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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

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Ringling International Arts Festival brings one-of-a-kind performances to The Ringling.

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W

hen Dwight Curry first read the subject line of the email announcing the lineup of the 2016 Ringling International Arts Festival, he wasn’t quite sure what to think.

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Role of a Lifetime Sarasota actress lands lead role in Broadway national tour of “Annie.” PAGE 9

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“Mo(or)town/Redux,” by Doug Elkins Choreography, Etc., combines “Othello” with Motown music.

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Sarasota’s upcoming concert season is full of firsts. See what’s in store.

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“WARNING!” it read. “May Cause Excessive Joy and Laughter.”

As the curator of performances for the eighth annual performing arts festival, he admittedly had mixed feelings about the email’s lighthearted tone. Certainly an international arts festival is a more serious endeavor, he thought.

“You don’t normally associate a museum with something like that,” he says. “I was a bit unnerved at first.”

But the more he pondered the festival’s mission — and its lineup, which he spent the last year curating — the more accurate it seemed. Sure, the festival has its share of serious subject matter.

And the caliber of the performances is world-class.

But there’s a lot of playfulness, too.

He points to one upcoming

performance in particular: “The Pianist.” In it, New Zealandbased comic performer Thomas Monckton surprises audiences with a slapstick-style grand piano concert.

“At the beginning of the performance, Monckton walks out to sit down at this grand piano,” says Currie. “He’s dressed in a tuxedo, and there’s an ornate chandelier hanging above the piano. He immediately hits his head on the chandelier, and it’s all downhill from there. He’s playing with the idea of pretension. It’s good to do that — to laugh at ourselves and the sort of pretension that can come with art appreciation.”

PLAYING MATCHMAKER

For the last eight years, the Ringling International Arts Festival has brought some of the best performers from around the world to Sarasota for four days of music, dance, acrobatics and theater.

It’s a few weeks before open-

“It’s good to do that — to laugh at ourselves and the sort of pretension that can come with art appreciation.”

— Dwight Currie, curator of performances

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Nick Friedman

Dwight Currie is the curator of performances for the Ringling International Arts Festival. He likens the process to matchmaking.

Courtesy photos

Above: Last year, Asian art was in focus. This year is less geographic.

Left: Thomas Monckton turns the idea of artistic pretense on its head in his performance, “The Pianist.”

ing night, when the festivities will kick off with an outdoor celebration in the museum’s courtyard. Currie is sitting in his office, looking over this year’s lineup, growing more excited as he describes each of the upcoming performances. He’s starting to feel a bit nervous. But he says that happens every year around this time.

He likens the whole curatorial process to that of playing matchmaker: He travels to the biggest festivals on the circuit — Jacob’s Pillow, Montréal Complètement Cirque and others — to keep up to date on the newest and most innovative performers in the industry.

The goal, he says, is to bring a diverse sampling of those performers to Sarasota, providing local arts enthusiasts an opportunity to see something they’d never be able to experience outside New York City or other urban centers.

He knows Sarasota will love the performers, and he’s excited to show them off. At the same time, he knows the performers will love Sarasota. But, like setting up two friends, a small voice in the back of his mind begs the question: What if they don’t?

“It’s sort of the pinnacle of anxiety,” says Currie with a laugh. “I fall in love with these acts, and I think they’re wonderful. We’ve been lucky to only have a few performances receive a less-thanfavorable response.”

He recalls modern Japanese dance duo Eiko and Koma’s 2011 RIAF performance. He was enthralled with their work, and couldn’t wait to debut it at The Ringling.

“I was so excited to have them

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

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for performance art. These are one-of-a-kind works, straight from the hands of the creators.

But where some of the art in our museum is more than 1,000 years old, this is a fleeting experience.

You have to be there for it.”

IF YOU GO RINGLING INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL When: Oct. 13 through 16 Where: The Ringling; Opening night celebration takes place 8 p.m. Oct. 13 Tickets: Tickets $80 Info: Call 359-5700.

THE RIGHT BALANCE

here,” he says. “There was a raked stage, complete with a tapestry of grass and grains. And in the middle of it all were these two naked performers drumming and chanting. You could almost hear a collective gasp from the audience.

But Eiko was thrilled. She loved the response.”

And for Currie, that’s the point.

The festival isn’t about just taking the safe route. It’s about bringing a sampling of what’s out there and introducing it to a local audience — an audience he says people often underestimate.

“You hear people say things like, ‘Oh, this is great, but I’m not sure Sarasota is ready for this,’” he says. “If you believe a Sarasota audience won’t respond to anything created after 1896, you’re not giving them enough credit.

We’re constantly moving forward and looking for new ideas. Sarasota is ready for anything.”

It’s also about bringing performance art to a visual art museum.

“This differs from other types of performance art, where maybe you have a script and you reinterpret it,” he says. “Museums don’t deal in re-creations — we deal in one-of-a-kind works. So the same criteria should be in place

RIAF OPENING NIGHT 2016

Unlike last year’s festival, which focused on Asian performance art in anticipation of the museum’s Center for Asian Art opening, this year’s schedule is less geographically organized. But the shows still share a narrative thread.

Choreographer Doug Elkins will return to the festival — the first encore performance in the festival’s history — to perform two works: “Hapless Bizarre” and “Mo(or)town/Redux.”

The former is an overtly comical, witty performance incorporating elements of slapstick, physical comedy and vaudevillian sensibilities. The latter, while more somber in tone, still contains its own elements of whimsy, reimagining Shakespeare’s “Othello” through classic Motown music. The resulting mash-up asks viewers to see both elements in a new light. (Picture Iago confronting Othello with the infamous handkerchief — a symbol of infidelity — set to the tune of “Heard it Through the Grapevine.”)

If you’re looking, says Elkins, thematic similarities will emerge, and that’s part of why he finds the festival such a unique one.

“They have a willingness to bring in what at first seems like divergent shows,” he says. “When you pull back, it’s almost like tiles in a mosaic. That’s not something you can see in a pamphlet.”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

THURSDAY RINGLING COLLEGE STUDENT SHOW 5 p.m. at madeby Gallery, 2700 N. Tamiami Trail Free Call 822-0442.

Ringling College of Art and Design presents its sixth annual student show. Meet the artists, see their work and enjoy refreshments. Runs through Nov. 4.

JACK DANIEL’S 150 YEARS DINNER 6:30 p.m. at Made Restaurant, 1990 Main St. $75 Call 953-2900.

Celebrate 150 years of Jack Daniel’s with a four-course dinner created by Chef Mark Woodruff, as well as five specialty cocktails.

RINGLING UNDERGROUND 8 p.m. at The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road $15 for adults; free for students and children younger than 5 Call 359-5700.

Ringling Underground returns, featuring live music by Roadkill Ghost Choir, Someday River and Blonk, and art by Irene Garibay, Ava Howard, Ruzica Ivanovic, Celia Garcia Nogales, Sophia Schultz and Sarah Viviana Valdez.

The event features a cash bar and a taco and quesadilla station by Poppo’s Taqueria.

ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART 8 p.m. at The Blue Rooster, 1525 Fourth St. $10 to $15 Call 388-7539.

Alvin Youngblood Hart has received accolades from the likes of Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor. Now catch him onstage in Sarasota.

FRIDAY

DON’T MISS

MUSIC IN THE PARK ANNIVERSARY PARTY 7 p.m. at Café in the Park, 2010 Adams Lane Free Call 361-3032.

Enjoy food, drinks and live music

by Clover’s Revenge, an acoustic Irish speed-folk band.

CAROLINE RHEA 6:30 and 8:45 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $27 Call 925-3869.

Caroline Rhea, known for her roles in "Man on the Moon," starring Jim Carrey, and "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch," as well as appearances on Comedy Central and HBO, performs Friday and Saturday at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre.

‘OLD FLORIDA: A 21ST CENTURY INTERPRETATION’ Artists Tim Jaeger, Joseph Arnegger and Tom Stephens reunite for this group exhibition that explores the concept of Old Florida. Runs through Nov. 11.

IF YOU GO When: 5:30 p.m. Friday Where: The Longboat Key Center for the Arts, 6860 Longboat Drive Tickets: Free Info: Call 383-2345.

ONLINE Find more information on these events and more at YourObserver.com.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

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SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

TASTE OF ST. ARMANDS 5:30 p.m. at St. Armands Circle Park $45 in advance; $50 at the door Call 388-1554.

GARDEN MUSIC SERIES: LA LUCHA 1 p.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 900 S. Palm Ave. $6 to $19; free for members Call 366-5731.

RAT PACK TRIBUTE WITH JOHN RUSSO 6 p.m. at the Starlite Room, 1001 Cocoanut Ave Free Call 702-5613.

La Lucha performs a mixture of jazz, Latin-inspired rhythms and original songs at this monthly live-music series.

Croon your Monday blues away with John Russo’s entertaining tribute to the original kings of croon — The Rat Pack. Enjoy a throwback cocktail, order dinner and let Russo take you back in time.

SHAME ON SHAME ART OPENING 7 p.m. at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court Free Call 545-5635.

Taste a sampling of culinary creations offered by more than 18 St. Armands Circle restaurants.

The event features a variety of cuisine, including seafood, Italian, Irish, Colombian and Mexican fare. A portion of the proceeds benefit Take Stock in Children.

ARI AND THE ALIBIS 8 p.m. at Servandos, 1525 Fourth St. Free Call 954-7400.

DRAG QUEEN BINGO BONANZA 8 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $20 Call 925-3869.

Ari and the Alibis, a soulful fivepiece band with a jazzy, blues flair, performs live at Servandos.

LDG Productions presents an evening of bingo with Beneva Fruitville, featuring a Halloween theme, special guests and prizes from Kinky Kitty.

BEATS ON TAP 9 p.m. at Mandeville Beer Garden, 428 N. Lemon Ave. Free Call 954-8688.

PIANO GRAND 3 p.m. at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $45 Call 306-1200.

Mandeville Beer Garden offers an evening of craft beer and live music, featuring DJ 2 Short and DJ Fluid.

Five pianists share one stage at this unique performance by Artists Series Concerts.

This art exhibition, coordinated with National Coming Out Day, includes a variety of visual art, live performances and a book signing

by Howard Ziehm, the author of “Take Your Shame and Shove It.”

WEDNESDAY LESA SILVERMORE BAND AND MOUNTAIN HOLLER 10 p.m. at the Gator Club, 1490 Main St. Free Call 366-5969.

Moxie Productions presents the Lesa Silvermore Band, oneman act Mountain Holler and a special guest, who is yet to be announced.

NICK’S PICK BEER, BOATS AND BACON Enjoy unlimited craft-beer sampling, rowing classes, live music, and of course, bacon from a variety of food

vendors at this family-friendly event.

IF YOU GO When: Noon to 7 p.m.

Where: Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle Tickets: $10 to $30 Info: Call 358-7275.

– NICK FRIEDMAN

‘THE WIZ’ 8 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre, 1646 10th Way $22 to $39.50 Call 366-1505.

Catch the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s production of this Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. Loosely based on the original Wizard of Oz story, this version is a soulful, Motown rock reimagining as seen through the African-American lens. Runs through Nov. 19.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

MUMS THE WORD ‘Secret Garden’ exhibit offers a rare look into Selby’s botanical art collections.

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ucked away at the end of Palm Avenue are more than 140,000 preserved remains of once-living beings filed away in a laboratory. Some float in alcohol-filled jars.

Others lie pressed between the pages of books that discuss their anatomy. But they’ve all been kept from the public for decades.

Until now, that is.

The Payne Mansion at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens now houses the institution’s newest exhibit, “Selby’s Secret Garden,” which offers Sarasotans a rare peek into the treasure trove of preserved plant and botanical art that Selby has accumulated in its 41 years of existence.

David Berry, the assistant director of academic affairs at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, was chosen to curate the exhibit. Berry has always fostered an interest in botany and the natural sciences, but his true asset comes from his graduate experience at Oxford University, where he researched the origins of museums, gardens and libraries.

Berry believes the exhibit is unique because it not only gives

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visitors the chance to view specimens and illustrations they might never otherwise see, but it also shows them that there’s more to a flower than its looks.

“I like the fact that the different materials being exhibited are all beautiful in their own way,” he says. “But they’re also tools of botanical research — it’s not just the beauty or the aesthetic quality. These have a role to play and a contribution to make to scientific discovery.”

Indeed, the 13 shelves of “spirit jars,” are beautiful. The specimens, preserved in an alcohol solution, sit on a western-facing wall of the exhibit room, catching the light in a way that causes visitors to stop and marvel. But upon further inspection, they learn more about the science behind the beauty. This slice of the world’s second largest spirit collection owes its splendor to a liquid preservation method used to maintain the specimen’s three-dimensional shape.

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Photos by Niki Kottmann

ORGANIC ORIGINS

Courtesy Photo

The exhibit displays multiple Victorian-era prints of plants, many of which are orchids like this that can be found in Florida.

Selby President and CEO Jennifer O. Rominiecki came up with the idea for the exhibit in summer 2015. After 10 months of preparation, it opened to the public Aug. 26, with the hope of exposing visitors to the research tools that botanists used throughout the age of exploration in the New World.

“Google is more convenient,” says Mischa Kirby, director of marketing. “But the prints, drawings and herbarium specimens are still key parts of botanical studies.”

The tools Kirby references are what Berry calls “works of art in and of themselves:” botanical illustrations.

Selby’s vaults are home to more than 2,700 botanical prints and more than 500 bound volumes of rare books that date as far back as the 1700s. And they all contain this unique form of art — one that can only be done by artists who are trained to be scientifically accurate.

AN ART OF NECESSITY

Local artist, writer and teacher Olivia Marie Braida-Chiusano is a prominent name in the world of botanical art, who opened

Selby’s copy of “The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala” by James Bateman — the largest and heaviest book on orchids ever to be printed — is a focal point of the botanical art section of the exhibit.

The Academy of Botanical Art in 2004. She explains that the history of botanical art dates back before 30,000 B.C. Without it, she says, ancient physicians couldn’t determine which plants were helpful to patients and which were harmful.

The artform was thus created out of necessity, but has developed as a guide that both Victorianera and modern botanists use to identify plants in the field.

“It’s the value of everything we come from and everything we’re going to,” says Braida-Chiusano.

“What Selby is doing is contributing to the protection of our Earth.”

Berry notes that without plants, life as we know it would not exist.

Plants are what sustains all life on Earth, he says, and it’s important for people to understand that in a time when our environment faces many threats.

He hopes working with Selby to tell its story in the most visually appealing way will help it achieve its ultimate objective.

“That is a fundamental goal,” he says. “To better understand plant life, and by extension, the role plants play in the world in which we live.”

IF YOU GO SELBY’S SECRET GARDEN When: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 27; Conservatory will feature live versions of the plants in the exhibit from Oct. 14-Nov. 27 Where: Payne Mansion at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Tickets: Free with $20 adult admission, $10 child’s admission to Selby Info: Call 366-5731

Above: Three of the 13 shelves of voucher specimens in “spirit jars,” which help taxonomists identify old species and name new ones, catch the light in the window of the exhibit.

Above Left: David Berry of the Ringling was hired as a freelancer to design the exhibit with the Selby team.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

Jon Voight kicks off Ringling film-lab series The award-winning actor joined friend, actor and local philanthropist Brook Bello to raise awareness of human trafficking.

NICK FRIEDMAN A+E MANAGING EDITOR

Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actor Jon Voight describes himself as the type of person to find something he enjoys and remain loyal to it.

So when he took a liking to the pancakes at Hamburger Hamlet in Los Angeles, he found himself a regular customer. He recalls noticing something special about then-waitress Brook Bello, and over the course of his regular visits, the two struck up a friendship.

Bello was working at the restaurant after escaping a life as a runaway and victim of human laboration with the school, Semtrafficking.

Voight was the first man she khor Networks and Dylan McDertrusted, and he worked with mott’s web series “Sugar,” which Bello to help develop a career as centers on similar issues.

Bello, who was recently named an actor, paving the way for her to transition out of film and into Florida’s survivor advocate of the nonprofit sector. Bello is the the year by Attorney General founder of More Too Life Inc., a Pam Bondi, says short, episodic Sarasota-based nonproft organi- digital content, like “Sugar,” is an zation that uses digital media to ideal platform to reach a younger bring awareness to — and fight — audience to inform them on prevention and assistance options. human trafficking.

“Making digital content that’s On Sept. 30, Voight and Bello metaphoric and spoke at Ringling College of Art well-written, Acr4342094686976-2129119.pdf 1 10/3/16 10:43 AM and Design to kick off this year’s hard-hitting is the way to reach film-lab series and help promote that audience,” she says. “We More Too Life’s forthcoming col- want to utilize that for the men

1 7 t h

and women we work with.”

Voight agrees.

“Film is very powerful and has the ability to make an impact,” he says. “Film could be the answer.”

As part of his visit, Voight toured the campus and says he was impressed with the students’ accomplishments and the school’s standing as a top film program in the country.

He encouraged young filmmakers to focus on positivity and hope and to use their craft to help create a better world, citing collaborations like the one between Bello and Ringling College and Semk-

hor Networks, which will produce documentary content to explore the root causes of the epidemic.

“With the explosion of technology, we’re able to tell stories we never could before — in ways we never could,” he says. “The great artists today are being raised with these tools, and they’re the ones with the energy and the vision to go out and create something truly important. With these issues, only someone who has been there can truly understand what’s going on. Brook is one of those people.”

Nick Friedman

Jon Voight and Brook Bello, founder of More Too Life Inc., visited Ringling College to bring awareness to Dylan McDermott’s web series, “Sugar,” and the issue of human trafficking.

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The role of a

LIFETIME Sarasota actress Tori Bates will play the lead in the Broadway national tour of ‘Annie.’

NICK FRIEDMAN A+E MANAGING EDITOR

Before flying to New York City in July, 11-year-old Tori Bates hadn’t done much traveling. In fact, the trip to a weeklong youth summer-intensive course through the Broadway Artist Alliance marked the actress’ first time on an airplane.

But by the end of the week — much to her surprise — she had earned the lead role in the Broadway national tour of “Annie.”

Starting next month, Bates will travel to 52 cities in 34 states with the musical, which will be directed by the original lyricist and director Martin Charnin for the 19th time.

Bates, who will be the first biracial actor to play the part, says the achievement was something she never expected.

Heading into the intensive, she learned of the national open call for the roles of Annie and the ensemble cast of orphan children.

She decided to audition but says she tempered her expectations.

But one call-back turned into two, and after several days of auditions, Bates and her mother, Jenifer, got the call. Tori got the part.

“It was kind of bizarre,” says Bates. “I was so surprised. I don’t look like Annie at all. Because of my race and my skin color, I never expected it. But it feels amazing to achieve a dream and break down barriers. Now any race can play Annie, and that makes me feel special.”

Jenifer Bates recalls hearing the news — an emotional moment for the whole family.

“We were all crying and so happy,” she says. “I think its great that Martin looked at her talent rather than her skin color, as so many people do today. It’s such a great opportunity, and hopefully she will be able to touch a lot of hearts. Maybe a little girl will help break down some of those barriers and help more people see that it really doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is — it’s who you are.”

The role marks the first time Tori will tour with a production, but it’s not her first experience with the classic musical. To play the role of young Josephine Baker in the Asolo Repertory Theatre production of “Josephine” this May, she had to turn down an offer to portray the iconic redhead in the Players Kids’ “Annie Jr.” “She never had the chance to

play the role in Sarasota,” says Jenifer Bates. “It’s great that she can do that now. We’ve kind of come full circle.”

“I like the story,” says Tori.

“Annie is dreaming about finding her mother and father, but Daddy Warbucks adopts her, and they become a family. I have heard a lot of people say I remind them of her. We’re both very excited and determined.”

As the time approaches for Tori to embark on the tour, Jenifer says things have been bittersweet.

She left her career as a nurse to accompany her daughter on tour,

and aside from a few planned visits along the way, Tori will be away from her father, Richard, and brother, Ty. “It’s emotional,” says Jenifer.

“As a mother, it’s very difficult to make that decision. But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Richard and I want to support our daughter, and Ty wants to support his sister. It’s all very surreal. She’s obviously had this hidden talent that none of us were fully aware of. When we hear sing onstage, we’re just so proud of her.”

Courtesy Photo

Tori Bates, 11, will be the first biracial actor to play the role of Annie in the Broadway national tour of the iconic musical.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

Dancing to a Sarasota Contemporary Dance jazzes up season opener with new musical collaboration.

NIKI KOTTMANN BLACK TIE REPORTER

T

he scene begins in a foreign cafe with a familiar feel. The animated chattering of restaurant-goers can be heard between notes of a sultry rendition of “Funny Valentine,” and on opposite sides of the room stand two women, who are vying for the attention of the same man.

The room is the aerobic studio of the New College Fitness Center and the jabbering is background noise in a jazz concert recording. But the three performers commanding the “stage” — a taped-off rectangular section of the wooden floor — could transport anyone to the Argentinian dancefloors where the choreographer got her inspiration. And they won’t be the only performers making it happen.

The 11th season opener for Sarasota Contemporary Dance, which runs Oct. 13 through 16, will be a collaborative performance. SCD board of directors President Shane Chalke, and his jazz quartet BE Jazz, worked directly with SCD Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott to create a show in which the musicians will do more than just play their instruments.

“We’re actually in their space, working with them,” says Company Manager Melissa Coleman Sperber. “We’re not having them do ballet pirouettes or anything, just very human movement.”

“Jazz + SCD” is a unique dance show in that it will not only feature live music, but the musicians will also be onstage with the dancers instead of below them in the orchestra pit. And if they’re going to be part of what Coleman Sperber calls the “architecture of the stage,” that means Bolaños Wilmott wants them to move.

The result is a show that requires both the musicians and dancers to rehearse their spacing, timing and movement as a cohesive whole.

Chalke will brave some basic choreography in a piece called “Now,” which is a structured improvisation duet between the trumpeter and Coleman Sperber, which Bolaños Wilmott believes embodies the call-and-response characteristic of jazz music.

“I didn’t want to do it,” Chalke says of the choreography. “I feel totally comfortable performing as a musician. I perform 200 nights a year — this is different.”

But it’s been another type of disconnect that has proved to be the biggest challenge: Chalke has had to Skype into the majority of rehearsals from his summer home in Banner Elk, N.C. After seeing how it worked with the “bodies in the space” for their first in-person rehearsal, Bolaños Wilmott says she kept the beginning and middle of the original improv structure but threw out the rest.

Also in the spirit of improvisation, the other three members of Chalke’s quartet have yet to meet, let alone rehearse with, the six dancers in the show. Their first time performing together will be during tech rehearsal two days before opening night — but the company is up to the challenge.

“We’re totally open for it to live and change,” Coleman Sperber says. “We’re not going to know what the show is going to feel like completely until we have those bodies in the room.”

This is all part of the collaboration process that Bolaños Wilmott loves. Her company has done shows with groups such as Jazz Juvenocracy in the past, but she says this will be the first time the dancers will work along side BE Jazz. She thinks the result will be more accessible and appealing to a wider audience. Chalke agrees.

“This is like the gateway drug,” he says. “If we get them there, I think we can get them to come again.”

Because this is only the second time the company has staged a full-length season, Bolaños Wilmott says she wanted to brand SCD as an established company.

She’s decided each October show will now feature live music, and she hopes the collaboration will appeal to dance and jazz fans alike, especially because of their similarities.

“Jazz musicians have

new beat Photos by Niki Kottmann

Above: Rehearsal Director Jahrel Thompson rehearses “Funny Valentine” with company dancer Melissa Hull.

Below: Company dancer Natalie Robison rehearses her solo, “Stormy Weather,” for which she will provide the vocals.

to be confident and very aware,” she says. “And we’re encouraging dancers to not just move on the 5, 6, 7 and 8, but to be creative and make choices.”

The creative elements are plentiful — a contemporary tango set to a famous jazz show tune, interactive props, including newspapers and bowler hats, and a solo in which half the accompaniment is the dancer’s own singing voice.

They manifest in a variety of dance styles, such as deconstructive fosse, dance theater and improvisation.

When asked why she loves collaborations like this, Bolaños Wilmott doesn’t hesitate.

“It fuels me,” she says.

“It inspires me.”

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REVIEWS

WHAT’S AHEAD? Sarasota’s 2016-2017 music season is one filled with firsts.

JUNE LEBELL MUSIC CRITIC

The 2016-2017 music season in Sarasota is bringing lots of firsts to the area. Take the Sarasota Opera’s season, for example. This will be the company’s first year since 1989 that Giuseppe Verdi’s name will not appear on the roster, but it will also mark the first time the opera will present Poulenc’s dramatic and moving “Dialogues of the Carmelites” — an opera that will send shivers down your spine through its gorgeous music and intense (and true) story.

Sarasota Orchestra is entering its fourth season with Anu Tali at the helm and, while the music director has conducted many diverse programs in the past, this will be the first time she’s led a choral program.

She’s bringing the everpopular Mozart “Requiem” to Sarasota with a chorus

imported from her homeland: the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir.

In addition, the Orchestra’s Pops Series has become so popular, it’s expanding, for the first time, from two to three concerts for each program. And the impressive Sarasota Music Festival will have a new music director in the multitalented, award-winning pianist and conductor Jeffrey Kahane.

Collaboration is the name of the game, and the Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota has set up mighty meetings-of-thearts with the renowned Young Concert Artists in New York City, and Gloria Musicae and SILL in Sarasota to bring a series of five French concerts to town featuring solo, chamber and vocal music. It’s probably also the first time Sarasota will witness a piano quintet — and I mean a quintet of pianos on one stage — at the opera house this coming weekend.

Courtesy Photo

Sisters Liz and Ann Hampton Callaway will perform their internationally renowned act, “Sibling Revelry” in March.

Several years ago, when I was still living and working in New York City, I noticed that PBS was presenting a gospel version of Handel’s “Messiah.”

What’s that about, I wondered.

I watched with great trepidation and found, to my surprise, that “Every Valley,” “Rejoice,” “For Unto Us a Child is Born,” and even the great “Hallellujah!” chorus could be successfully swung to a beat Handel never dreamed of. Well, Gloria Musicae is, for the first time, teaming up with members of the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe for a performance of this unusual rockin’ version

LWR LIFE LA K EW O O

D RANCH A R EA’S C O M M U N IT

of the classic that will be “Too we have Blair Tindall, author Hot to Handel.” of the infamous book and TV We’ve heard Broadway star series, “Mozart in the Jungle,” Liz Callaway in Sarasota, and followed by a 90th birthday we’ve attended at least one tribute to Dick Hyman. performance by legendary cabThose are the firsts of the aret pianist/singer Ann Hamp- new season. We haven’t even ton Callaway, but this coming mentioned the Perlman Music season, the sisters will be in Program, La Musica, a coltown thanks to another first by laborative performance of the Artist Series Concerts for the Verdi “Requiem,” Great their internationally renowned Performers on the Sarasota act, “Sibling Revelry.”

Concert Association and the I have to get a first or two in Van Wezel’s line up of Broadfor my SILL Music Monday way shows and outstanding series, too. The Callaway Sisorchestras.

OF SARASOTA ters will be my guests in March Ain’t it a shame Sarasota’s for the first time in Sarasota. cultural life is so boring?

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

CRITIC’S PICKS There’s no shortage of great theater in the upcoming season.

We’ve selected a few of our favorites.

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

Let’s say you’ve got all the time in the world. By all means, see every play at every local theater this season. If you’re forced to narrow it down, here are my top picks. And, no, I don’t have a theater-meter. My selection criteria include the play’s quality (based on those I’ve seen and critical buzz), the track records of the playwrights, directors and actors, a sense of an acting troupe’s strengths, fascination with the subject matter, a support for risk taking, gut feeling and my own idiosyncratic tastes.

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‘CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD’

Oct. 20 through Nov. 16 at the Manatee Performing Arts Center. Call 748-5875.

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Disability is a minefield of a topic. Plays addressing it can be clueless, preachy and exploitive — but rarely nuanced. Mark Medoff’s “Children of a Lesser God” is one exception. His onagain, off-again love story goes beyond mere hearing loss to the culture that’s grown around it — a deaf community that even has its own language. (And losses in translation when “speak-

For tickets visit www.CrowdRise.com/SPARCCAmazingRaise or call 941- 365 - 0208 ext 110

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‘YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN’

Nov. 2 through 20 at the Players Centre for Performing Arts. Call 365-2494.

Mel Brooks added music and a few million volts and brought “Young Frankenstein” to life on the Broadway stage. Like the original movie, Brooks’ musical is a love letter to the classic Universal Studios horror movies. If a theater can afford the crackling electrical effects of Van de Graff generators and Jacob’s Ladders, great. But you don’t need all that equipment to get laughs.

Brooks’ comedy doesn’t require elaborate production values to make you bust a stitch; funny actors are all it takes. This tale of a singing/dancing formerly dead guy is perfect for community theater.

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ing” to outsiders.) Medoff’s play deals with the signal noise of human communication as much as deafness; it’s a multilayered work, yielding new meaning every time you see it. (Sign language interpreters will be present at every performance.)

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‘MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET’

‘IDEATION’

‘INHERIT THE WIND’

Back in 1956, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley had a legendary jam session at Sun Records.

Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux’s Tony Award-winning “Million Dollar Quartet” makes you a fly on the recording studio wall. On one level, it’s a jukebox musical. (Push G-7 and it’s “Blue Suede Shoes.” Punch B-12, and it’s “Great Balls of Fire.”) But it’s more than ‘50s rock fan service— it’s a ride on a dynamite truck on a bumpy mountain road. These singers had egos to match their talents. Sam Phillips didn’t get their explosive words on tape, but this probably comes close.

Aaron Loeb’s darkly comic “Ideation” imagines the unthinkable. (A contradiction in terms.

Think-tanks and Stephen King do it all the time.) Anyway, let’s suppose there’s a fatal, highly contagious virus infecting millions of people, who, for argument’s sake, are quarantined.

And, just hypothetically, killed to keep the virus from spreading. These scenarios emerge, not from the mind of Dr. Strangelove, but a group of sunny brainstormers around a conference table. Loeb’s twistedly funny play resembles a hybrid of Camus’ “The Plague” and “The Office.” Urbanite likes to take it to the edge. Black comedy takes it up a notch — and this is as dark as it gets. Let’s see how far they can go and still get laughs.

In 1925, the Tennessee Legislature banned teaching evolution in the public schools. A science teacher defied the law — and wound up on trial. Clarence Darrow defended him; William Jennings Bryan prosecuted.

Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee’s play offers a thinly disguised account of this battle of the titans. Evolution is just the surface issue; it’s really about telling people how to think.

Director Kelly Woodland helms the production. She always makes you think — and never repeats what other directors have done.

Nov. 11 through Jan. 1 at Florida Studio Theatre. Call 366-9000.

‘THE GREAT SOCIETY’

Jan. 13 through April 12 at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. Call 351-8000.

Speaking of monsters, President Lyndon Johnson was one of the sacred monsters of American politics. He was the anti-JFK: crude not smooth; Texan, not east coast elite; and a face like a battlefield. Robert Schenkkan’s “The Great Society” will soon unleash him on stage. The play is a follow up to Schenkkan’s “All the Way,” one of last season’s standout performances at the Asolo Rep. Jack Willis, the actor who originated the role, will portray Johnson this year. While the script is great, it’s the actor who makes the difference. Willis channels LBJ in an acclaimed performance. It’s not a surface imitation, but a grasp of the man’s soul.

Jan. 27 through March 12 at Urbanite Theatre. Call 321-1397.

April 11 through Dec. 30 at Venice Theatre. Call 488-1115.

‘A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM’

April 12 through 29 at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Call 351-8000.

‘GIRLS GROUPS: THE ‘60S EXPLOSION’

The standard notion of this Shakespeare classic suffers from the prosaic effect of putting a dream into words. (“I had a dream I was in this forest — then a magic fairy turned a bad actor into a donkey and the fairy queen fell in love with him.”) There’s more to it than that. Shakespeare’s forest is a supernatural realm not unlike the subconscious mind. The humans who wind up there experience something close to an alien abduction. Afterward, Puck calms the audience. “It’s just a dream.”

How comforting. Like the 1968 film adaptation, this unfolds in a garden — gardens, actually.

Aside from a young Judi Dench, what more could you want?

March 4 through April 9 at West Coast Black Theatre. Call 3661505.

Nate Jacobs has created his share of musical tributes to the giants of African-American music.

His revues are history lessons, shedding light on the struggles of performers like Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke. So far, these singers have all been male. Now, Jacobs gives equal time to The Supremes, The Shirelles, The Marvellettes, The Shangri-Las and other stellar female talents.

This time, he’ll look at the dues these women paid to get on center stage. Jacobs says it’s a labor of love — and it’s going to be worth the wait.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

BLACK TIE & TALES

NIKI KOTTMANN

Hello from the new girl on the block...

Dear Sarasota Social Scenesters,

Photos by Niki Kottmann

Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie garnish were served for dessert at the Little Black Dress with Pop! Fashion Show and Luncheon at Michael’s On East on July 22.

Here I learned a few valuable lessons: Girl Scout cookies are still delicious (especially on a cupcake), and nobody should ever underestimate the selection of treasures at Goodwill. Also, switching between devouring a plate of food at Michael’s On East and taking photos of models strutting the runway next to me is a skill I’ve yet to master.

On Sept. 10, I attended A

Taste of Downtown Food & Wine Festival. This gave me the opportunity to see the beautiful Sarasota Opera House, hear a performance by the Sarasota Youth Opera and add even more restaurants to the ridiculously long “Eat Here” note on my phone.

Perhaps one of the most important lessons I’ve learned however, is that there’s more

Dawn Patterson, Chanel counter makeup artist at Saks Fifth Avenue, prepares breast cancer patient Melissa Clauson for her photoshoot. Clauson heard about the Wrapped in Love call for patient models from her advocate at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

to the social scene than the mouthwatering hor d’oeuvres and gorgeous dresses. On Sept.

29, I stopped by the Wrapped in Love photo shoot and learned the amazing story of how fellow Midwesterner Karen MacDonald started a line of head wraps, body wraps and other accessories for breast cancer patients and survivors after losing her mother to the disease eight years ago. MacDonald says she launched the line last year to help these women regain their

dignity.

Based on the joy radiating from the women I saw preparing for their photos, I think her approach might be working.

Niki Kottmann is the Black Tie reporter for The Observer.

Contact her at nkottmann@your observer.com

T H I R T Y Y E A R S O F C O U R A G E - C e l e b r a t i n g M o f f i t t ’s 3 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r y

Sarasota Luncheon

Friday, October 14, 2016

SPONSOR LEVELS

The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive | Sarasota, FL 34236

Courage Sponsorship ............................$15,000

TO BENEFIT MOFFITT CANCER CENTER

Bravery Sponsorship ............................... $7,500

Registration opens at 11 a.m.

Luncheon begins promptly at Noon EVENT CHAIR

HONORARY CHAIR

Susan Malloy Jones

Eileen Curd

Discovery Sponsorship ......................... $10,000

Inspiration Sponsorship..........................$5,000 Hope Sponsorship .................................... $2,500 Patron Ticket............ $300 Event Ticket ...............$150

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Howard and Eileen Curd

MOFFITT CANCER CENTER KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Thomas Sellers, PhD, MPH Center Director

John Cleveland, PhD Associate Center Director

Anna R. Giuliano, PhD

Seats are limited. Please contact the Foundation to make your reservation by Monday, October 10.

Phone: 813-745-3298 Fax: 813-449-6771 Email: Elizabeth.Kehlenbeck@Moffitt.org

For more information, please call the Moffitt Foundation at 813-745-3298

Professor and Director Center for Infection Research in Cancer (CIRC)

Brian Czerniecki, MD, PhD Senior Member Department of Breast Oncology

1-888-MOFFITT | Moffitt.org

FLORIDA IS THE OFFICIAL PLACE OF BUSINESS FOR THE MOFFITT CANCER CENTER FOUNDATION. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING 1-800-435-735v2 TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & CONSUMER SERVICES REGISTRATION NUMBER CH-4675.

NO PERCENTAGE OF CONTRIBUTIONS IS RETAINED BY A PROFESSIONAL SOLICITOR, THE MOFFITT FOUNDATION RECEIVES 100% OF ALL DONATIONS.

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Hi! I’ve met some of you, but many of you don’t know me yet.

So allow me to introduce myself: I’m Niki Kottmann, and I’m the Observer’s new Black Tie reporter. I’m about to become your go-to girl for anything and everything related to the Black Tie world, and I think this is the start of something pretty great.

I’ve only been here for three months, so a lot of people have been asking me what I think of Sarasota so far. Because I’m the definition of a transplant (I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and have never spent a Christmas anywhere I couldn’t see my breath outside), I thought I’d share what I’ve learned about this land of sunshine I now call home.

Let’s recap some of the events that I’ve gotten the chance to cover so far.

The first event I photographed after moving here was the Junior League of Sarasota Meet and Greet on July 9. It was here that I learned that my preconceived notions about the ladies of Sarasota were correct: they’re chic, they know how to plan events for a good cause and they own a lot of Lilly Pulitzer dresses.

Later that month, on July 22, I covered Goodwill Manasota’s Little Black Dress with Pop! Fashion Show and Luncheon.

BLACK TIE

YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

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BLACK TIE

Saturday, Oct. 1 at the FSU Center for Performing Arts | Benefiting the Sarasota Ballet

Above: Emma, 7, and Gracie Oldham, 10 with Izzy Amedio, 7 Left: Retta Wagner with Roselynn, 9 and Rory, 6 Photos by Katie Johns

Madeleine Purcell shows the audience the proper way to put on ballet shoes.

Sarasota Ballet professional dancers Logan Learned, Kate Honea and Alex Harrison perform an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Alice in Wonderlandâ&#x20AC;? themed routine at the second annual Tea and Tutus.

Sarasota Ballet board member Peter Miller, event volunteer Martha Harrison, Sarasota Ballet Outreach Coordinator Sara Sardelli and event sponsor John Leeming of J.L. Brainbridge

4th Annual HSLWR

Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch

Putts Fore Mutts Scramble

The Ritz Carlton Golf Club Monday, November 7th, 2016

Golf Tournament 11:30 Registration, Shotgun Start 12:30 Prizes for Ladies, Men and Couples Includes Golf, Prizes, Dinner, Live Music, Dancing, 50/50 Raffle and Silent Auction

Racquets for Rescues Tennis Tournament

Tennis Tournament 1:30 Registration, Tournament begins at 2:00 at The Lakewood Ranch Country Club 5:00 Evening begins and Dinner at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club

Includes Tennis, Prizes, Dinner, Live Music, Dancing, 50/50 Raffle and Silent Auction Register by November 1st, 2016 Questions: Call 941.779.3457 or Email puttsforemutts@HSLWR.org

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register online at hslwr.org

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

GOLDEN GATE POINT

GOLDEN GATE POINT

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UNIQUE. BOUTIQUE. PREMIER. Contact one of our new development representatives today.

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Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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Thomas Netzel | 941.539.0633 Sandy Gillette | 941.504.0170

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CO M I N G SO O N