Mary Damiano Photo by David Vance

 Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

A classic Art Basel moment: Actor Dennis Hopper with Andy Warhol’s portrait of him from 1970 Photo: Henry Perez

Art Basel Miami Beach
As this issue of MiamiARTzine is published, Miami Beach is deep in the throes of Art Basel fever.  Parties, events, celebrities and, oh yeah, art, have overtaken South Florida in a big way.  Every time you turn around it seems there’s a party or a celebrity eager to partake in one of the largest art fairs in the world.  The intrepid team at MiamiARTzine.com are on the scene, eagerly and tirelessly covering this world-class event.  Check out our Art Basel photo gallery in this issue—it will  whet your appetite for all the photos to come in the December 22 issue.  And check out this priceless photo that our photographer Henry Perez snapped Wednesday night of actor Dennis Hopper with Andy Warhol’s portrait of Dennis Hopper.  For more info on Art Basel events, visit artsbaselmiamibeach.com. 

Breakfast with the Arts
In an exclusive arrangement with Art Basel, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden presents the Art Basel Breakfast at the Art Café on Sunday, December 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tickets are $40 and include a champagne breakfast with a performance by the South Beach Chamber Ensemble, a ticket to Art Basel at the Miami Beach Convention Center, which is across the street form the Botanical Garden, and entrance to the Videolounge at the Garden. Breakfast will be sponsored by Via Quadronno Restaurant of Merrick Park and the Pelican Hotel on Ocean Drive.  During Art Basel Miami Beach, the Garden will host the Videolounge in the Banyan Room and the Butterfly Room, and the Art Café in the Rose Fountain Courtyard. This is the fourth year that the Miami Beach Botanical Garden has participated in Art Basel. For information and tickets to the Art Basel Breakfast and show, call 305-673-7256 Ext. 206.  The Bakehouse Art Complex officially opens its annual winter juried show, “Best of the Best:, with a special breakfast reception this Saturday, December 9. 9 a.m. to noon.  The event, which is in conjunction with Art Basel Miami Beach, will be at the Bakehouse Art Complex, 561 NW 32 St.,Miami.  Breakfast at the Bakehouse is free. For more info, visit bakehouseartcomplex.org.

Film After Dark
After a summer hiatus, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival has revived CP After Hours, their late night film series designed to showcase  edgy and progressive films, ranging from classics to recent controversial films and documentaries. Films run every Thursday night at 10 p.m., at Cinema Paradiso in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Upcoming films include Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, December 14; Monty Python’s Life of Brian, December 21; Chasing Amy, January 4; Princess Mononoke, January 11; Sid and Nancy, January 18; Memento, February 1; Howl’s Moving Castle, February 8; 400 Blows, February 15; Hard Bolied, February 22; This Is Spinal Tap, March 1; Millennium Actress, March 8; A Clockwork Orange, March 22; The Professional, March 22; and Aguirre, The Wrath of God, March 29.  Tickets are only $5. For more info, visit fliff.com.

Cradle of Christianity
The Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale has opened its latest blockbuster exhibition. "Cradle of "Christianity: Treasures of the Holy Land", is described as a visual excavation of the religious history that has shaped our culture.  Curated and organized by the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, the exhibition explores the final days of the Second Temple, the Herodian Period, the time when Jesus of Nazareth lived and concurrent development of formative Christianity and Judaism in the Holy Land. "Cradle of Christianity" runs through April 15.  Visit moafl.org for more information.

David Leddick, who will present his new show, Presenting Golda Lilly, at the Collins Theatre at the Deauville Hotel December 15-16

David Leddick Does a Diva
Miami Beach renaissance man David Leddick’s new show, Presenting Gilda Lilly, will have its world premiere at the Collins Avenue Theatre at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach on Friday, December 15.  Created by Leddick and Andrew Sargent, Presenting Gilda Lilly is the story of a mythological movie goddess, who accounts her years in Hollywood for her adoring audience.  One mini-musical stars Leddick in the lead role, and includes 13 new songs.  Presenting Gilda Lilly is directed by David Kingery, and Nathan Smith of Twist will make a special appearance.  The Friday premiere performance and a Saturday, December 16 performance are South Florida’s chance to catch the show before it goes to New York in March.  For reservations, call 305-532-5134 between 1 p.m and 5 p.m.  Presenting Gilda Lilly isn’t the only project keeping Leddick busy these days.  He’s also been touring to promote his book, In the Spirit of Miami Beach.

Don We Now Our Gay Apparel
What better way to get into the holiday spirit than with a concert filled with wonderful holiday music?  And when the concert is presented by a gay men’s chorus, well, you just know you’re in for tons of fun.  Two of South Florida’s choruses are presenting concerts guaranteed to put you in a holiday state of mind.  First up is the Miami Gay Men’s Chorus, and their “Traditional & Twisted” concert, which takes place at the Colony Theater in Miami Beach December 15-17.  The show features holiday music and promises to introduce us to an untraditional take on the Three Kings as well as a Santa fantasy.  For tickets and more info, visit miamigaychorus.org.  In Broward the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus is presenting their one-night only show, “Holly Jolly Holidays”, on Tuesday, December 19 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.  This is the first time the group has done their holiday show at Broward Center, and it’s sure to exhibit the showmanship and incredible vocals for which the chorus is known.  For tickets and info, visit fortlauderdalegaymenschorus.org. 

Michael McKeever and Tracy Winston, two of the playwrights and performers at this year’s Lavender Footlights Festival Photo: Mary Damiano