Diversions 1.8.15

Diversions YourObserver.com

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The Ringling preserves its colorful circus past.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

FOOD

Eric Bein shares his biggest influences.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: SAVING THE CIRCUS

by Nick Reichert | A&E Editor

The Greatest Archive on Earth The staff of the Ringling Archives painstakingly records ancient artifacts to preserve the circus’ storied history.

A

Nick Reichert

Kelly Zacovic learns something new every day as she combs through the Ringling Archives’ massive collection of circus documents and oddities.

titanic, stories-tall mural featuring the icons of circus past and present greets people as they enter the Tibbals Learning Center. Artifacts, paraphernalia and the 44,000-piece Howard C. Tibbals circus model line the halls of the center, smiling back at intrigued visitors.

But behind the big-top galore lies a hidden reservoir of scholarship and artifacts. The Ringling Archives are stowed away behind velvet ropes and pass codeprotected doors. The contrast of journeying from the colorful confines of the museum proper into the professional and scientific archives area is abrupt and shocking. But like any good wizard behind the curtain, someone has to supply the everyday work of conserving the circus history on display.

“We’re passing on the history of circus to the next generation,” says Kelly Zacovic, Tibbals collection specialist. “When I first began working here I was very awestruck. It really is incredible the variety and extent of the archive.”

The archives are home to various collections, including the Ringling Collection, John Ringling’s papers, the Circus Collection and the Howard C. Tibbals International Collection. The latter collection contains artifacts primarily from the circus’s European origins to the mid-20th century. It includes a parade of

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// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

CIRCUS STATISTICS ARCHIVE ARTIFACTS:

7,000 to 8,000 items in total

artifacts from the foundations of the modern circus: Philip Astley’s riding school in England that was the first modern circus to incorporate animal and acrobatic performances in a ring; Joseph Grimaldi, an English actor and comedian who popularized the current tradition of the whitefaced clown; prints of a panoply of exotic species of animals imported to Europe to perform in the circus; posters that are veritable works of pulp art; and political cartoons that employ circus imagery and symbolism to parody the political climate of the time.

Circus scholars and enthusiasts scour for new additions to the already extensive collection within

the Ringling Archives. Once the new artifacts arrive, they are released from their secure packaging and recorded and put in a queue waiting to be catalogued.

They are catalogued and then placed in separate filing cabinets or boxes based on specific criteria. New objects are then placed with similar artifacts of diverse categories such as clowns, horse tricks or oddities.

“The reason why this space is here is for researchers and academics to have access to all of these documents that chart the history of the circus,” says Deborah Walk, the Tibbals curator of the circus. “It’s a complete chart of the circus from its origin to its highs and lows.”

The archive is a fortress of three parts. The first is offices where archivists and conservation volunteers file paperwork and maintain communication with visiting scholars. Then there’s the storage facility itself, guarded by an imposing wall-sized cage with a seemingly endless array of bookshelves and file cabinets. And the third — and most accessible to the public — segment of the archive is its digitization station.

The archives staff places various 2-D and 3-D objects on a clear white surface of a cameraand-computer apparatus. The historical relics are centered at the heart of a constellation of cameras that take photographs of the objects at every conceiv-

ITEMS CATALOGUED:

3,235

OLDEST OBJECT DATED:

1576

able angle. Those photographs are then uploaded to the Ringling’s online compendium for the public to access at any time.

“A lot of our collection is so old and fragile that we just can’t scan them normally,” says Zacovic. “The process has become so seamless that we’re able to scan from 100 to 200 objects a day.”

And the collection is as strange and elaborate as the circus itself.

The oldest piece of the archives is a print of Helena Antonia, a bearded female dwarf who was a member of Archduchess Maria of Austria’s court.

“I came here not knowing anything about the circus,” says Zacovic, who studied art history in college. “But working here I’ve

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learned everything from hot air balloons used for trapeze and animal performances for huge spectacles to reading horse trick instructions from the 18th century.”

The Ringling Archives, in its scholarly fashion, encapsulates Sarasota’s identity as a multifaceted arts oasis. It is a constant reminder of the importance of recording the history of live arts and entertainment.

“People have always had the desire to stand out,” says Walk.

“And, for America, the circus grew up with America, and our entertainment is fleeting and of the moment, so we make sure to grasp and record the shadows of those original performances.”

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: SPOTLIGHT

Support System

Asolo Rep Theatre Guild introduces the theater to new generations.

Nick Reichert

Members of the Asolo Repertory Theatre Guild Play Readers ensemble, including Director Bob Bordy, center, do not shy away from being on and supporting the stage.

by Nick Reichert | A&E Editor

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Without the proper context, what’s transpiring on the brightly lit stage of the Cook Theatre in the Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts seems something out of an absurdist play. Actors and actresses are lined up, some portraying older characters, some acting as young children and one dressed as Santa Claus, and they take turns walking up to fake microphone stands and exchanging dialogue. Interspersed between the conversations is a random assortment of noises, bells and rings.

This isn’t Sarasota’s newest experimental theater troupe, but the Asolo Repertory Theatre Guild’s Play Readers ensemble performing its annual holiday staged play reading of the Lux Radio Theater version of “Miracle on 34th Street.”

Founded in 1974, the Asolo Repertory Theatre Guild originally functioned as the theater’s main fundraising body, organizing events that reached out to potential patrons and supporters. However, as the years went by and Asolo Rep incorporated a development staff and corporate sponsors, the guild had to adapt and re-evaluate its role in the theater. The approximately 200 members, both theaterlovers and former performers, act as the regional theater’s honorary family, morale boosters and educational ambassadors.

“Our mission now is to be informed ambassadors, modest fundraisers and, most of all, support education and participate in hands-on outreach,” says Patricia Anderson, president of the Asolo Theatre Guild. Anderson came across the guild by happenstance when a friend asked her to head a committee in the guild six years ago. She’s been an active member ever since.

The guild and the Asolo Rep Theatre form a symbiotic relationship, with the theater receiving the passionate efforts of a dedicated group of supporters and those supporters gaining access to some of the most respected and talented theater directors and performers in the country. Just recently, 65 guild members

brought their own dishes to the Asolo for a potluck dinner with the 60-plus members of the cast and crew of “South Pacific.” It was a warm welcome for the motley theatrical crew who are constantly traveling for each new engagement, and the curious guild members were able to inquire about the upcoming production and each theater artist’s rich experience onstage.

Changing lives through theater is the guild’s foremost goal. The group’s major educational initiative is “Put a Kid in a Seat.” The guild raises funds through various raffles and fundraisers to purchase tickets for area students to see productions. Busloads of area children are brought to the Asolo, with guild members chaperoning them while at the theater.

The guild hopes to plant the contagious seed of theater into young students’ fertile minds.

“Our mission really is to bring young people to the theater for their first live production,” says Jan Zipper, director of the guild’s Play Readers ensemble. “It’s fantastic to see their faces after they leave their first show.”

Guild members see themselves in these children; many can still pinpoint the exact moment they fell in love with the theater.

“I remember going to my first play in Baltimore when I was a kid,” says Anderson. “I was so transported and I’ve never forgotten that moment.”

As the Play Readers ensemble continues performing its radio play production of “Miracle on 34th Street,” the guild members’ collective love of theater is palpable. The performance is a celebration of the members’ shared love of the stage and of Asolo Rep, which has served as the organization’s sole home and purpose.

Patrons not only attend productions but rally every possible resource to be a part of and contribute to the artistic process.

“Sarasota prides itself on its arts,” says Anderson, “and I’m constantly trying to find the next potential theater-lover to replace me as an audience member and as an ambassador.”

DIVERSIONS

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: SPOTLIGHT

by Nick Reichert | A&E Editor

The Music Man The drummer and bass guitarist launch into the downbeat and set the tempo for the rest of the ensemble gathered on this Saturday morning in December on a bright yet humble stage in the sanctuary of St. Andrew United Church of Christ. The other musicians assembled onstage come in with their parts, constructing a funky groove. Then the trumpet player lights upon the song and adds unmistakable fire. Though it may seem odd for a band of local musicians to rehearse the riff to Sam & Dave’s classic “Hold On, I’m Comin’” inside a church sanctuary, everything about it seems right thanks to the Jacobites Pipe & Drum Band’s dynamic and energetic leader and front man, Gary Reinstrom.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Reinstrom and his family moved from the boroughs of the Big Apple to the warmer, quieter locale of Sarasota when he was 10 years old.

He’s been an active member of Sarasota’s music scene ever since. Reinstrom, with his two groups, the Jacobites Pipe & Drum Band (a bagpipe/rock band group) and the First Brass (a classical brass ensemble), spreads a love and passion for music and performance that is intoxicating. With his tall and imposing frame, Reinstrom is Sarasota’s own bombastic Harold Hill (albeit without any con man schemes), spreading a love and joy of music and recruiting beginners and retired pros alike to perform live.

Reinstrom’s family initially inspired his musical aspirations: His grandfather was an active tuba and accordion player and his uncle played the guitar. But it was his musical teachers who encouraged him to embrace performing.

“I had great public school music teachers when I was growing up,” says Reinstrom. “My teachers at Gulf Gate Elementary, Brookside Middle School, Riverview

5

Gary Reinstrom stands tall in Sarasota’s local music scene.

Nick Reichert

Gary Reinstrom, performing with the First Brass, has supported local music and musicians since he was young child.

High School and Paul Wolfe at the Sarasota Orchestra were so supportive and got me excited to play and continue encouraging Sarasota musicians I knew who wanted to play in public.”

At the beginning of Reinstrom’s music career he needed that support while playing the challenging and unromantic French horn while his brother practiced

on the more popular trumpet.

“I’d be sitting in my room hearing my brother in the next room making these loud and booming sounds on his trumpet, and I’d be playing my French horn and all these unnatural sounds would come out of it,” says Reinstrom.

After consistent practice, Reinstrom realized he was hooked on the rush of per-

formance.

“Just being recognized for being good at something was fantastic,” says Reinstrom. “When the audience is moved and I know they’re going to be moved and I can push their buttons and release emotion through music, it makes performing and practicing worth it.”

Reinstrom continued his instrumental studies at the University of Southern Florida. There he would play in student ensembles as well as orchestras. After graduation, Reinstrom worked as an instrumentalist for hire in the Sarasota area; he played in the Sarasota Orchestra, the Venice Symphony and returned to his former elementary and secondary schools to teach the next generation of budding performers.

Reinstrom started his most recent endeavor, the First Brass, in summer 2012 when the band leader wanted to whet his musical appetite with an all-brass ensemble. He gathered six musicians who were his peers and former students. Over the past two years, the collection of musicians has grown from an original group of six to a rotating collection of around two dozen musicians, with Reinstrom at the helm offering his patented level of exuberance and musical expertise. Reinstrom and company hope to become a professional squad.

“I want our brass group to be like the Denver Brass and as busy as the Sarasota Orchestra,” says Reinstrom.

Reinstrom stresses the importance of having a group such as the First Brass for Sarasota musicians.

“I used to think it was about the music,” says Reinstrom, “but it’s become about the relationships and encouraging Sarasota musicians who want to play. It’s all about that collaboration in the room.”

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: REVIEWS

THEATER // ‘As You Like It’ Like any good magician, Shakespeare has a big bag of tricks. “As You Like It,” the current Asolo Conservatory production, revels in some of his romantic comedy favorites. These include cross-dressing, banishment, an enchanted forest and a massive marriage ceremony to end the play. Nobody does it like Shakespeare. But if you’ve ever seen a Shakespearean comedy, you’ve seen it before. How do you make the magic new?

Director Jonathan Epstein certainly asked himself this question.

His answer? Silks. Not as in costumes, as in circus-style silks — the kind of hanging silks from which Dolly Jacobs might glide.

Instead of a forest, Epstein employed ribbons of multicolored cloth and actors doing bits of business thereon.

I was dubious at first. Another Shakespearean gimmick? First caveman Shakespeare, now this. But it works.

“As You Like It” is a bravura display of verbal legerdemain. The action wrapped around the silks creates a counterpoint.

While Shakespeare’s words razzle and dazzle, the swinging, climbing, acrobatic actors (all in good shape) do too. (Kudos for movement specialist Eliza Ladd for some moving work.)

It all serves the story — or the 90-minute edited version of the story. But the familiarity with Shakespeare’s tropes helps.

The play is a skein of many threads. It’s full of dense, then-contemporary references, including digs at the fads of toothpicks, pastoral sentimentality and the hilarious notion of eternal love. But it’s basically “Twelfth Night” meets “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Boiled down: The jealous usurper Duke Frederick (Kevin Barber) banishes his older brother, Duke Senior (Mark Comer), and his merry men to the magical forest

Courtesy

“As You Like It” runs through Jan. 18, at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. Call 3518000 or visit asolorep.org/conservatory for more information. of Arden. (There’s a nod to Robin Hood within the play). The noble Orlando (Josh James) gets on the Duke’s bad side as well and flees into the forest and joins the band.

The irritable Duke also banishes his niece, Rosalind (Kelsey Petersen). She flees with her loyal cousin, Celia (Ally Farzetta).

Orlando’s fallen in love with Rosalind — and vice versa. Rosalind does the logical thing, and with the aid of a fake moustache and cross-dressing pretends to be a man to test his love. Touchstone (Tom Harney), the fool, says witty things. (He’s no fool.)

The wandering, melancholy philosopher, Jacques (Chris Alexey Diaz), functions as Captain Bringdown and points out everyone’s faults and everything that could possibly go wrong. He gets the famous “All the world is a stage” speech. At the end, basically everyone (with the exception of Jacques and a few shepherds) gets married.

There’s more to it than that, but that’s the bones and meat of the thing. Plot aside, it’s all about entertainment — the 17th century version of Bollywood. From fights to flights

of fancy, this play has everything — including music. (Here, the songs work nicely to Jethro Tull-ish tunes by Barber.)

Pardon the dated reference, but Epstein reminds me of one of those plate spinners on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” He keeps the big plate of Shakespearean story spinning and then got a lot of other stuff up in the air (literally and figuratively). It’s a delightful tour de force that never comes crashing down.

The play’s grab bag of entertainment styles make it an ideal training ground for the conservatory’s second-year students.

Each young actor gets a set piece and the opportunity to shine. There isn’t room to list them all, so I’ll stick with standouts. Harney’s Touchstone is a manic, hip, 17th century comedian. James’ Orlando is high-spirited and fearless — a noble character in the original sense. Petersen’s Rosalind is feminine, then not feminine, then feminine-pretendingto-be-masculine-pretending-to-be-feminine as she puts Orlando through various mind games. Kim Stephenson has a funny bit as Phoebe, a love-struck shepherdess (Rosalind’s male persona being the love

object) who gets tangled up in the silks and a soliloquy. Speaking of which, Farzetta hilariously delivers Celia’s soliloquy as a rap ditty (one of many creative anachronisms).

Diaz’s Jacques smartly conveys the mind of a philosopher. He sees too much and knows too much and doesn’t trust the giddy happiness of the feel-good forest. That’s just a sample of the stunning performances.

Kudos also to Danielle Renella and Rob Glauz for their outlandish costumes and Brandon Maldonado and Kelly Smith for their otherworldly sound and light. No weak links at all.

Epstein (a Shakespearean language guru) wove Shakespeare’s words through a variety of contemporary accents and idioms.

He translated the action through a Cirque du Soleil sensibility. In the hands of the right director cast and crew, Shakespeare never gets old. He was in good hands here.

That’s magic enough.

— Marty Fugate

MUSIC // Perlman Music Program’s Celebration Concert As we were fighting the crowd arriving to the Sarasota Opera House for the Perlman Music Program’s Celebration Concert, I worried that, after 11 years of these performances, there might not be anything new to say. I thought, “This could be same old, same old.”

But music doesn’t work that way. When it’s well done it’s always fresh, always new.

So, although the format was the same, the performances were full of beans, and I realized, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

As always, Toby and Itzhak Perlman started the concert by joining the nearly 40 so-called “student” (don’t let age fool you) string players in the chorus for a short program of choral music. Why do they have

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

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// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: REVIEWS

BOOKS // ‘Nora Webster’ by Colm Tóibín In his newest novel, “Nora Webster,” Colm Tóibín examines the life of his titular character in the months and years following the loss of her young husband to heart disease. In doing so, Tóibín avoids melodrama entirely; instead, he adopts a narrative style that is restrained and unadorned.

This approach facilitates Tóibín’s creation of an astonishing protagonist who is detached, impulsive, self-absorbed, tremendously compelling and entirely believable.

“Nora Webster” is set in Ireland in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the Troubles looming and Bloody Sunday on the horizon. In Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Nora Webster is grieving her husband’s recent death. Maurice Webster, Nora’s husband, was well-loved and respected by all, including Nora, who remained a fixture at Maurice’s bedside in the final months of his life while delegating the care of their children to family members. Nora is now left without savings to rear her two young sons and financially provide for two older daughters who are studying in Dublin.

As she adjusts to widowhood, Nora has a series of dawning realizations that those around her feel the impact of her husband’s absence as acutely — if not in the same ways — as she does. Foremost among these characters is Nora’s older son, Donal, who has become increasingly withdrawn and developed a stammer since his father’s death. Moreover, Nora is frequently confronted with the fact that her own methods of dealing with her husband’s illness and death have exacerbated, or at the very least contributed to, her children’s emotional difficulties. But Nora handles these realizations only passively,

consistently adopting a strategy of avoidance and deciding that most questions about the thoughts and feelings of others are better left unasked.

Nora’s strategy of letting issues resolve themselves is representative of the narrative as a whole. The plot provides several opportunities for crises to escalate but, rather than turning to melodrama, in each instance Tóibín characteristically chooses instead to allow crises to unfold gradually, a strategy that makes “Nora Webster” all the more believable.

“Nora Webster” is an uncommon novel.

Nora is a complicated, often selfish and not entirely likeable character. But she and the novel that shares her name are both compelling and evocative because of the honesty and simplicity with which Tóibín has created them.

— Jennifer McPheeters “Nora Webster” is available at Bookstore1Sarasota, 1359 Main St., Sarasota. Call 365-7900 for more information.

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This season, the PMP String Orchestra offered Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, which is scored for strings, keyboard (piano, in this case, played by the excellent John Root), flute and violin. Nicholas Johnson, who just received his master’s from Juilliard, was the flutist, and the violin solos were taken by the individual members of the PMP violin section. You could hear the lessons they’d learned from singing because most of them breathed into their solos, an interesting follow-up and raison d’etre for the earlier part of the program.

Following the Bach were two movements from Verdi’s only String Quartet. I’ve known this work for years but liked it much more in this arrangement for string orchestra. It has more depth when played by multiple string instruments, and sections of the movements were not only operatic (think “Rigoletto”) but also echoed the more exposed sections of Verdi’s “Four Sacred Pieces,” not to mention the sheen of Dvorak’s “Serenade for Strings.” Unlike the arrangement for string orchestra of, say, the Mendelssohn Octet, this arrangement of the Verdi quartet worked well, and I’d love to get my hands on a recording of the whole thing in this setting. The sound that came from the Perlman group was the kind of string sound for which many a major orchestra would kill. And Perlman, himself, was no slouch in the conductor’s role; he held everything together nicely and made music rather than showpieces for individuals.

This year’s encore, or “dessert,” as Perlman put it, was a fun, enthusiastic performance of “Hoe Down” from Copland’s “Rodeo.” And at the gala dinner following the performance we were treated not only to Perlman’s Perl-tones doing doo-wop but also to the whole chorus fervently flaunting the vocal version of Rossini’s Overture to “The Barber of Seville.” Watch out. These are professional string players to be reckoned with.

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these brilliant violinists, violists and cellists sing? Because singing instills instrumentalists with the concept of breathing and phrasing, so important to all musicians.

Remember, these young instrumentalists already have excellent, if not perfect, pitch.

What they don’t necessarily have is beautiful vocal tone, the idea of breath control, a knowledge of foreign languages or an assured certain stage deportment, as important for fiddlers as singers.

Standing in front of an audience with poise and grace is an art in itself. Singers — because they have to communicate not just pitches but also words, movement and audience connection — are usually schooled in that behavior earlier than instrumentalists. But instrumentalists need it, too.

Music is all about communication, and the sooner musicians learn there’s more to it than technique, the better performers they’ll be. It takes a package to be a great artist, and instrumentalists must learn the art of singing, just as singers must learn the art of using their voices as instruments.

Patrick Romano, the PMP chorus master, is from Juilliard and is used to working with young voices. This year, with an “Agnus Dei” and “Dona Nobis Pacem” by Hummel, a gorgeous “Abendlied” by Rheinberger, a vibrant madrigal by Morley and the final choruses from Handel’s “Messiah,” Romano brought out immaculate pitch and excellent training from people who don’t really sing. Sure, the tone was rough. But, as quartets, their consonants were together, vowels matched, and they made real music.

In fact, the Morley was about as good as any madrigal group I’ve heard in years.

And anyone who could take the finale of “Messiah” at the clip taken by Romano deserves a great round of applause.

As quickly as the instrumentalists hopped off their risers, the choral setting vanished and was replaced with orchestra chairs and stands so the string players could return for what they’re really trained to do.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// HOME&GARDEN : HOME OF THE MONTH

by Robert Plunket | Contributing Writer (continued from page 1)

PICTURE PERFECT A Siesta Key showplace dazzles with understated luxury.

Photos courtesy of Michael Saunders & Co.

The main living area of the home encompasses flexible areas for conversation and dining. The kitchen is partially concealed on the other side of the curved wall in the center.

A

living room you can truly live in is a rarity in Sarasota’s more upscale homes.

It’s usually a bit too formal for everyday use. So life takes place in the family room — comfortable, maybe, but rarely noted for its exceptional décor.

Why not combine the two into one spectacular space?

That’s the secret behind this extraordinary living room in a luxurious waterfront Siesta Key home. It borrows the concept of a Soho loft, but instead of an industrial feeling of exposed pipes and ducts, the atmosphere is elegant, warm and sophisticated.

And no Soho loft ever had this view — a cinemascope-like wall of gently curving 12-foot-high glass that looks out onto an everchanging panorama of light, water and sky.

The space — somehow the word “room” doesn’t quite convey what is happening here — contains several conversational areas, a formal dining area plus a more informal one and a stateof-art kitchen somewhat tucked away from most of the space but definitely an integral part of the whole. And if the signature window wall suggests a movie screen, there’s a reason. The original owner, the man who built the house in 2001, owned a chain of movie theaters. *** The current owners, Russell and Susan Samson, met on a blind date in New York City 38 years ago. He was a young doctor from South Africa; she was studying at Columbia Teachers College. He was an hour late and then made her go to Gimbels

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

9

// HOME&GARDEN

The kitchen features high-end appliances and custom cabinetry. Even the hardware is custom designed. to help him buy a couch for his apartment. When he didn’t have enough money to pay for it, he asked her to write a check and gave her one of his own to cover it. By this time she was thinking, “This has got to get better because it can’t get any worse.”

It did. His check bounced.

But something clicked; the couple is still together and sharing their exceptionally busy lives.

Russell has become one of the area’s most prominent vascular surgeons, an authority in his field — he edits a national journal on vascular surgery — and is a clinical professor of surgery at Florida State Medical School. Susan, after raising their two children, Andrew and Paige, has her own educational counseling business, College Intuition, through which she takes her young clients through the college application process.

In a preview of their life to come, the Samsons watched their

Expansive outdoor terraces that lead down to a 105-foot dock allow for lavish entertaining.

future home being built. They were living in The Landings at the time, and directly across the bay they could see the big white house taking shape.

“We were fascinated,” Susan recalls. “Here was a beautiful contemporary home going up in a market dominated by Mediterranean Revival.”

When it came on the market in 2003 they snapped it up.

With the help of interior designer Robert Clausen, they remodeled the house to fit both their lifestyle and their personal style. The furniture is contemporary with hints of mid-century modern; it can easily be moved around. Wood is used to warm things up, and the color palette is yellows, browns and other subtle earth tones, with brighter colors used sparingly.

Clausen and his clients were not afraid to break some rules.

In the living room, for instance, the main gathering spot is not

the usual sofa flanked by a couple of club chairs, but rather a custom-built bar with seating on both sides. It’s perfect for informal drinks and snacks. There are also several other conversational areas, and just on the other side of the double-sided fireplace is a cozy den, wood-paneled and perfect for TV or reading.

The master bedroom has its own wing. Here things are spacious and uncluttered. Most of the furniture is built in, including the nightstands and a leather headboard that soars to the ceiling. In the adjoining master bath the countertops are not the usual granite or marble but rather a dramatic, multicolored onyx.

Offices are important in this house. Russell’s is on the main level but tucked away for privacy.

It’s homey and relaxing and overlooks the bay. Susan’s, where she sees clients, is on the lower level, convenient to the front entrance.

It’s also comfortable, arranged to

A curved wall of glass looks out on a spectacular view of Sarasota Bay, mangrove islands and the mainland.

be conducive to long conversations. There are two more bedrooms, giving the home a potential total of five.

When the Samsons renovated the house they gave much thought to getting the kitchen just right. Although it is located in the main living area, it doesn’t dominate things. A wall shields it from the main seating areas, but from the dining areas it becomes the focus. Susan is a dedicated cook and is always ready to expand her repertoire — she arranges her spices by ethnicity.

Informal dinners for friends are her specialty; the home also lends itself to large gatherings with its outdoor terraces. There have been parties for the Asolo and, most memorably, an event for attendees at a medical conference for which the guests arrived by yacht after a cruise from the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. This spectacular welcome was made possible by the home’s 105-foot dock.

*** The Samsons have decided to downsize and have put their home on the market. They are empty nesters and haven’t quite decided on their next move. All options are open, including another place on Siesta or perhaps an apartment downtown.

“We’re letting fate lead us,” Russell says.

Susan knows what she’ll miss most: “The kitchen. I adore my kitchen. I designed it from scratch.”

For Russell it’s the view. “I’ve taken hundreds of photographs through that wall of windows,” he says. “The sunset, the birds, the rain. Even during a thunderstorm it becomes something remarkable. It’s a spectacular way to live.”

5137 Jungle Plum Road is priced at $5.7 million. For more information, call Kim Ogilvie (376-1717) or Lenore Treiman (356-9642) of Michael Saunders & Co.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// FOOD&COOKING: RECIPE FOR SUCCESS ou Do y t the en es frequ al eateri es c c a o f l r e sam e familia o? This g se and time you you get s h eac ure help e faces feat ow thos ter. to kn little bet a

by Randi Donahue | Contributing Writer

ERIC BEIN EXECUTIVE CHEF/OWNER, STATION 400 400 N. LEMON AVE., SARASOTA 8215 LAKEWOOD MAIN ST., SUITE P103, LAKEWOOD RANCH WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FOOD INFLUENCE? My grandparents had

the biggest influence on me. They lived on a farm in New York, and as a kid I’d go there in the summertime. My grandfather had a garden. They’d do these pickled beets and make other things from the garden.

WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO BECOME A CHEF? I don’t have a

romantic I-am-a-chef-because-of story. I do remember those summers in New York as a precursor and maybe not realizing it at that age or time period. After high school I didn’t have much of a direction so I took a job in a restaurant and felt that energy. It was something I hadn’t experienced before, and that was exciting. The chef was tough, but I looked up to him and said, “Hey, maybe I could try that,” and I did.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEFORE STATION 400? I went to the Culi-

Randi Donahue

nary Institute of America in New York when I was 19. I graduated from the four-year bachelor’s program, which was more business oriented. From there I went to New York City because I wanted to get experience; to get beat up and have tough jobs. I basically knocked on people’s doors and said I’d work for free hoping to get a job and I did. I was in New York City for two years and came back

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here tired and burnt out. I was in need of more of a vacation job to recoup, which ended up being at this location under previous ownership. It was great because I had full reign in the front and the back.

Then the owners kind of fizzled out in the bad economy and ended up closing the doors. I had moved on at that point but approached them and worked out a deal to take this over five years ago.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST MEAL YOU COOKED AS A CHEF?

Yes, a sticky, gloopy risotto for my parents on my first spring break from school. You know, you think you’re hot stuff and want to make something cool, and it didn’t turn out right so that was an epic fail.

But it was my parents, so it was OK. And luckily I’ve gotten a little better than that.

WHERE DO YOU GET INSPIRATION FOR YOUR MENU AND SPECIALS?

We do the classic breakfast dishes, but our niche is just outside of that box, so while we have the eggs Benedict and the French toast and all of those things that you associate with breakfast, we wanted to bring different elements.

The inspiration for that goes back to my farm days in New York and true raw ingredients in their purest form. So we came up with different flavor profiles that would work in that sense: blackberries

and lemon on the pancakes, eggs Benedict with mushrooms and truffles. Personally, I stay up on the industry with cooks magazines and Pinterest, and for Christmas I got the Noma cookbook, which is a restaurant in Demark whose chef is probably the best in the world right now.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MEAL?

I’d probably say the most satisfying thing for me would be roasted bone marrow with some crusty bread and sea salt.

DO YOU COOK AT HOME? I do cook

at home. We just remodeled the kitchen, so it is a lot easier for me because I have all my gadgets there. We designed it like a test kitchen for me. And since my job has changed with the two locations and I am not doing a lot of the cooking (at the restaurant), my home is my area to go where it’s quiet and I can cook.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN GADGET? I use my 10-inch global

knife the most, but my favorite gadget would be my sous vide machine, which is a water bath.

It circulates water to a perfect temperature. It’s an old technique, but it’s very popular right now, and it essentially cooks things in their own juices under vacuum.

WHAT IS ON YOUR GADGET WISH LIST? A Pacojet ice cream and gelato machine.

IF YOU WERE TRAPPED ON A DESERT ISLAND AND COULD TAKE THREE INGREDIENTS WHAT WOULD THEY BE? I am a simpleton really

… if I could have an egg, a potato and a tomato, I could do a lot with that.

Black Tie

INSIDE: The Debutante Ball PAGE 16

YourObserver.com

Michael Ritter, Karen Bernstein, Nadia Ritter and Fran Lambert

Toby and Itzhak Perlman

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

Dr. Leon and Madeline Alexander

11TH ANNUAL

PMP Sarasota WINTER RESIDENCY CELEBRATION GALA

Benefiting The Perlman Music Program/Suncoast • Saturday, Jan. 3, at Michael’s On East • Event Co-Chairs: Edie Chaifetz, Kathy Horowitz and Diana Houston

by Heather Merriman | Black Tie Editor The Perlman Music Program Sarasota’s 11th annual Winter Residency came to a close Saturday, with the Celebration Concert and Gala. More than 1,000 people attended the Celebration Concert at Sarasota Opera House featuring the PMP String Orchestra lead by Conductor Itzhak Perlman and the PMP Chorus lead by Chorus Master Patrick Romano. Following the concert, 350 guests joined Itzhak and Toby Perlman, the PMP faculty and students at Michael’s On East for an intimate evening of food and conversation.

Max Winitz and Hayley Wielgus

Photos by Heather Merriman

Co-Chairs Kathy Horowitz, Diana Houston and Edie Chaifetz

Perlman Music Program's Suncoast Super Strings, which consists of 34 young violinists and violists from across Florida, played the solo lines of the first movement of Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, also known as, the “Bach Double,” Friday, at the Sarasot a Opera House.

Ruth and Curtis Manasse, Temple Beth Israel Rabbi Jonathan Katz, Carole Feiger and Bert Brodsky Jules and Sheila Rose with Bob Cutler and Barbara Staton

What is the PMP Sarasota Winter Residency?

• Musical training for students, ages 12 to 20, from around the world to study and play violin, viola, cello and bass.

• Includes two weeks of free public musical events, concluding with the Celebration Concert and Gala. The concert is part of PMP/Suncoast’s Hear & Now concert series.

• Attracts more than 13,000 people a year.

BLACK TIE COVER PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// BLACK TIE: COLUMN

BLACKTIE&TALES

by Black Tie Staff

Photos by Molly Schechter

Marvin Albert and Gerri Aaron

HOST AND HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST

EVERYONE HAS A STORY

G

erri Aaron has been entertaining on New Year’s Eve for more than a decade, the last seven years with her partner, playwright Marvin Albert, as co-host. What they have the “mostest” of: guests who share their passion for the arts and human services.

Seen among the 60 or so who enjoyed the fireworks: Elaine Keating (Sarasota Museum of Art), Hillary Steele and Judy Cahn (Sarasota Ballet), Patricia Caswell (Hermitage), Barbara Zdravecky and Jan Chester (Planned Parenthood), Susan Brainerd and Alan Quinby (Key Chorale and Children’s Guardian Fund), Judi Bell (Neuro Challenge Foundation), Rich Segall (Jewish Family and Children’s Service), Fran Lambert (Perlman Music Program/Suncoast) Richard M. Parison Jr. (Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe), Dennis Stover (USF SarasotaManatee), Phil King (Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center), Scott Anderson and Veronica Brady (Gulf Coast Community Foundation) and Harold Ronson (Sarasota Opera and Friendship Centers).

Even Rich Bergman (Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation) made an appearance before popping across Palm Avenue to his organization’s rooftop “Silent Disco.”

Michael Zuckerberg, center, with his niece and nephew Rebecca and Adam Freides and sister and brother-in-law Amy and Hal Church. Seated: George Cole and Judy Zuckerberg

WORTH WAITING FOR …

F

riends of Michael Zuckerberg have been following the progress of his new home for months, especially the evolution of the gazebo with a distinctly Roman flair out back.

The residence in the Bungalow Hill neighborhood made its debut to more than 100 guests at a New Year’s open house. Some took a tour of the interior with Zuckerberg’s interior design ally, Marsha Ritter of Robb & Stucky. They got to see his collection-ofcollections, including 19th century Doulton bar mugs, each imprinted with a witticism, and figurines of a British cartoon character named Penelope and her pony, Kipper.

Among the visitors who enjoyed the gazebo and an array of treats from caterer Jeremy Hammond Chambers: Warren and Margot Coville and daughter, Betsy, Lois Stulberg, Greg Leaming, Iain Webb, Mary Ann Servian and John Simon, Marie Monsky, Sheila and Merrill Wynne, Vivian Kouvant, George Allison, Alan Watkins, David Strattard, Scott George, John Mason, Carol Camiener and Peggy and Ken Abt.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// BLACK TIE COVER PHOTOS

15

E

(continued from page 13) 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

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 OF SARASOTA

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

Bob and Susie Bluestein with Suzy Farbman

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

Jack and Judy Bloch

Color gradient January 11,

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.

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Malouf and Theresa Abraham with Dottie Baer Garner

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Photos by Heather Merriman

Lois Marcus and Abigail Elder with Jay and Syma Cohn

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

159202

Complete information at: www.griegfestivalinflorida.org

PRESENTS

JANUARY 22, 2015 at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium

Please join us for the 7th annual iconcept fashion event,featuring local artists creating unique outfits made from unconventional materials.

Dinner - 6:30 pm

Tickets & Info: artsarasota.org/iconcept2015 or call 941.365.2032

General - 7:30 pm Admission Hosts: Joey Panek & Christine Alexander

Presenting Sponsor: Sponsored in part by:

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MARY ANN ROBINSON

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Lisa Libman and Bryna Tevlowitz

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DIVERSIONS

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// BLACK TIE: CAMERA READY

THE DEBUTANTE BALL Benefiting Sarasota Orchestra youth programs Saturday, Dec. 20, at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium Photos by Heather Merriman

Bart and Kameron Hodgens with Debbie and Bill Partridge Mark Sulimirski, Sarah Karp and Angus Martin

Jim and Karen Turner with Leah and Christian Cotter

John Schofield, Mercedes Elizalde and Alex Mochrie

Co-Chairs Robin and Mark Serbin Douglas Baker and Emma Hollingsworth

HELD

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Caroline Warren, Cassidy Maryott and Shawna Sims

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Serena Shabetai’s escort, Connor Borden, helps her with her shoes.

DIVERSIONS

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

17

// BLACK TIE: CAMERA READY

‘LA FILLE MAL GARDÉE’ PREPERFORMANCE HOLIDAY DINNER Benefiting Sarasota Ballet Friday, Dec. 19, at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Barbara Brizdle, Hillary Steele, Mike Marraccini and Clare Segall

Elizabeth Colbert with Eileen and John Hampshire

Photos by Heather Merriman

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

Ken Abt and Alfred Goldstein

• (4) Tickets to FEARLESS & Circus Souvenirs • $25 Gift Card & Special Barware from SEASON’S 52

yourobserver.com/contests Gwen and Tom Watson with Donna Kaminski and Everett Behrendit

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Rochelle Stassa and Vivian Kouvant

Sarasota Concert Association’s Great Performers Series presents

Royal Philharmonic

Pinchas Zukerman

CIRCUS SARASOTA presents

conductor and soloist Observer YourObserver.com

Friday February 6 - Sunday February 22

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18

DIVERSIONS

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// BLACK TIE: CAMERA READY

ACHIEVERS SCHOLARSHIP PARTNERS HOLIDAY LUNCHEON Benefiting YMCA Foundation of Sarasota Inc. Friday, Dec. 19, at Michael’s On East Priscilla Sosa, Susan Dweck, Debbie Ramos and Betty Jean Bavar

In 1953, Icard Merrill planted its hopes in this community. As our community has grown and blossomed, so has the firm. Sixty years later, we are still here, actively engaged in many different aspects of this special area we call home. Our experienced attorneys counsel clients on legal matters ranging from business, construction and civil litigation to real estate, family law and estate planning. Over the years, we have devoted countless hours and donated our resources to support local causes. We do this because we care. This is our home; you are our neighbors. Our roots run deep.

Indigo Alexis, Flori Roberts and Charles Martin

Courtney Smith and Jennifer Grondahl

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Karin Gustafson and Joan Wilson

DeLeon Jelks, Omar Woodard and Mekala Jones

THE RUBY AFFAIR ROMANCE OF A THOUSAND BLOOMS

EXCEPTIONAL Service EXTRAORDINARY Care

june simmons jewelry

january 28, 2015

6pm - 8pm 68 palm ave, sarasota, FL 34236 10% of the proceeds from the jewelry sales will benefit marie selby botanical gardens Surprise your valentine the night of the 2015 orchid ball

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hosted by kelvin cooper and denver stutler

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DIVERSIONS

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// BLACK TIE: ENGAGED 101

HOTFLASH

19

by Heather Merriman | Black Tie Editor

IN FOCUS: HAIR & MAKEUP TRENDS

FLORAL TREND: having greenery in the bouquet. Another floral trend, cascading bouquets, is pricey, but was popular in the fall.

Brides deserve to be at their absolute best on their wedding day, and there are a few tricks to keep it that way, all day or evening long.

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE …

AND A WEDDING PLANNER

WEDDING DAY MUSTS: • Airbrush makeup, satin finish • Fake eyelashes — make such a difference for camera work • Blush-colored lips last the longest • The Ritz-Carlton Spa suggests a trial run, so hair stylists and makeup artists can get a feel for what you are looking for on your big day and be able to make any adjustments beforehand.

TRENDING: Going from an up-do during the ceremony to a half up, half down for the reception.

Photos by Heather Merriman

W

hen it comes to that time that occurs in between the day you say “yes” to the day you say “I do,” owner of NK Productions and event planner Nicole Kaney and Ritz-Carlton Wedding Sales Manager Kelsey Alholm, above, have all of your answers. The two teamed up to share their knowledge of wedding planning and hosted the first “Engaged 101” seminar Dec. 10, at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. Black Tie Editor Heather Merriman attended and got the scoop on the latest trends and tips from the world of wedding planning.

During the two-hour function, guests (including a few grooms-to-be) watched presentations from the biggest names in town on the most important topics when planning the big day.

We compiled the most notable tips from each area of planning that was covered. You’ll have to attend the next seminar, on April 9, to find out more.

AREAS OF PLANNING INVITATIONS & PAPER ETIQUETTE

with Eileen Wallace, Write-On Sarasota

TIPS AND TRENDS: CALLIGRAPHY TIP:

Whether addressing your envelopes yourself or having them professionally done, McMillian suggests buying 25 extra envelopes for potential mistakes.

PAPER TRENDS: Letter

press with foil

CALLIGRAPHY with Dorothy McMillan Calligraphy

BOUQUET & FLORAL TRENDS presentation by Beneva Flowers

IN FOCUS: LINENS & DÉCOR

LINENS & DÉCOR

with Linens by the Sea and Affairs in the Air

HAIR & MAKEUP TRENDS

with The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Spa

CAKE TASTING & DESIGN with

Ritz-Carlton Chef Lyndsy McDonald

TRENDING:

When it comes to décor, options are endless, so choosing your linens is a good place to start.

Begin by looking through magazines and seeing what colors and styles you like — many brides are using neutrals, such as beige and champagne, and are pulling other colors from elsewhere in the décor.

• Glacier gray has been popular • Sequins — best used as accents, such as a tablecloth on a sweetheart table or cake table or used as a runner

SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND:

Remember what the linens will look like once the glassware, plates and silverware are added to the table.

A TIP ON CHOOSING YOUR CAKE: Don’t

look for an exact one you love — find elements that you like and the pastry chef will be able to meld them. Look at what you are pinning on Pinterest or marking in magazines and ask yourself, “Why this one?” and go from there.

DIScOVER whAt’S on Behind Closed doors:

art in the spanish ameriCan home on vIEw through JAn 11 Don’t miss your last chance to see the first major exhibition in the u.S. to explore the private lives and interiors of Spain’s new world elite from 1492 through the nineteenth century.

relAted eVent GAllery wAlk & tAlk JAN 8, 6:00 pM Included with Admission this program will explore the art and issues presented in the exhibition, Behind Closed Doors.

Virgin, Philippines and possibly Mexico, Guatemala, or Ecuador, probably 18th century. Brooklyn Museum, Frank L. Babbott Fund, 42.384. Behind Closed Doors: Art in the Spanish American Home, 1492–1898 is organized by the Brooklyn Museum. Generous support for this exhibition has been provided by National Endowment for the Humanities. This exhibition was paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues and also through the generous support of the Arthur F. and Ulla R. Searing Endowment and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation.

Saturday, January 31, 2015 The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota

Viewpoint: IN pURSUIT OF pLEASURE, cASANOVA’S EUROpE JAN 17, 10:30 AM, $10 / $5 for Members

Guest of Honor Bishop Frank J. Dewane

Event Chairs

Maria DeSanto



In this lecture, journey through Europe and see its art and people through Casanova’s eyes.

Danielle Gladding

Enjoy an elegant, black-tie evening of cocktails, dinner and dancing.

Tickets are $300.

For more information call 941-355-4680, ext. 311, JEWELRY SIGNATURE email jwozniak@ccdis1.org or visit AUCTION RAFFLE www.catholiccharitiesdov.org.

UNLOCK YOUR Like us on Facebook at HEART www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesDioceseofVenice

To benefit

Sarasota and Manatee Counties

Event Sponsors

new StAGeS: JULIAN SANDS IN A CelebrAtion of HArold Pinter FEb 6 & 7, 7:30 pM, $20-$30 A humorous and fascinating solo performance created in collaboration with John Malkovich.

Tickets and Information:

S TAT E A R T M U S E U M O F F L O R I D A 150840

ringling.org or 941.358.3180

| F L O R I D A S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

OpEN DAILY at 10:00 AM

158603

Mary Kenealy-Barbetta



20

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

// BLACK TIE: SOCIAL STUDIES

by Heather Merriman | Black Tie Editor

CHARLENE WOLFF

Charlene Wolff has been a part of Sarasota’s philanthropic community for more than 25 years. Known for her involvement with the Humane Society of Sarasota County, Habitat for Humanity and Moffitt Cancer Center (to name a few), she’s most recently been active in the Lemur Conservation Foundation.

To learn more about Wolff and her passion for the primates living in Myakka City, Black Tie Editor Heather Merriman headed out east to tour the private reserve and roam the forest with the lemurs.

I MOVED here in 1989, from New York, where I had been for 14 years. I grew up in the military, so by the time I was 21 I had lived in at least 18 different places. I went to college in Boston, where I got a B.A. in biology at Boston University, and then I attended Pace University in New York City, where I received my MBA in taxation.

I HAD a rewarding career in wealth management. I was involved in a number of successful startups in New York and Florida, including Wood Asset Management Inc. that I started and headquartered here in Sarasota in 1994. I’m also a founding board member of Sabal Palm Bank here in Sarasota. Most of my career direction has been

in finance and wealth management.

become a full-time job with all that is available.

MY FOREMOST hobbies must

I LIKE to entertain and cook.

be charities. For 25 years I’ve been involved, whether being on the board, chairing an event or on the committee. I’ve been specifically involved in Habitat for Humanity, Child Protection Center, New College of Florida, the Consortium for Children and Youth of Sarasota County; and on the committee level, everything from the Y, to Key to the Cure, to the Hospital Foundation and more. Anything involving medicine, research, children, animals and education, they are all important to me. This town is so full of activities and charitable, philanthropic people — it’s been quite the experience. It can

One of the most fun things for me I think is hosting dinners for friends — it’s so much more intimate than dining out, although Sarasota does have an outstanding array of restaurants.

MY LOVE for animals is wellknown by those who know me.

I have rarely been without numerous dogs and cats and, for a while, horses. Currently, those in the Wolff residence include a German shepherd named Vana, a pomeranian named Blue, a Maltese named Tinker Bell, two ragdoll cats named Suki and Sasha and a tortoise cat named Delilah.

Photos by Heather Merriman

SO, ABOUT THE LEMURS …

I joined the LCF board in 2010. LCF founder Penelope Boudry-Sanders and I had a mutual friend, which is how I initially found out about the organization. Animals have always

been dear to my heart, and when I heard about this place, I had to see it. I struck up this friendship with Penelope and the next thing I knew I was on the board and I was involved. It’s an amazing board of interesting and talented individuals who are very much immersed in conservation.

WHY I GRAVITATED TOWARD LCF AND THE LEMURS …

Well, what’s not to love about the animal itself? It’s inquisitive, social and so darn cute. There are many incredible animals that are endangered and in need of support and our conservation

efforts, but the fact that they are the most endangered primate in the world and the uniqueness of the specific genetic science behind them (lemurs being prosimian) make this a fascinating mission for me to support. This is an important group of animals in the scientific world.

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

REALTOR®

GROUP T h e n a m e t o The k nname o w to i nknow rea es tate inlreal estate www.barbaraackerman.com 941-387-1820

1 Ram Way, Sarasota

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800-910-8728

TOLL-FREE

barbara@barbaraackerman.com

201 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 1

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Longboat Key, FL 34228

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