Arts + Entertainment 3.30.23

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Heeding the call of the harp

Music has been a lifelong companion of Sarasota Orchestra’s Hannah Cope Johnson.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

‘How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” goes the familiar joke.

“Practice, practice, practice.”

That mantra has certainly been true for Hannah Cope Johnson, the principal harpist in her first season at the Sarasota Orchestra. Johnson, age 27, started playing the harp when she was just 5 years old and was practicing three hours a day by the time she was a teen.

But it takes more than practice to become a successful harpist; it requires a commitment to transporting the instrument, which generally weighs close to 100 pounds.

“You definitely have to have an SUV and a hand truck, kind of like the ones the FedEx guys use when they deliver big packages,” Johnson says.

Tuba and cello players also know what it’s like to lug around a cumbersome instrument, but the harp is in a class of its own.

A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Johnson comes from an artistic family. Her father has supported his family as a singer/songwriter within the Church of Latter Day Saints, while her mother was a ballerina and taught ballet. “I had the example growing up that it was possible to earn a living as an artist,” she says.

A MUSICAL WAY OF LIFE

In Salt Lake City, there were lots of young women studying the harp, so Johnson was by no means unique. “In the Church of Latter Day Saints, families want their children to study music,” she says.

Johnson wasn’t the one who decided she should learn to play the harp, she says; it was something her mother decided. “My older sister was studying the piano, and she wanted me to try something different,” she says.

When she was a child, going to

SEE HARP PAGE 2

Harp

harp lessons was something Johnson and her mom used to do together. But something clicked around the time she was 10.

“I remember falling in love with music when I was a preteen,” Johnson says.

Learning to play the piano was part of the musical romance. Johnson learned songs from the 2005 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” starring Keira Knightley, and the Broadway show “Wicked.”

On the classical front, French composer Claude Debussy, known for such works as “La Mer,” “Clair de Lune” and “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,” became a favorite.

Despite her newfound avocation, Johnson remained devoted to her primary instrument.

“The harp was my medium,” she says. The budding musician did try her hand at sports in high school but dropped basketball after a year to focus on her music.

A MUSICAL MENTOR

At Brigham Young University in Utah, she earned a bachelor’s degree in music before heading east to attend the New England Conservatory in Boston for a master’s degree. It was there that she studied one-onone with the teacher who became her mentor, Jessica Zhou.

While at NEC, Johnson was selected as the school’s featured artist and performed the Mozart Concerto for Flute & Harp with the NEC Symphony in January 2020. She graduated in 2022 and won the position of principal harpist in Sarasota in fall 2022.

Her tutelage under Zhou and challenging auditions have opened up doors for Johnson at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where Zhou has been principal harpist since the 2009-10 season, and at summer festivals presented by Tanglewood Music Center, where Zhou is a faculty member.

“She was exactly what I needed,”

Johnson says of Zhou, with whom she’ll be playing alongside in Boston later this year after performing

“A Hero’s Life” with the Sarasota Orchestra from March 31-April 2. Johnson has been a regular substitute for the Boston Symphony since 2021.

But it’s her new, permanent position in Sarasota that she’s most grateful for. “This was my goal — winning a principal harp job and getting paid a salary to play harp with an orchestra,” she says. “It’s such an honor. I worked hard to get here. The audition process was so difficult. I got lucky. I’m really humbled.”

Still, Johnson makes it clear that her musical journey is far from over.

“In no terms have I arrived,” she says.

“I’m learning new things. I’m getting more experience as a team player and learning to be a sensitive accompanist,” she adds. Although she has dedicated her life to classical music, Johnson isn’t a snob when it comes to popular culture. “Sometimes you just want to kick back and watch ‘Finding Nemo’ and sometimes you want to watch

‘Schindler’s List,’” she says. “I think music is the same way.” When Johnson works out, she listens to The Weeknd and Chris Rock, she says.

‘HARP, CHOCOLATE, BUT MOST OF ALL BEN’ Johnson says she isn’t one of “those TikTok harp players,” but she does maintain a social media presence with her website, HarpFreak.com. However, she’s not online as much as she used to be when she was younger

IF YOU GO ‘A HERO’S LIFE’

When: March 31-April 2

Where: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Tickets: $37-$99 Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra. org

The Sarasota Orchestra performs this piece, Strauss’s thinly veiled musical autobiography of his greatest hits, as part of its last Masterworks program of the season.

and not working full time as a musician.

Her Instagram profile says she loves the “harp, chocolate, but most of all Ben,” her husband of seven years. Right now, Johnson and her husband are having a long-distance relationship, but she hopes he will be able to join her full-time in Florida

when he pursues an MBA.

Although many artists end up marrying fellow performers, Johnson says she likes that her husband doesn’t share her profession.

“Spending the day in different worlds gives us something to talk about when we come together at dinner,” she says.

While female musicians dominate the harp, Johnson likens the instrument to a bow and arrow and says it doesn’t just provide background music for tea parties, “although I’ve played plenty of those.”

In fact, Johnson says her musical hero is a man: Emmanuel Ceysson, the harpist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic known for his signature red instrument.

Asked to define her goal in life, Johnson describes it in general terms: “To always be improving and striving to be excellent.”

But what about Carnegie Hall? Thanks to all those years of “practice, practice, practice,” Johnson has already performed there with the Boston Symphony. She can cross that musical milestone off her list.

Hannah Cope Johnson was selected as the New England Conservatory’s featured artist in 2020

Courtesy photos

Hannah Cope Johnson’s mother signed her up for harp lessons when she was 5 years old. She and the harp have been together ever since.

EATING WITH EMMA

You say ‘to-may-to,’ I say ‘Eww!’

EMMA JOLLY CONTRIBUTOR

The cool thing to do at my high school? Ditch your brown-bag lunch, hop in the car of someone with a driver’s license and head to a deli for an overpriced yet outstanding sandwich.

But there has always been one sentence needed to seal the deal on my delectable deli demand: “No tomatoes please.”

Fear that a slimy seed will somehow slip out sets in even before the first bite. Inevitably, my anxiety is confirmed when I am forced to spit out said bite, exclaiming, “I said no tomatoes!”

But, alas, April is Fresh Florida Tomato Month. So in honor of this momentous occasion, this nontomato lover presents her top local tomato dishes.

CAFÉ GABBIANO

5104 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key; 941349-1423, CafeGabbiano.com

Let’s Ketchup: When my husband and I were dating, he took me to Café Gabbiano to celebrate another year around the sun, knowing my birthday meal of choice is chicken Parmesan. I might be birthdaybiased, but the restaurant’s interiors, astounding aromas and wonderful wine selection will make you feel like you’re celebrating your own milestone in Tuscany rather than in Siesta Key.

Just My Ripe: The chefs here hide tomatoes behind that iconic duo of carbs and cheese. Who could say no to that? (Insert apology to readers with gluten and dairy allergies here.) I dutifully added tomatoes and basil ($6) to my formaggi and salumi plate, but mozzarella made everything magical. What enchanted my belly next was spaghetti al pomodoro fresco ($19). After order-

ing the handmade pasta graced with garlic, olive oil, marinara, basil and cherry tomatoes, I asked myself, “Do I tolerate tomatoes now?”

Sauce it Up: I suggest you order something that won’t have you seeing red, but maybe double. Choosing a marvelous martini at this café might be the most difficult decision you’ll make all day. Choose from espresso, strawberry basil, Gabbiano blue cheese, Limoncello or basil. The choice is yours, but I’d go with the blue cheese.

LINGER LODGE

7205 85th St. Court E., Bradenton; 941-755-2757, LingerLodge.com/

Restaurant-Home

Let’s Ketchup: The lodge’s origins date back to 1945, and if the taxidermied animals on the walls could talk — oh, the stories they would tell! Just ask longtime TV weatherman Al Roker, who named Linger Lodge one of the five weirdest restaurants in America. So why not wind up here with an even weirder prompt — tomato dishes loved by a tomato hater?

Just My Ripe: When I reached out to Linger Lodge’s owner Rita Lewis, she responded with “Come on by and try some food. What time?

I’ll make you a reservation.” That Southern hospitality is extended to every guest. Basking in Southern comfort, my guests and I ordered the brunch claim to fame. What came next made me think, “Am I over this tomato trepidation?”

Sauce it Up: You will now find me moseying along the Florida marshes worshipping on Deluxe Bloody Mary Sunday. Lewis concocts a different version of this larger-thanlife Bloody Mary weekly. My holierthan-thou experience included Mahi nuggets, grilled shrimp, jalapeno poppers, fried mushrooms, spicy green beans and all the fixings

piled above a homemade bloody mary mix with Deep Eddy vodka. (Prices may vary.) Praise be for tipsy tomato juice!

TANDOOR FINE INDIAN CUISINE

8453 Cooper Creek Blvd., Bradenton; 941-926-3077, TandoorSarasota.

com

Let’s Ketchup: The culinary culture in my Connecticut hometown consisted of Italian restaurants, pizza-by-the-slice shops and more pizzerias. But when my dad took me to an Indian restaurant for the first time and I tore naan bread and covered it with a heaping scoop of orange-colored goodness, my tastebuds grew up fast.

Just My Ripe: As I type, I can feel my mouth watering. I will do my best to avoid any — whoops, too late — drool. The chicken makhana ($20.99) specialty is simply scrumptious. This house favorite is marinated overnight, roasted in the Tandoor and folded into a rich, creamy tomato sauce and topped with cilantro. I dare you to resist slurping the spare sauce.

Sauce it Up: Whether you arrive for the lunch buffet or dine for dinner, order the pretty-in-pink Punjabi Passion cocktail ($10). Generated by gin, muddled mint, cranberries and raspberries, this is the prefect refresher for anyone who thinks they can handle the heat, the way TV’s Ted Lasso did when he told the restaurant to make the recipe as if he were family.

TZEVA SARASOTA

1255 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941413-7425, TzevaSarasota.com

Let’s Ketchup: This must-try Mediterranean bistro recently opened at Art Ovation Hotel Autograph Collection. Sarasota’s new shakshuka submission drew me to Palm Avenue as quickly as February traffic allowed.

Just My Ripe: I am a sucker for shakshuka. Here you can dig into a

bowl for breakfast ($12) or a sample a small plate of the extraordinary eggs poached in tomato sauce with spices for lunch or dinner ($10). But my tomato tale at Tzeva doesn’t end there. Flavorsome falafel ($9+) comes with pickled watermelon rinds, tasty tzatziki and superbly smoked tomato chutney. You can also get the falafel with too-coolfor-school tomato chutney as a handheld with fries ($12). Are tomatoes beginning to tempt me?

Sauce it Up: With all this tomato talk, I’m ready for a glass of Duck Horn ($14) Sauvignon Blanc. I’ve been told that white wine pairs well with our ripe stars, but a close contender is Lord Byron’s Verse ($13) with gin, muddled cucumber, sage lime and lemon.

MADE RESTAURANT

1990 Main St. #112, Sarasota; 941-953-2900, MadeRestaurant. com

Let’s Ketchup: This downtown eatery’s food and adult bevies provide social media moments that foodie content creators dream of. From eclectic Eggs Benedicts to colossal cheesy tots to a mouthwatering Mac-N-Cheese medley, this community culinary club has proven its “upscale take on American comfort food.”

Just My Ripe: A girlfriend said she was craving the BLFTA ($17), so we headed to Main Street. When the waitress came by, I said, “I’ll have what she’s having,” without knowing what the FT stood for. This handsome-looking handheld consists of fried green tomatoes, butter lettuce, billionaire bacon (which is a show-stopper on its own), avocado, sun dried tomato aioli, housemade pimento cheese (that, as the kids say, “slaps”), all sandwiched between two slices of St. Armands Bakery Ciabatta. But the fried green tomato train doesn’t stop chugging there. Try the BLTA salad ($17) with the fixings of a sandwich, minus bread, with added grilled corn salsa, jalapeno jack cheese and buttermilk pimento ranch. You can’t go wrong with the delectable veggie Po’ Boy ($16) or get an appetizer of fried green tomatoes.

Sauce it Up: Grab a seat at the bar on a night when the brilliant bartender Rhiannon is working. You’ll leave feeling lighter than when you arrived. Order the smoked musket ($16) with bourbon, toasted cashew simple syrup and bitters. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the smoke show on your table.

Cheers to growth! From hater to tolerator, I’ve tackled my tomato task.

From hater to tolerator, I’ve tackled my tomato task.

Emma Jolly

My own version of church: Deluxe Bloody Mary Sunday at Linger Lodge. Prices vary depending on featured items.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

‘A WORLD OF HARMONY’

7 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Ave. $20; at door $25 Visit SarasotaJewishChorale.org.

The Sarasota Jewish Chorale’s more than 30 volunteer singers share their diverse musical heritage.

HEALING THROUGH ART

6-8 p.m. at Siesta Key Wine Bar, 5138 Ocean Blvd. $35 Visit MoreTooLife.org.

More Too Life, a Florida-based anti-human trafficking organization, partners with Sarasota artist Marie Therese Lacroix for a fundraiser to benefit the nonprofit that provides services to children and youth victimized by human exploitation.

DON’T MISS

‘LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING’

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, April 1

Where: Municipal Auditorium, 801 Tamiami Trail N. Tickets: Individual tickets are $18. A variety of festival passes are also available Info: SarasotaFilmFestival.com.

Director Lisa Cortés uses archival footage and interviews with family members, musicians as well as Black and queer scholars to rip away the whitewashed veneer of the musical superstar Richard Penniman. “I Am Everything” unspools as part of the 25th Sarasota Film Festival, which runs through April 2.

PALMER MODERN OPENING

5:30-7:30 p.m. at 925 N. Lime Ave. Free

Visit CraigPalmerArt.com.

This event celebrates the opening of local abstract artist Craig Palmer’s art gallery with working artist studios in a converted warehouse in the Limelight District neighborhood.

FRIDAY

JAZZ AT TWO:

SARASOTA JAZZ PROJECT

2 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road $15-$20

Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

Led by co-founder George McLain, a 17-piece band plays the music of the great big bands of the past, as well as original compositions and arrangements.

‘CRUISE IT OR LOSE IT’

7 p.m. at The Players Studio, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 200 $15

Visit ThePlayers.org.

The 55+ performance group the Players Follies presents a musical set aboard the maiden voyage of the S.S. Luna Sea, and it’s anything but smooth sailing. Continues on April 1 and 2 p.m. on April 2.

MASTERWORKS: ‘A HERO’S LIFE’

7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $37-$99

Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

The Sarasota Orchestra performs Richard Strauss’ thinly veiled musical autobiography, which has been

thrilling audiences for 125 years.

Carlos Miguel Prieto, music director of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México and of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, will conduct. Continues Saturday and Sunday.

SATURDAY

SARASOTA OPEN AIR

FINE ART SHOW

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Phillippi Estate Park, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail Free; parking $5 Visit ArtsAndEducationInc.org.

Award-winning artists present their works — including paintings, clay, glass, sculpture, fiber, wood, jewelry and more — for sale in this juried show that benefits the Institute for the Arts and Education. Continues Sunday.

SPIRIT FEST

10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Robarts Arena, 3000 Ringling Blvd. $12 all day; $18 weekend Visit SpiritFestUSA.com/SarasotaAPR2023.

Vendors, readers, authors and more gather at this metaphysical and holistic fair featuring 80 booths. For an extra $10, attend a talk from 2-4 p.m. by History Channel personality Jim Vieira on the legendary healer Edgar Cayce. Show continues Sunday.

ROMA DOWNEY BOOK SIGNING

11 a.m. to noon at Bookstore 1, 1172 S. Pineapple Ave. Visit SarasotaBooks.com.

The “Touched by an Angel” star, film producer and author will sign her latest book, “Be An Angel” and host a conversation.

‘CHICKEN & BISCUITS’

2 and 8 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami

Trail $33 and up

Visit AsoloRep.org.

This hilarious play, presented by the Asolo Repertory Theatre, follows the Jenkins family as they celebrate the life of their recently deceased father and learn a family secret. Runs through April 13.

‘MAKE IT A BROADWAY NIGHT’

7 p.m. at the SCF Neel Performing Arts Center, 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton $15

Visit ManateeConcertBand.org.

The Manatee Community Concert Band featuring favorite Broadway show tunes. Members of the band range from hobbyists to those who have been professional musicians for 40 years.

‘BOTH SIDES OF JONI’

8 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $22; $20 members Visit WSLR.org/fogartyville.

Vocalist Alexis Cole is accompanied by an all-star cast of musicians, including arranger/pianist Monika Herzig, as they reimagine Joni Mitchell songs from their recent release “Both Sides of Joni.”

FST IMPROV PRESENTS:

TOURNAMENT OF FOOLS

8:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab Theatre, corner of Cocoanut and First Street.

$15 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

In this one-day comedy battle royale,

20th Anniversary Season

Hermitage

Friday, April 14 @ 5:30pm • Aleshea Harris

“Presenting a New Play” @ Asolo/FSU Center Cook Theater (Sarasota)

Saturday, April 15 @ 2pm • Sandy Rodriguez

“Putting Sarasota on the Map” @ Hermitage Palm House (Manasota Key)

Saturday, April 15 @ 6pm • Rennie Harris

“Street Dance Pioneer” @ Hermitage Beach (Manasota Key)

*Sunday, April 16 @ 6pm • Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner*

Gala Dinner @ Ca’ d’Zan, John and Mable Ringling Museum (Sarasota)

“The Pop-Folk World of Zoe Sarnak”

Wednesday, April 26 @ 7pm @ Nathan Benderson Park (Sarasota) with Hermitage Alum and Musical Theater Composer Zoe Sarnak

Award-winning composer Zoe Sarnak returns to Sarasota to perform her pop-rock, folk, and musical theater songs, and she’s bringing her ‘downtown vibe’ with her.

Presented in partnership with Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy Zoe Sarnak’s residency made possible by the Ruby E. Crosby Alumni Music Initiative at the Hermitage. 389688-1

To

Courtesy photos Appalachian Road Show performs Sunday at 7 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court.

12 FST Improv ensemble members compete for the coveted title of “Champion of the Fools.” After each round, the audience votes on who stays and who goes. There can only be one comedian left standing.

SUNDAY

APPALACHIAN ROAD SHOW

7 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $27; members $22

Visit WSLR.org/fogartyville.

Grammy-nominated banjoist

Barry Abernathy joins forces with Grammy-winning fiddler Jim VanCleve, fresh off his recent stint touring with multiplatinum country artist Josh Turner as well as esteemed vocalist and mandolinist Darrell Webb, who has recorded and toured with Dolly Parton.

DESOTA BAROQUE CONCERT

7:30 p.m. at Church of the Redeemer, 222 S. Palm Ave.

Tickets $25

Visit RedeemerSarasota.org.

The Sarasota-based group plays baroque music on period instruments.

MONDAY

FRANK TORCHIO: COMEDIC AND SINGING IMPRESSIONS FROM THE GOLDEN ERA

7 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. $30 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Frank Torchio reprises the nightclub acts of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jimmy Durante and more.

TUESDAY

‘LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST’ FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor

Training

8 p.m. at The Ringling Museum of Art’s Bayfront Gardens

Runs through April 23

$35

Visit AsoloRep.org/conservatory.

This early William Shakespeare comedy follows four young men, one of them a king, who swear off women. Good luck with that!

‘INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP’

7 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $33 and up Visit AsoloRep.org.

Travel back to 1973 to see how the O’Shea family deals with the potential loss of its prized respectability in this coming-of-age tale. This play explores first loves, Catholic guilt and the power of family. Runs through April 22.

OUR PICK

GAELIC STORM AND THE HIGH KINGS

— THE MIGHTY TOUR 2023

Formed in June 2007 as a ballad group specializing in traditional Irish music, The High Kings will be joined by chart-topping Celtic band Gaelic Storm.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 5

Where: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $27-$72 Info: Visit VanWezel.org.

WEDNESDAY

LENTEN NOONTIME RECITAL:

RICHARD BENEDUM Noon at Church of the Redeemer Free Visit RedeemerSarasota.org.

The is the last performance of a Wednesday organ series that continues through Lent.

‘VISIT JOE WHITEFEATHER (AND BRING THE FAMILY!)’

8 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. Tickets $25-$39 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Faced with a decline in tourism, a Pennsylvania town decides to rename itself in honor of a dead Native American war hero who never even visited. Runs through May 21.

‘PARALYZED’

7:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab Theatre, corner of Cocoanut and First Street $18-$39 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

The lives of two strangers with little in common besides their names — Leigh and Lee — come together after the discovery of a mysterious suicide note. Runs through April 21.

3 NIGHTS, 9 PERFORMERS, INFINITE DELIGHT. IT’S CHAMBER MUSIC THAT WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF.

Hermitage Turns 20 Benefit concert

Monday, March 20, at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall | Benefiting Hermitage Artist Retreat

Broadway performers of a wide variety of styles joined Hermitage Artist Retreat’s Artistic Director Andy Sandberg is a lively benefit concert celebrating the organization’s 20th anniversary at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on March 20.

The one-night-only concert brought together hundreds of the arts organization’s closest supporters for a night of music and support to raise funds for ongoing repairs for the Hermitage caused by Hurricane Ian.

What’s more is that the night featured Sandberg — a longtime performer and New York musical theater figure in his own right before joining the Hermitage — leading the show by singing a number of pieces himself.

Sandberg was joined on stage by Broadway performers Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Laura Bell Bundy, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Jeannette Bayardelle as well as Sarasota theater figure Ann Morrison and Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe performer Raleigh Mosely II. The performance had several touching tributes to the Hermitage’s Artist Retreat’s legacy over the years.

The night ended with a reception with Sandberg, the fellow performers and many of the Hermitage’s close supporters in the Grand Foyer.

— HARRY SAYER

Sherry and Tom Koski with Pauline Wamsler

Photos by Harry Sayer Raleigh Mosely II

Hermitage Artistic Director Andy Sandberg entertains the crowd.

April Pan, Tina Shao Napoli and Hua Cao

Laura Bell Bundy

Peter Offringa, Allison Gregory and Mark Creech

Healing & Hope

Friday, March 24, at Michael’s On East | Benefiting Second Chance Last Opportunity

Second Chance Last Opportunity hosted its second Healing & Hope fundraiser at Michael’s On East on March 24.

The nonprofit — which provides classes promoting life benefits like anger management, communication abilities and parenting skills for locals in need — had guests meeting at the event space for an evening of support. This year’s

event raised funds for an expanded SCLO Emergency Crisis Center, which will provide food distribution.

Renee Gilmore welcomed the crowd to the event before Dr. Rev. John Walker led an invocation. Guests enjoyed a buffet dinner before awards were presented to local figures. The night ended with a raffle and dancing.

— HARRY SAYER

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation brought in three speakers to discuss health topics during its Women & Medicine Educational Luncheon at Michael’s On East on March 24. Hundreds attended the 10th annual event that started with cocktails, light bites and silent auction bidding in the Michael’s courtyard. Eventually it was time for guests to take their seats and hear from event Co-chairs

Gwen Mackenzie and Sandi Stuart along with SMHF President Stacey Corley. The programs speaking segment featured Dr. Robinder Bhangoo with First Physicians Group, Sarasota Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health Services Executive Director Terry Cassidy and Psychiatric APRN Dana Gau in a panel moderated by ABC7 Suncoast View’s Stephanie Roberts.

This year’s event benefits patient care services at the Cornell Family Behavioral Health Pavilion.

Women & Medicine Educational Luncheon

Friday, March 24, at Michael’s On East | Benefiting Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation

Friday, April

— HARRY SAYER

Speakers Dana Gau, Dr. Robinder Bhangoo and Terry Cassidy

Photos by Harry Sayer

Gwen MacKenzie and Sandi Stuart

Arthur Boyce and awardee Nina Tortelli

Antorio Rooks, Courtney Benton, founder April Glasco and Robert Thompson

Photos by Harry Sayer

Chellsie Corder and Kathy Alder

Mark, Anthony and Robert Joseph