Arts + Entertainment 5.2.24

MAN OF MANY HATS: Lee Gundersheimer grabs the spotlight with a wide range of productions. 3 >

BLACK TIE INSIDE:

< BALLET GALA: Sarasota Ballet features a London theme for its annual fundraiser. 5

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

TO PARIS WITH LOVE

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

EDITOR

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

It’s been said that “clothes make the man.”  Can a venue make an artist? Probably not, but a marquee space like Carnegie Hall can certainly inspire a musician or dancer to deliver their best performance. That’s why ensembleNewSRQ is looking forward to its debut at The Ringling Museum’s Historic Asolo Theater later this month.

First built in 1798 inside a palace in Asolo, Italy, the jewel-box theater’s elaborate proscenium, decorative panels, gilded stage boxes and other components were purchased by The Ringling in 1949. The historic theater, which opened for Sarasota performances in 1952, has only 286 seats.

When you attend a show in the intimate, beautiful theater, it’s easy to imagine yourself as a member of court or some other noble personage watching a rarified performance for the select few. No wonder The HAT, as the theater is nicknamed, is one of the most sought-after venues in town, along with the Sarasota Opera House.

Last year, ensembleNewSRQ (enSRQ), founded in 2015 by husband-and-wife team George Nickson and Samantha Bennett, held its first concert in the opera house. With that venue crossed off its wish list, it was natural for the contemporary classical music group to set its sights on the Historic Asolo Theater.

That dream will become a reality on May 9-11, when ensembleNewSRQ plays four concerts in three days

IF YOU GO

‘Parisian Refractions’

When: May 9-11

Where: at The Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bayshore Road.

Tickets: $30-$40 for each of the four programs

Info: Visit TheRingling.org.

in an event Bennett and Nickson are calling a “micro festival.”

Titled “Parisian Refractions,” the festival consists of recent masterworks and composers that “embody the City of Light, have been commissioned by groups in Paris or are deeply inspired and affected by the French capital,” according to the program notes.

“Parisian Refractions” is the capstone of a mostly Francophile (and Francophone) 2023-24 season in The Ringling’s Art of Performance series.

The ode to France’s artistic influence was the brainchild of Elizabeth Doud, who joined the museum in 2019 as the Currie-Kohlmann Cura-

ensembleNewSRQ makes its debut at the Historic Asolo Theater with ‘Parisian Refractions.’

tor of Performance. On her watch, the Historic Asolo Theater has rebranded as The HAT, with clever marketing materials featuring a flamingo wearing a hat.

Most of ensembleNewSRQ’s concerts take place in Sarasota’s First Congregational United Church of Christ, which Bennett describes as the group’s “musical home.” However, during its season it’s not unusual for the cutting-edge classical music group to perform for audiences in more theatrical settings.

At the church, “we have to invent the concert experience,” says Nickson, a percussionist and a musical jack of all trades. “It’s going to be super-great to come to a proper concert hall. The HAT has all kinds of lighting and a front-of-house experience.”

The HAT’s capacity is about onequarter the size of the Sarasota Opera House, which has about 1,100 seats. It also has a smaller stage, he notes. Nickson, former principal percussionist with the Sarasota Orchestra, and Bennett, former second prinSEE ENSRQ, PAGE 2

Image courtesy of Brian J Boyd

George Nickson and Samantha Bennett, co-founders of ensembleNewSRQ, pose on the stage of The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, where they will perform May 9-11.

cipal violinist with the Sarasota Orchestra, met when they were students at the New England Conservatory.

Nickson, who was two years ahead of Bennett at NEC, moved to Sarasota first, and Bennett followed. In 2019, they moved to Dallas but maintain a house in Sarasota.

Like its musical parents, “Parisian Refractions” will live in two places — Sarasota and Dallas, where Nickson is principal percussionist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and a faculty member of Southern Methodist University.

“Parisian Refractions” took place from April 23-28 in Dallas, where it was a collaboration of DSO, SMU and enSRQ. Throw in The HAT, and that’s a lot of acronyms to keep track of.

In Dallas, the festival was held in SMU’s Caruth Auditorium and SMU graduate students were heavily involved in the program. In Sarasota, enSRQ’s musicians will step in and play their parts, according to Bennett and Nickson.

PACKED LINEUP

Unlike their performances at the First Congregational Church in Sarasota, the first concert of “Parisian Refractions” features a conductor.

Maurice Cohn, assistant conductor of the DSO, led the first program, “Soloists and Sinfoniettas” in Dallas and will take the baton in Sarasota on

Thursday, May 9.

“Most of our concerts are unconducted,” says Nickson. “But the first program is a chamber orchestra, so it’s helpful to have a conductor. Maurice is an incredible artist. We will be lucky to have him in Sarasota.”

The soloists in the first program will perform recent works by Unsuk Chin and Kaija Saariaho, both of whom were connected to Paris and French musical life. Soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon will perform seven scenes from fairy tales while Bennett uses her violin to lead the audience on a tour of Saariaho’s “Graal Theatre.”

Fitz Gibbon has appeared at Marlboro and Tanglewood and has a repertoire that spans the Renaissance to the present.

In the last performance of “Soloists and Sinfoniettas,” Nickson and pianist Conor Hanick team up to play Chin’s Double Concerto for piano and percussion.

Program 2, on Friday, May 10, is a solo piano recital by Hanick, who will perform Otte’s “Book of Sounds.” A graduate of Northwestern University and the Juilliard School, Hanick has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. He is director of the Solo Piano Program at Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, Calif.

The second half of “Parisian Refractions” takes place on Saturday, May 11. Program 3, at 2 p.m., features Bennett and Fitz Gibbon performing Kurtag’s “Kafka Fragments,” based on 40 diary entries and pieces of writing from “The Metamorphosis” author Franz Kafka, who was raised in Prague.

The micro festival closes on Saturday night with an ambitious program called “Plucked and Struck,” featuring the works of Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez. The grand finale is Boulez’ “Sur Incises,” for three harps, three pianists and three percussionists. It will be led by Nickson.

“These are pieces that we have been wanting to perform because they are the great works of our repertoire,” says Bennett. “There’s not room for three pianos and three harps in the church. That’s why we’re grateful to have the great opportunity at The HAT.”

CONTINUED COLLABORATION

Although “Parisian Refractions” marks enSRQ’s debut at The HAT, it is not the group’s first appearance at The Ringling Museum. “We had a great collaboration with The Ringling in 2017,” says Bennett. “That was a series of five concerts that we did in different spaces at the museum.”

During that festival, Bennett and Nickson got to know Dwight Currie, who was then The Ringling’s curator of performances, who now serves as chairman of enSRQ’s board.

It was Currie who helped introduce the contemporary classical music ensemble to Doud, paving the way for this year’s appearance. “Dwight was adamant that we perform at The HAT,” Bennett says.

As they prepare for their groundbreaking festival at The Ringling, Bennett and Nickson can’t help reflecting on the legacy of circus magnate John Ringling, who donated his home and art collection to the state of Florida.

“The legacy of John Ringling helped make Sarasota an exceptional place for the arts,” Bennett says in a telephone interview from Dallas. “It’s what brings many artists to Sarasota. It’s what brought us there.”

Courtesy images

Soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon will perform with ensembleNewSRQ in its “Parisian Refractions” micro festival at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater.

Conor Hanick will perform a solo recital as part of “Parisian Refractions” at The HAT.

George Nickson is principal percussionist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the co-founder and coartistic director of ensembleNewSRQ.

Samantha Bennett is the former second principal violin with the Sarasota Orchestra and the co-founder and coartistic director of ensembleNewSRQ.

All’s well that ends well for Lee Gundersheimer

The former artistic director of The Players is a commanding presence in Sarasota theater.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Everyone has a favorite curmudgeon. For a lot of people, it’s Larry David of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” For others, it’s Jerry Stiller as George Costanza’s father on “Seinfeld.” If you’re old enough, it might be Mel Brooks playing the “2000 Year Old Man.” But if you live in Sarasota, your favorite curmudgeon could be Lee Gundersheimer. Some people know Gundersheimer, 65, for his short run as artistic director of The Players. This season, he’s lighting up stages at Tree Fort Productions, the Sarasota Jewish Theatre and the Sarasota Players (as the 95-year-old community theater now calls itself), to name a few.

Gundersheimer has been directing at the Manatee Players, where he called the shots on this season’s revival of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.” He was also featured in the Hat Theatre Collective’s recent musical “The Ballad of Old Manatee” at Manatee Village Historical Park in Bradenton.

We’re not through yet. Gundersheimer served as production manager and appeared on stage in 2023 at Theatre Odyssey’s popular TenMinute Play Festival. If you’ve seen the man who played Mark Rothko in Tree Fort’s production of the Tony Award-winning play “Red” inside the Asolo Repertory Theatre box office, you weren’t mistaken.

Last but not least, Gundersheimer has a “day job” — he’s a teacher.

Gundersheimer’s larger-than-life presence is even more remarkable when you consider his relatively short tenure in Sarasota. The Florida native returned to his home state in 2022 to take the artistic director job at The Players to great fanfare.

The Observer called it a “triumphant career journey home” when Gundersheimer replaced Jeffery Kin,

who left The Players after 15 years to found an arts festival, Sarasota Rising, which will debut in November.

The prodigal son was back in his native Florida. In his time away, the Miami native and Florida State University graduate had helped open two theaters in Manhattan — Avalon Rep and the Century Center for the Performing Arts. He also served as managing director of the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, Minnesota, in addition to teaching theater.

An impressive set of credentials to be sure, but Gundersheimer was fired by The Players after just eight months. “I still don’t know why,” Gundersheimer says in a recent interview.

Oddly enough, Gundersheimer’s successor as artistic director also departed suddenly. Steven Butler resigned in March after 14 months in the position.

After getting fired by The Players, Gundersheimer didn’t waste time in finding a new job. He teaches English at Southeastern High, an accredited Miami Lakes academic institution that allows students to earn a degree online.

Listening to Gundersheimer recount his life story, it’s hard not

Listening to Gundersheimer recount his life story, it’s hard not to chuckle at the poor-little-rich-boy tale. He “tragically” grew up in Miami Beach, a place that he was not suited for, with the exception of his love of playing tennis.

to chuckle at the poor-little-richboy tale. He “tragically” grew up in Miami Beach, a place that he was not suited for, with the exception of his love of playing tennis. “There wasn’t much culture. There was the (now defunct) Coconut Grove Playhouse. There wasn’t much else,” he says. “All I wanted to do was get to New York.”

While he was at Florida State, Gundersheimer was selected to be an apprentice at Burt Reynolds’ theater in Jupiter, Florida, along with fellow classmate Annie Morrison, who would become another mainstay of Sarasota theater.

Footnote: It would be another 40 years before Gundersheimer crossed paths with Morrison again. He ran into her when she was teaching at Katherine Michelle Tanner’s Tree Fort Productions.

While in Jupiter, Gundersheimer got his Actors Equity card and performed alongside Reynolds and Sally Field in “The Rainmaker.” Heady stuff for a Florida State student. Reynolds and Field were big Hollywood stars. “My dad got to see me do

Photographs of the Traveling

by Jill Freedman and Randal Levenson

that,” Gundersheimer recalls. “It was a big deal.”

Not long after, Gundersheimer says he “raced to New York.” He got a copy of Uta Hagen’s book outlining her method of acting. Then he was accepted into the legendary acting teacher’s class and studied with her for three years.

After a successful run in New York, Gundersheimer decided to reinvent himself after his wife died. He took a job as a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota’s Duluth campus. But his academic ascent was hindered by his lack of a Ph.D. He pivoted to arts administration for the city of Winona, but his position was eliminated, Gundersheimer says.

After learning about the job at The Players, he decided to return to Florida. “I didn’t want to go back to New York and pay $8 for milk,” he says.

Despite the bump in the road at The Players, Gundersheimer has found his niche in Sarasota’s vibrant arts community. He may not have been the right fit for the artistic director job, but Gundersheimer will be on stage at The Sarasota Players

in June in “The

Reading the description of “The Happy Dale,” one can’t help but notice the parallels between the play and Gundersheimer’s life: “Due to outlandish behavior following his wife’s death, retired English teacher Ben Lieberman is remanded to Happy Dale, an assisted living facility where he plots his escape.”  Gundersheimer’s not in assisted living yet, but he’s an English teacher who has suffered the loss of a spouse. Outlandish behavior? He did approach two women in the parking lot of The Crossings at Siesta Key in October and asked what they had been doing in the mall. When they told him they had seen a play about the artist Mark Rothko, he asked, “Was it any good?”  “It was fabulous,” replied one of the women, without letting on that she recognized its star.  “Maybe I’ll go see it,” Gundersheimer replied, as he unlocked his car.

Happy Dale.” Written by Dan Landon, the comedy won the 2023 Players New Play Festival.

Image courtesy of Donald Walker

Lee Gundersheimer performs in “In Remembrance” at Theatre Odyssey’s Ten-Minute Play Festival in 2023.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

HERMITAGE SUNSETS @ SELBY GARDENS: ‘SOUND AND SILENCE’

6:30 p.m. at Historic Spanish Point, Osprey $5 with registration Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Hermitage Fellows Bill Bowers, a well-known mime and storyteller, and Kavita Shah, a multilingual singer, explore sound and silence in this collaboration between the Hermitage Artist Retreat and Selby Gardens.

VOICES: RISING

CHOREOGRAPHERS

7 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $20 Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.

The program presents new works by choreographers selected from Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s Summer 2023 Intensive Program by SCD Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott. Runs through May 5.

PINKY’S PLAYERS PRESENT

‘HEE HAW’

7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre, 150 Tampa Ave. W., Venice

$22 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

Pinky’s Players, Venice Theatre’s community engagement program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, presents

DON’T MISS

KENNY G

In a career encompassing three decades and 23 albums, Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kenny G has created a unique sound by weaving together elements of R&B, pop and Latin music.

IF When: May 5 Where: Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $60-$85 Info: VanWezel. org.

a show inspired by TV’s “Hee Haw,” featuring humor and country music. Runs through May 5.

‘KISS ME KATE’

7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $30-$42

Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.

Winner of the first Tony Award for Best Musical, “Kiss Me Kate” tells the story of an estranged showbiz couple playing Petruchio and Kate in Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew.” Runs through May 11.

‘THE IMMIGRANT’

7:30 p.m. at The Players Centre, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Studio 1130

$28-$36

Visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.org.

Directed by Gus Kaikkonen, Mark Harelik’s “The Immigrant” follows a Russian-Jewish newcomer Haskell Harelik (Michael Raver), who makes his way in a devout Christian community in Texas. The play also features Vickie Daignault as Ima Perry, Chris Caswell as Milton Perry and Noah Friedman as Leah Harelik. Runs through May 12.

‘THE FLIP SIDE’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St., Sarasota

$37-$42

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

With songs like “The Ballad of Sigmund Freud” and “Killed by a Coconut,” the latest cabaret creation of Richard and Rebecca Hopkins tips its musical hat to comic songwriters. The show features arrangements by Jim Prosser. Runs through June 16.

‘TROUBADOUR’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St., Sarasota

$39-$56

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Featuring music by Sugarland’s Kristian Bush, “Troubadour’ tells the story of a country music legend’s son in the 1950s who is trying to carry on his father’s legacy. When he joins forces with unlikely allies, the world of country music is changed forever. Runs through May 19.

FRIDAY

JAZZ @ 2 — RODNEY ROJAS JAZZ

ENSEMBLE

2 p.m. at Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road

$15-$20

Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

Presented by Jazz Club of Sarasota, Rodney Rojas and his New Profiles in Jazz Ensemble will perform Big Band Jazz.

OPENING RECEPTION FOR PETTICOAT PAINTERS

6-8 p.m. at Spaaces Gallery, 2051 Princeton St. Free Visit Spaaces.art.

Formed in 1953 in response to discrimination faced by female artists, the Petticoat Painters consists of 20 female artists from the Sarasota area. The exhibition, “Women Artists: Courage in the lifelong Pursuit of Art Making” showcases one of the longest-running female arts groups in the U.S. Runs through June 1.

ROBERT KELLY

6:30 and 8:50 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $31 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

Robert Kelly hosts the top-rated podcast “You Know What Dude?” found on iTunes and Patreon, as well as co-hosting “Calta and Kelly” with Mike Calta, and “Bone To Pick” with Paul Virzi, both on iTunes and YouTube. Runs through May 4.

‘SANCOCHO’

8 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Avenue W., Bradenton

$20 Visit CreArteLatino.org.

“Sancocho” takes its name from the traditional stew served in many Latin American countries. It’s CreArte Latino’s second venture into theater projects. Runs through May 4.

‘BANK JOB’

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

$15-$32

Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

After two brothers pull off a bank heist, their perfect crime gets thwarted in a comic romp with a dash of romance thrown in. Runs through May 19.

CHUCHITO VALDÉS

8 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court

$16-$32

Visit WSLR.org.

The son of Chucho Valdés, piano master Chuchito Valdés and his band play a dynamic blend of Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz, bebop, Danzon, cha-cha-cha, Son Montuno and more.

SATURDAY

SARASOTA CUBAN BALLET SCHOOL RECITAL

6 p.m. at Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way $40 Visit SrqCubanBallet.org.

OUR PICK

OUTDOOR POPS: BACK TO THE ’80S Sarasota Orchestra turns back the clock to the decade known for big hair, shoulder pads and exposed underwear (if you were a follower of pop icon Madonna). The Material Girl’s hit of the same name will be just one of many No. 1 songs from the decade performed by three different vocalists during the outdoor concert. Others are Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” and “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & the News. Continues May 4.

IF YOU GO

When: 8 p.m. Friday, May 3

Where: Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th St.

Tickets: $20 and up Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra. org.

The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School presents its end-of-the-year performance. The school was founded in 2011 by the Cuban-born husbandand-wife team of Ariel Serrano and Wilmian Hernández.

SUNDAY

MIRÓ QUARTET

4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church $40 Visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org.

The first half of the program will be Beethoven’s “String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131.” In the second half of the program, violinist Sandy Yamamoto and pianist Julio Elizalde join the quartet to perform Chausson’s “Concerto” for violin, piano and string quartet.

MONDAY

MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT THE CABARET

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

Jazz Club of Sarasota presents Hot Club SRQ. The string ensemble plays what they call “Gypsy Jazz” inspired by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for dinner and drinks.

Join us for free innovative programs in music, theater, art, literature, dance, and more, featuring award-winning artists from around the world.

“Seeing Oneself and Celebrating Identity”

Wednesday, May 15 @ 6:30pm Asolo Repertory Theatre’s Koski Center (Sarasota)

A NY Times Critic’s Pick and Obie Award-winning playwright, director, and Hermitage Fellow, Shayok Misha Chowdhury shares work and his experiences making theater that reflects and celebrates the diversity of the world in which we live.

Presented in partnership with ALSO Youth and Asolo Repertory Theatre

A Piano Performance: “Sonata in Memoriam Lloyd Arriola”

Friday, May 24 @ 5:30pm Oak Street Stage (Sarasota)

In an ambitious piece for solo piano, Hermitage Fellow Robert Pound has taken the tragic loss of Juilliard-trained pianist Lloyd Arriola to create a sweeping composition at the Hermitage, which will be performed by his colleague and fellow Juilliard pianist Charles Hulin IV.

Presented in partnership with Oak Street Stage

To register (required) for upcoming programs: HermitageArtistRetreat.org

Sunday, April 28, at Circus Arts Conservatory | Benefiting Sarasota Ballet

Sarasota Ballet Gala BLACK TIE

Cocktails, dinner, and, of course, dancing — first by the professionals and later by partygoers — marked the Sarasota Ballet’s annual gala April 28. The dancers of the ballet put on a special performance at the Sarasota Opera House before the party moved to the Circus Arts Conservatory, where the evening continued with dinner and dancing.

In a nod to the ballet’s upcoming premiere international tour, the event celebrated with a London theme. It also honored longtime ballet supporters Bud and Betty Shapiro.

Funds raised from the gala benefit the Sarasota Ballet, which includes its professional company as well as its education

David Welle and Rosemary Reinhardt with Margie and Kelvin Cooper

Maya Collins

Kimberley Pelyk and Andrea Benza

Mark Hare, Suvannah Campbell and Javier Gutierrez

Dorcha Sales and Tamara Jacobs

Jim Lampl and Allison Anderson

Alessandra Nova, Olivia Dugan and Paige Young

Photos by Lori Sax Marlene Hauck and Donna Koffman

Jim Capazola, James Amato and Mandy Ford

Co-chairs Aimee Chouinard and Terry McKee

Deb Kabinoff and Scott Taylor

Anne Weintraub and Sal Diaz-Verson

Spring Soiree

Photos by Janet Combs

Board Chair John Barringer and event Chair Courtney Barringer

Karen Gray, Kristi Dyer and Andrea DiLiberto