Arts + Entertainment 1.6.22

JANUARY 6, 2022

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

2022: T

Courtesy photos

Looking Ahead

he new year brings a new slate of feature performances designed to thrill, including concerts, art exhibitions, ballet performances and more.

SEE LOOK AHEAD, PAGE 2

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2022

Look ahead FROM PAGE 1

“Ruby,” an original piece penned by Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Director Nate Jacobs and his brother Michael, tells the story of Ruby McCollum. It’s a true crime story that occurred in Live Oak in 1952. The musical, told on behalf of Ruby, who was charged with the killing of a doctor, aims to reconsider the crime and its motivations with the ensuing changes in time and social attitudes.

The music is inspired by jazz, gospel and blues. “Ruby” was originally slated to open in early January but was pushed to a later date.

Tradition delayed, but not tradition denied. “Fiddler on the Roof” was scheduled to play at the Van Wezel in 2021, but COVID-19 forced its postponement to 2022. This production, directed by Bartlett Sher, is a fresh take on the beloved musical and comes straight from Broadway.

The cast and orchestra combine to tell the story of the relationships between parents and children and the traditions that inextricably link families and faith over generations.

Who did it? The Sarasota Orchestra will present an evening of drama and intrigue with “Journey on the Orient Express,” a murder mystery that takes the audience along the route of one of the world’s most famous trains. The program is part of the Sarasota Orchestra’s Great Escapes program and will be conducted

by Steven Jarvi. Shows on Thursday and Saturday will include a 45-minute intermission; shows on Wednesday and Friday will not.

Courtesy photos

‘TOSCA’

When: Feb. 12 to March 19 Where: Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets: $23-$130 Info: SarasotaOpera.org.

“Tosca,” the masterwork by Puccini, comes to Sarasota as part of the 40th season helmed by Maestro Victor DeRenzi. The opera, which debuted in Rome in 1900, is a famous tale of jealousy and villainy. Baritone Stephen Gaertner, a former member of the opera’s apprenticeship program, will be one of two voices playing the role of Scarpia. “Tosca” is based on an opera that Puccini refashioned just four years before he penned “Madame Butterfly.”

Performances run through March 19.

‘A SKEPTIC AND A BRUJA’ When: April 1 to May 1 Where: Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. Tickets: $36, $20 under 40 Info: UrbaniteTheatre.com.

‘LOVE & BETRAYAL’

When: Jan. 28-31 Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $42-$117 Info: SarasotaBallet.org.

CUBAN PROJECT: HISTORIAS

This play, written by Rosa Fernandez, will make its world premiere at the Urbanite Theatre. The show, directed by Patrice Amon, is about a woman who tries to open a bed and breakfast in an isolated area.

She struggles before enlisting the help of two women from a popular ghost-hunting TV show, but nobody is prepared for the haunting hijinks that result.

This play is produced in conjunction with St. Petersburg’s freeFall Theatre.

ELEANOR MERRITT: REMEMBRANCE When: Feb. 18 to Aug. 21 Where: The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bayshore Road Tickets: Free with museum admission Info: Ringling.org.

When: April 28 to May 1 Where: Cook Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $10-$45; virtually $25 Info: SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.

The 16th season of Sarasota Contemporary Dance is titled GRIT, a testament to the tenacity the company showed while persevering through the pandemic. The Cuban Project: Historias is masterminded

by Artistic Director Leymis Bolanos Wilmott, who dives deep into her own family history. The production is meant to explore personal stories, decision-making, displacement and the Cuban-American experience.

Eleanor Merritt, a former volunteer and board member at The Ringling, died in 2019, and this exhibition is dedicated to her spirit and creativity.

Merritt, born in New York, arrived in Sarasota in the 1980s and exhibited her work throughout Florida.

—SPENCER FORDIN

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2022

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The Sarasota Ballet’s first program of the new year will be a triple bill featuring the choreography of Royal Ballet alumni Dame Ninette de Valois, Sir Frederick Ashton and Johan Kobborg. Iain Webb, entering his 15th season as director, will reconnect with the first act, Ashton’s “Valses nobles et sentimentales,” which was performed by the Sarasota Ballet in 2012 after a long period of dormancy.

Next up is “The Rake’s Progress” by de Valois, billed as a dramatic cautionary tale of betrayal and excess. And the final act is Kobborg’s production of August Bournonville’s “Napoli”; the production marks Kobborg’s first appearance in Sarasota.

When: April 19-21 Where: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $42-$97 Info: VanWezel.org.

When: March 16-20 Where: Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $42-$65 Info: SarasotaOrchestra.org.

‘RUBY’

When: Opens Jan. 26 Where: 1012 N. Orange Ave. Tickets: $45 adults, $20 children Info: WestCoastBlackTheatre. org.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2022

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New beat, same story Our new A&E editor has decades of journalism experience. Just don’t ask him to sing.

SPENCER FORDIN A+E EDITOR

I

think there’s one thing we can all agree on before you even meet me: Nobody wants to hear me sing.

My name is Spencer Fordin, and it’s my pleasure to introduce myself as the Observer’s new arts and entertainment editor.

If I may borrow a theater metaphor for a moment, I know my role.

I’m not a frustrated artist or a chop-shop critic; I’m here to help the art and the artists speak directly to the consumer.

And I think I may have the best job on the planet.

I’ve known I wanted to be a journalist since I was 9 years old, chiefly because I was a voracious and precocious reader but also because I had seen the movie “Fletch.” It seemed like the best job in the world. You’re digging to tell people stories they may not otherwise read, and you know what’s in the newspaper before it even arrives.

I’ve been all over the Eastern Seaboard as a journalist, starting at the University of Florida and winding through two stints in Manhattan.

I worked in Toronto and Baltimore during my 15-year tenure with MLB.com, and then I even worked for three years in the Cayman

Islands. Everywhere I’ve been — and every topic I’ve covered — the job is still the same.

It doesn’t matter if you’re talking to a chess grandmaster or a Caribbean head of state. Your job is to connect with people, to listen, to ask smart questions, and to capture their voice so the audience can hear them speak off the printed page.

When I got into this business, I was terrible!

My editor at the Independent Florida Alligator called me “Cliche Boy” for a whole semester. But then I learned to get out of the way and that being a good journalist was about me doing my homework and letting the story tell itself.

I think the same thing was true when I covered baseball.

I have more than 1,500 ballgames on my odometer, and most of the people who read my stories had already watched the game. They didn’t want me to be Charles Dickens as much as they wanted me to ask the questions they would ask if they were on the scene.

The job is simple: Talk to the people who play the games, earn their trust, and tell their story as best you can. That’s exactly what I hope to do here in Sarasota. I hope to earn the trust of both my sources and my audience one sentence, one paragraph and one story at a time.

I am bringing to you obnoxious attitudes and no arguments from authority.

My lone performance credit came as a member of the chorus in an elementary school production of “The Mikado.” I do not have much or any history playing a musical instrument, and bar mitzvah tapes will clearly show that I cannot dance.

But here’s what I do have: an intense curiosity and an appreciation for the arts. I’m here to learn.

I’m here to be your Fletch, but without putting on any costumes or breaking and entering. I’m here to find out what’s interesting.

And if I’m doing my job well, the artists will hear themselves in my stories.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 Under the Ulla Searing Big Top at Nathan Benderson Park near the finish tower

Gala Chairs: Donna Koffman & Elisabeth Waters

RING IN THE

Your support of the 2022 CAC Gala will support collaboration & teamwork, creativity & imagination, critical thinking & problem solving through circus arts education.

• World Class Circus Performances • Festive Cocktail Hour

SUN, JAN 16 • 7PM The Lovin’ Feelin’ is back as blue-eyed soul pioneers The Righteous Brothers return to the Van Wezel! Original Brother Bill Medley is joined by Bucky Heard in a concert experience that features their biggest hits, including the most played song in radio history: “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

TUE, JAN 25 • 7:30PM WED, JAN 26 1:30PM & 7:30PM

• Elegant Dining by Michael’s on East

LOCAL SPONSORS: Wilde Lexus Sarasota and ABC7

Support the CAC Mission by reserving your seats today!

KANSAS FRI, JAN 28 • 8PM SPONSOR: 107.9 WSRZ

Box Office: M-F 10-6, Sat 10-4, Open Later on Show Days Prices, dates and times subject to change without notice.

View the Latest Safety Protocols on Our Website

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941.263.6799 vanwezel.org

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2022

THIS WEEK

Who’s ready for a little steel drum soul? John Patti brings a little flavor of the Caribbean to many standards and classics, and he’ll run through both the origin of the instrument to its innovative use in all flavors of modern contemporary sounds. Patti aims to play a mix of everything from jazz to R&B, all of it inflected with an island vibe.

STEVE FORBERT 8 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $30; members $27 Visit WSLR.org/Fogartyville.

THE NEW ORLEANS SUSPECTS 8 p.m. at The Blue Rooster, 1525 Fourth St. $20 Visit BlueRoosterSRQ.com.

THURSDAY

Folk rock troubadour Steve Forbert headlines the first week of the year at Fogartyville. The Mississippi native has had a rich and distinguished career that began in the late ’70s, and he released both a memoir and his latest album, “The Magic Tree,” in 2018.

AL ROMAS 7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $25 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

Al Romas played New Year’s Eve at McCurdy’s, but the party’s just starting. Romas, a veteran of the touring comedy club circuit and a McCurdy’s favorite, will bring his brand of observational humor to the stage six times through the weekend. Runs through Sunday.

FRIDAY

MUSIC ON MAIN 6-9 p.m. at 8100 Lakewood Main St. Free Visit LakewoodRanch.com/Musicon-Main.

The free concert series and block party returns with the Derek Lersch Band on the first Friday in January. Lersch and his band bring country music to the stage, and the street will be lined with food trucks and beer vendors. Proceeds benefit The Players Centre for Performing Arts.

JOHN PATTI “STEELS” THE CLASSICS 7:30 p.m. at The Players Centre for Performing Arts, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail $25 Visit ThePlayers.org.

What do you get when you combine some of the most seasoned professional musicians in one of America’s richest tapestries of sound? You get the New Orleans Suspects, a group that originated at the Maple Leaf in New Orleans but has gone on to tour for a decade and release five albums.

SATURDAY

HARUMI HANAFUSA 7:30 p.m. at Asolo Theatre, 5401 Bayshore Road $40-$45 Visit: ArtistsSeriesConcerts.org

narration of the nature and history you will see along the way. You’ll travel by boat between the Historic Spanish Point and Downtown Sarasota campus and have time to walk around after the tour.

Hanafusa will play performances on back-to-back dates, once solo and once as part of a duo with her sister Mami. On Saturday, the solo artist will play selections including Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and Ravel’s “Gaspard de la nuit.”

She will take the stage with Mami at 3 p.m. the following day.

The duo will play selections from Debussy and Ravel ,along with their signature compositions.

SARASOTA WINTER FINE ART FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at J.D. Hamel Park, 199 Bayfront Drive Free Visit ParagonArtEvents.com.

JOURNEYS OF IDENTITY IN POETRY & MUSIC 5 p.m. at The Hermitage Beach, 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood $5 Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Local, regional and national artists bring their wares to J.D. Hamel Park, and this two-day event will feature creations in woodworking, painting, sculpture, jewelry, photography, ceramics and more.

Runs through Sunday.

Hermitage fellows Chet’la Sebree and Wang Lu will bring their latest works to the public. Sebree, winner of the James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets, and Lu, a pianist, composer and winner of the Berlin Prize for Young Artists, will share their diverse talents and perspectives. Lu, a Guggenheim fellow, has had her works played internationally.

SELBY GARDENS BY BOAT 9:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St. $125; $115 members Visit Selby.org.

Visit both Selby Gardens campuses in one day — and with a guide!

The gardens’ newest tour, which will be held weekly on Saturdays, includes lunch and an educational

JOHAN SMITH 7:30 p.m. at Riverview Performing Arts Centre, 1 Ram Way $35-$39 Visit GuitarSarasota.org.

Smith, a Swiss-born virtuoso, kicks off the International Concert Series for Guitar Sarasota. Smith won the Guitar Foundation of America’s prestigious competition in 2019, and he’s been invited to perform as a soloist with orchestras around the world. Smith recently released his second album, “Naxos,” in 2020.

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BASSIMI IBRAHIM, A MEDITATIVE EXPERIENCE Noon to 5 p.m.

Free Visit ArtSarasota.org.

PRINTS, CERAMICS AND GLASS FROM JAPAN 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Ringling Museum, 5401 Bayshore Road $25, Members Free Visit Ringling.org.

This exhibit, which opened last August, will run through Jan. 15. The exhibit features work by Fujikasa Satoko, Miyashita Zenji, Niisato Akio and Ikuta Niyoko, and it shows the artistry and imaginative spirit that go into crafting ceramics and glass.

Another exhibit at the Ringling featuring Japanese art — Hard Bodies: Contemporary Japanese Lacquer Sculpture — is also nearing its end date. The exhibit began on Oct. 31 and runs until Jan. 23.

SUNDAY CELEBRATION IN SONG 7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61. N. Pineapple Ave. $50-$125 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

This event is presented by Temple Beth Sholom and will feature cantor Avi Schwartz, the principal cantor at the Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City. Schwartz, along with cantor Mira Davis, will be performing pieces from genres ranging from Jewish liturgy to Broadway, pop music and more.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2022

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DON’T MISS

OHLSSON PLAYS RACHMANINOFF Pianist Garrick Ohlsson returns to Sarasota to play Rachmaninoff’s Concerto for Piano No. 3. Ohlsson, 73, is the only American to win first prize in the International Chopin Piano Competition, which he achieved in 1970. Conductor David Alan Miller, music director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra and a two-time Grammy Award winner, will conduct the orchestra, which will play Brahms Symphony No. 2 prior to Ohlsson.

Runs through Sunday.

GERMAN CORNEJO’S

IF YOU GO When: 8 p.m., Jan. 7 Where: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $35-$98 Info: SarasotaOrchestra.org.

MON, JAN 24 8PM

JOY OF JAZZ 2 p.m. at Centennial Park Gazebo, 200 W. Venice Ave. in Venice Free Visit: JazzClubSarasota.org.

The Jazz Club of Sarasota is staging an event to benefit its scholarship program. Free admission and free parking.

WEDNESDAY

Photo Credit: Zach Ciaburri

Ibrahim, a modern abstract artist, will have his gallery show at the Art Center wrapping up on Jan. 15, which gives visitors one last chance to see the works of Ibrahim in one place.

The Art Center’s other exhibits — Untitled Cup Shop, George Pappas Selected Works and Modes of Abstraction — will be running through Jan. 15, and then the gallery will make room for a new slate of exhibits from Jan. 27 to March 5.

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SPONSORS: WUSF Public Media and Encompass Health

This exhilarating show combines the rawness and sophistication, seductive and sultry side of Tango, evoking the intoxicating passion of late night Buenos Aires.

‘OUR TOWN’ 8 p.m. at Asolo Repertory Mertz Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $26-72 Visit AsoloRep.org.

“Our Town,” a 1938 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Thornton Wilder, will begin Wednesday and run through March 26. The play, directed by Desdemona Chiang, is about an ordinary day in an ordinary town and how its citizens experience love and life.

SAT, JAN 29 7PM

941.359.0099 SarasotaBallet.org

PROGRAM 4

28 - 31 January 2022 FSU Center

“Feats of circus art that reach literally breathtaking heights of skill …”

– The New York Times “It’s a jubilant celebration of pub life, and life in general, and audience members can simply have a good time.”

– Northwest Indiana Times

SARASOTA PREMIERE!

SUN, JAN 30 • 7PM SPONSOR: Herald-Tribune Media Group

Nine talented blokes from across the pond hit all the right notes performing radio hits, classic rock, pub tunes, folk, Broadway and more!

Sir Frederick Ashton's VALSES NOBLES ET SENTIMENTALES

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Johan Kobborg's NAPOLI ACT III

Prices, dates and times subject to change without notice.

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Dame Ninette de Valois' THE RAKE'S PROGRESS

Box Office: M-F 10-6, Sat 10-4, Open Later on Show Days

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2022

&

Events To Attend 2022 Here’s what the fundraising scene has to offer this season.

TM TM

HARRY SAYER

PRESENT

BLACK TIE EDITOR

I

t’s a brand new year, and that comes with all sorts of opportunities, challenges and everything in between.

That includes new events, with Sarasota returning to a busy schedule of fundraisers and get-togethers

Fun Begins THE

File photos

Farm to Fillet is always a breezy and photogenic lunch event.

THE MOMENT YOU ARRIVE!

The Meadows Golf & Country Club, Sarasota 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Enjoy the company of your friends at SFG’s Casino Night, featuring heavy passed hors d’oeuvres, Gaming Tables & Slots!

Wine & Beer, a Cigar Table, and a Bourbon Bar.

WE’RE EXPECTING A FULL HOUSE SO BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!

UNCONVENTIONAL EVENING Benefiting: Sarasota Art Museum When: 6 p.m. Feb. 2 Where: Sarasota Art Museum South Lawn Chairs: None Tickets: $250 Call: 309-4321 Following on the heels of the Sarasota Art Museum’s Soiree

$150.00 each

When purchased on or before Jan. 15, 2022

$175.00 each

When purchased from Jan. 16, 2022 through Feb. 11, 2022

FARM TO FILLET 2022 Benefiting: Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium When: 12:30 p.m. Jan 16 Where: Mote Aquaculture Research Park Chairs: None Tickets $125 Call: 388-4441 ext. 131 The Mote Aquaculture Research Park will again be home to this breezy and enjoyable outdoors event during the lighter January schedule.

The event, which benefits the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, will have guests enjoying a comprehensive meal and also going on a behind-the-scenes tour of the research park looking into aquaculture technology. It’s also a good day to take photos of a nice venue.

CIRCUS ARTS GALA 2022 Benefiting: Circus Arts Conservatory When: 6 p.m. Jan. 28 Where: Big Top at Nathan Benderson Park’s Regatta Island Chairs: Elisabeth Waters and Donna Koffman Tickets: $300 Call: 355-9335 Last year’s Circus Arts Gala was halted shortly before showtime, so with any luck the show will go on later this time. This year’s gala, which will be held under the Ulla Searing Big Top at Nathan Benderson Park’s Regatta Island, promises a number of dazzling performances and sophisticated acts from seasoned circus figures. There are plenty of events every year, but not as many that involve circus acts.

INSPIRATION GALA Benefiting: Van Wezel Foundation When: 5:30 p.m. Jan. 27 Where: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Chairs: Kathy Martella and Susan Travers Tickets: Sponsorships start at $10,000 Call: 953-2007 This year’s Inspiration Gala at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall has quite a draw when it comes to entertainment this year. Singer and performer Harry Connick Jr. will be the evening’s entertainment, putting on a show for the audience.

FRIDAY ~ FEBRUARY 11, 2022

over the next few months.

Provided Omicron doesn’t again throw a wrench in the scheduling works, many of these events will be in-person for the first time since early 2020, so there’s plenty to look forward to. I’ll admit there are a few events I still haven’t been able to attend myself, so I’m excited to get to it.

event in December, the “Unconventional Evening” event in February promises an unexpected evening of art and cocktails. The invitations mention interactive art and performances, and also stresses wearing “Dramatic Cocktail Attire.” We’re not sure what that means; we leave it to you to show us.

AFFORDABLE SPONSORSHIPS Email events@SFGflorida.org or call 941.730.7900.

BUY TICKETS ONLINE

www.SisterhoodForGood.org/register

February 11 & 12, 2022 Masterwork ConCert with soloists & orChestra

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

According to ancient legend, in A.D. 387 the Te Deum was spontaneously composed. Experience this ancient text from its origins of Gregorian chant, to trumpets and timpani of the Baroque, to the soaring melodies and rich harmony of the Romanic period.

Anton Bruckner called his Te Deum, “the pride of his life.”

Printing Sponsor:

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Secret Sister SISTERHOOD FOR GOOD, INC. IS AN ALL-VOLUNTEER REGISTERED 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT CORPORATION. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-435-7352 (or 1-800-352-9832 en Español) OR GOING ON THE DEPARTMENT’S WEBSITE WWW.800HELPFLA.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT (100%) OF THE DONATION IS RECEIVED BY SISTERHOOD FOR GOOD. REGISTRATION NUMBER: CH #57279 *100% of funds raised at this event will go towards SFG’s 2022 Annual Grants Program.

key chorale

Sarasota’s Symphonic Chorus Joseph Caulkins, Artistic Director

Blake Friedman

Jamal Sarikoki

Amy Connours

Purchase your tickets today at:

KeyChorale.org 941.552.8768

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2022

Florida Artists Hall of Fame Inductee

Plenty of models will strut the runway at the SPARCCle on the Runway event.

C LY D E B U T C H E R FINE ART BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY

Henry Winkler will be this year’s guest speaker at the Tidewell Foundation Signature Luncheon.

SPARCCLE ON THE RUNWAY 2022 Benefiting: Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center When: 10 a.m. March 18 Where: The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Tickets: $165 Chairwomen: Diane Muldoon, Fashion Chair is Darci Jacob Call: 365-0208 ext. 124 Last year’s event was a virtual offering with a small in-person event at Michael’s On East, but this year’s SPARCCle on the Runway will make a return to the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, for a day of fashion and goodwill. A number of models will strut the runway to benefit the organization’s many services, while the outside area will have plenty of fashion items on sale.

PAWS ON THE CATWALK 2022 Benefiting: The Humane Society of Sarasota County When: 10:30 a.m. April 8 Where: Art Ovation Hotel Tickets: $200 Chairs: Donna Koffman and Tammy Karp Call: 955-4131 ext. 121 The Humane Society of Sarasota got crafty last season with its Faux Paws on the Catwalk event in its new shelter space, but the time has come for the animal enthusiasts and the Hot Guy models to return to the Art Ovation Hotel for the annual fundraiser benefiting the shelter’s services. 2020’s event — one of the last before everything shut down — included an artistic component with the Hot Guy models, and only time will tell if that returns.

Gaskin Bay 5

with his 8” x 10” large format camera

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AVANT-GARDE: CAFÉ DES ARTISTES Benefiting: Ringling College of Art and Design When: 6 p.m. March 19 Where: Ringling College Campus Chairs: Susan Palmer and Diane Roskamp Tickets: $300 Call: 309-4728 Last year’s Avant-Garde put on by the Ringling College of Art and Design had a “Let Us Entertain” you theme, and this year’s event follows up with a “Café des Artistes” aesthetic program with plenty of Parisian elegance and splendor, both in costumes and decor.

Last year’s event also had President Larry Thompson in a wild wig and mustache, so we’re curious to see how he follows it up.

even unrivaled space in 2022-2024 withdestination a FREE 2-CATEGORY SUITE plus 50% REDUCED DEPOSITS. Discover thethe best best each has to offer andhas —more plus 50% REDUCED DEPOSITS. Discover each destination to offer and — Enjoy enjoy all theREDUCED additional amenities that come with your upgrade the destination has UPGRADE* — plus 50% DEPOSITS. Discover the bestand each enjoy all the additional amenities that come with your upgrade and the of awakening each day with horizon setyour beforeupgrade you. to offer and incredible enjoy allexperience the additional amenities thata new come with and the incredible experience of awakening each day with a new horizon set before you. incredible experience of awakening each day with a new horizon set before you.

SPACE IS LIMITED. RESERVE YOUR SUITE BY FEBRUARY 28, 2022 AND ENJOY 50% REDUCED DEPOSITS.

SPACE IS LIMITED. RESERVE YOUR SUITE BY FEBRUARY 28, 2022 AND ENJOY 50% REDUCED DEPOSITS.

Marc Bokoff

Call today for the best availability and visit us at the Sarasota Luxury Travel Forum 2/16/22!

Marc Bokoff - Cruise Planners 844-768-2799 | marc.bokoff@cruiseplanners.com www.BookThatEscape.com/srqluxurytravel

Call today for the best availability Scan to register and visit us at the 844-768-2799 (o)and | 860-608-6095 visit us at (c) the Sarasota Luxury Travel Forum 2/16/22!

Sarasota Luxury Travel Forum Marc@BookThatEscape.com *Upgrade Your Horizon offer is capacity controlled and applies to new bookings only made between January 3 and 28, 2022. Guests will receive a FREE 2-Category Suite Upgrade, up to a Penthouse Suite (Category A), Marc Bokoff - February Cruise Planners on applicable voyages† as well as 50% Reduced Deposits**. Availability is limited and restrictions apply — applicable voyages are subject to removal at any time without notice; offer may be withdrawn at any time. Mention “HORIZON” at time of booking. For complete Terms and Conditions, please visit www.rssc.com/legal/terms-conditions. †For a list of applicable voyages including applicable | voyages and suite categories, February 16, 2022 4-7:30 pmplease visit RSSC.com/Upgrade-YourBookThatEscape.com/AboutSRQLuxuryTravel Horizon.

Ships’ Registry: Marshall Islands & Bahamas. ©2021 Regent Seven Seas Cruises 844-768-2799 | marc.bokoff@cruiseplanners.com *Terms and Conditions apply. Subject to availability.

The Meadows Country Club www.BookThatEscape.com/srqluxurytravel

Avant-Garde returns with a Parisian theme.

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13TH ANNUAL SIGNATURE LUNCHEON Benefiting: Tidewell Foundation When: 11:30 a.m. Feb. 4 Where: The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Chairs: Julie Delaney, Kathy Martella Tickets: $200 Call: 953-2007.

This year’s Signature Luncheon benefiting the Tidewell Foundation — which cares for more than 10,000 patients and families each year — will again take place at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. It also offers actor and comedy legend Henry Winkler as guest speaker for the afternoon. Winkler, known for his turns as The Fonz in “Happy Days” and as pathetic lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn in “Arrested Development,” is a pretty great get.

FSU/ASOLO CONSERVATORY FOR ACTOR TRAINING 2021-22 season

*Upgrade Your Horizon offer is capacity controlled and applies to new bookings only made between January 3 and February 28, 2022. Guests will receive a FREE 2-Category Suite Upgrade, up to a Penthouse S on applicable voyages† as well as 50% Reduced Deposits**. Availability is limited and restrictions apply — applicable voyages are subject to removal at any time without notice; offer may be withdrawn at any time. M at time of booking. For complete Terms and Conditions, please visit www.rssc.com/legal/terms-conditions. †For a list of applicable voyages including applicable voyages and suite categories, please visit RSSC.co Horizon. Ships’ Registry: Marshall Islands & Bahamas. ©2021 Regent Seven Seas Cruises

ife’s edge between “Balances on a kn ns of domesticity the normal tensio r darker.” and something fa ekly

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– Entertainment We

On Stage Now!

Zoya Martin and Peter Raimondo. Photo by John Revisky.

941.351.8000 ASOLOREP.ORG/CONSERVATORY

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2022

Photos by Harry Sayer

Above: Andy and Victoria Stultz with Andrea Stultz and Austin Wood Left: Sage Yenari, Izzie Radford and Ashley Pelton

Debutantes return for annual ball

Chairwoman Teri Sayre and Brian Sayre

Saturday, Dec. 18, at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium | Benefiting Sarasota Orchestra

T

he Debutante Program hosted its 39th annual ball Dec. 18 at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium.

Eleven debutantes returned from college to attend the annual program, which benefits the Sarasota Orchestra’s youth programs.

The night also marked the last Debutante Ball for President Robin Serbin, who has led the event for 17 years. Serbin said she was grateful for her time with the event but excited for someone new to take over.

—HARRY SAYER

Taylor Karp Teymuri and Shak Teymuri

Above: William Shoemaker, Hailey Biter and William Patrick Right: Bella Brush and Daniel McCarthy

Mark Serbin and President Robin Serbin

SARASOTA CONCERT ASSOCIATION PRESENTS 2022 Great Performers Series

2022 ANNUAL LUNCHEON

Detroit Symphony Orchestra with cellist Joshua Roman Jan 20 | 7:30 pm | Van Wezel Jader Bignamini conducts Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and Mussorgsky/ Ravel’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

Pianist Emanuel Ax Performs Chopin Feb 1 | 7:30 pm | Van Wezel Nocturnes and mazurkas, Polonaise-fantaisie, and more.

Violinist Benjamin Beilman and pianist Alessio Bax Feb 25 | 7:30 pm | Riverview PAC Busoni’s Sonata and Franck’s Violin Sonata.

Takács Quartet with pianist Joyce Yang March 15 | 7:30 pm | Riverview PAC Ravel’s String Quartet and Schumann’s Piano Quintet.

Christina Russi, CRS/CRS-DC, Community Liaison and

Warsaw Philharmonic with pianist Bruce Liu Apr 4 | 7:30 pm | Van Wezel Andrey Boreyko leads the Grammy Award-winning orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Also featured is Bruce Liu, winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition.

THURSDAY, 2/17/2022 11:30AM - 1:00PM MICHAEL’S ON EAST TICKETS $90 GS-HUMANSERVICES.ORG/EVENT/CELEBRATION2022 Please visit event site for COVID-19 Measures

Subscribe to all 5 concerts for as low as $98!

SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW

SCAsarasota.org | 941-966-6161

CONCERT

SSOCI TION

Artists and programs are subject to change

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