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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT | ABSTRACT HISTORY

BLACK TIE Sarasota Opera Gala PAGE 15

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor

Clockwise from top left: Syd Solomon at 65, (Photo copyright Jill Krementz; a portion of Estate of Syd Solomon photo archives); “Shoretour” 1974 by Syd Solomon on display at Spanierman Modern (courtesy of the Estate of Syd Solomon); “Clearing Gulfstorm” by Syd Solomon on display at Spanierman Modern (courtesy of the Estate of Syd Solomon); “Aprility” by Syd Solomon on display at Spanierman Modern (courtesy of the Estate of Syd Solomon).

THE LEGACY OF

SYD SOLOMON The late Syd Solomon’s colorful history helped build Sarasota as an artist’s colony. It still thrives as an art-centered community today. ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT COVER STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: ABSTRACT HISTORY

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor (continued from page 1)

THE LEGACY OF SYD SOLOMON The late Syd Solomon’s colorful history helped build Sarasota as an artist’s colony. It still thrives as an art-centered community today.

ome children of the ’70s had tiddly winks and barrel of monkeys. Michael Solomon had Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock. His father, the late artist Syd Solomon, hosted famous parties attended by movers and shakers in East Hampton, N.Y., and Sarasota, where they split their time. In the winters, they brought their artist friends here and created a vibrant artists’ colony in Sarasota. Michael Solomon sits in the front office of the Estate of Syd Solomon between two large black-and-white portraits of his father. This warehouse off Clark Road houses the archives of the Estate of Syd Solomon. He has been camping out there recently working on a Ken Burns-style documentary film about his father and his legacy. Solomon is a recognizable name in Sarasota. For one, there’s Michael Solomon, a minimalist artist whose work will be on display in an upcoming exhibition at Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art. Then there’s Annie Solomon, Michael’s mother and Syd’s widow, who is giving a talk at The Ringling about her and her late husband’s contributions to the artist colony. But it’s Syd Solomon with whom people are most familiar. The artist died in January 2004, but his contributions to building a vibrant artist colony helped make Sarasota the arts city it is today.

Photo by Mallory Gnaegy

Top: Michael Solomon thumbs through Estate of Syd Solomon archives. Bottom left: Syd Solomon with author John D. MacDonald, 1963. Bottom right: daughter Michele Solomon, Michael Solomon and Annie Solomon, 1961.

Syd Courtesy Estate of

Solomon

Slow rise to fame Courtesy Estate of Syd

Solomon

Syd Solomon’s art, which hangs

in prominent places such as the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, is easily recognizable. Critics classify Solomon as an abstract expressionist due to his energetic gestures and spontaneous raw emotion. But he is more of an abstract impressionist. The areas of smaller brushstrokes exhibit the controlled, technical movements of a baroque painter. “He doesn’t really fit into the boxes with which most of the other abstract expressionists fit,” Michael Solomon says. Though Solomon was very much a part of the abstract expressionist art movement, he never lived in Manhattan, N.Y., with the New York School that includes Pollock, de Kooning and Franz Kline. Plus, his career did not mature in the ’50s like the others’; he started to flourish a decade later. This was something Harold Rosenburg, former art critic for The New Yorker, once cited. Rosenburg told Solomon that he was getting better, while the other artists had hit their peaks. “And that just made it for him,” Michael Solomon says.

Contributions to Sarasota

The couple found Sarasota, a place they had never heard of, following a trip to Miami. When Solomon came across a gallery, or what was the John Ringling collection before the museum opened its doors, he realized this little town had more to offer than they had expected. They

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IF YOU GO Collecting Recollections: Annie Solomon Annie Solomon remembers a colony of artists as part of the Collecting Recollections series, whose tagline is “Fascinating people with fascinating stories.”

Photo by Hans Namuth, copyright Estate of Hans Namuth

Jim Dine, Syd Solomon, Phil Guston, Aldolph Gottlieb, Conrad MarcaRelli,1964 settled in 1946. Solomon quickly started contributing to the city. He built a relationship with Ringling College of Art and Design and, by the mid-’50s, he was teaching Saturday morning children’s art classes (local artist Craig Rubadoux was one of his students). The Solomons also opened Sarasota School of Art in 1950 on First Street. He became the first art professor at New College, where he founded the Fine Arts Institute. He brought visiting artists to teach, such as Conrad Marca-Relli, Philip Guston and Larry Rivers. Many of his visiting friends took up residence here. He first built these friendships when he started visiting East Hampton in 1955. The Solomons spent every summer on Long Island, N.Y. In the winters, their friends came here.

Every weekend for three decades, the Solomons hosted parties. Guests such as crime writer John D. MacDonald, artist Jimmy Ernst, writer Joy Williams, director Elia Kazan and writer Kurt Vonnegut Jr. were famous attendees. Newspapers featured interviews with the visitors; gallery openings became big functions because of the visual artists’ presence. The visual-art scene exploded in the ’50s, much in part to Solomon. There are photos of Michael Solomon as a young boy spending time with famous family friends. A lot of it had to do with Solomon’s wife, Annie. She always cooked and reached out to people as the natural host. “I don’t think they would have had the kind of life they had were it not for Annie,” Michael Solomon says.

“Field of the Heart” featuring the works of Michael Solomon “Face to Face” featuring the works of Alain Huin

When: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11

When: Opening reception 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7. Runs through March 1.

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

Where: Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art, 1288 N. Palm Ave.

Cost: Members get in free; guests also get in free with museum admission. Otherwise, tickets are $5.

Cost: Free

Info: Call 360-7399 or visit Ringling.org

Sarasota influence

And, as much as Solomon impacted Sarasota, the city reciprocally influenced his work. Kevin Dean, now the director of Selby Gallery, then a Sarasota-based arts writer, discusses this influence: “There was this sense of beauty in his work,” Dean says. “Some people thought his work was too pretty … but he responded to where he was, and he was living in two very beautiful places.” Solomon always painted outdoors. In 1970, architect Gene Leedy designed a controversial home and outdoor studio on Turtle Beach — some would argue it was too close to the water. Solomon always painted in the morning light and always with a cigar. He’d take a lunch break when he would watch “Perry Mason” on a small black-and-

Info: Call 366-2454 or visit allyngallup.com for more information. Visit YourObserver. com to read more about this exhibit. white television. Every Thursday for 35 years, he went fishing. Living here, he met inventor Guy Paschal, a seasonal Longboat Key resident. Paschal, known mostly for developing Airwick deodorizers, also helped develop acrylic paint in the late ’40s. Paschal created polymers, and Solomon tested them. Because of this relationship, Solomon was one of the first artists to use acrylic paint. He gained national attention for his Sarasotainfluenced acrylic work.

A legacy lives on

Solomon’s blossoming career was recognized locally when he was the first contemporary artist The Ringling added to its collection in 1962. In the following decades, the Ringling held two major retrospectives of his work. But, more than that, by the

Courtesy of the Estate of Syd Solomon

Syd and Annie Solomon, 1959 time Solomon died in 2004 from Alzheimer’s, he had shows at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Dallas Museum of Art and The Smithsonian, to name a few. His work hangs in the Guggenheim and Whitney museums and the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. Feb. 5 marked the close of a month-long show at Spanierman Modern in New York City. This thrills Annie Solomon, who will speak Feb. 11 at The Ringling to share the Solomon story. “He’s getting new recognition (in New York), and it’s really important and gratifying to me,” she says. “It’s a whole new aspect of his work, and I’ve had so many wonderful letters congratulating me. I’m very excited about it.” Solomon’s legacy lives on — both locally and nationally. “I think it’s important that people know of Syd Solomon and remember his history,” Dean says. “He’s very much a part of this town.”

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

CALENDAR A&E EDITOR’S PICKS

THURSDAY, FEB. 6

Chamber Series: ‘East & Middle East’ Sarasota Orchestra 5:30 p.m. at Holley Hall Tickets $29 to $37. Call 953-3434.

FESTIVALS/FUN

THEATER/DANCE

‘Radio Gals’ 8 p.m. at Venice Theatre Runs through March 2. Tickets $10 to $28. Call 488-1115. Steppin’ Out Live with Ben Vereen 8 p.m. at Venice Theatre Tickets $59. Call 488-1115.

New Stages: Lost Wax NowHERE 7:30 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater Runs through Saturday. Tickets $30. Call 359-5700.

SATURDAY, FEB. 8

YO Concert Sarasota Orchestra Association 10:30 a.m. at Holley Hall Visit SOAssociation.org.

Ringling Underground 8 p.m. at The Ringling Museum of Art Tickets $10. Call 359-5700.

‘Back by Popular Demand’ Magic of Manatee Sweet Adeline Chorus 3 p.m. at Neel Performing Arts Center Tickets $18. Call 794-0218.

Thursday Nights Live, New Orleans Jazz 8 p.m. at The Longboat Key Education Center Tickets $15. Call 383-8811.

‘Il Trovatore’ by Giuseppe Verdi 7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House Runs through March 22. Tickets $19 to $120. Call 328-1300.

FRIDAY, FEB. 7

Circus Sarasota Winter Performance 7 p.m. at the Big Top (12th Street and Tuttle Avenue) Runs through Feb. 23. Tickets $12.50 to $25. Call 355-9335.

 June LeBell, with husband Edward Alley

MUSIC

Kenny Rogers 8 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Tickets $65 to $85. Call 953-3368. Sarasota Concert Band 8 p.m. at The Glenridge Performing Arts Center Tickets $15. Call 552-5325.

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SARASOTAN JUNE LEBELL HER STORY: June LeBell is the first female radio announcer on a major classical music radio station and spent her career hosting numerous award-winning programs.

ART SCENE

S CHEECF’IAL

“PEONY IN MOTION” BY BETSEY CAMERON

MEDIUM:

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SIZE: 40 inches by 60 inches

FLEUR DE SEL SEARED HANGER STEAK

ON DISPLAY: In

“Reimagining Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz” from Feb. 8 through Feb. 16, at the IceHouse, 1314 10th St.

INSPIRATION:

“I like to get up close and personal to the flowers, which is of course, very similar to Georgia O’Keeffe; she wanted to get up close and personal and force you

SUNDAY, FEB. 9.

‘Civil America’ Suncoast Concert Band 3 p.m. at Northminster Presbyterian Church Tickets $5. Call 907-4123. ‘Just the Two of Us’ Sarasota Pops Orchestra

She’s currently The Observer’s music reviewer, and leader of sold-out SILL series Musical Conversations.

THE NEWS: LeBell will be hosting

a new program on WSMR where she’ll host, produce and book guests from around the world for

WHERE: Featured February, at Michael’s On East, 1212 S. East Ave., Sarasota. to look at it. I like to get up close because when I did, I was just amazed at the complexities and the uniqueness of each flower… Hopefully, you can feel that it is alive. Sometimes when flowers are on paper or as photographs they are very beautiful, but you can’t feel the twinkle. I hope you can feel the twinkle.”

3 p.m. at Riverview Performing Arts Center Tickets $20 to $25. Call 926-7677. Kenny Loggins 7 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Tickets $50 to $70. Call 953-3368.

WHAT: This lunch entrée is part of the two-course lunch menu for $18.95 a person. INGREDIENTS: Accompanying the

salt-seared hanger steak are pommes de terre sarladaise (potatoes cooked in duck fat), sautéed wild mushrooms and au poivre sauce (pepper steak sauce).

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STLAIYLINLG P

‘Delval Divas’ runs through Feb. 9, at Island Players.

‘Thurgood’ runs through Feb. 22, at Florida Studio Theatre. ‘Other Desert Cities’ runs through Feb. 26, at Asolo Repertory Theatre.

Sarasota listeners.

FIRST GUEST: Marilyn Horne, the

famous 80-year-old Mezzo-soprano opera singer.

WHEN: The first program will broad-

cast in October. Stay tuned for details.

‘Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike’ runs through April 13, at Asolo Repertory Theatre. ‘Poems, Prayers and Promises’ runs through April 20, at Florida Studio Theatre.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: BACKSTAGE PASS

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor

Kids Komedy Club steals hearts in Valentine’s show It’s 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning at Florida Studio Theatre’s Goldstein Cabaret. Three girls with scripts in hand are on the stage doing a comedy sketch about building the perfect boyfriend, a sketch they helped write. One girl wants to change her nerdy, momma’s boy, putz-of-aboyfriend into someone a little more masculine, so they pump him up with an air pump and turn him from a nincompoop to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Director Adam Ratner (just one of his three titles at FST) founded Kids Komedy Club (the second generation) in 2009. It’s a group of 10 performers ages 10 to 15 that meets every Saturday morning to write, rehearse and perform sketch comedy and improv routines. Some of the children, such as Clarence Dodge, have been involved since the first year the group started. Another, Andrew Stevens, donated $250 of his bar mitzvah money to the theater’s capital campaign. Today, they are preparing for their Valentine’s Day-themed show — they typically perform shows for the public near all the big holidays. Siena Siegel, 15, asks Ratner if she can play around with her character and make her a valley girl. “Try it out and we’ll see if it works,” he tells her. These three girls have not yet experienced the put-the-toiletseat-down nature of the male species, yet their hilarious display of this aspect is spot on during one of the sketches. It’s one example of the quick wit of this particular group of kids. Plus, their

Photos by Mallory Gnaegy

Above: Kaity Cairo, Adam Ratner, Emma Katz and Andrew Stevens. Right, top: Siena Siegel. Right, middle: Parker McCormick and Andrew Stevens. Right, bottom: Dylan Caruso knowledge of pop culture nearly two decades before they were born is impressive. They make “Kindergarten Cop” references and talk about watching Talking Heads music videos. Back in the ’80s, when he was experiencing these firsthand, Ratner was a member of the first generation of Kids Komedy Club. It’s where the then-7-year-old got his start doing improv. Now he’s made a career of acting and he also performs in the professional adult improv troupe, FST Improv. The whole troupe takes the stage for the next sketch — it’s

YOUROBSERVER.COM // See these talented children in action. all improvised around the audience’s suggestion. For worst mortician ever, one child makes another child pretending to be a dead body dance. For worst juggler ever, one child pretends to not have any arms. It’s so funny, the pianist providing the improvised music for the show, Erik Sumner, can’t help cracking up. In a news sketch, two boys don masks of George Washington and Abe Lincoln with the mouths cut

out. Parker McCormick keeps making Lincoln stick his tongue in and out in a Kiss-like fashion — the move is unrehearsed. The whole room is in stitches. Ratner, a real professional, says he learns from them every day. “They are so funny! They are so quick,” he says. “That’s one of the things — as I get older it’s like some of the things they do, I remember being that funny, I remember being that fast!”

IF YOU GO When: 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 Where: Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. Cost: Tickets are $6. Info: Call 366-9000 or visit floridastudiotheatre.org.

Faith to Faith

CHRISTIANS AND JEWS WORKING TOGETHER FOR ISRAEL

Tuesday

February 18th 7:00 PM

Church of Hope, 1560 Wendell Kent Rd, Sarasota Join us for a panel discussion internationally known leaders about Christians and Jews working together for Israel. We both have such strong ties to the land and her people. Let’s break down religious barriers and come together on common ground: Our love for Israel. Learn specific knowledge about how to be the best advocate for Israel! FREE Event. Suggested donation of $10

Eagles Wings Ministries

Pastor Mario Bramnick

Broward Pastors Network

Susan Michael Chaim Shacham

International Christian Embassy Jerusalem

Consul General of Israel to Florida & Puerto Rico

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SPONSORED BY

Robert Stearns

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Southeast Regional Outreach Director at AIPAC

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: SPOTLIGHT Weekends 10 am-3 pm

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1289 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota 34236 | 941.552.9688 Duane Fenn, Byron Poore and Patrick Kilbane

Chorus of the Keys changes its tune by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor Byron Poore, Patrick Kilbane and Duane Fenn are “the three tenors of Sarasota” — rather two tenors and a bass. The three men are the newest leadership team fronting Sarasota Chorus of the Keys, the all-male, a capella, four-part harmony, barbershop chorus specializing in ’50s and ’60s popular music. It’s not a new performing-arts organization by any means — the group has been around Sarasota for 64 years. But these three men hope to build a new dynamic for the group and crescendo to the next level. “There was a known Sarasota Chorus of the Keys years ago … that was reasonably successful in the area,” says Fenn, assistant director. “But, with the loss of that

5 T H

Mallory Gnaegy

director I think the chorus began needing help.” In January 2012, the men of Chorus of the Keys sought the help they needed by appointing Poore as its new director, Kilbane as president and Fenn as assistant director. These three recently sat in a room at First Baptist Church before their weekly, three-hour-long Tuesday night rehearsal to discuss the group’s new tune. When Sarasotans think about performing-arts groups, Chorus of the Keys might not be the first one to come to mind, they say, but Poore hopes that in the next five years, Chorus of the Keys will be one of the first groups people talk about. “We think Sarasota is changing,” says Poore. “There is a more youthful presence, and that’s who we really want to at-

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Singing Valentines explode with love Every year, Chorus of the Keys offers your sweetheart a surprise singing telegram, via a barbershop quartet. The quartet delivers a card, rose and two love songs. One year, four Chorus of the Keys members were going to do an interview promotion on the WSRZ radio show Jones & Crane for Singing Valentines. Someone called in to say WSRZ would receive a package in four parts. Not knowing what this package was, the radio station went into high alert thinking it was a bomb threat. Little did the station know, the threat was four men singing “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Singing Valentines can be ordered by calling 371-6644. They cost $40 for daytime performances and $50 after 5 p.m. and can be delivered anywhere in Sarasota.

tract.” The chorus’ ideal member is someone between the ages of 20 and 60 who’s local, who has maybe never sung in a barbershop quartet, but who is capable of singing and willing to work hard. Poore calls it the “Average Joe’s chorus.” Reading music is not a requirement, but carrying a tune is. So, if you’re the type of guy who sings along to the radio or in the shower pretty well — the chorus wants you. The group is implementing a qualification process and working on the musicality of current

Get to know the new leadership: Byron Poore, Director Age: 35 Based in: Land O’Lakes Day job: Financial adviser Favorite Love song: “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Any More” Describe Chorus of the Keys with one adjective: challenging Patrick Kilbane, President Age: 34 Day job: Financial adviser Favorite Love song: “I Never See Maggie Alone” Describe Chorus of the Keys with one adjective: fun Duane Fenn, Assistant Director Age: 68 Day job: Retired manager, IT and technology Favorite Love song: “Little Bit of Heaven” Describe Chorus of the Keys with one adjective: rebirth

members to improve the overall quality of singing for the nearly 60 members. The group also hopes to do more than the annual performance and its Singing Valentines, but details are still in the works. The more they perform at events such as chamber luncheons and community events, the more people they can reach with their new sound. “We want to give back to the community so that Chorus of the Keys flows off the mouths of locals when they think of arts organizations in town,” says Poore.

IF YOU GO ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll:’ This concert is a throwback to the ’50s featuring songs such as “Jailhouse Rock” and “Rock Around the Clock.” In addition to Chorus of the Keys, two internationally renowned groups, all-female barbershop quartet Speed of Sound and award-winning Acoustix, will also perform.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: HIGHLIGHTS

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor

The Ringling’s R. Luke Dubois exhibit gets gears turning Explaining The Ringling’s “R. Luke Dubois — Now” exhibit with any combination of words wouldn’t properly align one’s expectations. The Ringling members present at the Jan. 30 member opening would probably agree. The exhibit of New York-based artist R. Luke Dubois is the first-ever survey of his work. He’s an interdisciplinary artist who explores society and its culture using film, composition, printmaking and performance, to name a few. For instance, the compositions are less for enjoyment and more for portraying a message about a particular subject. One experience combines 857 Billboard Top 100 songs into one 37-minute song by compressing each song and taking its average tonality. Another series features a print for every President of the United States’ State of the Union address that showcases the words each president used most to the words he used least in the

same layout of a vision-test chart. Much of Dubois’ work uses algorithms, data mining or other purposeful technology he created to look at society. For instance, he created a map of the United States using 19 million online dating profiles (he joined 21 online dating sites for this project) to measure keywords of towns and cities. Can’t picture it? Imagine trying to put it into words. In certain aspects, he’s as much a sociologist and scientist as an artist in the way his work encourages critical thinking about society and time. Although, his interactive commission looking at Sarasota’s circus culture presents a more approachable look at our own history in an interactive video exhibit featuring Circus Sarasota performers. If your curiosity is piqued, you can see the exhibit through May 4, at the Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bayshore Road. Admission is $25 and $10 after 5 p.m. on Thursdays. Visit Ringling.org for more information.

Betty Griggs, Maria-Elisabeth Mantius, Carolyn Nathan, Gisela Bhagwat, Mary Smolenski, Ann Ruffing, Leslie Young and Piera Freitag

Photos by Mallory Gnaegy

Ed and Diana Hirschhorn

Pedro Reis, Dolly Jacobs-Reis and R. Luke Dubois

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// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: HIGHLIGHTS A J C W E ST COAST F LO R I DA

2014 Spring Award Dinner H U M A N R E L AT I O N S AWA R D

David Harris AJC Executive Director, Edward and Sandra Meyer Office of the Executive Director

Circus Sarasota and the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County have fun on the job: Jennifer Gemmeke, Danae DeShazer, Patty OrdonezBains and Jim Shirley

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Lily Mancini performs with Players Kids

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by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor

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Three stages, nearly 25 performing groups and most every arts organization in Sarasota proudly represented the arts our city has to offer at Grand Ovation Saturday, Feb. 1. Grand Ovation takes place on Main Street in Lakewood Ranch and it offers four hours of live performances from area arts groups and organizations — this was its seventh year. The street was full of families, dogs walking people, impressed tourists, tap dancers, ballerinas and people in clown noses. Each stage offered a performance be it a music or dance, and featured organizations from Sarasota Opera to the Sarasota Folk Club. Between acts, patrons visited booths hosted by the organizations to learn about them or participate in fun activities they offered.

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Photos by Mallory Gnaegy

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// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: REVIEWS

MUSIC // Sarasota Orchestra — Masterworks IV with Tito Muñoz and Giora Schmidt Tito Muñoz, who has been assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra and Cincinnati Symphony, led the Sarasota Orchestra in performances of works by Barber, Piazzolla and Rachmaninov this past weekend and knocked the roof off the Van Wezel. This 31-yearold musical architect is a conductor with a vision of the music and Tito Muñoz a blueprint in his ear that allow him to sculpt, mold and chisel the sound of an orchestra so the music sounds new and, what could be dense becomes clear. Take the monumental Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2. Lasting about an hour, Muñoz was like an architect, building each phrase so it fit, like a mosaic, into an overall blueprint that turned what could have been opaque into a luminous, translucent sound that shimmered with light. The musicians of the orchestra played with a richness and warmth worthy of world-class ensembles. The spectacularly gorgeous adagio was brought to life, particularly by the splendid playing of clarinetist Bharat Chandra who positively sang his solo, making it sound like the composer’s famous “Vocalise,” milking the richness without ever pulling its long line out of shape. The aggregate result Sunday afternoon brought a spontaneous burst of applause from the audience, something that doesn’t often happen after a slow movement. There were solos galore throughout the Rachmaninov, each played with a care that

belied the energy that underscored even the softest passages. Breathtaking, mesmerizing and inspired hardly convey what happened in this performance. It was a short hour. That’s how this all-20th century concert ended. It began with a fresh, clean, colorful reading of Barber’s zesty overture to “The School for Scandal.” Catching the wit, fun and sarcasm of the composer’s nod to the 1777 comedy of manners by Sheridan, Barber wrote everything from impishness to romantic flirtations into his score. With characters like Lady Sneerwell and Snake inhabiting this 18th century play, Barber had to color his music with playfulness. Muñoz and the orchestra caught the color and fun, giving us some beautiful playing, especially by English horn player Michael Austin. In the middle was the fantastic “Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas,” (aka The Four Seasons of Argentina) based on a quintet by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla, and arranged for orchestra and violin solo by Leonid Desyatnikov. Giora Schmidt who, like Muñoz, is 31, made a showpiece out of this showstopper, playing with the various fun sounds written for him and the orchestra: slaps, slides, hiccups and zings that were spine-tingling and belly-tickling. It’s a wonderful piece, worthy of more hearings. Schmidt, reading the music from his iPad and turning its pages by stomping on a wireless pedal on the floor, positively lit the music with a tone that was never less than beautiful, while managing to infuse it with a full-bodied richness showing him to be a virtuosic player. I left the hall with four impressions: Schmidt is a terrific violinist; Muñoz, who now has his own orchestras here (Ensemble LPR in New York City) and abroad (Opera National de Lorraine and L’Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy), is headed to the top and probably will be at the helm of a major, big-budget orchestra in the near future; the Sarasota Orchestra is positively blooming; and I can’t get that slow movement theme from the Rachmaninov out of my head. — June LeBell

THEATER // ‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike’ What do you get when you toss “The Cherry Orchard,” “Three Sisters,” “The Seagull” and other chunks of Anton Chekhov’s plays in a Cuisinart and hit frappe? To find out, check out the Asolo Rep’s current production of Christopher Durang’s Tony Award-winning “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.” Vanya, Sonia and Masha are aging baby boomers living in America, not a dacha on the Black Sea. (Their theatrical parents saddled them with names from Chekhov’s plays.) Vanya and Sonia reside in their shabby genteel childhood home. Their sister, Masha, owns the place and pays for it. She’s a movie star with a fat bank account, thanks to an exploitive series about a crime-fighting nymphomaniac. Vanya and Sonia gripe, feel sorry for themselves, squabble and analyze their own motives in abstract, Chekhovian style. Masha flies into their lives like a selfimportant hurricane. She’s dressed as Snow White for an upcoming costume parody, but comes off as the Wicked Queen. Spike (who was not named after a Chekhov character) comes attached. He’s a pumped-up boy-toy whose chief pride is a near-miss at a role in “Entourage II.” (That, and constantly stripping down to his underwear.) Thus stripped, Spike takes a dip in the lake and returns with Nina, a wide-eyed neighborhood innocent. (She is not in sexual competition for Spike, though Masha does not buy it.) Cassandra is the Jamaican housekeeper. She speaks prophecies of doom, which nobody believes. (Surprise.) Masha plans to cut down the cherry orchard and — sorry. Masha plans to sell the house and toss her siblings out. That and what to wear to the costume party is the play’s core dramatic tension. But, hey, it’s a comedy. Tension is not the

“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” runs through April 13, at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Call 351-8000 or visit asolorep. org for more information. point. Peter Amster’s start-stop direction keeps the audience laughing. He plays each scene like sketch comedy (which each basically is — more on that later). The comedy kills. The actors do, too. Anne-Marie Cusson’s Masha is always on, a cartoon caricature of an over-the-top diva addicted to the spotlight. (There is madness to her method: Stanislavsky it ain’t.) Peggy Roeder puts in a performance with heart as Sonia, a wallflower who flowers when she plays Maggie Smith at the masquerade. Tyla Abercrumbie is hilariously convincing going into Cassandra’s prophetic trances. (Abercrumbie could easily start her own religion, though I advise against it.) Tori Grace Hines plays Nina as lighthearted, bright and sweet, but not cloyingly so. By rights, her character should hold a magic wand and fly on fairy wings. Jefferson McDonald’s Spike has a lot in common with Tigger. He bounces and grins a lot. To extend that analogy, Andrew Sellon’s Vanya would make the perfect Eeyore. He slumps and frowns a lot — except for his crowd-pleasing comic monologue, excoriating the fractured reality of modern miscommuni-

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: REVIEWS cations and longing for the days of Ozzie and Harriet’s adventures. Each character gets a moment to shine. It’s a comedy, so there is a happy ending, of course. The journey that takes you there is a laugh-a-minute ride. The elements are in place. Each little sketch works, but the play as a whole does not quite work. What kind of a play is it, anyway? Is it a parody, or a story that stands on its own? Durang, it seems to me, could not make up his mind. He has stated he did not intend this to be a parody. OK. So, he wrote a halfparody, instead. The result is a play that does not quite work as parody — with a story that can’t quite stay on its feet. A funhouse mirror to Chekhov would have been funny, but Durang ducks the parody potential of the material. A play about three theatrical siblings who strip off their masks and become a family again would have been poignant. But the gags and jokey tone get in the way. The result is very, very funny. But it’s a good play that could have been better. I wish he’d made up his mind. — Marty Fugate

FILM // ‘Labor Day’ “Labor Day” is a sexy and sensual love story in which the participants never disrobe. Director-screenwriter Jason Reitman, instead, conveys forbidden love through exquisite performances and a modest approach. Kate Winslet plays Adele, an emotionally wounded mother who lives with her 13-year-old son, Henry (the wonderful Gattlin Griffith). She’s as unkempt as the home in which they reside. Adele has become reclusive, and her relationship with with her son borders on becoming Oedipal. On a necessary outing to the local store, a

man who has blood on his shirt approaches them and insists they give him a ride. His name is Frank (Josh Brolin), and he admits to having been injured while jumping out of a prison hospital window where he’s serving 18 years for murder. When they arrive at Adele and Henry’s home (as ordered), Frank ever so gently ties up Adele, lending credibility to a kidnapping if he’s caught. Soon after, he removes the ropes. The longer Frank remains, the more Adele and Henry want him to stay. He makes repairs on the house, cooks fabulous meals and teaches Henry to play baseball. Over the next five days, Frank’s love and kindness resurrects Adele’s emotions, which she thought were long dead. The three agree to become fugitives by moving to Canada. The plausibility of what unfolds in “Labor Day” depends on the viewer. Set in 1987, in a small town, pre-modern technology, it is not so far-fetched to accept the turn of events. Frequent flashbacks of Frank’s former life shed light on the particulars of his conviction. Reitman skillfully constructs the circumstances that surround the story so as not to let it slip into sentimentality. He’s masterful at taking unlikely situations and morphing them into perfectly acceptable outcomes (i.e.”Juno”). Reitman also sought out actors who could lend immense credibility to the story. Kate Winslet is known for her ability to portray broken women who take great risks (“The Reader,” “Revolutionary Road”). In “Labor Day” she manages to make the transition from abject fear to unconditional love seem extremely feasible. Brolin is also on top of his game balancing his portrayal of a desperate and potentially dangerous fugitive with that of a gentle soul whose past is inescapable. His compelling performance is so convincing we totally understand Adele’s willingness to trust him. “Labor Day” is one of those films you either find utterly outrageous or touchingly graceful. Sometimes it’s nice just to take the ride, ask no questions and take it all in stride. The result can prove to be exhilarating. — Pam Nadon

DANCE // ‘‘Four Temperaments,’ ‘Lux Aeterna’ and ‘Sinfonietta’ Sarasota Ballet continues to astound with every pirouette and leap. This program that featured George Balanchine’s “Four Temperaments,” Will Tuckett’s “Lux Aeterna” and Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Sinfonietta” was technically and athletically challenging for the entire company and most especially the principal dancers who performed in two and, even in some cases, all three of the pieces. There was no ounce of energy or enthusiasm lost in any piece and each was performed to perfection. In short, the Sarasota Ballet dancers are really, really good. It must warm Founder and Chair Emeritus Jean Weidner Goldstein’s heart to see the highest-level caliber of dancing being performed by her very own Sarasota Ballet. “Four Temperaments,” set to music by Paul Hindemith, is one of George Balanchine’s most famous Neo-Classical ballets performed in simple black leotards and tights. The ballet juxtaposes sharp staccato movements with smooth rhythmic lifts; range of motion from turned-in to turned-out and épaulement from croisé (crossed) and effacé (open). One of these juxtaposed segments includes en dedans and en dehors pirou-

Courtesy photos

ettes performed effortlessly multiple times by Kate Honea in the Sanguinic section. Her partner Ricardo Rhodes also performed a technically challenging pirouette sequence where he performed a fouetté into retiré derrière while on demi-pointe en plié. Logan Learned was adept at combining allegro movements with high-reaching développés. And Ricardo Graziano intertwined four tall women in an intricate maze reminiscent of other scenes in Balanchine ballets such as “Apollo” and “Serenade.” Will Tuckett’s world premiere, “Lux Aeterna,” set to music by Morten Lauridsen, was an absolutely breathtaking piece. The music, the choreography, lighting by Aaron Muhl and the costumes by Bill Fenner all contributed to the stunning group dance that interweaved the dancers into different patterns and formations on stage. Graziano and Danielle Brown dramatically lead the cast of 21 dancers with charged emotion. The beginning of the piece was exceptionally dramatic with the men of the piece running in slow motion before being shot down as if in battle. The evening ended with Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Sinfonietta,” which is set to music by Sir Malcolm Williamson CBE. The ballet is a plotless, yet fun, upbeat and fast-paced piece. The only exception was the second movement where Victoria Hulland performs an adagio that seems like her feet never hit the ground because she is lifted and carried into different poses by five men. — Anna Dearing

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// HOME&GARDEN: UNIQUE UNITY

by Heather Merriman | Black Tie Assistant Editor

MOSAIC MASTERPIECE It’s all in the details — that’s what many would say when it comes to adding character to a home. For some, tile is merely another choice one must make at the local home-improvement store, but, for others, tile is used as a focal point for design. The attention to detail in Stanley and Mary Williams’ home on Bay Point Drive is indisputable, and the tile work provides the perfect example. Prior to building their home in 2008, the couple spent a lot of time researching what they wanted to add in regard to detail. “Details really make the home— without it, all you’ve got are walls and floors,” says Mary Williams. “This house is a prime example of how each individual

The mosaic in the home’s foyer was designed to create the movement and light that Mary Williams envisioned. The design was created using individually laid marble mosaic tiles. The design of the custom mosaic plays off the detail in the arches of the ceiling — taking the detail from the ceiling to elongate the mosaic design.

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// HOME&GARDEN

 The master bathroom has a sense of simplicity and contemporary feel to it. Glass mosaics, marble borders and medallion features were used in the master bathroom. “We pulled from the egg tub and the overall simplicity of the space, while creating interest with the textures in both the glass and stone mosaics,” says Brigid Saah.

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 The hallway to Stan’s study is very narrow, so it was difficult trying to figure out what to put on the wall. “I didn’t want to hang art, because you wouldn’t be able to appreciate it. I had an idea to hang onyx slabs on the wall and then project them with light — our builder said no,” says Williams. She found these onyx cushion tiles at Tile Market of Sarasota and eventually came up with the idea of adhering the tiles and framing them. After framing the onyx cushion tiles, they added LED lights behind the tiles — projecting light just as Williams wanted.

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// FOOD&COOKING:

TIDBITES

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

COLUMN by June LeBell

THE ELIXIR OF TEA

Contributing Columnist june@junelebell.com

POMONA SERVES THE SARASOTA ORCHESTRA

JPan’s volcano roll

Courtesy photos

JPAN OFFERS SPECIALTIES IN THEIR HOUSES AND YOURS

Chris Braun, who has more than a dozen years’ experience as a bartender and cocktail composer, is now creating all sorts of specialty drinks. He loves “educating our guests, increasing their knowledge” and loves creating new concoctions that complement Pomona’s great food. You don’t have to run to Zagat’s to find out about a restaurant. Just ask your local professional musi-

nicely spaced tables for quiet conversations. However, if you prefer having an evening at home with all the comforts of great Japanese food, JPan offers delivery by phone (941-365-EATS) and online at DoorStepDelivery.com.

Kitchen

of Euphemia Haye

In The

Top: Executive chef Ryan Boeve and pastry chef Arthur Lopes. Bottom: Pomona’s beef flatiron steak with shallot puree, Maitre D’ Hotel butter and French fries

lthough it’s been there a while, we recently discovered JPan, one of the best restaurants around for fresh, inventive sushi. With two branches, one at 3800 S. Tamiami Trail, and the other at 8126 Lakewood Main St., you have a choice of venues. But in either place, you’ll find sparkling, fresh, delicious raw fish, sizzling teriyaki and crunchy tempura. We tend to go to the Lakewood Ranch restaurant for convenience, and we’ve found some spectacularly tender white tuna sushi that simply melted in our mouths. The Dynamite Roll, with tuna, yellowtail, scallions and wasabi is spicy and hot, while the smoked salmon, avocado and cream cheese roll made a terrific, and different, dish for brunch. I think what I like most about JPan, next to the food, of course, is the setting. The modern design of the restaurant gives it a sleek but comfortable atmosphere with extra cushions for your back and

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omona Bistro and Wine Bar has always been a foodie favorite but, now that they’ve added a fullservice bar to their establishment, it’s become a beacon in Citrus Square. Located at 481 Orange Ave., this charming bistro, which feels more like an elegant home than a restaurant, is also a second home to musicians, especially those in the Sarasota Orchestra. In fact, Arthur Lopes, one of the two proprietors with Ryan Boeve, has catered, both privately and in Pomona, many a great, relaxed but delicious dinner for several of the Sarasota Orchestra players. It’s a well-known fact that musicians are often associated with locusts, ravenous and rapacious when it comes to food. When great food is put in their path, watch out. A famished fiddler, clarinetist, flutist or percussionist seems to have a homing instinct for great eating establishments and, when they befriend a restaurateur like Lopes, they tend to move in, slide, bow and rosin. Our experience a couple of weeks ago before a concert was like finding a new home. Small, cozy rooms filled with candlelight and crystal almost kept us from the music, but we managed to have a leisurely dinner and still get to the concert on time. One of the things Lopes told us while we were having exceedingly dry martinis and snacking on a salad of tender romaine lettuce with quail egg, brioche and parmesan cheese, was that the restaurant’s new bar service is now offering specialty aperitifs called “$6 before 6.”

A new tea house has opened on Hillview, one of several restaurant rows in Sarasota, but Elixir is different. Like some recently established coffee houses in the same neighborhood, Elixir is a place to hang out and enjoy local music while you’re sampling loose teas that are brewed to your specification. There are “orthodox” black and green teas. But, if you like tangy, unusual flavors, there are also leaves like apricot, chocolate truffles and orange cookie black teas, along with Cranberry rose, Japanese cherry and something called “Red Riding Hood” white teas, not to mention white, decaffeinated and flavored fruit blends. If that’s not enough to whet your appetite for a Cup-a, there are “Wellness Herb Teas” such as Feng Shui, and even tea cocktails: ice tea punch and piña colada. Of course, most of us think sweet when we think it’s tea time, and Elixir offers a bevy of pastries from cocoa croissants to raisin rolls. For those who prefer their brews in different categories, there are also numerous choices from espresso and cappuccino to hot chocolates and even a slurpy, molten chocolate fondue. Elixir is the brainchild of Gyula, a Hungarian who knows what a tea (or coffee house) should be. He, his wife and a few of the other employees are new to the U.S. and they seem to love what they’re doing on Hillview. It’s that love that makes their tea house extra special.

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INSIDE: Visiting Artists Dinner Series PAGE 19

YourObserver.com

 Chairwoman Carol Brualdi with her husband, Les

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Erik and Sandra Lindqvist with Beathe and Jerry Elden

Judith and Richard Baise

Photos by Heather Merriman

THE OPERA GALA 2014:

by Heather Merriman | Black Tie Assistant Editor

 Janet Huelster and Edie Chaifetz

To celebrate the beginning of Sarasota Opera’s Winter Festival, more than 250 guests gathered Feb. 1 for a night of mystery at Hyatt Regency Sarasota. The event, chaired by Carol Brualdi, is Sarasota Opera’s largest fundraiser of the season and was held exactly one week prior to opening night of “Il trovatore.” “Everything looked beautiful, the food was wonderful, everyone had a great time and we raised money for the opera, which is most important,” says Brualdi. “Overall, it was very successful.”

The ballroom was draped in curtains, sparkling lights and chandeliers and guests were dressed elegantly, many wearing elaborate masks. As the doors opened to the ballroom, the sounds of 42nd Street Band were too tempting to not sneak in a dance before dinner. Mezzo-soprano Chrystal E. Williams and baritone Marco Nisticó both sang during the four-course meal and following the performances and dessert, 42nd Street Band returned to stage as guests danced the night away.

The gala table centerpieces by Floral Art Studio

Hank and Suzanne Foster, Deanna and Michael Creature and Faith and John Quinn

Margaret Word Burnside and Fay Lazaris

BLACK TIE COVER PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

 Sonia and Michael Gibson

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

// BLACK TIE: COLUMN

BLACKTIE&TALES

by Black Tie Staff

UNMASKING THE OPERA GALA

he people and the place (the Hyatt Regency Sarasota ballroom) never looked better than at the Feb. 1 Sarasota Opera Masked Ball. Edie Chaifetz and Jacqueline Morton were even more glamorous than usual in red. Stephanie Shaw was a lesson in good design with a large mask in an inverted V shape echoing the V of the skirt of her gown. Perhaps the most fun garb was a black mask, white hat, bolo tie and star badge on Bud Shapiro, who wisecracked, “Haven’t you ever seen a Jewish sheriff?” Naming a “best mask” would be impossible, but Wendy Feinstein would have been a contender; she and hubby, Jerry, went mask shopping in New Orleans on their annual New Year’s visit. It was great to see Jerry cutting the rug as though his miserable summer of back sur-

S TIDBIT

Ron Taub, Ruth Tyler and Marcia Jean Taub at the Downton Abbey dinner benefiting WEDU-TV

gery had never happened. Many opera gala guests had been to the Sarasota Ballet the previous evening and raved about the premiere of Will Tuckett’s “Lux Aeterna” and Iain Webb’s postperformance party announcement that the troupe has been invited Photos by Cliff Roles to perform at Stephanie Shaw City Center in New York. See more photos online at YourObserver.com. Some enchanted evenings … There was a handsome stranger recently seen at an Asolo Rep opening night, two circus performances, the Downton Abbey dinner at Café L’Europe and elsewhere around town. It was Ruth Tyler, here for three weeks visiting Ron Taub and his daughter Marcia Jean Taub. Now 85, Tyler joined the Taub family 56 years ago this month to take care of Marcia Jean, her siblings and the two grandmothers who lived with them. “It made us happy to do for her a bit as she has given so much to my family over the years,” said Marcia Jean Taub. Looks like it made Tyler happy as

FIERCE, FABULOUS AND 40

SUPER BOWL ROUND-UP

hat do you do when you and your husband’s birthdays fall within weeks of each other? Throw a big bash, of course! To celebrate their 40th birthdays, Wayne (Feb. 22) and Mindy Rollins (Jan. 26) enjoyed the company of 40 of their closest friends and family for a weekend of fun at their beachfront home. It kicked off Jan. 31 with a casual barbecue and then a beachside bash Feb. 1, which included a fireworks show by Firepower Fireworks and tunes spun by DJ Kuma. Among those toasting the birthday couple: Chris Pinckney and Johanna Gustafsson, Brooke and Karen Misantone, Roger and Alisa Pettingell, Richard and Bianca Lawrence, Steve and Catherine Ellis and Mark and Aurelie van den Broek. Also celebrating a 40th birthday recently was Amanda Morris. Husband, Rob, with planning committee Retta Wagner, Jamie

well … Not so fast there … Photographer Cliff Roles passed his citizenship test Jan. 29 and mentioned it to Sen. Nancy Detert at the Gulfcoast Builders Exchange awards banquet Jan. 30. She marched him up to Gov. Rick Scott, who not only congratulated Roles on his accomplishment, but also announced it to the crowd. Just one teeny problem: It isn’t quite true until Roles is sworn in at a yet-to-be-determined date … Blue suede shoes … Dan Babcock and Miqui Lora’s shoes were event appropriate at Child Protection Center’s Blue Ties and Butterflies preview party Jan. 30. Babcock brought out his blue Prada loafers

Photo by John Revisky

Wayne and Mindy Rollins Becker and Lesley France, hosted a party in his wife’s honor at Star Keeper Café. Special (and pink!) details filled the quaint restaurant, and more than 50 guests enjoyed the celebration, including parents Frank and Emily Buskirk, in-laws Bob and Pam Morris and friends Julie Dooley, Colleen Shoemaker, Ariane Dart, Ashley Carson, Heather O’Neill, Stephanie Kempton and Katie Hollingsworth, to name a few.

Photo by Heather Merriman

Dan Babcock and Miqui Lora for the event and Lora found these L.L. Bean duck boots in her car. “I had on my Gucci loafers but it started raining and so I put these on — and they’re blue!” she said. See more photos on page 21.

This year’s Super Bowl party was Joan Mendell’s 20th and the fourth cohosted with beau Bob Coppenrath. Mendell had 26 guests at her first party; this year, there were more than 80. That’s called going-out with a bang because the couple has decided, “This is our finale.” … Howard Millman and Carolyn Michel hosted another longstanding get-together for the same guys who gather in their pool house on Sundays all season long. That gang includes Bruce Rodgers, Stan Jacob, Len Gumley, Jimmy Hoskins, Alan Kurland and more. For the Super Bowl, they bring their women, but they had to do without Michel this year — she was at the Asolo rehearsing “Grapes of Wrath.” Allen and Stephanie Hochfelder hosted a dual-purpose event to introduce local friends to visiting friends Iris and Marty Gradman as well as watch the game. At L’Ambiance, social committee Chairwoman Sylvia Pastor with help from Betty Ewing and food contributions from Marion Levine and Connie Cotros once again put together a full feast for more than 60 guests. This, too, was a double-header; it also celebrated the 60th wedding anniversary of Sherman and Joyce Cooper.

S PA R C C L E o

Thursday, February 13, 2014 Fashions provided by SPARCC’s Treasure Chest 10 a.m. Check In and Boutique Shopping Opens | 11:30 a.m. Luncheon & Fashion Show

The Ritz Carlton Sarasota 1111 Ritz Carlton Drive | $95 per person | Complimentary Valet Parking Courtesy Emcees The Bermuda Mavericks-Les McCurdy and Ken Sons For reservations please visit www.sparcc.net or call 941-365-0208 ext.106 “A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BEOBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL FREE WITHIN FLORIDA 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.” REGISTRATION NUMBER CH580 132034

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

// BLACK TIE COVER PHOTOS

(continued from page 15)

THE OPERA GALA 2014:

Tim Schalch and Tamara Nazworth with Melissa and Terrance Burzynski

Jacqueline and David Morton

Photos by Heather Merriman

Ashley Kozel and Valerie Leatherwood Amanda Pileggi and Jennifer Rust

Bill and Rebecca Tompkins with Isabelle Wright

Cooking for Wishes February 27, 2014 Michaels On East Four-Course Interactive Lunch Check in at 11:00 am Individual tickets $150 Tables of eight $1,200 Made in America.

Just a stone crabâ€™s throw from

the available finest sand in the world. Sponsorship opportunities

For more information and to purchase tickets online, please visit www.cookingforwishes.kintera.org or call (941) 952-9474 Tervis is a proud sponsor of the Third Annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sand Sculpting Competition.

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