Music of the Night: Masquerade

Posted on by Thor

Orlando Light Opera, Opera De Sol, and the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra presented Music of the Night: Masquerade at the Orlando Repertory Theater ((1001 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803) from August 2 to 4, 2018. I went on the opening night to sketch.

The show starred Michelle Knight, of Broadway’s Disenchanted, and local stars, Stephanie McCranie, mezzo soprano Sarah Purser Bojorquez,
Stephanie Newman, Bryan Hayes, tenor Kit Cleto, baritone Michael John Foster and
Andrew LeJeune.

This evening
will embody the glamour, magic and mystery of beloved musical theater
and opera repertory. Space Coast Symphony performed on stage under conductor, Aaron Collins. Opera del Sol offered an interactive performances upon
arrival and throughout the evening.The visual artistry of Ashley Willsey, designer of
CFC Arts Hunchback of Notre Dame, had her original projected
sets inspired by the larger works from which the music was
excerpted.

I was offered a seat up front and center but decided I wanted to sketch from further up, so I could take in more of the audience and so no one would be around me to see the faint glow from my tablet screen as I sketched in the dark.  The evening included many selections from musical Theater of Lloyd Webber, Sondheim, Rogers and Weill. I was excited to see Michelle Knight perform again. I had seen her perform Disenchanted in NYC and her sassy bravado had me laughing out loud that night. Sarah Purser Bojorquez performed as Evita, her voice echoing through the hall from behind the audience. Unfortunately there were more than a few mic issues that evening and it seemed like Michelle’s mic cut out more that any other. Pam Schwartz really liked the timber of Bryan Hayes, voice.

Pam Schwartz and I sat behind a millennial couple in masks and I decided to include them in the sketch. Half way through the evening the guy started ripping up his program. They were slow deliberate rips that lasted an excruciatingly long time to execute. How can someone be so dense, clueless and inconsiderate about the people trying to enjoy the music around them? He was trying to make some feeble origami with his program but it was no better engineered that a primitive paper airplane. Such a person should not be allowed out for an evening on the town. They might be fine in a crowed bar where they can be lost in the crowd on their digital devices but keep them out of theaters.

I wanted to take my cell phone flashlight and shine it in this mindless beasts face. Even his date and the people to his right kept looking over at him with annoyance. I heard of an audience member that was following a soccer game from the front row seat while she was supposed to be watching a play. She even shouted out whenever there was a goal. Will live theater have to die because of such mindless dolts? Perhaps an app can be developed that sweeps a theater and uses face recognition to find these strange mindless zombies. Their credit cards should be charged 10 times the ticket price as reparations for the disturbance or they should be escorted from the theater. Though angry, I resisted confrontation because I was busy finishing my sketch. I had work to do. I just laughed to myself about how clueless some folks in Orlando can be.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show. It will be performed  on August 11, 2018 at the Scott center for the Performing Arts at 7PM, and then The Community Church of Vero Beach on August 12, 2018 at 3PM.

Nantucket Bathing Suit Optional Beach

Posted on by Thor

A short walk west from Surfside Beach towards Miacomet Beach on Nantucket is a bathing suit optional beach. I couldn’t resist walking there to sketch. I have done figure drawings for decades, so this was a treat. If you know me at all, you know I am a vampire. I got skin caner on my nose removed years ago which was a barbaric operation in which I watched a staple remove a large chunk of flesh inches from my eyes. Just the idea of the C word keeps me from worshiping the sun anymore. While I sketched others soaking up the sun with every inch of their being on this Nantucket beach, I was under a beach umbrella, wrapped in several beach towels with not an inch of skin exposed to the sun.

I liked that there were rainbow colored beach umbrellas scattered along the beach. I made me feel like the Nantucket natives were in solidarity with Orlando after the Pulse Nightclub massacre the previous month. The surf at this beach was particularly strong. I was on the top of a small cliff of sand that the surf had eroded. As the tide came in, it got closer to the bottom of the sand cliff I was resting on to of. As I sketched, the base of the sand was eroded and without warning, the cliff gave way and I tumbled down into the water below. Other than falling in, I didn’t swim very far out. I heard that the rip tides are rather strong and the waves were honestly intimidating. I preferred the pleasure of watching and sketching sun bathers to the surf.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for August 4 and 5, 2018

Posted on by Thor

Saturday August 4, 2018

Thursday August 2 at 3pm to Sunday August 5, 2018 at 3pm. $197.00 Widow Empowerment Event 2018.  Ritz Carlton Grand Lakes 4012 Central Florida Parkway Orlando, Florida 32837.

Experience an epic 3-day full immersion event
that is focused on personal transformation for women in widowhood, their
mentors, leaders, friends, family and community partners who strive to
empower widows to thrive.

Within this supportive, positive community you’ll
learn everything you need to know about rebuilding and living an
empowered, resilient life which will transform your own widowhood
journey. Bring a special supporter friend or family member
(female) for this uplifting, inspirational, informative, fun and life
nurturing weekend. Say yes.

7pm to 9pm. Ybor City Art Walk. 7th Ave Ybor Tampa, Florida 33605. Featuring a number of arts organizations and artsy businesses. Here are the participating locations:

The Bricks of Ybor,
Bloodline Tattoo,
Ybor Arts Colony,
Hot Wax,
Wandering Eye Art Gallery,
Dysfunctional Grace,
Moon Over Havana Arts Gallery,
Live Arts Labs.

8pm to 10pm Free. Shuffleboard at Orlando’s Beardall Courts. Orlando’s Beardall Courts 800 Delaney Ave Orlando FL. On the 1st Saturday of each month. Free fun!

Sunday August 5,, 2018

10am to Noon Free. Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation Class. University, 5200 Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32811. The Method of Heartfulness A simple and practical way to experience the heart’s unlimited resources.

Noon to 1pm. Free. Yoga. Bring your own mat. Lake Eola Park near the red gazebo.

10pm to Midnight Free. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out and laugh, or give it a try yourself.

Surfside Beach in Nantucket

Posted on by Thor

Another glorious relaxing day alone at the beach in Nantucket. I don’t wear sunglasses so the beach was shockingly white and bright. Others read and relaxed under their umbrellas while I sketched. Whenever I got too hot I would go out in the surf for a dip in the ocean. Then once I dried off enough, I continued to sketch. The one airport on the island is right at the end of the beach, so periodically a large airplane would land or take off, connecting the island to the mainland.

I was content to feel like a castaway with a sketchbook. Glen Weimer had to work during the day, so I spent my time exploring the beach or island with my sketchbook. There is something very rewarding getting to see an old art school friend after so many years. In the evening he took me out to Millie’s Restaurant near Madakett Beach. Millie was a colorful native of the island and the restaurant is a local favorite among the islanders. I had a delicious Po Boy sandwich which hit the spot at the end of a long day baking at the beach.

Ethan Philbrick performed at the Nantucket Community Music Center

Posted on by Thor

After the presentation of the Red Violin at the Nantucket Community Music Center (56 Centre St, Nantucket, MA 02554), Ethen Philbrick performed on Cello. I like most people in the room of course had hoped to hear the Red Violin which was supposed to be a masterpiece of a perfect acoustical instrument. The violin however was spared the stress of performing and was just discussed and held gingerly by it’s owner, Elizabeth Pitcairn. Since Elizabeth refused to even pluck a string, of the 1720 instrument that was purchased by her family whose fortune was built on paint for 1.7 million dollars. I satisfied myself by sketching Ethan’s performance. I  have a vast respect for him to have followed up such an instrument as the Red Violin. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance. I had to wonder what his instrument would be worth at auction. It was a fine end cap to the champagne reception.

The Red Violin at the Nantucket Community Music Center

Posted on by Thor

Glen Weimer was kind enough to get me in to sketch the presentation of the Red Violin at the Nantucket Community Music Center. “The Red Violin” and the “Red Mendelssohn” are the two nicknames given
to the violin built in 1720 by Antonio Stradivari and painted by
Stradivari with a distinct red varnish that remains intact on the violin
to this day. The Red Violin Movie shows Antonio using his wife’s blood to add color to the varnish after her sudden death during child birth.

For more than 200 years, the whereabouts of the violin were unknown,
until it reappeared in the possession of an heir of the composer Felix
Mendelssohn in 1930. In 1990 the Pitcairn family purchased the violin at
a Christie’s auction for $1.7 million, setting a new record at the time
for Stradivarius violins.

Elizabeth Pitcairn was 16 years old and had been playing violin for 13 years when her family bought her the Red Mendelssohn. For the past 26 years Pitcairn has honed her technique on the violin
and, in doing so, has developed a complex relationship with the
instrument “I’m not sure where I stop and the violin begins,” Pitcairn said.

I of course hoped to sketch the Elizabeth playing the violin but she only talked while holding the instrument delicately. She would be performing on on July 17th at the Nantucket Hotel but unfortunately I would be flying back to Orlando that same day and would miss the opportunity to hear the instrument in action. Instead I heard chatter as I sketched furiously. The goal of Red Violin Weekend was to raise money to provide more scholarships for island music students.

Old Spouter Gallery in Nantucket

Posted on by Thor

I went with Glen Weimer to an opening at the Old Spouter Gallery, (118 Orange Street

Nantucket Massachusetts). The gallery name of course refers to a whales, spout. Nantucket Island has long been a magnet for artists, revered for its scintillating ocean light and uniquely beautiful landscape, as well as for its vibrant Artist’s community.

In 2018 the gallery will celebrate its 20th year as one of the most interesting and eclectic Art Galleries on the island of Nantucket – a very special showcase for exciting new, mid-career, and established artists.  The building itself dates back to 1756.

I wandered the galleries and then decided to sketch from the front porch as people arrived.  I set myself for more of a challenge that expected since the wine was being served at a table to my left and the line for drinks usually blocked my view inside. Patience and perseverance were needed to complete the sketch.

Artist Katie Tringle Legge painted inviting still life’s with succulent peaches. Joan Albaugh painted Edward Hopper inspired homes. Sunlight filled the scenes and there was a strange absence of windows on the buildings. I have to say these paintings seemed to be flying off the walls. It felt good to sit in an witness the ongoing industry of art on the island.

The Nantucket Atheneum

Posted on by Thor

The Nantucket Atheneum (1 India St, Nantucket, MA) is the public library for Nantucket,
Massachusetts. The Greek Athenium was a school in ancient Rome for the study of arts. The
Nantucket Atheneum offers free access to millions of books, films and
music as well as over 1,000 programs for all ages year round. The iconic
building, built in 1846, is located in the heart of downtown and
features art and artifacts important to the island’s maritime history as
the center of whaling. The library also provides a free wifi signal,
computer access on the second floor and an inviting garden.

The Nantucket Atheneum evolved from the Nantucket Mechanics Social
Library and the Colombian Library Society, which were both founded on
the island in the early 1820’s. These two social libraries joined forces
in 1827 to become the Universal Library Association, which moved in
1833 to a renovated Universalist Church at the corner of Federal Street
and Pearl Street. In 1834 the library was incorporated as the Nantucket
Atheneum, a private membership library with eighteen-year-old Maria
Mitchell as its first librarian.

In the spring of 1841 Nantucket banker William C. Coffin traveled to New
Bedford to attend an anti-slavery meeting. There he met a 23 year old
runway slave named Frederick Douglass who briefly spoke to the meeting.
Impressed by the young man’s composure, Coffin invited Douglass to
attend a Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society convention at the Nantucket
Atheneum that summer. Douglass accepted and on August 11, 1841, at the
urging of convention organizers, he rose nervously and addressed the
audience.

It was the first time Douglass had given a formal speech and his
remarks so ignited famed abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison’s passion
that he rose and addressed the audience.

“Have we been listening to a thing, a piece of property, or a man?” he yelled.

The gathering of 500 people shouted back “A man! A man!”

“Shall such a man be held a slave in a Christian land?” Garrison then
asked. “Shall such a man ever be sent back to bondage from the free
soil of old Massachusetts?’

The crowd stood up and shouted “No! No! No!”

After that meeting Garrison invited Douglass to join the
Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and travel the country on a lecture
circuit. Douglass spent the rest of his life speaking and writing in
favor of ending slavery and, in time, his fame and influence would
surpass his mentor Garrison.

The Great Fire of 1846 destroyed the
original library building and virtually all of its collections. The
Atheneum was rebuilt on the same site in 1847 and became a free public
library in 1900. A significant renovation of the Atheneum took place in
1996, including the addition of the Weezie Library for Children.

Oldest House on Nantucket

Posted on by Thor

The Jethrow Coffin House
(16 Sunset Hill, Nantucket) built about 1686 is the oldest house on Nantucket. By the time I arrived to sketch the house was already closed. It is one of a series of excellent Island-wide attractions of the Nantucket Historical Association (Nantucket Whaling Museum, on Broad Street). It is the only surviving structure from the island’s 17th century
English settlement. Because of the brick design on its chimney, it is
also called the Horseshoe House. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968. It is now a historic house museum.

The Coffin House is a 1-1/2 story wood frame structure, with a
steeply-pitched roof and a large brick central chimney. The chimney is
adorned with a projection in the shape of an inverted U; this has been
variously interpreted as a horseshoe, or as a hex for warding off
witches, or as a vernacular rendition of Jacobean brickwork styling.
The house has only a relatively small number of casement windows, all of
which feature diamond panes. There are two on either side of the main
entrance, with others placed asymmetrically on the other walls. The
house has a classic New England saltbox
appearance, with a lean to (an addition in the early 18th century,
rebuilt during restoration in the early 20th) extending to the rear of
the house.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for July 28 and 29, 2018

Posted on by Thor

Saturday July 28, 2018

8 a.m. to  1 p.m. Free.  Parramore Farmers Market. The east side of the Orlando City Stadium, across from City View. Purchase quality, fresh and healthy food grown in your own
neighborhood by local farmers, including Fleet Farming, Growing Orlando,
and other community growers.

7 p.m.to 9 p.m. Free. Ybor City Art Walk. 7th Ave Ybor Tampa, Florida 33605. Featuring a number of arts organizations and artsy businesses, be sure to R.S.V.P. here to get the official map for the walk!

Here are the participating locations:

The Bricks of Ybor

Bloodline Tattoo

Ybor Arts Colony

Hot Wax

Wandering Eye Art Gallery

Dysfunctional Grace

Moon Over Havana Arts Gallery

Live Arts Labs

There
will be other businesses joining the lineup so stay tuned!

8 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. $8 No Borders Presents Marvel vs DC II. The Geek Easy 114 S Semoran Blvd, Ste 6, Winter Park, Florida 32792.

No Borders Art Competition welcomes you to MARVEL vs DC II at The Geek Easy.

Come
watch as two universes collide for the better good. Armed with black
markers and their choice of one color. With 30 minutes on the clock and a
4ft x 4ft smooth white canvas as their battlefield. Who will take
over?? Only one way to find out!!!

Artists TBA

DeeJay Dolo will be providing the sounds.

Our judges for the night are..

Earl Lugo

Josue Ortiz

TBA


Sunday July 29, 2018

10 a.m. to Noon Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation Class. University, 5200 Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32811. The Method of Heartfulness A simple and practical way to experience the heart’s unlimited resources.

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Members FREE; Non-members $8.. Sun Screens Movie: “Creature from the Black Lagoon”. Orange County Regional History Center 65 E Central Blvd, Orlando, Florida 32801.

Keep cool with a series of Sunday matinees featuring movies linked to
Florida. We’ll supply the popcorn, along with fascinating facts about
each film, hosted by Joy Wallace Dickinson of the Orlando Sentinel’s
Florida Flashback feature. After the movie, we’ll also have the
opportunity for a short behind-the-scenes discussion with an expert
about the subject of each film.

There’s nothing like seeing a
movie the old-fashioned way: with a group of fellow movie fans. The
series is free for members! Popcorn and beverages will be provided. Featured film: Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

This
black-and-white horror classic from the Cold War era has inspired films
from Jaws to The Shape of Water. The underwater skills of Floridians
Ricou Browning and Orlando’s own Ginger Stanley Hallowell made
creature-feature history.

Noon to 2 p.m. Free but order a coffee. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.