Mary Damiano Photo by David Vance

Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

My hubby Sam Damiano getting some attention from a frisky harlequin at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival gala November 3. Photo: Mary Damiano

Fun with FLIFF
The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival held two of their most popular events this past weekend, the big gala presented by Entre Nous on Friday night, November 3, and the Chairman’s Cruise, which featured brunch while cruising along the intracoastal. The centerpiece movie that preceded the gala was Pittsburgh, a quirky documentary-style feature about Jeff Goldblum and how his love for a young Canadian performer led him to audition for and star in a production of The Music Man in his hometown of Pittsburgh.  After the film, the audience walked down the driveway from Parker Playhouse to War Memorial Auditorium, where they dined on a buffet, hobnobbed with the stars and filmmakers, and danced the night away.  There were even some frisky performers that interacted with the crowd, such as the perky harlequin who perched on my hubby’s lap.  On Sunday morning, film fans and filmmakers gathered on the intracoastal behind the Gallery One Suites near the Galleria Mall and boarded the Caprice for a two-hour brunch and cruise.  It was windy, but other than that, it was a picture postcard Fort Lauderdale morning to enjoy with the film crowd.  For more photos of the events, check out our photo gallery.  FLIFF continues through the weekend, and will hold a big beach party on Fort Lauderdale beach Sunday night, November 12.  For more info about the films and events, visit fliff.com.

MiamiARTzine.com Celebrates One Year
We’ve been telling you to save the date for a while, and now the date is just around the corner. MiamiARTzine’s one year anniversary party and Miami Beach Arts Trust fundraiser takes place Thursday, November 16, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at a private home in South Beach.  But don’t worry—there’s still time to buy tickets. There will be catering by Lovables, spirits from Finlandia, performances by Miami Contemporary Dance Company, the Hanabi Classical Quartet, and lots of great raffle prizes.  Theatre tickets, artwork, all kinds of things will be up for grabs at the party. Tickets are only a $50 tax-deductible donation and proceeds help MiamiARTzine.com to continue bringing you all the great arts happenings. You can get your tickets by clicking the box on the front page.

Overheard at Target
I was in Target in Fort Lauderdale last Saturday purchasing the new Barry Manilow Greatest Songs of the Sixties CD and paying at the register in the electronics department when a customer asked the cashier if Target had the book Fahrenheit 451. I smiled, having recently seen the production of Fahrenheit 451 at the GableStage Theatre in Coral Gables. The cashier said that she would have to check, and led the customer over to the book section. I was walking behind them on my way out of the store when I heard the cashier say, “Is that a new book?” The customer said, “No, it’s pretty old. They read it in school and stuff.”  Well, judging from the cashier’s response, apparently they don’t read it in enough schools.

Ghost Light Series Does Anniversary Reading
The Ghost Light Series is celebrating their second season of staged readings this month with a reading of Lillian Hellman’s Another Part of the Forest at the Hagen Park Community Center in Wilton Manors on Monday, November 20 at 7:30.  The twist here is that Ghost Light is presenting the reading exactly 60 years to the day that Another Part of the Forest premiered on Broadway.  Another Part of the Forest concerns the wealthy Hubbard clan in late 19^th century Alabama. The family patriarch made his fortune running the blockade during the Civil War, and what happens as his misdeeds catch up to him.  Admission to the reading is free.

Theatre Openings
There are several theatre openings coming up in the next few weeks. New Theatre in Coral Gables opens the world premiere of Catherine Bush’s Just a Kiss, a comedy about two actresses in a production that requires them to kiss.  Just a Kiss runs from November 16 to December 10. For more information, visit new-theatre.org.

The Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton officially opens their tribute to the music of Elvis Presley, Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Love, November 10.  This is not, I repeat, not and Elvis impersonator show but a revue of Elvis songs.  It runs through December 17.  For more information, visit www.caldwelltheatre.com.

South Florida isn’t known for having a white Christmas, but the Actor’s Playhouse is out to change all that with their new production, White Christmas, a musical based on the movie starring Bing Crosby, with songs by Irving Berlin.  White Christmas opens November 17 and runs through    For more information, visit actorsplayhouse.org.

At the Sol Theatre in Fort Lauderdale, there’s Brad Fraser’s Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love, about the love and sex lives of a diverse group of people. Previews begin November 10 with the official opening night November 17.  For more info visit soltheatre.com. 

Florida International University is presenting their production of  A.R. Gurney’s The Dining Room, which runs through November 19.  The play examines the changing American family through a series of vignettes concerning a variety of families in different eras, which all take place in dining rooms. The Dining Room requires its eight-person cast to portray 57 different characters, aged 6 to 76. The production is directed by Gail Garrison, who spent seven years as the festival artistic director of City Theatre’s Summer Shorts. For more information, call 305-348-3789 or visit fiu.edu/~thedan/

Getting’ Happy
The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus gave a terrific performance October 27 in their musical salute to Judy Garland.  The one-night-only concert, aptly titled “Judy: A Celebration of the music and Legend of Judy Garland”, was a terrific success and featured the chorus doing many classic Garland songs, including “You Made Me Love You”, “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart”, and “I Got Rhythm”.  Butone of the most powerful moments of the show was a duet by Daniel Gibson and James Perkowski of “Happy Days are Here Again” and “Get Happy”. Sung together, with overlapping vocals, the performance was defiant and uplifting.  The Fort Lauderdale’s Gay Men’s Chorus will perform their holiday show, “Holly Jolly Holiday”, Tuesday, December 19, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.  It’s the first time the group’s holiday show will be presented at that venue.  For more information, visit www.ftlgmc.org.