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Mary Damiano
Photo by David Vance |
Mary Damiano’s Arts
Scene
Local performer
Doug Williford |
Shopping for Fame
Popular performer and actor Doug Williford of
Miami Beach got an unexpected taste of fame on a recent
trip to his hometown of Rebecca, Georgia. You see, Doug
appears as the dad in the Rascal Flatts video for
the song “Skin (Sarabeth)”, a country music smash hit
about a teenage girl with cancer. Deep in the heart of
Georgia, Rascal Flatts is a very big deal. At the
Piggly Wiggly in the nearby town of Ashburn (population
1,500), the woman butcher recognized Doug and stuck her
head out of the meat department cooler to tell him that
she’s seen the video. A woman walking by chimed in
with, “I’ve seen it too.” Then, at a convenience store,
the woman who worked there asked for Doug’s autograph an
then had him wait while she called her daughter to bring
her granddaughter to the store. When the granddaughter
got Doug’s autograph, she asked Grandma for a frame for
it. If you want to see Doug in the video, “Skin (Sarabeth)”
is currently Number 17 on the Top 20 Video Countdown on
Great American Country cable network. If you want to
see Doug in person, check him out in Noel Coward’s
Private Lives at the Curtain Call Playhouse, 2500 SE
3rd St., Pompano, 954-784-0768. The play runs March 24
to May 21.
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Christopher Kauffmann and
Matt Stabile size up the enemy in a scene from
the Public Theatre’s premiere of And Then She
Moved the Furniture |
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Public Theatre Presents Controversial World Premiere
The Public Theatre of South
Florida’s world premiere of And Then She Moved the
Furniture, a play which deals with spousal abuse
in the military, has lost a sponsor. The Miles
Foundation, a Connecticut-based private, non-profit
organization which provides comprehensive services to
victims of spousal abuse associated with the military,
has ended its association with the Public Theatre after
reading the script. The Miles Foundation decided the
play misrepresents the causes of spousal abuse. The
play, by Manny Diez, is based on spousal murders which
took place at Fort Bragg in 2002. The premiere has
garnered favorable reviews. And Then She Moved the
Furniture runs through March 19 at the Soref JCC,
6501 W. Sunrise Blvd., Plantation. For information and
reservations, call 954-537-3648.
Local author Andy
Zeffer, who will sign his book Going Down in
La-La Land, at Art Explosion |
Art Explosion
ArtsUnited, the non-profit
organization dedicated to nurturing gay and lesbian
artists, will hold their biggest annual event, Art
Explosion, Saturday, March 11 6-9 p.m. at ArtServe in
Fort Lauderdale. I’ve been to Art Explosion several
times and believe me, the unique combination of a visual
art exhibit opening reception, book signings by local
authors, live theatre, comedy, vocal, dance and musical
performances make this a must-experience event. More
than 50 local artists in a variety of media will
participate this year. There will also be prize raffles
and a silent art auction, with proceeds benefiting
ArtsUnited. ArtServe is located at 1350 East Sunrise
Blvd in Fort Lauderdale. Entrance to the exhibit is
free and open to the public, although there is a $5
donation for the opening night reception, when many of
the artists will be on hand. Refreshments will be
served. Don’t miss this wonderful event.
For more information, call ArtsUnited at
954-530-2723 or ArtServe at 954-462-8190.
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A waterfront estate on Miami Beach's North Bay
Road is among homes featured on the 2006 Miami
Beach Botanical Garden Tour on March 18 |
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The
Secret Garden
Get an peek inside six of
Miami’s most spectacular private gardens on Saturday,
March 18 when the Miami Botanical Garden presents the
2006 Gardens Tour. The tour highlights the diversity of
local gardening, from waterfront estates to community
plots. Open to the public, the tour showcases six
distinctive gardens, including the Miami Beach Victory
Garden, waterfront estates, intimate urban terrace
gardens and the retreat of a Miami Beach Commissioner.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the tour.
After the tour, a reception will be held at the
Botanical Garden from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and will include
a silent auction and the sale of plant, books, souvenirs
and giftware. For tickets and information about the 2006
Gardens Tour, telephone 305-673-7256 Ext. 206 and visit
www.mbgarden.org.
Just
Try to Find a Parking Space
The New Theatre’s move from its cozy spot on Laguna St.
in Coral Gables to the heart of Coconut Grove around the
corner from the Coconut Grove Playhouse begs a few
questions: Just what does a theatre have to do to find
a loving permanent home, and are developers out to
squeeze out all the art and culture? The New Theatre
has to vacate its current location in Coral Gables
because the building has been sold to developers. It
was a nice intimate place, just up the street from
Merrick Park, a business area that was deserted on
nights and weekends with plenty of street parking. Over
the last 20 years the New Theatre has proven itself time
and time again, even commissioning and premiering a
play—Nilo Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics—that went on
to win the freakin’ Pulitzer Prize. But even that isn’t
enough to offer any kind of security. Apparently a
developer did try to sell Aventura on the concept of a
multi-use complex that would offer a home for new
Theater, but the city rejected it. You’d think a city
would jump at the chance to have something of such
cultural credibility—especially Aventura, a city whose
contribution to culture is an over-priced mall. The New
Theatre’s move across US1 to the already overly
congested Grove isn’t likely to attract new audiences,
but the frustrating parking situation might just keep
some people away. The move is temporary, while the
folks at New Theatre continue to look for something more
permanent. The New Theatre deserves a real home of
their own, not some third floor space, no matter how
nice it might be. And Coral Gables is crazy to lose
such a gem. New Theatre will finish out its season in it
current Laguna St. venue and will begin their next
season in Coconut Grove. Their current production,
Melody Cooper’s Day of Reckoning, runs through
March 26. For more information, call 305-443-5909 or
visit
www.new-theatre.org.
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