A e 10 15 15

ON THE FLIP SIDE: BLACK

TIE

WISH: White party raises funds for Make-A- Wish. > < SPOTLIGHT: Berry does drag queen bingo Brunch 4

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

YOUROBSERVER.COM

Veni, Vici.

This month, the Sarasota Opera kicks off the final season of its Verdi Cycle, a project nearly 30 years in the making — and something that’s never been done in the history of opera.

Verdi

WELCOME TO YOUR NEW A+E

So, as you’ve hopefully noticed, things look a little different here in the Arts and Entertainment section.

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For starters, we think you’re going to flip for our new format — literally. Want to see what’s going on in the world of Black Tie? Just flip the paper over and get the latest on Sarasota’s social scene.

Here in A+E, not only will you find the same great fine arts coverage you’ve come to expect from the section, but now, you can also expect some fresh new entertainment options.

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Look no further.

We feel lucky to have our finger on the pulse of the Sarasota area’s entertainment scene, and we want to share it with you. Each week, look for a carefully selected listing of our favorite events in town. After all, there’s something for everyone in Sarasota.

– NICK FRIEDMAN, A+E MANAGING EDITOR

SEE THIS

Photos by Rod Millington

NICK REICHERT A+E EDITOR

I

n 1989, Maestro Victor DeRenzi had just completed a Sarasota Opera production of “Rigoletto,” one of the most popular and beloved operas by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi.

Audiences were hungry for more from the composer, so DeRenzi tested them: He followed it up with “Aroldo” — one of Verdi’s most obscure and least performed pieces. PAGE 2

‘Freak’

Urbanite Theatre’s edgy season opener is its second collaboration with English playwright Anna Jordan.

PAGE 7

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

VENI, VERDI VICI: Verdi cycle stages its finale FROM PAGE 1

Written in 1857 and scarcely performed in America for nearly a century, the rare opera was a gutsy choice for a conservative Sarasota audience.

But on opening night, at the end of the first act, the audience gave the company a standing ovation.

It was a reaction that would spark a decades-long tribute to Verdi’s music and storytelling.

Over the course of the last 28 years, DeRenzi and the Sarasota Opera have performed every one of the Italian master’s 36 works.

When the winter opera season ends in March, and the Verdi cycle is complete, Sarasota Opera will be the only company in the history of opera to perform the entire works of a single composer.

FAST VERDI FACTS

OPENING NOTES

On a breezy October afternoon, DeRenzi is overseeing early rehearsals for Giacomo Puccini’s “La bohème.”

One of the world’s most popular operas, the production will open this year’s opera season with a roar. It will be the 80th time DeRenzi has conducted the opera, but he’s always had an eye for detail; he and his wife and stage director, Stephanie Sundine, walk through each scene as if for the first time.

Before the Verdi Cycle began, popular works like “La bohème” and classic opera’s similar mainstream works could have potentially defined Sarasota Opera’s programming. But after the audience’s unexpected reaction

to “Aroldo” in 1990, DeRenzi realized Sarasota audiences were hungry for something unique.

Richard Russell, now the Sarasota Opera’s executive director, sang in the opera for four seasons. He was a cast member in the seminal production and says he remembers the impact of the standing ovation.

“It was a work that’s not done very often,” he says. “The audience responded in such an amazing way that Maestro DeRenzi thought he could do all the works of Verdi, and that the audience would respond to something other than the favorite operas.”

DeRenzi says he realized the potential impact Verdi’s work could have on the opera and on Sarasota as a whole.

“If you suddenly had no Verdi, you’d take the guts out of opera around the world,” he says. “It has brought people here, sometimes as tourists, and sometimes as opera lovers. Many of them have stayed in Sarasota and helped build this community.”

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

The past 28 years spent producing the Verdi cycle have been a monument of determination, but to DeRenzi, it’s about more

Photos by Rod Millington

Above: The famous Act IV quartet from Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”

ON THE COVER: Top: Tenor Kirk Dougherty as Manrico and soprano Reyna Carguill as Leonora in Verdi's "Il trovatore."

Middle: Jonathan Burton as Don Carlos and Marco Nistico as Rodrigue in Verdi’s “Don Carlos.”

Bottom: Baritone Corey Crider as the Cavaliere of Belfiore in Sarasota Opera’s production of Verdi’s “A King for a Day.”

Name: Giuseppe Forunino Francesco Verdi Life: Oct. 10, 1813 to Jan. 27, 1901 Hometown: Busseto, Italy First opera: “Oberto, conte di San Bonifacio” (1839) Last opera: “Falstaff” (1893) Number of Operas: 36 Influence: Along with Richard Wagner, he’s considered the dominant opera composer of the 19th century.

Trivia: n Three Italian conservatories in Milan, Turin and Como are named after Verdi. n Two national institutes for Verdi studies exist in Parma, Italy and New York City. n Verdi is the most-produced opera composer in the world, with an estimated 3,335 productions in the world. n Verdi has 10 operas in the top-50 most produced operas in the world: “Don Carlos,” “Falstaff,” “Macbeth,” “Un ballo in maschera,” “Otello,” “Il trovatore,” “Nabucco,” “Aida,” “Rigoletto” and “La traviata.”

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THE BEGINNING OF THE END

“I think Verdi has created a whole new generation of opera lovers in Sarasota.”

– Maestro Victor DeRenzi

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VERDI TIMELINE A lot has happened since 1989. Take a look at how the Sarasota Opera’s Verdi Cycle fits in with world history.

VERDI HISTORY “Rigoletto” “Aroldo” “Un ballo in maschera” “Simon Boccanegra,” original and revised versions “Il trovatore” “Les Vêpres siciliennes” “Nabucco” “La forza del destino,” original and standard versions “Ernani” “La traviata” “Luisa Miller” “Alzira” “Falstaff,” “Oberto, conte di San Bonifacio,” “Requiem Mass” and “Stabat Mater” “Le Trouvère” “Macbeth,” original and standard versions “Il corsaro” “Stiffelio” “I masnadieri” “Attila” “Rigoletto” and “I due Foscari” “Don Carlos,” revised version, and“La traviata” “Giovanna d’Arco” “I Lombardi alla prima crociata” “Otello” and “Rigoletto” “Un giorno di regno” “Il trovatore” and “Jérusalem” “Don Carlos,” Paris version

Gideon Dabi, Craig Irvin, Martin Nusspaumer and Colin Ramsey rehearse this year's production of Puccini’s “La bohème.”

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

“Aida” and “The Battle of Legnano”

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

WORLD HISTORY The fall of the Berlin Wall Hubble Telescope launches Super Nintendo launches Hurricane Andrew hits Florida Bill Clinton is inaugurated “Forrest Gump” opens Windows 95 released Dolly the sheep becomes the first cloned mammal Princess Diana dies Google is founded “The Sopranos” debuts George W. Bush is elected Apple’s iPod is introduced

2002 “Spider-Man” movie opens 2003 The Iraq War begins 2004 Massachusetts is the first state to legalize gay marriage 2005 Pope John Paul II dies 2006 Twitter is founded 2007 Apple announces iPhone 2008 Barack Obama is elected 2009 “Avatar” opens, becomes highest-grossing film in history 2010 The Arab Spring begins 2011 Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden is killed in Pakistan 2012 Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, 60 years as queen of the United Kingdom 2013 Edward Snowden discloses the U.S. government’s mass surveillance program 2014 The United States announces resuming normal relations with Cuba 2015 Pope Francis becomes the first pope to address Congress 2016

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Maestro Victor DeRenzi has led the Verdi Cycle over the last 28 years.

Since it began, the Sarasota Opera’s Verdi Cycle has impacted hundreds of performers and thousands of audience members.

“I don’t think anyone is going to be able to replicate something like the Verdi Cycle,” says Russell.

“That’s something we can carry proudly into the future.”

The magnitude of the project is clear; just being around the opera house, there’s an unmistakable feeling of importance.

For the final week of the cycle, March 13 through 20, an entire Verdi Conference, representatives of the Italian government and even some of Verdi’s descendants will travel to Sarasota to see the culmination of nearly three decades of work.

After the season, the opera will take a break from Verdi. And even though the composer won’t occupy as much space in the season calendar, DeRenzi says the Italian master will always have a home in Sarasota.

“I think Verdi has created a whole new generation of opera lovers in Sarasota,” he says. “The good thing is that Verdi will always be around. Popular art is disposable, but great art is permanent.”

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than just performing all of Verdi’s operas. The soul of the enterprise lies in creating the highest quality musical performance for each production.

The process starts with a tableread of each opera’s libretto — a rare practice in the fast-paced world of professional opera. The reads help the conductor, director and cast absorb the opera’s story and fully understand the characters and their Italian dialog.

Armed with this knowledge, DeRenzi and his carefully casted company of singers then tackle Verdi’s iconic music and melodies.

“One of the good things about Sarasota is that there is enough rehearsal time,” says Marco Nisticó, who will be performing the role of Amonasaro in “Aida.” “The music is rehearsed much longer here, and many days, the music is very carefully prepared. We work on the details.”

Nisticó performed the first Verdi role of his career in the opera’s 2008 production of “I due Foscari.” He returned for productions of “La traviata” in 2009, “Giovanna d’Arco” in 2010, “Rigoletto” in 2012 and “Don Carlos” earlier this year.

This attention to detail is part of what keeps singers coming back to Sarasota. In the Verdi cycle’s finale year, 12 singers are returning to continue their relationship with Verdi and the place that has become a second home.

“It’s a huge honor to be invited back for the final season,” says Todd Thomas, who is performing in his fifth Verdi production in this year’s “The Battle of Legnano.” “Victor has been my leading mentor in the development of my life and career.”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

KING OF QUEENS There’s more to Beneva Fruitville than dirty jokes and skimpy dresses. Meet Berry Ayers, the man behind the makeup and host of Social’s new Drag Queen Bingo Brunch.

NICK FRIEDMAN A+E MANAGING EDITOR

B

erry Ayers is trying to remember the first time he dressed in drag. The second time, however, was definitely in a local production of the musical “La Cage aux Folles.”

“That’s French,” he says, with more than a hint of sarcasm. “Like the toast.”

“Or the kiss,” adds his friend and business associate, Laura Daniel Gale.

Ayers bursts into laughter.

“Did you see that?” he says.

“My brain went right to food.

Maybe that’s what’s wrong with me.”

The two are sitting inside Social on First, the bar and restaurant where they’ve collaborated to host Drag Queen Bingo Brunch — the latest endeavor to spotlight Ayers’ alter ego, Beneva Fruitville, who’s become something of a local celebrity since her debut five years ago.

But there’s more to Ayers than lipstick and laughs — after per-

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

IF YOU GO Drag Queen Bingo Brunch When: noon, Sunday, Oct. 18 Where: Social on First, 1219 First St. Cost: $35 in advance. Includes brunch, two bloody marys or mimosas and three games of Bingo.

Visit: lgdproductions.tixato.com

you. And there’s something freeing about changing genders. It’s almost innately self-deprecating, so I can get away with making fun of other people onstage. Here I am, this big football-playerlooking guy, trying to look pretty.

So the joke’s already on me.”

“I actually have to reshape my body when I’m in character to hide my broad shoulders. I’ve got hip pads, double butt pads and huge memory-foam boobs. I like to say, ‘This body is brought to you by Sealy Mattresses.’”

“My first time as Beneva was filling in for another drag queen at Bingo night. At first, I didn’t know quite what to do or say, but I got into the groove. I realized it was just like hosting any other event. I use a lot of observational humor and a lot of improv-based comedy.”

Photos by Nick Friedman

Berry Ayers will host Drag Queen Bingo as Beneva Fruitville Sunday, Oct. 18, at Social on First.

forming for 10 years in and around New York City, the actor, director, singer and musical-theater veteran moved to Sarasota in 2004.

Since then, he’s had his hands in countless local arts endeavors, and he’s currently the production manager and director of music at the Players Theatre, where he’s directing “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” opening later this month.

He says he’s thankful for Sarasota, not only for its arts community, but also for helping him find Beneva Fruitville — a character who’s had a surprising impact on his life.

We caught up with Ayers to talk show business, body-shaping and the benefits of swapping genders.

“I love to get on stage and mess with people. It’s all in good spirits. My show is a lot different than other similar acts I’ve seen.

It really is a performance, and it’s much less about the actual Bingo.”

“I’m very comfortable in her skin. I know that sounds weird to say, but I’ve played her enough that I really do feel that way. As the character has evolved, I’ve grown as a person. I’ve borrowed from her personality. She’s loud and outspoken, and she’s really confident about her body. I’ve always been very conscious of the way I look, but I’ve been able to borrow some of that confidence.

It’s different than playing other characters — Beneva is a character that came from within me.”

“I never intended to stay in Sarasota. I moved here to be with my mother, who was sick. But the longer I stayed, the more I fell in love with it. I found a close circle of friends here, and it was at a point in my life where that was really important to have.”

“I’d been performing at East Village Cabaret in Lakewood Ranch.

I was doing some stand-up, and I realized I was pretty good at the hosting aspect of it. I knew how to work a crowd. Then I had to be in drag for “La Cage aux Folles,” and I decided I should try to combine the two.”

Photo by John Jones

Beneva Fruitville, complete with body pads.

“It’s liberating to play a character that’s based on yourself but isn’t you. And there’s something freeing about changing genders.”

– Barry Ayers on performing as Beneva Fruitville

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“It’s liberating to play a character that’s based on yourself but isn’t

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

DO THIS: Mixology class at State Street Eating House Learn to make your own craft cocktails from some of Sarasota’s best mixologists.

IF YOU GO State Street Eating House Mixology Class

NICK FRIEDMAN A+E MANAGING EDITOR

When: 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24 Where: State Street Eating House, 1533 State St. Cost: $65 Info: Call 951-1533 or email chris@ statestreetsrq. com

Nick Friedman

Topher Nalefski challenges Observer News Innovation Editor Alex Mahadevan to a cocktail competition.

learn from State Street mixologist Topher Nalefski, who hopes to build Sarasota’s reputation for quality libations.

“I used to be a high-volume bartender,” he says. “I dealt with a lot of Jack and Cokes and pitchers of beer. But a couple bars turned me on to drinks like Manhattans and whiskey sours. I started drinking these quality cocktails, and I felt like I could help the industry serve something of quality, instead of just getting people intoxicated.”

Nalefski will teach guests the basics of drink-making, including how to balance flavor profiles using sweet, sour and citrus flavors and the best ways to showcase different types of liquors.

“Hopefully, after these classes, people will be able to start looking at the quality inside a cocktail,” he says. “Whether you want to make three gallons of something for a party or just have a cocktail after work, we’re going to show you how to do it.”

ONLINE Come At Me, Sarasota: State Street Eating House Never ones to sit on the sidelines, we decided to try

Strike Up The Band! It’s A Parade

the classes out ourselves. See how we stacked up

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against Topherth Nalefski, mixologist extraordinaire in

Saturday, December 3, 7:00PM chalbest in Sarasota, at YourObserver.com. Got aSarasota lenge for us? Email nfriedman@yourobserver.com. the latest edition of “Come At Me, Sarasota,” a recurring video series, in which we take on the best of the

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR THE HOLIDAY PARADE! Save The Date! Dec. 5, 2015

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Thanksgiving Parade and SARASOTA has the 20th ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARADE! A This year’s parade will celebrate “A TROPICAL nighttime parade with over 4,000 participants HOLIDAY”. This year’s parade will feature more than that the whole family will enjoy!

100 parade units. It’s going to be a Grand Parade!

This is an event the whole family will enjoy. Come ea It’s time to plan your entry or float for this Grand Parade. For more info or applications, bring lawn chairs and get ready for a great evening.

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A Downtown Holiday Tradition Since 1974

THUR–SAT 7:30pm • SUN 2:00pm New College of Florida – Black Box Theater, located in the Hamilton Center, open seating.

An intimate view of Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott’s choreography, this performance puts audience members in the midst of dancing bodies – they hear the dancer’s breathe, see their strength, and feel the energy of their collaborative power.

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The times are changing. Gone are the days when whipping up a batch of your famous (read: premixed) margaritas or sloshing out a whiskey and Coke is going to impress your guests.

These days, when it comes to cocktails, craft is king. And bars and restaurants everywhere are taking notice, stocking their shelves with small-batch liquors and hiring dapper mixologists to create innovative original recipes and put twists on the classics.

State Street Eating House, one of the first local establishments to embrace the culture, announced this month it plans to lend some of its behind-the-bar knowledge to its customers.

Beginning Oct. 24, the bar will host regular mixology classes in its extensive gin library.

Co-owner Chris Voelker says she first came up with the idea after offering mixology lessons for corporate teambuilding exercises.

“They were so popular that we decided to open them up to the public,” she says. “We’ve had a huge response. I had one woman email me the day I announced it, saying ‘Pick me!’”

Each $65 class will include hors d’oeuvres, recipes and three cocktails, and participants will

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

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Ellie McCaw and Summer Wallace rehearse lines for Anna Jordan’s “Freak”

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Found in Translation Urbanite Theatre collaborates with British playwright Anna Jordan for the second time to open its second season.

They hadn’t finished furnishing the theater. They hadn’t put on a single play or held one rehearsal yet. They had no idea if this was going to work.

But after reading Anna Jordan’s gripping drama “Chicken Shop,” Brendan Ragan and Summer Wallace couldn’t resist reaching out across the Atlantic Ocean to see if Jordan would let them not only produce her play, but also adapt it to an American setting. The duo got more than just a play. They got a partnership.

“In reality, we had no business asking for the U.S. premiere and saying we’d like to adapt it,” says Ragan, co-founding artistic director of Urbanite Theater. “We pitched ourselves to her via email and the reasons we really fell in love with the play and why our venue would be the perfect fit.”

Jordan and the Urbanite turned out to be a dazzling match. The small theater’s inaugural play sold out every performance, including a week of added performances.

Sarasota theater audiences were as taken with Jordan’s stirring drama as Ragan and Wallace had been. Even six months later, people are still approaching Ragan and Wallace about “Chicken Shop.”

“She’s really interesting in that she can write such honest dialogue, true to how contemporary people speak,” says Wallace, cofounding artistic director of the Urbanite Theatre. “Then she’ll turn around and write this beautiful, poetic passage that will blow your socks off. It’s almost Shakespearean what she’s able to do with language.”

The Urbanite hopes to duplicate the impact of “Chicken Shop” with another production of a Jordan play: “Freak.” The play focuses on the intimate and internal drama of female sexuality with the story of 15-year-old Leah, who is facing the dilemma of losing her virginity with her popular boyfriend, and 30-year-

old Georgie, who faces an existential and sexual crisis.

“I felt ‘Freak’ was a risky play,” says Jordan. “It deals with sex in a very kind of frank way. It deals with female sexual desire that you don’t often see in plays. We have a lot of plays where women appear sexy or sexualized, and you have a lot of plays dealing with the sexualization of women and how they respond to it. I wanted to look at the role women play themselves.”

During a night of rehearsal, Wallace (who is playing Georgie) and recent Booker High School graduate Ellie McCaw position themselves on a sparse stage that includes just a few chairs and a gray bed.

And even though they share the same tight physical space, the two characters are in two completely different worlds.

The two women deliver monologues discussing their family, friends and past love lives until converging in a final scene where they finally meet. That dichotomy between the two female leads who represent two sides of female sexual discovery and desire fuels the play.

And just as they did in “Chicken Shop,” Ragan and Wallace have emailed and Skyped with Jordan in London and given her American substitutes to various trademark British slang or pop culture references.

“I feel like I’ve gotten to know Brendan and Summer through doing this, and it’s been a great relationship,” says Jordan. “When I first started writing plays, I never even thought of my plays being produced in America.”

And with increasing patron support (the Urbanite sold approximately 400 season subscriptions when it announced its second season in September), Ragan and Wallace hope to be a home for more playwrights’ new plays.

“We want to nurture new plays and expand our reach,” says Wallace. “We just want to keep growing.”

IF YOU GO ‘Freak’

by Anna Jordan When: 8 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 23. Runs through Nov. 15.

Where: Urbanite Theatre Tickets: $5 to $24.

Info: Call 321-1397

“She’s really interesting in that she can write such honest dialogue, true to how contemporary people speak ... It’s almost Shakespearean what she’s able to do with language.”

– Summer Wallace, co-founding artistic director of the Urbanite Theatre, on Anna Jordan, writer of ‘Freak’ and ‘Chicken Shop’

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A+E EDITOR

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

THIS WEEK “Delicate Balance” exhibit opening 5 p.m. at Art Center Sarasota Runs through Nov. 21 Free Call 365-2032 Ringling International Arts Festival Opening Night ‘Bollywood Dreams’ 6 p.m. at The Ringling Tickets $125 Call 358-3180 Rick Springfield 8 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Tickets $35 to $75 Call 953-3368

FRIDAY

Ringling International Arts Festival Runs through Oct. 18 Tickets: $30 to $35 Call 360-7399 WOBtoberfest Day One 2 p.m. to close at World of Beer, 8217 Tourist Center Drive, Bradenton Free Call 308-5868 Fall Social 6:30 p.m. at Perq Coffe Bar, 1821 Hillview St. Free Call 955 8101

ONLINE Find more information on these events and more at

YourObserver.com.

NICK’S PICK FALL SOCIAL

There’s nothing quite like a neighborhood block party. There’s food, drinks and oh yeah, I guess there’s people there, too. Perq Coffee Bar’s seasonal socials have become some of my favorite block parties in town. They’re casual, low-key and a great place to meet up with familiar faces.

This Friday, Perq hosts its fall social, which will feature food

SATURDAY

Movie Night 8 p.m. at Sarasota Orchestra Tickets: $36 Call 953-3434 Sarasota Pride Noon to 6 p.m. at JD Hamel Park, 2 Marina Plaza Free.

Call 320-9268 WOBtoberfest Day Two 2 p.m. to close at World of Beer, 8217 Tourist Center Drive, Bradenton Free Call 308-5868 Taste of St. Armands 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., St. Armands Circle $35 in advance, or $40 at the door Call 388-1554

SUNDAY

“Close Up”

by Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company 2 p.m. at Black Box Theater, New College Tickets: $29 Call 359-0099 Morton’s Chili Cook-Off 2 p.m. at Morton’s Gourmet Market, 1924 S. Osprey Ave. Free admission; $10 for chili tasting Call 955-9856 Drag Queen Bingo Brunch Noon at Social on First, 1219 First St. $35 in advance, or $45 at the door Call 444-7072

NICK’S PICK CLOSE UP, SARASOTA CONTEMPORARY DANCE

After celebrating 10 years as Fuzión Dance Artists, Sarasota’s modern dance company has a new name and reinvigorated mission to bring the best in contemporary dance to Sarasota’s dance community. Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s inaugural show is “Close Up.” Running Oct. 15 through 18, the show will feature co-founder and artistic director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott’s newest choreography. As the title suggests, audi-

Art of Food Festival 6 to 10 p.m. at the Selby Library, 1331 First St. $125 Call 315-1199

from Polpo Pizza, beer, live music by Sam Robertson, Sam Pinkerton and Wake the Neighbors and Perq’s coffee IPA collaboration with Darwin Brewing Co. IF YOU GO When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 Where: Perq Coffee Bar, 1821 Hillview St. Tickets: Free Info: Call 955-8101 – NICK FRIEDMAN

MONDAY

“The Color Purple” 8 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Runs through Nov. 21 Tickets: $27 to $38 Call 366-1505

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ence members will experience the intimate and physical power of dance and the human body with patrons inhabiting the space with the dancers inside the Black Box Theater at the New College of Florida.

IF YOU GO When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15-17; 2 p.m. Oct. 18 Where: Black Box Theater, New College of Florida Tickets: $29 Info: Call 359-0099

TUESDAY

“Soul Mates” 6 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre Runs through Feb. 7 Tickets: $30 to $32 Call 366-9000

DON’T MISS WOBtoberfest Day Two Classic rock fans won't want to miss this day of beer and live music, featuring Robin Zander of Cheap Trick at 8 p.m. (see Saturday). Also on the bill are local rockers Hail Dale at 2 p.m. and Twinkle and Rock Soul Radio at 5 p.m.

– NICK REICHERT

WEDNESDAY Jack Teeling: Whiskey Ambassador 4 p.m. at Vom Fass Free Call 365-2137

Back to the Beach Club 7 p.m. at Beach Club Siesta Key, 5151 Ocean Blvd.

Free.

Call 349-6311

Morton's Chili Cook-Off Sarasota Firehouses compete for bragging rights in this chili cookoff (see Sunday).

Enjoy drinks and chili, all in support of the Sarasota Firefighters Benevolent Fund.

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Portion of the proceeds to benefit Take Stock in Children®

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

Appetite for

IF YOU GO

Creation

The Art of Food Festival When: 6 to 10 p.m.

Oct. 17 Where: Selby Public Library Info: Call 9535600

Sarasota’s culinary and performing arts communities come together for the Art of Food Festival.

NICK REICHERT A+E EDITOR

Dinner and a show. It’s a pairing almost as old as performing arts itself. And in Sarasota, both food and performing arts have been growing in quantity and quality — at a delicious pace.

The Junior League of Sarasota is collaborating with four Sarasota performing arts organizations and 18 local restaurants to re-create the art audiences see onstage in the form of gourmet food at the second annual Art of Food Festival.

The event challenges area chefs,

Tsunami Sushi’s Sarasota Opera-inspired dish.

who are separated into groups, to prepare four courses (cocktails, appetizers, entrées and desserts) inspired by the Asolo Repertory Theatre, the Sarasota Opera, the Sarasota Orchestra and the Sarasota Ballet.

The resulting culinary collaboration benefits a fitting mission: ending hunger in Sarasota. Event co-chair Jill Berg says all proceeds benefit Junior League’s hunger initiative.

“We’re trying to build upon the reputation of Sarasota as not only a world-class arts Mecca, but also as a world-famous food Mecca.”

Participating chefs drew inspiration from backstage tours of the facilities and rehearsals.

Isaac Correa, owner and head chef at Baker & Wife, was drafted into the dessert division. He says after sitting in on a ballet rehearsal, he was impressed.

“They blew my mind,” he says.

“When you look at the company perform, they’re so graceful, and there’s fantastic timing. They use so much concentration and energy. It’s more intense than any workout.”

Correa’s dish is a lavenderinfused vanilla custard, draped

Photos by Nick Reichert

Isaac Correa incorporated the Sarasota Ballet’s light, graceful movements into his dessert for the Art of Food Festival, which takes place this Saturday.

in melted chocolate and orbited by tapioca pearls. Each scoop of custard is topped with a flowerpetal-shaped, coffee-dried pear slice.

For some of the chefs and restaurants, the arts organizations are like family. For Sam Ray and the staff at Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi Grill, the neighboring Sarasota Opera has been a longtime presence.

“Performers and patrons eat here before every show,” says Ray, co-owner of Tsunami. “We see them almost every day.”

Ray says, that often when they sing “Happy Birthday” to a table, opera singers and apprentice students lend their booming voices

to the festivities.

In the spirit of the opera performers’ diverse personalities and voices, Ray and executive chef Allan Yu are presenting a company of multicolored and multiflavored sushi rolls including tuna, steamed shrimp, salmon and avocado and salmon eggs.

Relationships like the one between Tsunami and the Sarasota Opera are something Berg says she hopes the festival promotes as it continues to grow.

“We’re having each chef create something they don’t have on their menu,” she says. “That’s the attraction of this event. We’re making something completely new.”

Participating restaurants include: n Jack Dusty n The Table Creekside Restaurant n Pangea n Social Eatery & Bar n The Bijou Café n Clásico Sarasota n Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi Grill n Louies Modern n Spice n Caragiulos n Duval’s n Michael’s On East n CasAntica Ristorante n Muse at The Ringling n Baker & Wife n Cakes by Ron n Roast Restaurant & Bar n Beulah

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TICKETS: $27 – 35

All the latest news and information delivered to your inbox.

RINGLING INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL Seven compelling perspectives on beauty, innovation, and artistry by performers representing the many varied cultures of Asia.

PHARE: THE CAMBODIAN CIRCUS Ad edgy tale of nightlife, passion, and hope performed with humor and humanity by talented young Cambodians using dance, music, and the artistry of circus.

TAO DANCE THEATER China’s premiere contemporary dance company stretches the boundaries of the human imagination in a “mesmerizing tour-de-force.” (Boston Globe) RONNARONG KHAMPHA Exquisitely trained in the traditional dances of Thailand, this compelling artist explores contemporary aesthetics in a profoundly moving solo performance.

PENI CANDRA RINI This beloved Indonesian singer and composer is internationally hailed for her mastery of traditional music and innovative creativity.

JEN SHYU An ecstatic musical experience unfolds as this American-East Timorese-Taiwanese performer combines movement, acting, and song in a musical pilgrimage through Asia.

TOM LEE Employing traditional Japanese puppetry with video and live music, Shank’s Mare explores the story of travelers whose paths intersect in time and space.

ORKES SINTEN REMEN From Indonesia comes a exuberant musical experience; a unique mélange of song and sound that is both refreshingly new and hauntingly nostalgic.

RIAF 2015 is sponsored in part by the Asian Cultural Council, a nonprofit organization that supports US-Asia exchange through the arts.

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362 DAYS A YEAR! Photo of Jen Shyu by Steven Schreiber

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P EO PL E WI TH PUR POSE CHARLIE ANN SYPRETT Occupation: Retired attorney Age: 61 Years involved in Sarasota

BLACK

philanthropy: 18 years — She left a legal career in 1997 to devote herself to Sarasota’s cancer community full time.

Current organizations:

Sarasota Film Festival, Booker High School Foundation, Sarasota County Bar Association Diversity Committee and Sarasota Memorial Hospital Foundation

Heather Merriman Saba

Charlie Ann Syprett on set with Booker High students in the school’s film program — just one of many local organizations she supports.

HEATHER MERRIMAN SABA BLACK TIE EDITOR

S

ome things are more important than a job title.

Despite having a successful career as a trial lawyer, Charlie Ann Syprett discovered her true passion was for helping others. After experiencing firsthand the impact cancer can have on a family, she left law to support organizations dedicated to helping patients and their families, and she found her love for philanthropy.

I WAS RAISED in a family with a firm Catholic faith; one of the fundamental pillars of that faith is selfless service to others. My father was deeply committed to helping others. I watched, and later helped, him participate in his company’s food drives and efforts to collect toys at Christmas time.

IN THE THIRD grade, I, along with the neighborhood kids, went Christmas caroling.

People opened their doors and gave us money — change, really. At the end of the night, we had about $10. I convinced the group to give the money to the church’s fund for the poor.

There’s no doubt this was my father’s influence.

IN 1995, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer; shortly after, my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and my father’s prostate cancer came out of remission.

Both my parents died. Less than a year after their deaths, the unspeakable occurred. My then 29-year-old sister was diagnosed with a rare and terminal cervical cancer. Watching her and the other patients in the hospital suffer was unbearable. It was at that moment that life changed. I no longer had a passion for practicing law. Instead, I wanted to help those facing cancer — both patients and their families. I saw firsthand how a cancer diagnosis can turn a family upside down. We all needed help.

I LEARNED about the Wellness Community — a national organization that provides free evidence-based services for people and families facing cancer. There was a Sarasota affiliate. I reached out to them, both as a caregiver needing support, and as a volunteer. I was motivated by an overwhelming need to give some meaning to the loss of my parents and the suffering of my sister. Within months, I retired from the practice of law and began a long career of both volunteering and financially supporting cancer-support organizations in our community.

I FOUND my purpose and my place. This work has been the most rewarding part of my professional life.

AFTER ALMOST 12 years of volunteering for cancer-related organizations, I turned my focus toward other initiatives.

The civil unrest in our country and community motivated me to become more involved in organizations that promote diversity, inclusion and simple respect for our differences.

MAKING TIME for giving back is a priority for me and my family. We’re all involved in volunteering for nonprofits, including my 11-year-old granddaughter, who was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes at age 7.

SARASOTA IS a unique animal.

Its philanthropic community is so integrated with the social scene, and if you’re not careful, you can lose your focus and purpose for giving back. I’m now very selective in what I do and how I do it. I try to remain laser-focused on the mission and goals of the organization and my purpose for being involved. I actually try to avoid the limelight and focus on giving back for all the right reasons.

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Payton Wright Foundation Gala Saturday, Oct. 3, at Hyatt Regency Sarasota Benefiting Payton Wright Foundation

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Honorees Alice Jones, Rose Chapman, Sarasota County Commissioner Carolyn Mason, Carolyn Major-Harper, Dr. Lisa Merritt, Edward James III and Nicole Eddins

NAACP 30th annual Freedom Awards Banquet Thursday, Oct. 8, at Hyatt Regency Sarasota Benefiting Sarasota County Branch NAACP

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BLACK TIE & TALES

MOLLY SCHECHTER

C

heers to the start of the Black Tie season, social butterflies! We’re sure you all were “cool for the summer” in true Demi Lovato-style, but we thought we’d fill you in on things you might have missed in the off-season before we clink our Champagne flutes to parties to come ...

Florence Katz

Cliff Roles

And many more ...

be missed from the party scene until she returns, camera in hand, in 2016.

More beautiful babies were born this summer to Billy and Liebe Gamble, Dave and Kyla Weiner, Bart and Kameron Hodgens and Joe and Sydney Gruters. Expecting hot mamas are Diana Buchanan, Ashley Gruters, Kara Saunders, Katie Jones, Randi Donahue, Pallas Knight and Bridget Ziegler — something’s obviously in the water.

Our very own BT babes Stephanie Hannum and Heather Merriman Saba each welcomed their own bundles of joy this summer. Audrey Elaine Hannum, daughter of Stephanie and Max Hannum, was born Aug. 2 in Atlanta, and Olivia Grace Saba, daughter of Heather and Tim Saba, was born Sept. 29 here in Sarasota. Stephanie is back online this week, while Heather will

Olivia Grace Saba

Audrey Elaine Hannum

Oh baby, baby!

Florence Katz, beloved music director emerita of Temple Beth Israel of Longboat Key, celebrated her centennial July 9 at the Sarasota Bay Club. The party wrapped up with Florence conducting a chorus of well-wishers ... Ilene Friedman turned 65 in late August and celebrated at an evening engineered by hubby, Greg Gregory, at Beau Ciel ...

Betty Schoenbaum celebrated her 98th with brunch Sept. 27 at Michael’s On East ... Claire Love was honored at an Oct. 2 luncheon at Michael’s for her mere 96 years ... And just last weekend, Bob Garner celebrated his 90th birthday with his whole family, including wife, Dottie, daughters Betsy Garner Wyant and Allison Garner Louie and grandsons David and Rob Wyant ... The next big birthday coming up is Father Fausto Stampiglia’s 80th. Fans are celebrating his big day with a dinner this Saturday, at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota (Tickets are $1,000 a pop!). Bishop Frank Dewane will be there with a special blessing from Rome, and Mayor Willie Shaw will have a proclamation from the city of Sarasota. Bridget Spiess is taking last-minute reservations via phone at 720-6304.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

Brady — Sarasota’s star quarterback Never dropping the ball in SRQ, Veronica Brady is our star quarterback and hometown team player.

Serving on numerous boards in Sarasota, connecting organizations and people throughout our community and advocating through her work as senior vice president for Philanthropy at Gulf Coast Community Foundation, it’s no surprise that West Coast Chapter of the American Jewish Committee is honoring her with the 2015 Civic Achievement Award on Nov. 17, at Michael’s On East. Brady says that she appreciates the value system the organization has and through its work she’s able to connect her interests on a national and international level. Yep, her fellow alumni at Venice High School certainly were right when they voted her "Most Likely to Succeed."

Success, indeed.

Courtesy photos

Veronica Brady

3

Happily ever after Wedding bells were ringing this summer for everybody’s favorite technical director Brent Greeno and Ryan Robert Inskeep in June at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens … philanthropist Harry Leopold and Audrey Robbins in August at the Bijou with Leopold's tennis buddy Chris Gallagher officiating … and Phil King and Dennis Stover on Phil’s birthday, Sept. 9, at the Bay Isles Beach Club on Longboat Key ...

Tidbits

Sara Sardelli got to announce her engagement to Kenny Rachon at the sold-out and über cute Tea & Tutus event Oct. 3, at the FSU Center for Performing Arts, which was chaired by Retta Wagner and sponsored

by J.L. Bainbridge ... A new and notable event is #SPARCCAmazingRaise, which is a scavenger hunt that will track 10 teams across Sarasota on Saturday. Fans can cheer on teams at the Raise the Roof party starting at 7:30 p.m. at Michael’s On East.

Tickets, $100, call 3650208, Ext. 106 ... Another new event is Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ “nye@ selby,” which is a New Year’s Eve gala limited to 200 people. With Roger Capote running the show it’s sure to be fabulous.

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Kelly Gardner, Bob Rosinsky and Kelly Davis Strausbaugh

The Goodwill Ambassadors of the Year: Phil Mancini, Sharon Hillstrom, Michael Klauber, Employee of the Year Leonzo Gonzalez, Greg Steube and Mike Bryant

Goodwill Ambassador of the Year Awards Dinner Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Michael’s On East | Benefiting Goodwill Manasota

Photos by Cliff Roles

Above: Brenda and Dave Maraman Left: Lou Ann Linn, Fred Lopez, Morgan Gerhart and C.J. Bannister

Adam and Christina Phillips, Melissa Prosser and Amy Phillips

SEASON

MONTH 2015

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THE best of

THEaTRE OF DREamS

SEASON THE OBSERVER’S GUIDE TO THE ARTS AND SOCIETY

| 23 - 25 OCTOBER 2015 | | FSU Center for the Performing Arts |

MUSIC DANCE THEATER ART BLACK TIE

Audience Favorite Returns

Featuring Choreography From Company Members

Pavel Fomin Ballet Master

Kate Honea Principal

Logan Learned Principal

Ricki Bertoni

Character Principal

Jamie Carter Soloist

Alex Harrison Soloist

Pickup the Fall 2015 issue of SEASON or read online at yourobserver.com Season is the ultimate guide to Sarasota-Manatee arts, entertainment, culture and society.

Don’t miss out on what’s happening in your area. www.SarasotaBallet.org | 941.359.0099 184441

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ON THE FLIP SIDE: A+E < Vini, Verdi, Vici. Sarasota Opera prepares for its Verdi finale.

People with Purpose Charlie Ann Syprett quit law to pursue her passion. 6

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

Photos by Cliff Roles

Co-Chairs Gary and Beth Kompothecras

MAKE A

Wendy Weller pours drinks through the ice luge.

WISH Friday, Oct. 2, at Michael’s On East | Benefiting Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida

Scott and Jill Ramsey with Donna and David Koffman

M

ichael’s On East transformed into a chic, white-washed luxury nightclub for Make-AWish Central and Northern Florida, Sarasota Region’s “Wish” event Friday, Oct. 2. More than 275 party goers arrived in all white attire and enjoyed music, aerial performers and a balloon-pop dress.

Chaired by Phil and Kim Mancini and Gary and Beth Kompothecras, the event, in its second year, raised more than $50,000 to support the Make-A-Wish mission to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Eric Fenton and Rebecca Blitz Right: Volunteer Anastasia Yakusheva