FRIDAY, JAN. 13, <strong>2023</strong> 6:30 - 9:30 P.M. • RITZ-CARLTON, SARASOTA KEYNOTE SPEAKER & PERFORMER JENNIFER HOLLIDAY LEE AND BOB PETERSON LEGACY LEGACY AWARD RECIPIENTS JOAN AND BOB GEYER, ACADEMY AT GLENGARY The Inspiring Hope Dinner is presented by Sunshine from Darkness, a subsidiary of the Lee and Bob Peterson Foundation. Proceeds will benefit local mental health services provided by Harvest House and Teen Court of Sarasota, and cutting-edge research funded by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. THANKS TO MEDIA SPONSOR Tickets and information: SunshineFromDarkness.org 6 WEST COAST WOMAN <strong>JANUARY</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
out &about Special Events This year’s Sunshine From Darkness Inspiring Hope Dinner, themed “Shining a Light on Mental Illness,” will be held on January 13 at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. Grammy and Tony Award-winning actress – and the original star of “Dreamgirls” – Jennifer Holliday will be the keynote speaker and will perform at the event. The gala will also feature dancing to the music of Quintessence, and a performance by the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Young Artists Ensemble. During the festivities, the Lee and Bob Peterson Legacy Award will be presented to Joan and Bob Geyer of the Academy at Glengary. Proceeds will benefit Harvest House and Teen Court of Sarasota, and the mental health research funded by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. For more information, contact Marlene Hauck (941-504-6717 or marlene@sunshinefromdarkness.org) or visit sunshinefromdarkness.org. t Venice Symphony Night at the Museum is on January 6-7. The Venice Symphony will transport you to your favorite museum with music from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Mummy, Night at the Museum and The Da Vinci Code. Concertmaster Marcus Ratzenboeck dazzles with his violin solo on Camille Saint Saens’ Danse Macabre. Then music and art meet in fashion in Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel and performed by The Venice Symphony at full strength. Next up is Cinematic Romance on February 3 and 4. Fall in love all over again with music from Casablanca, Romeo and Juliet and Gone With the Wind. Superstar violinist Sandy Cameron will perform Danny Elfman’s Edward Scissorhands Suite, The Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso and the Tango from Scent of a Woman. Finally, you will be treated to the Symphony’s premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s sweeping Symphonic Dances from the enduring classic West Side Story. www.thevenicesymphony.org t Sarasota Ballet Program 4 rings in the new year with The Sarasota Ballet back at the FSU Center for a mix of the historic and the novel. Running January 27-30, the program begins with a world premiere by choreographer and dancer Arcadian Broad. Broad has gained national recognition not only as a performer, but also as a choreographer and composer—creating ballets for Orlando Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and DanceWorks Chicago. Next, American director and choreographer Jessica Lang, having garnered acclaim through her more than two decades’ work with American Ballet Theatre, stages her latest ballet for its inaugural Sarasota performance. Choreography is by the dancers of The Sarasota Ballet with sets and projections by Roxane Revon and costumes by designer Jillian Lewis. This world premiere marks the first collaboration between Lang and The Sarasota Ballet. The program closes with a Sir Frederick Ashton classic, Façade. Combining Ashton’s tongue-in-cheek choreography with Sir William Walton’s t knowing take on the popular songs and dances of the 1920’s, Façade is a rich and delightful affair. Tickets: www.SarasotaBallet.org or call 941-359-0099. Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota Next up is in their Lunch & Listen Series at the Sarasota Yacht Club that spotlights gifted young artists in concert at 11 a.m. followed by lunch at 12:15 p.m. Young Concert Artists’ classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang, praised for her captivating stage presence, plays February 9. Wang is the only accordionist to ever win a place on the roster of Young Concert Artists in its 61-year history. She has debuted at both Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center and was named Musical America’s New Artist of the Month in 2018. Their Lighter Fare Series offers classic jazz and musical theater favorites outdoors at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens downtown campus and indoors at Plantation Golf & Country Club in Venice. Metropolitan Opera soprano Danielle Talamantes and her husband Kerry Wilkerson, bass-baritone, perform classics from the Great American Songbook and musical theater on January 18. Their Tuesdays at the Historic Asolo Theater series has Grammy-nominated Dover Quartet – one of the most in-demand chamber ensembles in the world. The Dover Quartet with Joel Link, violin; Bryan Lee, violin; Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola; Camden Shaw, cello, perform on January 10 at the Historic Asolo Theater. Their performance includes works by Beethoven and Mendelssohn. Danielle Talamantes, soprano, and Kerry Wilkerson, bass-baritone with Joseph Holt, piano, perform on January 18, followed by dinner at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice. Steven Moeckel, violin, and Joanna Goldstein, piano perform on January 29 and 30 at the Fischer/Weisenborne Residence. Celebrated violinist Steven Moeckel is concertmaster of the Santa Fe Opera. Moeckel first appeared as a concerto soloist at the age of eight. t At The Hermitage: “Violin and Voice” features Hermitage Fellows Lady Jess (shown) and Terry Guest who will perform on January 12 on the Hermitage Beach. Violinist, arts leader, and advocate Lady Jess combines talents with award-winning playwright Terry Guest. Since then, he has continued to perform throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia as a concerto soloist, concertmaster, and recitalist. This program features the works of women composers. Refreshments served following each performance. For information, visit ArtistSeries Concerts.org or call 941-306-1202. Choral Artists The Choral Artists of Sarasota has The Children’s March: A moving and dramatic oratorio by Philadelphia composer Andrew Bleckner, which takes you on a journey to an historical event during the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s. Incorporating traditional African-American styles and spirituals, the work shows the incivility of segregation through the innocence and optimistic spirit of children. Guest artist: J. Warren Mitchell, tenor and Choral Artists soloists Maiya Stevenson, soprano; Amy Jo Connours, alto; Krista Laskowski, mezzo-soprano; Baron Garriott, tenor; John Whittlesey, baritone and Jesse Martin, baritone. Narrated by Charlayne Hunter-Gault. Held on March 5, 7 p.m., at Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. For tickets, visit www.ChoralArtistsSarasota.org or call 941-387-4900. t The Sarasota Orchestra Masterworks: • January 5, 6, 7, 8: Mahler: View of Heaven – Peter Oundjian, conductor. James Ehnes, violin with Laquita Mitchell, soprano performing Sibelius – Violin Concerto; Mahler – Symphony No. 4. • A Romantic Affair – February 2, 3, 4, 5 with Peter Oundjian, conductor. Nobuyuki Tsujii, piano performing Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 4; Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2 and Brahms – Symphony No. 1 • The Pops series: Pops performances will take place at the Van Wezel. Next up is the Music of Billy Joel and Elton John – January 20 and 21 with Stuart Chafetz, conductor and Michael Cavanaugh, vocals/piano. t • Great Escapes: The Great Escapes series is one of Sarasota Orchestra’s most popular, offering a mix of light classics and popular favorites in themed programs. In this series, conductors share stories and commentary throughout each performance. Great Escapes performances will take place at Holley Hall. • A Little Night Music – January 11-15 with Christopher Confessore, conductor The Chamber Soirées: • January 22: Scottish Songs with Susan Platts, mezzo-soprano. Brahms – Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano. Schubert - Auf Dem Strom and Beethoven – Selected Songs from Schottische Lieder. For information, visit www.Sarasota Orchestra.org. Sarasota Orchestra’s Free Parks Concerts continues. Taking place in a variety of venues in Sarasota and Manatee counties, the series showcases musicians of the Orchestra in a chamber music setting. While all performances are family-friendly, the season includes two playground appearances geared toward the youngest of listeners Capacity at the outdoor venues is limited. Admission is free at all locations, but it’s recommended you register to reserve a space. Registration links can be found at SarasotaOrchestra.org. • Next up: Waterside Place Pavilion – Pop-Up Performance with Sarasota Brass Quintet on January 22 at 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. t At The Hermitage On January 6, “Distinction and Unity” featuring Hermitage Fellows DaMaris B. Hill, Molly Joyce, and Kenneth Tam. Held on the Hermitage Beach. Join three Hermitage Fellows spanning literature, music, and visual art, each working through different styles and life experiences. • “Violin and Voice” featuring Hermitage Fellows Lady Jess and Terry Guest perform on January 12 on the Hermitage Beach. Violinist, arts leader, and advocate Lady Jess combines talents with award-winning playwright Terry Guest. This duo will share words and music inspired by their experiences living and making work in t the U.S. and around the world. • “Man V. Nature: The Art of the Story Collection” featuring Hermitage Fellow Diane Cook is on January 20 at Bookstore1 (Downtown Sarasota). Award-winning author Diane Cook’s debut work Man V. Nature is a collection of stories “told with perfect rhythm and unyielding brutality” (goodreads). Hear the creator of this work read selections from the text and discuss the intricacies of weaving a story collection around a theme. The bookstore is at 117 S Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. • Hermitage’s “Artists and Thinkers” online series begins with “Kareem Fahmy’s Distinct Society” on January 23. Fahmy’s play tells the story of a sleepy library that straddles the U.S.-Canada border as it becomes an unlikely crucible for five people all grappling with the “Muslim ban” in various ways. Dive into the literary, historical, and cultural considerations that influenced the writer as well as the characters and what examining their actions reveals about us. • The “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” series continues on January 26 with 2022 Hermitage Major Theater Award Winner Shariffa Ali. This theatermaker from South Africa is joined by singer, collaborator, and Ali’s friend Vuyo Sotashe to share insights into the plan for her new commission. The work is centered on small-town South Africa where a middle school choir, their principal, and their parents conspire to disguise the town’s most beloved singer as a girl in order to have him sing as a female soloist in a national competition. Learn about the origin for this commission in its early stages, hear text and songs that could influence the story, and get to know the theater-makers creating the work. Hermitage Artist Retreat, 6630 Manasota Key Road, Englewood. Register at: HermitageArtistRetreat.org . Sarasota Opera The <strong>2023</strong> Winter Opera Festival will open on February 18 with Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. A young geisha known affectionately as Madama Butterfly is swept off her feet by an American Naval officer. Left with a promise that he would return one day, Butterfly waits faithfully for three years, but is met with heartbreak in one of opera’s most enduring tragedies. Ten performances: February 18, 21, 23, 26(m), and March 1, 4(m), 10, 15, 21(m), and 24. Madama Butterfly was last seen in 2017. For information & tickets, visit SarasotaOpera.org, call (941) 328-1300. t Art Galleries Art Uptown Gallery has Liz Trostli’s artwork through January 31. In “Femmes Fatales‚” digital artist Elisabeth Trostli aims to show how female artistic subjects can be sensual and strong at the same time. This is Trostli’s first solo exhibit at the gallery, where she has been showing pieces for three years. Art Uptown Gallery: 1367 Main Street gallery. Info: www.artuptown.com. t Ringling College Galleries presents Lost Summer; a collection of landscape paintings created by Ringling College Alumna, Lee Mayer (Commercial Art 72’). In this t continued on page 8 <strong>JANUARY</strong> <strong>2023</strong> WEST COAST WOMAN 7
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