Mary Damiano Photo by David Vance

Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

E.L. Losada does it his way at the Summer Shorts 2006 reception   Photo: Mary Damiano

Give That Boy a Mic
I’ve never been a fan of karaoke.  To me it’s always been about people who can’t sing acting out their superstar fantasies and subjecting everyone else to the screeching results. But I enjoyed the karaoke at the dessert reception of Summer Shorts 2006 at the Ring Theatre on June 3, because if you’re going to do karaoke, by all means do it with theatre people who have talent and can put on this kind of eclectic musical revue.  Those who stuck around after the show—and the party was still going strong when I left at 1:30 a.m.—were treated to director Paul Tei doing “This Land is Your Land”, Summer Shorts cast members Gregg Weiner and Ivonne Azurdia doing the Black Eyed Peas hit “My Humps” and double Carbonell winner E.L. Losada belting out Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”.  For more on Summer Shorts 2006, check out the theatre review and photo gallery in this issue.

New Theatre, New Line-up
Ricky J. Martinez is wasting no time in making his mark as artistic director of New Theatre in Coral Gables.  Following the annual South Florida Shakespeare Festival, which this year features Much Ado About Nothing and The Winter’s Tale, there will be two Florida premieres, Lincolnesque by John Strand and Eliot, A Soldier’s Fugue by Quaira Alegria Hudes.  The previously announced Rembrandt’s Gift has been removed from the schedule.  The 2006-2007 season will feature eight plays, unprecedented for New Theatre.  Flexible subscription passes are on sale now.  For more information, visit new-theatre.org.

Speak Up
And speaking of New Theatre, check out Life Translated, a spoken word poetry showcase directed Liza Nepa and featuring five nationally acclaimed spoken word poets/actors: Nepa, Asia Samson, Terese Hill, Rachel Finley and Tony Gee.  Nepa describes Life Translated as a lyrical journey through an array of topics with a powerful message, which will be both poignant and memorable.  This one night only event will be at New Theatre on Friday, June 16 at 9 p.m. Life Translated will be at New Theatre, 4120 Laguna St. in Coral Gables.  For more information call 305-891-7416 or 786-315-6647 or e-mail Lovechildpro@bellsouth.net.

More Theatre
Sol Theatre has put Edwin Sanchez’s Unmerciful Good Fortune on hold for now.  Instead, they begin previews of Bill C. Davis's Mass Appeal, a comedy about the tension between an older priest and a young priest, on Friday, June 9, with their official opening Friday June 16.  For more information, visit soltheatre.com.  At the Stage Door 26^th Street Theatre in Wilton Manors, there’s Beehive, a musical featuring the hits of the big-voiced, big-haired girl groups and girl singers of the 1960s.  Beehive runs through June 25.  For more information, visit stagedoortheatre.com.

Hometown Pride
The Miami Gay Men’s Chorus is turning the spotlight on the Magic City with their upcoming concerts, Miami: A Musical Mosaic, June 16-18 at the Colony Theatre.  The concert features music from and about Miami, including a premiere tribute performance of the music of Gloria Estefan and a script by Carbonell award winning playwright Michael McKeever.  Artistic Director Gary Keating told me that the show is a celebration of some of the cultures that make up Miami, tied together by narrative.  The chorus has also invited six people who have been instrumental in the progress the gay and lesbian community to be their guest hosts.  On Friday, the guest hosts will be Commissioner Katy Sorenson and Jorge Mursuli; on Saturday Rosemary Wilder and Damian Pardo; and Sunday Judge Victoria Sigler and Elizabeth Schwartz.  The show will also include a traditional American spiritual and a black spiritual, as well as music honoring the women’s community, the HIV community and GLBT community.  I’ve been watching the chorus for a long time, and they’ve grown both musically and artistically, especially under the watchful eye and ear of Gary Keating, so this concert should be a great evening of hometown pride and great entertainment.  Besides, rumor has it that Carmen Miranda will make a rare earthly appearance during the Miami musical tribute, and if I know the Miami Gay Men’s Chorus, I’m sure there’s some truth to those rumors.   The three concerts will be at the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road, Friday and Saturday, June 16 and 17 at 8 p.m. and on Sunday, June 19 at 4 p.m.  Visit miamigaychorus.org.

Bigger is Better
Remember that terrific Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters?  One of the most memorable moments is when Dusty, the rock star played by Daniel Stern, goes to buy some art for his new house from Frederick, the artist played by Max von Sydow.  Dusty’s main criteria for art is that it’s big because he’s got lots of wall space, to which Frederick bellows, “I don’t sell my work by the yard!”   Well, Dusty would love the new show at the Miami Art Museum, “Big Juicy Paintings”, which features more than 70 super-sized pieces from the museum’s permanent collection, including Enrique Martinez Celaya’s 14-foot-tall portrait of painter Leon Golub and Arturo Herrera’s 40-foot-long painting When Alone Again III.  Many of the paintings have not been exhibited in several years because of space restraints, so this is a real treat.  Peter Boswell, curator of the exhibit, will also moderate a panel discussion with artist Lynne Golob Gelfman, Celaya and Gavin Perry at on Thursday, June 15, during the exhibit’s opening reception, which will be held 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  “Big Juicy Paintings” runs through September 17.  The opening night reception is free to MAM members and $10 for everyone else.  For more information, visit miamiartmuseum.org.

Women in Sports
A new exhibit at the Lowe Museum in Coral Gables examines women in sports.  “What Does a Female Athlete Look Like?” is a photography exhibition exploring the current success and popularity of women’s sports.  The exhibit opens Friday June 16, with an opening night reception and a lecture by co-curators Jane Gottesman and Geoffrey Biddle.  The exhibition runs through September 10. For more information, visit lowemuseum.org.

Invitation Behind the Dance
Ever wonder what goes into getting a dance performance from the page to the stage?  Here’s your chance to find out.  The Miami Beach Arts Trust and Miami Contemporary Dance Company will present “Behind the Dance,” a lecture and workshop on Monday, June 26 at 6 p.m. at the company’s studio, 1919 Purdy Avenue. A scheduled event with the South Florida Dance Festival, the workshop will explore the various elements of creating a professional dance performance, including choreography, costuming, make-up, lighting and the synergy of the parts that make up a complete performance.  The presentation is part of the Miami Beach Arts Trust “Evening Bag” series of educational and professional development workshops for members of the arts community and the public.  The event is free and open to the public. For information about “Behind the Dance”, and Miami Beach Arts Trust, call 786-586-4286 or e-mail miamibeachartstrust@hotmail.com.