Diversions 2.5.15

INSIDE: ARTS + CULTURE Master Builder David P. Gordon creates Sarasota’s operatic world. 11 People with Purpose For Kyla Weiner, giving back is not an option, it’s an obligation. 10

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Photos by Heather Merriman

Above: John and Debra Sandefur Right: Amy Kaiser gets her face painted by Suzy Kalin

Circus Arts Gala HONORING TANA SANDEFUR

Gabriel and Kim Dominguez

Friday, Jan. 30, Under the Big Top at Nathan Benderson Park Benefiting The Circus Arts Conservatory Sarasota Honorary Co-Chairs: Jennifer Saslaw and Betty Schoenbaum

T

he lights atop the Circus Sarasota Big Top were shining the evening of Friday, Jan. 30, for the 2015 Circus Arts Gala. This year’s gala, held at its new location at Nathan Benderson Park, was dedicated to the late Tana Sandefur, a local philanthropist whose dedication and passion for The Circus Arts Conservatory dates back to its earliest days. More than 500 guests donning their interpretation of “circus glamorous” attire attended the event, which was expected to net more than $100,000 for the Circus Arts Conservatory.

Honorary Co-Chair Betty Schoenbaum and Jeremy Lisitza

THE MENU

The 2015 Circus Arts Gala menu featured a collection of Tana’s favorite foods.

Passed hors d’oeuvres — Tana’s favorite snacks, including potato pancakes, mini bison burgers and chicken nuggets

HEATHER MERRIMAN | BLACK TIE EDITOR

Above: Dolly JacobsReis and Pedro Reis Left: Lynn Barrie and Frances Broussard

Jonathan McCague with Bob and Joan Tufts

Entrée — A chateau of beef served as a nod to the hearty Midwest, where Tana was born Dessert — A tribute to Tana’s sweet tooth, dessert included a candied apple, a popcorn ball and a waffle-cone clown filled with chocolate mousse (right).

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

BLACK TIE & TALES

BLACK TIE STAFF Tidbits

A wedding to remember Carol Brualdi’s second time around as chairwoman of the Sarasota Opera Gala was a smash hit that celebrated the winter season’s production of “The Marriage of Figaro” in every detail. There was a display of incredible wedding cakes by Alla Levin of The Cake Zone. Favors for the 270 guests were Jordan almonds, white of course, and in the odd number that is traditional at weddings to encourage fertility, according to the chairwoman.

There was even a beautiful-ifnot-exactly-bridal white dress on always stunning Elissa Soyka.

Best of all, as Brualdi pointed out, there was “no bill for the bride’s father to pay.”

New faces were another theme of this long-established event.

They included former Metropolitan Opera General Manager Joseph Volpe and his wife, Jean, who have recently moved to Sarasota. Dennis Thompson and his wife, Nancy, from Atlanta, are here as snowbirds this season, evaluating future residency. Mrs. Thompson volunteered that she had been a board member of the Atlanta Opera but it took some prodding to uncover that she was also a Fulton County commissioner for 26 years — the first African American and the first woman to hold that post. And she gets credit for observing that you can measure age by heel height, which varies inversely with age.

That comment was prompted by the shoes of the night on Dr. Olga Ulitsky. She struggled to recall the designer, but her

Cliff Roles

Upside down cake à la Alla Levin of The Cake Zone.

husband, Dr. Justin Wasserman, knew instantly because the Sergio Rossi personal pedestals were a gift from him. Going to the Chicago Lyric Opera, as the dermatologist duo did in their previous town, she would have been wearing boots. There was more youthful style, exemplified

by Tiffany Zampol and husband, Eric. And red raiment was simply marvelous on Ann Moe, Mary Mitchell, Stephanie Shaw, Amanda Pileggi, Annette Lloyd and Wendy Feinstein.

… Author, author … Snowbirds Kurt and Eleanor Luedtke parked behind the strip of stores on Osprey en route to Knick’s for lunch last week. Not realizing there was a walkway, they moseyed through the Bank of the Commonwealth, where they discovered on display a history of the bank that Eleanor had written a few years back. They let that be known, then Eleanor graciously responded to requests to autograph a few copies …

Lunch for lunch’s sake … An old saying goes, “We celebrate on occasion and sometimes on no occasion at all.” Roddy Samuels did the latter Jan. 31; she simply decided she wanted to see “the girls” and treated more than two dozen to a buffet including baby lamb chops, shrimp, blintzes and more at Michael’s Wine Cellar.

Among her lucky friends: Renee Sheade, Doris Kaplan, Evelyn Koshner, Betty Iserman, Jo Betty Weiner, Lillian Richman, Phyllis Steingard, Helen Sherman, Temi Saivetz and Claire Love … Congratulations are due … along with the new baby to come in August to Kameron Partridge Hodgens, executive director of the Glasser-Schoenbaum Human Services Center, and her husband, Bart, who were accepting congratulations at the Circus Arts Gala Jan. 30 … Caught napping … also at the Circus Gala, a tired teenager who pronounced “Old people have too much energy.” From her mouth to God’s ear … New on the calendar … Having transformed Cause 4 Fashion from an evening event

Molly Schechter

Hostess Roddy Samuels and Jo Betty Weiner

into a successful luncheon, Neuro Challenge Foundation is launching Cause 4 Hope: Unmasking Parkinson’s Disease March 12, at Michael’s On East. Co-chairs Deb Knowles Kabinoff and Sharyn Weiner are promising a lively, fun evening with dancing throughout and without an auction. For more information, call Judith Bell at 926-6413 … Redesigning Designing Woman … Changes are in the works at nonprofit consignment boutique and estate liquidation service Designing Women Boutique. Executive Director Pamela Day, who was with the shop for nine years, has resigned. Karin Gustafson, formerly president of the YMCA Foundation, is there on a six-month consulting assignment, which includes strategy, operations and volunteer recruitment as well as heading the search for a new executive director. The shop has also contracted with Susan Jackewicz, formerly with the Institute for the Ages, for marketing. A new volunteer addition is Rebecca Goldthwaite, who joined the team as estate

galleries manager … Local launch … a new company with Sarasota ties launched a line of junior golf apparel at the PGA show last week. Sarasota resident Christina Elias heads up product development along with Longboat Key residents Jerry Cable as vice president of sales and Judy Welch as director of marketing.

Washington, D.C., area resident (and part-time Longboater) Kris Bartholomew, founder and CEO of the design company, created the idea because “most of the ladies' golf apparel in the market today is very mature for juniors, and who wants to wear clothes that look like an outfit for mom?”

You can shop the line at turtlesandtees.com.

Courtesy

Turtles and Tees team: Print Designer Chole Parsons, CEO Kris Bartholomew and VP of Product Development Christina Elias

The calendar calls BT is collecting events for the social calendar — if we don’t know about it, we can’t cover it! Email the following to stephanie@yourobserver.com: name of event; group benefiting; time, date and place; ticket price; chairperson; contact name; phone number; website and event description.

Hawthorne Village of Sarasota, a Not-for-Profit Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, invites you to attend a FREE community education seminar.

Foot & Ankle: Common Problems & Treatment Monday, February 9 • Noon - 1pm

Daniel Howard, DPM

Enjoy a light lunch and a discussion on common foot and ankle problems, such as bunions, hammertoe, fasciitis, tendinitis and arthritis, along with various treatment options including non-surgical.

Presented by Daniel Howard, DPM of Sarasota Orthopedic Associates. Fellowship Trained and Board Certified Foot and Ankle Surgeon.

Please RSVP by Saturday, February 7 to 941.355.6111

5381 Desoto Road, Sarasota, FL 34235 (Just East of Honore on Desoto Road) Marketing@HawthorneVillageofSarasota.com

www.HawthorneVillageofSarasota.com License #SNF130471051 EOE

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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Sarasota Opera Gala: ‘A Wedding to Remember’

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Saturday, Jan. 31, at Hyatt Regency Sarasota Benefiting Sarasota Opera

Above: Scott Anderson, Pam and Jerry Claiborne and Richard Russell

Above: Sandy and U.S. Rep Vern Buchanan, Teri Hansen and Wanda and Harold Libby

Photos by Heather Merriman

Above: Les and Chairwoman Carol Brualdi Left: Jerry and Wendy Feinstein

Above: Jennifer Rust and Amanda Pileggi. Left: Marsha Johnson, Bill Lloyd and Hillary Steele

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Catholic Charities Ball Saturday, Jan. 31, at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Benefiting Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice

Photos by Heather Merriman

Above: Anne and Hugh Windom with Tim and Linda Whitacre

Above: Co-Chair Mary KenealyBarbetta and Joe Barbetta with CoChair Danielle and Nick Gladding

Above: Bishop Frank Dewane, Joe Divito and Jim Owen Left: Jayne Delmedico and Karen Soscia

See more photos from this event and more at

yourobserver.com/blacktie.html

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Selah Freedom Luncheon and Fashion Show ‘A New Beginning’

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Tuesday, Jan. 27, at The Francis Benefiting Selah Freedom

Photos by Amanda Morales

Above: Laurie Deane, Sydelle Pittas and Teresa Simmons

Above: Kerry Connolly, Eleni Sokos, Nikita Ludera and Shannon Gower

Left: Mary Forristall; Above: event co-chairs Susan Wilcox and Sandi Janneta Kristin Kochevar and Isabelle Blanch

Casual Elegance

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February 12th 10:00 to 7:00 February 13th 10:00 to 6:00

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

‘Baubles & Bourbon: The Final Touch’ Wednesday, Jan. 28, at June Simmons Jewelry Benefiting Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Tickets on sale now!

Saturday, March 7, 2015 Sarasota Polo Club, Lakewood Ranch

3:00 pm 4:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm

Gates Open Polo Match Begins Cocktails & Hors d’oeuvres Dinner & Dancing

Join us for a great event and a great cause.

Everyone is welcome! Please join us for our 5th Anniversary of polo and fun as we raise money for advances in research, education and the treatment of cancer.

Photos by Heather Merriman

Above: Cathy Layton, Margie Cooper and Roger Capote. Right: Liebe Gamble and June Simmons

Since 2011 we have raised over $1 million.

With your help we can continue to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families everywhere.

2015 PRESENTING SPONSOR:

For sponsorships call 941.928.9296.

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THE NEXT ITEM UP FOR BID ...

This one-of-kind Jemma Wynne, donated by June Simmons Jewelry, will be auctioned off at the Feb. 14 Orchid Ball.

The bib-style necklace features emeraldcut watermelon tourmalines and pavé diamond bar details — 150 carats of tourmaline, .70 carats of diamonds and 18-karat gold. This piece retails for $7,700. The watermelon tourmalines represent the heart chakra and promote divine love, perfect for Valentine’s Day.

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Gourmet Buffet, Beer and Wine, entertainment, Silent auction

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Thursday, February 26, 2015 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m $85.00 per person Reserved Table for 8 at a cost of $800

Location: Mote Marine Aquarium 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34236 Dress Is Sophisticated Sarasota Casual

Kindly R.S.V.P. By February 12, 2015 (941)388-3010

www.saveourseabirds.org/events/ If you are unable to attend, please consider a tax-deductible donation to Save Our Seabirds

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Save Our Seabirds would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to The Resort At Longboat Key Club for sponsoring this event.

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Photos by Heather Merriman

Jessica Mlavsky, Kelly Crawford, Caleb Jones and Lana King

3rd annual Fashionistas for a Cause Thursday, Jan. 29, at Michael’s Wine Cellar Benefiting The Center for Building Hope

Above: Mary and Ryan Heise with Jessica Papineau. Top-right: Liz Murray and Bethany Holmstrom. Right: Anne Weichel and Ashley Leon

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Historic Burns Court 941.951.0620

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

FAS HI O N INS I D ER BLACKBIRD STYLE HEATHER MERRIMAN BLACK TIE EDITOR

T

o a large degree, your style reflects your lifestyle, and for Wayne Rollins, that is exactly the case. The Atlanta native, who moved here from California in 2008 with his wife, Mindy, opened Blackbird Home Décor at 1540 Main St., Sarasota, in 2009. The store offers stylish and unique home furnishings — the type of furnishings you won’t find anywhere else, and that’s Rollins’ intention. The one-of-akind home gallery has now evolved into Blackbird Lifestyle, which includes men’s clothing, so Black Tie stopped in to see what’s new.

The concept behind Blackbird Lifestyle is to intermingle the fashionable aspects of life — style in the form of home decor and fashion.

“This has been my plan the whole time. This is more me,” says Rollins, “There are tables and clothing and everything is just all around cool.”

SO WHAT’S IN STORE?

“What I’m trying to sell is what I would wear,” says Rollins.

“I found there was a gap between Shore and Brooks Brothers, in terms of what is sold locally for men’s clothing.” This gap, he says, is men’s apparel that’s modern, attractive and simple.

Don’t expect prominent stitching on jeans or patterned cuffs on shirts in Blackbird. The apparel Rollins offers is a classic, yet updated approach to men’s style.

The clothing has a modern fit while mixing old school elegance with contemporary trends.

“It’s what I believe everyone should have in their closet,” says Rollins.

Parke and Ronen bathing suits, Cotton Citizen T-shirts, Joe’s Jeans and Ned Bowman leather goods are a few of the lines that Rollins is currently carrying at Blackbird. After just returning from buying in New York City last week, Rollins is bringing in six more lines for spring, including Fidelity Jeans, J. Lindeberg Jeans, Riviera shoes (think a boat shoe crossed with Vans) and Randolph sunglasses, to name a few.

The space has also had some additions recently. Three dressing rooms were added in a back corner of the store. Their design was approached with the same attention to detail as every other part of the Blackbird Lifestyle.

The dressing room spaces were built with raw wood, and the walls are covered with vintage galvanized steel from an old barn roof — a perfect match for the industrial look the store emanates.

“Something that has been great for me is collaborating with friends and other creative people throughout this process,” says Rollins, who had friends help

Photos by Heather Merriman

Blackbird Lifestyle owner Wayne Rollins is bringing a new stye of men’s clothing to the Sarasota fashion scene. With the addition of newly constructed dressing rooms, right, and custom created clothing racks, bottom, the existing home gallery is now also home to uniquely classic men’s clothing.

with the design and construction of the store. The edgy dressing rooms, the hand-painted black crow at the desk and the custom handmade clothing racks, made from brass and steel —all products of Rollins’ vision for the store — came to life with the help of friends.

From the merchandise to the layout, and smaller details like the clothing racks, every aspect

of Blackbird Lifestyle represents Rollins’ vision. The result is that every corner seeps with style.

Blackbird Lifestyle will continue to expand, adding more apparel each season — and with more than 1,240 square feet of unused balcony space in the loft, the opportunities for expansion abound.

“It’s a process, and that’s the fun part about it,” says Rollins.

TATIANA PALNITSKA

WE BELIEVE

TRUNK SHOW

there should be no barriers to education.

Rosemary Oberndorf’s father, an Italian immigrant, spent years putting himself through school at night. “It’s a real American story,” Rosemary says. Lou and Rosemary, both

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adds, “Supporting

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Ring Leaders of

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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FASHION HEATHER MERRIMAN BLACK TIE EDITOR

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he Circus Arts Gala always brings out an exciting array of fashion, and this year’s “circus glamorous” theme was bound to be one with standouts. Black Tie pulled aside a few of our favorites at the event.

Photos by Heather Merriman

Mechele Leonard, left, and Colleen Campbell, right, sport ringmaster-inspired style

Above: Bru Relin dressed for a night out at the circus in this glamorous red ensemble. Above, right: Lauren Walsh goes circus glam with gloves and statement jewels.

Right: Barb Tye, donning a fabulous butterfly headpiece made custom by a friend. “It’s very heavy – I have to walk with very good posture.”

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Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity Property information herein is derived from various sources including but not limited to county records and the multiple listing service, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

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Albert Joerger, PhD | 941.685.6145

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

P EO P LE W IT H PUR POSE KYLA WEINER AFTER HAVING Amara (her daughter, pictured left), what I care about the most is centered on what is good for her. I still serve on a few committees and when people need my help on something, I’ll see what I can do, but my only board level commitments now are with Amara’s school, Temple Beth Sholom Schools, and Planned Parenthood.

CURRENT INVOLVEMENT: Temple Beth Sholom Schools and Planned Parenthood

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INVOLVED IN NONPROFITS: 10 years HER FAVORITE FUNDRAISERS: n Planned Parenthood Halloween Bash n SPARCC Princess and Pirate Ball n

Key to the Cure

n Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida’s Rock of Ages and Wish White Party Heather Merriman

HEATHER MERRIMAN BLACK TIE EDITOR

W

hen Kyla Weiner was growing up, her mother was always involved — whether it was with the PTA or the local soup kitchen — and Weiner was always with her. As a teenager, Weiner volunteered at the nursing home where her mother worked and at the hospital where her grandmother worked. Years later, not much has changed. Here, Weiner, 33, shares her thoughts on why getting involved is important for the next generation.

MY INVOLVEMENT with philanthropy in Sarasota began almost 10 years ago when I moved here from New York City for my boyfriend, now

husband, Dave. I was an assistant buyer for Victoria’s Secret and my degree is in fashion merchandising management from Fashion Institute

of Technology (FIT), so there weren’t any jobs here related to that. I ended up getting a job as a marketing specialist at Suntrust Bank. Working for a bank was never in the plan, but after meeting Margaret Callihan and Veronica Brady, I knew I had to work for them. They were such strong, positive female role models who really do it all.

BECAUSE OF that job, I had a giant snapshot of what was available in terms of volunteering and getting involved with a nonprofit organization. I was able to find my passion pretty quickly.

boards, including ALSO Out Youth, Florida Public Relations Association, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida and the Junior League of Sarasota. In addition to serving on committees for those organizations, I’ve volunteered on committees for Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida, Children First, Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Animal Rescue Coalition and The Ringling, chairing around 10 events with those organizations.

IT’S IMPORTANT for me to be

involved in these organizations because I can really make a difference. They listen to my ideas and let me run with them. I feel like everything I do for them has a direct impact, and that’s powerful. It’s so refreshing when organizations empower their boards and volunteers and are not afraid of change.

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I’M PASSIONATE about these two organizations because for one, I want to be extremely involved in my daughter’s education and to make sure she’s getting every opportunity to learn and be challenged. I watch the amazing teachers and administrators at Temple Beth Sholom Schools and I’m inspired to give more of my time and help them give the kids an incredible education.

My involvement with Planned Parenthood can be summed in up the fact that it’s a woman’s basic right to have control over her body. I want to be sure that right is always available for all women, and it’s so much more important to me now that I have a daughter.

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CIRCUS ‘FEARLESS’ ALL-STARS PERFORM 16 REVIEW ‘Knock Me a Kiss’

WBTT tackles Harlem Renaissance politics. 22

ARTS + CULTURE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

SPOTLIGHT

Nathan Wilson

The recent New College of Florida grad fuses the disparate fields of science and sculpture into his works, shown at Ringling Underground. Complex yet practical, his work is an artistic evolution. PAGE 15

HIGHLIGHTS

When designing opera sets, David P. Gordon aims to create scenes where the audience becomes immersed.

Art Center Sarasota The community gallery opened its first exhibits of the year with food, drink and performances. The main gallery showed local artists in a juried show.

PAGE 18

FOOD

Master of the

HOUSE

David P. Gordon designs the epic settings of the Sarasota Opera’s winter season.

Sarasota Honey Co. What started as a victory garden turned into a buzzing business for one couple. Honey products aside, there is an even sweeter cause behind the business. PAGE 19

Photo by Nick Reichert

NICK REICHERT A&E EDITOR

W

hen David P. Gordon was 3 years old, his grandfather, a violinist in the Philadelphia Orchestra, thrust a child-sized violin into his tiny hands. Gordon came from a long line of classical musicians — his father was a cellist in the Philadelphia Orchestra and his great uncle was a violinist in the Budapest String Quartet. PAGE 12

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

MASTER: Setting the scene CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

“I think people think set design is just decoration or background. For me, it really is a crucial environment where the piece takes place and should become part of a whole world that the audience buys into.”

DAVID P. GORDON, Sarasota Opera set designer Courtesy images

David P. Gordon chose a rich and colorful design of 20th century Japan for the Sarasota Opera’s 2007 production of Giacomo Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” pictured top, from his model, above.

It was assumed Gordon would follow in their classical-playing footsteps.

But, a couple of months later, Gordon’s grandfather quietly confiscated the violin. Gordon didn’t have the chops to be a string player.

So, instead of the violin, he turned to crayons, pencils and pens for his creative outlet. And with opera and classical music constantly playing around the house, it wasn’t a leap for him to combine his love of drawing and his family’s deep roots in musical performance into his future career.

“When I was about 10 or 11 years old, my parents took me to my first opera, ‘Tosca,’” says Gordon. “I had heard a lot of them at home, and my mother told me the stories as we listened to them on Saturday afternoons. After I got home from my first opera, I came home and made a model set out of shirt cardboard and lit it with flashlights. I decided then and there that that was what I wanted to do.”

Working as a professional set designer for the last 30 years, Gordon has spent every season with the Sarasota Opera since 1995. Three out of the four productions in the opera’s winter repertory star Gordon’s scenic creations. The colorful, bombastic and diverse worlds of “Tosca,” “The Golden Cockerel” and “Don Carlos (Paris version)” first came to life inside Gordon’s mind.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

IF YOU GO

SCENIC START

Where: Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets: $29 to $135 Info: Call 366-8450

In high school, David P. Gordon’s art teacher connected him with Tony Award-nominated set designer Clarke Dunham. Gordon apprenticed with Dunham in his studio in Philadelphia as well as his offices in New York City.

“I would visit his house on Saturday mornings and show him what I was doing, and he’d give me advice and guidance,” Gordon said.

This mentorship continued when Gordon attended New York University’s prestigious Tisch School for the Arts. The young professional designer worked as an assistant in Dunham’s studio, which allowed him to make the connections to begin his own independent design career. In 1985, the year he graduated from Tisch, Gordon took his United Scenic Artist union exam and received his first independent opportunity to design. The Center for Contemporary Opera was searching for a designer for an upcoming production of Robert Kurka’s “The Good Soldier of Schweik,” and the organization asked Dunham if he could recommend someone. His apt pupil was more than ready to accept the challenge.

This first job was in Martin Luther King Jr. High School’s auditorium on Amsterdam Avenue, which was adjacent to the opera world beacon: the Metropolitan Opera.

“Tosca” by Giacomo Puccini Feb. 7 to March 28 “The Marriage of Figaro”

by W. A. Mozart Feb. 14 to March 27 “The Golden Cockerel”

by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Feb. 21 to March 19

Gordon’s model, left, of the iconic Cafe Momus from Giacomo Puccini’s “La bohème,” came to life in 2006 at the Sarasota Opera, above.

“Don Carlos (Paris version)” by Giuseppe Verdi March 7 to 24

“I think that people think set design is just decoration or background,” says Gordon. “For me, it really is a crucial environment where the piece takes place and should become part of a whole world that the audience buys into.”

Before the curtain rises, before the sets are built, and before Gordon creates rough sketches, he studies his shows. As a faculty member at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, Gordon emphasizes the intrinsic value of learning with each new production.

“I love the research,” says Gordon. “Everything you do takes place in a different world, and

while you research you learn all kinds of things. It’s a great general education.”

For this winter season at Sarasota Opera, Gordon dived into the architectural and production history of each piece as well as the most valuable asset: the music.

“In an opera you have the music to work with and that helps really describe the world that’s onstage,” says Gordon. “I feel you really have to know the material inside-out. It’s your most important piece of research.”

In “Tosca,” Gordon re-created the opera’s real-life Roman settings, such as the church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, the opulent mansion Palazzo Farnese and

the imposing fortress of the Castel Sant’Angelo.

“The Golden Cockerel” is a Russion opera that deals with the inner-political workings of a despondent king in a near fairytale world. Gordon created a design pastiche that incorporates the work and design of 20thcentury Russian illustrator Ivan Bilibin and the French illustrator Edmund Dulac, who had both done illustrations depicting Alexander Pushkin’s original story on which the opera is based.

And this year’s production of “Don Carlos” is the original uncut Paris version that has all five acts instead of four. The challenge for Gordon is that acts two through

five are all set throughout Spain and share a common architectural style. But for the often-omitted first act, the opera opens in the dead of winter in the forest of Fontainebleau, France.

However, no matter the difficulty of the season, it’s worth all the research and attention to detail for Gordon to create the desired effect: complete audience immersion.

“If all the elements are correct, then the audience is going to buy into the world, and that’s the important part,” says Gordon. “When it all comes together, it transports you to a whole different place, and that’s what I’ve always loved about it.”

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Dazzling Donation Philip and Nancy Kotler and Warren and Margot Coville announce major financial and artistic gift to the Ringling for glass pavilion.

NICK REICHERT A&E EDITOR

T

he front door of the Ringling complex that houses the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the Cà d’Zan, the Historic Asolo Theater, the Circus Museum, Education Center and bayfront gardens is about to receive a major remodel.

Longboat Key residents Philip and Nancy Kotler and Bird Key residents Warren and Margot Coville, who have been longtime contributors to the art museum and Florida State University, have collaborated to provide two major gifts to create the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion. The pavilion is projected to open in fall 2017 and will act not only as a new formal entrance to the Ringling facility but also be a permanent gallery for studio glass art. The KotlerCoville Glass Pavilion project was also made possible by assistance and cooperation from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

“This is a dream come true for us,” says Nancy Kotler. “We’ve always wanted the public to have

3rd

Annual

access to this relatively unknown glass work.”

Construction of the pavilion will cost approximately $5 million, according to Steven High, executive director of the Ringling. He said that the rest of the year will be spent searching for a lead architect and designer for the pavilion project, which will begin in January or February 2016.

“These highly respected families — the Kotlers and the Covilles — have worked for decades supporting artists and the organizations that collect and present art to the public,” says High. “We are grateful that they entrusted their collections, their financial support and their names to us.”

The work that will be on display at the pavilion will come from the respective families’ personal glass collections, totaling 250 to 300 pieces. Previously, the Philip and Nancy Kotler Glass Collection was displayed from November 2013 to June 2014 at the museum.

The Covilles donated a collection of photography to the museum in 2012.

“Glass is gaining more and more exposure,” says Carol Camiener,

Nick Reichert

Philip and Nancy Kotler and Margot and Warren Coville donate their combined 300-piece glass art collections to the Ringling. Right: “Form No. 23 (Brown Vessel)” by Pavel Hlava, given by the Covilles. Bottom right: “Circle” by Bohumil Elias, given by the Kotlers.

manager of the Southwest Florida Glass Art Alliance and Ringling College of Art and Design Board of Trustees member. “There are more than three major collections in this area, the Coville, Kotler and Basch collections, and we’re just lucky for these people to settle and want to put their collections in Sarasota.”

According to Camiener, even though studio glass art is a fairly new branch of the art world, its popularity and artistic credibility is rising. More and more museums are adding glass art to

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their permanent collections, she says. The Southwest Florida Glass Art Alliance, which covers Tampa to Naples, has approximately 100 individual members — and is growing.

And with the Kotler/Coville gift as well as Richard and Barbara Baschses’ $3 million gift announced in November to the Ringling College of Art and Design, which includes a glass hot shop, the future of glass art in Sarasota is bright and vibrant.

Courtesy images

The gift that keeps on giving: Learn how the donation also benefits the Historic Asolo Theater at YourObserver.com.

DISCOVER WHAT’S ON NEW STAGES: ETHEL’S Documerica

Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 6:00 PM Michael’s On East $175 Per Person

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A visual and musical snapshot of America in the 1970s, Documerica pairs ETHEL’s dynamic playing with photos from the National Archives.

Gold Butterfly Sponsors Graci and Dennis McGillicuddy Karen and Michael Valentino

RiNGLiNG uNdERGRouNd FEb 5, 8:00 pM, $10 Adult / Free with College ID

Silver Butterfly Sponsors Elaine and Bill Crouse Design Works Gulf Coast Community Foundation The Arthur S. Karp Family Foundation Saks Fifth Avenue

Enjoy live music and art in the Museum of Art Courtyard. Check out up-and-coming artists.

Select galleries are open for viewing.

RoAR! RiNGLiNG oRdER of ART REAdERS FEb 7, 10:30 AM, Free

Bronze Butterfly Sponsors Mr. and Mrs. Anthony L. Franke Pauline W. Joeger Ellen and Jeff Steinwachs Sheila and Merrily Wynne

The Ringling Art Library’s family storytime, designed to engage children ages 4–7 in activities that connect art with early literacy.

evolution of commercial Printing ON VIEw ThROUgh JUN 1

Bronze Butterfly Business and Media Sponsors iHeart Radio Norman’s Liquor Scene Magazine SNN SRQ Media Group

Through circus posters, explore the changing nature of commercial printing from wood block to the modern offset lithography process.

Tickets and Information: ringling.org or 941.358.3180

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ARTS + CULTURE

YourObserver.com

The Science of Art Nathan Wilson distills his passion into science and sculpture.

Nick Reichert

Nathan Wilson’s work melds the intricacies of nature with the form of sculpture. His work will be on display at Thursday’s Ringling Underground.

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admiration: He plans to use geometric construction and design to help build solid structures for the homeless. It’s clear this artist is still a scientist at heart.

“My ‘Close Quarters’ piece is constructed with cardboard by the rules of geodesic augmentation,” says Wilson. “And in this way it’s the strongest and most efficient per-pound technique of construction. They are bound by equal weight from other elements ­— or, in this case, individual triangle pieces of cardboard — and make the overall structure extremely strong.”

Nathan Wilson’s “Method Man 3”

IF YOU GO RINGLING UNDERGROUND When: 8 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5 Where: John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road Tickets: $10 for adults and seniors 65 and older; $5 for children 6 to 17; free for students with college ID Info: Call 359-5700 or visit ringling.org

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athan Wilson was in dire need of inspiration his junior year at the New College of Florida. Wilson had studied the physical and natural wonders of the world since childhood. However, by the time he reached his junior

also in need of extra class hours to fulfill his bachelor’s degree requirements. So, he randomly decided to take a general sculpture course. That decision led him to become an artist of science.

Wilson started by sculpting forms familiar to him — the shapes and fixtures from his science courses.

His work is a stylized represen-

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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year, the science aficionado realized he had reached his limit for the rigidity of formal, lab-based science research.

“I wasn’t able to take chemistry, physics and biology to the professional level,” says Wilson. “I grew uncomfortable in a formalized lab space and found a comfortable home in the sculpture studio.”

Fortunately for Wilson, he was

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tation of structures that occur realistically and theoretically in nature. Each detail and measurement of the piece is key for its structural integrity.

“For me, it all came together with a protractor, ruler and a pencil,” says Wilson. “Recursion became a big part of my process, repeating the same series of steps and patterns. That’s what led to one of my first pieces that was geometrically informed.”

His science-centric artwork will sit adjacent to more traditional sculptures of human forms at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art’s Ringling Underground event Thursday. It is the event’s first installment of the year.

Wilson’s pieces on display, such as “Close Quarters,” “Living Lattice” and “Method Man” are geometrical works that require intimate knowledge of crystalized polygons, which seem to have an infinite amount of sides and details. His first piece was a truncated octahedron, which has 14 faces and 36 individual edges.

However, bridging the gap between the science and arts departments at New College carried its own unexpected challenges.

“The scientists loved what I was doing,” says Wilson. “I was able to display and explore crystals and shapes in a new way. But the artists were a dead audience.

My work divorces from the usual way of things in art with pieces coming from your imagination instead of science, I suppose.”

And after writing a 100-page thesis for his general studies degree based on the uses of the crystalline structures he features in his art, Wilson saw another purpose for his artwork beyond

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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n integral part of Sarasota’s performing arts season is the winter show by Circus Sarasota, “Fearless,” which runs Feb. 6 through Feb. 22 in the big top at Nathan Benderson Park. The professional branch of the Circus Arts Conservatory, Circus Sarasota has enraptured audiences for 66 years with international circus performers who have spent decades mastering their unique art form. Before the big show, we share the stats of some of the circus’ well-known all-stars: Nik Wallenda, Dolly Jacobs-Reis, Rafael Palacios and Joseph Dominick Bauer.

NIK WALLENDA Number years performing: 34 Number of Guinness World Records: Nine Longest distance traversed: 1,500 feet over the Grand Canyon Next long-distance performance: Wisconsin State Fair in August Number of members in The Flying Wallendas family: 16 Youngest Flying Wallenda: 14 years old Oldest Flying Wallenda: 70 years old Hours of practice the week before a performance: 30 to 40 Number of performers for his performance at ‘Fearless’: Seven, including his mother, Deliah, who hasn’t walked the tightrope with her family since 2001.

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Number of years performing: 40 and 47, respectively Name of act: Aerial pas de deux called “Wings of Love” Hours of practice the week before a performance: 15 Age when Palacios first started performing with his family: 3 Professional companies with which Jacobs has worked: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, The Big Apple Circus and Circus Sarasota Both have earned honors at: The International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo. Members of both Jacobs’ and Palacios’ families have been inducted into Sarasota’s Ring of Fame.

JOSEPH DOMINICK BAUER

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Number of years performing: 42, starting when he was 6 Family legacy: He is an eighthgeneration circus performer Other circus skills: Equestrian master Signature act: Cirque du Soliel’s “Wheel of Death” Number of horses in his production: Eight Hours of practice the week before a performance: 35 Origins of ringmaster suit: Handmade in Las Vegas Number of other ringmasters in his family: Zero

Photos by Nick Reichert

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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Milman-Kover

Kenny Dodd, Dante Maratto, Michele Strauss and Herta Cuneo

Circus Celebrity Night Awards

6TH ANNUAL

Saturday, Jan. 24, at Historic Asolo Theater

MARCH 8-16, 2015

SPECIAL GUESTS AND EVENTS! OPENING NIGHT: SUNDAY, MARCH 8TH THEO BIKEL in person plus Dessert Reception SUNDAY, MARCH 15TH: “Real Russ and Daughters Brunch”

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SUNDAY, MARCH 15TH: DANI MENKIN in person, “Is that You?” Premiere, plus Dessert Reception

15 SCREENINGS

Photos by Nick Reichert

OF EIGHT GREAT NEW FILMS!

Above: Steve and Heather Swinturne with Max and Uschi Frimberger. Right: Deborah Walk and Tiki Davies

GOD’S SLAVE HUNTING ELEPHANTS KIDON OPERATION SUNFLOWER THE STURGEON QUEENS UNDER THE SAME SUN THEODORE BIKEL: IN THE SHOES OF SHOLOM ALEICHEM IS THAT YOU?

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Custom Dining Sets, Deep Seating Group, Chaises, Fire Pits & Unique Table Tops

March 8, 6:30PM March 10, 3PM March 9, 3PM March 10, 7PM March 9, 7PM March 11, 7PM March 9, 7PM March 11, 7PM March 11, 12:30PM March 12, 7PM March 12, 3PM March 16, 7PM March 15, 12PM March 15, 6:30PM March 16, 3PM

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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* Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 2/1/15 - 4/25/15 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward card and mailed within 6 weeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 7 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. ©2015 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas.

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Art Center Sarasota Gallery Opening Thursday, Jan. 29, at Art Center Sarasota

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Sasha Fields, Judith Lambert and Alex Suczewski

PUCCINI A diva's jealousy leads to tragedy in Puccini's most powerful drama

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Real-time English translations above the stage

Above: Al Letizio and Sam Lowry Right: Bruster Dombkowski and Rachel Herman

What’s the Buzz?

The Sarasota Honey Co. offers a career path for those with special needs.

Photos by Nick Reichert

Jason Gould with Glenn and Alma Johnson, who bring honey and special-needs education to Sarasota.

NICK REICHERT A&E EDITOR

Johnsons and staff are certified beekeepers by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. They tend to the hives every week by feeding the bees jars of sugar water, mending the wooden colony boxes and eventually collecting the sweet, sugary haul, whose taste varies based on where it was made. Residents of the Community Haven for Adults and Children with Disabilities make soaps and candles out of beeswax and bottle the honey

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

HONEY DO’S Breed of bee used: Italian bees Number of individual colonies: 70 Number of bee yards: Eight Types of products made: Honey, candles and soap Product bottled by: Community Haven for Adults and Children with Disabilities

DID YOU KNOW? Italian bees, descendants from continental Italy, are the most popular bee used in the U.S. for honey production. They are adaptable to most climates and have relatively gentle behavior.

ning to attend bee college in St. Augustine through the University of Florida. That’s my goal in life — to go to bee college.”

It’s accomplishments and dreams such as Gould’s that the Johnsons use to measure their business success.

“It is our ultimate vision to be able to grow the company where we could acquire a space to offer classes in core academics, life skills and employment skills for people with special needs,” says Johnson. “The beekeeping business would act as a means to support that vision.”

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rom a distance they seem like ordinary wooden boxes. Four waist-high stacks stand in the corner of Alma and Glenn Johnson’s backyard, just off of North Tamiami Trail. The boxes are hand painted in bright colors, such as purple, orange, green and red. However, as one gets closer to these boxes, a faint hum grows into a clear and distinct sound — buzzing.

Those boxes are the heart of a local small business, the Sarasota Honey Co., that not only produces quality goods but also provides employment for Sarasota’s special-needs community.

At eight locations, including at Sweetgrass Farms, Myakka, and private residences in Sarasota, the Johnsons and their staff of special-needs children and adults tend approximately 70 colonies containing thousands of Italian honeybees. The

from the hives. The products are then sold online and at local food markets.

After a career that included traveling with the Cirque du Soleil’s North American touring company as a marketer and customer service attendant for patrons with special needs, Alma Johnson settled down in the Florida area in 2008 and met her now husband, Glenn.

Unfortunately, nine months after their marriage, Johnson was diagnosed with cervical cancer and underwent surgery.

As a way to cope after the surgery as well as start a healthier lifestyle, the two planted a victory garden to grow their own plants and vegetables.

It was obvious that the produce wasn’t reaching its full growth potential, and the Johnsons wanted to find a natural way to increase their yield.

Thus, they decided to use bees to increase their yield through pollination.

While the duo’s bee collection kept growing, Johnson worked as the transition manager for the Family Network on Disabilities. She led workshops and classes to help young adults with special needs transition from school life to public life.

“My husband asked me what I love to do and I said, ‘I love my kids and I love my bees,’ so we married them,” says Johnson.

She saw the bees as a great conduit for people with special needs in her youth group to learn about employment and etiquette and to pick up a hobby.

“I’m a certified beekeeper and I have three hives at my house,” says Jason Gould, a beekeeper with special needs at Sarasota Honey Co. “And now I’m plan-

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Short story collection proves masterful JENNIFER MCPHETERS

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BOOK CRITIC

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mainstage “Action packed”

“Richly entertaining”

- The Washington Post

-Venice Gondolier

Available at Bookstore1 Sarasota, 1359 Main St., Sarasota.

For more info, call 365-7900.

“Honeydew,” Edith Pearlman’s recent and critically acclaimed short story collection, is masterful. Pearlman impeccably employs the short story form, producing a collection that is evocative, challenging and graceful.

Godolphin, Mass., a fictional suburb of Boston, provides the setting for many of the stories in “Honeydew.” And although there are characters who make appearances in multiple stories, each story in the collection stands alone. In each story, Pearlman renders fully realized characters that negotiate life-altering events and crises great and small with intensely accessible and human emotions.

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1. All the Light We Cannot See

by Anthony Doerr 2. Revival

by Stephen King 3. My Brilliant Friend

by Elena Ferrante 4. Orphan Train

by Christina Baker Kline 5. The Story of a New Name

by Elena Ferrante 6. An Officer and a Spy

by Robert Harris 7. Gray Mountain

by John Grisham 8. Let the Great World Spin

by Colum McCann 9. The Mathematician’s Shiva

by Stuart Rojstaczer 10. The Secret History

by Donna Tartt

opening story, introduces Paige, a war widow and pedicurist whose hope of intimacy with her new neighbor, Bobby, while at first promising, is extinguished suddenly when issues from Bobby’s past resurface. In “Castle 4,” Zeph, an isolated and self-possessed anesthesiologist who struggles to make personal connections, unexpectedly exposes himself by pursuing an improbable relationship with a terminal patient.

“Puck” introduces a recurring character, Rennie, the owner of an antiques store who impulsively buys an engaging oddity — a small bronze statue of the king of the fairies — from a frequent customer and finds herself so taken with the object and its history that she violates the cardinal rules of her business.

And in the title story, “Honeydew,” Alice, headmistress of a private school for girls, is engaged in an affair that has left her unintentionally pregnant, while she struggles to deal with a student who is both a star pupil and anorexic.

In the book, Pearlman expertly reveals her characters’ histories, realities, struggles and innermost emotions, and she does so by opening only a small window into their lives. But Pearlman manages to demonstrate more through that limited scope than most novels convey in hundreds of pages.

“Honeydew” well deserves the critical attention and excitement it has garnered. Sophisticated and skillful, the collection is a fantastic representation of all that is wonderful about short stories. Pearlman’s collection will equally resonate with fans of short stories and serve as a tremendous introduction to readers less familiar with the form.

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ARTS + CULTURE

Dance Theatre of Harlem dazzles with great promise ANNA DEARING DANCE CRITIC

pique-turn, double pique-turn en dedans diagonal sequence.

“Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven: Odes to Love and Loss” by Ulysses Dove was a contemporary piece set to music

by Arvo Pärt. The dancers wore sleek white unitards, and the set was stark. The undertone of a clock was interspersed between the scenes. The dancers started out in a circle in a clock-ticking rhythm, emulating the gears of a clock.

Samuel Wilson and Dylan Santos were absolutely stunning in a pas de deux that demonstrated the sheer power of male strength. Wilson, with gymnastic strength and flexibility, would jump over Santos and then pose in second position grand plié rolled over on his toes as if en pointe. Then Wilson partnered Santos as he was mid-straddle, demonstrating inner thighs of steel. The final piece of the evening, “Vessels,” choreographed

by Darrell Grand Moultrie and set to music by Ezio Bosso, was another contemporary piece that seemed to build in four movements: Light, Belief, Love and Abundance.

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Ingrid Silva, Ashley Murphy and Jenelle Figgins of the Dance Theatre of Harlem performed in “Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven: Odes to Love and Loss” by Ulysses Dove.

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The Sarasota Ballet presented the Dance Theatre of Harlem at its recent performance at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. Dance Theatre of Harlem, founded by the first AfricanAmerican ballet dancer, Arthur Mitchell, celebrates its 45th year and is in its third year of relaunch under the direction of former DTH ballerina, Virginia Johnson.

Although the new company shows signs of lack of experience, the building blocks of strong technique and stage presence showcase a budding company ready to take back its historic stature.

DTH started off the program with a piece of its history, “New Bach,” which was created in 1999 by resident choreography Robert Garland, set to music by J.S. Bach. The piece is a neoclassical, Balanchine-inspired, three-act ballet led by a principal couple and flanked by four women and four men. Interspersed between the criss-crossed- and on-andoff-balanced choreography were more current dance movements such as snapping and clapping, and sassy rolling of the hips.

Lead couple Lindsey Croop and Fredrick Davis demonstrated strong technique during the piece that included petite allegro work, pirouettes and jumps.

Croop was elegant as she glided across the floor in hip-swaying drags en pointe and stunned in a penché promenade.

Chrystyn Fentroy and Jorge Andrés Villarini performed the always vibrant “Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux” by George Balanchine. Fentroy danced with strength and grace in the pas de deux that requires a multitude of fouetté pirouette sequences, lifts and jumps. She followed up that strength in her fast-paced solo that included a difficult

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

‘Knock Me a Kiss’ tackles Harlem Renaissance politics MARTY FUGATE THEATER CRITIC

W.E.B. Du Bois was a giant of the Harlem Renaissance and the early Civil Rights era. But even giants have children and make all-too-human decisions about their welfare. Charles Smith’s “Knock Me a Kiss” — the current Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe production — considers the gigantic damage Du Bois did to his only daughter, Yolande.

What went wrong? The historical facts are up for grabs.

In Smith’s imaginative retelling, it’s all quite clear. In the Harlem of 1928, the vivacious, slightly spoiled Yolande (Emerald Rose Sullivan) has a thing for bandleader Jimmie Lunceford (Joel Patrick King).

It’s strictly platonic and that’s strictly her idea. Her father, Du Bois (E-Mani Cadet), thinks that’s a bad idea. Their family is African-American royalty — setting a national example by their intellectual and strictly genteel ways. Marrying his daughter to a coarse, jazz musician simply won’t do.

So, Du Bois pushes Yolande in the direction of the courtly Countee Cullen (Ethan Henry), the Harlem poet laureate and latter-day disciple of John Keats. Their resulting wedding ceremony rivals the Prince Charles/Lady Di shindig and has equally disappointing

results. Countee wants to keep the marriage platonic, though he feels differently about his friend Harold Jackman, “the handsomest man in Harlem.”

Countee and Yolande divorce in 1930. Yolande realizes the jazzman was her one true love.

She goes back to him, but that ship has sailed.

Director Chuck Smith navigates this intimate narrative with a keen sense of bigpicture history. Du Bois and Yolande’s bad choices reflect the era’s ugly racial politics. For Du Bois, the political trumps the personal — and he sacrifices his daughter on the altar of appearance. You laugh at the folly, cry at the pain.

One-note plays are easy.

But this story turns on a dime from hilarious to heartbreaking. It ain’t easy, but the talented actors give it everything they’ve got.

Cadet’s Du Bois is suitably patriarchal. He plays his role with stature, though the script makes Du Bois the bad guy — a domineering, pompous bully.

Henry’s epicene poet is definitely not the bad guy. As a gay African American in the 1920s, Countee is a member of two persecuted groups. He’s just the wrong man at the wrong time. Henry smartly conveys his quiet tragedy — and the failure of his brilliant rationalizations to sway the tide of the human heart. With his patois,

IF YOU GO “Knock Me a Kiss” runs through Feb. 8, at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. Call 366-1505 or visit wbttroupe.org for more information.

charisma and dance moves, King fully sells you that he’s got the chops to be a Cotton Club superstar.

Sullivan evokes Yolande’s unfolding inner life as she grows from naïve entitlement to the sorrowful wisdom of loss. Makeba Henry gradually reveals her own loss as Du Bois’ stroke-impaired wife, Nina.

As Leonora, LaNisa Frederick provides a reality check to Yolande’s unrealistic ideals.

Leonora speaks truth, but fails to talk sense into her.

Kudos to the talented actors and director. Kudos also to Cristy Owen (for period costumes worthy of “Boardwalk Empire”) and Steve Patmagrian (for an evocative set conveying an intellectual warrior’s devotion to his people). As to the playwright? Kudos, with quibbles.

Smith’s script oscillates between naturalistic dialogue and haunting spells of spokenword poetry. It’s a long, strange trip, brilliantly written, but perhaps not entirely fair. His Du Bois verges on caricature.

I’m not looking for praise of

Courtesy of Don Daly Photo

W.E.B. Du Bois (E-Mani Cadet) has a serious conversation with his daughter, Yolande (Emerald Rose Sullivan), in “Knock Me A Kiss.”

famous men — just don’t cut them out of cardboard.

As history, take this play with a grain of salt. As allegory, it works just fine. “When somebody asks for a sacrifice, always check the fine print,” being the moral of the tale. As

Bogart once said, “The problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.” The crazy world comes first, kid. A lofty sentiment in 1942 “Casablanca.”

In 1928 Harlem, it’s a bad idea.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Orchestra masters enigma with clear intention JUNE LEBELL MUSIC CRITIC

“Enigma” was the title of the Sarasota Orchestra’s Masterworks series this past weekend but, aside from the program featuring Elgar’s “Enigma Variations,” there was nothing perplexing about it.

Opening with Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s “Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten,” we heard a sonorous Sarasota Orchestra playing music that is sheer simplicity embodying sophistication. Principal percussionist George Nickson began the work with the sound of a distant chime, a church bell, tolling a mournful death knell somewhere over the hill, that slowly came closer and closer while the strings played a simple downward minor scale. The sophistication came in the tempos each section played for this motif: the violins, for example, playing faster while the lower strings took up the toll at a much slower pace, enabling dissonances and resolutions that made ethereal colors, finally ending in a simple minor third.

Sounding a little like the opening of Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the Pärt’s difficulty is in sustaining the sound and keeping the energy. The Sarasota Orchestra, led by Estonian Music Director Anu Tali, maintained both with an intensity that was spine-shivering.

Beethoven’s grand Piano Concerto No. 4 followed with Stephen Hough (pronounced Huff), the award-winning, international pianist, leading the way with the composer’s opening proclamation of few notes on the piano, developed by the orchestra so that the work sounds more like a chamber piece than a full-fledged concerto. Duets were passed from full ensemble to soloist, and Hough and Tali seemed fully glued at the hip, following each other seamlessly through the performance.

Hough is a clean, clear player, and he brings both important inner voices and obvious melodies out in a forthright manner that’s also imbued with emotion. In the second movement, for example, there was a beautifully thought-out duet between the pianist and the orchestra, with the pianist whispering the connective tissue between the pronouncements of the orchestra and Tali bringing the soloist and ensemble together in one grand scheme.

The pianist occasionally took uncharacteristically grand pauses, especially in the cadenzas, but his intention seemed to be to emphasize the silences, making Beethoven’s monolithic qualities even more prominent. In fact, the cadenzas seemed to become gigantic sonatas in themselves, transforming the whole group — soloist, conductor and ensem-

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Award-winning international pianist Stephen Hough performed this weekend with the Sarasota Orchestra.

ble — into one organic body that was extremely satisfying.

But the great transformation came after intermission when Tali and the orchestra tackled Elgar’s “Enigma Variations.”

With each of the sections written in honor of the composer’s friends, some by name, others by initial, this is a particularly personal piece. But to try to decipher which friend is which surely defeats the purpose. It’s the music — the great, sonorous, warm, action-packed, otherworldly, funny and moving music — that leads us to imagine our own friends and hear their voices through time.

Yes, there are some friends who are closer than others, Nimrod — written as a glorious adagio — speaks to us with more understanding and weight than some of the others. So does the cello solo (beautifully performed by acting principal Jake Muzzy) leading into the richness of the lower strings and a lushness of sound from the ensemble.

The transitions between the variations are as tricky as those between the Beethoven cadenzas and tutti sections.

But Tali, again, made them so continuous and unified it was, except for the personalities of

the friends, difficult to know there was an actual segue.

The encore was Nimrod, repeated. But, taken out of context, it was just that much slower than it had been within the complete work and, at that tempo, there was an elasticity of sound that tore at our hearts. John Milton described the moment in his poem, “Il Penseroso”: “There let the pealing organ blow/ To the full voiced choir below/ In service high, and anthems clear/ As may with sweetness, through mine ear/ Dissolve me into ecstasies/ And bring all Heav’n before mine eyes.”

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