Mary Damiano Photo by David Vance

Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

Summer means something different to everyone. When you’re a kid it means a two-month vacation from school; when you’re an adult, it might not mean much at all. In much of the country it means the arrival of hot sunny weather; in South Florida it means hotter, rainier weather. Summer can be just another season, or it can be whatever you want it to be. While there are still lots of arts entertainment choices during summer in South Florida, it’s not nearly as busy as our season. Here at MiamiARTzine.com, we slow down some, producing one issue each in July and August. But that only leaves us more time to work on all the special surprises we have planned for you, our readers, when we begin biweekly production again in September. As for me, I’m heading up to a writers’ retreat in the mountains of North Carolina, my home away from home, to refuel my creative energy and enjoy the cool mountain air. Whether you vacay or staycay this summer, make sure too find time to take advantage of all the wonderful arts options available.

Ray Breslin with Angel Perez, the child he sponsored at SoBe Institute of the Arts/SoBe Music Institute, and Angel’s family

Be an Angel for Children in the Arts
Community and arts activist Ray Breslin has spearheaded a Sponsor a Child program in conjunction with SoBe Institute of the Arts/SoBe Music Institute in Miami Beach. “I have started a sponsor a child for the summer program and have sponsored the first child by paying $450 for his summer tuition,” says Breslin. “His name is Angel Perez. He and his family were thrilled that I did this and thanked me from the bottom of their hearts. There are many other deserving students and I implore you to each use a portion of your discretionary funds to sponsor a child and encourage others you know to do the same. These kids are our future and the programs that are offered by SoBe and the free concerts that they give all through the year are a real valuable asset.” Breslin encourages others to join him in investing in both the arts and a child. “Please join me and sponsor a kid for the summer,” ha says. “You can meet the student if you would like, or you can be anonymous. It is your choice but please help. These kids deserve it. If I can make the difference in just one kid’s life, it is well worth it. But I want more, and that takes you.” The SoBe Institute of the Arts/SoBe Music Institute has lots of programs to choose from in dace, film, music and theatre, and there are classes for children as young as 3 years old, and others for teens. For more information on all of the programs available, and more info on Ray Breslin’s Sponsor a Child program, visit www.sobearts.org.

Ground Up & Rising, Miami Beach’s new resident theatre company, will present On an Average Day at the Byron Carlyle.

New Resident Theatre Company in Miami Beach
Miami Beach has a new resident theatre company. Ground Up & Rising, which has been producing work for several years in Kendall and a few other locations, has found a new home at the Byron Carlyle Theatre in Miami Beach. They will inaugurate their new space with their production of On an Average Day by Olivier Award-nominated playwright John Kolvenbach and directed by Arturo Fernandez, producing artistic director for Ground Up & Rising. They recently presented On an Average Day at ArtSouth in Homestead and at the GableStage Theatre in Coral Gables. On an Average Day runs June 19, 20, 26 and 27, 8 p.m., at the Byron Carlyle Theatre in Miami Beach. After-parties will be held at Club Bed on Friday, June 19, and Friday, June
26. All guests of Ground Up & Rising’s productions will receive free admission with their Ground Up & Rising ticket stub. On an Average Day is described as a darkly
humorous tale about two estranged brothers who are reunited in a rotting apartment where they remember a dark shared history which includes the mysterious disappearance of their father. For tickets and more information, visit www.GroundUpandRising.org.

2009 Foster Fellowship for Emerging Artists Calls for Applicants
The Cultural Foundation of Broward, Inc. announces the 2009 Foster Fellowship for Emerging Artists Award. This year the award will be given to a Broward-based artist in the discipline of Music. The application deadline is August 1. Up to $2,500 will be given for a specific project, or for purchases to advance the artist’s career. The winner will be announced in October 2009. A few past recipients of this award include Michael Ryan Pilato and Michelle Rosenfarb for Theatre Arts in 2007; Alejandro Lugo for Visual Arts in 2005 and Dawn Preuss for Dance 2001. “The Foundation is pleased to honor and assist artists who are committed to advancing their professional career in the area of music,” says Roberta Young, president of the Cultural Foundation of Broward. “Artists make a significant contribution to our community. We encourage Broward artists in the beginning of their careers to apply.” Applicants must be practicing artists residing and working in Broward County for one year prior to the application deadline and have documented proof of recent (within the previous 18 months) work in Broward County. To download an application and guidelines in PDF format, visit the Cultural Foundation of Broward’s website at http://www.broward.org/arts/foundation/foundation_news.htm.

Flautist Laura Sue, the Silver Nightingale, will perform at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale

Free Music at Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale
The Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, a division of Nova Southeastern University, continues its free Third Thursday monthly event series Thursday, June 18, 5:30 p.m., with a special music performance by flautist, vocalist and composer Laura Sue, The Silver Nightingale. Flautist, vocalist and composer Laura Sue, the Silver Nightingale is renowned for her angelic solo flute music, and spirited ensembles like Orquestra Nightingale and Laura and the Legwarmers. Laura Sue plays regularly around South Florida at concerts, weddings, conferences, and other social and spiritual gatherings from Vizcaya to Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Her debut CD, Sarabande - Solo Flute Meditations, has been heard on radio stations from coast to coast. In addition to the evening’s musical entertainment, the museum offers free admission, extended hours (open until 8 p.m.), 2-for-1 drink specials in the Museum’s Café and Wine Bar and gift giveaways from the Broward-Palm Beach New Times Street Team. Current Museum exhibitions include “With You I Want to Live” along with the museum’s permanent collections The Spectacle of Life: The Art of William Glackens, CoBrA and The Indigo Room or Is Memory Water Soluble? For more information, visit www.moafl.org.

Convention by artist Sean Raspet

Culture Shock MOCA Madness
Students will have a chance to experience Culture Shock MOCA Madness, an interactive event celebrating the Convention exhibition, one of the most unique and innovative exhibitions of the season on Saturday, June 20, at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in North Miami. The event is from noon to 3 p.m. and includes lunch by Pollo Tropical and an exclusive, behind-the-scenes presentation. Tickets are $5 at www.cultureshockmiami.com. Culture Shock MOCA Madness is a partnership between Culture Shock Miami, a nonprofit organization that provides $5 tickets to cultural events in Miami to students ages 13 through 22, and MOCA with the purpose of bringing an exciting exhibit to students and fostering an appreciation for the arts and an understanding of culture. Issues of congregation—where society gathers and how we exchange information—are examined by 16 international artists whose work is on view in the exhibition “Convention.” With an unconventional, critical, and humorous approach, the exhibition examines the effects and roles of conventions, social and professional gatherings on society. Works by Julieta Aranda, Fia Backstrom, Xavier Cha, Anne Daems & Kenneth Andrew Mroczek, Jim Drain, Fritz Haeg, Corey McCorkle, Dave McKenzie, Gean Moreno, My Barbarian, Christodoulos Panayiotou, Sean Raspet, Bert Rodriguez, and Superflex & Jens Haaning are featured. Culture Shock MOCA Madness will be highlighted by an exclusive tour meet-and-greet with MOCA executive director Bonnie Clearwater, MOCA assistant curator Ruba Katrib, and MOCA curator of education Dr. Adrienne von Lates. A live DJ and a bento box lunch will be provided for everyone. The event will include a scavenger hunt in which attendees will search for answers to clues in the “Convention” exhibition. Those who complete the hunt will be eligible to win prizes, such as art books, art supplies and membership to MOCA. All attendees will get a souvenir CD with “Convention” photos and music tracks from the event sound track. For more information about “Convention”visit www.mocanomi.org.

Girl on Girl Action
The Women's Theatre Project will present "Girl Play," their first Lesbian Play Reading Festival on Saturday, June 27 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 28, at 2 p.m. in association with the Gay and Lesbian Community Center at their new building, 2040 N. Dixie Hwy., in Wilton Manors. Scripts were submitted for consideration from all over the United States, Canada and Australia. The two performances are completely different programs featuring readings of the 16 selected short scripts with a focus on lesbian themes. In addition to the readings, guest can partake the special Luscious Lesbian Martini. There is a donation of $10 per person. For more information or to make a reservation, call 954-462-8994 or visit www.womenstheatreproject.com.

John Felix (right) admires Daniel Landon in A New Century, which opens June 20 at GableStage. Photo: George Schiavone

Theatre Openings
There are no summer doldrums for South Florida theatre lovers—a whole new crop of shows are opening in the next month. This week there’s A New Century by Paul Rudnick at GableStage in Coral Gables. A New Century centers around three characters—a super-flamboyant Palm Beach TV host, a Jewish mother from Long Island, and a cheery Midwestern craftswoman—who collide in New York City under surprising circumstances. Two of the monologues in the show have been presented in past seasons at Summer Shorts. A New Century runs June 20 through July 19. www.gablestage.org. Florida Stage in Manalapan is ushering in summer with a jukebox musical, Some Kind of Wonderful, which runs July 1 through August 30. Some Kind of Wonderful features a diverse selection of music, including Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Barbara Streisand, Wilson Pickett, the Supremes, the Four Seasons and many more singers and groups. www.floridastage.org. Local playwright Tony Finstrom’s Knish Alley will be on the boards July 10 through August 30 at the Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs. It’s a comedy set in the 1900s which follows a troupe of Jewish actors as they travel to New York City on an ocean liner. www.stagedoortheatre.com. The Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton has the world premiere musical Vices: A Love Story on tap. It’s described as a sophisticated exploration of relationships told through music and dance. It runs July 8 through August 2. www.caldwelltheatre.com. Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables is also opening a musical—Married Alive, which follows two married couples through the trials and tribulations of the institution of marriage. It runs July 8 through August 16. www.actorsplayhouse.org. Palm Beach Dramaworks is taking a more classic route this summer, presenting Noel Coward’s Private Lives, about a divorced couple, both remarried, who accidentally book adjoining suites at a hotel for their respective honeymoons. It runs July 17 through August 16. www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.

Kim Ehly portrays a young American activist in My Name is Rachel Corrie at Alliance Theatre Lab.

Alliance Theatre Lab Tackles Controversial Play
The Alliance Theatre Lab in Miami Lakes has the Florida premiere of the controversial piece My Name is Rachel Corrie, June 18 through July 5. Rachel Corrie was a young American woman who was killed in 2003 in the Gaza Strip. Rachel was in Gaza as a member of the International Solidarity Movement, engaging in non-violent protest of the demolition of houses by the Israeli Defense Force. During an attempt to block an armored bulldozer from demolishing a home, Rachel was crushed to death by the bulldozer. Rachel’s story is told through her own voice, using her journals and e-mails. It has raised controversy just about everywhere a production has been announced—the Mosaic Theatre in Plantation canceled its plans to produce it several seasons ago amid pressure. Alliance addressed some of the concerns over their production in a press release which read in part: “Every human has a voice. Every voice deserves to be heard. One may find that voice disturbing or uplifting, uncomfortable or enriching. But that voice—and every voice—must be heard.” For more information on My Name is Rachel Corrie, visit www.thealliancetheatrelab.com.

The comedy of Richard Pryor is included in Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy, the opening night film of the American Black Film Festival

American Black Film Festival Comes to Miami Beach
The American Black Film Festival, a four-day retreat and international film market, will be held June 24-27 in Miami Beach. The event features film screenings, premieres, workshops, panels, and symposiums designed for both film fans and filmmakers. The opening night film is Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy on Wednesday, June 24 at the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road. Directed by Robert Townsend, the documentary features some of the biggest names in comedy, including Bill Cosby, Cedric the Entertainer, Wanda Sykes, and more discussing the nuances of black comedy. The American Black Film Festival will be presented at several venues around Miami Beach. For more information, visit www.abff.com.

The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus will perform this weekend in Fort Lauderdale.

Taking Pride in Song
Both the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus and the Miami Gay Men’s Chorus will present concerts this weekend in celebration of Gay Pride Month. The two concerts are very different in tone. An entire act of the Miami Gay Men’s Chorus concert called “Look: back, inward & forward” is “Through a Glass Darkly,” an 11-song choral piece about crystal meth addiction. That show will be presented at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach, Friday June 19, 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 20 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.. The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus is taking a more upbeat approach with their concert, “Celebrating Life Together,” a toe-tapping musical revue that celebrates diversity. It will be presented Friday, June 19, Saturday June 20 and Sunday June 21 at 8 p.m. at Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale. To buy tickets and get more information about the Miami Gay Men’s Chorus, visit www.miamigaychorus.org. To buy tickets and get more information about the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus, visit www.ftlgmc.org.

Michaelangelo’s David will be brought to life via bodybuilders at “The Muscular Body as Living Art” event at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale

Body of Work
The Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale is taking the idea of living art to a new level. On Thursday, July 9, at 6 p.m., the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University and the 2009 NPC Southern States Fitness, Figure, Bikini & Bodybuilding Championships will unite to present “The Muscular Body as Living Art.” This special event will be held at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale’s Horvitz Auditorium and outdoor Sculpture Terrace in downtown Fort Lauderdale. This summer’s event is inspired by the Whitney Museum of American Art’s 1976 live exhibition, “The Body as Art,” which featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, and Ed Corney. Ellie Rodriguez, the entertainment reporter for “Deco Drive,” will host “The Muscular Body as Living Art”—a live exhibition featuring NPC Bodybuilding Champions and noted art historians from Nova Southeastern University. The art historians will discuss male and female muscular body images as depicted by artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Auguste Rodin. During the discussion, NPC Bodybuilding Champions will bring iconic sculptures such as The Thinker, Diana (goddess of the hunt), Hercules (of the Theatre of Pompey), and David to life posed on pedestals. The audience is invited to participate in what promises to be a lively discussion on male and female muscular body images in society. The event will be followed by an outdoor cocktail party featuring live bodybuilders posing, hors d’oeuvres, live musical performances and an extravagant wall-to-wall screening of the Arnold Schwarzenegger documentary Pumping Iron. There will also be a docent led tour of the exhibition, “With You I Want to Live: Contemporary Paintings, Sculpture, and Photographs from Two Private Fort Lauderdale Collections.” Tickets are $25 at the door; $20 in advance (Will Call); and $15 for members of the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale and Nova Southeastern University students and faculty with a valid university I.D. For more information, visit www.moafl.org.

The Symphony of the Americas

Summerfest 2009 Comes to Miramar
Symphony of the America’s Summerfest 2009, Fort Lauderdale’s professional orchestra now in its 21st consecutive year, comes to the Miramar Cultural Center for one performance only Wednesday, July 15 at 8 p.m. This year’s Summerfest, under the artistic direction of Dr. James Brooks-Bruzzese, combines members of the Symphony of the Americas with the Remenyi Ede Chamber Orchestra from Budapest, Hungary, Music featured will include Vivaldi, Bach and Copland as well as Hungarian composer Gyorgy Orban and the premiere of work by Cuban composer Alfredo Munar. There also will be performances of Rachmaninoff and David Popper, featuring cellist Endre Balog, and the music of Wieniawski arranged and performed by concertmaster/soloist Laszlo Pap. Tickets are $15, $25 and $35. VIP tickets that include a post-concert reception with visiting artists are also available. The Miramar Cultural Center is located at 2400 Civic Center Place, Miramar, FL 33025 at Red and Hiatus Roads. For tickets and more information, call 954-602-4500 or visit www.MiramarCulturalCenter.org.

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