February 2019 by SARASOTA SCENE Magazine

return of the

scenesarasota.com

FEBRUARY 2019 $3.95 U.S.

ICE PRINCESS + PUCCINI’S TURANDOT OPENS SARASOTA OPERA’S WINTER SEASON

SCENES FROM OUR CITY | PHOTOGRAPHER BETTY ROSEN THE SARASOTA BALLET 'S POWERFUL REVIVALS

Meet Dr. Burr Bakke and Dr. Jill Morris Click to View Video

Inspired by you. Created by us.

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Whatever inspires you, this is the place.

Sarasota Bay Club Luxury Retirement Living On Sarasota Bay Come For A Visit and Be Inspired – Call Linda Ware or Dana Moe (941) 552-3284 1301 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida • Visit Us Online at SarasotaBayClub.com

“ Residents can enjoy all the high-end amenities of luxury retirement at the Sarasota Bay Club.” The 21 most luxurious retirement communities in America. – Fred Topel, MSN News

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SIESTA KEY $2,950,000 A4422632 Kelly Quigley 941-356-9954

Click for Virtual Tour RITZ-CARLTON SARASOTA $1,775,000 A4418667 Joan Dickinson & Beth Afflebach 941-914-0496

RITZ-CARLTON SARASOTA $2,600,000 A4195385 Beth Afflebach & Joan Dickinson 941-737-1756

Click for Virtual Tour LAKEWOOD RANCH $1,175,000 A4421917 Stacy Haas 941-587-4359

Click for Virtual Tour SARASOTA $615,000 A4211145 Drew Russell 941-993-3739

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KNIGHTS ON VIEW FEB 3 – APR 21

Through more than one hundred rare objects—including full suits of armor, mounted equestrian figures, helmets, swords, and other weaponry—this exhibition will tell the tale of the European knight from the medieval and Renaissance periods through to the Medieval Revival of the 19th century.

Suit of Armor, Italian, 1540–1550. Steel, leather, fabric, wood; 74 13/16 × 29 1/2 × 19 11/16 in. On loan from Museo Stibbert, Firenze, Inv. no. 3959 This exhibition was organized by Contemporanea Progetti in collaboration with the Museo Stibbert, Florence, Italy. Support for this exhibition was generously provided, in part, by the Arthur F. and Ulla R. Searing Endowment, the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation Endowment, and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation. Paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues.

INFORMATION + TICKETS

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DREAM WEAVER TRUNK SHOWS Meet the designers and enjoy informal modeling, refreshments and discounts on select American Original Art Couture pieces. Customer parking available in back of the store.

FEBRUARY 14-15: TATIANA PALINITSKA Tatiana brings in her unique collection of one of a kind pieces, combining techniques of tearing, weaving and dying unique fabrics into true “art to wear”! MARCH 7-8: KISS OF THE WOLF Lori Bacigalupi will showcase her hand dyed/ hand painted silk pieces and can customize pieces just for you. MARCH 8: CHANEL Chanel make-up artists will do make overs during the Kiss of the Wolf show. Please make appointments ahead of time. Chanel products will also be for sale.

nheit | Susan Riedweg on | Dress To Kill n Vidal | Alembika

MARCH 21-22: CATHERINE BACON AND SUSAN GREEN Designer Catherine Bacon wows with new incredible silk fashions, which are a bit more casual this season – hand painted tees, shirts, caftans and tunics. Susan Green introduces her new collection, some of which have fantastic angels incorporated into the pieces. APRIL 11-12: BITTE KAI RAND Mark Garland returns with a NEW DESIGNER never seen in Florida before. She is just beginning to show in the US and Dream Weaver is excited to be introducing the line. Be the first to see these exquisite pieces! APRIL 22: AFTER EASTER SALE April is always great in Sarasota and so are the sales!

CONTENTS features

60 THROUGH MY EYE: PHOTOGRAPHER BETTY ROSEN By Ryan G. Van Cleave 71 OPERA BUFF OR NOT… THE MAESTRO WANTS A WORD WITH YOU By Sylvia Whitman

78 THE SARASOTA BALLET PRESENTS TWO POWERFUL REVIVALS By Ryan G. Van Cleave

86 CITY SCENES Photo Scenes of Our City Photography by Jordan Kelly-Laviolette

100 INTERPOLATIONS Artworks from The Ringling and Monda Collection By Ryan G. Van Cleave

ON THE COVER

60 12

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

Soprano Kara Shay Thomson as Princess Turandot in Sarasota Opera’s season opener Turandot. Photo by Jordan Kelly-Laviolette.

Click to View Featured Models

CONTENTS departments

105 SOCIAL SCENE 28 THE LIST

ON THE TOWN 105 SCENES FROM AN INTERVIEW

February Events Calendar

Emmy Award-Winning Journalist

PARTY PICS

Mary Braxton-Joseph

38 The Hospital Gala 41 The Sarasota Ballet Gala 42 All Star Children’s Foundation Donor Event

INSIDER 46 THE FIND Be a King to your Queen with

By Gus Mollasis

111 EDUCATION MATTERS Mote is Awash with Educational Opportunities By Ryan G. Van Cleave

134 EAT & DRINK

Sweets for the Sweets By Rick Dakan

these Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

133 INHEALTH Treatments for Female Changes By Karen O. Brainard, MD

137 LAUGHING MATTERS

ART & CULTURE 114 BEST SEATS Performing Arts Calendar

122 GET INSPIRED

The One with No Black Cats

Cultural happenings brought to

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

you by the Arts & Cultural Alliance

of Sarasota County

PHILANTHROPY 50 CONSERVATION COMMITMENT Rosemary Eure and Rob Brown By Ryan G. Van Cleave

54 GIVING BACK TO SEED GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS IN STEM Dr. Anila Jain By Sylvia Whitman

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

128 LITERARY SCENE Three Fine Books for the Youngest of Readers By Ryan G. Van Cleave

Be Informed Be Entertained Be SCENE scenesarasota.com

134

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

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from the executive editor

“I never suggested you were a bad driver. I’m sure that mailbox totally swerved into your lane.”

YES, IT’S OUR “SEASON.” Every morning during this crowded time of year when I leave my home in South Sarasota to drive to my office on St. Armands Circle, I wonder what roadway adventure awaits. Seriously, between some who drive like snails, to others who weave in and out, to the fender benders (or worse) that you can count on passing by every day, and especially to those who ignore the Southside Elementary school zone speed limit (and get tickets), I never know if my drive will be 22 minutes (yes, I have it timed exactly) or 45 minutes. Let’s not even talk about the evening traffic on the drive home. That’s worse. The sad truth is we do have many bad drivers here. I feel I have the chops to back up my statement. As a New York City native, I drove in survival of the fittest driver conditions. Talk about weaving in and out. You got nowhere if you didn’t. And if you weren’t capable of quickly parallel parking your sedan or SUV into a parking space more suited for a compact vehicle without putting a scratch on either car, then you couldn’t go anywhere. I left New York never having put a scratch on my car, an amazing achievement I am quite proud of. Okay, my car was stolen twice, but that’s another story. Yes, I was well prepared for facing daily driving in Sarasota. Contrast my season driving rant to what happens here out of season. We still have the same bad drivers, but there are fewer of them. The feeling is not as frenetic. I no longer am in tense, season-driving mode. I crank up my music, sing out loud and relax a bit more. I really have a good voice. Well, according to me, anyway. But lately it seems that the difference in the number of drivers out of season versus in season is getting less and less each year. With all the new condos and developments rising from our good earth, is it any wonder that the stark contrast of our two seasons of the past and our two seasons of today is shrinking? It’s really simple to understand why we see so many building cranes. Unless you have your head under a rock and don’t know what’s going on, high taxes in other states are pushing many to migrate to the Sunshine State; our weather and an active retirement lifestyle are also a big factor. What better place to pick in Florida than Sarasota? Yes, we’ve got beautiful beaches, but we’re so much more.

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

DID YOU KNOW? February 14th is the second largest card giving day of the year, just after Christmas. Every year, more than 36 million heart shaped boxes of chocolates are sold across the country. The only other day that beats Valentine’s Day in floral sales is Mother’s Day.

from the executive editor THE COLLECTION CONDOMINIUM 13 3 5 S E C O N D S T R E E T, S A R A S O TA , F L 3 4 2 3 6

I think we should all thank the socialites and philanthropists who came here in the early and middle part of the 20th century. They are the visionaries who wanted Sarasota to be a haven for the arts and they certainly achieved their goal. We are quite special. Water, beach, arts, culture, fabulous weather, great restaurants (including mine – Café L’Europe on St. Armands Circle) equal a thriving community every time. In homage to our incredible town, even with its season driving challenges, we present our “City Life” issue, featuring an editorial photo spread showcasing our town’s scenic beauty, classic offerings, hip happenings and cool vibe. This month also marks the exciting performances of Sarasota Opera’s and Sarasota Ballet’s winter season. Sarasota Opera begins with Puccini’s Turandot, always a favorite. Kara Shay Thomson, who graces this cover, stars as Princess Turandot. Sarasota Ballet presents Poetry & Liberty: Sir Frederick Ashton’s Apparitions, one of the most important recreations Sarasota Ballet has ever done, and Balanchine’s Stars & Stripes, with its powerful performances. You can read more about both in this issue. The Ringling has a new contemporary exhibit starting in March; Scene’s contributing writer Gus Mollasis interviews Emmy Award-winning television journalist, documentary filmmaker and Sarasota resident Mary Braxton-Joseph; Ryan Van Cleave sits down with photographer Betty Rosen, who has traveled to some of the most remote places of the world capturing rarely seen tribal people and scenes that will stir your emotions. She certainly has led an amazing life.

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*Prices and features subject to change without notice. Offer void where prohibited by law. OR AL REPRESENTATION CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS MAKE REFERENCE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY FLORIDA STATUTES 718.503. TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE.

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

This month’s philanthropy department features the giving of a very special couple who support the important work of Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, and a local doctor whose passion to support her alma mater has burned for more than four decades. The next time you’re driving and you get stuck in traffic, look next to you. If you see a blonde tearing her hair out or singing her heart out, it’s probably me. Until next month!

Want to submit some comments or questions? We’d love to hear from you at julie@scenesarasota.com.

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46 Locally Owned and Operated Since 1957 Vol. 62 No. 2

CEO/President Ronald Milton Publisher/Executive Editor Julie A. Milton Vice President, Sales & Marketing H John Knowles Graphic Designer Darcy Kelly-Laviolette Marketing & Digital Content Jordan Kelly-Laviolette Distribution Dick Jackson Contributing Writers Sue Cullen Jacqueline Miller Gus Mollasis Ryan G. Van Cleave Rick Dakan Sylvia Whitman

TRUNK SHOW February 8th 10AM–6PM Siesta Key

February 9th 10AM–6PM St. Armands

Contributing & Social Photographer Nancy Guth Contributing Photographers Jordan Kelly-Laviolette Kelly Kearns

443 John Ringling Blvd. Ste. #F, Sarasota, FL 34236 941.365.1119 | Fax: 941.954.5067 | scenesarasota.com

SIESTA KEY 209 Beach Rd. • 941.349.6644 ST ARMANDS CIRCLE 481 John Ringling Blvd. • 941.388.5239 22

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

RJM Ventures LLC, dba SCENE Magazine of Southwest Florida publishes 12 issues a year. Address editorial, advertising and circulation correspondence to the above address. Sufficient return postage and self-addressed, stamped envelope must accompany all manuscripts, artwork and photographs submitted if they are to be returned or acknowledged. Publisher assumes no responsibility for care of return of unsolicited materials. Subscription price: $12.95 per year, $19.95 for two years. All contents copyrighted. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Trevor rocks his recovery

Trevor’s asthma is so severe; he ends up in the hospital sometimes. His mom feels better knowing he’s in the care of our Pediatric specialists. Trevor feels better when he can spend time in Sarasota Memorial’s Music Therapy Studio. Here, he gets to drum out his fears and anxiety and magically transform into a rock star. Seeing her son happy helps transform his mom, too. The Music Therapy Studio is a unique healing space that provides a therapeutic happy distraction for our Pediatric patients. The sound-proof studio includes donated musical instruments, video equipment and TVs.

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THE LIST PARTY PICS

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scenesarasota.com

Lemur Gala: Red Ruffs & Roses

February 1

Steak & Burger Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County

Boys & Girls Club Steak & Burger

The LIST FEBRUARY 2019 EVENTS CALENDAR

PICK YOUR FAVORITES!

Party for nature conservation at the Palm Ball. Sip tea to benefit the sea for Mote. Fly like an eagle with Seal at the Van Wezel Foundation Gala. Celebrate 70 years of beautiful music by the Sarasota Orchestra. These are just a few of the many ways we can have fun this month and support our incredible community. Don’t wait, get your tickets today!

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

6:00 p.m. Cook-off supporting BGCSC $125 swflymca.org

Lemur Gala: Red Ruffs & Roses Michael’s on East 6:00 p.m. Benefit to help save lemurs from extinction in the wild $250 lemurreserve.org

Tidewell Hospice Signature Luncheon The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota 11:30 a.m. Keynote speaker Scott Hamilton $125 signatureluncheon.org

DON’T LET LITIGATION RUN YOU IN CIRCLES

Litigation matters can be confusing. They require smart strategies and experienced legal representation. Our attorneys have been recognized by The Florida Bar as specialists in a wide range of areas, including business litigation, civil trial, wills and trusts, real estate and construction litigation, and personal injury. Fergeson Skipper is proud to be part of Sarasota for over 40 years.

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sponsored events

SCF FOUNDATION’S AVENUES TO THE FUTURE SCF Bradenton Campus 5:30 p.m. Benefits State College of Florida Foundation $150 scf-foundation.org

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

FST Shindig: Denim and Diamonds Hegner Theatre Wing 5:00 p.m. Cocktail reception, musical performance and a three-course dinner $250 floridastudiotheatre.org

Junior League Legacy Luncheon Michael’s On East Ballroom 11:00 a.m. Guest speaker Laura Schroff, author of The Invisible Thread $125 jlsarasota.org/legacy-luncheon

Our Mother’s House Wine Tasting & Dinner Dance Venice Community Center 5:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit Our Mother’s House, a program of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. $85 catholiccharitiesdov.org

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UPCOMING events

Bethesda House Mardi Gras

MARCH 2 | Bethesda House Mardi Gras Michael’s On East 6:00 p.m. Dinner, Auctions, and Mardi Gras festivities $150 catholiccharitiesdov.org

Making a Difference. Every Day. For more than 25 years, the team at FirstService Residential has worked tirelessly to enhance the value of every property we manage and the lifestyle of every resident in our care. As Florida’s property management leader, we know what it takes to create great condominium communities that residents are proud to call home. We start by putting the right teams in place – local property experts who deliver genuinely helpful service. Then we back them up with the tools and resources that only the leading property management company can provide. That’s how we make a difference, every day, for great condominiums like yours. To make a difference in your community, contact Jake Howse at jake.howse@fsresidential.com or 727.209.6131.

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MARCH 11 | JHCF’s Eight Over 80 Brunch Michael’s On East 10:30 a.m. Honoring ten inspiring local octogenarians $175 avivaseniorlife.org

MARCH 29 | SPARCCle Gala The Westin 6:00 p.m. Dinner, dance and auction $275 sparcc.net

MARCH 29 | SMHF Women & Medicine Luncheon Michael’s On East 10:30 a.m. Supporting the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Sarasota Memorial Hospital $125 smhf.org

V IS IT S C EN ES A R A S O TA . C O M for the latest social scene party pics. To submit your event for consideration, please send information to scenemagazine@scenesarasota.com

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FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

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What do you want to be when you grow up?

Gloria Bahaj, Paul & Jennie Hudson, Ariane Dart & Ali Bahaj

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PARTY pics THE HOSPITAL GALA The 2nd Annual Hospital Gala, hosted by Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, welcomed over 700 guests and raised more than $1.2 million to support Sarasota Memorial Cardiac Services. Premier event sponsor was Northern Trust. Other sponsors included Ambitrans Medical Services, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Ariane Dart, FLAD Architects, Louis & Gloria M. Flanzer Philanthropic Foundation Trust, Joel and Gail Morganroth, Sunset Automotive Group, Eric and Doreen Spiegel, and Thomas and Ann Wierdsma. Tammy, Richard & Sarah Karp

Penny Hill, David Verinder & Charlie Ann Syprett

Help forewoman Ann achieve her dream. Invest in our communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professionals one graduate at a time. Investments can be made in the form of recurring or one-time donations, equipment, supplies, and/or scholarships to help students reach their graduation milestone.

Dr. Allisa Shulman & Bill Edwards

Contact Barbara Bourgoin 941-752-5398 or BourgoB@SCF.edu

SCF-Foundation.org 38

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

Margaret Wise, Sally Schule & Mason Ayres

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THE SARASOTA BALLET GALA The Sarasota Ballet presented their 28th Season Gala on Sunday 941.924.4481 www.B2END.com 4453 Ashton Road / Unit C / Sarasota, FL / 34233 January 6th, at the Sarasota Opera House in honor of Hillary Steele. WCAA & IDS MEMBERS The Gala performance showcased the talents of The Sarasota Ballet as well as guest artists including celebrated Mezzo-Soprano Susan Graham, International Guest Artist Marcelo Gomes, New York City Ballet Principal Maria Kowroski, and American Ballet Theatre Soloist Skylar Brandt. Gala Chairs—Katherine Martucci, Audrey Robbins, and Jean Volpe—raised over $300,000 for The Sarasota Ballet. Rosalyn & Joel Ehrenpreis

Vivan Kouvant & Sydney Goldstein

Stan Writesel & Baylee

Alan Gravley & Beau

John Knowles, Norman & Hannah Weinberg with Kimberly Pelyk

941.924.4481 | www.B2END.com 4453 Ashton Road, Unit C Sarasota, FL 34233 WCAA & IDS MEMBERS FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

social SCENE Graci & Dennis McGillicudy

Tom & Sherri Koski

Brenda & Brian Johnson

ALL STAR CHILDREN FOUNDATION’S DONOR EVENT Graci and Dennis McGillicuddy hosted an appreciation and wall-signing event at the All Star Children Foundation’s Campus of Hope and Healing, now under construction, which will serve as a safe haven for children healing from the trauma of child abuse. Donors received the opportunity to become a permanent part of the Campus by signing their name or writing a message on the building walls. To learn more, visit allstarchildrensfoundation.org or call 941.349.2770. Robert Warren, Priscilla & Connie Mack with Shannon Warren

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HOME TRENDS FROM THE PLUMBING PLACE

Beautiful AND Durable Exterior Door Hardware It’s a frustrating reality for many Gulf Coast homeowners – discolored, pitted and tarnished exterior door hardware caused by our harsh salt-rich air. We eventually learn that the tease of “lifetime brass” really means a lifetime of maintenance and repair. There is a practical solution to this common problem – Bronze or Stainless Steel. Both materials offer excellent salt tolerance and oxidation/corrosion resistance with a minimum of maintenance. A variety of styles and finishes provide a perfect match to existing color schemes including rich patinas of classic bronze, contemporary polished or matte nickel, and black. Smitty’s Architectural Hardware, located inside The Plumbing Place, displays many lines of door hardware in beautiful styles for your home that are well suited for our demanding environment, and will create the first impression your front door deserves.

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One of the most beautiful walking streets in all of Sarasota, Palm Avenue is known for its specialty shops, restaurants and art galleries. You won’t find any chain stores or chain restaurants. Everything is quite unique. But did you know that it also is home to several historic sites? As you stroll along the Avenue, you’ll find several historic gems along the way. Advertised in 1925 by its architect, Thomas Reed Martin, as “Floridian Architecture,” the now historic home located at 1213 N Palm Avenue was purchased L.D. Reagin, owner and editor of the Sarasota

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Times newspaper. The Reagin house “has a grand entrance pavilion with porches and casement windows that provided cross-ventilation.” Ground was broken for the DeMarcay Hotel at 27 S Palm Avenue, a two-story rectangular-plan Mission Revival Style structure, on October 5, 1922. The architectural detail of the DeMarcay Hotel resembled the nearby Mira Mar Apartments, which integrated commercial ground floors with the apartments above. The entire block frontage was connected by a cantilevered wood canopy or marquee which protected the shop fronts of the stores located at ground level.

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The Frances-Carlton Apartments located at 1221-1227 N Palm Avenue were built beginning in 1924 as furnished, rental apartments. The announcement

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of the proposed complex first appeared in the Sarasota Times of May 1, 1924. The exterior has a stucco finish in the “Spanish-Moresque style with tile roof and extended eves (sic) very much resembling the ancient hostelry of the Pyrenees along the Spanish border of southern France.” Founded in 1913, the Sarasota Woman’s Club is located at 1241 N Palm Avenue. The clubhouse is now home to the Keating Theater, the mainstage of Florida Studio Theatre. Created by architect H.N. Hall and contractor George Lysat, the building is Tudor Revival. It received Historical Site status with the presentation of a marker in 1977.

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So, the next time you want to shop, stroll and dine, be sure to visit Palm Avenue. We promise you’ll find lots old and everything new. Palm Avenue’s First Friday Walks are from 6 till 9 pm. Enjoy shopping, dining and live performances.

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ROB BROWN & ROSEMARY EUREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

CONSERVATION

commitment

By Ryan G. Van Cleave | Photo by Nancy Guth

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

philanthropy

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast was launched in 2003 by a group of community members who wanted to be better stewards to “the exquisite bays, beaches, barrier islands and watersheds that define the character and scope of our region.”

“We love what the basic mission is . . . Conservation Foundation saves land—that pretty much sums it up.” - Rosemary Eure

Rob Brown and Rosemary Eure knew about this organization from its initial shoestring budget days, and they approved of its mission, which aligned so well with their own ideas and beliefs. Being native Floridians, they’re perhaps more conscientious about the environment than most—Rob was born and raised in Sarasota, and Rosemary grew up in Charlotte County. “We love the area here,” they both say, and from the passion with which they talk about it, the sincerity is obvious. It seems inevitable that Rob would join their Board, which he did a few years back. To this day, both he and Rosemary continue to be staunch supporters of what’s now matured into a very professional, well-run organization that’s doing impressive work. “We’ve been involved with Conservation Foundation nearly since the beginning,” says Rosemary. “They hadn’t even purchased the property yet.” Rob adds that back then, the mission was smaller in scope. “There was a lot of discussion about how the public will have access to the waterfront, how municipalities might be encouraged to acquire property to guarantee access to water, and how we can create better access to nature in general.” Today, the mission has expanded to “protect the character, natural integrity, and biodiversity of the bays, beaches, barrier islands and their watersheds of Florida’s Gulf Coast by holding conservation agreements and owning nature preserves, educating for responsible land stewardship, and collaborating with individuals, organizations and communities.”

In addition, the Foundation offers a range of programs and opportunities that get people involved, such as the Conservation Community Book Club, the monthly Lunch and Learns, and special events like the April 10th Conversation with Clyde Butcher, a renowned Florida photographer. Plus, Rob notes that “We’re especially pleased with the Youth in Nature program. It gets kids into nature who wouldn’t otherwise have access. They hike, climb trees, and learn about the environment with ‘Wow!’ moments that have a lasting impact.” And there’s always the annual Palm Ball, a black-tie fundraiser that takes place in the stunning natural environment of Bay Preserve in Osprey, a private waterfront oasis on Little Sarasota Bay that also serves as home to the Conservation Foundation. Rosemary adds that “We look forward to the Palm Ball all year. The concept is tremendous, and the enthusiasm at the event is impressive.” But she and Rob do far more than just attend that event. Rob works hard year-round to get the word out about what the Foundation does and shares ways for others to get involved. “Rob’s good at networking,” Rosemary notes. “All throughout his life, his family hunted, boated and fished this area. They know plenty of others who share their love of nature, though they’re not always as conservation-minded. It’s not that they don’t care, but rather that they haven’t yet been introduced to the concept and presented with how it benefits us all.” Rob makes every effort to share what he knows about why conservation is good for everyone. Something Rob always points out is that Conservation Foundation is now an accredited land trust. “That’s a key factor in being a catalyst for more opportunities and it brings credibility to the table, since involving a nationally-accredited land trust is often critical to success,” he

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

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explains. Then he talks about some of the current initiatives, such as preserving key spaces in the Myakka watershed that are—quite literally—vital to what happens downstream. Or he talks about favorable tax implications for a property owner to allow a conservation easement. Or he helps educate land owners on ways to better incorporate natural places into the developments that are going to happen.

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Rob goes on to explain that one of the current goals is creating corridors of connectivity. Right now, if you look at a map of the conserved areas, it’s simply a patchwork. Larger roaming species such as the Florida panther have a home range of about 200 square miles, so the only way to help them survive and thrive is to give them safe paths that are connected—that requires some strategic conservation acquisitions. “It’s not about saving ALL land,” Rob adds, “but it’s vital to save the right properties.”

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“We love what the basic mission is,” Rosemary explains. “Conservation Foundation saves land—that pretty much sums it up.” And one of the things she and Rob are most proud of is how their own children have taken up similar interests. Their daughter developed a strong environmental conscience and is in her second year of law school with the goal of writing environmental policy. Their son returns from school in Tennessee, drops everything, then heads to Charlotte Harbor with flyrod and skiff. “It’s immensely gratifying when you start to see your goals and values being echoed in the lives of your children. It just goes to show that having passion matters.”

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DR. ANILA JAIN:

GIVING BACK

TO SEED GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS IN STEM By Sylvia Whitman | Photo by Nancy Guth Dr. Anila Jain’s undergraduate education at the University of South Florida in Tampa kindled a “green and gold passion” that has burned for four decades. Although she has made what she calls “token” contributions to her two other alma maters—Spartan Health Sciences University, where she studied medicine, and NOVA Southeastern University, where she earned an executive MBA—she has poured her time, treasure, and transformative thinking into USF, and into her neighborhood campus, USF Sarasota-Manatee. So, with a recent draft of her will, she announced a seven-figure gift to ramp up STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education at USFSM. “It’s an estate gift, so I hope it will be many, many years before it’s actually realized,” says Dr. Karen Holbrook, USFSM regional chancellor. “We need her leadership now.” This month, internist and medical consultant Jain begins chairing a new Women in STEM committee. The group will be thinking through the plan underway to build a 75,000 square-foot, $45 million Integrated Science and Technology Complex (ISTC)—a “wow space” that captures USFSM’s high aspirations. Even before construction starts, Dr. Jain says, this initiative by leading local women in STEM will spawn lectures, seminars, scholarships, internships, mentoring, and “a wealth of knowledge.” 54

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

“I wouldn’t call it a fundraising committee, but more an advocacy group,” adds Dr. Holbrook. “If you look at the data, women in STEM are underrepresented. Many start but then drop out early. Or when they get into these fields, they find themselves marginalized. The first step is to attract girls, starting in grade school, middle school, and high school, and get them to see the advantage of these programs.” Eager mentor and scholarship donor, Dr. Jain, 59, has worked with many students who lack role models and a support system—so different from her own experience as the only child of education-minded parents. She was five when a Fulbright scholarship for her mother, Mona, brought the family from India to Sarasota. Mona taught science at Riverview High School. The Jains put down roots in Manatee County, and Mona went on to teach in Manatee public schools and earn assorted degrees, including an MD from Spartan Health University and a PhD in educational leadership from USF. In fall 2019, the new Dr. Mona Jain Middle School will open in Manatee County. In the summers, the family returned to India. Anila’s paternal grandfather served as a physician to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s family. Anila sat in her grandffather’s chair, looped his stethoscope around her neck, and opened a clinic for her cousins. “I always knew I wanted to be a doctor,” she says with a laugh.

“Our greatest need and purpose is student success . . . Dr. Jain knows very well the importance of this building to our university and to the community.”

- Dr. Karen Holbrook

Dr. Jain’s father, Kailash, in the fine-jewelry business, encouraged his wife’s and daughter’s ambitions. “There are more female physicians in India than many people think,” she says. “Education is a priority.” For instance, parents do not expect students to hold down jobs while in school. Back in the States, Dr. Jain attended public school, a rare student of Indian heritage in Manatee County at that time. But her parents, in an interfaith marriage of Sikh and Jain, again modeled the positive and inclusive attitude that Dr. Jain projects. She appreciates this region’s diversity. “I always look at a person to see if they have a good heart,” she says. She found many classmates of good heart at USF, where she majored in biology. She also served as a student ambassador and joined Kappa Delta, a sorority in which she remains active, once chairing its national foundation. After medical school, Dr. Jain returned to the Suncoast to practice. She has volunteered and assumed leadership positions in a host of community organizations, ranging from the Manatee County Library Foundation to the League of Women Voters to the India Association of Manatee-Sarasota. She’s also participated to medical missions in India, the Caribbean, and impoverished areas of the United States. She recalls that her physician grandfather repeatedly reminded her, “After you start earning, don’t forget about giving back to humanity.” With no kids of her own, Dr. Jain has championed the health and well-being of abused and neglected children in this area. “I just can’t imagine any child not having supportive parents,” she says. FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

philanthropy

WHERE TO GO IN

But her most gratifying moments, she says, have come from the young women she’s mentored, many of whom keep in touch. Some have entered allied health fields (“not everyone is meant to go to a four-year university”); others have made it through medical school or earned doctorates. Often, they’re the first in their family to graduate from college. They thank Dr. Jain for believing in them.

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“Education will always lead you to the next level,” she says. Involvement with USF and USFSM has allowed ardent alum Dr. Jain to scale up her impact. A founding member and chair of USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy, she has served on the Bulls Club Board of Directors for Athletics, the USF Foundation Board of Trustees, and umpteen committees. She has endowed sports, alumni, and women’s health initiatives scholarships. Although she refers to herself as a mere volunteer, she nonetheless speaks with an insider’s authority about articulation agreements “we” have forged regionally with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and Stetson College of Law. Or the residence halls that need to be built so “we” can attract students looking for a residential college experience. With the ISTC in the works, “we could double the number of freshmen in STEM,” she says.

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“Our greatest need and purpose is student success,” says Regional Chancellor Holbrook. “Dr. Jain knows very well the importance of this building to our university and to the community.” The ISTC “will be a catalyst for this region in workforce development, bringing science and technology together. Companies will see training in place.”

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So, ever bullish, Dr. Jain has put her money where her heart is. Announcing her hefty estate gift will, she hopes, “spearhead a whole campaign of giving.”

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about University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, please visit usfsm.edu or call 941.359.4200.

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By Ryan G. Van Cleave Opening Photo by Jordan Kelly-Laviolette

the

WORLD through my

EYE

The Amazing Life of Photographer Betty Rosen

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

Betty and Buddy Rosen have been traveling the world for the better part of three decades because they wanted to “see what’s out there,” they say. More to the point, Betty wants to capture the best of it on film. “I’ll do anything to get the photo,” she promises, and Buddy jumps in, saying, “She’ll yell ‘STOP THE CAR!’ And she’ll jump out to take a shot of something I simply don’t see. It might be a view through a fence where a specific image comes out to be a face on a rock. She sees things others don’t. So we stop every time.” Now that the Rosens have relocated to Sarasota—though they still summer back in Baltimore in a house “that’s like a museum, thanks to all the art” Buddy adds—we can catch up with Betty and find out just what it’s like to be a fine art photographer with an international reputation. “Around 30 years ago, I started carrying a $30 Minolta 35mm with me and shooting whatever caught my eye,” she explains. In the 1970s, she wanted some feedback on her work, so she took a course at the Smithsonian. In a critique, the instructor said something about an f-stop. “What’s an f-stop?” Betty asked, to which the instructor replied, “Don’t take a photography lesson. It’ll ruin you.” And she never did. More often than not, what catches Betty’s eye are tribal people and endangered cultures from the most remote places on the globe, such as the West African Dogon tribe where masked ceremonial dancers walk on stilts. “It was 105 degrees out and we drove past in a truck,” Betty recalls, “and I kept thinking that these pictures better come out!” Or there’s the open-air laundry in Delhi, India, where men beat clothes clean with flogging stones. Or the majesty of the May Day Parade in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Or there’s the women of Yemen, where it’s illegal to take photos of them. “But I did anyway,” she says. “I had to take the risk.”

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

One of Betty’s favorite locations is New Guinea, which they’ve visited many times. The first time there, the Rosens stayed a month in the same area that Nelson Rockefeller was killed—the Asmat region of southwestern New Guinea. “I was young, white, and blonde-haired,” says Betty about this 1971 trip where she and Buddy drove a Jeep over the Owen Stanley Mountains and they found themselves in a village made up of naked men. “These were the mud men of the Asaro River—one of several cannibalistic tribes in the region,” Betty explains. “They’d never seen blonde hair before and they were mesmerized. Finally, the chief decided to cut off my hair with a knife. There were 200 of them and just two of us. What could I do but agree? We spent a few hours with them before moving on.” In another village on that same trip, she encountered a village where naked women breastfed their pigs—a baby on one side, a pig on the other. “For them, pigs are holy, like cows are in India.” The children there were different, too, in that schooling for them wasn’t about reading and writing—it was all about survival. “We never made reservations,” Buddy explains about her lifelong passion for travel. “We just got on a plane and went somewhere. We never got stuck sleeping in a car—we always found a place to stay.” Betty adds, “Our feeling was that if you have reservations, what do you do if you want to stay somewhere for four days versus the two you originally planned?” People often wonder if Betty’s stunning pictures are posed. “Never,” she says. “And it’s rare that I’ve been turned away.” Buddy points out that she doesn’t pay for photos either. If potential subjects ask for money, it’s a pass. But there’s something about her that’s so agreeable that it’s easy to see why most simply say yes.

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

One of Betty’s more recent photographic interests are transsexual exotic dancers. She first encountered them in Phuket, Thailand where close friends of hers owned a restaurant. One night, they talked about the local transsexual shows and told her, “You’ve GOT to see them.” Before long, they were taking her out to private clubs every night after the restaurant closed, and she’d be there until 5 in the morning, snapping photos of all the ultra-feminine, bejeweled subjects. “She has this unusual ability to see what makes people special,” Buddy says. And that’s exactly what makes her photos so compelling and rich with detail.

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

Betty and Buddy Rosen, New Guinea 1971

Betty and Buddy Rosen, Sarasota 2019 Photo by Jordan Kelly-Laviolette Recently, a professional photographer came to the Rosen’s house to use some of her pictures for a project, and he said, “This stuff is great. You ought to do something with it.” To that end, she’s now working on a coffee table book. She started with 10,000 slides, though now she’s worked it down to 2,500 with the goal of only choosing 120 for the book that should be out in fall 2019. But it’s a tough task since her photos are all full of empathy, compassion, and vision—which to select? “I’ll get it done,” she promises. “Eventually.” One thing that people immediately realize when seeing Betty’s framed photos is that they’re huge, often being 2 by 3 feet or bigger. “I don’t do anything small,” she explains, though she could just as easily be talking about her amazing life, too. For more on Betty Rosen and her fine arts photography, please visit www.bettyrosen.com.

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1/18/2019 1:07:41 PM

opera buff or not . . .

the maestro wants a word with you

By Sylvia Whitman

Turandot, 2013

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

Turandot, 2013

f you love opera, Maestro Victor DeRenzi loves you back, and you can skip the next few paragraphs and head straight to the 2019 season highlights. But if you’re like me and have never been to an opera—Gilbert and Sullivan doesn’t count, right?—then DeRenzi has a question for you: Why not?

“You don’t know you won’t like it unless you come,” he says. DeRenzi wasn’t born with a rosewood baton in his hand. He grew up in Staten Island, NY, in a family with no classical music background. But his 7th grade teacher built sets for a small opera company and bugged DeRenzi and his friends until they agreed to attend a performance. “We figured we’d say we don’t like it, and then he’d leave us alone.” But DeRenzi did like it. And those friends? “They’re all in jail,” he jokes. That “first conversation” led to a lifetime of conducting and producing operas. “What keeps me interested,” he explains, “is this combination of drama of music. It’s not like a Broadway musical; it has impact and emotional depth. Which is why people still pay attention to it, the way people stay interested in Shakespeare.”

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

As longtime artistic director and principal conductor of Sarasota Opera, Maestro DeRenzi produces the season. He’s kicking off the winter festival with Puccini’s last and grandest opera, Turandot, a crowd-pleaser that has achieved “semi-pop” status with the aria “Nessun Dorma,” covered by vocal greats ranging from Luciano Pavarotti to Aretha Franklin. This production premiered at Sarasota Opera in 2013, but with redesigned sets and new costumes, “we’ve made it a little more spectacular,” says DeRenzi. “If I were going to try an opera—” “This one,” DeRenzi says. “Even if you went to all 13 performances, each one would be different. Opera is one of the few artforms that is really live—not even microphoned. You’re in a theater, surrounded by your community, and because the singing’s live, it’s always on the edge.”

“

What keeps me interested is this combination of drama of music. It’s not like a Broadway musical; it has impact and emotional depth. Which is why people still pay attention to it, the way people stay interested in Shakespeare.

”

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

The Magic Flute But he also doesn’t want me to miss The Magic Flute, written by Mozart shortly before his death at age 36. “You like Shakespeare? That would be Mozart in a different art form,” DeRenzi says. “This is an interesting piece with a lot of symbolism, intellectualism, and very funny characters. Like a Shakespeare play, this opera lives on many emotional, musical, and theatrical levels.” As for Nabucco, DeRenzi the Verdi specialist is conducting the opera he introduced to Sarasota 24 years ago as part of his complete Verdi canon initiative. Verdi is the “cornerstone of opera today,” he explains. Although Verdi wasn’t Jewish, the compelling captivity story captured the composer’s imagination. “Any good story is worth all of us knowing and all of us telling from our point of view,” says the maestro.

Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco, 1995

The first-time-ever pairing of the short(er) comic operas Rita and Susanna’s Secret will draw opera buffs across the country and around the world, DeRenzi predicts. Should we blame him for the traffic? Maybe a little. Sarasota Opera brings many students and principals to town for the season (DeRenzi’s 37th), housing them around town or in the 70-bed complex the Opera runs in the Rosemary District. For vocalists who have recently earned undergraduate or graduate degrees in opera, an apprenticeship with Sarasota Opera, with small roles or a part in the chorus, serves as a bridge between student and professional life.

The Magic Flute

“Apprentices also do a lot of outreach throughout the city, singing for groups like the Yale Club, the University Club, and at schools. Hundreds of kids come to see rehearsals every year,” says the maestro. DeRenzi characterizes the multiplicity of arts organizations around Sarasota as the opera’s greatest strength—and its greatest challenge. Sarasota Opera is competing for an audience on a tight winter calendar. With $19 back balcony tickets and $25 student passes, the company is luring neophytes and spreading the gospel. Maestro DeRenzi says he doesn’t want to preach just to the converted. “So,” he demands, “which show are you coming to?” For tickets, visit sarasotaopera.org.

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

EINSTEIN’S CIRCLE Listen and participate in a discussion of issues on a timely and topical basis.

February 20

WEDNESDAY 2:30-4 pm

March 6

WEDNESDAY 2:30-4 pm

Fake News and Its Impact on American Society

Politics from the Front Row

Use and Abuse Throughout America’s History

MODERATOR: SUSAN MACMANUS, PhD

MODERATOR: ROBERT BRENT TOPLIN Robert Brent Toplin is Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina (Wilmington) and adjunct professor at the University of Virginia. He’s the author of 11 books and numerous historical articles published in The New York Times, The American Historical Review, and The Journal of American History, among others. He’s a sought-after historical commentator by national television and broadcast radio, a principal creator of PBS historical films for television and cable networks, and winner of an Organization of American Historians award for the best historical film of 1984.

Susan MacManus is a Distinguished Emerita of Government and International Affairs at the University of South FloridaTampa where she taught 30 years prior to her retirement. She has appeared on every major broadcast, television, cable, and radio network in the country and been interviewed by major newspapers in the United States and around the world. MacManus is known in the media and in her classroom for her analysis of political issues on a nonpartisan basis. It’s that unbiased examination, combined with her ability to connect with everyday audiences, that has led to her being sought out for her political analysis. With both hindsight and foresight, she’ll discuss what happened in November 2016

and how things are shaping up for the 2020 elections.

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POWERFUL REVIVALS

The Sarasota Ballet Presents Sir Frederick Ashton’s Apparitions & George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

Robert Helpmann in Apparitions

Victoria Hulland and Ricardo Graziano in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Apparitions Photo Frank Atura

hen Iain Webb took over the directorship of The Sarasota Ballet in 2007, he did so with the goal of bringing the Company to true national prominence. Part of what’s making that happen is their growing reputation for presenting stunning world premieres and crucial revivals. The latter is what’s on tap for March 2019 when this season’s “A Season of Tributes” continues with its company premiere of Ashton’s Apparitions paired with a revival of Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes. The Balanchine piece is going to be particularly special since the last time they performed it, Webb was British. Now that he’s an American citizen, seeing Old Glory unfurl—accompanied by twirling batons, military marching, and a riflebearing regiment of dancers—will be Webb’s tribute and salute to his new adoptive country, the United States of America. With accompaniment by the Sarasota Orchestra and special guest conductor Ormsby Wilkins of the American Ballet Theater, the power of this performance can’t be underestimated. While the Balanchine piece will surely be a feel-good moment for Webb and the entire audience as they burst with patriotic pride, it’s the second event of the evening that might truly steal the show—a performance of Sir Ashton’s Apparitions.

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Cecil Beaton Original Designs for Apparitions

The Company intended to perform it in the 2016-2017 season, but ultimately chose to delay it in order to ensure it does full justice to the piece, which hasn’t been seen since a 1987 performance in London, and to restore and recreate legendary theater artist Cecil Beaton’s stunning set and costumes.

Dame Margot Fontryn & Robert Helpmann in Apparitions

“A great artist, designer, and photographer, Cecil Beaton is really an icon himself,” says Webb. “We really want to present this as the masterpiece it was when it was first created so many decades ago in 1936.” Indeed, it’s the combination of Beaton’s designs and Ashton’s choreography that make Apparitions so magical. And this piece is also a key moment in Ashton’s early career that launched his lifelong artistic relationship with Dame Margot Fonteyn, his friend and muse. Part of what makes Apparitions a good fit for “A Season of Tributes” is that 2019 is the 100-year anniversary of Fonteyn’s birth (May 18, 1919), and the last time she performed with The Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet was in 1986, as the Queen to Margaret’s Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty in Miami, of all places. So it’s quite fitting that any celebration of her legacy as a dancer is in Florida. About being part of Apparitions, guest artist and former American Ballet theater principal dancer Marcelo Gomes says, “It’s a huge honor to be part of a ballet that’s so iconic. The most wonderful male dancers have danced this—Robert Helpmann and Rudolf Nureyev. I’m going to be relying on Grant, Iain, and Maggie’s [Barbieri] knowledge of the ballet and of the Ashton style, and when it’s time, I’ll add my own personality. At the end of the day, it’ll be a great collaboration that honors the legacy of the ballet and still makes it relevant for today.”

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

Sir Frederick Ashton in Apparitions

Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri points out that all the sets and 95% of the costumes are brand new for this, and a lot of research has been done at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and elsewhere to make Apparitions as authentic as possible. But Barbieri’s connection to Apparitions is even deeper than that, thanks to her time in the Royal Ballet where she danced with Fonteyn. “When I started, she was already a very famous ballerina,” she says, “but she always had time to speak to the lowest of the people in the ballet. Years later I had the privilege to share a dressing room with Dame Margot, and I remember fondly how we exchanged advise on how to wear our headdresses! I was most fortunate to watch many of her performances and rehearsals and was always inspired by the beauty of her dancing, such elegance, purity of line and exquisite musicality. I remember being mesmerized by her portrayal of Giselle, Aurora, Marguerite, Juliet, and the many roles Sir Fred created for her, as she was genuine, sincere and real, making every role come to life.” That level of excellence and deep commitment to the role is what Barbieri tries to instill in the dancers. “Don’t act the role, BE the role,” she repeats. And they listen.

“When I think of Sir Frederick Ashton, the words that come to mind are ‘inspiration,’ ‘absolute fun,’ and ‘enjoyment.’ He simply knew how the body moved.” -Iain Webb

“When I think of Sir Frederick Ashton,” says Webb, “the words that come to mind are ‘inspiration,’ ‘absolute fun,’ and ‘enjoyment.’ He simply knew how the body moved. In particular, he had the special way of making the female dancer look like a woman. The sheer beauty of his choreography is stunning.” And Webb confesses that he’s unsure which he prefers—dancing in an Ashton ballet or sitting in the audience and soaking it all in. “But my fondest memory of him? Taking curtain calls. It’s a theatrical experience in itself. The audience would keep him there forever!”

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Ultimately, Apparitions will be one of the most important recreations that the Company has ever done. The dance world, in particular, is paying a lot of attention to it, as is the local arts community. But one thing is certainâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; when The Sarasota Ballet brings Apparitions and Stars and Stripes to the Van Wezel on March 8th and 9th, the curtain calls will be Ashton-level. For more information on The Sarasota Ballet, please visit www.sarasotaballet.org or call 941.359.0099.

The Sarasota Ballet in George Balanchineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stars and Stripes Photo Frank Atura 82

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

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GLASSER/SCHOENBAUM’S 2019 SPRING LUNCHEON

Tuesday, March 26th 11:30am-1pm The Westin Sarasota 100 Marina View Dr Sarasota, FL 34236

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“GRIPPING. A play for the ages.” — Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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Coburn Goss. Photo by Cliff Roles.

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Kate Hampton. Photo by John Revisky.

FEBRUARY 8 – APRIL 13

Previews February 6 & 7 By LYNN NOTTAGE Directed by NICOLE A. WATSON

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CityScenes Our town delivers on scenic beauty, classic offerings, hip happenings and a cool vibe. Photography by Jordan Kelly-Laviolette

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

Burns Court, with is colorful graffiti walls, first-rate independent, foreign and art film theater, and its 1920s Mediterranean Revival Style bungalows, is one of Sarasotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most charming enclaves.

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

Billed as Sarasota’s longest running live show, Beneva Fruitville’s Drag Queen Bingo Bonanza at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre is fun and cheeky. The show runs through March 31.

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

A cool Euro-vibe permeates Pangea Alchemy Lab, a chic cocktail bar on Main Street, Downtown Sarasota, serving specialty cocktails with fresh fruits and herbs, puree tinctures, foams and infusions.

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

Sarasota Ballet director Iain Webb conducts a practice session in preparation for the remaining three productions of the season — Martha Graham Dance Company, Poetry & Liberty and Giselle.

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

Dramatic soprano Kara Shaye-Thomson prepares for her Sarasota Scene cover photo shoot. She stars as Princess Turandot in Sarasota Operaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Turandot revival, which opens February 9. Other winter season productions are The Magic Flute, Nabucco, and Rita/Susannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Secret.

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

Sarasota’s “art” hotel, Art Ovation, not only has a great rooftop bar, its art exhibitions with gallery opening nights support local visual artists.

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

A favorite of locals and visitors, the Bayside grounds, gardens and architecture of The Ringling and the Ca dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Zan are some of our most iconic and treasured sights.

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

One of the best kept secret stretches of sand, Beer Can Island (officially called Greer Island) at the tip of Longboat Key, is home to a collection of petrified tree trunks and driftwood. Great place to hang a hammock or watch the sunset.

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SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

Artworks from The Ringling and Monda Collection

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

Teo González, Untitled #406, 2006, acrylic on canvas mounted on board, 120 x 121 inches. Promised gift of Keith D. and Linda L. Monda, 2018

he Ringling’s new Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Ola Wlusek, is excited about Interpolations, a new exhibition inside the Arthur F. Searing Wing at The Ringling which brings together artworks from Keith D. and Linda L. Monda’s private collection as well as complementary pieces from The Ringling’s permanent collection of modern and contemporary art. “Thematically,” she notes, “the exhibition will present artists who work historical narratives into those otherwise abstract artworks; present observations in nature, line, color, and geometry as personal and universal experiences; and it will bring together artists working in varied processes and materials such as printmaking, drawing, sculpting, and painting.” Visitors to the exhibition will enjoy spectacular paintings by Yayoi Kusama and Teo González, as well as re-discover significant works by exciting artists, such as Beverly Pepper, Michele Oka Doner, Jackie Ferrara, Louise Nevelson, Helen Frankenthaler, Käthe Kollwitz, and others. “It’s a great opportunity to reinforce the importance and relevance of contemporary art in our community,” explains Keith MONDA, who considers himself “a lifelong collector”—first with baseball cards, matchbook covers, and comics, and then developing a passion for art in his 30s. “I got interested in contemporary art because I wanted to go to a place that was inconsistent with the rest of my measured life. Contemporary art does that. No matter how much I learn about it, there’s always something new to discover. That’s really what motivates me. It’s always evolving and changing. It pushes your brain into new places of thinking that you might not otherwise go.” When asked how he chooses whether to purchase a piece of art, Keith says that it’s simply whether a piece speaks to him or not. While some art collectors start at a certain level and then leverage themselves up by selling art to afford new pieces, he doesn’t do that. “I ask myself if it moves me enough that I won’t ever want to sell it.” And so, he had a wide range of options to share with The Ringling for this exhibition, four of which are now promised gifts to the museum. He says, “The Ringling is a great organization. I often call it the Metropolitan Museum of Sarasota—the collection is so diverse. And they’re so committed to making sure that we have a permanent commitment to art in our community. At the end of the day, I would like to see my art collection appreciated by as many people as possible, and that means finding an institution that’s committed to both art AND education. There’s no better place for my art than The Ringling. It’ll be seen by thousands of people each year forever.” When asked about which piece in the exhibition is his personal favorite, he notes, “There’s a large Kusama piece entitled Infinity Dots—it’s just spectacular. I bought it maybe 12 to 15 years ago, well before she became the rock star she is now.” Kusama, 89, is frequently considered among the top collectible living artists in the world, and without a doubt, she’s the topselling female artist working today. As to how the exhibition name came about, Keith explains that “The Ringling folks came up with it—I don’t want to steal their thunder. They’re the truly creative ones. The title kind of defines what it was we tried to do. There’s my art that I’m giving or loaning, and there’s their art from the archives. We matched it up to create an interpolation of what it might be. It’s fascinating to take two very diverse environments and create a single thing from them.”

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INVEST IN AN EXTRAORDINARY FUTURE. Scholarship recipient Melissa Simmons studies biology/chemistry and wants to become a doctor. “I come from the inner city in Trenton, New Jersey, and I know that I’m getting a much better education at New College than I would back home,” she says. “The generosity of my donors has brought me one step closer to my goals.” Melissa is co-president of the College’s singing group and serves on the New Music New College advisory board. She also volunteers at a homeless shelter and sings in a church choir. She is the typical New College student: bright, motivated and committed to giving back to her community. You can make it possible for students like Melissa to worry less about affording college and focus on unleashing their potential for great achievement. New College Foundation 941.487.4800 donate.ncf.edu/the-new-college-fund

Sol LeWitt, Double Composite, 1971, silkscreen, 40 x 30 inches. Collection of Keith D. and Linda L. Monda Keith knows that many fellow collectors in this area come from larger northern cities where there’s an active contemporary and modern art scene. Interpolations is sure to please them and be on par with what they’ve experienced elsewhere, though Keith’s hope is that they’ll be more than just an appreciative audience. “My hope,” he admits, “is that they’ll see it as an opportunity to place some of their own art there.” Without a doubt, Ola would welcome loans and gifts to expand what The Ringling can showcase. “It’s been a pleasure to work with Keith and Linda and to learn about their passion for the arts,” says Ola. “As a curator, I really appreciate their openness and flexibility to work with their wonderful collection of art. They’ve opened and made available their collection to myself and curator Christopher Jones to make selections which we believe will make a compelling statement together with the Museum’s artworks in the exhibition.” For the highest level of experience, consider joining Christopher Jones and Ola Wlusek in a free gallery walkand-talk conversation about Interpolations on April 25 at 10:30 a.m. and again at 6:00 p.m., though this fabulous exhibition is available for you to explore on your own from March 17th to September 8th. For more information about The Ringling, please visit www. Ringling.org or call 941.359.5700.

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SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

One Donor 90 Funded Performances

800 Unlocked Imaginations

1600 Standing Ovations

Be The One Each one of us has the potential to impact a person, a cause, a community. For more than 35 years, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County has matched donors to the right causes, creating lasting impact. You can be the one to make a difference. Call us today, (941) 955-3000. cfsarasota.org

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

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puccini’s

Turandot

Victor DeRenzi, Artistic Director Richard Russell, Executive Director

The Diamond Anniversary Season Feb 9–mar 24

mozart’s

The Magic Flute

All operas performed in the original language with English translations displayed above the stage.

Verdi’s

Nabucco Donizetti’s

rita &

wolf-ferrari’s

susanna’s Secret

don’t delay!

reserve your tickets NOW at

sarasotaopera.org | (941) 328-1300 61 N. PINEAPPLE AVE SARASOTA, FL 34236

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SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

SCENES FROM AN INTERVIEW

LEADING A LIFE OF

ILLUMINATION

MARY BRAXTON-JOSEPH

BY GUS MOLLASIS | OPENING PHOTO BY NANCY GUTH had the pleasure of meeting this incredible lady and her equally incredible husband at an Oscars awards show I was hosting for the Sarasota Film Society at Burns Court. It was late and the show was wrapping up, yet these two people, unknown to me at the time, stopped to offer me some kind words about how much they enjoyed the evening and my role in the event.

A gesture of kindness for sure. Some smiles and laughs. Some parting words. I remember asking, ‘What do you folks do?’ “We’re retired. I was in television and my husband was an ambassador to South Africa,” she shared. Impressed as I was, I was exhausted, and the words went right over my head.

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on the town As I sat in an office at Asolo Rep with Emmy-award winning television journalist Mary Braxton-Joseph to interview her for this article, my memories of that evening came flooding back. About 15 or 20 minutes into the interview, I blurted out, ‘I know you. We met many years ago at an Oscar party.’ She remembered and smiled. I remembered her and her husband’s kindness and smiled some more.

Joseph with President Mandela and her husband, Ambassador James Joseph, 1996

It was a reminder, an illumination if you will, that we really do live in small town, and taking it further, a small world. Mary BraxtonJoseph knows that as well as anybody. She was raised by a single mom who set no boundaries on how far she could go in life. “I had several aspirations, and my mom instilled in me that the sky was the limit. At various times, I wanted to be president of the United States, also the first female Supreme Court Justice, but Sandra Day O’Connor beat me to that. Eventually I decided that law wasn’t for me. At one point, I wanted to be the chief protocol officer for the White House. I watched TV when I was growing up, loved history, and tended to watch news programs and documentaries over cartoons. So, I had governmental aspirations, but I didn’t know what I was going to do by the time I graduated high school.” Mary was a good student and was voted most likely to succeed by her classmates in her class of 1968 – a pivotal and turbulent year in American history with the assassination of both Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. “Those events happened right before we graduated,” she said. These were two events that helped bond her classmates, and the memories of those tumultuous times cemented the bond even through today. At her recent 50th class reunion, 250 of her 400 classmates showed up. Strong bonds indeed. One of her most important childhood lessons was taught to her by her father, who she lost much too early in life. “My dad taught me to focus on one thing at a time,” she says while cracking that infectious smile and welcoming laugh. “I remember once when I would be changing the channels back and forth on our TV, we had a spirited discussion, and my dad made the point that we must watch one show at a time.” Laughter accompanied the sweet childhood memory of a woman who has focused very well on working hard in her life. From her mother she learned a simple yet important lesson. “From Mom I learned perseverance, never give up qualities and to always do your best. If you do your best, win or lose, you can live with yourself. I guess seeking excellence was something that she instilled into me.” Seeking excellence is something she wore easily throughout her school years and into her professional career. “I loved school and had great teachers. I looked forward to every September because I wanted to learn. My mother surrounded

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us with books. We didn’t have a lot of money. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the government, we might have had a very different life. Because my dad was a veteran and had worked for the post office, when he died, we got three checks from Washington D.C., so I have a healthy respect for government employees and get upset when people disparage them and the government shuts down for any reason.” Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, Mary is a graduate of the American University in Washington, D.C. While living in the nation’s capital, she absorbed every opportunity to learn and get involved, and while she didn’t become the president of the United States, she did serve as president of several organizations including D.C. Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, the Association of Parliamentarians and the Bureau of Rehabilitation. Focus. Doing your best. Striving for excellence. The quest to learn. The ability to be empathetic. All skills, tools and lessons picked up along the way by this woman who would parlay them all into Emmy awards as a television journalist. And perhaps, more importantly, into a person who sought stories that were guided by individuals who not only sought to do what was right, but also bring light to a world that too often is desperately in need of illumination. Nowhere was the light so bright then when she encountered Nelson Mandela. “He was everything you ever heard and then some. Poised. Dignified. He had a wonderful sense of humor and made you feel right at home.”

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on the town another point of view, it might not change your mind, but it will definitely broaden your horizons.” Listening to another point of view. Broadening your horizons. That’s how I feel about the IllumiNation Series at Asolo Repertory Theatre. This series of performances and events promotes cross-cultural conversations in the community and is held during select Wednesday and Saturday performances throughout Asolo Rep’s season as a community conversation where audience members can further explore the social issues that they have just seen played out on stage. Mary is chair of the IllumiNation Series committee. “I don’t expect everyone who comes to Asolo Rep’s IllumiNation Series to be of like mind, in fact its good when people have different points of view,” said Mary. “But after, you see issues acted out on stage, and then you have a chance to come together to talk about it and to listen to other points of view. I’d like to think that people leave the theater with a broader scope of an issue – even if you don’t agree. If you can hear that other point of view, you may not agree, but you can understand it better.”

“I had the pleasure of meeting him before he became president. I was part of the delegation of foundation executives who went in 1992 after he had been released from prison, and they were still trying to form a government. I put together a press conference with him and the head of the organization, who at the time was a man named James Joseph. He ended up becoming my husband, but at the time, we were professional colleagues.” As a result of this experience, Mary Braxton-Joseph was instrumental in developing two documentaries while living in South Africa from 1996 through 1999. She performed the initial research including an interview with President Nelson Mandela for “Apartheid’s Last Stand,” a documentary on Robben Island for the Discovery Channel that aired in 1999. She also served as South Africa project coordinator for “Tutu and Franklin: A Journey Towards Peace,” a documentary on race and reconciliation featuring Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Dr. John Hope Franklin. It aired in the United States on PBS and in South Africa. Searching for the right words to describe the great man, she pauses and then lands on the word – “Mandela was just great. DIGNITY.” “When he walked into a room, everybody wanted to be like him. He was a champion of reconciliation. He learned to reconcile differences, so much so that even though he had been in prison for some 27 years, when he got out and became president, he invited some of the people who used to guard him to his inauguration.” “Every time I get angry about something, I think of that Mandela spirit and it just helps me reframe my attitude. Because if you can see the humanity in the adversary and take time to listen to 1 08

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With the goal of supporting, listening and responding to the evolving needs of our theater and shared community, this season the IllumiNation Series features four plays that examine issues of race, gender, identity and cultural intersection: The Crucible, A Doll’s House Part 2, Sweat, and The Cake. The Arthur Miller classic, The Crucible, focuses on the ultimate “witch hunt,” while Doll’s House Part 2 takes a look at marriage and how things have or have not changed, or evolved if you will. Whether you are married or single and whether you saw part one or not, it will resonate. On what we learn from Nora in Ibsen’s A Doll House, Mary pauses to offer her answer. “I think we learn lots of things from Nora. Forgiveness. The difficulties of maneuvering through a divorce. The relationships that are broken that you have to rebuild.” On the IllumiNation Series, Mary says, “I’m real tickled to be doing this work, because I think we have more in common than we have that’s different. I hope those attending come in with an open mind and leave with that mind full.” And that’s something very familiar to her for sure. She has been both open and full minded her entire life. Along the way she’s had a celebrated career, raised two children and married the Honorable James A. Joseph, the first African American U.S. ambassador to post-apartheid South Africa. It has truly been a life in which she has had it all – but not all at the same time. A life filled with many places she’s called home. New Jersey. Washington D.C. South Africa, North Carolina and now Sarasota.

on the town “We were splitting time between Cape Town, South Africa and North Carolina.” Not wanting to be too far away from their grandchildren and out of the United States for long periods of time, the couple sold their place in Cape Town and decided to move to Sarasota after visiting Sarasota for a Selby Foundation event at which her husband was a speaker. “We were snow birds for a few years splitting time between North Carolina and here. Gradually we became more involved in the community and we were invited to a performance at Asolo Rep by Charlie Huisking, who was on Asolo’s board. Long story short, I ended up on the Asolo board and my husband ended up on The Ringling board. When Asolo Rep came a knocking, I was phasing out of being ‘Madame Fundraiser’ for 12 years for various organizations, and it was time for me to have fun.” And, she is definitely having fun. “I love the magic of live theater. I have a background in film and television, but there is something wonderful that is created on a live stage. Each night it’s a little bit different. There’s something about it that leaves you uplifted and transported. It’s an experience that I want everybody to have.” Realizing time was running short and me being a film guy, I especially wanted to get her valuable take on the 2018 film, Green Book*, which touches on that very subject.

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“I loved that movie because there are many different stories that come out of that era, and they are not all that black people are all picking cotton and the white people are cracking whips. They are all not like that. I think this story brought to life the relationship that developed between these two people that came from very different backgrounds. And I like the way they handled things.” “First of all, I’m from New Jersey, so that’s my neck of the woods. The Viggo Mortenson character, I know those type of guys. You have this very elegant and accomplished AfricanAmerican, with all his artifacts and how he lives his life, with this guy from the streets who you’d consider a junior thug and who’s just trying to make a living. I hope that everybody sees this film. I was just so happy. I think Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen can both play anything. It was great to have them come together, and have them develop a relationship, and get to a level of acceptance.” Acceptance. Dignity. Reconciliation. Learning from each other. Illumination. The same principles a man named Mandela lived by. Her mother was right after all. For her little girl named Mary, the sky truly was and is still the limit. *Green Book is a 2018 American comedy-drama film. Set in the Deep South in the 1960s, it follows a tour between AfricanAmerican classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen),[5] an Italian-American bouncer who served as Shirley’s driver and bodyguard.

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You’re Invited!

Party

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Supporting Mote’s Dolphin, Whale & Sea Turtle Hospitals FRIDAY, MARCH 15

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on the town

Education MATTERS By Ryan G. Van Cleave

MOTE IS AWASH WITH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Founded by Dr. Eugenie Clark in 1955 primarily to study sharks, Mote Marine Laboratory (originally called the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory) has grown into a top-tier independent, not-for-profit marine research organization that does far more than just study sharks. Currently, they have more than 30 Ph.D. scientists who call the Lab home, and they conduct research in six of the world’s seven continents. They respond to stranded sea life 24-7. They research red tide solutions. They study ocean acidification. In short, they’re on the frontend of the latest marine science. Yet most know Mote as the area’s best aquarium, housing over 100 species of marine life and featuring a stunning 135,000-gallon outdoor shark tank. Mote’s commitment to marine science is only equaled by their commitment to education. As their website says: “We are scientists, explorers and stewards of the ocean. Driven by research, education and excitement, we work to create a better environment for ourselves and our children. The answers are in the ocean. Together, we will find them.” It all starts with the passionate employees and volunteers of their Education Department. Part of Mote’s mission is to find ways to educate future generations, adults, and policymakers about conservation and sustainability using vital marine resources. “Enhancing science and ocean literacy is crucial,” says Aly Busse, Assistant Vice President for Education at Mote. “It’s part of who we are.”

AquaKids Field Sampling Photo by Olivia Raney, Mote Marine Laboratory Lifelong Learning Florida Coastal Habitats Photo by Conor Goulding, Mote Marine Laboratory

One of the primary things the Education Department does is provide opportunities for area kids to have positive science experiences, whether that’s when kids aren’t in school or to simply supplement their in-school learning. “We try to get kids into nature,” says Busse. “We take them snorkeling, field sampling, picking up critters, kayaking. Our goal is to get them thinking about the environment in a scientific way. ‘Here’s a problem,’ we say, ‘so how do you go about solving it?’” No matter your age, Mote has offerings for you, starting with the newly-named Shark Pups and Grownups (formerly Mommy and Me), which is for “ages 2-5 with their adults” on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays each week from fall to spring, with different themes for each session such as Totally Turtles, Snazzy Shark Teeth, and Super Sponges. The youngest little scientists and adults also have the Exploring the Bay program, where they explore the coastal habitats of Sarasota Bay, wading into the water and collecting marine animals with nets. “Kids love getting out into the water like that,” says Busse.

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on the town Spring break is an extremely popular time for older kids to try out Mote’s educational offerings. The single-day programs start March 18th and run through the 29th, and this year, there are far more water-based programs thanks to growing interest in those kinds of activities. This year’s topics “Mucus, Muck & More,” “Teeth, Tongues & Tummies,” “Flukes, Flippers, Fins & Feet,” and more. Plus there’s “Fun In Fishing,” a new specialty camp that teaches grade 6-8 students about local fish as well as sustainable fishing and fisheries. They get to practice different fishing techniques and visit Mote’s Aquaculture Park. About three years ago, the Education Department launched a community engagement program that has become a smash success. They strategically partnered with local organizations that serve under-represented youth, such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Shark Pups & Grownups Photo by Olivia Raney

Sarasota and Manatee Counties, and Girls Inc. “We built entire programming to reach these groups, and it’s all free,” reports Busse. Last year alone, about 10,000 of these students were impacted by this program. All told, nearly 40,000 people benefited from Mote’s education programming last year. Lots of that came from on-site fullday field trips to Mote—teachers love how Mote’s educators work so closely with the schools to develop lesson plans that work hand-in-hand with classroom curricula and meet the Sunshine State Standards in science education. But many of the students were reached via off-site programming, too, through virtual learning programs, outreach programs, and free classroom kits that teachers can check out like a library book. For example, teachers can check out dolphin skeletons and corresponding curricula created by Mote educators for a DIY classroom experience where students get hands-on time with real dolphin bones and the process of science. Versions of this kit are available for middle and high school classrooms, as well. One of the high-impact trends in science education is offering workshops for the teachers, so they can have up-to-date access to real science. That kind of knowledge and training helps them provide authentic science experiences for all of their students versus relying on formulaic, boring labs. It’s all about working in real-world settings and dealing with problems scientists—and others—face today. “We strive to have students do more inquiry-based work,” Busse explains. “It’s so much more effective than something that’s prescriptive. The scientific process can be wonderfully messy as they work through things, problem solve, and get creative. That’s how you make it fun and memorable.” While the goal is more to increase conservation and environmental awareness than to create future scientists, the spark for the world of science roars to life in some, such as Englewood’s own Sean Russell. He grew interested in protecting marine environments after learning about them in his 4-H marine science projects and through a Mote summer camp and internship. In 2011, he launched the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit at Mote, which provides youth with the skills needed to undertake their own conservation projects— it’s gone on to become an annual event that has inspired thousands of students nationwide to become involved in marine conservation. The summit has been modeled in ten cities throughout the US in partnership with aquariums and conservation organizations. And it all started with Sean’s positive early experiences in nature. Whether you’re a guppy, an adult, or somewhere between, the Education Department at Mote has something for you. And Busse adds that while science is at the heart of all they do, “We do everything we can to ensure that it’s a lot of fun, too.” F O R M O R E IN F O R M AT IO N

Summer Camp Boat Trip Photo by Conor Goulding 1 12

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about Mote Marine Laboratory’s Education Department, please visit www.mote.org, or call 941.388.4441.

arts&culture Larry Hamm’s “The Clown” from Theatre Odyssey’s 10-Minute Play Festival

Artist Series Concerts Circus Arts Conservatory

Florida Studio Theatre

ARTIST SERIES CONCERTS OF SARASOTA

FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE

941.306.1200 / artistseriesconcerts.org

941.366.9000 / floridastudiotheatre.org Mainstage Straight White Men Through March 2 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Through March 23 Cabaret The Wonder Years February 6 – June 9 Guitar Girls Through April 7 Children’s Theatre Snow White Through February 16 Improv Theater When X Meets Y Through February 16

Classical Recital:

Best SEATS

Melodica Men February 19

PERFORMING ARTS CALENDAR

941.351.8000 / asolorep.org

BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ARTS AND CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF SARASOTA COUNTY.

ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE Main Stage The Crucible Through March 10 A Doll’s House, Part 2 Through March 31 Sweat February 6 – April 13

Inside Asolo Rep Sweat and Noises off February 27

OUT@AsoloRep The Crucible February 9

CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY 941.355.9805 / circusarts.org Circus Sarasota 2019 February 15 - March 10

FSU/ASOLO CONSERVATORY FOR ACTOR TRAINING 941.351.9010 / fsuasoloconservatory.com Reckless February 20 – March 10

JAZZ CLUB OF SARASOTA 941.366.1552 / jazzclubsarasota.org

Jazz at Two Mark Moultrup February 1 1 14

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florida studio theatre R

E V O D HEL

GUITAR GIRLS

INCIDENT in the

NIGHT-TIME

A PLAY BY SIMON STEPHENS BASED ON THE NOVEL BY MARK HADDON

By David Gow

“Emotional Mountain Climb” -New York Theatre Wire

BY RICHARD HOPKINS, REBECCA HOPKINS, AND CATHERINE RANDAZZO ARRANGEMENTS BY JIM PROSSER From left to right: Cat Greenneld, Tamra Hayden, Jannie Jones. Photo by Matthew Holler

“Explosive”

-The Boston Globe

WARNING: CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE AND THEMES

From left to right: Micah Jeremiah Mims, Nick Anastasia, Nathaniel P. Claridad, and David Marmanillo. Photo by Matthew Holler

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

941.366.9000 �oridastudiotheatre.org

1241 N. Palm Avenue, Downtown Sarasota

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arts&culture

Manatee Performing Arts Center Arts Center

Al Hixon & The Uneard Herd February 8 Tony Boffa February 15 Synia Carroll February 22

MANATEE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 941.748.5875 / manateeperformingartscenter.com

Broadway Series Mary Poppins February 14 – March 3

Studio Series Oh Freedom Through February 10 Into the Night February 28 – March 17

Community Artistic Collaborations Neil Diamond Tribute February 23

NEW MUSIC NEW COLLEGE 941.487.4888 / newmusicnewcollege.org “Tigers Above Tigers Below”: Eliza Ladd with New College Students February 15 – 17

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THE PLAYERS CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS 941.365.2494 / theplayers.org Broadway Season The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee February 21 - March 10 Back Stage at The Player Series Burn This February 7 – 17

THE POPS ORCHESTRA 941.926.POPS (7677)/ ThePopsOrchestra.org “Jersey Boys, California Girls” Valentines Concert February 10 & 11

RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART 941.359.5700 / ringling.org Matt Haimovitz & Vijay Iyer February 22 & 23

SARASOLO PRODUCTIONS 941.400.2036 / sarasolo.org 2019 SaraSolo Festival Through February 3

The Sarasota Ballet

THE SARASOTA BALLET 941.359.0099 / sarasotaballet.org FSU Center for the Performing Arts The Martha Graham Dance Company (Program 5) February 15 - 17 Inside the Studio Apparitions February 27

SARASOTA OPERA 941.328.1300 / sarasotaopera.org

Winter Opera Turandot February 9, 12, 14, 17, 20, 23, 28 The Magic Flute February 16, 19, 21, 24, 27

Sarasota Opera Guild Socials & Singers February 19

Performances/Lectures Trouser Roles February 21

SARASOTA ORCHESTRA 941.953.3434 / sarasotaorchestra.org

Masterworks To Sarasota with Love February 21 & 23 - 24

arts&culture

Artist Series Concerts

State College of Florida

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe

Chamber Soiree

VAN WEZEL PERFORMING ARTS HALL

VENICE THEATRE

Baroque Fireworks February 7 & 10 Gran Partita February 28

941.955.7676 / vanwezel.org

941.488.1115 / venicestage.com

See website for list of performances.

Main Stage

Great Escapes A Many Splendored Thing February 13 – 17

STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA 941.752.5252 / scf.edu

Neel Performing Arts Center Symphonic Band: “I Love You to Death” February 14 SCF Choirs and SCF Bradenton Symphony Orchestra “Kings, Queens and Crowns Music for Royalty” February 28

Sundays at Neel Alter Eagles February 17 Broadway at the Movies February 24

URBANITE THEATRE 941.321.1397 / UrbaniteTheatre.com Apples in Winter Through February 17 1 18

THE VENICE INSTITUTE FOR PERFORMING ARTS 941.218.3779 / veniceperformingartscenter.com Terry Myers Orchestra: A Tribute to Benny Goodman February 3 New Christy Minstrels February 8 Good Vibrations: A Tribute to the Beach Boys February 9 Vienna Boys Choir February 20 All Hands on Deck February 24

VENICE SYMPHONY 941.207.8822 / thevenicesymphony.org

The Sounds of Harry James & The Andrews Sisters February 4 42nd Street February 22 – March 24

Stage II Assisted Living: The Musical February 1 - March 10

Special Events Back Home Again, A Tribute to John Denver February 24 & 25

WESTCOAST BLACK THEATRE TROUPE 941.366.1505 / westcoastblacktheatre.org The Kid is Alright: An Evening with Maicy Powell February 4 The Amen Corner Through March 3

Venice Performing Arts Center Rhapsody in Blue: Gershwin’s Greatest February 1 – 2 European Masters Featuring Beethoven’s 7th February 22 – 23

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

For a full list of this season’s performing arts events, view our annual

Arts & Culture Guide. SCENESARASOTA.COM

MARCH 6-17, 2019

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or our 10th anniversary, we are proud to present a premiere line-up of 18+ truly outstanding and diverse films that will excite, enlighten and provoke you, our audience. As a special treat, each feature film will be preceded by an animated short created by a student from the Ringling College of Art + Design. GOLD PONSOR

EDIE AND DAVID CHAIFETZ LEON R. AND MARGARET M. ELLIN DEBBIE AND LARRY HASPEL NAIDITCH FAMILY FOUNDATION THE ROSENTHAL ROOTS FAMILY FOUNDATION BUNNY AND MORT SKIRBOLL LOIS STULBERG HADASSAH AND MARTIN STROBEL

BRONZE SPONSORS DR. LOUIS AND MRS. MILLY CHAYKIN CHERYL AND STEVE SHAPIRO

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HOWARD BERMAN MILT CRYSTAL ANN AND ROBERT JACKSON JOAN AND BART LEVENSON NESSA AND RICHARD LEVINE LORI AND DAVID LINER JACK AND ADREA SUKIN

SHELTER THE CAKEMAKER THE LAST SUIT THE LIGHT OF HOPE

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For tickets, call 888.718.4253, Option 1 FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

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JUDY LIVE ORCHESTRA & FILM EVENT

GARLAND

IN CONCERT MARCH 1 & 2 VAN WEZEL

We are proud to announce the 2019 honorees who will be recognized at this year’s Eight Over 80 event. These nine individuals have been nominated as extraordinary stewards of the Sarasota community. Each honoree is recognized for the work they have done to enrich the lives of the Sarasota community through their passion, leadership, generosity, and wisdom. Aviva is proud to honor these individuals and celebrate the difference they have made in our community.

Honorees:

Victoria Brown Carolyn Kaplan Barbara Lupoff Nancy Schlossberg

Mickey Fine Marion Levine Alfred Rose Mary Ann & Ted Simon

Eight Over 80 Date: March 17, 2019 Time: 10:30 am Place: Michael’s On East Brunch Helping to enrich the lives of the residents at Aviva – A Campus for Senior Life

CONDUCTOR: Steven Reineke The life of iconic superstar Judy Garland is told on the silver screen in this magical concert event. Hear live music by Sarasota Orchestra paired with Judy’s original vocals. Rare home movies, photos and the star’s own reminiscences accompany the original arrangements. Tickets from $35

941-953-3434 SarasotaOrchestra.org 1 20

SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

For additional information or sponsorship opportunities please contact Karen Corbin, 941-203-6237 or kcorbin@jewishhcf.org Aviva – A Campus for Senior Life is Sarasota’s only non-profit, rental senior living campus which offers all levels of care on a rental basis. Inspired by the Jewish values it was founded on, Aviva allows residents in Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Skilled Nursing, and Rehabilitation to live life to the fullest while experiencing a world of possibilities.

Aviva – A Campus for Senior Life is Sarasota’s only rental non-profit senior living community. The community’s mission is to provide seniors in Sarasota with an enriching, dynamic, and fulfilling lifestyle inspired by Jewish values and tradition. Your donations strengthen our community and provide new opportunities for the residents of Aviva.

2 Annual

Interactive Dinner & Auction Where YOU can be the Chef! A Celebration of Life & Hope for Children and Families Living with Epilepsy

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arts&culture

ARTS AND CULTURAL ALLIANCE

ARTCENTER MANATEE

ARTS AND CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF SARASOTA COUNTY

GET Inspired CULTURAL HAPPENINGS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ARTS AND CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF SARASOTA COUNTY.

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sarasotaarts.org | 941.365.5118 Remnants of Memory, Brenda K. Robinson Exhibit: February 5 – 28 Artist Reception: Wednesday, February 6 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

ARTCENTER MANATEE artcentermanatee.org | 941.746.2862 American Watercolor Society 151st Annual Traveling Exhibit January 15 – February 22 Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society Aqueous Exhibit January 15 – February 22 Florida Color Pencil Society Exhibit February 26 – March 29 Acrylic Painters USA Annual Juried Exhibit February 26 – March 29 Fine Arts Festival Riverwalk Pavilion 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM February 23 – 24 February 22 Mon, Fri, Sat 9–5; Tues, Wed, Thurs 9-6; closed Sun

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road. Here are some suggestions to h Getting road. Here are some suggestions to help you “drive well” as you age. and support the least restrictive s

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This article brought to you by: Lutheran Services of Florida. Kathleen J. Houseweart Director Sarasota Guardianship Program, 941-358-6330.

care ofcy pedestrians coming susceptible from the to left right.•safety Aging eyes are also drivers, including classes and evenglare an drivers, onlineincluding safetytake tips, • Bonded-Insured Homemaker/Companions eyeorconditions thattips, affect depth perception, able, a guardi • Homemaker/Companions recovery, and focus. License #HHA299991043 • Registered • Licensed Practical Nurses susceptible to eye conditions that affect recovery, andNurses focus. evaluation to helpdepth olderperception, drivers stayglare safe on theevaluation road. to help olderUnfortunately driver • Registered Nurses • Licensed Practical Nurses • Bonded-InsuredLicense #HHA299991043 • Homemaker/Companions not everyone • Home Health Aides recovery, and focus. • HomePractical Health Aides • Listen to your loved ones. No on • Registered Nurses • Licensed Nurses LSF Guardianship program focuses on

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• Listen to your loved ones. No one wants to take Getting to Know LSF but if l oved o away driving privileges, away driving privileges, but if l oved ones are worried, • Program Protection - stepping in to protec Guardianship are p neglect orreasons. exploitation by Be completi If it is determined by the courts that an individual Know LSFgenerally there are generally reasons. Be prepared. Have a Getting tothere can no longer care for themselves, or protect care needs and protect the person “driving retirement away driving privileges, but retirement if(941) l oved ones Program Sarasota: 923-0880 Bradenton: (941)resources 739-0880like Guardianship themselves from abuse, neglect or plan” exploitation, aand seek o “driving plan”are andworried, seek out Sarasota: (941) 923-0880 Bradenton: (941) 739-0880 guardian can be appointed. The court oversees LOCATIONS: If it is determinedITN by the courts that an individual allSuncoast Guardians. They must Coordination regularly file reports •(www.itnsuncoast.org) - promptly applying there are generallyITN reasons. Be prepared. Have a Venice: (941) 480-0880 Port Charlotte: 764-0880 Suncoast (www.itnsuncoast.org) as (941) options to get can no longer care forregarding themselves, or protect plans of care, and financial expenditures. overseeing card plans, medical Venice: (941) 480-0880 Port Charlotte: (941) 764-0880 you needandto goexpensive, if you process invasive can but have to giv themselves from where abuse,The neglect orisexploitation, a be “driving retirement plan” andneed seekto out resources likeup your license. guardian where you go if you have to give it is designed to protect thetreatment rights of the plans. “alleged All efforts are m Sarasota: (941) 923-0880 Bradenton: (941) 739-0880 can be appointed. The court oversees

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FREE CONSULTATION

FREE CONSULTATION License #HHA299991043

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• Leg Discomfort • Cramps drivers, including safety tips, classes and even an online evaluation to help older drivers stay safe on the road. AARP • andSwelling AAA also offer several resources of older drivers, including safety tips, classes and even an online evaluation to help older drivers stay safe on the road. • Restless Legs • Varicose Veins • Spider Veins • Skin Ulcers

ITN Suncoast (www.itnsuncoast.org) as options to get FREE AAA also offer several resources of older where you need to goAARP if CONSULTATION youand have to give up your license. License #HHA299991043

This article brought to you by: Lutheran Services of Florida. Kathleen J. Houseweart Director Sarasota Guardianship Program, 941-358-6330.

incapacitated person.” and support the least restrictive sa all Guardians. They must regularly file reports regarding plans of care, and financial expenditures. Most people will never need a guardian. If you The process is invasive plan and can but • about Advocacy - Educate the ward, th well, be talkexpensive, to family your wishes, and article brought to to you by: it This is designed protect the rights the “alleged prepare legal of documents to designate someone to the alternatives guardianship and Lutheran Services of Florida. incapacitated person.” take care of your affairs when you are no longer Kathleen J. Houseweart

AARP and AAA also offer several re drivers, including safety tips, classes a Guardianship Course in partner evaluation to help older drivers stay s providing community education to

Director Sarasota Guardianship able, a guardian would generally not be necessary. unexpected events can occur, and Program, 941-358-6330. Most people will never Unfortunately, need a guardian. If you

everyone plans well. plan well, talk to familynotabout your wishes, and prepare legal documents designate someone LSF Guardianship programto focuses on three areas: to take care of your affairs when you are no longer able, guardian would generally not be • aProtection - stepping in to protect thenecessary. individual from potential abuse Unfortunately, cananoccur, and neglect or unexpected exploitation byevents completing initial assessment to determine not everyone plans care needs andwell. protect the person, property and assets

Coordination promptly applying for benefits, coordinating services, LSF Guardianship program• focuses on three- areas:

www.veincenterflorida.com

overseeing card plans, medical appointments and any necessary treatment plans. All efforts are made to adhere to the ward’s wishes

•

Protection - stepping in to protect the individual from potential abuse and support the least restrictive safe environment. neglect or exploitation by completing an initial assessment to determine care needs and protect• theAdvocacy person, property assetstheir family and the community about - Educateand the ward,

•

Guardianship Course incoordinating partnership with SCF twice a year, and Coordination - promptly applying for benefits, services, providing appointments community education individuals and groups. overseeing card plans, medical and toany necessary treatment plans. All efforts are made to adhere to the ward’s wishes and support the least restrictive safe environment.

•

Advocacy - Educate the ward, their family and the community about guardianship and the alternatives. This includes facilitating the Family Guardianship Course in partnership with SCF twice a year, and providing community education to individuals and groups.

guardianship and the alternatives. This includes facilitating the Family

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FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

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arts&culture

ART UPTOWN GALLERY

FLORIDA SUNCOAST WATERCOLOR SOCIETY

ART CENTER SARASOTA

FLORIDA MARITIME MUSEUM

artsarasota.org | 941.365.2032 Elisabeth Condon, Jen Nugent and Jack Arbaugh, ASALH: Black Muse 2019, Work of He(art) Through March 1

floridamaritimemuseum.org | 941.708.6120 Spring Exhibit Opening: Always Ready | U.S. Coast Guard in Florida February 22

ART UPTOWN GALLERY artuptown.com| 941.955.5409 “Coral Reef Impressions” by William Swanson, painter January 26 – February 22

EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES embracingourdifferences.org | 941.404.5710 Exhibit in Island Park Through March 15

FINE ARTS SOCIETY OF SARASOTA fineartssarasota.org | 941.330.0680 Free Art Collection Tours Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall 10:00 AM February 5

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SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

FLORIDA SUNCOAST WATERCOLOR SOCIETY suncoastwatercolorsociety.com | 914.572.7777 Open Aqueous Watercolor Show Art Center Manatee January 15 through February 22 Mon, Fri, Sat 9–5; Tues, Wed, Thurs 9-6; closed Sun

RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART + DESIGN ringling.edu/campus-galleries | 941.359.7563 Decimo Aniiversaro Del Vetro: A Decade of Glass from the Richard and Barbara Basch Collection Through March 23

Interpolations: Artwork from The Ringling and Monda Collections Searing Galleries March 17 – September 8

THE RINGLING MUSEUM ringling.org | 941.359.5700 Knights February 3 – April 21 Interpolations: Artwork from The Ringling and Monda Collections Searing Galleries March 17 – September 8 Natasha Mazurka: Order Systems Monda Gallery March 17 – September 29 Fabric of India Searing Galleries July 7 – October 13

Have an upcoming visual art event? Send your event details to COMMUNICATIONS@SARASOTAARTS.ORG

TAKE YOUR DOG FOR A WALK

(and help us break a world record!) a fun, free, family- friendly, dog -friendly festival Bring your family, your friends, your dogs, and your friends’ dogs to our 2019 Walkathon and Waggin’ Tails Festival. Every dog counts as we attempt to break the world record for the most dogs wearing bandanas at a single event. And while we walk, together we’ll make a big impact for people with vision loss and veterans with disabilities.

Sign up online at www.GuideDogsWalkathon.org All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll free 1.800.435.7352 within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state. Registration number CH0475.

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Community Video Archives

Hall of Fame Video Premiere Luncheon

11:30am Monday, April 29, 2019 | Michael’s On East Ballroom

2019 Hall of Fame Honorees

LARRY THOMPSON

JULIE MILTON

JON THAXTON

GAYLE GUYNUP

. . . continued Being honored for a second time because of his numerous contributions, Dr. Thompson, president Ringling College of Art and Design since 1999, is transforming the way people think about art and design and the need for businesses to embrace creativity to thrive in the 21st-century global economy.

Publisher and Executive Editor of Sarasota Scene magazine, Julie covers our most celebrated and inspiring residents in an upbeat, positive take on our society. Under her leadership, Scene, the community’s longest running magazine, continues to thrive. Since 2007, she has donated well over a million dollars in advertising space in support of local nonprofits.

Jon Thaxton creates/implements Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s key strategies for transforming our region’s nonprofit community and providing leadership on emerging issues. Jon joined Gulf Coast in 2012 as director of community investment while completing his 12th year of service on the Sarasota County Commission, and was promoted to senior vice president in 2015.

Style magazine editor for the past 17 years, Gayle also works as social editor for the HeraldTribune Media Group, covering more than 250 charity fundraisers each year. In her earlier career, she was instrumental in starting Florida Winefest with Michael Klauber, the Comedy Festival, and the Klauber Family’s Connoisseur Club.

Induction into the Community Video Archives “Hall of Fame” with a professionally produced video biography of the honoree...which will live forever... is the most prestigious honor our community has to offer. RESERVATIONS AVAILABLE NOW. This event has been sold out since its inception. $90 per person. Tables of 10 ($900). Special “FRIENDS & FANS” tables, letting your FAVORITE HALL OF FAMER know you’re there cheering for him, may be reserved at $1000 per 10 seat table (if available).

RESERVATIONS: 941.365.7052 | CommunityVideoArchives@Gmail.com Community Video Archives is a 501 [c] 3 non-profit corporation

Annette Scherman

CVA Founder/President & Host

Chris Pfahler

Event Chair & Emcee

TH A N KS TO OU R SPONSORS

Josephine Hennelly

Renee Hamad FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

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arts&culture

LITERARY Scene By Ryan G. Van Cleave

THREE FINE BOOKS FOR THE YOUNGEST OF READERS GILDA THE GIANT SHEEP Age Range: 4-8 years by Emilio Urberuaga Originally published in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands 25 years ago, Gilda the Giant Sheep now appears in English with a few differences—mostly in terms of the updated art, which is even more adorable than the original and now depicts multiracial people. In this story, artist/illustrator Emilio Urberuaga presents a giant sheep that produces so much wool and milk that the 20 poor shepherds who care for her are simply exhausted. They decide it’d be easier on them to sell her for mutton versus continue to work so hard. But Gilda learns of their plan and runs away instead. The story is primarily about Gilda trying to find a new home. New York City? Nope—not a good fit. The circus? No way. But when Gilda overcomes her fear of water to rescue a (normal-sized) sheep, she finds happiness, purpose, and a new career that’s better suited for her big size (and big heart).

HAROLD LOVES HIS WOOLLY HAT Age Range: 3-7 years by Vern Kousky Author/illustrator Vern Kousky’s new book follows Harold, a bear, as he tries to get his beloved hat back from a crow that snatched it off his head. Harold tries to trade with the crow, offering worms and blueberries and even his secret shiny treasure. The crow accepts all of these gifts/bribes, but ultimately doesn’t give the hat back. Like any child whose toy has been taken, Harold finally hollers, “NOW WILL YOU GIVE ME BACK MY WOOLLY HAT?!” Still, the hat is not returned. So Harold climbs up the tree and prepares to take matters into his own hands . . . only to realize that his hat is now the bedding for three baby crows. That changes everything, including his hurt feelings. This sweet story teaches kids about selflessness and the rewards of helping others, as well as how finding out more information might just change a situation entirely. The pencil-and-watercolor art, too, is quite compelling and appropriate. Rating:

www.VernKousky.com

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SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2019

This new version also appears in Spanish (Gilda la Oveja Gigante), and people assure me that the Spanish version is equally delightful. This “triumph of a misfit” story is sure to please readers and adults alike, though some might be unhappy to hear anyone choose to sell such a sweet animal for meat. Rating:

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arts&culture

DUCK AND HIPPO: THE SECRET VALENTINE Age Range: 3-7 years Written by Jonathan London, Illustrated by Andrew Joyner

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Sir Frederick Ashton’s APPARITIONS George Balanchine’s STARS AND STRIPES Accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra Featuring Guest Artist

MARCELO GOMES Kate Honea & Ricardo Rhodes in George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes | Photography Frank Atura

The Sarasota Ballet Box Office: 941.359.0099 | www.SarasotaBallet.org

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did you know?

InHEALTH TREATMENTS FOR FEMALE CHANGES Karen O. Brainard, MD

Women have many times of transition in their lives—from a curious child to a young woman finding her place in the world, to a mature woman contributing to her home and greater society, to a senior woman rich with experience and eager to share the fruits of her life with others. Menopause is one of those transitions that can be anywhere from a challenging time of emotional and physical turmoil to a quiet release from hormonal cycling and childbearing concerns. One of my abiding interests as a family doctor has been helping women navigate the phases of their lives as their biology and functions change. Menopause is defined as one year without menses and it signals the end of reproductive capacity. The ten years around that time are referred to as perimenopause. During this time a woman’s ovaries are not always producing estrogen in the usual pattern, and ovulation may or may not take place. This erratic, then decreased production of estrogen and loss of cyclical progesterone causes about 75% of us many uncomfortable symptoms such as hot flushes and sweats or just a sensation of temperature instability. Growth hormone production decreases after age 40 and testosterone drops with the loss of ovarian function. For some women the drop in pregnenolone, which can also occur, may make thinking

a bit foggy. Just as some young women find themselves emotionally more sensitive and irritable around the time of their menses, some perimenopausal women have emotional swings. Sleep becomes disturbed for many, either because of flushes or sweats in the night, or just because the change in sex hormone levels can affect the function of neurotransmitters, resulting in a mind that does not quiet as easily as in past years. The passage of time reduces the frequency of symptoms by 50% per year for most. For those who suffer a severe degree of distress, there are many available therapies: traditional herbs, acupuncture, hormone replacement therapy, SSRI medications, and stress management techniques like yoga and meditation. Some women experience a drop in their sex drive, fatigue, weight gain, loss of muscle mass, osteoporosis and urinary control issues. Most every woman, over time, experiences thinning and dryness of the vulvar and vaginal tissues. This can become so severe that sexual relations are not possible without significant pain. Treatments for this problem include vaginal hormone therapy, lubricants, and fractional CO2 laser therapy. There are now many forms of

75% of women experience uncomfortable symptoms of hot flushes and sweats or a sensation of temperature instability. vaginal estrogen: creams, tablets, suppositories and rings. The hormone DHEA is converted into estrogen and testosterone by the cells that it comes in contact with, so it can be a therapy for women who must avoid estrogen and progesterone. Lubricants are a temporary help, but do not address the thinning of the cell layers of the vulvovaginal mucosa. Fractional CO2 laser stimulates growth of new cells from multiple tiny thermal injuries that extend a very short way below the surface. This technique has been used for decades in cosmetic facial skin rejuvenation. The Italians first worked on adapting this technology for mucosal tissues to address the needs of breast cancer patients, for whom hormones were out of the question. This treatment is quite effective, requires three treatments at six-week intervals initially, then a “refresher” treatment once a year. All the treatments directed at vulvovaginal mucosa also help with bladder function due to the benefits on urethral tissue. There is much to be done to ease this transition time if you find it challenging. There’s no need to suffer in silence with so many options now available! Dr. Karen O. Brainard Bradenton East Integrative Medicine 8614 E State Rd 70, Bradenton 941.727.1243 beimonline.com

FEBRUARY 2019 | SARASOTA SCENE

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on the town

Eat &Drink

DELICIOUS DISHES AND DRINKS + THE PERFECT PLACES TO PARTAKE

Sweets for the Sweets

Cakes By Ron

By Rick Dakan

February’s highlight dining date is Valentine’s Day which is, we all know, a terrible night to go out to dinner. Restaurants are crowded, menus are limited, prices may be a touch or two higher. So, in addition to Dan Savage’s advice to get in that special quality time with your romantic partner BEFORE you stuff yourself with fancy food and sweet desserts, my advice is don’t follow the crowds and find a different way to celebrate. Maybe even a different day. What I don’t advise is leaving out the desserts part, and here I’ve compiled a list of places to get your goodies for any sweet occasion. I have a deep and abiding and maybe even pathological love of French cuisine and especially pastries and viennoiserie. We’re blessed here in Sarasota with more than our fair share of good French bakeries, but my current go-to (and go-back-to) spot is Rendez-Vous (two locations: 5336 Clark Rd and 2117 Siesta Drive). Their bread is great, their breakfast and lunch are classic, and their pastries knock me out. A selection of their various tarts makes a great dinner-party dessert tray. For first thing in the morning though, I like a little less (but still a little) sugar. Rendez-Vous makes excellent brioche au sucre: soft, rich buns topped with a restrained sprinkle of hard sugar that has a nice crunch and perfectly complements my morning coffee. 1 34

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Okay, I only usually want to go light on the sugar. Sometimes I want donuts. Sometimes I want donuts made from croissants, because why not the best of both worlds? Five-O Donut Co (2241 Ringling Blvd) has been at the forefront of the new run of donut shops popping up around Sarasota, and they’re one of my favorites. As the sign says, open weekdays at 7 a.m., weekends at 8 a.m., closes when they’ve sold out. Warning: they’re gonna sell out. We’re all here in sunny Sarasota at least in part for the warm weather, and there’s a great joy to enjoying a frozen treat on a fine February afternoon. Pop Craft Pops (2095 Siesta Drive) is a great Sarasota success story, and you’ll find their delectable frozen treats in freezers and food trucks around town, but why not go to the source? Made from fresh ingredients with no artificial preservatives or corn syrup, the fruity, tangy, naturally sweet and intriguingly inventive popsicles from Pop Craft are a semi-healthy alternative to some of the other options I’m offering up here, but no less delicious. Plus, there’s chocolate ones too which, really, are some of my favorites. A Sarasota dessert institution for a reason, the Haye Loft (5540 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key) has been a go-to special or any occasion destination as long as I can remember. That means it’s going to be packed on Valentine’s night, so follow my advice and

on the town

Five-O Donuts Co go the night before or after. Specializing in pies and setting things on fire, the Haye Loft is a more casual, no reservations needed part of the fine dining restaurant (Euphemia Haye). There aren’t a lot of places to get flambéed desserts like Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee, but the Haye Loft has been doing these classics for decades. Or, if you don’t want any fire, there’s the homemade ice cream and the homemade pies and well, why not have some of each?

Pop Craft Pops Haye Loft

But let’s say you want to make your sweet day something truly special and spectacular. A luxurious, elegant profession of love in cake form. Maybe with an engagement ring in it? Or because you’re getting married that day? Then Cakes by Ron (3520 Fruitville Road) is the place to go. Another Sarasota landmark with decades of experience, Cakes by Ron creates amazing, beautiful, dare I say stunningly delicious bespoke cakes for special occasions. Those you need to order ahead and pay a much-deserved premium for. But then there are the cupcakes. There’s always a delightful selection ready to go, in the event you walk in, or you can custom order the perfect combo ahead of time and choose from seventeen different kinds of cake and twenty-six different fillings and frostings. There’s no shortage of literal sweetness in Sarasota, so here’s hoping we all have a lovely month full of love and deliciousness. FEBRUARY 2019 2019 || SARASOTA SARASOTA SCENE SCENE FEBRUARY

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Laughing MATTERS THE ONE WITH NO BLACK CATS by Ryan G. Van Cleave | Illustrations by Darcy Kelly-Laviolette

‘m superstitious. Not at a crazy level, mind you. It’s not like I juggle three chipmunks while facing north every February 4th to ensure my house doesn’t get destroyed by termites that year. (That IS crazy. Everyone knows you have to face SOUTH to make those little wood-munchers go after the neighbor’s place versus yours!)

You know the tune. It’s catchy as all heck, but people just don’t pay attention to lyrics often enough, do they? Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart”? It’s a vampire love song. Clearly. Lorde’s “Royals” is most assuredly about baseball great George Brett. And don’t get me started about what Justin Timberlake’s “Ayo Technology” is REALLY about.

But I avoid ladders. (Need that ceiling bulb changed? Want a gutter cleaned? That wasp nest way up yonder bugging you? “That’s why God invented handymen,” I assure my wife, who is never amused by this situation.)

Anyways—why am I waxing philosophic regarding superstitions? Because 2019 has 2—count ‘em, TWO!!!— Friday the 13th days. September and December. Both 13s. Both Fridays.

And I steer clear of any cat, black or otherwise. (Now this is partially to do with my devastating cat allergies. Not that my students should know this, but one could practically commit attempted murder against me by showing me a photo of a tabby. I’d sneeze all the way to Botswana!)

In short, 2019 has a pair of big bullseyes on it. Two snorts of impending doom. And I’m not afraid to admit that I’m more than a little nervous about this run-for-the-hills fact. If I could, I’d leapfrog 2019 and go right into 2020, which surely has to be better cued up for success.

And if anyone mentions “Macbeth” in a theater, well, it sure the heck won’t be me! (Though I’m anything but a theater guru, my theater guru friends tell me. After all, I’ve been known to confuse plays with musicals. Plus I firmly believe that Kanye West will be the next great Tony winner. And one time in a Hoboken Starbucks, I might’ve asked Lin-Manuel how hard it was to memorize all those lines.)

Now you might be asking: “Why aren’t I writing about this 2019 Friday the 13th situation in, say, September of 2019? Or perhaps last month as 2019 started?” The reason is obvious. It’s because I just realized this horrendous fact right now, having been using a 2017 calendar for the first few weeks of January without realizing why I kept missing meetings.

But it’s like I said—I have a healthy and entirely appropriate level of appreciation for superstitions. As Stevie Wonder wisely states in that famous song of the same name (and I might be paraphrasing here): Be very superstitious, or you’ll tumble off a wall. Be super superstitious, or you’ll be haunted by the terrifying ghost of Andy Warhol!

Look—we’ve got to talk to the calendar people and get this under control. We’re playing with superstitious fire here. There are potentially cosmic repercussions to be had. Don’t believe in the awesome, nefarious power of Friday the 13th? Refuse to buy into the friggastriskaidekaphobia like me? Let’s review the data.

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insider 1—October 13, 2006. A freak snowfall, called the “Friday the 13th Blizzard,” dropped 22 inches on Buffalo, NY in 1 day. 2—On June 13, 1986. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson were born. 3—Aug 13, 1521. Conquistador Hernán Cortés captured Cuauhtémoc (the ruler of Tenochtitlán), claiming his city for Spain and marking the end of the Aztec Empire. 4—1979. Paul Hawson received this letter: “Thank you for submitting your demo tape. We have listened with careful consideration, but feel it is not suitable for us at present. We wish you luck with your future careers.” Who’s Paul Hawson? Bono. And the band being rejected by RSO is U2. Even weirder, the demo tape was both SENT IN and REJECTED on a Friday 13th. (This last fact might be less true than the other facts of this anecdote). 5—Loads and loads of other scary things. Trust me. Given this amazing preponderance of anti- Friday the 13th evidence, I think my plans for 2019 have changed. I might soon be booking a flight to Ireland to give that Blarney Stone a big smackeroo. It’s the only chance we’ve got, honestly. Better sooner than later. So if next month’s humor column has a hint of an Irish brogue throughout and ends with “Well, now look at the state o’you!” or perhaps “May misfortune follow you for the rest of your life . . . and never catch up!” You’ll know why!

Got your own things to be superstitious about? Want to explain why we all should avoid eating buffalo wings from 3:44pm to 3:51pm every second Thursday of the month? Need to explain why you absolutely can’t remove that swarm of Africanized honey bees from your attic? Feel like finally explaining why Russians WANT birds to poop on their cars? Send all those gems to ryan@scenesarasota.com right this moment!

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The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota are not owned, developed or sold by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. or its affiliates (“Ritz-Carlton”). New Grande Residences LP uses The Ritz-Carlton marks under a license from Ritz-Carlton, which has not confirmed the accuracy of any of the statements or representations made herein. *Developer is not affiliated with The Ritz-Carlton Beach Club or Golf Club. Initiation Fee for Gold Membership is included with Purchase. Consult Membership Document for complete details.

Broker Participation is welcomed and encouraged. ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SELLER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A SELLER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. This project has been filed in the state of Florida and no other state. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of offers to buy the condominium units in states where such offer or solicitation cannot be made. Prices and availability are subject to change at any time without notice.