Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

	Mary Damiano

Rafter Swinging, Anyone?
Anyone who missed the season showcase at Arts at St. Johns missed a spectacular show of diverse entertainment. David Leddick wowed the crowd with a scene and a song from his own one man show, Quentin and Me . Heather Gallagher from the Fantasy Theatre Factory offered a very funny monologue. Seductive Hannan treated the audience to a mesmerizing belly dance. Renee Fiallos delivered powerful a capella songs. David Vance sang a stirring rendition of “At Last”. St. John's Choir literally got everyone in the spirit, and later soloist Kyrah Arango delivered a tingling, operatic “Glitter and Be Gay”. In fact, the showcase seemed to have everything except someone swinging from the rafters, and pastor Dr. Annette Jones told me that fire artist and stilt walker Lucky Bruno wanted to, until she convinced him that the rafters wouldn't hold him. For more on the fab events at Arts at St. Johns, visit http://www.stjohnsmiamibeach.com/ and check out the feature in the October 20 issue of MiamiArtZine.com.

Has Fab Life Gone Broadway?
It's a Fabulous Life , the gay musical redux of It's a Wonderful Life , has morphed from a holiday show for the South Beach Gay Men's Chorus to a full-fledged musical extravaganza, which made its debut at Broward Center for the Performing Arts last year. Now, it looks as if Fab Life is set to go to the next level, with an actual Broadway star. A reliable source tells me that Malcolm Gets , who was nominated for a Tony Award in 2003 for Amour , will star as Joe, the stressed out gay man who wonders what life would have been life had he not been born gay. Stay tuned for details.

Happy Anniversary Baby!
Several South Florida theatres are celebrating anniversaries this season. The Actor's Playhouse (actorsplayhouse.org) in Coral Gables kicks off their 10 th anniversary on October 7 with a version of Grease that incorporates the original songs from the movie version into the Broadway musical. Just a few minutes away, the Coconut Grove Playhouse (cgplayhouse.org) is celebrating its 50 th anniversary season. The venerable theatre is finishing up its run of Tuesdays with Morrie this weekend and will open with the world premiere musical about baseball Passin' It On on October 18. And up in Broward, the Mosaic Theatre (mosaictheatre.com), housed at the American Heritage Center for the Arts, is five years old. The Mosaic has made a big name for itself in a very short time, with increasingly more ambitious projects, like last season's production of Amadeus, which featured a tour de force by John Felix as Salieri and this season's opener, The Elephant Man , which featured an achingly impressive performance by Antonio Amodeo. Next up is the Florida premiere of Match , opening December 18.

Theatre Season Kicks Into High Gear
In addition to the openings at theatre's celebrating anniversaries, there are enough other shows opening this weekend and next to prove that arts season as finally upon us. The Mad Cat Theatre opens the Samuel Becket absurdist classic Waiting for Godot on October 14 at the Light Box theatre, 3000 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Call 305-576-6377 for more info. Also, at the first ever Miami World Theatre Festival , theatre companies from all over the world will be converging on the Magic City between October 7-16. The prestigious companies Rafael Amargo of Spain, Les Deux Mondes of Canada, Theatre Tattoo and Groupe F of France, Strange Fruit of Australia, Grupo Teatral de Caracas from Venezuela, and Joe Goode Performance Group of the United States will all perform at various venues, including the Jackie Gleason Theatre, the Byron Carlyle and Teatro Tenevision, as well as street performances on Lincoln Road at Lummus Park. The emphasis here is on productions that are more visual where language won't be a barrier. Call 305-535-9930 for more information.

Queer Course
The Florida Center for the Book at Miami Dade College, the parent of the Miami International Book Fair, is offering a class called Queer Literature1945-Present . The five-week class will bring together some of the most influential gay, lesbian, transgender and transsexual voices of the past 60 years, concentrating on the significance of this literature as it has served to define, enlighten, exhilarate and embolden the queer community, and as it has served to effect a more tolerant, progressive human civilization around the world. The short stories of Manuel Muñoz , author of Zigzagger and the writings of Lillian Faderman will be discussed in addition to work published in anthologies. MDC professors Barbara Bonallo and Robert Stambaugh will lecture; visiting lecturers Manuel Muñoz and Lillian Faderman will be featured. The course will take place e very other Tuesday, October 11 to December 6 - 6 to 8:30 p.m. The course costs $50 and pre-registration is required. For more info, visit flcenterlitarts.com

Phantom Still Thrills
I saw Phantom of the Opera when it first played Broward Center for the Performing Arts (browardcenter.org), more than 15 years ago. I was awed by it then, and after seeing it opening night Friday, September 30 in its latest incarnation, I am awed by it now. Yes, it's melodramatic. Yes, it's over the top. And yes, it kicked off an unfortunate blockbuster trend on Broadway that has often overshadowed the more original show in favor of the pop culture style. But isn't that what we love about Phantom? And in this production, the sumptuously garish sets, the colorful costumes, the spectacular chandelier, the rock-tinged score and the older-than-time love triangle all feel fresh. Gary Mauer 's Phantom is an irresistible tortured soul, while Marie Danvers ' Christine exhibits strength not usually thought of for the character. And, even after all these years, is it even possible to not get swept away by “Music of the Night”? Not for me. Phantom of the Opera runs through October 29.