What follows are paeans to lively performers and great theater (Born Yesterday and The Originalist) along with comments on two challenging films. MUSICAL RICHES I swear you’d think we live in a big city given all the musical offerings we have! In the last two weeks, we had the return of handsome baritone John Brancy (this time …
Author Archives: JWF
Tidy Tidbits: Just Books
BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS. You’ll find fun with a favorite children’s book here along with Edna O’Brien’s sobering novel followed by a fast-paced thriller. THAT CAT I had the unexpected pleasure of reading The Cat in the Hat to a kindergarten class the other day—with some non-verbal assistance! It was Dr. Seuss Day and …
Down Memory Lane: Betsy’s Travels
BON VOYAGE! Before the age of 50, my mother, Betsy, had made one trip to Europe (25th wedding anniversary to England and Portugal) and several to Ontario, Canada, but that was it for foreign travel. In college, she studied Spanish and Portuguese and aspired to be an archaeologist in South America. That was before her …
Sarasota Scene: Music & More
MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC! Recently, we’ve gorged on music—-several instrumental treats plus the Sarasota Opera’s lovely production of Madama Butterfly. Last Music Monday, Sarasota Orchestra principal oboe, Christine Soojin Kim, was the guest along with the world renowned Bertram Lucarelli. Although Mr. Lucarelli no longer performs (he’s 80 and reported that after the age of 70, …
