TODAY at NOON: Bestselling author Erik Larson speaking in Lakewood Ranch

My new favorite author, Erik Larson, will be the guest speaker today at the 25th annual Library Foundation Book & Author Luncheon Friday in Lakewood Ranch

The noon event, which I'm attending, is at the Polo Grill.

Larson has penned the best-selling, novelistic non-fiction works "Devil in the White City" (a Leonardo DiCaprio movie in pre-production) and, his latest, "In the Garden of Beasts" (Tom Hanks recently purchased the film rights).

Erik Larson knows darkness.
His bestselling "Devil in the White City," which earned him the 2004 Edgar Award for "best fact crime book," is about a Chicago serial killer.
He followed a couple years later with "Thunderstruck," another nonfiction book about a murderer.
But those horrors couldn't prepare Larson, the guest of honor at the Manatee County Library Foundation's annual author luncheon, for what he encountered when crafting his latest factual tour-de-force, "In the Garden of Beasts."
The book deftly places the reader with an American family in Hitler's Berlin. It's 1933 and history professor William E. Dodd finds himself appointed as the first U.S. ambassador to Nazi Germany, which initially enthralls his highly social, 24-year-old daughter, Martha. Eventually, though, it becomes clear to them they are surrounded by monsters.
"In no previous book did I have this experience," Larson said by phone from his Seattle home.

Read more of my Larson feature that ran Sunday.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/03/11/3929535/author-erik-larson-takes-readers.html#storylink=cpy

—Photo of Larson by Benjamin Benschneider/PUBLICITY PHOTO COPYRIGHT BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER

LISTEN: Jack White's new singles 'Sixteen Saltines' and 'Love is Blindness' (U2 cover)

Jack White just released "Sixteen Saltines," the alt-rocking second single from his forthcoming debut album "Blunderbuss," out April 24 on Third Man Records/Columbia.

White unveiled the song for the first time during his March 3 appearance on "Saturday Night Live." Pre-orders for a 7" vinyl single featuring the non-album B-side, White's creepy-cool cover of U2's "Love Is Blindness" (also posted below), are currently being taken at:

http://jackwhite.thirdmanrecordsstore.com and www.thirdmanrecords.com.

The vinyl single hits stores March 20.

LISTEN: Jack White's new single 'Love Interruption'

The White Stripes/The Raconteurs/The Dead Weather mastermind is currently playing select headline and festival dates leading up to the release of "Blunderbuss," including a headlining set at the Third Man Records Texas Stand-Off, the label's first ever official South By Southwest showcase, on Friday, March 16 at The Stage on Sixth in Austin, TX.

—Publicity photo courtesy of Nasty Little Man

Sarasota Opera's 2012-13 season features world premiere of 'Little Nemo in Slumberland'

The Sarasota Opera announced today that its fall season will include the world premiere of Daron Hagen and J.D. McClathcy’s "Little Nemo in Slumberland."

The 2013 Winter Festival will feature the Sarasota Opera premiere Giacomo Puccini’s "Turandot," Giuseppe Verdi’s "A King for a Day (Un giorno di regno)" and Carlisle Floyd’s "Of Mice and Men."

This year's fall Sarasota Opera Season opens with Verdi’s "Rigoletto," which is based on Victor Hugo’s play “Le Roi s’Amuse.” It was the opera chosen to be the first performed in the opera house when it re-opened in 2008.  "Rigoletto" will open on Oct. 26 and run through Nov. 12.


"Little Nemo in Slumberland" will be a co-production with the University of Kentucky Opera Theater, implementing the new theater technology, SCRIBE (Self-Contained Rapidly Integratable Background Environment). This technology has been successfully used in productions at the University of Kentucky Opera Theater and The Atlanta Opera. There will be two performances on Nov. 10 and 11.

The 2013 Sarasota Opera Winter Festival will open with the Sarasota Opera premiere of Puccini’s "Turandot," which features some of the composers most famous music including the tenor aria “Nessum Dorma (None shall sleep)."


Following "Turandot" will be Georges Bizet’s "The Pearl Fishers (Les Pêcheurs de perles)," last seen in Sarasota in 2003.

Sarasota Opera will present the world premiere of a new critical edition (transcribed directly from Verdi’s manuscript) of Verdi’s second opera "A King for a Day." Verdi’s first comic opera (his only other comedy was his final opera "Falstaff"), "A King for a Day" is based on the play "Le faux Stanislas" by Alexandre Vincent Pineu-Duval. It will be the 29th installment in the company’s continuing Verdi Cycle.

The Sarasota Opera will present Floyd’s "Of Mice and Men" as a continuation of its American Classics Series. Premiered in 1969 at Seattle Opera, Floyd adapted the opera from the novella by John Steinbeck and wrote both the music and libretto himself. As was done with the first two American Classics Series Operas, the 2011 production of "The Crucible" and the 2012 production of "Vanessa," Sarasota Opera will design a series of education events around this production "Of Mice and Men."

The four productions will run in rotation from February 9 through March 24, 2013.

Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale by calling 941-328-1300 or visiting www.sarasotaopera.org.

—Photo: Little Nemo as drawn by Winsor McCay.

Will the 'Mad Men' survive?

My favorite show is finally returning to TV.

The last episode of “Mad Men” originally aired Oct. 17, 2010.

So it’s understandable that icy ad man Don Draper (Jon Hamm) sounds a bit nervous about his acclaimed drama returning to AMC.

The two-hour season premiere of “Mad Men” on March 25 follows a prolonged hiatus due to negotiations between the network and series creator Matthew Weiner.

“Ideally, if you’re a fan of the show and it’s been off the air for a year and a half you’ll be excited for it to come back on,” Hamm says in a promo video posted on AMC’s website. “Hopefully, the absence in this case has made the heart grow fonder.”

The first basic cable series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, “Mad Men” has taken home the trophy in each of its first four seasons starting in 2008.

That makes it one of the most acclaimed shows in television history.

But not exactly a huge crowd-pleaser.

Alas, more people do watch that “(expletive) idiot” Kim Kardashian — Hamm’s term, not mine, no, never — over on E!

But how many of the loyal viewers of “Mad Men” will return after such a long absence?

Seventeen months.

That’s a lot to ask.

To quote Hamm again:

“Hopefully, the absence in this case has made the heart grow fonder.”

Manatee Players add 'Legally Blonde,' 'Anything Goes' to 2012-13 season

'Bruiser' from 'Legally Blonde'

Frothy, contemporary fun from Hollywood and a work by a master of the Great American Songbook round out The Manatee Players' upcoming season.

The Bradenton community theater troupe announced today that the Broadway musical version of the hit Reese Witherspoon movie "Legally Blonde" will open 2012-13. The performance dates will be Aug. 16 though Sept. 2.

Auditions for the show will be June 3 and 4 at the Manatee Players' Riverfront Theatre, 102 Old Main St., Bradenton. The director is Dewayne Barrett, with Rick Bogner as musical director.

In January, Cole Porter's classic "Anything Goes," which opened on Broadway in 1934 and won the Tony Award last year for Best Revival of a Musical, will fill the Manatee Players' stage.

The show features such timeless Porter songs as "It's De-Lovely," "Friendship," "I Get A Kick Out Of You," "All Through The Night," and "Anything Goes." Auditions will be held at the Manatee Players theater on Sept. 30 and October 1.

As was reported in January, the Manatee Players' roster for next season also features “Evita” (Sept. 20-Oct. 7), “Pump Boys and the Dinettes” (Oct. 25-Nov. 11), “Plaid Tidings” (Nov. 28-Dec. 16), “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (Feb. 21-March 10, 2013), “Miss Saigon” (March 28-April 14, 2013) and “Fiddler on the Roof” (May 2-19, 2013).

Manatee Players to make 'major announcement'

REVIEW: 'Aida' at Manatee Players features star performance by lead

www.manateeplayers.com.

Manatee Players to make 'major announcement'

The Manatee Players' new home near the Bradenton Riverwalk/Photo provided.

Bradenton's best theater company apparently has some big news to share.

The Manatee Players will hold a press conference 4 p.m. March 20 (it's a Tuesday) at their new, not-yet-finished Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 3rd Avenue West in downtown Bradenton.

REVIEW: 'Aida' at Manatee Players features star performance by lead

A "major announcements will be made by the Manatee Players, Kiwanis Club of Bradenton and the Manatee Community Foundation at this event," reads the email issued today.

The public is invited to attend.

I'll be there reporting.

Incidentally, it might have something to do with this, currently posted on the Manatee Players' website:

Well... you've listened to us talk about the need to finish the Manatee Performing Arts Center for six years. You'll be happy to hear that there is light at the end of the tunnel and you can help us get there! An incredible matching funds opportunity has become available to us for a very limited amount of time.

Donations as small as $25 and as large as $1,000 will be matched during "The 36-Hour Giving Challenge-Where Community Meets Philanthropy". This event starts on Tuesday March 27 at 6:00 a.m. EST and runs through Wednesday March 28 at 6:00 p.m. EST This is an online event so people around the world can help us reach our goal. The earlier in the morning that you log onto the website, the greater chance that more matching dollars will be ours.

Let's say that you are an early bird and log on at the very beginning and donate $100, that $100 will be matched making the donation $200. Another philanthropic group, unique to the Manatee Players, will then match that $200 making the final donation $400. Not an early bird? If you send the information needed below, we can do that for you, since staff will be at the office before the 6:00 a.m. kick-off. Here's what information is needed:

Read more.

Tyrese, Molly Hatchet, Marshall Tucker Band and more at Gulfcoast Rhthm & Ribfest in Palmetto

Tyrese/publicity photo

A winning,  eclectic lineup ranging from contemporary R&B star/"Transformers" actor Tyrese to classic Southern rock favorites the Marshall Tucker Band are scheduled to take the stage during the 6th annual Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribfest taking place at the Manatee County Fairgrounds in Palmetto from April 13 to 15.

In addition to the live music, rib teams from across the country return to serve up their award-winning recipes and to compete for this year’s top honors.

Here's the entertainment lineup:

April 13
6 p.m. Mitch Clark Band
8:30 p.m. Eric Darius

April 14
Noon Dr Dave Band
1:30 p.m. Kettle of Fish
3:30 p.m. War
6 p.m. The Marshall Tucker Band
8:30 p.m. Molly Hatchet

April 15
1 p.m. TBA
4 p.m. Ace Factor
6:30 p.m. Tyrese

Tickets are $10 (advance) to $35 (front of stage).

http://www.gulfcoastribfest.com