Mary Damiano Photo by David Vance

Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

This is the first issue of Volume 3 of MiamiARTzine.com, and with it we’re instituting a new feature, Hot Shot. This will be our favorite photo in the issue, one that captures the fun of the arts in the Magic City. There will be a box on the front page to access the Hot Shot, so be sure to check it out. 

I first heard Margaret M. Ledford talk about directing during the South Florida Theatre Festival this past spring, and I knew immediately that I wanted to publish her “Directing in 12 Easy Steps.”  Not only is it a primer for anyone interested in directing, but it will help audiences understand what goes into this craft.  Be sure to check it out in this issue’s First Person column, and be sure to see Ledford’s work in action; her latest production is the world premiere of Red Tide at the Promethean Theatre in Broward.  If you’re interested in the performing arts, you’ll also want to read this week’s Behind the Scenes, which profiles Michael John Carroll and his job as stage manager at the GableStage Theatre In Coral Gables.  Carroll gives a real understanding and insight into a rarely celebrated theatre art.

If you’re not already a subscriber to MiamiARTzine.com, you really should sign up.  It’s free, and subscribers get exclusive chances to win prizes.  Last issue, five subscribers won tickets to see Likeness at New Theatre.  You never know what you’ll have a chance to win.

Last issue I told you about the second anniversary party for MiamiARTzine.com and urged everyone to show their support and celebrate with us.  The date, however, has been changed.  The party will now be Wednesday, November 7 at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden.  We love to meet our readers, so save the date.  Tickets are only $25, $40 for a couple, and the money goes directly to helping the Miami Beach Arts Trust bring you many more issues of MiamiARTzine.com.  There will be full details in the October 26 issue of MiamiARTzine.com.  We look forward to seeing you at the party.

Miami Beach author David Leddick signs copies of his books at the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Book Fest & Expo at the Broward County Main Library in Fort Lauderdale on September 30

Writing Tips
I spent a good part of the last weekend in September at the National Writers Workshop at Pier 66.  While the various seminars and speakers concentrated on different aspects of journalism, there were a few that featured authors of both fiction and non-fiction, who told their audiences their own path to starting and finishing a book and getting it published.  Their advice was solid but also a little hackneyed: how they overcame writers block, wrote their book, how they got their agent, and so on.  That path can seem overwhelming to a would-be author, so it was refreshing to attend the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Bookfest & Expo at the Broward County Main Library in Fort Lauderdale and hear Miami Beach author David Leddick talk about the road he took to getting more than a dozen books published.  Leddick pulls no punches and has no delusions about himself or the writing process.  According to Leddick, if you can write a letter, you can write a book.  On writer’s block:  “If I don’t know what to write, I jump to the sex parts.  Then I always know what to write.”  On finishing a book: “I stop when I have 250 pages.”  And forget rewrites---Leddick says that if a publisher wants a rewrite, he finds another publisher, because obviously that publisher wants a different book than the one Leddick has written.  And Leddick, who has published more than a dozen novels and non-fiction books does not believe in agents.   “You don’t need an agent,” Leddick told his audience.  “You need to meet writers who have published books similar to yours and get them to write a letter or make a phone call to their publisher for you.”  David Leddick’s latest book is In the Spirit of Miami Beach. 

Cherilyn Franco and Jim Ballard in Urinetown, The Musical, at Actors Playhouse through November 11 Photo: Alberto Romeu

Theatre Openings
The theatre season is in full swing, with nearly a dozen shows opening in the next two weeks.  Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables opens their season with the Tony-winning musical Urinetown, the Musical, about a future in which one must pay dearly to use bathroom facilities.  Urinetown, the Musical runs through November 11.  Actors Playhouse is also instating a talk-back series with the director and cast after the second Friday performance of each run this season.  For Urinetown, the Musical, that’s October 19.  actorsplayhouse.org.  Another Coral Gables theatre, the GableStage, also opens their season this weekend with In the Continuum, a portrait of two women, an L.A. teen and a mother in Zimbabwe.  It runs through November 18.  gablestage,org.  Edge Theatre will present a pair of one-act plays at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden throughout October.  In The Pattern by Brian Harris, an engaged couple seeks the advice of a psychiatrist; in The Galileo Prize by Jim Tommaney, a college commencement speaker is encouraged by two strangers to re-think his activist attitude.  Performance dates are October 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, outdorrs in good weather.  Tickets are $10-$15.  For reservations, call 786-355-0976.  In Broward County, The Promethean Theatre opens the world premiere of Red Tide, by Miami playwright Juan C. Sanchez.  Red Tide is a psychological thriller about two brothers and the woman who comes between them.  Red Tide runs through October 28.  theprometheantheatre.org.  Two award-winning Palm Beach theatres begin their seasons October 19.  The Florida Stage in Manalapan has the world premiere of Deborah Zoe Laufer’s  End Days, a comedy about a 16-year-old girl in the midst of a quirky year.  It runs through November 25.  floridastage.org. Palm Beach Dramaworks in West Palm Beach has the classic Frank D. Gilroy play The Subject was Roses, about a soldier returning home to his parents and complex family dynamics. It runs through December 2.  palmbeachdramaworks.org.  There are also some road shows in the mix at Kravis Center in West Palm Beach,, including the musical revue Food Fight through October 28, Evita on October 18 and Judy Gold  and her one-woman show, 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother, October 16 through November 4.

Celebrate with Carnival
Carnival Center celebrates its first anniversary with a fund-raising event on October 17.  The evening begins with a dinner catered by Restaurant Associates. Directly following, the acclaimed Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez, a star at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala and Covent Garden, will make his Carnival Center debut. After the concert, there will be an after party with music by DJ Irie and cocktails and canapés courtesy of Restaurant Associates.  For more information, visit carnivalcenter.org/gala.

The Joker, created by artist Jerry Robinson

Holy Exhibit, Batman!
Jerry Robinson was a pioneer in comic art and began his cartooning career illustrating the Batman comic books for which he created "The Joker" and named Batman's partner "Robin."  He will attend the opening of  “Zap! Pow! Bam! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books 1938-1950” at the Jewish Museum of Florida at 301 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach.  Robinson will speak briefly at the exhibit's member opening Oct. 15 and deliver a full powerpoint lecture, “The Golden Age of Comic Books,” at the museum on Oct. 16. Robinson is curator of the exhibit that was organized by The Breman Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.  It explores the creative processes that drove so many Jewish comic writers and artists to provide America with timeless icons such as Superman, Batman, Captain America, Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman. Through hundreds of vintage comic books and original art works, the exhibit offers a unique perspective on how pop culture portrays contemporary issues and shapes public opinion. Multi-media presentations and colorful interactive displays will immerse visitors in the world of the Superheroes. The exhibit will run through April 30, 2008.  jewishmuseum.com.

Time to Show Your GLBT Shorts
The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is encouraging filmmakers to submit their short films to be considered for the PlanetOut Short Movie Awards, sponsored by Scion and hosted by the MGLFF.  The PlanetOut Short Movie Awards is the largest online awards honoring film and video shorts by, about, and of interest to LGBT audiences.  Up to 20 finalists will be selected from all eligible submissions. Judging will be based on an equally weighted criteria consisting of the following: cleverness and originality; quality of writing, acting, and production values; innovative use of the medium; relevance of subject matter; and entertainment value.  Winners will be announced in January 2008 at PlanetOut's annual event during the Sundance Film Festival, and the Grand Prize Winner and four runners-up will be screened at a special ceremony and program in Miami as part of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on Sunday, April 27, 2008. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize and will be exhibited on PlanetOut.com and Gay.com, along with the runners up, who will each receive cash prizes ranging from $1,500 to $500.  The submission deadline is December 7.  There is a $25 entry fee, but no entry fee for international submissions.  An official submission form and detailed guidelines are available online at mglff.com.   Rules and regulations are available online at: movieawards.planetout.com.  Questions on rules, regulations & eligibility should be directed to: jenny.stewart@planetoutinc.com.

Bees Finito by Lisa Remeny

Art in the Garden
The Miami Beach Botanical Garden has several events on tap this month.  On Saturday, October 13, 10 a.m. to noon, horticulturist Benoit Jonckheere will demonstrate the art of espalier, a plant-shaping method where plants are trained to grow in one plane on a permanent framework such as a wall or trellis, often in an artistic design. An ancient technique, espalier was developed for the pharaohs in Egypt and popularized in 16^th century French gardens. Also, artist Michael Cline will present a lecture and demonstration of topiary, the art of creating sculptures using clipped trees and shrubs. Topiary uses plants with small leaves that produce dense foliage, and have compact or columnar growth habits. This event is free to the public and plants will be for sale.  Then there’s “A Sunday Afternoon in the Garden,” a solo exhibition of the work by South Florida artist Lisa Remeny.   The opening reception is Sunday, October 21 from 3-6 p.m.; exhibit hours are 9a.m. to 5 p.m., October 21 to 25.  A native of Miami, Remeny paints in a style she calls Tropical Realism. Her paintings reveal an affinity for all things equatorial: sunlight and moonlight reflected on clouds and seascapes, lush fruits, exotic flowers and palms.  From the Caribbean to the South Pacific, Remeny interprets her surroundings through oil and watercolor paintings ranging from photo-realistic to semi-abstract. mbgarden.org.

Laura Cerwinske, author of South Beach Style

Stylish Author Gives Reading
More than 25 years ago, Miami native Laura Cerwinske published the first book on Miami Beach’s treasury of Art Deco architecture called Tropical Deco: The Architecture and Design of Old Miami Beach.  Cerwinske’s latest book is South Beach Style, which features 400 pages of architecture, interiors, gardens and design that celebrate the city’s subtropical urbanism.  The book showcases styles that range from resort glamour to the urban edge, and from the sublimely modern to the ridiculously hedonistic. The Miami Beach Historical Association will present a reading, book signing and discussion by Cerwinske on Wednesday, October 17, 6:30 p.m., at the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, 1920 Meridian Ave. Free and open to the public, the event sponsored by Books and Books and the Streamline Properties, is part of the Historical Association’s Miami Beach Author Series. For reservations and information, call 305-672-1270.

Jazz in Miami Beach
The Miami Jazz Project will present an evening of classic jazz celebrating the music of Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Mongo Santamaria, Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, on Saturday, October 20, 8 p.m., at Arts of St. Johns. The selections cover the lush ballads of “Round Midnight,” “Naima,” “Teach Me Tonight” and “The Nearness of You” to the soulful vamps on “Footprints,” “Maiden Voyage” and “Little Sunflower” to the up-tempo numbers of “Afro Blue” and the spiritual driven “A Love Supreme,” running the gamut of traditional, mainstream and post-bop jazz. The band, led by Arthur Barron and Oscar Salas, features Barron on tenor saxophone, alto saxophone and flute, Saul Gross on tenor saxophone and Ken Kay on alto saxophone with the rhythm section of pianist Kiki Sanchez, bassist Bob Grabowski and Salas on drums, congas and timbales along with special guests, vocalist Bob Rosati and Jonathan Gross on trombone.  Arts at St. Johns is located at 4760 Pinetree Drive, Miami Beach. artsatstjohns.com.

The Calling, 2003, by María Magdalena Campos-Pons. Diptych, Polaroid Polacolor Pro 20 x 24 photographs

Exhibition and Lecture at Bass Museum
The Bass Museum presents “Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: Everything Is Separated By Water” through November 11.  The great-granddaughter of a Nigerian slave, Magdalena Campos-Pons grew up in Matanzas, Cuba, in the midst of sugar plantations and the remnants of her African heritage. She left Cuba in 1988 and has addressed the issues of the Diaspora and her personal experiences through multi-media art projects that often pay homage to her people and her mother and grandmother. This exhibition features approximately 17 major works that include mixed media installations and large-format Polaroid photographs. This body of work spans 15 years (1990-2005), and explores the artist's ancestral displacement from Africa, her self-imposed exile from Cuba, and her experience as an Afro-Cuban woman living in North America.This traveling exhibition is the first in-depth view of Campos-Pons's artistic career, and is accompanied by a fully-illustrated catalogue, the first to explore her work. On Sunday, October 14 at 3 p.m., Professor Carol Damian will discuss the newest work in this retrospective exhibition, which takes its title from the Diaspora experience and significance of water to women and African ritual and the creation of a cultural dislocation in the Americas. Admission is $5.  bassmuseum.org.

Barbara Cook, who will perform with the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus on October 22

Spend the Evening with Barbara Cook and the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus
I’ve been a big fan of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus for the past seven years, and iit’s been exciting to watch their evolution from a local chorus to an internationally respected choral group.  The first concert of their 22^nd season is a biggie: they will sing with Broadway legend Barbara Cook on October  22, 8 p.m., at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. “An Evening With Barbara Cook” will feature an evening of song and dance, in which the 80-member Chorus will present popular Broadway standards.  Cook will join the Chorus for several numbers, and will also have the spotlight to herself for a portion of the evening.  Cook has created several classic roles in the America musical theater: Marian the Librarian in the premiere production of Meredith Willson's The Music Man, a performance which earned her the Tony Award, and Amalia in the Bock-Harnick-Masteroff musical She Loves Me. In addition to her Broadway shows, Cook has enjoyed a successful concert career.  Last year she became the first female pop singer to present a solo concert at the New York's Metropolitan Opera Company. She followed that with a sold-out return to Carnegie Hall to perform her sixth solo concert.  Cook will turn 80 the week of her Fort Lauderdale performance.  “The concert with Barbara Cook is one more step in promoting community-wide awareness and understanding of what we do,” says Chorus Director Todd Wiley. “While we have been an integral part of the gay community for many years, we’re pleased that a larger audience is finally discovering what a treasure the Chorus is. People from across South Florida are buying tickets and coming to see us, and we’re constantly improving and growing, presenting a product that the entire community can be proud of.”   Tickets for “An Evening with Barbara Cook” range from $20 to $150 and are on sale through the AutoNation Box Office, online at www.browardcenter.org or www.ftlgmc.org.

Jimmy Gamonet with dancers from his company, Ballet Gamonet, which begins its third season October 20 Photo: magicalphotos.com/mitchell zachs

Ballet Gamonet Presents
Third Season
Founder and artistic director Jimmy Gamonet de los Heros and his company, Ballet Gamonet, are poised to present the first program of their third season, complete with a world premiere by Jerry Opdenaker and a restaging of two Gamonet favorites.  Jimmy Gamonet’s neo-classical style, in tandem with the style of selected guest choreographers, will continue to be expressed through new work created for his company. “I want our performances to be sophisticated spectacles of dance, to arouse passion and emotion,” says Gamonet.  Program I will feature Gamonet favorites Transtantgos and Pan Nuit Suite, complemented by a world premiere by Jerry Opdeanaker. Pan Nuit Suite, a series of short festive dances, is set to music from Gounod's opera Faust, and takes place in an enchanted forest populated by with creatures that live to dance and celebrate life. Transtangos, a piece to showcase the entire company, divided into several parts with various solos and duets for the entire company, is set to music by Astor Piazzola. Rounding out the program is a world premiere by Opdenaker, whose award-winning piece Coeur De Basque was performed in season one and Passing Through was created for season two. The company will perform Program I on October 20 and 21 at Bailey Concert Hall in Davie and again on October 26 and  27, at Gusman Center for Performing Arts, downtown Miami.  Tickets to Ballet Gamonet’s performances range from $25-$60, and are available through Ticketmaster, by calling the box office at 305 259 9775, or by visiting balletgamonet.org.

Nicole Kidman and Ewan MacGregor in Moulin Rouge

Miami Film Fest Presents Retrospective
Long before she raked in the awards for portraying Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, Helen Mirren starred in a deliciously sexy movie with the awkward title, The Cook, The Theif, His Wife and Her Lover.  Intrigued by that curious title, I attended a screening of that film back in 1990 at the Miami International Film Festival and can still remember my glee at having gotten to discover such a wonderful and quirky film.  That film is just part of a retrospective that the Miami International Film Festival will present as part of their 25^th anniversary celebration.  The films will be screened October 24-28 at the Regal South Beach Cinema and the UM Bill Cosford Cinema in Miami and Cinema Paradiso in Fort Lauderdale.  Films include My Beautiful Laundrette; Paris, Texas; Bend It Like Beckham;  The Mambo Kings; Law of Desire; In the Mood for Love; Like Water for Chocolate, Balseros and  Moulin Rouge.  For a complete schedule of films, visit miamifilmfestival.com.

Bugchasers
You got to love a performance piece in which the creator warns that it’s not suitable for a first date.  But that’s Bugchasers for you, an evening-length performance that will make its world premiere at Carnival Center Thursday, October 25, with additional performances October 26 and 27.  Bugchasers explores the nature of desire in a world where sexual epidemiology have altered the experience of intimacy. The term “bugchasers” is used for young men who compulsively seek to become HIV positive, eroticizing risk in a game of viral Russian roulette where the shared bond of a communicable disease substitutes for love. The piece incorporates theater, dance, music and video to ask whether the human need for belonging and contact has led to a new eroticism or become a monstrous force for self-annihilation.  Concieved by South Florida performing artist Octavio Campos and his new performance collective Camposition, Bugchasers features choreography by Campos and texts by Matt Glass, with performances by Campos, Glass, Natasha Tsakos, Diana Lozano, Heather Maloney, Ron Headrick, and Joshua Nardi.  For tickets, visit carnivalcenter.org.

Designer Isaac Mizrahi

Isaac Mizrahi Has Designs
on the Miami City Ballet

The Miami City Ballet has announced that fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi will create the costumes for the much-anticipated and yet-to-be-named collaborative new work by world-renowned modern dance choreographer Twyla Tharp and singer-songwriter Elvis Costello. This world premiere work will be performed by Miami City Ballet dancers and will open March 28, 2008, at Carnival Center for the Performing Arts.  Mizrahi is one of the world’s most famous fashion designers, with his own high-end designer collection as well as a line of clothing and home wares for Target.  He has also created costumes for theatre, dance, and opera.  His most recent collaborations include Mark Morris’ production of Orfeo ed Euridice at The Metropolitan Opera, as well as Scott Elliott’s productions of Barefoot in the Park and The Threepenny Opera on Broadway. He received the 2002 Drama Desk Award for his costume design in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway production of The Women.  “We are so excited that Isaac has agreed to create the costumes for this fantastic new work,” says Edward Villella, founding artistic director of Miami City Ballet. “Our dancers are thrilled to be working with three such wonderfully established artists – Twyla Tharp in the field of modern dance, Elvis Costello in music, and Isaac Mizrahi in fashion.”  Performances of this new work are scheduled on Miami City Ballet’s Program IV at the Carnival Center for March 28-30,  Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on April 4-6; and at Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on April 11-13.