Diversions 1.1.15

Diversions YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

A&E

H&G

Theater director reconnects with her family’s legacy.

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Meet marsala: the Pantone color of the year.

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BLACK TIE Signature Chefs Auction PAGE 12

LOOKING AHEAD

by Observer Staff

Sarasota Ballet’s Wright, Graziano and Taylor

Corinthian Gala

EDITORS’

PICKS Pique Nique Sur la Baie

Let our Black Tie and A&E editors guide you to the best events of 2015.

Firefly Gala

The Ringling Underground

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR’S PICKS CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BLACK TIE EDITOR’S PICKS CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

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DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: LOOKING AHEAD

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

Arts Anticipation Our picks for the don’t-miss arts events of the 2015 season.

‘THE GOLDEN COCKEREL’

When: Feb. 21 through March 19 Where: Sarasota Opera Tickets: $19 to $125 Info: Call 366-8450 or visit sarasotaopera.org.

When it comes to opera, the larger and more colorful the better. The last opera Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote, “The Golden Cockerel,” depicts the downfall and folly of paranoid King Dodon as he at-

‘MASTERWORKS III: IN LOVE’ When: Jan. 9 through Jan. 11 Where: Neel Performing Arts Center (Jan. 9) and Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Tickets: $30 to $89 Info: Call 953-3434 or visit sarasotaorchestra.org.

Even though Valentine’s Day is a month away, the Sarasota Orchestra is bringing the sweeping movements and melodies of some of classical music’s greatest love stories to life. Richard Strauss’

“Death and Transfiguration,” Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s immortal “Romeo and Juliet Overture” and Maurice Ravel’s “Daphnis et Cloé” will illuminate Sarasota with the sounds of heartbreak and love.

Accompanying the Sarasota Orchestra will be worldrenowned flugelhorn and trumpet soloist Sergei Nakariokov. Called the “Caruso of the Trumpet,” Nakariokov’s horn will serenade audiences with performances of Tchaikovsky’s “Rococo Variations” and Mozart’s “Concerto No. 4 for Horn.”

tempts to protect his kingdom from invasion. The king enlists the help of an astrologer who offers a magic rooster to warn the king of mortal danger.

This exotic and expansive Russian opera is rarely performed in the United States and is a bright plume among Sarasota Opera’s sizable winter season, which includes productions of Puccini’s “Tosca,” Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” and Verdi’s original Paris version of “Don Carlos.”

‘DANCING LESSONS’

When: Through Feb. 27 Where: Florida Studio Theatre Tickets: $18 to $39 Info: Call 366-9000 or visit floridastudiotheatre.org.

THE SARASOTA A comedic yet heartfelt BALLET PRESENTS play that premiered earlier DANCE THEATRE OF this summer at the HARLEM Barrington Stage When: Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 Company in Pittsfield, Mass., “Dancing Lessons” Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts presents the story of an Tickets: $35 to $105 antisocial geoscience Info: Call 359-0099 or visit sarasotaballet.org. professor seeking dance The Dance Theatre of Harlem is a giant in lessons from a profesthe ballet world. Founded in 1969 by Arthur sional dancer on the Mitchell and Karel Shook, what began in a verge of a career-ending garage on 152nd Street in Harlem transformed leg injury. It’s a comedy into not only the first black classical dance that reveals the demons company but one of the select ballet compaand struggles of the odd nies in the world. This is the company’s only couple with each succesperformance in Florida this year. sive dance step.

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// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT JULIAN SANDS: A CELEBRATION OF HAROLD PINTER When: Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 Where: Historic Asolo Theater Tickets: $25 to $35; $10 with student ID Info: Call 360-7399 or visit ringling.org.

One-man shows are usually autobiographical in nature. However,

WRIGHT, GRAZIANO AND TAYLOR When: March 27 through 30 Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts Tickets: $35 to $105 Info: Call 359-0099 or visit sarasotaballet.org.

New works are something to be celebrated and appreciated, no matter what form or shape in which they arrive. The Sarasota Ballet’s resident choreographer Ricardo Graziano will premiere his newest ballet (the fifth he’s created for the company), along with performances of modern classics: Sir Peter Wright’s “Summertide” and Paul Taylor’s “Company B.” This sublime combination of new and old works

THE RINGLING UNDERGROUND

the esteemed British theater and film actor Julian Sands tackles one of the most intimidating figures of the modern theater: Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter. Directed by John Malkovich, Sands dives into and delivers the words, thoughts and menacing writings of the inimitable but constantly copied playwright of plays such as “The Birthday Party,” “Betrayal,” “No Man’s Land” and “The Homecoming.”

‘VIOLET’

side by side will invigorate one’s dancing palate. The series is a prime example of the formula that has made Sarasota Ballet such a success in the past decade: supporting new artists while relishing in established masters.

EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES ART EXHIBIT When: March 29 through May 31 Where: Sarasota’s Island Park and Bradenton Riverwalk Tickets: Free to public Info: Call 404-5710 or visit embracingourdifferences.org.

When: Feb. 11 through March 1 Where: The Players Theatre Tickets: $25 to $30 Info: Call 365-2494 or visit theplayers.org.

This musical focuses on the journey of Violet Karl as she travels by Greyhound bus in fall 1964 from Spruce Pine, N.C., to Tulsa, Okla., for a televangelist to heal her disfigured and scarred face. With music

by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics and book by Brian Crawley, this cross-country story has received wider acclaim with last year’s Broadway revival starring Tony Award-winning actress Sutton Foster assuming the title role.

This annual public art exhibit returns to Sarasota and Bradenton’s waterfronts this spring.

Juried and organized by the Embracing Our Differences organization, the art exhibit collects artwork from an array of local, national and international artists as well as local students. That artwork is then presented on 39

When: Feb. 5 and the first Thursday of every month Where: The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Tickets: $10 and free for students with valid college ID Info: Call 359-5700 or visit ringling.org.

The best art party in Sarasota returns in February to the Ringling. Taking place on the first Thursday of every month from 8 to 11 p.m., visitors of every age collect in the museum’s statue courtyard and view local artists’ work as well as listen to local and regional bands playing underneath Michelangelo’s “David.”

And if modern art and local music isn’t one’s style, the rest of the Ringling’s galleries are open to visitors for viewing. It’s a night of drinks, conversation, art and music in one of the most picturesque settings in Sarasota.

individual billboard-size canvases for the public to enjoy. Each piece represents the organization’s cherished notions of diversity, respect and inclusion. The gallery not only gives students and local artists exposure, but also teaches area school students the power and importance of diversity and understanding.

‘SOTTO VOCE’ When: March 31 through April 26 Where: The Historic Asolo Theater Tickets: $15 to $26 Info: Call 351-8000 or visit asolorep.org.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz’s new play, “Sotto Voce,” docks itself at Asolo Rep this spring. The play is based on the true events of the journey of the German ocean liner the St. Louis. The ship was carrying more than 900 refugees fleeing from Nazi Germany who were denied asylum by Cuba, Canada and the United States. In Cruz’s play, a young Jewish-Cuban man named Saquiel searches for the memories and fates of those on board who had to return to Europe, including his grand aunt. “Sotto Voce” is a dream play where past and present intermix; it’s another great addition to Asolo Rep’s continuing journey to uncover the complexities of the American character.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: FAMILY TRADITION

by Nick Reichert | A&E Editor

Artistic Roots

Imagine that your greatgrandmother Helen Browning Johnston was a member of the Sarasota Women’s Club. Your great-uncle Young Johnston was the first Sarasotan aviator to die in World War II. And your greatgreat grandfather was an integral member of the primordial stages of Sarasota’s history: Sarasota’s first architect, Alex Browning.

But you have never even been to the Gulf-side town your family shaped.

Kaylene Torregrossa was born in Tucson, Ariz., and had never visited Sarasota, where her mother’s family is from, until after she graduated the University of Arizona in 2010. She was searching for internships at regional theaters, and quickly realized her best opportunity coincidently happened to be in her family’s old hometown, at the Florida Studio Theatre.

“In the theater industry, internships are an industry standard,” says Torregrossa. “They’re the bridge between the academic and professional theater sectors.”

Torregrossa continues to discover familiar coincidences.

Florida Studio Theatre’s Keating Theatre space was the former clubhouse of the Sarasota’s Woman’s Club, where her great-grandmother spent considerable time.

Johnston left an indelible legacy for Torregrossa to follow. The late Johnston, who died in 1984, was a founding member of the Play-

Kaylene Torregrossa follows in the path of her family’s legacy.

Nick Reichert

Kaylene Torregrossa works near the legacy her great-great grandfather left in Sarasota. ers Theater, the Sarasota Art Association, the Florida West Coast Symphony (now the Sarasota Orchestra) as well as a member of the Opera Guild and the Sarasota

Historical Society.

And immediately adjacent to the FST complex on Palm Avenue is the Frances Carlton Apartment, which Browning designed.

Both buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.

“I definitely feel that it’s an affirmation that this is where I need to be right now as I discover

more and more the connections my family has to the area,” says Torregrossa. “It’s almost like a magnet pulling me and keeping me here.”

The affable, buoyant and determined Torregrossa dove into her apprenticeship at the regional theater and left an impression on her theatrical supervisors and peers. She rose through the theatrical ranks and is currently the Florida Studio Theatre’s director of community programming.

Torregrossa’s duties include collaborating with local organizations to use the space, training interns in customer service and deportment and overseeing volunteers. Regarding any interaction between the public and the theater, Torregrossa adds her impassioned touch.

According to Torregrossa, the first years of a young theater professional’s life in the business is one of constant travel, and the fact that she’s been able to stay in Sarasota for four years right out of college is rare. She certainly feels at home here.

“Alexander was an architect and his daughter was an artist and actively involved in the community, but my parents aren’t involved in the arts and I’m involved in theater and my brother is a photographer,” says Torregrossa, “so I think I’m here to fulfill and be a continuation of my ancestor’s artistic service to Sarasota.”

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: BACKSTAGE PASS

by Nick Reichert | A&E Editor

Match made in heaven

Peter Amster distills ‘The Matchmaker’ into its essence.

IF YOU GO ‘The Matchmaker’ When: Jan. 6 through April 11 Where: The Mertz Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail Cost: $22 to $54 Info: Call 351-8000 or visit asolorep.org.

Nick Reichert

Director Peter Amster explores the recesses of theatrical arts at the Asolo Repertory Theatre. directing ‘The Mikado.’”

The performance bug nestled deep into Amster, and he ended up receiving his Ph.D. in performance studies from Northwestern University.

From there, Amster’s talents grew with the Windy City’s rapidly expanding theater scene. He has crafted and directed roles and plays at Chicago theatrical sanctuaries such as the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Goodman Theatre, the Court

Theatre, the Pegasus Players, the Lyric Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre and Light Opera Works. As Amster has matured and grown as an artist, so has Chicago’s theatrical scene.

“Chicago is a singular and extraordinary theater community,” says Amster. “There is a familial and supportive environment, lots of creative cross-pollination.

Unlike New York City, we are free to take more risks there. It’s the birthplace of large ideas in the

theater.”

After traveling around the country, directing at theaters from Ohio and New York to Oregon, California and Utah, Amster has nestled into his own personal slice of home in Sarasota, bringing his big ideas along with him.

Asolo is now the playground in which he experiments and plays with both stage classics and obscure treasures.

Wilder’s “The Matchmaker” is popularly known through its bright and glamorous musical adaptation, “Hello, Dolly!”

But Amster’s production stays truer to Wilder’s vision of the connection between love and money. It’s a vision that conveys more grit and realism than its musical counterpart.

“For audiences, it will be a process of the familiar and the new,” says Amster. “There are little reminders of songs from the musical in the dialogue, but by the time the show is over the image of ‘Hello, Dolly!’ will be completely jettisoned from the audience.”

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volved in the show,” says Amster.

“I’m there to validate everyone’s artistic process.”

Amster was born in New York, but dove into the theatrical world in the communal atmosphere of Chicago.

“I originally attended Northwestern seeking a medical degree,” says Amster, “but one day I stumbled into the college’s Gilbert & Sullivan Guild, and I was enlisted into its ranks. By the time I reached senior year I was

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Encountering Peter Amster right before the opening of a show is like venturing into the eye of the storm: He is the calm core of the creative hurricane circling around him.

The director/choreographer is completely at ease as he goes into tech and dress rehearsals for Asolo Repertory Theatre’s production of Thornton Wilder’s “The Matchmaker,” which opens Jan. 6 and runs through April 11.

He saunters into Asolo Rep’s Koski Production Center, the theater’s massive set and prop fabrication warehouse, as craftsmen add final touches to giant theatrical set pieces, and prop masters retrieve the proper piece of furniture or knickknack.

“During a production my brain just tries to loosen up and let itself be a receptor for everyone around me,” says Amster.

Amster, who has directed some of the most comical and cunning plays over the past 40 years, has a perpetual-soothing aura. Maybe it’s to countermeasure the chaotic atmosphere that directors must face. It could be a natural defense mechanism to having dozens of actors and theater administrators looking to him to know every conceivable facet of a production.

Amster wears many hats and makes numerous decisions during the course of a rehearsal process all the way until opening night.

“I need to be the decider, cheerleader and sometimes peacemaker for everyone in-

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

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// HOME&GARDEN: COLOR OF THE YEAR

HELD

MARSALA

!

11 N A UJ

R

TH R E OV

welcome home,

by Heather Merriman | Black Tie Editor

The color authorities have named the 2015 color of the year (drumroll, please) and they have decided on marsala. This earthy brown red will be popping up everywhere, slowly making its way into all aspects of your life — from clothing to nail polish to home décor — so we searched around town to find what our local home stores are selling in the latest “it” color.

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Above: Marsala has already worked its way into some of the latest fabrics and upholstery; evident with these richly colored animal prints (another trend) at Sally Trout’s Current.

Photos by Heather Merriman

IN THE DETAILS When it comes to incorporating the latest trends into your home décor in a less committed fashion, these decorative pieces are a quick and easy way to add a splash of marsala to your spaces.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

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You could be Home for the Holidays

// HOME&GARDEN GO BIG Larger pieces, such as this decorative chair and lamp available at Pecky, are options for incorporating marsala into your living areas and making a statement while doing so.

Courtesy photos

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Add elegance to any room by incorporating this rich and welcoming hue in accent pieces, accessories and paint.

Marsala’s plush characteristics are enhanced when the color is applied to textured surfaces, making it an ideal choice for rugs and upholstered living room furniture.

— Statement from the Pantone Color Institute ACCENTUATE Marsala, recognized by the Pantone Color Institute as a statement color, also works well as a strong accent to other colors. These accent rugs and pillows found at Home Resource are the perfect example of marsala used for a pop in decorating.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: REVIEWS

THEATER // ‘Dancing Lessons’

Courtesy

“Dancing Lessons” runs through Feb. 27, at Florida Studio Theatre’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota. Call 366-9000 or visit floridastudiotheatre.org for more information. on his iPad. He’s horrified to discover that Senga’s response to his blunt comment was fear. If Ever’s tone deaf to feelings, she’s deliberately blocking them with an emotional cocoon of lies and self-isolation.

Ever’s blunt, Vulcan-like honesty breaks

her out. Mutual feelings break out, too.

Soon, they’re the oddest romantic couple in recent theatrical history.

Germain’s play implies they’ll stay together but stays iffy on whether Senga’s leg can ever heal. Life, like Senga’s apart-

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Who’s normal, anyway? Mark St. Germain’s “Dancing Lessons” considers the question in the current production at Florida Studio Theatre. The offbeat romantic comedy explores the unlikely relationship between an autistic savant and a Broadway dancer sidelined with a crippling leg injury. That may sound like an obviously didactic setup, but an afterschool special it’s not. Germain’s twoperson play is an inventive mix of brilliant dialogue, vivid characters, precise observation and a wicked sense of humor.

The action unfolds in Senga Quinn’s (Vanessa Morosco) disheveled New York City apartment. Judging by the general chaos, open pill bottles and thighto-ankle leg brace, she doesn’t get out much. Senga’s isolation ends when Ever Montgomery (Jason Cannon) knocks on the door. He’s her neighbor from two floors up — a brilliant science professor at the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum.

Ever, it seems, has done his homework.

(Lacking any gut instinct about social cues, he has to.) Right now, he’s facing a mandatory awards ceremony and dreading the unavoidable dance floor. He’s heard about Senga’s accident and wants to hire her. He knows the going rate for a Broadway dancer: $2,153 an hour. She hesitates, then finally agrees.

The lesson transpires for the rest of the play. More than dance steps, Ever and Senga learn the truths of each other’s worlds. With his Spock-like approach, Ever suggests that it’d be logical for her to find emotional fulfillment in something besides dancing because it’s unlikely she’ll ever dance again. We later see him scrolling through human facial reactions

ment, is sloppy. The playwright holds a mirror to that chaos. His play feels like life, not a life lesson.

Kate Alexander’s direction flows with the playwright’s realistic intention.

She avoids obvious setup/payoff comic rhythms. You feel like a voyeur, eavesdropping on real-world conversations.

The actors sell you on the gritty reality of their characters. Morosco has professional dancing experience, and you can tell. She’s got a dancer’s chops — and the alternately haughty/insecure attitude, too.

Beyond that, she gets inside the skin of her character with a warm, Julia Sweeneyesque comic performance. Cannon has a perfect command of his autistic character’s dialogue rhythms. Emotionally, Ever’s either at a dead stop or putting the pedal to the metal. That’s played for both laughs and heartbreak, but never feels like caricature. Feelings aside, Cannon also conveys his character’s beautiful mind — compensating for his bad emotional wiring with a scientist’s constant observation, inference and hypothesis.

Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay anchor this reality with masterful set design.

Before the Senga character ever steps on stage, her flamboyantly messy apartment speaks volumes about her character.

Nicely done.

On the surface, these characters are damaged goods. But the line between ability and disability isn’t so clear. Senga has a career at dancing in the most competitive city in the world because she’s better at physical movement than 99.99% of the population — and not very good at anything else. Ever’s one-track mind makes him a lousy conversationalist but an excellent scientist. Who’s normal, anyway?

You may think you know. After seeing this play, the question will linger. Whatever their level of ability or disability, the people you’ll meet won’t look the same.

— Marty Fugate

Black Tie

INSIDE: ‘Noel en Provence’ PAGE 11

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// BLACK TIE: SOCIAL CALENDAR

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

by Heather Merriman | Black Tie Editor

EVENTS TO ATTEND

IN 2015

THE BASH! Benefiting: Sarasota Museum of Art/SMOA and Ringling College of Art and Design When: 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18 Where: Historic Sarasota High School Chairs: Brad and Mary Beth Goddard Honorary Co-Chairs: Dottier Baer Garner and Brooke Callanen Tickets: $200 | Call: 309-0118 The presentation of the invitation alone should give some insight into the detail and fabulousness going into SMOA’s The Bash!

The event will be held on the grounds of historical Sarasota High School and is the first opportunity to celebrate SMOA with the broader Sarasota community and to highlight the things to come. Leading up to SMOA’s debut, the casual dress event will feature food and cocktails, dancing and some surprises, for which you’ll want to be present.

CORINTHIAN GALA 2015 ‘A NIGHT OF 1,000 CRANES’ Benefiting: Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 Where: The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Chairs: Beverly Bartner, Renee Hamad and Chris Voelker Tickets: $375 | Call: 917-1286 This event happens once every three years, so if you miss out on it this year, you have to wait another three years to attend.

With all of that time in between events, Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation and its committee has a lot of time for planning a spectacular evening, and you better believe that it will be spectacular — just wait until you see the invitations.

The suggested attire for this year’s event: Asian flair or black tie optional. We won’t spoil all of the surprises they have in store, but you can expect an unforgettable evening — for starters, there will be live origami artists from the Sarasota Original Origami Club demonstrating their skills and making items for guests. You can also dance the night away to the sounds of Michael Andrews and The Atomic Big Band.

ORCHID BALL ‘THE RUBY AFFAIR: A ROMANCE OF A THOUSAND BLOOMS’ Benefiting: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 Where: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Chairs: Margie Cooper and Jenn Smith Stutler Tickets: $300 Call: 366-5731, Ext. 251 There is plenty going on this

Valentine’s Day for you and your significant other. New this year is a date change (this iconic Sarasota event is typically held in April) to coincide with Selby Gardens’ 40th anniversary, also the theme of the ball. Think rubies and roses and expect to be swept up in the romantic atmosphere of the Great Lawn and the Ann Goldstein Children’s Rainforest Garden on this unforgettable Valentine’s Day.

11TH ANNUAL CELEBRITY CHEFS FOOD & WINE TASTING

ICONCEPT ‘ART MEETS FASHION’ Benefiting: Art Center Sarasota When: 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22 Where: Sarasota Municipal Auditorium Chairs: Zara Barrie and Eduardo Anaya Tickets: $150 ($50 general admission) Call: 365-2032 The seventh annual event is centered around an innovative runway show that is the definition of where art meets fashion. Chaired

by Zara Barrie and Eduardo Anaya and hosted by Joey Panek and Christine Alexander, the fashion show will feature creative works by local artists who make exotic outfits using unconventional and recycled materials, all for the purpose of raising funds for Art Center Sarasota’s youth education programs.

It’s going to be a show you don’t want to miss — an unconventional evening for sure.

Benefiting: Jewish Family & Children’s Service When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 Where: The Resort at Longboat Key Club Chairs: Mike and Ruth Harshman and Joe and Barbara Najmy Tickets: $100 Call: 366-2224, Ext. 142 Everyone loves a good food and wine tasting event, and that is precisely what you get at JFCS’s annual Celebrity Chefs Food & Wine Tasting.

Mike and Ruth Harshman and Joe and Barbara Najmy will chair the 11th edition of the event, and you can expect nothing less than the best tastes and sips around. The event (which sells out every year) hosts more than 600 guests who choose to either spend the day

PIQUE NIQUE SUR LA BAIE

golfing on the links of Longboat Key Club along with the evening tasting, or just show up for the food. The party features specialty dishes prepared by 25 local chefs, as well as wine stations, a martini bar and old-fashioned egg creams. It’s a must-attend event — a night filled with great food, friends and fundraising.

BLACK TIE CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Benefiting: New College Foundation When: 11:30 a.m. Friday, March 27 Where: New College Bayfront Chairs: Chip Gaylor and Marjorie Floyd Tickets: $150 | Call: 487-4204 For 32 years, Pique Nique Sur la Baie has been a springtime signature event in Sarasota’s social scene and for good reason. The event takes place on the grounds behind the Charles Ringling Mansion at New College and guests spend their afternoon donning hats, watching a high fashion runway show presented by The Met and sipping Champagne on Sarasota Bay.

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// BLACK TIE: LOOKING AHEAD

(continued from page 9)

27TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION LUNCHEON Benefiting: Girls Inc. of Sarasota County When: 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 10 Where: The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Chairs: Max and Stephanie Hannum Tickets: $100 Call: 366-6646 The 27th annual Celebration Luncheon will highlight the “Fuel her fire … and she will change the world” national campaign, which centers on encouraging communities to support Girls Inc. Don’t forget to bring your shopping money, be-

cause the girls will offer a boutique of goods they have created as part of the “Dream Harbor” city that they belong to within Girls Inc. During the inspirational luncheon (pack the tissues), national CEO Judy Vredenburgh will be speaking about the national movement as well as presenting Sherry Watts with the National Girls Inc. Champions for Girls Award; Cookie Boudreaux with the Donna Brace Ogilvie Board of Directors Visionary Award; and Isabelle Crotsley with Girl of the Year.

KIDS’ BLACK TIE: DRESS UP UNDER THE BIG TOP Benefiting: UCP of Southwest Florida Inc. When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18 Where: The Circus Arts Conservatory, Sarasota Circus Arena Chair: Cambelle Anders Tickets: $100 (adults) $50 (kids 3-20) Free for kids under 3 | Call: 348-9039 Mark your calendars for April 18 and don’t worry about getting a sitter. The Kids’ Black Tie is an event unlike any other on our social calendar this year: a black tie event for kids and their families! Cambelle Anders, a secondgrader at BayHaven Elementary School, chairs the event and is more than excited to throw a great event and raise money for UCP. The evening will go down like most other black tie affairs — with the social hour, dinner, silent and live auctions followed by entertainment and dancing — but it is designed for the entire family to enjoy an elegant evening together. The circus-themed event (hence, under the big top) will be decorated as such, with a circus performance, DJ and other live entertainment along with other activity stations for the whole family to enjoy. Buy your tickets and dress up the family for this not-to-miss event.

FIREFLY GALA Benefiting: Forty Carrots Family Center When: 6 p.m. Saturday, March 28 Where: The Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club Chair: Ariane Dart Tickets: $300 | Call: 365-7716 Every rose may have its thorn, but the evening of Saturday, March 28 is going to be nothing less than perfect for Forty Carrots Family Center’s Firefly Gala featuring the one and only Bret Michaels.

The annual event is always a memorable one on the beautiful grounds of the Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club, so expect nothing but a good time at this rocking GLAMorous gala and concert (with a full light show, we’ve heard…)!

MEN WHO COOK Benefiting: Asolo Repertory Theatre When: 6 p.m. Sunday, May 3 Where: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Chairs: Beverly Bartner, Judi Gallagher, Molly Schechter and Margaret Wise Tickets: $200 Call: 351-9010, Ext. 4702

The Men Who Cook (25 of them to be exact) are back to prepare a dinner featuring their favorite dishes at Asolo Repertory Theatre’s fifth annual food extravaganza. From the parade of chefs to the fun feasting, table décor competition and the oldfashioned auction of cakes, it’s an event you don’t want to miss.

E

Live musical performances that Entertain, Engage, and Inspire!

OF SARASOTA SARASOTA

Presents Three Concerts Featuring the Music of Edvard Grieg In Conjunction with the 2015 Grieg Festival in Florida

January 9, 7:30 p.m. u Historic Asolo Theater

THE RUBY AFFAIR

Featuring songs based on the poems of Hans Christian Andersen, choral music, and solo piano pieces reflecting Norwegian folklore.

Alan Dunbar, bass-baritone | Gregory Martin, piano | Gloria Musicae Singers

ROMANCE OF A THOUSAND BLOOMS

OF SARASOTA

January 10, 7:30 p.m. u Historic Asolo Theater

Featuring songs of Norwegian and German poets and piano music, including the celebrated Holberg Suite, Op. 40.

Antonio Pompa-Baldi, piano | Njal Sparbo, bass-baritone | Einar Rottingen, piano

Color gradient January 11,

june simmons jewelry

7:30 p.m. u Historic Asolo Theater

Featuring songs of Norwegian poets, piano works from the “Lyric Pieces,” and the “Piano Sonata.”

Antonio Pompa-Baldi, piano | Njal Sparbo, bass-baritone | Einar Rottingen, piano Three rare opportunities to hear both familiar and seldom-heard Grieg compositions performed by some of the world’s finest musical interpreters of his compositions.

Tickets/details 24/7 at www.artistseriesconcerts.org

Media Sponsors

C O N C E R T TICKETS BY PHONE – DAILY 10A-4P – $25-$45

january 28, 2015

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6pm - 8pm 68 palm ave, sarasota, FL 34236 10% of the proceeds from the jewelry sales will benefit marie selby botanical gardens

ALSO PART OF THE FESTIVAL Lectures, Competitions, and Exhibits Celebrating of the Music of Edvard Grieg • THESE EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC •

Surprise your valentine the night of the 2015 orchid ball

Performances and Exhibit – January 9, 10:30 a.m. – Selby Public Library Competition Finals for Voice and Piano – January 11, 2:00 p.m.

Holley Hall Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center

hosted by kelvin cooper and denver stutler

158262

159201

Complete information at: www.griegfestivalinflorida.org

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

11

// BLACK TIE: CAMERA READY

‘NOEL EN PROVENCE’ Benefiting Friends of the Sarasota Ballet Monday, Dec. 15, at Michael’s On East Photos by Heather Merriman

Kay Adlin, Laurie Fitch and Carolyn Thompson

Lucia Almquist and Donna D’Agostino

Be the Guest Ringmaster at Circus Sarasota’s Incredible New Show FEARLESS at The Big Top • Meet King of the Highwire Nik Wallenda • Season’s 52 VIP 7-Course Chef’s Tasting Dining Experience with Master Sommelier Selected Wine Pairings for (4) persons • A Lux Limo Ride by Town & Country • 4 Box Seats to FEARLESS

Diana Cable and Lee Yousri

• (4) Tickets to FEARLESS & Circus Souvenirs Peter and Jean Huber

• $25 Gift Card & Special Barware from SEASON’S 52

Janet Wooten and Joan Tatum

NEW $500 Off* YEAR’S Save up to

on select Stressless® Recliners

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Friday February 6 - Sunday February 22

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CIRCUSARTS.ORG • 941-355-9805

UP TO

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copenhagen imports *See sales associate for details

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LIMOUSINE

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CLASSIC CONTEMPORARY HOME FURNISHINGS

12

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015

// BLACK TIE: CAMERA READY

STARRY NIGHT DINNER 2, HIGHLIGHTING THE PRODUCTION OF ‘THE MATCHMAKER’

SIGNATURE CHEFS AUCTION Benefiting March of Dimes Florida Chapter Tuesday, Dec. 16, at The Francis

Benefiting Asolo Repertory Theatre Monday, Dec. 15, at Hi Hat Ranch

Photos by Heather Merriman

Heather Graber, Susan Doyle, Heike Buckin and Debbie Harmen

Photos by Heather Merriman

Jennifer Rust, Michael Edwards and Ann Charters

Kristin and Todd Morton

Nathaniel and Melissa Walls

Diane Fregonese and Arin Jackson

Blake Kennedy and Chef James Hendry

Ania Adderley and Carolyn Robinson

Judy Green and Tom Dabney

Roz Goldberg, Alan Bandler, Patricia Anderson and Molly Maginn

OF THE

A

veteran of film, television, and the Broadway stage (including Arrested Development and Meet Joe Black), Jeffrey Tambor is one of the most iconic and respected character actors of his generation. As a man of many talents, Tambor is highly creative, using his overwhelming love for life and the lessons learned along the way as sparks of inspiration for his keynotes.

He speaks from the heart, sharing his personal truths as a way to inspire audiences young and old to embrace human connectivity.

F E A T U R I N G

Wednesday, January 28, 2015 • 7:00 pm Riverview High School

The PEOPLE OF THE BOOK event, featuring guest speaker Jeffrey Tambor, will serve to recognize and thank donors to Federation’s Annual Campaign; those making a minimum gift of $36 individual/$72 family are invited to attend the event as guests of the Federation.

TOP SALES ASSOCIATE Ranked in the Top 1% of Coldwell Banker Sales Associates Worldwide EVENT SPONSOR:

RSVP at www.jfedsrq.org/pob Questions?

Call 941.343.2106 or contact Jeremy Dictor at jdictor@jfedsrq.org

MEDIA PARTNERS:

Ackerman

BARBARA

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1 Ram Way, Sarasota

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TOLL-FREE

barbara@barbaraackerman.com

201 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 1

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Longboat Key, FL 34228

156227

THE

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