Mary Damiano Photo by David Vance

 Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

Michael McKeever and Margery Lowe volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity site in Pompano Beach Photo: Mary Damiano

Local Actors Partner with Habitat for Humanity
More than a dozen South Florida members of Actor’s Equity woke early Wednesday, June 20, and met at a site in Pompano Beach.  The reason?  To work on a Habitat for Humanity project that will provide four families with houses.  “The members of Actors' Equity here in South Florida wanted to do something that would make a difference and to help our community,” said Irene Adjan, the South Florida Liaison Chair for the union, which represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers nationwide.   “Our Union has a long history of social service and partnering with Habitat for Humanity of Broward seemed like a great way for us to carry on that tradition and to do something to help others.”  Adjan organized the half-day volunteer event, and worked alongside fellow Equity members, including Margot Moreland, Tom Wahl, Barbara Bradshaw, Stuart Meltzer, Michael McKeever, Margery Lowe, Ed Limia, Kim Ostrenko, Linda Bernhard, Pilar Uribe, Wendy Michaels, Karen Nagy and Laura Turnbull.  The mood was jovial but professional Wednesday morning, as the Equity members were assigned to work teams and given tools and tasks, such as sanding doors and painting trim.  Playwright, actor and scenic designer McKeever said he was treating the house like a giant set, and gave advice on how to best paint the house’s trim.  After Bradshaw inadvertently locked her supplies in the house, Lowe came up with a name for her team: The Comedy of Errors.  Marisol Vanga was one of the homeowners at the site; homeowners are required to work 500 hours on their homes.  To see more actors in action, visit the photo gallery page.

Poetry in Motion
Poetry comes to life this weekend as local non-profit group the Crystal Parrot Players transform 25 poems by local author Peggy C. Hall into Seasonal Amnesia, a live multimedia performance at the Miami Contemporary Dance Company in Miami Beach.  Literally taking a page to stage approach, the performance bridges Hall’s poetry with dance, drama and special effects by more than a dozen of Miami’s best designers and performing artists.  The Crystal Parrot Players, known for their offerings of historical fiction, chose to develop Hall’s poetry into performance art because of its artistic merit.  “Her poems justify our break from tradition,” says Travis Neff, executive director of the Crystal Parrot Players.  “We wanted to pay our respects to our fellow Miami artist by presenting her work in an entirely new dimension.”  Hall taught poetry to secondary students for Miami-Dade public schools for 31 years.  Since 2003, she has emerged as a poetic force, with 53 poems published in literary journals.  Seasonal Amnesia will encompass three collections of Hall’s poetry, including her 2006 book In Case of Bears and her upcoming book, Room Enough and Time.  Seasonal Amnesia will be presented for two performances only, Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23, 8 p.m., at the Miami Contemporary Dance Company’s Intimate Movement Lab Studio, 1919 Purdy Ave., Miami Beach.  Admission is $10, cash only.  For reservations, call 305-661-3332.

Legendary performer Jim Bailey as Judy Garland

Jim Does Judy
How can you see Judy Garland in concert?  By checking out Jim Bailey, the legendary showman who has taken the art of female impersonation to a new level.  Bailey will headline the Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce 6^th annual gala awards dinner Saturday, June 23, at the Radisson Miami hotel on Biscayne Boulevard.  Bailey, who will be introduced by actress and part-time Miami resident Sharon Gless, has been hailed by critics around the world, including the Portland Press Herald, which said that watching Bailey do Barbra Streisand or Judy Garland is like watching Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain or Julie Harris as Emily Dickinson---his work is in that class. In addition to Bailey’s performance, the Chamber will honor several community leaders, including AT&T Florida, William Carson Jr., Michael Larkin, the law firm of Akerman Senterfitt, Care Resource, and Dr. Patrick Ward. The 6^th Annual Gala Awards Dinner will feature a cocktail reception and silent auction beginning at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner, the awards ceremony, and Bailey’s performance.  Tickets are available for $140 per person or $1150 for a table of 10.  Valet parking is included. The Radisson Miami Hotel is located at 1601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami.  For tickets and further information, please call 305-573-4000.  Visit MDGLCC online at gogaymiami.com.

Me and Peter Aymonin, one of the artists whose work is exhibited in ArtsUnited’s United and Proud

United and Proud
You still have a little time left to see one of my favorite art exhibitions of the year, United and Proud, one of the signature events by ArtsUnited, an organization dedicated to promoting the work of gay and lesbian artists.  The opening reception was held Wednesday, June 6 at the Sixth Floor Gallery at the Broward County Main Library in downtown Fort Lauderdale.  Stork’s Bakery and Café and The Melting Pot provided yummy refreshments, because everybody knows that art is more fun with pastries and chocolate fondue.  More than 50 painters, photographers, sculptors and multi-media artists displayed their work in the show, including my friend Peter Aymonin, who sold one of his photographs at the opening reception.  For a sampling of the work in United and Proud, check out Brenda C. Tillit in this issue’s Artist Spotlight.  Some of Brenda’s work is currently on display in United and Proud, which runs through June 27.

One of the items on display at the World Erotic Art Museum’s “Summer Ice” exhibition

Artfully Erotic
Exotic treasures culled from distant places from around the world is now available to the general public now that owner/collector Naomi Wilzig’s personal collection of explicitly sexual art is on display through August at Wilzig’s World Erotic Art Museum in Miami Beach.  Titled “Summer Ice,” the collection includes such varied pieces as a rare French 18th Century cameo depicting a bacchanal procession; a silver-plated bracelet featuring seven “naughty” poses of famed pin-up star Bettie Page; a wrist watch with erotic images signaling each hour; a sterling silver Japanese Kama Sutra belt buckle; the figure of a girl with removable diamond studded dress; a brass necklace whose focal point is six suspended male and female nudes; a gold and diamond-studded figure of a couple in sexual embrace; and a gold-plated Colombian necklace picturing two men holding hands.  The World Erotic Art Museum, which houses a personal collection of more that $10 million in paintings, sculptures and tapestries, has received become a popular South Beach destination as well as an event mecca for social and civic groups who seek a unique venue in which to enjoy their group’s activities and needs.  The World Erotic Art Museum is located at 1205 Washington Avenue and is open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight.  Admission is $15 with no one under 18 admitted.  For more info, call 305-532-9336 or visit weam.com.

H.I.H. Princess Thi-Nga of Vietnam with Diane Camber  Photo:  Henry Perez

Retirements
This month South Florida arts lovers say goodbye---and perhaps goodbye for now---to two dynamic women who helped establish Miami and Miami Beach as a top arts center.  After more than 26 years as executive director and chief curator of the Bass Museum of Art, Diane W. Camber announced her retirement effective June 30. An art historian, educator, architectural preservationist, and native of Miami Beach, Camber joined the Bass in 1980 as assistant director. Under her leadership, the Bass Museum experienced huge growth, achieved accreditation by the American Association of Art Museums and designation as a Major Cultural Institution by the State of Florida, engineered a successful capital campaign to renovate and expand the museum, and increased the size of its permanent collection by more than five times. When the Board of Trustees accepted Camber’s resignation in May, they recognized her long tenure of service with the title of Director Emeritus.  While Camber is retiring, Judy Drucker has been ousted by the board of the Concert Association of Florida, according to published reports.  Drucker founded the Concert Association of Florida in 1967 and established herself as an impresario capable of luring world-class talent to South Florida.  She is largely credited for increasing the visibility of classical music in the region, including such artists as Itzhak Perlman, Luciano Pavarotti, Beverly Sills, Cecilia Bartoli, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and many other soloists, orchestras and dance companies.  The Concert Association plans to pay tribute to Drucker’s 40-year career with a gala next season.  The word on the street is that while Drucker’s departure agreement includes a non-compete clause for Miami-Dade, Broward County is fair game.  It’s possible that Drucker may launch a new concert series at the Broward Center, which has been the Concert Association’s most successful venue since they began presenting events there in 1991.  One thing’s for sure: Judy Drucker will remain a vital part of South Florida’s music scene.

Terry Galloway, one of the speakers at danceAble’s forum

danceAble Presents Forum
This year’s danceAble, an annual gathering in Miami of dancers and other artists with and without disabilities,  held within the Florida Dance Festival, features a half-day forum , di(verse)ability, that features two prominent  artists in the GLBT disability community. The forum, which takes place on Friday June 29, features a keynote speech by John Killacky, filmmaker and renowned disability activist based in San Francisco. Also participating in the forum will be Terry Galloway, from Tallahassee, a lesbian writer, performer and comic who is hearing impaired. The di(verse)ability forum of danceAble is specifically focused on the ways that artists with disabilities have multiple identities – of race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.  John and Terry’s appearances in South Florida are a great opportunity to focus on  the often overlooked group of gays and lesbians with disabilities, both from the point of view of the challenges faced by this community and the strengths and uniqueness of this experience. Both use their artistic work to address theses specific topics. danceAble performances take place June 25-29 at various venues in Miami.  The di(verse)ability forum takes place  Friday, June 29, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, ETCOTA Auditorium, Room 7128, Building 7, 500 NE 2nd Avenue, in downtown Miami.  For more info on the forum and the performances, visit tigertail.org.

A moment featuring a merman from the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus concert “Time to Take Our Place” Photo: Peter Aymonin

Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus
It just doesn’t feel like June to me unless I spend a few hours in a darkened theatre listening to gay men singing their hearts out.  That’s where I was Sunday June 17, sitting in Broward Center watching the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus and their annual June show, this year called “Time to Take Our Place”.  It was an interesting concert, combining the best of pop, rock, and Broadway.  The first act featured the music of the 1970s and included a disco medley which transformed the stage into a miniature Studio 54, while a mirrored disco ball twirled above the audience.  The Village People medley was also a hit, as was the Queen medley, in which Sean McCoy and James Perkowski donned some killer brocade duds.  The second act focused on Broadway with selections from Oklahoma!, Miss Saigon, Carousel, and Jesus Christ Superstar.  The highlight of the evening for me was Kurt Litzenberger, who nailed his solo of “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera.  (To see more photos of the evening, visit the photo gallery page in this issue.) The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus is planning something extra special for their October 22 concert: they’ll be at the big theatre at Broward Center, singing with their special guest, Broadway star Barbara Cook.  That’s a show you won’t want to miss.  ftlgmc.org.

Evelyn Girigis, Fernanda Pellegrini and Wan-Ching Lee at the Carnival Center Viva! Volunteers event Photo: Wick Beavers

Carnival Center Honors Volunteers
Carnival Center for the Performing Arts honored its volunteers at Viva! Volunteers, the center’s first volunteer appreciation banquet and award reception. Since Carnival Center’s inception, volunteers have contributed more than 17,000 hours of service.  Hundreds of active volunteers who attended the celebration were greeted with a red carpet welcome, followed by a mojito cocktail reception, live music, a lavish banquet dinner, and an award ceremony.  A total of 160 active volunteers were recognized for their specific service contributions to Carnival Center with awards and certificates distributed at the event.  The recipients of the evening’s most prominent awards included: Eugene Spencer of North Miami, who received the Dr. Michael C. Hardy Spirit of Service Award, given to the volunteer who has contributed the most hours of service,  volunteering over 500 hours; Joanne Koski of Miami Springs, who received the Inspirational Award, for her commitment, recruiting the most volunteers; Wan-Chin Lee and Maria Isabel Ager of  Miami, Angela Brown and Lourdes Hernandez of Coral Gables, Rodolfo Mendible of Sunny Isles Beach, Carlos Vargas of Miami Beach, and Jonathan Stout of  Cooper City received the Spotlight Award, for having demonstrated exceptional commitment to the Center’s success; and Gloria Villa of  Coral Gables received the Playbill Award for her unconditional support throughout the Center’s 2006-2007 inaugural season. At the event, 150 volunteers also were recognized for their service with certificates in special categories. 

Todd Allen Durkin

Summer Theatre Openings
When the thermometer rises in South Florida, the amount of theatre generally wanes, but there are still some offerings out there for you.  Palm Beach Dramaworks opens their summer show on July 6.  Capitalizing on the success they’ve had previous summers with musical revues, the theatre in downtown West Palm Beach is doing Side by Side by Sondheim, by---you guessed it---Stephen Sondheim.  Side by Side by Sondheim combines musical theatre background and biographical tidbits along with hit musical numbers from Sondheim shows.  Side by Side by Sondheim runs through August 6.  palmbeachdramaworks.org.  A little south of West Palm Beach in Manalapan, the Florida Stage Theatre is also taking the musical revue route for the summer with.   A Marvelous Party: The Noel Coward Celebration.  It runs June 29-August 19.  floridastage.org. The Mosaic Theatre in Plantation opens Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) by William Eno on Friday, June 29, a monologue play starring Carbonell award-winning actor Todd Allen Durkin.  It runs through July 15.  mosaictheatre.com.

Jessica L. Peterson and Kim Morgan in the GableStage world premiere of Smut or The Travails of a Virtuous Woman Photo: George Schiavone

In Coral Gables, New Theatre continues its summer Shakespeare and Friends Festival with Julius Caesar, which runs July 12-August 5.  new-theatre.org.  The summer show at Actor’s Playhouse is TomFoolery, a musical revue of Tom Lehrer songs.  This is the theatre’s fourth production of TomFoolery over 16 years, and many of the actors who appeared in past productions will reunite, including Margot Moreland, who earned a Carbonell Award for the 19996 production of the show, which runs July 11-September 2.  actorsplayhouse.org.  And if you’re looking for Smut, check out the GableStage Theatre’s world premiere.  Written by Alice Jay in collaboration with Joseph Adler, Smut takes place during the Gilded Age in old New York, and is inspired by the real-life collision of sexual educator Ida Craddock and America's national censor Anthony Comstock. It runs through July 15.  gablestage.org.

A New Take on an Old Classic
The Promethean Theatre’s summer show is a special South Florida take on a classic play.  Local writer Mark E. Hayes has adapted Edmond Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac into the modern Cyrano.  In this version, which is set in the world of Miami plastic surgery, Cyrano is the Chief Reconstructive Surgeon leading a group of surgical residents.  Cyrano no longer has a big nose in this adaptation, he is fat, at least according to the insane standards of beauty we have here in Miami and in the United States.  Carbonell Award-winning actor Ken Clement plays Cyrano, leading a cast of 11.  Cyrano is the first production in Promethean’s new black box space in the Nova University Arts Center on the Nova Southeastern University campus in Davie.  According to Deborah L. Sherman, co-founder and producing artistic director, summer shows will take place in this space while other shows during the season will be produced in the Hollywood-Mailman Theatre.  Cyrano runs July12-29.  For more info, call 786.317.7580 or visit theprometheantheatre.org.

Benefits of Subscribing to MiamiARTzine.com
While many people read MiamiARTzine.com by logging onto the site or discovering us through search engines---we get 250,000 hits per month---there are perks to subscribing to MiamiARTzine.com.  Five intrepid subscribers discovered that when they each won a pair of tickets to see City Theatre’s Summer Shorts in MiamiARTzine.com’s first ticket giveaway.  The contest was not listed on the website; it was only in the special e-mail that subscribers get whenever a new issue comes out.  The ticket giveaway was such a success that we’re planning lots more goodies for the future.  It’s easy to subscribe to MiamiARTzine.com; the only info we ask for is your e-mail address.  Once you subscribe, not only do you get alerted as soon as each new issue comes out, but now, you’ll be eligible for special giveaways.  If you’re not already a subscriber, what are you waiting for?  Subscribe to MiamiARTzine.com today.

MiamiARTzine.com Summer Publication Schedule
MiamiARTzine.com will revert to a monthly summer schedule once again this year, which means that we’ll publish one issue in July and one issue in August.  This schedule worked last year, when we realized that between a reduced summer arts season and staff vacations, an abbreviated publication schedule made sense.  Our next issue will arrive in your e-mail boxes Friday, July 20.