Arts + Entertainment 3.21.24

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ROAD TO RECOVERY: Sarasota playwright takes a humorous look at sobriety 3 >

<LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: Ringling College goes Hollywood for Avant-Garde. 8

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

+ ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

It could only happen in Sarasota.

That’s what Key Chorale Artistic Director Joseph Caulkins has to say about the Cirque des Voix (Circus of Voices), his organization’s annual collaboration with the Circus Arts Conservatory.

Where else in the world can you find circus artists, a 40-piece orchestra and a chorus of more than 100 voices under the same tent? That’s what will happen at this year’s Cirque des Voix, which takes place from March 22-23 at the Sailor Circus Arena.

Most trapeze artists, jugglers and high-wire walkers perform to recorded music. Other circus groups have been accompanied by an orchestra, but CAC Co-founder and CEO Pedro Reis says Cirque des Voix was the first to incorporate voice. Others have followed.

Bragging rights aside, Sarasota’s rich circus heritage, Reis’s formidable industry contacts and the area’s great March weather make this a perfect place for what Reis describes as an “epic” performance.

Like many collaborations, the Cirque des Voix didn’t happen overnight. According to both Caulkins and Reis, the godfather of Cirque des Voix was former Key Chorale Executive Director Richard Storm, a longtime music critic who died in 2019 at the age of 82.

Around 2010, Storm kept prodding Caulkins to meet with Reis in the hopes that Key Chorale would join forces with the CAC for a show.

“I thought it was a terrible idea,” Caulkins recalled during a recent interview at the Sailor Circus Arena that also included Reis. “Rich -

ard kept setting up meetings, and I would postpone them. But you can only put off a meeting for so long. Finally, I said to Richard, ‘Let’s go meet your circus guy.’”

It’s not that Caulkins has anything against collaboration. Indeed, under his leadership, Key Chorale has embarked on a number of partnerships with other area arts organizations, including the Venice Symphony and Booker High School VPA Choir. There was even a “Bachtoberfest” in October 2023 with Calusa Brewing Co. that brought together beer and the music of Johannes Sebastian Bach.

Caulkins just didn’t think a joint production with the circus would strike the right note with Key Chorale audiences.

For his part, Reis knew partnering with Key Chorale would yield something that was greater than the sum of its parts. “I knew it would work because it’s different kinds of energy and disciplines. You bring the energies together in a profound, posi -

tive way and you build an incredible show,” he says.

At their much-delayed meeting, Caulkins and Reis were able to decide on a name and map out a structure in less than an hour. The first Cirque des Voix took place in 2011 and was a nostalgic affair with clowns and horses.

Originally, the partners thought they were embarking on a one-time collaboration that might have an encore. They didn’t realize Cirque des Voix would have staying power, but it has. With the exception of pandemic-induced cancellations in 2020 and in 2021, it has become a much-anticipated event of the season.

Cirque des Voix has also evolved over the years, bringing glamour to the circus with world-class performers accompanied by dramatic music from screen and stage.

“We don’t have any clowns. We don’t have any animals,” Caulkins

ARTS

Circus Arts Conservatory CEO Pedro Reis and Key Chorale Artistic Director Joseph Caulkins share the spotlight at the 2023 Cirque des Voix.

says. “The show focuses on the artistry of the human body, things that involve a lot of strength, grace and elegance.”

You hear the word “elevate” a lot these days, but it’s more than marketing-speak when it comes to the Cirque des Voix. The circus experience truly has been elevated. In addition, there is air conditioning and the bathrooms are better than in the old days.

Lighting the Cirque des Voix can be a challenge, notes Reis, because the musicians and singers need enough light to read their music books, but it cannot be so bright that it distracts from the performance.

In addition to the unique synthesis of circus, orchestra and chorus, the audience also plays a vital role at Cirque des Voix.

course, younger audiences find them appealing.

Both Reis and Caulkins look for circus performers by screening YouTube videos. “It’s not like I’m the music guy and he’s the circus guy,” Caulkins says. “There’s a lot of back and forth.”

After they agree on a particular artist, Caulkins will turn off the sound on the video and imagine a composition that would be a dramatic accompaniment. For instance, speed juggler Tersit Asefu Dersu will perform to Paul Halley’s “Untraveled Worlds” this year.

“In classical music, we look funny at somebody if they clap at the wrong time or they didn’t wear the right clothing,” Caulkins says. “But at Cirque des Voix, the audience is very interactive. If they like a performer, they’ll clap. If they don’t like one of my jokes, they’ll jeer. You have these components working together, and each is heightening the other.”

Before far-flung circus artists come to Sarasota for a live rehearsal with Key Chorale’s orchestra and chorus, they receive a recording of the music they will perform to so they can refine the timing of their act, Reis says.

backdrop of a breathtaking sunset.

Because everyone involved is so busy, there are only two rehearsals prior to the Cirque des Voix run. One is with recorded music, and the other is live.

This year’s Cirque des Voix features music that will be familiar to gamers, including “Assassin’s Creed II: Ezio’s Family Suite,” which will be the soundtrack to Angelica Bongiovonni’s performance on the cyr wheel. “Fortnite: Main Theme” will be the musical backdrop for aerial straps artist Roman Tomanov, a Cirque du Soleil veteran.

Other highlights of this year’s show include the aerial duo Ganbaatar Sisters from Mongolia performing to “Skyfall” and performances by Sailor Circus Academy students to music from “Game of Thrones.” The acoustics in the Sailor Circus Arena are surprisingly good, Caulkins notes.

Caulkins says the length of video game soundtracks make them wellsuited for circus acts, which typically run 10 minutes or less. And, of

Ideally, Reis likes to book circus acts from what he calls his “A list” of performers a year in advance, but that’s not always possible. There are also last-minute substitutions due to personal circumstances or scheduling conflicts that must be accommodated.

For instance, trapeze artist Nicolas Allard was originally scheduled to perform to “Fortnite: Main Theme” before Tomanov replaced him. But that’s how they roll in the circus. In the end, the greatest thrills and chills are reserved for the audience. Cirque des Voix “is a roller coaster of emotion,” Reis says. “You walk away happy.”

A Florida playwright’s road to recovery

MARTY FUGATE

CONTRIBUTOR

Sean Daniels is an actor, a director, a playwright and a recovering alcoholic. His latest play, “The White Chip,” takes a walk on the funny side of his recovery. It’s part of Florida Studio Theatre’s Recovery Project and now playing at FST Stage III, where it is being directed by Aaron Munoz. “The White Chip” is also running in New York City with an all-star cast. Daniels is proud of that. But he grew up in Bradenton, and his mother still lives there. Bringing this play back home is another source of pride. In the following talk, he shares why.

Is “The White Chip” your own story or a work of fiction?

It’s both. My play is definitely autobiographical, though it didn’t take place in 40 minutes with just three people. I based it on my true story, but combined people and compressed events to make it work on stage. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde: “Everything I write is true, even the stuff I made up.”

What’s the personal truth behind your fiction?

I finally hit bottom. I could go without drinking for a few hours — then I just couldn’t make it. I’d been fired from work, my wife had left me and I’d crashed my car. It’d been so long since anybody smiled when they saw me coming.

I thought about taking my own life. But I called my mother instead. It was her one-year anniversary of getting sober. I figured she’d have the answer — and she did. She got me through that evening; then she got me into a rehab center in Jacksonville. After that, I connected

IF YOU GO

‘The White Chip’

When: Through April 12

Where: FST Bowne’s Lab, 1265

First St.

Tickets: $25-$46.

Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

with a group of sober Jewish men who met a few times each week. They’re the reason I finally stayed sober. I’d never met anyone like them in the recovery community.

What set these men apart?

They really knew the science of alcoholism — and they were excited to explain it to me. Their scientific attitude was completely new to me. Recovery circles are generally religious. I’d been trying to get sober for nearly two years at various other programs.

I’d been in hundreds of AA meetings. People talked about the higher power. The science aspect never came up. Brain chemistry and dopamine and neural pathways? The importance of genetics?

Nobody talked about that. But these gentlemen did.

Ah. So science is your higher power. Exactly. After my recovery, I tried to find a play that touched on the science of alcoholism. What I found was lots of old-fashioned dialogue, heavy-handed messages, no sense of humor and zero science. The play I was looking for didn’t exist. I realized I had to write it.

Why’d you write it as a comedy?

Because that’s the kind of play I’d want to go to. A morality play about the evils of drinking? Who wants to go to that? I grew up in the ’80s, and I watched all those boring afterschool specials on TV. No comedy, just serious, serious problems. “A very special person struggles with … ” whatever. I hated that stuff. I can’t understand a world without comedy.

Does that apply to the world’s serious problems?

Absolutely! Death, suicide, addiction and alcoholism — they’re all laughing matters. At the worst funeral, everybody’s waiting for an excuse to crack up, because they need that release.

Aside from making people laugh, what’s your larger goal in this play?

On the individual level, showing the path to recovery. That’s been happening in our New York production. After every single performance, somebody comes up and says, “OK. I’m ready to get help.”

On a cultural level, I’d like to help change the national narrative about alcoholism, addiction and recovery.

Back in the 1980s, plays like “Angels in America” changed the national narrative around HIV. Art helped people understand that the disease was a medical crisis, not a moral

failing. Art can create the same understanding about alcoholism. Along with being a playwright, you’re also the director of FST’s Recovery Project. How would you describe it?

We’re like a traveling road show. We use the performing arts to raise awareness and fight the stigma surrounding addiction and recovery. We’ve partnered with Live Tampa Bay, an organization dedicated to reducing overdose deaths.

Final obvious question: What’s the significance of “The White Chip?”

In many AA meanings, it means that you’ve decided to stop drinking. You can be drunk and still get your white chip. It’s a sign of your intention, not an achievement.

So it’s like a starting point. Like a white belt in karate. You’ve got to start somewhere.

Sean Daniels’ ‘The White Chip’ takes a humorous look at sobriety at FST’s Bowne’s Lab

Michael Flood, Saxon Palmer and Julia Brothers star in Sean Daniels’ “The White Chip,” playing through April 12 at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab.

Courtesy images

Sean Daniels wrote “The White Chip,” about his journey to sobriety.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

‘GIRLS IN THE BAND’

9 a.m. at Burns Court Cinema, 506 Burns Court

$12-$15

Visit SarasotaJazzFestival.com.

Judy Chaikin’s 2011 documentary about unsung female jazz and Big Band instrumentalists is one of many events during the Sarasota Jazz Festival, which runs through March 23.

CHAMBER SOIRÉES 6: CLASSICS FOR WIND AND BRASS

5:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail

$42 and up

Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Sarasota Orchestra plays Nielsen’s “Wind Quintet” and Ewald’s “Brass Quintet No. 3” in an intimate program that showcases musicians in a small-ensemble format.

GRACE KELLY-WYCLIFFE GORDON

6 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail

$48-$120

Visit SarasotaJazzFestival.com.

Jazz Club of Sarasota presents

DON’T MISS

‘DECEIT OUTWITTED’

Ready for an opera with a happy ending? In “Deceit Outwitted,” making its Sarasota Opera premiere, the peasant Filippo (David Walton) prays his daughter Sandrina (Yulan Piao) will marry the wealthy farmer Nencio (William Davenport) rather than her true love, who is poor. All is resolved through comic twists that include disguises in Hadyn’s lesser-known comedic opera. Runs through March 23.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 21

Where: at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

Tickets: $32-$155

Info: Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

musical prodigy Grace Kelly on the same bill as superstar trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. The concert is part of the Sarasota Jazz Festival, which runs through March 23.

DALLAS BRASS

7 p.m. at Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave. Building 5, Venice

$20-$65

Visit VenicePerformingArtsCenter. com.

Canadian Brass strutted their stuff in Sarasota back in December. Now it’s time for Dallas Brass. Founded in “Big D” by Michael Levine in 1983, the quintet plays a repertoire of classical masterpieces, Dixieland, swing, Broadway, Hollywood and patriotic music.

JOHN WYNN

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $26

Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

A former college professor, John Wynn won the World Series of Comedy and was named Miami New Times’ Best Comedian. You can see him on Hulu and hear him on Raw Dog Comedy on Sirius XM radio. Runs through March 24.

‘UP ON THE ROOF’

8 p.m. at FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. $37-$44

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Created by Rebecca Hopkins and Richard Hopkins with musical arrangements by Jim Prosser, “Up on the Roof,” pays tribute to Brill Building duos such as Carole King and Gerry Goffin; Burt Bacharach and Hal David; Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and others. Runs through March 31.

‘BORN WITH TEETH’

8 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $29-$75

Visit AsoloRep.org.

A tale of rival playwrights Shakespeare and Marlowe, “Born with Teeth” offers an alternative to the conventional wisdom with plenty of court intrigue thrown in for good measure. Runs through March 29.

FRIDAY

‘WESTMINSTER’

7:30 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St.

$5-$31

Visit UrbaniteTheatre.org.

Directed by Urbanite Artistic Director Summer Wallace, “Westminster” tells the story of a woman who receives a rescue dog as a surprise present from an old friend. Runs through April 28.

‘THE SPITFIRE GRILL’

7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center, 140 Tampa Ave. W.

$15-$37

Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

Based on the film by David Lee Zlotoff, “The Spitfire Grill” is described as a folk musical in the tradition of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Brad Wages is director and Michelle Kasanofsky is music director. Runs through April 21.

KRISTIN CHENOWETH

8:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $75-$145

Visit VanWezel.org.

Actor and singer Kristin Chenoweth, who has a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, performs at the Van Wezel as part of the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation’s Transformation Gala.

SATURDAY

‘LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR’

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$32-$155

Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

It’s closing night for Sarasota Opera’s production of Donizetti’s masterpiece “Lucia di Lammermoor.”

Last seen at the opera in 2012, “Lucia” stars soprano Ashley Milanese, making her company debut in the title role. Christopher Oglesby plays Lucia’s star-crossed lover Edgardo, and Jean Carlos Rodriguez is Enrico, Lucia’s brother.

JIM LAUDERDALE

8 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $15-$30 Visit WSLR.org.

‘HAMILTON’

When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.

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

Tickets: $59-$209

Info: Visit VanWezel.org.

The sensation that is “Hamilton” continues as the Tony Award-winning musical comes to Sarasota for the first time in a three-week run at the Van Wezel. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop bodice-ripper follows the romantic adventures of the first U.S. secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton. As the score says, you’ll “wanna be in the room where it happens.”

Can’t afford a ticket? A limited number of tickets will be available for $10 each via the official “Hamilton” app. The first lottery closes at noon, Thursday, March 21, for March 26-31 tickets. Subsequent digital lotteries will begin each Friday and close the following Thursday for the upcoming week’s performances. Runs through April 7.

Nashville-based Jim Lauderdale’s songwriting, guitar playing and vocal skills have been praised by everyone from George Strait to Elvis Costello. Lauderdale will play music from his 35th album, “Game Changer.”

FST IMPROV PRESENTS

‘LIFE’S A BEACH’

8:30 p.m. at FST’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $15 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

It’s last call for “Life’s a Beach.” Whether you’re a snowbird or a native, you’ll get a kick out of FST Improv’s show poking fun at the rituals of life in Sarasota.

SARASOTA JAZZ FESTIVAL LATE-NIGHT JAM

9:45 p.m. at Cohen Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail $20 Visit SarasotaJazzFestival.com.

The Sarasota Jazz Festival wraps with a late-night jam where community members are invited to join in the fun.

SUNDAY

FAMILY CONCERT: ‘PETER AND THE WOLF’

1 p.m. in English and 4 p.m. en español at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Hall $5 and up Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Want to introduce your family to live classical music without breaking the bank? Sarasota Orchestra presents Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale,”Peter and the Wolf,” which can be enjoyed by children of all ages. The 60-minute concert will be led by Alexander Jiménez and narrated by Victor Fernandez.

Image courtesy of Joan Marcus

Courtesy image

Image courtesy of Rod Millington

OUR PICK

GEORGE MAXMAN: MOZART + HAYDN

Virtuoso violinist George Maxman joins the Chamber Music Orchestra of Sarasota, led by Robert Vodnoy, in a concert of Mozart and Haydn. Maxman studied at the Moscow Conservatory of Music before migrating to the U.S.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21

Where: at First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak St.

TV: $5-$39

Visit: ChamberOrchestraSarasota.org.

Courtesy image

ENSEMBLENEWSRQ: ‘YOU ARE FREE’

7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 1031 S. Euclid Ave. $25 Visit Ensrq.org.

Raven Chacon’s Pulitzer PrizeWinning “Voiceless Mass” is the centerpiece of this program, which includes a world premiere from Kyle Rivera written for the contemporary classical music ensemble.

WEDNESDAY

‘FIRST LADY OF THE HIGHWAY-

MEN’

$44 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

The latest in McCurdy’s Music Monday series curated by Barry Weisblatt’s White Leaf Events features legendary saxophone player Bill Evans backed by McCurdy’s house band, The Ramblin’ Rockers.

MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ WITH WHITNEY JAMES AND FRIENDS

7:30 p.m. at John C. Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $34-$39

Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

Got a case of the blues now that the Sarasota Jazz Festival has wrapped? Head over to the Court Cabaret for Monday Night Jazz with Whitney James and Friends.

2 p.m. at Arts Advocates Gallery, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail $20 with registration Visit ArtsAdvocates.org.

Dr. Wanda Renee Mills will talk about the legacy of her mother, artist Mary Ann Carroll, the only female member of the Florida Highwaymen artists.

CONCERT BY SARASOTA BAY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

7 p.m. at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail

$30 Visit SarasotaBayChamberOrchestra.org.

Directed by Patricia Glunt, Sarasota Bay Chamber Orchestra presents flutist Jane Hoffman, a special guest in a program that includes Telemann’s Suite in A Minor for Flute and Strings. A reception will follow.

What does ‘Florida Woman’ have to say?

A dance theater premiere at The Ringling’s Art of Performance provides some answers.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Google “Florida Man” and the first thing that pops up is a Wiki entry that defines the term as: “an internet meme first popularized in 2013 referring to an alleged prevalence of people performing irrational or maniacal actions in the U.S. state of Florida.”

What about “Florida Woman?” Now, granted, Google knows your location, but the first thing that comes up is a dance theater performance of the same name at The Ringling’s Art of Performance series.

The work is making its world premiere March 22-24 in Sarasota at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater. It was commissioned by Elizabeth Doud, the Currie-Kohlmann Curator of Performance at The Ringling.

Thanks to The Ringling and longtime friends and artistic collaborators Rosie Herrera and Leah VerierDunn, Florida Woman is getting her moment in the sun.

Like many, Herrera and VerierDunn are weary of reading about the antics of Florida Man. He has provided plenty of fodder for the media, thanks to the Sunshine State’s transparent public records.

Surely, Wisconsin, which has some of the most lenient drunkendriving laws in the country, has its share of miscreants and wackos. But they are not as easy to find out about as Florida’s ne’er-do-wells.

The onslaught of Florida Man stories and posts prompted Herrera and Verier-Dunn to explore the wellbeing of Florida Woman through

IF YOU GO

‘Florida Woman’

When: March 22-24

Where: The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore

Road.

Tickets: $30-$40

Info: Visit Ringling.org.

dance, imagery and costume.

How’s she doing?

Florida Woman is feeling a little encroached upon these days, according to Verier-Dunn and Herrera, who met 20 years ago at New World College of the Arts in Miami.

Why? Rising housing prices, rollbacks in reproductive rights at both the state and federal levels, competing political agendas about education and libraries and last, but not least, the Sunshine State’s vanishing wildlife. (That’s singular, Florida Man.)

Now, one could argue that more development is just what’s needed to bring down home prices, but this is a story about art, not real estate.

Let’s let the creators of “Florida Woman” speak for themselves. In addition to Verier-Dunn and Herrera, the show includes Xan Burley and Alex Springer, creative and life partners who are assistant professors of Contemporary Dance Practice at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Based on the costumes for the show hanging on a rack in the Historic Asolo Theater during an interview with Verier-Dunn and Herrera, Florida Woman has cool clothes.

To hear the Florida women tell it, she loves her family and nature. She also loves her friends.

Both Verier-Dunn and Herrera are Florida natives. Verier-Dunn, who is Jewish, grew up in Sarasota, while Herrera was raised in Miami by Cuban immigrants. Since meeting at New World College, they have been

friends and artistic collaborators.

Herrera is a choreographer and artistic director of her eponymous dance theater in Miami, which Verier-Dunn joined in 2011.

In 2019, Verier-Dunn was the first Spotlight Florida Resident at The Ringling Museum. She has continued as an artist-in-residence during the creation of “Florida Woman.”

When Verier-Dunn was growing up in Sarasota, she used to think it was boring. “There were empty fields everywhere. Half the buildings down Fruitville didn’t exist,” she recalls. “Now it’s hard to find parking.”

Verier-Dunn says she loves Florida, but she’s starting to feel like natives like herself are being pushed out. “I don’t like the way people are being treated, the restrictive laws on women,” she adds.

Herrera chimes in. “The people who are coming to Florida now are coming for their version of freedom. Part of that narrative is that people who were already living here are having their freedom more and more restricted,” she says. “That juxtaposition of people coming here for a sense of freedom and the people who are here becoming less free is the friction that the work (‘Florida Woman’) is interested in.”

Development and the arrival of newcomers are an integral part of Florida, which has a history of booms and busts fueled by real estate speculation. But COVID was a tipping point for Herrera because rents skyrocketed as remote work increased, while performing artists like herself were hampered in their ability to earn a living.

Herrera says she had some dark moments during COVID, but was sustained by the strength of friendship with Verier-Dunn and others.

“The work, in addition to being a commentary on what’s going on in Florida, is also an expression of the need for deep female friendship,”

Theatre.” -Jay Handleman, Sarasota Herald Tribune

Herrera says. Asked about the costumes on stage, Herrera replies that the piece is “an aesthetic homage to the unique glamour, the unique wildness, the unique beauty of Florida.”

Through their work, Verier-Dunn and Herrera draw a comparison between the conquest of open space in Florida and what they see as the quest for domination of women’s bodies.

With “Florida Woman,” they are attempting to embody hyper vigilance in the face of feeling pushed out and a longing for what once was: Old Florida, if you will.

One of the tasks Herrera gave her dancers was to imagine that their body was a piece of land being colonized. “The movements comes from the state of embodying these conflicts and questions,” she says.

In addition to dance, movement and costumes, “Florida Woman” features imagery that the show’s creators fear may not travel well to other places. “We don’t even know if this show could tour because there are so many things that are Floridaspecific,” Herrera says.

Like what? A Pub Sub, for instance. For those who are visiting or who just arrived in Florida, that’s the moniker for a submarine sandwich bought at Publix supermarket.

One emblem of the Sunshine State that is widely recognized, the orange, is used to represent the body in “Florida Woman,” Herrera says. “Whether it’s juiced, whether it’s peeled, whether it’s consumed, whether it’s discarded is powerful on a symbolic level,” she says.

Herrera likens the orange to the womb and notes the “mother part of Mother Nature is a big part of the work,” since two of the four participants are moms themselves.

Herrera and Verier-Dunn say their goal in creating “Florida Woman” is not to make a political statement, but a personal one. “Our hope is to encourage people to find empathy for each other and all of the views that exist, as opposed to cutting off conversations that will help move us forward,” says Verier-Dunn.

So even if the Florida Woman wants to have her say, it turns out she’s a pretty good listener.

Courtesy image

Leah Verier-Dunn of Sarasota and Rosie Herrera of Miami perform “Florida Woman” March 22-24 at The Ringling’s Art of Performance series.

FST’s reinvented ‘The Flip Side’ brings songs in the key of laughs

Comedy and melody go hand in hand in “The Flip Side” at Florida Studio Theatre. Rebecca and Richard Hopkins created this cabaret revue in 2006 — and reinvented it in 2024. But its flippant spirit remains.

The revue’s songs still find the lighter side of nuclear apocalypse, death, divorce, old age and killer coconuts. The songwriters responsible are comic legends. Here’s a sample of the show’s selections:

Multitalented mocker Shel Silverstein is mainly known as the author and illustrator of beloved kids’ books like “The Giving Tree” and “Where the Sidewalk Ends.”

Silverstein’s legacy as the scurrilous songwriter for Dr. Hook and Johnny Cash is now largely forgotten. The Hopkins’ revue reminds us with Silverstein’s “Still Gonna Die” (1998) and “Killed by a Coconut” (1995), co-written with Bob Gibson.

Speaking of Johnny Cash, Second City alumnus Rick Moranis took the Man in Black’s standard, “I’ve Been Everywhere” and turned it inside out. Moranis’ “I’ve Been Nowhere” (2005) is now the anthem of an agoraphobic couch potato

The revue’s creators cleverly reframe the song parody as an anthem of COVID isolationism.

Tom Lehrer is one of the all-time greats of snarky songwriting. His humor could be playfully whimsical — or black as night. “The Flip Side” sticks to Lehrer’s dark side.

“We’ll All Be Together When We Go” (1959) looks on the bright side of death by nuclear annihilation. After the big red button gets pushed, there’ll be no survivors left to mourn the dead. Cheery thought, huh?

The loopy legacy of Ray Stevens, a redneck Rabelais who towered above the late 20th-century novelty song market, looms large in this revue, too. “The Bricklayer’s Song” (1980) describes the fate of an Irish bricklayer with a poor grasp of physics; “Would Jesus Wear a Rolex?” (1987) is a jab at greedy televangelists.

Dwight Latham and Moe Jaffe’s “I’m My Own Grandpa” (1947) pokes fun at family trees with very few branches.

John Forster gets in his licks with “Silicon Slim” (1993), the tale of a hacker told as a witty parody of a Western ballad. The scammer’s digital skim makes him a multimillionaire, one penny at a time. Nobody notices — except for a 7-year-old girl with a starter account.

IF YOU GO

‘The Flip Side’

When: Through June 16.

Where: Florida Studio Theatre’s John

C. Court Cabaret, 1265 First St., Sarasota

Tickets: $34-$39

Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Bo Burnham’s “Welcome to the Internet” (2021) shines a light on the sleazy hookers, crooks, con artists, fetishists, trolls and conspiracy theorists on the once shiny-and-new Information Superhighway.

Randy Newman’s “I’m Different” (1983) is a whimsical, wistful song about taking your own path and being yourself. Other people think you’re weird — so what?

Catherine Randazzo’s direction takes a fresh, new tack with the revue’s silly song selections. The 2006 premiere had a music hall feel. Her iteration feels more like vaudeville, and it’s fun.

Michael Werder, Chris Richie and William Selby dance around in Vanessa Russo’s kicky choreography. Her dance numbers always flow from (and add to) each song’s joke.

The talents doing the singing and dancing are all in top form. In some tunes, they’re a trio. In others, one gets the spotlight.

Werder’s hilarious in “Welcome to the Internet.” He does his best Joel Grey imitation as a creepy “Cabaret”-style emcee inviting you to dive into the Internet’s bottomless pool of depravity.

Selby (a dead ringer for Steve Martin) also works the creepy side of the street in “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park.”

Richie is a hoot in Stevens’ “Would Jesus Wear a Rolex?” His character, a viewer in a televangelist’s audience, almost writes a check — until he realizes the preacher’s already sporting upscale purchases on his wrist and fingers.

The production rotates its three pianists. Oliver Townsend tickled the ivories on the night of this review.

Music director Darren Server sizzles on Jim Prosser’s arrangements. (Server and Prosser are the other two pinch-hitting pianists.)

This flippant show is very funny. Why?

Analyzing laughter is a lot like dissecting frogs. Explaining the joke kills the joke. So I won’t. These songs make me laugh — and that’s good enough for me.

So take a walk on “The Flip Side.”

Michelle Cann joins Sarasota Orchestra for rousing 75th birthday performance

to the exuberant end.

Seventy-five years ago, on March

12, 1949, a fledgling orchestra that grew to become the mighty Sarasota Orchestra gave its first public performance. One hundred years ago, Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” had its premiere in New York City, and we are still enjoying it.

If this was not enough to celebrate, the Sarasota Orchestra struck gold by inviting pianist Michelle Cann to perform in its sixth Masterworks concert. The measure of her talent, passion and artistry was overwhelming.

Cann, a champion of the nearly overlooked, but astonishingly talented early 20th century composer Florence Price, clearly lives and breathes Price’s Piano Concerto in D Minor.

It was likely a first listen for most of the audience and the music was delightful, fresh and familiar. Fragments of spirituals woven into the lush harmonic fabric caught the ear, but a timeless lyricism flowed easily both from the keyboard and the orchestra under conductor Peter Oundjian. A sense of authentic and free expression exuded from the score and the soloist.

The fact that Price, being both Black and female in the U.S. in her time, had her music published and performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was a miracle. Even more so when she composed music so rooted in the Black experience yet blended with the European sensibilities of Dvorak.

Both Cann’s presence and musicality were arresting and revealed an intense passion. There was poetry in the lines, particularly in the elegiac middle movement. Jubilant and joyous, the final movement revealed familiar “cakewalk” strutting and ragtime rhythms straight

I have never heard anyone take on “Rhapsody in Blue” as Cann on the evening of March 15. She fearlessly followed her own interpretation with a pliant rubato. This performance had everything we could want, a dazzling pianist and the orchestra delivering every favorite element: the clarinet glissando, muted trumpet wa-wa and swell of strings.

It was a marvelous tour de force greeted by a roaring audience nearly as loud as the ovation after the Price concerto.

Not yet tired by her efforts, Cann returned for a Rachmaninoff encore in her own style, sharing her overflow of virtuosity.

Oundjian let the orchestra dazzle on its own, opening the concert with Rossini’s sparkling La Gazza Ladra Overture, where every note was crisp and perfectly placed.

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64, laden with Russian-European high Romanticism, seemed a rather sober companion to the radiant first half of the concert. However, it gave the orchestra a chance to flex its muscles and expand to full emotional capacity. Whatever story Tchaikovsky tells through his later symphonies, it’s a Tolstoy novel.

The darker colors of the orchestra — low strings, clarinet, bassoon, low brass — brought an admirable gravity to the hand of fate in this score. Yet, the art is in the tug-of war between lighter and darker forces leading to a celebrated triumph in the end. The unforgettable horn solo we all wait to hear was beautifully delivered by Joshua Horne.

The Sarasota musicians with Oundjian performed this symphony with depth, complexity and insight into the human condition.

Courtesy image

Pianist Michelle Cann performs with the Sarasota Orchestra on March 14 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

GOING HOLLYWOOD FOR AVANT-GARDE

March 16 at Ringling College of Art and Design | Benefiting Ringling College

Hollywood came to Ringling College of Art and Design the evening of March 16, and characters were out in full force for the school’s annual Avant-Garde fundraiser.

Guests at the event always come decked out in brilliant costumes, and this year was no different, given the night’s “Lights, Camera, Action!” theme. Indiana Jones was there, as was Audrey Hepburn, Elvis and Priscilla, Sonny and Cher and many Barbies — both “weird” and normal.

But the most anticipated moment of the evening is always the welcome by Ringling College President Larry Thompson and his wife, Pat. They came out as the almighty Oz and Glinda the Good Witch from “The Wizard of Oz.”

More than 400 attended the event, co-chaired by Frank and Katherine Martucci and Carol and Richard Kalikow. The evening raised hundreds of thousands in student scholarships for the school, one of the preeminent art colleges in the country.

— OBSERVER STAFF

Photos by Nancy Guth

Pearl Taylor, Dria Anderson-Whittaker, Sonia Rosa, Marina Elaine and Sarafina Murphy Gibson

Audrey Robbins, Harry Leopold, Lisa Morris and Mark Glasgold

Ringling students Isabelle Drischler and Kendall Gathas

Ringling College President Larry Thompson and his wife, Pat, welcome guests.

THURSDAY, MARCH 21 7:30PM 422073-1

Mozart + Haydn Chamber Orchestra of Sarasota

George Maxman, violin

Mozart: Violin Concerto No 5

First Presbyterian Church

2050 Oak St., Sarasota Tix: $39/adult, $5/student www.chamberorchestrasarasota.org or call 219-928-8665

Giving Breakfast

March 14 at Michael’s On East | Benefiting Safe Children Coalition

With bright smiles and a cheery atmosphere, the Safe Children Coalition welcomed more than 275 attendees to its second Giving Breakfast on March 14 at Michael’s On East.

The nonprofit honored four individuals for their work in helping children and serving as advocates for SCC: Melissa Larkin Skinner, CEO of Centerstone of Florida; Graci McGillicuddy, co-founder of All Star Children’s Foundation; and Joan and Bob Geyer, with Academy at Glengary and Sunset Automotive Group.

The Safe Children Coalition’s mission is to improve the well being of children and families in the community, with a specific focus on improving and supporting the child welfare system.

— OBSERVER STAFF

Honoree Centerstone of Florida CEO Melissa Larkin Skinner and Rodney Skinner

Photos by Lori Sax

Ann Marie Jones, Jessica Kruzo, Denise Grimes and Melissa Signor