Mary Damiano Photo by David Vance

Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

In the December 7 issue of MiamiARTzine.com, we made several additions to keep you, the reader, informed and entertained.  First, we now offer videos, to lend a more multimedia facet to MiamiARTzine.com.  Check out the Video button on the left side of the page to see several artists discuss their work.  Second, we have a new monthly dining column, Dining Culture.  The column is designed to not only help you decide where to go to eat, but also to incorporate dining into your overall entertainment experience.  Many of you know what I’m talking about, because Dining Culture received more hits than almost any other story in the issue.  And speaking of hits, MiamiARTzine.com regularly gets more than a quarter of a million hits each month, testament to the fact that readers know we are a destination to read about the arts in Miami Beach and beyond.  Thanks!

Johnny Depp prepares to give Alan Rickman a very close shave in Sweeney Todd

Attend the Tale of
Sweeney Todd
South Florida devotees to the brilliance of Stephen Sondheim will be in paradise this week as a double dose of Sondheim’s macabre masterpiece Sweeney Todd, hits both movie theatres today and Carnival Center January 1.  First, Sweeney Todd the movie: Sondheim’s tale of the demon barbrer of Fleet Street is gorgeously realized, faithful to the play though not slavishly so.  The art direction is stylishly grim and dreary, and the performances by the cast, especially Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are excellent. While not trained singers, and they do know how to act a song, which makes all the difference.  Depp once again proves that he can do anything on screen and pull it off with panache.  There is another co-star here that receives no screen credit: the blood.  In Sweeney Todd, blood is not just a special effect, it has a personality.  Director Tim Burton’s cinematic bloodlust culminates with this film; the blood is chilling, sensual and deliciously wicked.  Sweeney Todd will be one of the key players at the Oscars in February, and it’s already wracked up a slew of Golden Globe nominations.  Don’t miss it.  Now, Sweeney Todd the musical: The touring production that will play Carnival Center is the revival, a stripped down, streamlined Sweeney that eschews the design elements of the original and has the actors also playing musical instruments.  Both the movie and the stage production will offer two different takes on the musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1979 and won many Tony awards including one for best musical.  The revival coming to Carnival premiered on Broadway in 2005 and won several Tonys.  Sweeney Todd runs January 1-6.  carnivalcenter.org.

Monkee Man Does Aladdin
Davy Jones made a name for himself as part of The Monkees, and became one of the most beloved  teen idols of the 1960s.  Now Jones stars in Aladdin, a British panto produced by the Gold Coast Theatre Company. Pantos are traditional holiday fare in England, and involve campy, over the top sight gags and the struggle between good and evil.  Aladdin plays Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, in West Palm Beach Sunday, December 23, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.;  Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, Dec. 26-27, and the Colony Theatre, Miami Beach, December 30.  For tickets and more information, call 305-538-5500 or visit Ticketmaster.com or BritishPanto.org.

Christopher Cazenove and Lisa O’Hare in My Fair Lady

It Really is Loverly
The musical My Fair Lady is only at Carnival Center through Sunday, December 23, so if you want to see one of the best productions to come to South Florida in ages, you don’t have much time.  This production, starring Christopher Cazenove and Lisa O’Hare as Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle, hits all the right notes in every way: the cast is fabulous—especially Tim Jerome as Alfred Doolitle, who steals every scene he’s in—the sumptuous costumes—Eliza’s white gown looks as if it were spun from the delicate wings of woodland faeries—to the sets—I could live happily ever after in Henry Higgins’ library.  This is the way Broadway musicals used to be.  Treat yourself and experience a classic.  carnivalcenter.org.

Cartoon Fun at the Jewish Museum
Jewish Museum of Florida on South Beach is offering a special treat on Tuesday, December 25.  From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. bring the family to explore the museum and discover the stories and original comic books in the current exhibit, “Zap! Pow! Bam! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comics, 1938-1950,” and make your own cartoons. There will be holiday music, exhibition scavenger hunt, changing clothes in Superman's phone booth, costumes and photo ops for the kids on the Batmobile. Leading the activities will be Al Baruch, of Tamarac, an acclaimed cartoon artist and animator with impressive credentials. For 12 years he worked at Disney Studios as a character developer and artist. During that time he developed a number of recognizable characters that appeared prominently in Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp. He also worked at Terrytoons Studios, working on Casper the Friendly Ghost and Mighty Mouse. Later, he opened his own studio and advertising agency in New York. In 1986 he began teaching cartoon animation at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. Currently, Baruch teaches a variety of classes in cartooning at community centers and libraries. He still occasionally does specialized consignment work for Disney from his home.  Admission is $6 for non-members. Members are free. To make a reservation, call 305-672-5044,
ext. 3175.

A scene from Fellini’s And the Ship Sails On

“F” is for Fellini
Free-flowing, fantastic, fresh, florid, flush, fleshy, frolicking, and freakin’ fabulously flamboyant. Federico Fellini is the first filmmaker who comes to mind when one thinks of the above words, especially the later period of his career, starting with his first film in glorious over-the-top color in 1965. As Italy’s premiere fantasy cinema genius for decades, Fellini created the most outrageous characters and scenarios on film, and eventually on his own terms, without the approval or advice of any controlling studio committee. The later films are a Fellini unleashed, since his name and style was the most famous in Italian film history. He had no limits or boundaries for his visions, and no end to the amount of imagination put into his films.  The Miami Beach Cinematheque will screen the films of Fellini throughout January, debuting Friday, January 4 with his first film in color, Juliet of the Spirits (1965), along with one of his only short films, Toby Dammit (1968), followed by Fellini Satyricon (1969), Amarcord (1973), City of Women (1980), and And The Ship Sails On (1983).  The documentary about the making of his films, which includes his last interview, Fellini: I’m A Born Liar (2003) will also be screened.  Rare Fellini posters and autographed memorabilia from the MBC Archive will also be exhibited throughout the retrospective, including premiere programs from Italy, France, Austria, Germany, and the United States.  MBC has one of the largest and most complete collections of souvenir programs in the world, encompassing the entire history of cinema.   Films: $10 or $6 MBC Members.  FelliniPass $40 or $25 MBC Members.  For a full schedule and to purchase tickets, call 305-673-4567 or visit  mbcinema.com

David Leddick, part of the cast of 11 O’Clock Number

Theatre Openings
GableStage Theatre in Coral Gables opens The Little Dog Laughed on December 29.  Written by Douglas Carter Beane, it’s a comic send-up of Hollywood about an agent and what happens when her screen idol client wants to come out of the closet.  It runs through February 3.  There will also be a special New Year’s Eve gala/fundraiser, with includes the show and catered by the Biltmore Hotel.  gablestage.org.  The Rising Action Theatre Company presents John Kane’s 11 O’Clock Number, about a theatre fan visited by the ghost of Ethel Merman.  The production’s cast includes Rising Action founder David Goldyn, Merry Jo Cortada, and Miami Beach performer and author David Leddick.  It runs through February 3.  There will be a special New Year’s Eve gala that includes the show, a three-course dinner from Primavera restaurant, the opening night ribbon cutting ceremony and champagne party after with the cast..  risingactiontheatre.com. Also, The Drowsy Chaperone, a cheeky homage to a devoted fan’s love of old stage musicals, will play Broward Center January 1-11.  browardcenter.org.

“The Faerie Flutes,” from Holiday Wonders

The Wonder of
Ancient China
The pageantry of traditional Chinese dance and music will be on display in Holiday Wonders, at Broward Center December 27-28.  Backed by a full orchestra, a company of international dancers illustrate the myths and legends of ancient China, allowing the audience the chance to experience 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture in two hours.  For more information and to purchase tickets for Holiday Wonders, call 954-607-1739 or visit browardcenter.org.

Michael Aller, Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower and Ross Mollison Photo: Ray Breslin

Spiegelworld Unveiled
Cast members from Absinthe, the new show in Miami Beach, entertained city officials and citizens who attended a special preview and meet and greet on Wednesday, December 19.  The spiegeltent, where the show will be performed, was pitched in Collins Park, located at 21^st Street and Ocean Drive.  Absinthe blends comedy, aerial feats, and acrobatics to create a unique experience.  For more information about Absinthe, read the lead story in this issue of MiamiARTzine.com.