Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Bradenton woman competes on GSN show Tuesday

Gleib, Mears and Miller
   Krista Miller of Bradenton will be among the contestants on the Game Show Network's "Idiotest."
   Miller and her sorority sister, Jen Mears of Jacksonville, will be on the show, which features to two teams of two people. In a series of rapid-fire rounds, the teams answer questions that test their observational skills.
The answers are often so obvious they're easy to overlook. (It may sound silly, but it's actually a lot more fun than the average game show.)
   The show airs at 9 p.m. The host is Ben Gleib, who's best known from appearances on "Chelsea Lately."

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Sarasota Opera offers a powerful "Pagliacci"


   “Pagliacci” has a reputation as a short opera. In fact,  it’s usually presented with another opera on the same program.
    The current Sarasota Opera production presents “Pagliacci” by itself. It’s a thoroughly satisfying experience; the addition of another piece wouldn’t make the evening any more worthwhile.
    “Pagliacci" itself is compact rather than short – its action and its moods move swiftly, and it ends at the moment of its dramatic climax. In terms of length, this production, including intermission, runs about the same as a typical movie or play.

   The Sarasota Opera production is gorgeously designed and movingly acted and sung.

  "Pagliacci" photo  by Rod Millington
   The program opens with two short pieces performed by the Sarasota Orchestra. It’s a perfect appetizer for the feast ahead. The orchestra performs two intermezzi by Pietro Mascagni. He’s the composer of “Cavallera Rusticana,” the short opera most often paired with “Pagliacci.”
    Both the pieces, which aren’t often played outside of the context of their own operas, are poignantly lovely, and the Sarasota Orchestra, conducted by the opera’s artistic director Victor DeRenzi, performs them impeccably.
    After a prologue, sung in front of the curtain, the audience gets it first look at David P. Gordon’s set. It’s very pretty, complex and functional -- a stage on which the play-within-the opera is performed, an open space where the play’s audience gathers, and landscape features where the story of romance and betrayal plays out, all in one set.
    There are no weak links in the large cast – which includes members of the Sarasota Youth Opera as part of the chorus – but standouts include MIchael Robert Hendrick as Canio (who becomes Pagliaccio in the play) and Marco Nistico as Tonio, the hunchback.

   That story has to do with a traveling theater troupe that arrives in an Italian village to perform a comedy about a clown (Pagliaccio). Just before the show, Tonio finds out that Canio’s wife Nedda is betraying him with a local man.
    The devastated Canio realizes he must go on stage and portray a clown. But during the play parallels Canio’s life, sending him into a murderous rage. The audience only gradually realizes that they are no longer watching a play. The anguished Canio sings the legendary closing line, “The comedy is finished” – as the curtain closes. Stephanie Sundine’s direction is remarkably fluid, especially given the size of the cast and he complexity of the single set. Howard Tsvi Kaplan’s costumes are beautifully colorful.

   The story is terse and powerful, the music is melodic and familiar (Canio’s at the end of act one is as famous as any piece of opera music ever written), and this production serves the music and the story in a wonderful way. It’s a great season-opened for the Sarasota Opera.
    It runs though Nov. 15 at the Sarasota Opera, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. Curtain is at  8 p.m. 11 and 13 and 1:30 p.m. Nov. 15. Tickets run $19-$125. Call 941-366-8450 or go to sarasotaopera.org.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Nickelback sets date for Tampa concert

   Nickelback, the ultimate love-'em-or-hate-'em band, is coming to Tampa.
Nickelback
   The Canadian quartet is often maligned, but they've sold something like 50 million albums over the past couple of decades. They have a new album, "No Fixed Address," coming out on Nov. 17.
  On Valentine's Day, they're setting out on a 61-city US tour. It stops at Tampa's MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre on March 27. There's no word on a local opening act; the Pretty Reckless is opening shows through March 15.
   Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. They'll set you back $32-$95.Call 813-740-2446 or go to livenation.com.
  

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Lewis Black performs in Tampa March 15


   Back in February,  comedian Lewis Black came to Sarasota with his popular stand-up show "The Rant Is Due."
   Now he's coming back to the area with a new show, titled "The Rant Is Due: Part Deux."
   It's not for a few months -- specifically, March 14 at  the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa -- but Black is a popular guy with Bradenton-area audiences
Lewis Black
so if you're a fan you'd be well advised not to wait too long to get tickets. His February show at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall sold out.
   Black is an author, a playwright, a movie actor and “Daily Show” commentator. But he sees himself himself primarily as a stand-up comedian. About 200 days a year he’s on a stage somewhere, grumbling hilariously about things that annoy him.
    Tickets are $25-$65 plus service charge and they'll go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Call 813-229-7827 or go to strazcenter.org.