Arts Patrons Honored
the Phoenix Chamber Music Society, the Barrow Neurological Foundation, Arizona Theatre Company, ASU’s Friends Arizona Opera renames plaza after longtime advocates of Jewish Studies, the Harvard Club of Phoenix and the Phoenix Country BY LAURA LATZKO Day School. Even when they had busy Many arts supporters make schedules with work and family, meaningful contributions to local they tried to stay involved with organizations. Some individuals, the arts. such as Robert (Bob) and Shosha“We felt the community has na Tancer, have an even greater been very good to us, and we are influence in the Phoenix arts comgiving back to it,” Shoshana says. munity. Specter was friends with Bob In honor of the couple, the Ariand Shoshana. zona Opera is renaming the Arizo“Bob and Shoshana have not na Opera Center’s courtyard the just been colleagues and board Shoshana B. and Robert S. Tancer members. They have been Plaza. among me and my family’s clos“Bob and Shoshana have been est friends,” Specter says. “That for five decades such important is a testament to how Bob and people, not just to the community Shoshana engage, because there at large but to the arts community are so many people whose lives in particular and most especially have been touched by their work to Arizona Opera,” says Joseph that feel a similar closeness.” Specter, Arizona Opera’s presiBob’s energy and mindfulness dent and general director. inspired Specter. “They are the kind of wonderful “It’s a huge loss for us to not people for whom we do all of this have him here. The naming of the work. They’ve worked so tirelessly The Arizona Opera is renaming the Arizona Opera Center’s courtyard Shoshana B. and Robert S. Tancer Plaza in honor of the couple, plaza for Bob and for Shoshana, to help us realize our value to the the pictured here. (Submitted photo) these two special people, gives us community, connecting us with a chance to celebrate that memory, enpeople. It just seemed proper to be able velopment committee chairman. Specter says Bob had a special way of ergy and spirit that certainly embodies to celebrate them in this way. “ them but also are infused into the comcommunicating with others. A ceremony will be held later this year, “Bob was so magical in his approach. In pany that they spent so much time suppossibly in the fall. The announcement came shortly after Bob’s death on March a conversation with him, you just always porting and championing,” Specter says. Shoshana and Bob witnessed the felt you were the most special person in 17. Phoenix arts evolution for more than 50 The couple, who were lawyers and pro- the world,” Specter says. Shoshana is a past president of the years. Shoshana says it’s important to fessors with the Thunderbird School of Global Management, were married for Phoenix Opera League and has served have a thriving art community. “We were delighted to be able to par65 years and had four children together. as chairwoman for the Arizona Opera’s They met in junior high and married their special events. She has been an Arizona ticipate in the growth and development first year of law school. They moved to Opera honorary trustee since 2015 and of various arts forms,” Shoshana says. Bob fell in love with opera at a young Phoenix 50 years ago from the Domini- joined the opera’s board this spring. Along with his contributions to the Ar- age and was given a subscription to the can Republic. The two have been very active in the izona Opera, Bob served as chairman for standing room at the Metropolitan Oparts community and involved with orga- OPERA America’s National Opera Center era for his bar mitzvah. “His parents were afraid that if he did nizations like the Arizona Opera. Shosha- Board of Overseers and was later on the na says having the plaza renamed after organization’s national board of direc- not have the subscription, he would just be standing in line and probably her and her husband means a lot because tors. Recently, Shoshana became a member wouldn’t be able to get his homework of her and her husband’s love of the arts. She never anticipated that the Arizona of the organization’s National Opera Cen- done,” Shoshana says. Bob and Shoshana instilled a love of Opera would honor her and Bob in this ter Board of Overseers. Bob and Shoshana have also been on the arts in not just their children but their way. “I am absolutely overwhelmed. I think the National Patrons Council for the Op- grandchildren and great-grandchildren. it is incredible and completely unexpect- era Theatre of St. Louis, after being ac- Shoshana says this was one of her motivators for being so involved in the arts. quainted with it through its co-founder. ed,” Shoshana says. “We wanted for our children and Locally, the couple has supported or Bob served as the opera company’s board chairman for two terms, from 1999 held leadership roles on the boards of grandchildren—other people’s children to 2001 and 2015 to 2017. He has also held Act One, Ballet Arizona, the Desert Bo- as well—to be enriched by various art other roles for the company, such as de- tanical Garden, the Phoenix Symphony, forms,” Shoshana says. www.LovinLife.com
Talks...continued from page 11 front of the camera to be actors?’ we asked each other. We realized voice-over work was heavenly because we didn’t have to put on makeup, fix our hair or get dressed up. And we could read from scripts—no lines to memorize. We both decided right there to go into voice-over acting. June became one of the most famous (e.g., Rocky of ‘Rocky and Bullwinkle’) and I went on to do about 600 cartoon voiceovers.” Although it’s been nearly 70 years since Kerry’s famous fairy job, her tiny-winged alter ego has never been far away especially during the numerous fan conventions she’s attended for decades. She plans to continue giving talks and lectures. “Tinker Bell and I share some characteristics. We’re perky and adventurous,” says Kerry, who turned 91 in May. “I think getting married and moving to Florida after living 90 years in California counts as an adventure!” Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama and has written features, columns and interviews for over 800 newspapers and magazines.
AUGUST 2020
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