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SRQ DAILY Mar 22, 2019

Friday Weekend Edition

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Friday Weekend Edition

"It takes a lot of practice to make things look like a mistake."

- Don Stephenson, "Noises Off"
 

[Theater]  Scaling the Heights of Comedy at Asolo Repertory Theatre
Philip Lederer, Phil.Lederer@srqme.com

In some circles, says director Don Stephenson, Noises Off is simply considered the funniest show ever written. “That’s a good thing,” he says, and the truth of this judgment seems self-evident, especially for the Asolo Repertory Theatre audience that buys tickets. However, in certain, smaller, circles, Noises Off has also been referred to as the “Mount Everest of farces,” due to its complexity and demands on the cast and crew. It may be a British sex farce about a British sex farce gone terribly wrong, but the whole thing only works when everything goes terribly right. “It’s an extremely hard show,” Stephenson admits, but he’s scaled this mountain before.

He’s made the summit twice before, in fact, and Stephenson comes to this third bit of theatrical mountaineering a seasoned veteran. There’s no shortcut, he says, and no oxygen reserves once the climb begins, but Stephenson has learned the secret to success. “I know how to rehearse it,” he says.

The process takes time, and he begins months in advance, making the ascent one step at a time and piece by piece. He remembers tackling the complicated blocking on his coffee table at home, borrowing his son’s action figures and rehearsing actors’ movements with Captain America and Iron Man, sometimes calling a family member into the room to maneuver Wonder Woman as well.

By the time Stephenson gets to set, he knows where to direct his focus and how to allocate time, for himself and his actors—who have to master three acts of very similar but not quite identical dialogue, while appearing the most incompetent crew since Shakespeare’s mechanicals. “It takes a lot of practice to make things look like a mistake,” Stephenson says, and earlier this week the cast and crew spent two hours perfecting a moment that will last all of 40 seconds.

But, when that moment comes onstage, Stephenson knows the audience will laugh.

Currently onstage at Asolo Repertory Theatre, Noises Off runs through April 20. 

Pictured: Andrew Hardaway and Katie Sah in a promotional video for Asolo Repertory Theatre's "Noises Off." Photo by John Revisky, video by Asolo Repertory Theatre.

[Museum]  Ringling College Museum Campus Announces Opening Timeline

Ringling College of Art and Design has announced the opening timeline for the Ringling College Museum Campus. As the college’s community-centric campus, the Ringling College Museum Campus will house the Sarasota Museum of Art at Ringling College and the Ringling College School of Continuing Studies (SCS), which includes the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Ringling College. Between May and December of 2019, the college will finalize preparations for and construction of the facilities and move the Museum and SCS staff onto the campus in accordance with the following timeline.

May: Complete campus construction

August: Museum and SCS staff move into new facility; museum announces opening exhibitions schedule

September: Registration begins for SCS Fall 2019 classes

September-November: SCS Fall classes begin at the Museum Campus; museum Docent Training Program

December: Museum Grand Opening Black Tie Gala; museum opens to First 500 Members; museum opens to all

Mid-January 2020: Museum Winter/Spring Educational Program launches; SCS classes resume 

Rendering courtesy of Terry Riley, Principal, Keenan Riley Architects.

[Theater]  FST Announces NNPN Women in Playwriting Festival

Florida Studio Theatre has announced that, in association with the National New Play Network (NNPN), it will produce and host the NNPN Women in Playwriting Festival this spring. Part of FST’s Sarasota Festival of New Plays, this three-week Festival will take place throughout April and May, with staged readings of the featured plays in FST’s Keating Theatre on April 26, May 3 and May 10, and in FST’s Bowne’s Lab Theatre on April 24.

The four playwrights featured in this Festival—Sarah Bierstock, Minita Gandhi, Jacqueline Goldfinger, and Lia Romeo—will each come to Sarasota for a week of rehearsals and development sessions with FST’s artistic staff. At the end of each week, a staged reading of their play will be performed, followed by a talkback session in which the playwrights will receive feedback.

The series of staged readings is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Reservations can be made online at the website below, by phone at (941) 366-9000 or by visiting the FST Box Office. 

Florida Studio Theatre

[Opera]  Sarasota Opera Celebrates 60 Seasons with Anniversary Concert/Dinner

On Friday, April 5, Sarasota Opera will present a concert and dinner in commemoration of its 60th season of bringing world-class opera to Florida’s Gulf Coast. The festivities will begin at 5pm in the historic Sarasota Opera House, with selections from the most celebrated moments of Sarasota Opera’s 60 seasons. Sopranos Kara Shay Thomson and Hanna Brammer, tenor Jonathan Burton, baritone Marco Nisticò and bass Young Bok Kim—with John Spencer IV at the piano—will sing highlights including “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s Tosca, “Cortigiani vil razza dannata” from Verdi’s Rigoletto, the trio from Gounod’s Faust, the duet from Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, and Catalani’s beloved “Ebben! Ne andrò lontana” from La Wally. Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi and Executive Director Richard Russell will host the event. The concert will be followed by a Celebration Dinner at the Art Ovation Hotel.

Tickets for the concert start at $10. The Diamond Anniversary Celebration Dinner is $295 per person and includes premium seating at the concert. 

Sarasota Opera

[Food]  Forks & Corks Announces Rescheduled Master Class Wine Seminar

Rescheduled from its original January date due to inclement weather, the 2019 Forks & Corks Food & Wine Festival is offering foodies a second chance to experience its one-of-a-kind University Master Class on May 4. Led by seven world-renowned industry professionals and winemakers, this exclusive Wine Seminar will showcase 14 award-winning wines from around the globe.

Guests will swirl, sip and savor as the passionate and accomplished panel leads them on a guided tour of wine from around the globe. Following the theme of “Technique & Terroir: A Discussion of Old World & New World Wines,” the event will feature wines from California, Oregon, Portugal, Italy and more. Among the seven panelists are Steve Reynolds, Winemaker and Owner of Reynolds Family Winery; Bill Wolf, Winemaker and Owner of Eagle Eye Winery; Lorenzo Gatteschi, Winemaker for Podere Ciona; John Zelko, Winemaker and Owner of Z’IVO Wines.; and Bertrand Ambroise, Winemaker and Owner of Domaine Bertrand Ambroise.

Tickets are just $50 and include admission to the Master Class and admission to the Michael’s Wine Cellar Retail Tasting, immediately following. 

https://tickets.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?t=tix&e=55cde2ef9c993d8953140f250f2744bb&vqitq=ebaac9f1-6071-4085-aa63-7a0b17bfe512&vqitp=ccf9a029-909f-4b38-b929-4096d39a44b0&vqitts=1552415652&vqitc=vendini&vqite=itl&vqitrt=Safetynet&vqith=f4a89bb1b826ce

[Music]  Artist Series Concerts Announces Fundraiser Gala "With Eyes to the Future"

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota (ASC) has announced its annual fundraiser gala, “With Eyes to the Future,” on Thursday, April 11, 6pm, at Michael’s On East Ballroom. The event features live music by the Bill Buchman Trio plus performances by soprano Katherine Herbert and trumpeter Luca Stine, area students and winners at last April’s Suncoast Music Scholarships, an annual competition funded by ASC and the Sarasota Music Club. The evening will also include cocktails, dinner, a live auction, drawings and more. Proceeds from the gala will benefit ASC’s music scholarship awards, educational outreach programs and performance opportunities for promising young musicians. Tickets are $175 and invitations can be requested by calling 941-306-1202. Reservations must be made by April 4. 

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota



[TODAY]  GALA: Ain't Misbehaving , March 21 – April 7

A musical tribute to the black musicians of the Harlem Renaissance and the new “swing” beat, experience the jazz scene—uptown, downtown, raffish and startling beautiful atmosphere. Come, swing and jive to such songs as “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” “I’m Going To Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter,” “The Joint is Jumpin’” and, of course, “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”

Stone Hall: Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W, Bradenton

[TODAY]  THEATER: Cirque Des Voix , March 22 – March 24

A Key Chorale special event, Cirque des Voix is a performance unlike any other. See world-class circus artists combine with the 100+ voices of the Key Chorale and the musical mastery of the 40-piece Cirque Orchestra to produce one of the most unforgettable productions you’ll ever experience.

The Mall University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Dr., Sarasota,

[SOON]  GALA: Avant-Garde: A Magical Evening , March 23

Wizards and sorcerers. Magicians and illusionists. Fairies and elves. Genies and dragons. Singer Stevie Nicks or Titania, Queen of Fairyland? Harry Potter or Harry Houdini? Midsummer Night’s Dream or Puff the Magic Dragon? The magical world beckons you to step through the sliding doors of illusion and onto the dazzling Ringling College campus, where we will honor the most wondrous beings in our realm - Ringling College students. Reserve your seats now for this spellbinding evening.

[SOON]  BUSINESS: Collaboration Celebration , March 26, 11:30am – 1pm

How does a place create a community? We know from research that a person’s zip code is a more reliable determinant of health than their genetic code. Why then, do we still struggle with poverty, addiction and homelessness in this region of beauty and prosperity?

Join us for our annual luncheon in March, where guest speaker Elma J. Felix-Lamontagne, AICP, will deliver a presentation about how places help to shape the identity of a community.

The Westin Sarasota, 100 Marina View Dr, Sarasota, FL 34236

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: Piano Pizzazz Meets Fiddle Finesse , March 26

Good food and great music is always a perfect pairing. In this performance, enjoy a "West Side Story Medley", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "And I Love Her", "Fiddler on the Toof Medley" and a nod to the classics with "Beethoven With a Twist!"

Plantation Golf & Country Club, 500 Rockley Blvd., Venice

[SOON]  GALA: HospitaBull , March 26

Enjoy a night of exquisite dining while supporting USF Sarasota-Manatee’s Hospitality Management program. This dining experience is organized, prepared and served by USFSM students and faculty. Students in the restaurant management, event management and food prep courses organize, plan and execute each aspect of the event from start to finish.

The Ritz-Carlton, 1111 Ritz Carlton Dr., Sarasota

[SOON]  FOOD: Wine Walk to Ca' d'Zan , March 29, 6:00PM

This is a wine pairing experience unlike any other. Each individually themed station features exciting food and wine pairings along with activities and entertainment throughout the Ringling estate. Taste a variety of wines from Total Wine & More and engage with their wine experts while enjoying culinary delights from Sarasota's top caterers.

The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: New Stages Contemporary Performance Series: Union Tanguera + Kate Weare , March 29 – March 30

U.S. Choreographer Kate Weare collaborates with French tango ensemble to reveal the formal strengths and distinctions between Argentine tango and contemporary dance partnering. Performed by three tango dancers and two contemporary dancers with live music performed by Argentinean composer Gustavo Beytlemann.

[SOON]  HEALTH: Women & Medicine Educational Luncheon , March 29, 10:30AM - 1:30PM

This year marks the 7th Anniversary of Women & Medicine and will support the Internal Medicine Residency Program at SMH. This educational luncheon features informative presentations and discussions from Sarasota Memorial Physicians. The topic of this luncheon will be, How to Be A Parter in Good Health [Making the Most of Your Physician Relationship]

Michael's on East, 1212 East Avenue, Sarasota

[SOON]  GALA: Meow Masquerade , March 29, 6:30 PM - 10:00PM

Cat Depot’s Mardi Gras-themed, Meow Masquerade, will take place at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota on Friday, March 29, 2019 from 6:30-10 p.m. Guests will be treated to a variety of entertainment featuring performances by The Circus Arts Conservatory, Gumbo Boogie Zydeco Band, and DJ Jay. The good times will roll with a delicious plated dinner, handcrafted cocktails, premium raffle, and silent auction. Enjoy an interactive photo booth with TapSnap, and face painting by Pixie Painting. Tickets are $150. Please email claudiah@catdepot.orgor call 941-366-2404 for more information. Tickets available online – www.catdepot.org

Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota FL

[SOON]  FOOD: Beer, Bands, and BBQ , March 30, 11:00AM - 4:00PM

The Music Compound’s 5th annual Beer, Bands & BBQ is back on March 30, 2019 from 11 am - 4 pm. It will be hosted at a new location, the courtyard of The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave. Sarasota.

Look forward to 10 bands including Kara & Kaleidogroove, students from Music Compound will perform between sets. Food trucks and beer will be available throughout the day.

Admission is free and you are encouraged to bring your own lawn chair.

VIP wrist bands are available for $15 and include food samplings and a beer.

The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota

[SOON]  GRAB BAG: Circus Angel Scavenger Hunt , March 30

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Join us for the Greatest Circus Scavenger Hunt in Sarasota!  Fun for all ages, The Circus Angel Scavenger Hunt is a benefit for the Showpeople's Winter Quarters, established in 2015 by The Circus and Traveling Shows Retirement Project, Inc.a 501 (c) (3) organization which helps provide affordable housing assistance for elderly or infirm circus performers in the Southwest Florida area.

The scavenger hunt  includes 6 circus theme stops, live entertainment , giveaways and gift bags. You will have enough time to enjoy each stop, solve riddles with clues to find the little circus angels missing wing. The Grand finale is at 2:30 back at the registration hall at St. Martha's Church on Orange Avenue in Sarasota where the “All Aboard” Grand Prize package, a gourmet dinner served in the private "Silver Car'  on an Original Circus Train, will be awarded to the winning team of up to 6 people. 

Scavenger Hunt is by auto, in and around 5 miles of downtown Sarasota. Important: this is not a race. Tickets are reserved by emailing srqlynn@gmail.com  and are available for purchase from The Circus and Traveling Shows Retirement Project, Inc. on Venmo  via Lynn McDonald @ Lynn-McDonald-16384.  $25 per person. Two to six people per car to qualify. 

[SOON]  THEATER: Wednesday's Child , April 3 – May 24

A world premiere from Mark St Germain, when a young surrogate mother is found dead, a police investigation explodes the lives of everyone who knew her. As Detective aleece Valez and Walt Dixon begin to put the pieces together, secrets surface, alibis weaken, and lies are uncovered. This dramatic new play explores motherhood, passion, and the thin line between right and wrong.

Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 North Palm Ave., Sarasota

[SOON]  FOOD: TGIF 2019 Best of SRQ Local Party , April 5, 5-8pm

Join us to experience an evening of award-winning bites and imbibes as voted on by the readers of SRQ Magazine in this annual TGIF Best of SRQ Local Party on Friday, April 5th from 5-8pm at the Aloft Sarasota Hotel in Downtown Sarasota. 15+ Restaurants. Cocktail Samplings. Live DJ in the Courtyard. Celebrating the best locally owned establishments in the region, SRQ MEDIA asks our astute readers to vote for their favorite local eats, shopping, arts, luminaries and hotspots culminating in the buzzworthy special "Best of SRQ Local" awards feature published in the April edition. Celebrate your TGIF with the best our region has to offer—we will highlight local experiences—from new restaurants to the memorable theatre productions, from our community's best achievements to seriously talented chefs. Tickets on sale at SRQMAG.COM/BestOf.

Aloft Sarasota Hotel, 1401 Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota, FL

[SOON]  THEATER: The Cake in the Cook Theatre , April 5 – April 28

Faith, family and frosting collide in this heartfelt new comedy. Thirty-something Jen wants her deceased mother’s best friend Della, a struggling baker, to create her wedding cake. She returns from New York with her betrothed to her North Carolina hometown and finds that Della will honor her wish, until she discovers that there are two brides. Moral quandaries and lots of butter collide in this new play told with generosity, humor, and more than a few surprises.

Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 North Tamiami Trl., Sarasota

[SOON]  FESTIVAL: 21st Annual Sarasota Film Festival , April 5 – April 14

Held annually in Sarasota, FL, The Sarasota Film Festival emphasizes the best in cinema alongside exciting programs and events, with more than 200 films screened each year including features, documentaries, shorts, and kid-friendly picks. Entering our 21st year, we’re proud to bring the best new and established independent filmmakers to our Festival with local and kid-friendly programs that showcase our idyllic Gulf Coast community. The festival is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization and also offers a year-round educational program, which reaches thousands of local students through classic film showcases, film contests, summer camps and instructional workshops. This year the festival will take place April 5th – 14th, 2019.

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

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