Diversions 10.16.14

Diversions YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

A&E

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Meet Natalia Nicol, a Sarasota Orchestra super fan. PAGE 4

BLACK TIE

Discover new homes on established streets. PAGE 6

Sarasota MOD Festival dinner PAGE 9

artistic ALLY

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT | ARTS ADVOCATE

by Nick Reichert | A&E Editor

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The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County advocates and provides funding for the arts community during good times and bad.

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year 2015. Diversions breaks down where the money goes.

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT COVER STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Music

Theater

Visual arts Dance

Other

2

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: ARTS ADVOCATE

artistic

by Nick Reichert | A&E Editor (continued from page 1)

ALLY

The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County advocates and provides funding for the arts community during good times and bad.

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Photo by Heather Merriman

Jim Shirley, executive director of the Arts and Cultural Alliance

uring the height of the recession in early 2008, Florida’s Department of Cultural Affairs’ statewide annual grant budget for arts organizations went from a healthy $38 million to just a little less than $1 million. Fortunately, the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County was there to cushion the blow when public funding for the arts seemed to be in freefall.

Founded in 1986 by a team led by then state Sen. Bob Johnson, the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County serves as the major advocacy, communications and fundraising organization for the more than 100 registered nonprofit arts institutions in Sarasota

County as well as the thousands of individual artists who call Sarasota, Venice, North Port and Englewood home. The constant promotion of all those artists and cultural institutions within Sarasota County is not only necessary for the creative lifeblood of the area — it is big business for the economy.

“A lot of people don’t realize that in Sarasota County the nonprofit arts and cultural organizations employ more than 5,000 individuals,” says Jim Shirley, executive director of the Alliance. “And if we took them as a group, they’re the largest single employer in the county and spend more than $200 million a year supporting other

small businesses in Sarasota and Manatee County.”

Armed with those statistics, Shirley, his three-person staff and members of the Alliance promote the local arts scene as a cultural and economic pillar of Sarasota County. Nestled in a third-floor suite on Tamiami Trail and 12th Street, the Alliance networks and brainstorms in office space that itself is a fusion of arts and business: eclectic pieces of art and pop culture overlook professional business tables and desks topped with expense reports. The Alliance constantly seeks annual grant opportunities from county, state and federal officials to bolster the artistic vitality of the community.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

3

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT The clearest example of the symbiotic nature between the local government, economy and artistic climate is the Alliance’s annual allotment of its Tourist Development Cultural Arts Grant. Accrued from a 5% bed tax that’s charged to anyone who spends a night at a hotel or rents a condominium for less than six months, one-half of 1% of that tax goes to bankroll the grant.

Funds accumulated through the tax collect throughout the fiscal year, with the Alliance acting as arbiter; it distributes the funds to artistic institutions that reside in Sarasota County and can demonstrate that a sizable portion of their audience is tourists. With approximately $1.58 million allotted for the 2015 fiscal year, the tourist development grant is an essential component of the alliance’s fundraising mission.

“Most people understand the arts enrich lives and are a boon to the community, but they’re also an economic driver,” says Linda M. DiGabriele, managing director of Asolo Repertory Theatre and an Alliance board member. “The Alliance is very engaged in grants and offers some of the biggest granting opportunities in the county that directly affect the Asolo because we have received a tourist development grant for years and years.”

Last year Sarasota County arts and cultural organizations sold about 2.5 million tickets to their various presentations, functions

and exhibits, says Shirley. More than 40% of those were tourists.

More tourists equals more money inserted into the local economy; more tourists visiting also results in a higher tourist development grant and, thus, stronger arts organizations.

But the Alliance offers more than just a “build it and they will come” strategy when it comes to championing the local arts environment.

In addition to the tourist development grant, the Alliance raises money and distributes smaller “o p p o r t u n i t y grants” funded through State of Arts license plate sales and a John Ringling Tower endowment.

These smaller funds are gifted to individual artists and groups that haven’t reached the institutional-level of popularity that proffer tourist attention. The goal is to cultivate new and upcoming talent.

This giant gumbo pot of various public tax monies and private donations have amounted to approximately $14 million raised and invested into the arts since the Alliance’s founding. And when cooking with so many and expensive ingredients, Shirley knows the up-

most significance of maintaining a clean kitchen.

“The first thing that we keep in mind is that we’re dealing with public tax dollars,” says Shirley, “so we want to make sure everything is absolutely transparent and clear.”

Ethical standards are maintained through a review system that consists of five committees composed of arts-inclined private citizens and elected public officials.

The process begins with the Grants Policy Committee, which dictates the policies and structures of how grant proposals are evaluated.

Then, once the yearly grant proposals are collected in January from the various institutions in the county, the Grants Evaluation Committee (composed of various citizens who have experience and knowledge of the local arts scene) reviews the respective proposals, visits the various institutions through the late spring and summer at events and productions and evaluates them against strict criteria. Then the finalized grants are delivered to the Tourist Development Council of Sarasota County and then on to the Sarasota

Our big goal never changes.

It’s to develop and promote the arts in the community.

– Jim Shirley

County Commission, which has the final authority to change and approve anything.

But the Alliance is far more than just a fundraising taskforce: It’s an active advocacy and cheerleader for local arts enthusiasm and support. The clearest example of bolstering the artistic is the Sarasota Keys interactive public art project.

The Alliance assembled a brain trust committee that proposed six pianos be scattered throughout the city of Sarasota, sponsored by a local business, and painted and ornamented by local artists. With the help of Pritchard’s Pianos & Organs and seven local artists, the Alliance’s project lasted from January to May of this year. The Sarasota Keys was such a success that the City Commission unanimously approved a second installment of the project for later this year.

A Sarasota County without the unity and stability provided by the Alliance would still be a hotbed of creativity and new works, but Sarasota’s common champion for the arts allows organizations and artists to create quality works without having to worry about the status of the economy.

“What the Alliance did during the recession is take up even more of the slack to get that public voice out there,” says Shirley. “We advocated for the return of funding and support for the organizations. It’s one big community working together through and for the arts.”

BY THE NUMBERS

7.7% $86,990

increase in dollar amount of grants awarded over the last fiscal year.

largest grant awarded, received by the Asolo Repertory Theatre and Sarasota Film Festival

31

number of tourist development grants awarded in fiscal year 2015

$50,987 1986 average value of a grant awarded in fiscal year 2015

year the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County was founded

Back to School Though its main focus is on supporting and leading fundraising efforts for artists and institutions in the area, the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County also strives to instill a vibrant and strong presence of the arts in the school system.

“When you look at the things that are fundamental to our lives, our education makes us who we are,” says Jim Shirley, executive director of the Arts and Cultural Alliance. “We know that for a community to thrive and to grow it needs to have a great school system, and the arts have always been a contributor to great school systems. We know that students who have at least one arts course in their background perform better in school.”

In the spirit of promoting arts education, the alliance leads various functions throughout the year directly related to arts exposure in the classroom. One such event is the education summit/ luncheon Nov. 12, at Holley Hall at the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center. Every principal in Sarasota County is invited to attend to discuss what role arts education plays at his or her school. The Youth Symphony will perform during the event.

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DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: BACKSTAGE PASS

Lady of the house Natalia Nicol makes sure every Sarasota Orchestra patron ends the night on a high note.

Heidi Kurpeila

“It’s important I know what happens on stage,” says Natalia Nicol, Sarasota Orchestra’s patron services manager. “I don’t want to be in the dark when patrons start talking about how amazing the show was.”

Last chance to get your tickets for a sampling of St. Armands most mouthwatering dishes!

Natalia Nicol calls herself a Sarasota Orchestra super fan.

She can’t easily discern Vivaldi from Mendelssohn or Schubert from Strauss, but she can lay claim to attending every one of the orchestra’s performances last year.

She went to Masterworks concerts, chamber soirees and Pops performances.

She even attended Youth Orchestra recitals.

Hired last year as Sarasota Orchestra’s patron services manager, the 32-year-old

Boca Raton native oversees the organization’s front-of-house operations during performances. Her objective is not to become a connoisseur of classical music, though she’s well on her way, it’s to ensure that each attendee has a positive concert experience at all three orchestra venues: Holley Hall, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Neel Performing Arts Center at State College of Florida.

Nicol manages the organization’s volunteer usher staff. At the Van Wezel, which has its own front-of-house staff, she serves as a

Have you found the fox?

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PATRON FAUX PAS

Some of Natalia Nicol’s favorite funny patron moments revolve around refreshments. People love to sneak food and drinks into Holley Hall. After noshing on complimentary hors d’oeuvres before a chamber soiree, one woman who was told she couldn’t bring cheesecake into the hall simply stuffed the treat into her pocket to eat later.

At another concert, an usher busted an elderly woman sneaking four glasses of wine into Holley Hall. What was her method of concealing the drinks? She stashed them in a compartment on her walker.

“When she got caught she offered the usher a drink,” Nicol says. “She was like, ‘C’mon it’s fine. I won’t tell anyone.’” moonlighting as a makeup artist.

“After four years the New York lifestyle started to get old,” Nicol says. “I knew I wanted to be in a place that was artistic, but I didn’t want to go back to gigging.”

She got lucky in Sarasota.

In 2013, just as her husband, Nate, was hired as the head sound engineer at the Sarasota Opera, the Sarasota Orchestra hired Nicol to do something she’s always had a knack for — keeping audiences happy.

Her favorite perk is the music, of course.

She loves to sit still and let the rich orchestral sounds wash over her, especially at Masterworks concerts. She loves to read the program notes and watch Music Director Anu Tali take command.

Like a true entertainer, she loves winning over audiences. However, for the first time in her career, she’s charming people off stage, not on.

“I love being able to influence the entire patron experience,” Nicol says. “From the moment they get out of their cars and walk through our doors to the second they leave the hall, my job is to make sure they had the best time they could possibly have. That’s my favorite aspect of the job.”

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liaison between Van Wezel employees and orchestra patrons, maintaining consistent hospitality standards across all venues.

Prior to her arrival, the orchestra only employed a part-time house manager to oversee guest relations at Holley Hall. As programming expanded, so did the need for greater patron TLC. “You lose a lot of your evenings and weekends,” she says. “But it’s an expectation and part of the job.”

Nicol is no stranger to working on weekends. A longtime singer, she studied music at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., then moved in 2004 to Tampa to perform in “KaTonga,” the longest-running main stage show at Busch Gardens. Strapped into a flying harness and dressed in an ornate African costume inspired by Broadway’s “Lion King,” Nicol would fly over audiences four times a day. She loved the production and loved performing, but eventually the repetition wore on her. Eight months into the gig, she left to perform in English education shows in South Korea — a job she describes as a quintessential, early-20s-leap-of-faith adventure.

She returned to Florida a year later and picked up part-time work at Busch Gardens and Disney World, where she played Pocahontas in a show with live animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

“There were these tiny little reserved benches at the Pocahontas show,” Nicol says. “Little kids would sit front and center to see me. You could tell they really thought I was Pocahontas. It was great.”

The workload and commutes were taxing.

To swing both theme parks, Nicol moved to Lakeland, halfway between Tampa and Orlando. Further complicating her schedule, she joined a popular Top 40s cover band that performed at events and private parties across the state and country.

A high-paying three-month stint on a Princess Cruise ship gave her the means to move to New York City, where she says she lived “the artist’s dream,” performing under the Actor’s Equity Association in Off-Broadway productions and commercials, while

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DIVERSIONS

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DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

// HOME&GARDEN

THINGS

by Robert Plunket | Contributing Writer

BRAND NEW

If you want a brand-new house but don’t want to live in a brand-new community, you’re in luck. All over town, in Sarasota’s great old neighborhoods, there’s a building boom going on — large, expensive custom homes are being constructed on every available piece of land. For the most part they blend beautifully with the older homes, adding a bit of zip to neighborhoods that have looked the same for decades. And although older homes have their charms, it’s hard not to drool over what these new beauties offer: incredible kitchens, enormous closets, elaborate baths and floor plans that fit perfectly with your lifestyle. Here are three of our favorites that are currently on the market.

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Stroll the streets of “Paris” and watch teams of local artists create original works of art!

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DIVERSIONS

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

7

// HOME&GARDEN

2. CRISP AND MODERN 1924 BOUGAINVILLEA ST. This sleek new home in the prestigious “flower streets” of Southside Village has a pedigree that goes back to the Sarasota School of Architecture, but with all the latest bells and whistles. Larger than it looks, it contains more than 3,000 square feet. The living area has an open plan with a dramatic twostory ceiling, with polished con-

crete floors and wood paneling to warm things up. Out in back there’s a separate building you can use as a guesthouse or studio. Nicely landscaped, with a particularly pleasant pool area.

Priced at $1,495,000. For more information, call Carolyn Collins (320-0722) or Roberta Tangerdy (404-6767) of Premier Sotheby’s.

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has four bedrooms, four baths, plus a bonus room and office. Lots of nice outdoor living area too, including a summer kitchen. The master suite is on the ground floor, and there’s a three-car garage.

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DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: REVIEWS

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The FSU/Asolo Conservatory has an edgy condensation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” making the rounds at Florida schools and select performing arts venues.

It’s 45 minutes long. The magical forest borders a snooty New England boarding school, not the outskirts of Athens. The sound track is hip-hop and trance, not Mendelssohn. The fairies look like they’ve just fluttered back from a Phish concert.

Sacrilege? Nah. It’s only sacrilege if it was sacred in the first place. Shakespeare doesn’t belong on a pedestal, let alone in church. It’s a sexy, surreal, subversive production. To be fair, so is the source material.

Jen Wineman’s adaptation is true to the earthy source, just shorter, with a different local habitation. Her modern-day substitutions are easy to follow. Instead of Athens, it’s the Athens Academy. Theseus is now the principal, Hippolyta the dean. The mixed-up young lovers wear prep school uniforms, not togas. The “rude mechanicals” who put on the bad play-within-a-play are the school custodial and lunchroom staff.

Setting and costumes have changed, but the dream remains the same.

Wineman also directs — and keeps the dreamy action going with takes, double takes, and athletic bits of business verging on dance. Mr. Shakespeare’s Wild Ride is punctuated with intermittent snippets of pop music, either too obviously on the nose or just a little bit off, but always hilarious. As wild as it gets, everything flows from the text.

The implied lesson for future theater pros?

Shakespeare’s words are a playground of

infinite possibilities. This is only one of them.

Play around and create your own.

The cast is composed of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory’s third-year acting students.

These young actors clearly enjoy the playground, most playing double or triple roles in a quick-change ensemble production.

The standouts: Oberon (Paul Herbig) and Titania (Olivia Williamson), the rock star rulers of Fairyland; Andrea Adnoff’s mischievous, never malicious and always sexy Puck, and Brian Owen’s language-mangling Bottom. (Spoiler alert!) With the aid of a few magic flowers, the poor guy winds up with donkey’s ears and Titania falls in love with him. To take the comedy up a notch, Puck and Oberon sit (invisibly) watching the scene, eating popcorn as if enjoying a movie. Evidently, “Pyramus and Thisbe” isn’t the only play-within-a-play going on here. The foolish mortals are putting on a production for the fairies whether they like it or not.

Nice touch. Nice insight.

Hey, you could learn something here.

Indeed. As you probably guessed, there’s an educational intent lurking in the magic forest. Presented by Asolo Rep, it’s part of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory’s New Stages program, which creates a speed-the-play adaptation of Shakespeare, then takes it on the road to Florida schools each fall. This isn’t a Shakespeare substitute. It’s a doorway into Shakespeare — a taste that leaves you wanting more.

That said, the edited play stands on its own. Condensing a work of art is an art in its own right. And what a tricky art it is.

Done wrong, it’s a Procrustean hatchet job.

Done right, it distills the essence. Wineman succeeds artfully, both as playwright and director. Together with the actors and creative crew, she makes Shakespeare’s magic come alive.

— Marty Fugate

of The Sarasota-Manatee Originals 2014 Fall Season

Visit YourObserver.com/InTheKitchen For The Recipe And Video

OCT 31–NOV 15

Jealousy, betrayal, murder ... but the show must go on.

LEONCAVALLO 111 South Bay Blvd.

Anna Maria, FL 34216 941-778-1515 www.thewaterfro ntrestaurant.net

• Performed with the musicians of the Sarasota Orchestra • At just under 2 hours, the perfect opera for newcomers • After each performance, mix and mingle with the artists at a party with cash bar

Seats start at just $19— get your tickets now!

SARASOTAOPERA.ORG (941) 328-1300

WATCH THE COOKING VIDEO and GET THE RECIPE Shrimp And Grits 152940

SEASON SPONSOR

Paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

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Black Tie

INSIDE: Meet Me at the Barre PAGE 10

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

A scaled down model of Rudolph at The Ringling was revealed the event.

sarasota

MOD SarasotaMOD festival weekend Chairman Carl Abbot, keynote speaker Larry Scarpa and Gene Leedy

Jeff Hotchkiss and Betsy Winder

Festival Ca’d’Zan Dinner

Photos by Heather Merriman

Martin Tucker and Bernice Davis with Walton and Deborah Beacham

Paul and Jenni Hudson

by Heather Merriman Black Tie Editor SarasotaMOD, a festival to celebrate Sarasota’s iconic midcentury architecture featuring seven tours, nine presentations and five parties, all presented by the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, took over Sarasota for four days. The board hosted a dinner at the Ca’d’Zan honoring keynote speaker Larry Scarpa Friday, Oct. 10, so Black Tie stopped by to observe the scene where more than 150 guests (many including renowned architects, designers, critics and authors) enjoyed the sunset during cocktail hour on the terrace before sitting down for a dinner catered by Treviso.

Kenneth and Bonnie Feld and Patrick Hennigan

Nancy and Chuck Parrish Tom and Allison Luzier with Terri and Fred Derr Sue and Bob Lifeso

Janet Minker, Christopher Wilson and Elliott Himelfarb

Lindsey Smith, Raymond Jungles and his daughter, Amanda

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

// BLACK TIE: CAMERA READY

29TH ANNUAL FREEDOM AWARDS BANQUET Benefiting Sarasota County Branch NAACP Thursday, Oct. 2, at Hyatt Regency Sarasota

MEET ME AT THE BARRE Benefiting Sarasota Ballet Monday, Oct. 6, at FSU Center for the Performing Arts Peter and Judy Carlin with Rosemary DePaulo and Fred Wharton

Kellie Dupree, Lauren Brenzel, Suzie Proabhakaran and Jan Chester

Renee James Gilmore and Helen James

Trevor Harvey and Chairwoman Cynthia Howard

The Hon. Rochelle Curley and Jackie Woods

Photos by Heather Merriman

Hillary Steele and Judy Cahn

Lauren Walsh and Janice Kunkel

Tracy Goodman, Dr. Harriet Moore, Jabari Williams, Joseph Haygood and Jennedra Williams

Photos by Heather Merriman

Ina Arnell and her daughter, Terri Arnell

Fashion

David and Fran Nitschke

Westcoast black theatre troupe

in

Philanthropy Is Always

A Fashionable Evening: A Tribute to Phil King

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oct 15–NoV 16, 2014

You are cordially invited

PAID FOR IN PART BY SARASOTA COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX REVENUES

Get tIckets NoW! 941-366-1505 WbttsrQ.orG

to join us for an evening full of delightful surprises.

Enjoy a delicious sit-down dinner and dancing to the fabulous sounds of “Double Vision” as we honor our former Executive Director, Phil King

Dynasty Dance Clubs

FRIDAY  NOV 14, 2014  6 PM

Get out there and Dance!

Fashionable Attire  Black Tie Optional Cocktails-6pm  Dinner-7pm

Ballroom | Latin | Social Dance Club | Competitive

Dancing to Follow

Private & Group Lessons • No Partner Necessary Meet New People • Learn New Steps • Great Exercise

The Hyatt Regency  1000 Boulevard of the Arts  Sarasota, FL 34236

benefiting the Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center

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For tickets or sponsorship opportunities, please call (941) 365-4545

2272 Main Street, Sarasota 34237 (Off Lime Avenue) dynastydanceclubs.com 941-955-8558

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Complimentary Dance Lesson with this ad

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014

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ALSO GALA: PROM 2014

LECOM SCHOLARSHIP GALA

Benefiting ALSO Youth Saturday, Oct. 11, at The Francis

Benefiting Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Saturday, Oct. 11, at Hyatt Regency Sarasota

Bob Trisolini and Bob Nosal with Co-Chair Tony Boothby

Erik, Mary and Chair Michael Polin

Nick and Julie Roknich

Elliot Evins and Molly Swift

David and Kerry Becker

Photos by Heather Merriman

Pooja Patel, Cody Schwartz and Alexandra Girardot Photos by Heather Merriman

Phil King and Betty Schoenbaum with Ellen and Co-Chair Mark Steinwachs

Marcelo Gomes with Carrie and Eric Lewis

2014

The question is not ‘ do you follow the fox? ’ the question is, ‘ where will he take you? ’

Food & Wine October 31 - November 1, 2014 Select Winemakers from around the world come together to collaborate with The Resort at Longboat Key Club at the 4th Annual Celebration of Food and Wine that will dazzle your eyes and thrill your palate.

A portion of the proceeds from this event will provide scholarships in the College of Hospitality and Technology Leadership at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.

(The USF Foundation is a tax exempt organization under section 501(C)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. For more information visit www.unstoppable.usf.edu/ or http://usfsm.edu/)

Presented by

Media sponsors

To benefit

For hotel accommodations and festival package information, call (800) 237-8821.

For event information and reservations, call (941) 387-1675 OR visit us at www.longboatkeyclub.com/bacchus-on-the-beach/ OR bacchusonthebeach.com

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9/29/14 9:41 AM

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The Sarasota Ballet Box Office | 941-359-0099 x 101 | www SarasotaBallet.org |

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