I wanted to be the best.
You have worked in many different mediums. Do you prefer working on motion pictures, still photo shoots or live events? Why? I actually love all different kinds of projects. I am an artist and I love to create different looks and different vibes. Movies are great because your work will forever be recorded. Red carpet events and other live events are also great because you have that one shot at creating something memorable.
ABOVE: THE NEW BOOK. RIGHT: SCOTT BARNES WITH J.LO. ABOVE RIGHT: SCOTT BARNES.
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Body Bling fans rejoice! Scott Barnes has reintroduced Body Bling, the tinted moisturizer that gives you a luscious sun kissed glow without the damaging effects to your skin, in Original and new cooler Platinum. Run over to Dash on South Beach or log on to scottbarnes.com to purchase your own bit o’ Bling to go along with Scott’s lovely book. To Go: Books & Books in Bal Harbour this Thursday, April 29th from 6:30pm to 9:30 pm or at Borders in the Village of Merrick Park on Friday, April 30th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm and get your own signed copy of About Face.
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What you love about our print edition is on our website, plus a whole lot more. Check it out right now.
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www.miamisunpost.com • The SunPost • April 29, 2010 • Page 27
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