Beaux Arts Festival of Art blessed with picture-perfect weather attracted thousands of art lovers for organization’s 60th annual event on University of Miami campus, chaired by Allison Holly and Abby Zananini. That made up for the terrible weather conditions last year as festival-goers enjoyed great art, entertainment and an incredible selection of food. Of several nonprofits on hand to raise funds for charity: both the Rotary Club of Coral Gables, selling Bruce Kerestes’ famous chicken wings, and the Coral Gables Grilling Kiwanians, hawking hamburgers and hot dogs.
GableStage’s new play, the Southeastern Premiere of “A Round-Heeled Woman,” received a standing ovation opening night with a packed house. Carbonell Award winning director, Joe Adler, Producing Artistic Director of GableStage, continues to bring quality plays to South Florida and this one is no exception, The play, starring multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winning actress, Sharon Gless ( Burn Notice, Queer as Folk and Cagney & Lacey) was hilarious and fearless in her role. The play which runs through January 30 highlights Gless as a retired school teacher, sexless for 30 years, based on a true story of Jane Juska, written for the stage and directed by Jane Prowse. As Juska sets about changing her situation, she places a personal ad in the New York Review of Books, leading to sexual adventures and emotional entanglements. The great supporting cast includes Antonio Amadeo, Stephen G. Anthony, Howard Elfman, Kim Ostrenko, and Laura Turnbull.
Performances are Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets range from $37.50 to $47.50. Subscriptions offer six plays for $200. For more information, visit www.GableStage.org. GableStage is located at The Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables.
Congratulations to the 2010-2011 Junior Orange Bowl Creative Writing Contest winners: Elizabeth Lleonart, St. Timothy Parish School, first place; Javier Guerrero, also from St. Timothy, second; and Shoshy Ciment, Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy, third. Contest theme for the 23rd annual contest was “Why Respect For Others Matters.” The South Florida Writers Association is one of several sponsors of the contest open to all eighth grade middle-school students in Miami-Dade County. First, second, and third place student winners read winning essays January 8 at Books & Books in Coral Gables. Among many enjoying and helping with the event were JOBC Creative Writing Chair Connie Goodman-Milon and the JOB Queen and Court. Teachers, friends, family and JOBC members were among the many enjoying the program and refreshments, including Ms. Esther Reyes, teacher of the top winners at St. Timothy Parish School.
Until next time, keep making each day count.
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