ON THE FLIP SIDE: A+E TAKE A BOW: Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe opens new stage. SELBY GARDENS: Guests start decade with New Year’s Eve gala. 6
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
SARASOTA BALLET 29TH GALA Sunday, Jan. 5 at Sarasota Opera House | Benefiting Sarasota Ballet
HARRY SAYER BLACK TIE REPORTER
C
hilly weather couldn’t stop the Sarasota Ballet from starting its 29th season in style with its annual gala at
the Sarasota Opera House. More than 350 guests kicked off the night with a cocktail hour before enjoying a comprehensive performance by Sarasota Ballet company dancers. The production also had performances from Diana Vishneva, Marcelo Gomes, Misa Kuranaga, Angelo Greco and more. Attendees then retired to a dinner tent outside, where they heard words of thanks from cochairwomen Emily Walsh, Kate Honea and Audrey Robbins as well as Executive Director Joseph Volpe. Company staff recognized 2020 honoree Margaret Barbieri, the assistant director of Photos by Harry Sayer
Above: Director Iain Webb and Honoree Margaret Barbieri Left: Lauren and Candice Henry
the Sarasota Ballet and a former Prima Ballerina of The Royal Ballet.
Executive Director Joseph Volpe and Jean Volpe
Co-chairwomen Emily Walsh, Audrey Robbins and Kate Honea
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
FROM PAGE 1
Photos by Harry Sayer
Vivian Kouvant, Jytte WInslow, Sydney Goldstein and Lois Stulberg
More than 350 guests attended the gala.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
BLACK TIE & TALES
Experience You Can Trust for
HARRY SAYER
The Black Tie season took a holiday break, but that doesn’t mean all of you did. Here’s a quick rundown of some festive parties and celebrations. We hope the break was peaceful and rewarding because it’s time to begin again.
A fitting tribute
RESULTS!
Dan and Nicole Starostecki took their son, Jackson, on a trip to New York City for Christmas, but the fun didn’t stop there. Dan decided to treat himself to a tattoo on his inner lip for his 40th birthday. The tattoo is a tribute to the last four decades and to the 40 years to come. We can’t repeat exactly what the tattoo says, but ask him to show it off if you see him. Just don’t take it personally when he does.
Join us for a FREE Seminar by Dr. Robert P. Hillstrom
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Roberto Villanueva and Clara Reynardus de Villanueva
Open house It’s good to be home for the holidays, but it’s even better to open that home to friends. Such was the case for Clara Reynardus de Villanueva and her husband, Roberto Villanueva, who held a Holiday Open House to close friends Dec. 28. Around 70 guests enjoyed beer, mimosas, frittatas and, most importantly, rum cake. A spontaneous rain storm sidelined the festivities for a hot minute, but the gang was back out partying soon after.
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The 29th Season Gala for the Sarasota Ballet took place Jan. 6 with some lastminute switch-ups. A notable one was a change in the paddle raise when usual
host Michael Klauber came down with a sickness. Luckily, Matt Walsh stepped in to help the company raise more than $600,000 in gross total. Perhaps he has a second career as an auctioneer in him.
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The Perlman Music Program/ Suncoast Concert and Dinner Saturday, Jan. 4 at Sarasota Opera House | Benefiting Perlman Music Program/Suncoast
Co-chairwomen Bobbi Bernstein and Susan Newmark
Ruth and Ahron Haspel
Photos by Harry Sayer
Itzhak and Toby Perlman
Executive Director Elizabeth Power and Terry Grywinski
Tim and Ashley Gruters
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
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New Year’s Eve Gala 2019 Dec. 31, 2019, at Michael’s on the Bay Benefiting Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Photos by Harry Sayer
Above: Ivone De Oliveira Left: President and CEO Jennifer Rominiecki and Rob Rominiecki welcomed guests.
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ON THE FLIP SIDE: BLACK
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< GALA: Sarasota Ballet celebrates 29th Season. MUSIC MONDAYS : Weekly chat fests are back. 8>
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
YOUROBSERVER.COM
SEE THIS
‘Uncut Gems’ Adam Sandler is brilliant as a hustler whose ambition clouds his judgment. YOUROBSERVER.COM
HEAR THIS
Sondheim’s 90th
Ann Morrison recollects as Choral Singers of Sarasota under Director Joseph Holt prepares to celebrate the composer’s birthday. PAGE 6
HEAR THIS Klint Lowry
The marquee for Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe looks out over Orange Avenue.
THE LITTLE THEATER
THAT COULD — AND DID
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe opens its new stage, completing a 20-year odyssey. PAGE 2
Chamber concert
Sarasota String Quartet concert covers three composers, three centuries. PAGE 12
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
Klint Lowry
Final preparations are made on WBTT’s new theater, the last part of an $8 million refurbishing project.
“To be able to be opening our first show in a brand new theater … is one of the most amazing times in my life and in the journey of this vision for me.” Nate Jacobs, WBTT — founder and artistic director
KLINT LOWRY A+E EDITOR
T
he start of a new season is always an exciting time for a theater group. But as the lights go up this week for the opening of “Caroline, or Change,” it holds much greater significance for Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and for its founder and artistic director, Nate Jacobs. Jacobs has been wanting to do this show for years, ever since
he saw it on Broadway. But the decision to finally do “Caroline, or Change” to open the season is more like uncorking that expensive bottle of champagne you’ve stored away for a special occasion. That occasion is the christening of WBTT’s fully rebuilt theater, the culmination of a fouryear project and a 20-year quest. Three weeks earlier, Jacobs is in his office at WBTT. “I am thrilled and cannot wait for those lights to come up on that new stage,” he says. “To be able to be opening our
first show in a brand new theater, which I have seen materialize, is one of the most amazing times in my life and in the journey of this vision for me.” It was still far enough away from opening night that Jacobs had time to reflect on that journey. Back when he started WBTT 20 years ago, he says, his vision didn’t include him sitting in an office at a theater complex. He was just an actor trying to start a theater troupe — emphasis on the word “troupe,” a group of
actors roaming around putting on shows. That was what he pictured when he started. But he and his vision matured together. “Every institution needs a home,” Jacobs says. Just 10 years ago, he’d already been chasing his dream for 10 years, for most of that time performing wherever and whenever they could, and Jacobs wasn’t sure if he could go on. The troupe had made a name for itself, but he was burned out on the constant struggle to find funding and performance spaces. In 2007, when the Historic Asolo Theatre had been renovated, WBTT was invited to perform there, but that arrangement only lasted a year and a half. After that, it was offered a space at Art Center Sarasota. The space was small, and WBTT had to tear down the theater every night and turn it back into an art gallery. With almost no advertising budget, the troupe’s one asset was the reputation it had built. “I knew the people who supported us — they were trying to figure out, ‘OK, where are they this year?’” Jacobs says. Eventually, the community found them, but that only served to show how insufficient the makeshift space was. The folks at Art Center Sarasota decided they just couldn’t let the troupe operate there. IT’S WHO YOU KNOW AND WHAT THEY KNOW
Jacobs says he feels fortunate that he’s always had supportive people in his life. But it was right around that time, he says, that WBTT’s fortunes took a dramatic turn for the better when Christine Jennings threw in her support and knowhow as the theater’s first CEO. Jennings, a former banker, was and is one of the most well-
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Courtesy photo
Artistic Director Nate Jacobs could have scarcely imagined 10 years ago the home the troupe has today.
Klint Lowry
Patrons installed a commemorative fountain to ensure Jacobs’ name would always be part of WBTT.
known and influential people in Sarasota, and she was wellversed in fundraising and garnering community support for 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations like WBTT. “She got very aggressive,” Jacobs says. “She said: ‘Why in the world does this community feel like you don’t need the funding and like you don’t need a space to do what you’re doing? They know what you’re doing. And the board and I have decided we are going to work very aggressively to get you a permanent place. We want to pay it off, so nobody will ever come and take it away from you.’ And they did just that.” WBTT moved into its current
location on Orange Avenue in 2010, first leasing space in a warehouse it shared with a fencing school. But just as the troupe was enjoying some firm footing, Jacobs says, Jennings came in one day and said, “Nate, you’re not going to like what I have to tell you.” The property had gone into foreclosure, and that firm ground felt a lot shakier as the property passed from bank to bank. Finally, the site was put up for auction, the price set at $700,000. “Christine said, ‘Put in half, and see what happens,’” Jacobs says. “We did, and it said ‘Accepted.’” With that, WBTT owned its theater, along with the historic Binz Building next to it and the surrounding parking. The troupe began fundraising on an ambitious $8 million renovation project. With the sign that adorns its front, the Binz Building could be mistaken for an old-time theater. In reality, it serves as the administrative and educational wing of the complex. As Jacobs’ dream has taken physical form, its sense of purpose has grown. For years before he started WBTT, he says, he felt like there was a vicious cycle in local theater. Aspiring black actors didn’t see much opportunity in the roles that were available, so they didn’t go to auditions. Theaters didn’t see much interest from black actors, so they never considered the range of roles they offered. Jacobs says one of his goals in starting WBTT was to show young black performers that there was room on the stage for them and to encourage young talent. Education has become a big part of WBTT, with its Stage of Discovery summer program for teens and the Young Artist Program, which gives young per-
formers the opportunity to create and present their own shows. WBTT is “throwing out the net” as Jacobs puts it, “so they realize that if that is your desire, and that is your dream, there is opportunity. And there are possibilities to express yourself through the arts.” THEATER WITH A MESSAGE
“Caroline, or Change” is a great vehicle with which to introduce the new theater, Jacobs says, and it’s a terrific show for WBTT. It’s a challenging production, and it presents challenging themes. The title character is a single mother who works as a maid for a Jewish family in the 1960s. “The little Jewish boy is very close to the black maid because she pretty much raised him,” Jacobs says, and the boy “cannot understand why life is different for the two of them.” Caroline doesn’t have any answers for him while both their families go through those turbulent times. The play shows life challenges, and culture has a lot to do with what life throws at you, Jacobs says, and very often we just have to deal with it. “So there’s a powerful message,” he says. “And for community like Sarasota, I think it’s going to be a powerful, powerful message.” When Jacobs was starting WBTT, the Sarasota Arts Council urged him to reconsider the name, suggesting it might put off audiences and potential donors. Jacobs says he politely listened to their advice and never once considered following it. Race will always be an issue in our society, he says, so it’s a matter of choice whether to let it drive wedges or build bridges.
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“It’s important for each culture to tell their story,” Jacobs says. “We are responsible for celebrating the Josephine Bakers and the Cab Calloways and the James Baldwins. It’s the theater’s responsibility. If we don’t tell them, the stories are not told. The information is not propagated to generation after generation. So that is the true purpose of black theater: to keep stories alive. That’s our responsibility.” Jacobs has been gratified to find that when you tell your story with enthusiasm, with joy, everyone is interested. For the people outside that culture, it’s a chance to learn. It can be educational for the people within the culture as well, but it’s also a point of pride. If you can package that into a night of high-quality entertainment — well, there’s a reason WBTT has been playing to near capacity for years now. Some people have called WBTT a miracle, Jacobs says, and sometimes he feels that way himself. It has persevered through all kinds of conditions. Now it has a sleek, modern facility with every amenity a theater company could hope for. On top of its tangible assets, Jacobs says, the theater makes an identity statement of its own. “You’re more stable,” he says. “The donors feel that you’re solid, you’re here to stay. The artists feel secure because we are stable. “Yes, it makes all the difference. For me, that pressure and that burden, constantly having to figure out, ‘OK, Nate, where are you guys going to go this year? And how much craziness you’re going to have to deal with?’” It’s the start of a new season. After 20 years, the dream is over. Reality has exceeded it.
JAN 10 – MAR 8 FINAL PREVIEW JAN 9
Manuel Álvarez Bravo (Mexican, 1902–2002), Sed pública (Public thirst) (detail), 1934. Gelatin silver print. The Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Collection at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 2019. IL2019.17.17 © Colette Urbajtel/Asociación Manuel Álvarez Bravo
MANUEL ÁLVAREZ BRAVO SPECTERS AND PARABLES ON VIEW THROUGH MAR 1, 2020 Manuel Álvarez Bravo (Mexican, 1902–2002), recognized as the first modernist photographer in Mexico, is one of the most celebrated photographers of the twentieth century. Although his photographs resonated with the international avant-garde, his practice always remained grounded in the nuances of Mexican life.
“Glamorous. Enthralling from beginning to end.”
This exhibition is supported through the generous contributions from the Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Photography and Media Arts Program at The Ringling. Paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues.
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Cast of Murder on the Orient Express. Photo by John Revisky.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
THIS WEEK
harmony to create an indie-folk pop/bluegrass sound. ‘CAROLINE, OR CHANGE’ 7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $45; students and military $20 Call 366-1505. Race is the third-rail of American culture. Playwright Tony Kushner and composer Jeanine Tesori fearlessly dance around it. This musical tells the story of a life in paralysis. Caroline, a black maid, is trapped in a dead-end job in a wealthy Southern household in the 1960s. But the year is 1963, and a change will surely come. Runs through Feb. 16. ‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES’ 7:30 p.m. at Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $25.60-$32 Call 351-8000. Doug and Kayleen have the definition of a painful relationship. They meet at the age of 8 in the school nurse’s office, then over the course of 30 years, they build a complex connection over a lifetime of injuries, both physical and emotional. Runs through Jan. 19.
AGATHA CHRISTIE’S ‘MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS’ 8 p.m. at Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $33-$104 Call 351-8000. You’re in for a classic, locked room mystery. In this case, the room is a moving train, and there’s no way off. It’s a gleaming, luxury liner for the global elite. What could possibly go wrong? It might prove surprising, at least if you haven’t seen the movies. Runs through March 8.
FRIDAY JAZZ AT TWO: JAMES SUGGS QUARTET 2 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road $10-$20 Call 366-1552. Catch a rising star in the jazz world as The Jazz Club of Sarasota presents James Suggs. Suggs has been touring since he was 16 and has worked with some of the biggest names in the business.
EUROPEAN GROOVES 7:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail From $42 Call 953-3434.
THURSDAY ‘RAINFOREST MASKS OF COSTA RICA’ 10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 900 S. Palm Ave. Free with museum admission Call 366-5731. See examples of ancient Central American culture as “Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica” returns for the 17th year at Selby Gardens. Originally created to defend against Spanish invaders, the masks have become celebrated as works of art and are still handmade by members of the Borucan tribe. Carved from balsa and cedar trees, the masks are like miniature totem poles with various animals artfully placed on the masks. Proceeds provide financial support to the Borucan Village and Selby Gardens. Exhibit runs through Jan. 26.
‘LOCAL COLOR, FLORIDA STYLE’ 11 a.m. at Dabbert Gallery, 46 S. Palm Ave. Free Call 955-1315. Whether it’s to winter or to stay, there’s a reason so many flock to Florida, and it’s more than just a matter of the thermometer. Dabbert Gallery’s latest exhibit includes works by Arnold Desmarais, Martin Dunn and Luke Steadman and captures the unique feeling of being in the Sunshine State. Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Exhibit runs through Jan. 31.
Eyed Bettys have cultivated followings across the Midwest and East Coast. With Daniel Emond on banjo, Sarah Hund on fiddle and Ben Mackel on guitar, The Blue Eyed Bettys delight with powerful vocals in three-part
Take a seat, and keep the beat with Sarasota Orchestra as it performs great music from across the pond. On the classical side, the evening features rhapsodies and dances, as well as an excerpt from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and a waltz by Strauss. Popular standards include music by The Beatles, James Bond through the years, “Chariots of Fire” and “William Tell Overture.”
DON’T MISS CYNTHIA SAYER & HER HOT JAZZ QUARTET It’s a special treat to see someone who’s arguably the best in the world at something, and it can be fun when that something is familiar but a little off the beaten path. When it comes to the four-string banjo, a large consensus of musicians, critics and fans would say Cynthia Sayer is the best, with her electrifying, swing-based performances and captivating showmanship. An inductee into the American Banjo Hall of
BLUE EYED BETTYS 7 p.m. at Fogartyville Community and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court $20; members $15 Call 800-838-3006. Originally meeting at the Florida Studio Theatre in 2013, The Blue
Fame, her recent accomplishments include winning the 2019 Bistro and 2018 Global Music awards plus being featured at the Newport Jazz Festival, all firsts for a four-string banjoist. See her take that most downhome of instruments to new heights as she plays with her Hot Jazz Quartet. IF YOU GO When: 2 p.m. Sunday Where: Glenridge Performing Arts Center, 7333 Scotland Way Tickets: $28 Info: Call 552-5325.
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‘SENDER’ 8 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd St. $32 Call 321-1397.
Fresh off her “Maestro” award at the 2019 Sarasolo Festival, jazz vocalist Synia Carroll is back to captivate her audience. Carroll performed folk, rock and soca music before relocating to Sarasota to pursue a career in jazz. She’ll be backed by Paul Gavin on drums, Pablo Arencibia on keys and Hiram Hazley on bass.
Everybody has to grow up sometime, but it usually isn’t as complicated as it is in this dark comedy.It starts with a Chicago man returning to his former apartment a year after his assumed death to fix his relationships with the people mourning him. The show tackles millennial challenges and the transition to adulthood. Runs through Feb. 16.
MONDAY ARTS ADVOCATES ART COLLECTION TOUR 10 a.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $10 Call 953-3368.
SATURDAY WINTER FINE ART FESTIVAL 10 a.m. at J.D. Hamel Park, 199 Bayfront Dr. Free Call 487-8061.
OUR PICK
Browse artwork by local, regional and national artisans in this outdoor gallery of handmade art including paintings, sculpture, jewelry, photography, glass, ceramics, fiber, mixed-media and woodworking. ‘TOMÁS AND THE LIBRARY LADY’ 11 a.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab Theatre, 1265 1st St. $10 Call 366-9000. A children’s picture book comes to life in FST’s latest production. Based off a true story from the 1940s, a boy, Tomás, who works in the fields with his migrant parents, one day meets a librarian. He uses books as an escape from the heat and ends up discovering a world of imagination and possibilities. Runs through Feb. 2.
‘AMERICAN ROOTS: GRASSICAL’ Have a unique musical experience, and expand your vocabulary by one new word, to boot, as the Key Chorale Chamber singers continue their American Roots series with the DePue Brothers Band. The group pioneered a style they call “grassical,” which refers to a vivid blend of bluegrass, gypsy and jazz. Hear contem-
SUNDAY
XAVIER FOLEY 3 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road $25-$45 Call 306-1202. Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota presents Xavier Foley, who demonstrates the stunning musical magic that can be made with the essential but often over-
Since 1970, the Fine Arts Society of Sarasota Inc. Arts Advocates have acquired more than 50 pieces by Florida artists. The works represent a wide range of media and styles dating back to the 1930s. A docent-led tour teaches about the art and artists from the collection.
porary and old-time bluegrass from Emmylou Harris and Ricky Skaggs to Flatts & Scruggs, The Foggy Mountain Boys and Ralph Stanley. Guest vocalist and audience favorite Madison Spahn returns as well. IF YOU GO When: 4 p.m. Saturday Where: St. Boniface Episcopal Church, 5615 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key Tickets: $30-$40 Info: Call 921-4845.
TUESDAY WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN: CARPENTERS REMEMBERED 8 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $22-$57 Call 953-3368.
looked double bass. Foley plays this largest member of the string family as important as any solo instrument. SYNIA CARROLL JAZZ BAND 7 p.m. at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court $20; members $15 Call 800-838-3006.
It’s yesterday once more with this concert celebrating the music of one of the most successful recording acts of all time. Starring Michelle Berting Brett, accompanied by a seven-piece band, the show recreates the Carpenters’ original sound. Enjoy hits that include “Close to You,” “Yesterday Once More” and “Rainy Days & Mondays.”
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WEDNESDAY ‘THE NETHER’ 7 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab Theatre, 1265 1st St. From $25 Call 366-9000. Set aside reality as FST opens it Stage III series with sci-fi crime drama “The Nether.” A young detective’s case leads her into a virtual wonderland of total sensory immersion. Her investigation takes her to the darkest corners of the imagination and explores the consequences of living out our private dreams. Runs through Feb. 7. BEHZOD ABDURAIMOV 7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $30-$85 Call 225-6500. Piano concerts are rarely considered edge-of-your-seat type entertainment, but it will be about as close as it gets when the Sarasota Concert Association opens its 75th season with Uzbeki pianist Behzod Abduraimov, known for his sweeping, dramatic style and depth combined with perfect precision. The program will include Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Op. 28; Debussy’s “Children’s Corner”; and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”
ONLINE Find information on these events and more at YourObserver.com.
ST.ARMANDS CIRCLE ASSOCIATION AND WAGNER REALTY PRESENT: Sarasota Opera Invites You To
Colors of Love The 2020 Opera Gala Saturday, February 1, 2020, 6:30 pm The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota $350 per person Black Tie – With a Colorful Twist
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEPHEN SONDHEIM Choral Artists of Sarasota salute composer on his 90th; Ann Morrison shares her insights and memories.
MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR
C
omposer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim took audiences into the woods, tickled their funny bone at the Forum, gave them a close shave and a meat pie on Fleet Street and basically reinvented the Great American Musical. This year marks his 90th birthday. There are parties across the country, including in Sarasota. Choral Artists of Sarasota will present “Celebrating Sondheim” on Jan. 18.
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How’d you wind up in this Choral Artists concert? Joe Holt asked me to be a part of the celebration. He’s such a dear. How could I say no? What are some of your favorite songs in the show? They’re all favorites. OK, like the top five? I’d say that’s “Here’s to the Ladies Who Lunch” and “Getting Married Today” from “Company”; “Old Friends” from “Merrily”; “Ah, But Underneath,” which was cut from “Follies”; and a medley of Sondheim songs from “Passion,” “Merrily,” and “Saturday Night.” Is that more than five? Who’s counting? I noticed you perked up when you mentioned “Merrily We Roll Along.” Would you say that musical was a game-changer for you? It was more like a game-starter. How did your audition go? Oh, it was a roller coaster. I was told that Sondheim didn’t like kids — meaning green, young performers. I was 25, but I lied and said that I was older. I ended up auditioning for Hal two weeks before my birthday and rehearsing for Steve on my birthday. How was that? Oh, it was a hoot. I was alone on stage on the set of “Evita.” I was auditioning for the role of Mary Flynn. There was one person sitting in the audience: Stephen Sondheim. He had an intimi-
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IF YOU GO CELEBRATING SONDHEIM When: 4 p.m. Saturday Where: Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way Tickets: $28-$45 Info: Call 387-4900, or visit ChoralArtistsSarasota.org.
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dating reputation, but he was friendly with me. Then he asked me, “How high can you sing?” I said, “I can sing a High C.” Walking down the street afterward, I realized why he’d asked. Sondheim was writing the song for my voice on my birthday!
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What was it like working with Sondheim and Prince? Working with Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim was a master class in musical theater. Anyone who’s had that privilege is changed forever. What sets Sondheim’s music apart? A Sondheim song is delicious with lyrics and colors. It opens the door to all the many dimensions of emotional life. As you mature, you see more and more of those dimensions. You could sing a Sondheim song at age 26 and think you understand it. When you sing it at age 47, you get a different glimpse. At age 64, you hear even more depths. In the midst of a song, you might hear a melody you’ve never heard before that’s echoed later in the show. Sondheim’s music is an inexhaustible well.
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Bluegrass and choir combine in this genre-bending concert featuring the DePue Brothers Band with the Key Chorale Chamber Singers. Music from the hills of Appalachia to progressive bluegrass sounds of today. Grassical, a vivid blend of bluegrass, gypsy, and jazz. Contemporary and old-time bluegrass from the Wailin’ Jennys, Emmylou Harris and Ricky Skaggs, to Flatts & Scruggs, The Foggy Mountain Boys and Ralph Stanley. Contemporary and old-time bluegrass from the Wailin’ Jennys, Emmylou Harris and Ricky Skaggs, to Flatts & Scruggs, The Foggy Mountain Boys & Ralph Stanley. Tickets at
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If Sondheim gets his hands on this issue, what would you like to say to him? Oh …. Happy birthday, dear heart!
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Joseph Holt, the ensemble’s artistic director, will direct this concert of Sondheim’s iconic Broadway songs. The talents include the 40 singers of the chorus and guest vocalists Amy Jo Connours, Matthew Nall, Ben Pattison, Michaela Ristaino and Sarasota’s own Ann Morrison. Morrison cut her teeth on “Merrily We Roll Along” in a 1981 Broadway production directed by Hal Prince. Morrison had a lot to say about what sets Sondheim apart — and why he makes her feel like singing.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
Noteworthy discussions
IF YOU GO
Double bassist Xavier Foley visits Music Mondays on Jan. 13.
Music Mondays are back with weekly conversational interludes.
KLINT LOWRY A+E EDITOR
T Courtesy photos
Edward Alley saves the highbrow academics for another day when he sits down with the Music Mondays guests.
he Sarasota Institute of Lifelong Learning announces that a new season in its “Musical Conversations with Great Performers” program has commenced — wait, that sounds a little stuffy, and SILL’s Music Mondays are anything but that. The popular series is indeed back, with its usual mixed assortment of musical guests who come to play a little, talk a lot and have a good time all the way around Monday mornings at Church of the Palms and again Monday
afternoons at Venice Presbyterian Church in Venice. For those who might not be familiar with Music Mondays, they are a combination of informal but informative conversation with talented music makers, with a song here and there and audience interaction. “I refer to it as subversive education because the audience is entertained,” says Edward Alley, who is in his third season hosting the morning sessions. “They get to know a lot about the artists, and maybe they come away knowing a little bit more.” Music Mondays are light and loose, Alley says, and they are
based on a format established by the show’s previous host, Alley’s late wife, June LeBell. LeBell had been the nation’s first female announcer on a classical radio station, WQXR-FM in the New York City area. After retiring to Sarasota, LeBell was asked to take over what at the time was SILL’s music appreciation lecture series, which Alley says “was something of a yawner.” Based on her radio experience, LeBell began inviting guests onto the show, and the lectures morphed into interviews. “We developed it together, and it just sort of grew organically into the current format,” Alley says.
MUSIC MONDAYS 2020 When: 10:30 a.m. Mondays, Sarasota; 3 p.m. Mondays, Venice, through March 23 Where: Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road; Venice Presbyterian Church, 825 The Rialto, Venice Tickets: $10 Info: Call 365-6404.
And that format took off. The show had to move from the 450seat Holley Hall to Church of the Palms, which can hold more than 800. Popular demand then dictated the addition of the afternoon edition in Venice. Alley coproduced Music Mondays for several years with LeBell as host. About three years ago, when LeBell died from complications of ovarian cancer, the board asked Alley to continue the series. “I was privileged to do it,” he says. Alley has stuck to the strategy he learned from LeBell: Never plan the questions, and let the conversation flow naturally. Alley hosts the morning sessions in Sarasota; in Venice, the hosting duties are split between Joseph Holt, the artistic director of Choral Artists of Sarasota, and Robert Sherman, “the father of classical music interviewers,” as Alley calls him. “He’s been at WQXR in New York for something like 60 years. He spends about three months a year in Sarasota, and it just so happens to be the same three months of Music Mondays.” The guests, of course, are what makes Music Mondays. “I try to balance the programming
rajiv joseph’s
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NOW PLAYING - JAN 19 “gutsy. gripping. razor-sharp.” - Marty Fugate, the Observer
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between people who are very well known with a few of our local very good musicians and occasionally with young people who are coming up,” Alley says. He adds that the key is to keep the conversation, well, conversational. These are not deep, academic discussions. Instead, Alley says he’ll try to think of questions the casual music fan might want to know. For instance, Alley says, let’s say the guest is an accomplished violinist. “Violinists are always picky about their bows,” he says. OK, so what makes one bow better than another? Get violinists where they feel at ease, like they're shooting the bull with friends, Alley says, and they might explain it to you. And how many times does the average person get that chance? That’s what Music Mondays are all about. “It’s like two people sitting on a couch or in the kitchen talking and maybe playing a little bit of something,” Alley says. “It’s like being in your living room, except it’s just a very large living room.”
Tetiana Safran, winner of the Olga Kern International Piano Competition, closes the series March 23.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
THE PERFORMERS JAN. 13: Xavier Foley has won many awards for his virtuosity on the double bass. JAN. 20: Keyboardist Charlie Albright returns for his third Music Monday. Last year, he discussed and demonstrated his classical background then let loose with Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire.” JAN. 27: Brad Williams has been principal trombone of the Sarasota Orchestra since 2009. FEB. 3: The husband-and-wife duo of soprano Amy Burton and Pulitzer- and Emmy-winning composer and pianist John Musto covers the gamut of music from the classics to Musto’s own compositions. FEB. 10: The Romm Family Trio comprises trumpeter Ronald Romm; his wife, pianist Avis Romm; and their son, trumpeter Aaron Romm. FEB. 17: Grammy winner Jason Vieaux, one of the top classical guitarists in the world, is passionate about sharing his musical gifts through teaching. FEB. 24: Baritone Todd Thomas continues his reign as one of America’s most soughtafter artists. MARCH 2: The Melodica Men — Joe Buono and Tristan Clarke — are classically trained musicians who have been burning up YouTube playing the melodica, a cross between a keyboard and a harmonica. MARCH 9: Margaret Batjer has served as concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra since 1998 as well as on the faculty of the Sarasota Music Festival for the past three seasons. MARCH 16: Lisa Chavez has thrilled audiences at the Sarasota Opera for the past three seasons. She returns this season in Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet” and Catalani’s seldom-heard “La Wally.” MARCH 23: Tetiana Safran, as the Olga Kern International Piano Competition recipient, will give recitals in Moscow, Rome and New York — but Music Mondays gets her first.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
COMING TO THE VAN WEZEL! “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” “Unchained Melody”
MON, JAN 13 8PM
‘Gruesome Playground Injuries’ leaves a mark
SARASOTA PREMIERE!
Starring Michelle Berting Brett
Characters’ journey is funny and painful, and that’s no accident. MARTY FUGATE
TUES, JAN 14 8PM
THE FUNNIEST SHOW IN TOWN AT THE MOMENT
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ajiv Joseph’s “Gruesome Playground Injuries” is the latest FSU/Asolo Conservatory production. The title is truth in advertising, not a metaphor. Joseph’s cutting black comedy
is strong theater, and not for the squeamish. The play’s two characters are accidents waiting to happen. Doug (Alex Rodriguez) is a boastful daredevil. In the tradition of “Jackass,” he’s fond of bonehead stunts, such as riding a bicycle off his school’s roof like Evel Knievel. That
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‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES’ When: Through Jan. 19 Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $32 Info: Call 351-8000.
Courtesy photos by Frank Atura
Above: In “Gruesome Playground Injuries,” Rajiv Joseph’s script follows two characters back and forth to various injury-filled periods of their lives. Top left: As children, Kayleen (Anna Newbury) and Doug (Alex Rodriguez) forge a relationship written in blood, and it stays that way.
stunt as an 8-year-old gashes open his face and lands him in the school infirmary. He meets up with Kayleen (Anna Newbury), who suffers from a perpetual stomachache. Kayleen shyly asks to touch his wound; Doug obliges her. Their weird friendship begins.
You see them reconnect over the years. Each meeting marks a new injury, either for him or for her, and sometimes both. Doug’s idiotic derring-do has a predictable result. As your mama always said, “You could lose an eye.” Doug does — and he’s just getting started. Acci-
dent by accident, he gets slowly whittled down. (He reminds me of Allardyce T. Meriweather— Martin Balsam’s con-artist character in Arthur Penn’s “Little Big Man.”) Where Doug’s self-inflicted injuries are in your face, Kayleen’s are out of sight. She
changes implies a weird karmic dance. Bryan Lewis’ sound design (with surreal clips of the Spin Doctors and Johnny Cash) and McVicker’s lighting add to the sense of limbo. The stagecraft hits an insanely high level at every level. Joseph’s bloody, black comedy is gripping at first. In the last few scenes, the play loses its grip and stops being funny. I couldn’t figure it out at first. The acting and directing remain stellar. Joseph’s dialog is still razor-sharp. So what’s the problem? Character, I think. It’s a character study that doesn’t study the characters. You know that Doug and Kayleen hurt themselves. You never know why. The characters never look inside. Never ask themselves: “Why am I doing this? Why can’t I stop?” Their motives remain a mystery; they don’t even seem to have a choice. What’s left? In the end, more wounds, more suffering for two characters you care about. There’s no dramatic tension because you know Kayleen and Doug can’t change. It’s like watching a driver go into a skid with no way to pull out. The crash is inevitable — so why keep watching? There’s a fine line between empathy and rubbernecking. Joseph’s play crosses the line. On the other hand, it’s meant to be disturbing — and that’s no accident. This is an entertaining, gutsy, inventive original work of theater. It’s worth a second look. I’ll delay my final accident report for now.
P I C K
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
REVIEWS
IF YOU GO
secretly self-harms — and in her 30s winds up in a mental hospital after a nasty bit of self-surgery. Ashley Teague directs with crystal clarity. Nothing else will work. Joseph’s play combines bloody subject matter with a scrambled chronology worthy of Quentin Tarantino. The eight scenes jump around in time; the actors play their characters at different ages and change costumes in plain sight. Teague pulls it off beautifully, and so do Newbury and Rodriguez. One actor announces the time at the start of each scene. It’s superfluous information. Thanks to subtle cues in the actors’ body language and speaking styles, you’re always clear about where they are in their lives. Rodriguez’s Doug is a puckish imp — and not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. He shrugs off his injuries and gets big laughs with lines like: “I like to get stitches. It makes your skin feel tight.” His character bubbles with zest in his younger incarnations. It’s heartbreaking to watch life gradually slap the smile off his face. Newbury’s Kayleen is damaged from the get-go. She’s drawn to Doug as a kindred, self-destructive spiri. The creative team stitches this emergency room love story together with the dexterity of a front-line MASH unit. Eliza Ladd’s movement-coaching brilliantly evokes the characters’ ages. Chris McVicker’s “Outer Limits” set design morphs from infirmary to hospital to funeral home. Ladd and Teague’s in-sight choreography of costume (and bandage)
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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
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YourObserver.com
THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
S2020 GreatCPerformersASeries ARASOTA
ONCERT
SSOCIATION
String Quartet takes on three composers
A concert of dazzling virtuosity!
Behzod Abduraimov, piano
EDWARD ALLEY MUSIC CRITIC
Jan 15 | Van Wezel
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Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Op. 28 Debussy’s Children’s Corner Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition “This young musician is a seeker of substance and meaning beyond the surface of the works.” —Bachtrack
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SARASOTA CONCERT ASSOCIATION
Behzod Abduraimov
unday afternoon, Jan. 5, the Chamber Soirées Program of the Sarasota Orchestra presented something of a rarity: a full concert by the Sarasota String Quartet. Usually, this well-attended chamber music series presents several different ensemble combinations in each Holley Hall concert, but this one was devoted exclusively to the string quartet made up of Daniel Jordan, concertmaster; Christopher Takeda, associate concertmaster; Rachel Halvorson, principal viola; and Natalie Helm, principal cello. Daniel Jordan, in his excellent commentary on the concert, noted that the works programmed were from three centuries — the 18th, 19th and 20th — and all were composed in minor keys, which added to this unusual juxtaposition. The concert opened with Haydn’s String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76, No.2, also known as “The Fifths” quartet. Haydn is generally accepted as the primary developer of the string quartet, given the 68 he composed during his lifetime. This quartet opens with the theme stated as a series of “falling fifths” — passing from the first violin through the other voices of the quartet — and elaborated on throughout the movement. The blend and ensemble of the group was shown forth from the very beginning, as did their enthusiasm for the music. The theme and variations of the second movement and the minuet of the third led to a thrilling finale, oddly enough still in a minor key, rather than changing to a major key in the traditional fashion. The middle piece in this musical sandwich was the 1905 quartet of Viennese composer Anton Webern. It contains moments of both late Romantic writing and atonal passages. It was written during his student days, before he became a convert to the atonal school of his teacher Arnold Schoenberg. Webern’s quartet is built on a three-note motive, which is passed around the four players in various forms, given
various fugal treatments and expanded in other directions. Oddly enough, various dissonant and atonal passages resolve into tonal harmonies, and then a bit later, these same tonal harmonies resolve into dissonant ones with no tonal center. All of that could be very disquieting if carried to excess — but they weren’t. New themes would be introduced, and then there would be long passages of unison playing, almost as if Webern were experimenting with this piece. Yes, this is “cerebral” music, but as performed by these excellent musicians, it was not the least bit off-putting. I overheard a comment saying that it could be excellent music for an outer space movie, and perhaps so. Webern seemed to love the rather cloudy sound of muted strings, which, added to postRomantic harmonies, gave a “hazy spacey” feeling to the entire second movement of this most interesting quartet. Ending the concert was an outstanding performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor of Op. 95, the first of many performances honoring the 250th anniversary of this composer’s birth. This quartet was subtitled “Quartet serioso” due to the minor key setting and also likely due to the health issues being faced by Beethoven at the time. Like his Fifth Symphony, composed a few years earlier — and also the Webern quartet — a small motive sets the tone and pace for the first movement. Beethoven modifies and shares this motive throughout the quartet of players and keeps the movement moving ahead in a most direct fashion, with the five notes of the motive always somewhere in the background. Keeping up the surprises, Beethoven inserts a sprightly fugue in the second movement and an unconventional Scherzo and trio in the third, which leads to a sprightly finale. A most unexpected Presto coda in a major mode, with notes flying everywhere, brings the work to a most joyful end.
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Sir Frederick Ashton’s Les Rendezvous | Photography Frank Atura
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31 JAN – 3 FEB 2020 | FSU CENTER