When “The Sound of Music” premiered on Broadway in 1959, it did so to audiences still shaking off the trauma of a second major war. The alarming rise of the Nazi party in Europe left many reeling and wondering if the same could happen anywhere. For Josh Rhodes, director and choreographer of the Asolo’s “The Sound of Music” production, the play’s iconic music often overshadows the theme of fear so central to the musical’s meaning, and in this theme, he saw an opportunity to frame the story’s tension as a battle between doing what’s right and doing what’s easy.

“I think the original writers of the musical really captured the danger of neutrality,” says Rhodes. The von Trapp family of Austria is affluent and somewhat removed from the graver grotesqueries of Germany’s fascist fire until the Anschluss, when Germany forcibly annexed Austria back into its empire. The patriarch of the family, who opposes Nazi ideology, seems skeptical the regime can succeed, and this skepticism eventually forces his family to make a hasty escape or risk being thrown into Hitler’s war machine. “I was inspired by this lesson in the script,” says Rhodes, “and how you can’t hide behind walls.” And the Asolo’s in-house set designers gave Rhodes a chance to capture this lesson 

In collaboration with the Asolo’s set desginers, Rhodes was able to create scenes in which the character’s “are sort of boxed in,” he says. This serves to simultaneously shield them from the outside world and give viewers a sense that the von Trapps cannot fully understand the gravity of the looming war. This will also give the Asolo’s production a freshly conceived look that will still feel familiar to longtime fans of the musical. And when producing a musical that is such a pillar in theatre, director’s like Rhodes are faced with the daunting task of honoring its original timelessness while still finding something new to say. But Rhodes felt the time was appropriate for the play’s theme of fear to take a prominent role. “There’s a certain harshness in our society right now,” he says, “and I think the play asks us to soften our hearts and be kind.” 

The production opens next week at the Asolo Repertory Theatre on Wednesday November 13th and stars Maddie Shea Baldwin as Maria. 

Pictured: Maddie Shea Baldwin poses as Maria with the von Trapp children. Photo by John Revisky

Whether we’re ready for it or not, the holiday season is upon us. Neighborhood dinner soirees, holiday work parties and festive family get-togethers. This time of year gathers everyone together around some sort of dining table, with endless baked goods in hand. November and December will perpetually be our guiltless cheat months. If this year, you want to shamelessly indulge as much as host your own hot-out-the-oven treats, this new book may help do the trick.

Food writer, pastry chef and educator, Susie Norris wants to help home cooks celebrate the holidays with home-baked meals and mood-lifting sweets through the world's great culinary capitals.  In her new cookbook, A Baker’s Passport, Norris shares over 200 technique-driven recipes culled from her global travels and her award-winning culinary travel blog, Food Market Gypsy, designed to inspire home cooks as well as experienced chefs.If baking is a newfound hobby for you, Norris suggests key ingredients and cooking tools to have on hand before departing on what is sure to be a finger licking good adventure.

This global tour of regional baking explores the breads of Vienna, the cakes of France, Amercian family favorites and much more. By 2020, you’ll have stamped your passport full with worldly recipes including Quiche Lorraine, Chicken Blanc, Black Forest Cake and Creme Brûlée, as well as different soufflés, sweet and savory pies and cookies. No matter what ethnic background your family hails or which holiday you celebrate, these recipes are sure to unite all in jolly pastry delight.

Photo courtesy of Lifestyle Public Relations

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When Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue left Westfield Siesta Key, they took with them the gravity of their brands, a gravity that pulled shoppers into the orbit of the brightly lit, air-conditioned corridors of the mall. Since then, the mall has been somewhat successful in reimagining itself as something of a social nexus with a high-end theatre, a highly popular grocery, respectable restaurants and a fresh gym. The arts, too, are a part of the reimagining. For Andrew Chasen of Chasen Galleries, the sparsely occupied mall was an opportunity to try something a little different and see if fine art really can help progress the mall’s reinvention.

“A fine art gallery can help bring a level of respect and sophistication,” says Chasen. The mall already has Art Avenue, a large gallery owned by entrepreneur and art collector Paul Sykes, but Chasen’s second gallery would offer a more intimate, local appeal. The location is prime, with easy access from a large swatch of Sarasota’s more well-heeled neighborhoods. “It really should be more successful than it is,” says Chasen of Westfield Siesta Key. And, because the mall’s occupancy still leaves a bit to be desired, Chasen was able to secure a favorable lease. His second Sarasota gallery will occupy the space formerly held by White House Black Market. Already amply wired for lighting, the space, which is slightly larger than Chasen’s Osprey Avenue location, was a perfect fit for a gallery. What’s more, the same hardware that once held racks of clothes is also perfectly adapted to hanging art. For Chasen, the risk is low and the reward high. When asked if fine art can really help anchor a mall as a long-term cultural destination, Chasen says “why not?”  

Pictured: Art now lines the walls where clothes were once displayed.

Busking is a term used to describe street performers playing music for tips. Music Compound instructor, Bill Shepherd, has formed a Busking group known as the Sarasota Buskers.  100% of tips earned are donated to local charities.  The group is made up entirely of Music Compound students that decided to volunteer their talent and take their music to the streets.  Ages range from 18 to 80, and members of the group take ukulele, guitar, and/or piano lessons at the downtown studio adjacent to the Bazaar at Apricot and Lime. You will find the Sarasota Buskers at area parks and restaurants.  “Our goal is to raise money for charities while having fun with others.” Bill Shepherd, the instructor, shared.  So far, the Sarasota Buskers have raised $381 for the Child Protection Center.  Music Compound’s owner, Jenny Townsend is one of 40 captains for the CPC’s 40th Anniversary fundraising campaign. Jenny has recently begun ukulele lessons and plans to join the buskers at local pop-up gigs this month to assist with drumming up funds for the CPC. Visit the Sarasota Buskers Facebook page to learn more about their upcoming gigs. 

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The All Star Children’s Foundation announces the appointment of Stephen Fancher as its chief development officer. Fancher will be responsible for overseeing all development and fundraising efforts for the nonprofit organization, which is dedicated to healing the effects of trauma suffered by children who have been abused and transforming foster care through innovation, science, and compassion.

Graci McGillicuddy, All Star’s co-founder and board chair, notes that “Stephen has a rare mastery of education, finance, and the needs of nonprofits. He’s a musician and former teacher, who is devoted to empowering children. He also brings his years of expertise as a financial advisor at a leading firm.”  Although McGillicuddy is thrilled with Fancher’s track record, she’s more impressed with his heartfelt commitment to making the world a better place for children. “He’s a leader who cares, and that’s exactly what All Star needs,” she says. “We’re delighted to welcome Stephen and know he’ll redouble our efforts to raise funds for our state-of-the-art treatment for childhood trauma.”

Stephen Fancher moved to Sarasota in 2012, relocating from the New York area where he was active as a musician and teacher. Passionate about teaching, Fancher was awarded Stamford, Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year in 2012. He decided to transfer his skill set as teacher to the field of finance and joined the Mariash-Lowther Group at Merrill Lynch in Sarasota as a financial advisor from 2012 to 2016. He quickly became involved with area nonprofits, including serving as a development officer for Sarasota Opera, and vice president of development for JFCS. He has served on the boards of the Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota and Sarasota Music Conservatory. He also served as the assistant conductor and accompanist for Key Chorale. Fancher lives in Sarasota with his wife, Michelle, and daughters, Piper and Sofie. 

Bogati Urns announces the addition of Kelly Knake as director of sales and Kimber Dudek as a sales representative. Knake comes to the company with four years experience as a Naval Aviation Life Support Technician during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, 10 years as office manager at various industries and 14 years as a global account rep for a wholesale seal distributor. Dudek has 15 years of experience at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples assisting corporate clients with their incentive gift needs. Founded in 2004 by Andrea Bogard LeBlanc, Bogati Urn Company offers funeral homes and crematories unparalleled service and wholesale pricing on an equally unparalleled variety of urns, scattering tubes and related products. Its original lead crystal line has expanded to feature a diverse and hand-selected product line from trusted manufacturers and skilled artisans worldwide. Its inventory now includes hundreds of memorial urns for adults, children and pets in varying materials, including glass, marble, wood, brass and metal. Custom options are also available. 

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Michael Saunders & Company (MS&C) has been appointed the exclusive listing broker for EPOCH, an 18-story, boutique condominium community of just 23 residences under construction on Sarasota’s downtown bayfront, between South Palm and Gulfstream Avenues. Seaward Development announced the partnership with MS&C for the final 60% of sales,  just as the 5^th deck was being poured on the new luxury tower.

“Joining forces with MS&C is a natural fit for us,” said Patrick DiPInto, President of Seaward Development. “Both of our firms are locally based, entrenched in luxury waterfront real estate and laser focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences. EPOCH offers an incredible location with unparalleled views of the bay, the highest level of finishes and a focus on personal service. We trust that MS&C will help spread our message around the world.”

Sales and marketing have been overseen by Amy Drake, Property Perspectives Group. She will continue in her role at EPOCH, rejoining the MS&C New Homes & Condominiums team where she spent 10 years as Division Director. “This is like going home for me,” said Drake. “I am thrilled to be back with the best new homes team in the business and to be working again with a visionary like Michael Saunders. The company has the resources and reach like no other and the entire MS&C  team speaks the language of our sophisticated buyers.”   

EPOCH was designed by Nichols Brosch Wurst & Wolfe of Coral Gables and is being built by Gilbane Construction, general contractors in business for nearly 150 years. Both full or half floor residences of 3,680 SF – 5,650 SF feature open kitchens, oversized great rooms, indulgent bedroom suites, walls of glass and unobstructed bay views. Building amenities Include 24/7 concierge service, two levels of garage parking, a rooftop terrace, a guest suite, fitness center with massage suite, and a social room for entertaining that opens to the pool terrace - offering a 70 ft lap pool with a bar/grill area for entertaining, cabanas and gathering spaces with fire troughs. Residences are priced from $3.3M to $6.8M, $9.5M for the penthouse with private rooftop terrace. 

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The Operation Outbreak educational platform, developed at Sarasota Military Academy (SMA), a local, public charter school, was recently named one of the world’s most innovative hybrid learning programs by a global educational awards program jointly organized by The Wharton School and QS Quacquarelli Symonds. SMA has been invited to attend the Reimagine Education Awards in London, England (8th-10th December, Queen Elizabeth II Centre). SMA Outreach Director Dr. Todd Brown will represent the Academy and present the Operation Outbreak (O2) program to 500 educational experts from across the world. 

Sarasota Military Academy submitted an extensive application for this opportunity, focusing on the Operation Outbreak (O2) program, and was placed on the shortlist. The shortlisted applicants comprise the top 15% of applicants to the competition, including applications received from over 1500 educational innovators from 39 countries. The awards, which reward innovative approaches that enhance student learning outcomes and employability, offer $50,000 in funding to the overall winners.

“Operation Outbreak is a highly-exciting, highly-engaging example of how technology can be leveraged in ways that improve verisimilitude, learning engagement, and, most importantly, learning outcomes. Shortlisting Operation Outbreak proved an easy choice for both our independent judges and internal team: in particular, O2 and its creators were commended for clear evidence of attainment gains, the compelling creation of an experiential learning program that offered its student participants high-fidelity experiences of a disease outbreak scenario, and the innovative-yet-accessible use of widely-available, user-friendly mobile technologies,” said Jack Moran, Reimagine Education Program Manager. “It is a commendable example of how STEM education can be revisited in ways that don’t require difficult-to-acquire technological expertise, and we eagerly anticipate its progress.”

“The Reimagine Education Awards are considered the “Oscars” for education throughout the world, and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to present Operation Outbreak (O2) as the program continues to gain international attention,” said SMA Outreach Director Dr. Todd Brown. “With more than 1500 submissions from 39 counties, I am so proud of O2 and how it is gaining consideration as one of the best educational platforms in the world, and I am excited to expand this program within and beyond our Academy walls.”

Pictured: Sarasota Military Academy (SMA) Outreach Director Todd Brown with participants from the 2018 Operation Outbreak at SMA Prep.

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Check out what's trend for the upcoming year from leading local designers, home builders, and specialists. From fits to finishes and what’s hot for design and build, our experts share their inside tips so you can ring in the next decade with renewed homespiration. 

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