COURTESY PHOTO
Cliff Roles plays God and Julianne Randolph is the Devil in Jenny Beres' comedy "If the Devil Could Fall in Love" at the Players Theatre.
SarasotaMagazine.com, July 21 2008
For a first time playwright, Jenny Beres reveals a clever and slightly biting sense of humor and a wicked touch of fun in her play “If the Devil Could Fall in Love.”
The play, which was a co-winner at last year’s The Play’s the Thing new play reading series, is getting a full production this weekend at The Players Theatre, where audiences can get a sample of her quick-witted banter.
She certainly started with an interesting idea. The Devil, an attractive if ancient woman named Scarlet, is tired of doing God’s work down below. When she falls in love with a New York novelist, she wants out of her job and to join Robert in whatever way souls and mortals can co-exist. God is outraged and coerces Peter to help win her back in a ruse that looks like something Lucy and Ethel might have cooked up.
Director Catherine Randazzo gives the sitcom-ish script a good pace and doesn’t push for too much too fast, but the actors don’t always serve the script.
Julianne Randolph is tart and somewhat sassy as Scarlet, but you never sense any chemistry between her and Tommy Carpenter as Robert. Carpenter does a fine job during one drunken scene when he starts hearing the voice of God.
God is played by Cliff Roles, who first appears almost aglow in a brilliant white suit. He plays the role with a touch of pomposity and a soft heart, but he too frequently anticipates lines that require comebacks or spit takes, and you don’t get the kind of confidence you expect when God and Peter hatch another plan.
As Peter, Berry Ayers is a friendly, if whiny sort, but he plays the role in a somewhat fey that doesn’t necessarily suit the way the character speaks or is described.
Some of these shortcomings may be the result of a lack of depth in the character development of Beres’ script. But for a first effort, she shows a lot of promise. Her second full-length play was featured in this year’s new play reading series, and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.
“If the Devil Could Fall in Love” continues at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at The Players Theatre, 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets are $15. Call 365-2494.
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Venice Gondolier, July 16 2008
Enjoy a devilish new work at The Players
By Kim Cool
Features Editor
The Players will debut a prize-winning work by Nokomis playwright Jenny Beres from July 17-20. Beres won the theater¹s 2007 The Play¹s The Thing Festival for her play "If the Devil Could Fall in Love".
First prize is a Players production of the winning play during the following summer season. In this case, the play will be presented for four performances at the theater.
Directed by Catherine Randazzo, who won accolades as Fanny Brice in the Golden Apple production of "Funny Girl", Beres' play features Julianne Randolph as the female Devil, Tommy Carpenter as the
"It takes place in Heaven and the Hallway and in
Roles, with a beard especially grown for the part, is host of Talk of the Suncoast, which airs daily from
This is Randazzo's directing debut. She also is scheduled to direct "Bye Bye Birdie" this Fall at The Players.
Tickets are $15 per person. Performances will be at 8 p.m. July 17-20, with a matinee on July 20 at 2 p.m. The theater is at 838 North Tamiami Trail,
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Sarasota Magazine.com, July 17 2008SARASOTA Magazine's Weekend Insider July 17, 2008
 | Is there nothing Cliff Roles cannot do? In a brilliant bit of typecasting, he plays God in the Players Theatre's production of If the Devil Could Fall in Love tonight through Sunday. Written by young Sarasota playwright Jenny Beres, the devilish comedy was winner of last year's “The Play's The Thing” new play series. Sarasota Magazine's Weekend Insider is edited by Ilene Denton. |
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Creative Loafing, July 17 2008
Theater: If the Devil Could Fall in Love
Thursday, July 17 By Justin Richards
Are you there, Cliff Roles? It's me, Lucyfer.
A new show at the Players Theatre poses the hypothetical, If the Devil Could Fall in Love. Funny, we thought she already did, and ruined our lives for 15 months! Pretty as poison, she was. Apparently local playwright Jenny Beres had something else in mind when she wrote the script. In it, the Prince[ss] of Darkness falls in love with a New York City novelist, and hilarity allegedly ensues. Winner of the theater's 2007 "The Play's the Thing" play-reading contest, If the Devil Could Fall in Love begins a brief weekend run Thursday night.
July 17-20, Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., The Players Theatre, 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, $20 adults, $12 students, 365-2494 or theplayers.org.
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Sarasota Herald Tribune, July 17 2008
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AnythingArts.com, July 10, 2008 [ radio ]
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Meet MingleCliff!
MingleMaps Launch in Sarasota
SARASOTA, Florida – (June 1, 2008) – Businesses that have wished for an easier way for Sarasota County’s 4.8 million annual visitors to navigate the downtown area can rest easy this fall, as a new, innovative map is on its way.
Called MingleMaps™, the new visual tools are hand illustrated by a local Ringling artist and are full-color, keepsake-quality touring maps featuring local businesses, entertainment venues and historical tidbits. Easy to read and tote, MingleMaps are cohesive, convenient and practical guides to the city, benefitting visitors and businesses alike.
While the free map will be a handy resource for visitors unfamiliar with the area, it also strives to be useful for full-time residents of the city – not only are businesses clearly illustrated on the map itself, but the back of the map features a directory listing containing business’ information and grid locations.
MingleMaps are the brainchild of the creative thinkers Candice Mutschler and Jake Keiser, who teamed up to found the company Kreative Communities, LLC earlier this year.
“We’re really proud of this product,” said Keiser. “We have used only local resources to bring our idea to life. This is truly an effort to support our local economy and assist some of the millions of visitors with finding all the hidden dining spots and shopping jewels in our downtown area.”
“Downtown Sarasota is the social center of our city, and a useful map of the area is long overdue,” said Candice Mutschler. “While there are some good visitor guides in existence, and information about individual districts, there is no cohesive, user-friendly product to help visitors and residents navigate the area. Illustrated MingleMaps will help promote the entire downtown area as one vibrant and marketable destination.”
The maps will be available throughout the downtown area in convenient locations such as the Chamber of Commerce, retail stores, parking lot valet stands and select real estate offices. They’ll also be strategically placed outside the immediate downtown area in places visitors will easily find them, such as the Visitor Center, hotels and car rental agencies.
For those looking to better find their way outside of Sarasota, MingleMaps are already in the works for a number of other downtown destinations across Florida. If you would like more information on MingleMaps or if you would like your business’ information to be included on the map, please visit www.kreativecommunities.com.
About MingleMaps and Kreative Communities:
Cofounders Candice Mutschler and Jake Keiser started Kreative Communities after wondering to one another how visitors find some of Sarasota’s nearly hidden shopping, dining and entertainment outlets. They realized Sarasota wasn’t the only challenged community and formed Kreative Communities, LLC in 2008 to assist these communities with self promotion. MingleMaps is the first of many upcoming products the company will offer and are already underway development for a handful of Florida cities.
# # #
Contact: Jake Keiser| jake@keiserandco.com | O: 941.366.6467 | C: 727.488.1400
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SarasotaMagazine.com, July 9 2008
Mr. Chatterbox Attends A Stray Cat Auction
Mr. Chatterbox attends the Animal Rescue Coalition's Stray Cat Adoption Event, "Feline Flair", on June 28, 2008. I had the privilege of being the MC.
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Pelican Press, Aug 9 2008
E.D. Rocks - and it did
By Diana Colson
The Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County (EDC) held its annual E.D. Rocks event June 26 at Michael's on East, and a lively affair it was. While a band played, guests circled tables of light hors d'oeuvres and availed themselves of a cash bar. There was plenty of time to "meet and greet" and conversation ruled.
The point of the gathering was to provide networking opportunities for local business representatives, and also to celebrate the work of the EDC's five Cluster Work Groups, and their contributions toward creating a more sustainable economy in Sarasota County. The five cluster groups are: Specialty Manufacturing, Creative Services, Life & Environmental Services, Financial Services and Healthcare Simulation. (Clusters are groups of similar businesses, their suppliers and supporting networks which have been facilitated by the EDC.)
Emcee Cliff Roles introduced Dr. Sarah Pappas, chair of EDC. She spoke of the organization's mission to develop high wage jobs in Sarasota County and thus raise the quality of life. She emphasized that during this period of economic downturn, EDC is doing its best to recruit new businesses into the community. The organization has also started a "BUY LOCAL" campaign to build our economic foundation from within.
The circus was once the very heart of Sarasota's economic life. Therefore, it was appropriate to celebrate the achievements of the Economic Development Corporation by honoring the circus. With that in mind, Circus Sarasota brought in an amazing group of Chinese acrobats to entertain the crowd. These young people were all from the troupe "Majestic Ma Xi Tuan," and their performance was a gymnastic delight. The first number was "Lion Dance" in which two performers shared a single red costume. These skilled acrobats leapt in and out of the audience, wooden lion teeth snapping, much to the amusement of onlookers.
The second number was an acrobatic contortion display executed by a group of unbelievably flexible girls attired in bright yellow. These amazing youngsters balanced atop one another while bending impossibly backwards into positions never before seen outside of a chiropractic office. Impressive!
For the final bit of circus entertainment, a group of young male gymnasts in spangled blue suits rocketed fearlessly through assorted sized hoops at breakneck speed. I felt like I was watching a human pinball machine.
Guests had placed business cards into a fish bowl when they entered the building; now it was time for the drawings. Given away were several "Golf Days for Two" and Vice Mayor Ken Shelin was one of those lucky winners. Other door prizes included a $25 gift card for petrol, an 8-bottle wine-tasting for 15 people, a $250 donation to the charity of the winner's choice, and a basket of goodies from the Sarasota County Film and Entertainment Office - the basket being won by Beth Thurow of Design Marketing.
Sponsors for the E.D. ROCKS event include: Lakewood Ranch Commercial Realty, Comcast, Circus Sarasota, Stephen A. Smith & Associates, Oswald Trippe & Company Inc., Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice and Michael's on East.
The EDC of Sarasota County is the private, not-for-profit corporation leading the community's economic development strategy to add high-wage jobs and diversify the local economy. The EDC provides business assistance to companies in Sarasota County and helps forge solutions to community challenges that affect the quality of life. The EDC works in partnership with chambers of commerce, local governments and other organizations through the region. Kathy Baylis is president and CEO. For more information, visit the Web site at www.edcsarasotacounty.com.
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Sarasota British Club, Brit Club News July 2008
AN EVENING WITH CLIFF ROLES |
Event Date: Aug 16, 2008 |
You will not want to miss what promises to be a major highlight of our year. We are delighted to announce that Brit Club member “extraordinaire,” Cliff Roles, will be our guest speaker. Cliff, a fellow Brit, is originally from Croydon, just outside London. His career in show business goes back to the mid-1980’s when he joined a German music publishing company. It helped that he is fluent in German. For the next sixteen years he promoted over 130 of the world’s top rock and pop stars including Elton John, Celine Dion, Bon Jovi and Lionel Richie. In 2000 Cliff quit “the biz” to become a professional English/German translator and, eventually, his travels brought him to Sarasota. Deciding this was the place to be, he sold up in Hamburg, moved here, married the lovely Maria and quickly established himself as an actor, radio host on 1220 AM WSRQ and columnist for Scene Magazine, among many other things. This event is an indoor picnic. The club will provide the meat, plates, napkins, cutlery, sodas, etc. Date: Saturday, August 16th. Time: 6:30 p.m. Where: Lakeshore Village Clubhouse, Wilshire Blvd., just off Clark Road, about 300 yds. East of Beneva Road (opposite Mr. Big’s). The Clubhouse is 100 yards on the left. RSVP To: Amy Croshaw at 928-2580 or acroshaw@verizon.net OR Terry Sweeney 918-9550 or tsweeneyau@aol.com. |
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Sarasota Herald Tribune, July 3 2008
"Senior Idol" auditions will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 12-13 at The Friendship Center, 1888 Brother Geenen Way, Sarasota, and from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 19 and 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 20 at at the Renaissance Center, 1860 Ninth St. W., Bradenton.
Anyone 65 or older is invited to audition. Group acts are encouraged. Acts may include playing an instrument, singing a song, whistling, comedy, puppetry, dramatic readings, magic acts, impersonation, dancing, ventriloquism or others.
Active professionals are not eligible. Audition acts should be two to three minutes in length. Entry deadline is Sept. 5.
Senior Idol is being sponsored by the Sarasota County Aging Network and the Manatee Area Aging Network. Audition sign-up sheets are available at The Friendship Center in Sarasota, the Renaissance.
Sarasota chairs are Sandy Lange, owner of a Better Solution of Sarasota Inc; Homemakers, Companions & Sitters; and Pat Zagony of Palmer Ranch Healthcare and Rehabilitation.
Manatee chairs are Marlies M. Gluck, LCSW, NAPGCM, geriatric care manager, and Marlene McKeefrey, branch manager of Caregivers for Seniors. Sandra Cherry, RN, is president of SCAN and Michael Juceam is president of MAN.
The Senior Idol Talent Show finals, which will include 20 acts, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 8081 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.
Admission is $5, including lunch. The public is invited.
Radio personality Cliff Roles is emcee, and a panel of distinguished professionals will serve as judges, including Sarasota Mayor Lou Ann Palmer and Senior Friendship Centers President and CEO Robert Carter.
For more information on Senior Idol, call Sandy Lange at 906-1881 or 400-4779.
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Living Out East, June 2008
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Scene Magazine, June/July 2008
Debbi Benedict's Behind the SCENE
Fast and the Fashionable
MCC Evening Under the Stars
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Pelican Press, June 11, 2008
Public relations gala held at the Meadows
By Diana Colson
The Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association recently held a Gala Awards Banquet at Meadows Country Club. The lakefront setting was lovely, with approximately 100 people in attendance.
The evening began with cocktails, hor d'oeuvres and chatter. A table of offerings lured guests to bid on a variety of silent auction items, a helicopter ride over Sarasota being one of the most enticing.
At 7 p.m., everyone took their seats at round tables, and more serious conversations began. I found myself next to the fascinating Kathy Baylis, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation. On Frank's left was that lovely redhead, Lynn Hobeck Bates, who - along with Chrissy Kruger-Gruendyke - went on to capture a collection of awards for The John and Mable Ringling Museum.
This was the first time the FPRA Image Awards and the Chapter Awards were presented at the same event. Dee Zulauf, FPRA chapter president, welcomed the group, and Cliff Roles took over as master of ceremonies.
(The Dashing Mr. Roles is much in demand as actor, columnist, auctioneer and narrator, and his skills did not abandon him on this particular evening.)
An armload of Image Awards of Distinction were presented, with the Grand All Image Award going to - Tah Dah! - The Discovery Partnership. That group was made up of Lynn Hobeck Bates, Chrissy Kruger-Gruendyke, Laura Dean, Erin Duggan, Debby Steele, Jamie Tacy, Kelly Foster, John Dover and Nikki Taylor.
Chapter Member of the year was Suzanne Dameron. Emily Sperling and Lynn Hobeck Bates were both honored as Chapter Rising Stars of the Year. David Voss captured an award for Promoting the Profession. The Ginnie Duffey-Troyer Award of Professionalism went to Chris Carroll, while the Business Partner of the Year award went to Scott Heap.
Tom Nunan, APR, CPRC, was presented with the Joseph J. Curley, APR, PR Lifetime Achievement Award. As the final award recipient, Tom went on to charm the audience with tales of a life spent in public relations. Starting in Buffalo - "Committing suicide in Buffalo is redundant!" - Tom, Marilyn, and their young children moved to Chicago, followed by L.A., Dallas and New Jersey.
The Nunans then bought a Vermont country inn in 1986. Unfortunately, the governor of Vermont had his picture taken swatting mosquitos: It was the swat heard 'round the world. A Bug Guy came in from Washington and announced on the Today Show "If you go to Vermont, you can get bitten as many as 16 times an hour!" KAPOWIE: The tourist industry evaporated, and the Nunan's country inn sat vacant.
Tom did some hasty PR to reverse the situation: The buzz about Vermont's mosquitos died down, the tourists came back, and all was peaceful once more. It was the perfect example of public relations having saved the day.
Today there are well over a hundred members in the Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. The state has over 1,500 public relations professionals
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Venice Gondolier, Fri June 13
Explosion auditions extended
By Kim Cool
Features Editor
Photo courtesy of The Players
Rick Kerby, artistic director of the Manatee Players; Cliff Roles, host of Talk of the Suncoast at AM 1220 WSRQ and local actor/emcee; with Jeffery Kin, artistic director of The Players Theatre in Sarasota.
Last Thursday, the Players Theatre extended the registration date for Talent Explosion 2008 auditions to June 20.
Present at the announcement was the Talent Explosion teen winner from two years ago, May Elise Martinsen, who will be heading off to Wellesley College her freshman year just before this year¹s Talent Explosion finals, which are scheduled for Aug. 23 at The Players Theatre in Sarasota.
The actual audition dates remain the same: July 12, 19 and 29 at The Players Performing Arts Studio, 500 Tallevast Road, Sarasota. There is a registration fee of $25 per person per act and there are still a few slots available, theater spokesperson Michelle Pingel said.
Also announced at the theater were the prizes. The winner will receive the opportunity to be a featured guest on Talk of the Suncoast at AM 1220 WSRQ, and to be interviewed by the show¹s host, Cliff Roles. The winner will receive a CD of that show. Other prizes include the chance to perform on stage before the opening of a Players musical next season, be photographed for the theater¹s Playbill, have a private lesson with the Players instructor of their choice, be featured in local media as the winner and spend the day with a participating artistic director of their choice.
The winner can choose to spend a day at the Venice Little Theatre with Murray Chase, a day at the Players with Jeffery Kin at The Players or a day at The Manatee Players with Rick Kerby.
The judges for the final, which will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23 at The Players, 838 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, include Kerby, Kin, Chase, Circus Sarasota co-founder Dolly Jacobs, national figure skating judge and Features Editor of the Venice Gondolier Sun, Kim Cool, rock singer Twinkle, and Kay Kipling, executive editor of Sarasota Magazine.
Talk of the Suncoast host Cliff Roles will emcee the event. Roles also is a Players board member.
Tickets for the finale on Aug. 23 are $12 for adults and $8 for students. For reservations, call the box office at 941-365-2494. The office is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets also may be purchased online at www.theplayers.org.
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Dunfermline Press, May 29 2008
Blogger gives Sarasotans the lowdown on Dunfermline
SARASOTANS have been following a running commentary of the visit to Dunfermline by Florida blogger, broadcaster and columnist Cliff Roles and wife Maria.
The local radio host, actor, columnist and MC/auctioneer flew out of the UK on Sunday after a four-day sojourn in Sarasota’s Scottish sister city where he and Maria were co-hosted by Councillor Gerry McMullan (right) and Culross photographer and graphic designer David Ewles – both leading lights of the Dunfermline-Sarasota Sister Cities Association.
During their fortnight’s vacation in the UK, Cliff and Maria were shown the heritage sites of Dunfermline and Culross when they diverted to Dunfermline at the suggestion of Hope Byrnes, past-president of Sarasota Sister Cities Association, who was coincidentally paying a three-day visit to renew her acquaintance with her contacts in the Auld Grey Toun.
Cliff recalls, “Gerry and David came on my radio show, Talk of the Sun Coast, in January. They were marvellous guests and when Gerry heard I was coming anywhere near Dunfermline, he also said, ‘You have got to come and stay here and let us show you our Dunfermline hospitality’ – and they’ve been doing that in huge amounts!”
Cliff and Maria joined Hope Byrnes for dinner at the Culross home of David Ewles and a tour of the tiny 17th century township.
Cliff explained, “I have my own website – www.cliffroles.com – and a weekly newsletter to tell everyone where I am and what I’m doing. And everyone has been following this trip. I’m blogging and photographing all of this for the website, www.SarasotaLocal.com.”
After a tour of Dunfermline, with Gerry as guide, Cliff said, “This is so wonderful. We were going to do all Edinburgh during our trip to Scotland and then we found Dunfermline and are so in love with it.”
When Gerry presented Cliff with a copy of Fife’s new DVD, the Croydon-born expatriate discovered another coincidence – for the sound track includes music by Dunfermline rock band, Nazareth, whom Cliff met during his 16 years in the music business in Germany.
In 1984 Cliff talked his way into a German music-publishing company and became a radio promoter, which served as a stepping-stone for the next 16 years of promoting over 130 of the world's most famous rock and pop stars of the 80s and 90s.
As head of promotion and international marketing manager of Mercury Records, Germany, he worked with such music icons as Elton John, Celine Dion, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Robert Plant, Lionel Richie, Donna Summer, Def Leppard and Dire Straits.
“I also looked after Texas, Wet Wet Wet , and Dunfermline brands, Big Country and Nazareth. Nazareth were very, very big in Germany. My then boss was instrumental in making Nazareth superstars in Germany, which meant they came over on tour a lot and did a lot of gigs over there. We used to have great fun with Nazareth – they are a lovely bunch of guys.”
Around the turn of the millennium Cliff bade the “biz” farewell and became a professional German/English translator.
“I had always loved visiting the States, and maintained an on-off love affair with Florida for the next two years before eventually arriving in Sarasota in 200l, while touring Florida on my Harley,” he recalls. “I knew the second I saw St. Armand's Circle that I wanted to settle on the Sun Coast. And when I met my wife Maria shortly afterwards, the decision to move out of my Hamburg apartment was an easy one.”
In 2003 Cliff discovered his love of acting, and he is not only an award-winning actor in community theatre – he was voted in the top three for the Best Local Actor 2008 by readers of Sarasota Magazine – but a board member of the Players of Sarasota.
“I’ve been on the stage of the Asolo (home of the transplanted Dunfermline Opera House) many times but never acted there and it’s my dream to do so,” he said.
After a recent 10-month stint at Sarasota's Community Radio WSLR, Cliff now broadcasts on 1220 AM WSRQ and writes a monthly column in Scene magazine.
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Sarasota Herald Tribune, May 18 2008
Marjorie North
Season pleaser
What do you get when you combined fast, exotic cars and the latest fashion modeled by some of our local celebrities? One smokin' event!
The Women's Leadership Council of The Boys and Girls Clubs kept the evening high-energy from beginning to end at the Van Wezel, with DJ James Martin spinning hip tunes and Cliff Roles leading the show. The piece de resistance was "The Army Soldiers," comprised of six club members who performed a few dance routines and received a standing ovation.
For the fashion show, We've got Style Inc. partnered with A Clothes Encounter, Sally's of Sarasota, and Foxy Lady to showcase one great ensemble after another with several of Sarasota's locals strutting their stuff on the runway, including Dr. Kay Glasser, Dr. Arthur and Lynn Guilford, and event honorary chairmen Diane McFarlin and Lee Wetherington.
Also on hand for the evening was a fleet of sleek automobiles, everything from Ferraris to Bentleys, and Simply Spoiled displayed several luxurious lotions, makeup and enticing scents.
More than 200 guests attended and asked co-chairmen Tiffany Soukhaphaly and Theresa Getzen for the party's return next season. Looks like a winner.
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SCENE Magazine, May/June 2008
Debbi Benedict's Behind the SCENE
Temple Emanu-EL Gala Tribute Dinner Dance
Sarasota Film Festival 10th Anniversary Ball
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AnythingArts.com, May 1 2008
Daily
[ talk of the suncoast ]
If you missed Christine and Rick interviewing Cliff Roles on his show last Friday, you missed learning about Cliff as an adolescent, his early years in Germany and how he perfected that fake British accent (we think he is really Swiss!). Click here to listen to that interview. Some of Cliff’s upcoming guests include Iain Webb, Artistic Director of the Sarasota Ballet, on May 2; Elsie Gilmore and Laura Gale of Women with Moxie on May 5 (ah, so that’s what moxie is); journalist Charlie Huisking on May 13 and the President of the Van Wezel Foundation, Sheila Belknap, on May 14. Talk of the Suncoast is every weekday from 4:00 – 5:00 PM on AM 1220 and you can listen on your computer if you click right here.
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Sarasota Magazine, May/June 2008 issue
Mr. Chatterbox (on the Asolo Gala, 3/29)
If you'd like to read the whole article, as well as see who else was voted People's Choice Best of 2008, get the May/June issue of Sarasota Magazine!
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Sarasota Magazine, May/June 2008 issue
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Bradenton Herald, Apr 18 2008
Stars, politicians mingle at the Closing Night GalaC hair Mary Ann Robinson and producer Cliff Roles made good on their promise to shorten the program at the Sarasota Film Festival's closing night gala.
In fact, the various awards and presentations were handed out so quickly that they finished before dessert was served, causing many people to leave before they ate their chocolate mousse torte. It was delicious, by the way.
A crowd of 900 people filled a huge tent at the Longboat Key Club for Saturday night's black-tie banquet. The question of the night was "Have you seen Charlize Theron?" She accompanied her longtime fiance, Stuart Townsend, for his closing night film, "Battle in Seattle," and made even the most jaded onlookers a bit star-struck. And, yes, she is that beautiful in person.
Gov. Charlie Crist made an appearance, although he had to leave early. He reminded the crowd that the film industry in Florida brings in $3.9 billion each year.
A humble Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck was presented the Breakthrough Award by United Artists president Paula Wagner. Stanley Tucci was given the Renaissance Award by his friend, Steve Buscemi, before Theron received the Career Achievement Award.
A group of people from Manatee County made the trek to Longboat Key.
Seen on the red carpet were Sen. Mike and Dee Bennett, Rep. Ron and Lynn Reagan, Rep. Bill and Julie Galvano, Mayor Wayne and Micki Poston, former Sen. John and Michelle McKay, Ashley Brown, Victoria Horstmann and Valerie Nelson.
Susan Wilcox, a Florida native, has lived in Bradenton for more than 20 years. She has been active in many local organizations as a volunteer or an employee.
SCENE & HEARD
Susan Wilcox x
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Observer Group, Apr 17 2008
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AnythingArts.com, Apr 17 2008
| April 25 [ christine & rick on the radio ] Christine and Rick will turn the tables on Cliff Roles and ask him questions for a change. Cliff interviews everyone in the area and shares their stories. Well, what about Cliff? Did he wear those AC/DC British schoolboy short pants growing up? Did he play football/soccer, how many siblings, how did he get to Germany, the music business and then to America, boxers or briefs? Inquiring minds want to know. Be sure to listen from 4:00 – 5:00 pm at AM 1220 on your radio or click right here and listen on your computer. We will be taking call-ins too, so think of a good questions for Cliff. |  |
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Sarasota Herald Tribune, Apr 16 2008
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Sarasota Magazine.com, Apr 14 2008
... Saturday night was the 10th Anniversary Ball, under a huge tent at the Longboat Key Club and Resort, and I’m pleased to report, first off, that this tribute event, famous for dragging on into the very late hours, came in at a much more compact time this year, while still allowing everyone essential their time at the microphone. Executive director Jody Kielbasa introduced board president Ian Black, who in turn introduced first-time festival attendee Gov. Charlie Crist. Then, after the obligatory auction (handled by the ubiquitous Cliff Roles), the winners of various film competitions were announced.
To read Kay Kipling's full blog report on the Sarasota Film Festival, go to It's A Wrap; to read her theatre reviews, go to On Stage.
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Bradenton Herald, Apr. 12 2008
Selby Gardens a perfect setting for Film Fest event
By JANUARY HOLMES
jholmes@bradenton.com
Ian Black, Sarasota Film Festival president, was right when he told the crowd at the festival's "Luncheon Under the Banyans" Wednesday that the setting of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens was pretty close to a film-worthy picturesque setting.
The giant trees, looming over a large tent on a partly cloudy day along the Sarasota Bay, were the perfect oasis for a luncheon honoring foreign film star Liv Ullmann. The graceful Ullmann said the setting reminded her of the film "Tarzan."
A few hundred people attended the event, eating a flavorful entree of Chicken Chevre served with goat cheese served over risotto. Chocolate cupcakes filled with cream cheese were served for dessert.
Before the meal, Ullmann and Sarasota Film Festival founder John D. Welch were honored at the banquet, local actor and WSRQ's "Talk of the Sun Coast" radio host Cliff Roles took the stage to MC an auction benefitting the festival's nonprofit Outreach and Education department. More than $15,000 was raised.
On the auction block were two original paintings - "Abstract No. 5" and a colorful portrait titled "Ophelia." Also up for grabs was an all-expense paid trip to the Academy Awards with Gary Springer, head of the festival's public relations company, Springer Associates PR, and two tickets to the upcoming, sold-out Tony Awards in June.
The only thing that didn't get a single bid was a trip to spend a day on Capitol Hill with Vern Buchanan. Bidding started at $2,000 and quickly dropped to $1,500 before Roles pulled the item out of the auction.
Even though no one took the offer, a great time was had by all as folks flocked to congratulate Ullmann and John D. Welch.
THE SOCIAL SCENE
January Holmes x jholmes@bradenton.com
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Sarasota Magazine.com, Mon Apr. 7
... Like any good concert, this one had an opening act- the enormously appealing and hard-working The Party Band, made up of students from Sarasota's Pine View School. Jake Pinto, John Coughlin, Karina Jones and Damon Owens played a brisk set that encompassed Love Shack and Twist and Shout. Kidsfest also featured face-painting and a photo studio where kids could put on feather boas, fairy wings and tiaras and pose for glam-rock shots. The ubiquitous Cliff Roles, a kid at heart with flecks of orange and green in his hair, was the amiable master of ceremonies for the evening, which ended with a screening of the comedy School of Rock.
To read Charlie Huisking's full blog report on the Sarasota Film Festival, go to Rock On; to read about his travels, go to Huisking on the Road.
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Bradenton Herald, Sat Apr. 05
New College's Pique-Nique Sur La Baie a fancy function
By SUSAN WILCOX
Special to the Herald
The crowd at the Pique-Nique Sur La Baie looked like a picture from a bygone era. The annual luncheon and fashion show benefiting the New College Library Association encourages ladies to wear their fanciest hats and almost all of the 500-plus women complied. The scattering of men wore blue blazers or pastel-linen shirts with their trousers.
The tents and tables were set up on the bayfront lawn of the Charles Ringling Mansion, adding to the illusion of more gracious past days. Committee chair Shelley Lister and Foundation president Debbi Benedict welcomed arrivals and also stopped by each table during lunch to greet everyone.
Cliff Roles was the day's emcee; his elegant English accent made him the obvious choice for the role. He had the very happy task of awarding the fabulous gift baskets that are always one of the highlights at the event.
The fashions came from Neiman-Marcus in Tampa and were shown by professional models who haughtily stalked the runway.
A table of ladies came from Manatee County, including Debbie Gigliotti, Maureen Fasoli, Amanda Edge, Peggy Robinson, Debbie Partridge and Sandy Urban. Seated nearby was local teacher Dr. Amanda Maddox who was escorted by her son, Christopher Mulholland. Christopher is a senior at Southeast High School and plans to attend New College in the fall, so he was a good sport about giving up one of his spring break days for a luncheon.
Susan Wilcox, a Florida native, has lived in Bradenton for more than 20 years. She has been active in many local organizations as a volunteer or an employee.
SCENE & HEARD
Susan Wilcox
Swilcox3@aol.com
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Sarasota Herald Tribune, Apr 1 2008
Marjorie North
Asolo's end-of-the-season fete creates fantasyland at Ringling
the celestial as well as the local who's who — all lighting the way to the biggest and best Asolo gala ever held.
Three beautiful blondes -- chairwomen Kim Githler and Nora Johnson, and Asolo board president Margaret Wise didn't have time for more than a few meetings to decide the event, but somehow created a fantasyland in the Ringling Museum's courtyard.
More than 600 showed up for the end-of-the-big-season splash, wearing gowns in a variety of spring colors, and tuxes, comfy because the weather was just cool enough.
Broadway took center stage as Ron Sharpe and wife Barbra Russell Sharpe sang some of the great music from "Les Miserables." The Sharpes were here last fall as two of the producers for the launching of "A Tale of Two Cities" at the Asolo. Now, of course, the world knows that the show will be going to the Hirschfeld Theatre on Broadway this summer.
Also seen were Amie Swan of Northern Bank, who confided that she had handed in a tearful resignation as regional marketing director to boss Phil Delaney. Since Amie married Jack Swan last year (he's in investments), she's been commuting between here and Palm Beach ... and the petite dynamo says she's had all of the early morning, late night traveling she wants.
Also in the crowd: honorary chairmen Janet and Stanley Kane, FSU Theatre Dean Sally McRorie, "Equus" star Paul Whitworth, new Asolo Ambassadors Pat Huisking, Jody Kielbasa, Bruce Rodgers, Ulla Searing, and Sharon Spelman, and same-table bidding rivals Susan and Tim Clarke and Kathie and Mike Hayes (both ended up winning a walk-on part in "A Tale of Two Cities" on Broadway ... Tim for his daughter and Mike for Mike.
Hundreds more all kept the bidding lively for auctioneer Cliff Roles and the dance floor filled, thanks to the DeLeon Orchestra and the stars overhead.
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Observer Group, Mar 27 2008
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Observer Group, Mar 20 2008
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Sarasota Herald Tribune, Thurs 3.20.08
Marjorie North
Tickets available
Sarasota Film Fest mastermind Jody Kielbasa was quick to point out that while Cliff Roles will produce the big anniversary gala April 12, Mary Ann Robinson is chairwoman ... and Jody is co-producer, not executive producer of "The Deal," opening here April 4.
Single film tickets to the fest, by the way, went on sale Friday at www.sarasotafilmfestival.com, the festival box office in Sarasota Main Plaza, or by calling 366-6200.
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Sarasota Herald Tribune, Mar 16 2008
Retreat's auction draws big bidders
By SHARYN LONSDALE CORRESPONDENT
In a place where artists go to be inspired by nature, it was nature that pulled a fast one. As organizers prepared for the Hermitage Artist Retreat's first "Beach, Brunch and Bidding" auction, the wind became so fierce that the crowded silent auction including paintings, ceramics and planters had to be moved inside the main building.
The crowd of nearly 200 people enjoyed food, music and wine outside under the protection of a tent. Supporters of the Manasota Key retreat sampled brunch items from area restaurants, including gaucho steak from Palmetto Grill and shrimp and grits from Food is Love.
Even though the weather may have kept some people away, Jett Thompson, president of the Hermitage, said that switching the annual fundraiser from a restaurant setting at night to the beachside complex in the day was a popular idea.
"I think it's really important for people who are supporting the Hermitage to see the cottage and the property," said Thompson, who sat with her mother Nelda Thompson. "I think it's a nice way to get out on a Saturday afternoon."
Jett Thompson was also pleased to see more people from Sarasota and other locations than at past events. It was the first time that Cici Ives had traveled across two bridges from Boca to get to the Hermitage. "It's unbelievable," she said, looking at the water from the deck, "It's an amazing spot."
When they were not eating or admiring the Hermitage campus, guests took time out to bid on gift certificates, theater tickets and plenty of art. They also had the chance to win "celebrity experiences," including a nature walk and picnic with author Meg Lowman and a Hungarian dinner for eight.
Or with a stroke of the pen, you could become a permanent part of the Hermitage by pledging a donation to have your name or the name of a loved one on a window, deck board or fireplace.
Tom Dignam, who lives in Englewood, makes frequent visits to the Hermitage to check on his namesake beach cottage. Dignam said the renovation of the cottage is "taking longer than we thought," but coming along.
Addressing the crowd, Bruce Rodgers, executive director of the Hermitage, referred to the Dignam family as an institution. "They know how to give back," he said. Rodgers also acknowledged the 28-member committee, board, and Hermitage founding members Patricia Caswell and the late Syd Adler.
Then it was on to the live auction as emcee Cliff Roles expertly handled a bidding war for a Caribbean cruise by awarding the prize to both parties. The action heated up even more when a vacation at a Paris apartment went on the block.
Bidding got so spirited that Roles was able to surprise everyone in the crowd by handing the prize to four parties for $5,900 each.
Diane Gans of Sarasota came in late on the bidding in what she called a "spur of the moment" gesture. She and her friend Joan Engelbach decided to split the cost, but their husbands had no idea what the women were up to.
While a lot of words and numbers were thrown around at "Beach, Brunch and Bidding," Rodgers closed out the evening with four that he said summed up everything that the Hermitage was about: "Creativity, history, ecology, community."
Rodgers is counting on the event to inspire more support for the Hermitage and its mission. Committee member Diane Smoler says it took just one visit for her.
"The first time I saw it I was blown away," Smoler said. "And it wasn't even windy."
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SCENE Magazine, March 2008 Sarasota Herald Tribune, Tues 3.11.08
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Marjorie North
Film fest keeps getting bigger
When Jody Kielbasa, executive director of the Sarasota Film Fest, said at a recent Longboat Key Club party that, "We have finally arrived," it was an understatement. Sarasota will more than arrive in this, its 10th anniversary year, and will remain on the international film festival's grand map with a big star next to our city's name. To have Steve Buscemi and William H. Macy, with wife, Felicity Huffman, returning says a lot. Macy recently starred in "The Deal'' with Meg Ryan, opening here April 4 - and Kielbasa sat in the executive producer's chair for the film. Also answering 'yes' to this year's invite are Stanley Tucci, Charlize Theron, Liv Ullman and Hollywood couple Rick Nicita and Paula Wagner. Putting on the Anniversary Ball for 900 on Longboat April 12, by the way, will be media and stage personality Cliff Roles, charged to streamline the program down from last year's four hours to two. No small feat.
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Venice Gondolier, Mar 7 2008
"Candide" can do
By Kim Cool
Features Editor
Extended
"Candide", with music by Leonard Bernstein and zaniness derived from
Voltaire¹s story, is being extended through March 9 at The Players, 838
North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. The Broadway hit, which is now a cult classic
is not to everyone¹s taste, but anyone who likes really good music and
comedy schticks on the wacky side, delivered rapid-fire, should enjoy the
show. Tickets are $23 for adults and $12 for students.
Kirk Hughes portrays Candide who in one evening has a lifetime of good
and bad experiences, which Voltaire uses to illustrate that everything
happens for the best, no matter how awful we might think it is. Dariel
Barnard is his beloved and heavy doses of humor are provided by Cara Herman
and especially by Cliff Roles as Candide's Professor Pangloss. What an
angel!
Directed by Jeffrey Kin, this is a monumental undertaking, requiring
strong singers to deliver the difficult but wonderful Bernstein music. Kin
and company delivered.
For tickets, call the box office at 941-365-2494 or visit theplayers.org. ______________________________________________________________
Bradenton Herald, Mar 2 2008
Sarasota Players entertain with the classic 'Candide'
By ERIC DELP
Special to the Herald
Y ou probably read Voltaire's "Candide" in high school. It's one of those "classic" works of literature that your teachers think you'll like because it's so funny. Well, I've got news for you, high school teachers: it's not funny. It's kind of boring, actually.
It seems like a strange choice for a musical, but the Sarasota Players, under the direction of artistic director Jeffrey Kin, do a fine job with Leonard Bernstein's (along with Hugh Wheeler and Richard Wilbur) adaptation.
If you've forgotten the plot, it's basically this: Candide (Kirk Hughes) grows up very happily in Westphalia under the tutelage of Dr. Pangloss (Cliff Roles), who teaches him an unshakeable optimism. We are living, according to Pangloss, in the best of all possible worlds, and everything that happens must be for the best. Pangloss is essentially a parody of Gottfried Leibniz, the German philosopher whose "best of all possible worlds" brand of optimism had gained some popularity in Voltaire's time. The satirical running joke of the book and musical is that no matter what ridiculously horrible events befall Candide and Pangloss, they ever more ridiculously assert their optimism.
As in the book, this joke gets old quickly, and it isn't all that funny to begin with. So instead of putting all its eggs in the satire basket, the musical version relies on a lot of character-level humor and smaller gags to carry the comedic weight. It gives the supporting characters more humorous personalities and throws in some really good jokes from time to time. I especially enjoyed a humorously self-involved sequence of prayers just before Westphalia is attacked.
Jeffrey Kin does a good job in this production of pushing things even farther in that direction. There's a great sequence ("Auto Da Fe") that depicts the Spanish Inquisition as a sort of sporting event with enthusiastic crowds and cheerleaders, and the Inquisitors as televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. There's also a delightful little gag involving the death of the Inquisitor, which was one of my favorite parts of the show, personally. Kin's also thrown in a bunch of details that make things more entertaining - giant soda cans or fake advertisements, for instance. The overture is really nicely done, as well; the actors enter onto an empty stage and put together the sets and organize their costumes while the orchestra plays. It's kind of like a short circus clown act to start the show.
And speaking of the orchestra, the musicians do a great job with a lovely score by Bernstein. The overture, "Life is Happiness Indeed," "Glitter and Be Gay," and "I'm Easily Assimilated" are excellent numbers. The latter two feature outstanding performances by D'ariel Barnard as Cunegonde and Stephanie Costello as the Old Lady, respectively.
"Glitter" is an impressive and difficult song, but Barnard's vocals are more than up to the challenge. Costello has a lot of charisma onstage, and she definitely gets the most out of her character. Cliff Roles is also worth noting as Dr. Pangloss; he turns in a solid performance in a critical role.
The ensemble deserves a lot of attention here. They're the ones pulling off a lot of the gags and really elevating the level of enjoyment. In fact, with the exception of Costello's Old Lady, the central characters in the show aren't terribly exciting or charismatic. It's their job to stand around and sing, mostly, while the ensemble does the job of filling in the bizarre and humorous world around them. They do a great job, and the show definitely couldn't have succeeded without them.
There were a few less than stellar things about the show, however. Hughes' Candide is a little flat. Part of the problem there is that the character only has one dimension (naivety), but I didn't feel like Hughes did too much to make Candide a person I could care about or be interested in. In addition, parts of the play are a little slow. As good a job as Kin did in giving the audience a spectacle, there were a few boring parts. Especially in the second act, where I felt like the show lost some of its steam, there's a bit of dead weight. A funny story that the Old Lady tells goes on too long and stops being funny. At some point, the whole optimism-in-the-face-of-utter-calamity schtick starts to wear thin. The show manages to pull through, but there are some weak spots.
Overall, though, it's a fun time. It's no "classic" or world literature, but it's entertaining.
If you go
What: "Candide"
Where: Sarasota Players Theatre, 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
When: Various times through March 9
Tickets: $23
Box office: 365-2494
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Venice Gondolier, Feb 29 2008
"Candide" updated by The Players
By Kim Cool
Features Editor
Not everyone's cup of tea, "Candide" is an equal-opportunity offender. Newly opened at The Players Theatre in Sarasota, the updated
interpretation of Voltaire's 1759 novella has become a cult classic.
Directed by Players artistic director Jeffrey Kin, "Candide" has been cleverly updated with the addition of 21st-century references to Prozac, Islamic terrorists, TV evangelism and more. That is where the offending bits come in. Virtually every person or group was included. Thin-skinned members of any one of those groups might get up and leave this show but they would be the losers for this is a story that has stood the test of time for a very good reason and will likely continue to do so, given human nature.
The basic premise of Voltaire's work is that we live "in the best of all possible worlds", and no matter what befalls us, that statement remains true. If we suffer an early death, perhaps that has saved us from some more horrific happening. Kin uses a troupe in a trunk to give us one example after another as Voltaire's story, transforming a blank stage, with the use of drapes and drops and assorted props and costume changes by characters like philosophy professor, Dr. Pangloss (Cliff Roles), who makes at least eight changes during the two-act musical in which the hero, Candide (Kirk Hughes) and heroine, Cunegonde (D'ariel Barnard) fall in love, are separated by such circumstances as her family, his capture by Bulgarian soldiers, war, earthquakes, shipwrecks, and more as the innocent young man eventually grows up. These three actors plus Cara Herman as Paquette and Stephanie Costello as the Old Lady and Justin Irwin as Maximillilan plus the Greek Chorus trio of Laura Sommer Raines, Carrie Greenberg and Thayer Greenberg delivered one wonderful shctick and/or song after another. So did Roles, who was especially fetching as an angel.
Leonard Bernstein's music is at once easy to hear and most difficult to perform. Between the cast and the live orchestra, The Players troupe succeeds quite well. That Kinn was able to find so many voices up to the task says much for his perserverance. Orchestra members include Musical Director Joyce Valentine, Teri Booth, Richard Jorgensen, Katie Craig, Stuart Miller, Angela Bidler, Victor Mongillo and Edward Jerome Butler.
Kin also designed the set and created the choreography, easily demonstrating his broad range of theatrical talents. "Candide" will play through March 9 at The Players Theatre, 838 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Tickets are $23 per person. Visit www.theplayers.org or call the box office at 941-365-2494.
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Creative Loafing, Feb 27 2008
Blame it on Leo
For all it's brilliance, Candide still seems overdone.
By Joel Rozen
Candide is the kind of show that directors can't resist running wild with. It's operatic, intellectual and ambitious -- Bernstein's episodic score may even be brilliant -- and if anything, it often seems to mandate lots of sequins to make it glitter.
Still, the question remains: Why is it that Candide, for all its brilliance, always looks so overdone on stage? In director Jeffery Kin's capable hands at the Players Theatre, the show finds plenty of exciting new life. But in places, it winds up looking garish and clunky as usual.
True to the Voltaire satire the show's based on, Candide opens in the utopian kingdom of Westphalia, where nothing goes wrong and "Life is Happiness Indeed." Through playful sing-song exposition framed by a Greek chorus, we meet Candide (Kirk Hughes), the wide-eyed bastard nephew of a rich baron, and his den of noble playmates.
There's narcissistic, mincing Maximillian (Justin Irwin), the baron's son who stresses over pimples and wears vinyl pants. There's the saucy chambermaid Paquette (Cara Herman, evidently weathering many a canker sore for this production; her lollipop rarely leaves her mouth). Then there's Cunegonde (D'ariel Barnard), Max's virginal sister and, not insignificantly, Candide's love interest.
Together, the ingenuous three receive daily lessons from one Dr. Pangloss (Cliff Roles, in a well-placed cameo), a philosopher and scientist given to spouting blithe axioms about this being "the best of all possible worlds."
I don't know what he's smoking, but I want some.
As the story unfolds, Pangloss' ideaology is tested again and again. Following the destruction of Westphalia, a whole series of hardships befall Candide and his childhood friends.
Beaten, kidnapped and tortured by war, Candide soon finds himself on an earnest quest to track down his lost love. This is no easy task, considering the rate at which Cunegonde's being sold, bought, raped and violated by a religious roulette of zealots. Fate steers him through various conflict-ridden metro-ports -- Lisbon to Cadiz, Montevideo to Constantinople -- and eventually, toward a greater understanding of how grim and arbitrary the human condition can be.
Bernstein's score -- originally drafted for a 1956 Broadway run, later revised to its present form by librettist Hugh Wheeler -- is a marvel, sinking its satirical claws not just into trendy 18th-century philosophy, but a host of theatrical idioms as well. There's a high-opera lampoon here, a Gilbert and Sullivan send-up there. In some cases, the music writing can be demanding -- occasionally requiring stratospheric bursts of coloratura -- and hard to execute properly without classical training.
As Candide and Cunegonde respectively, Hughes and Barnard prove themselves more than capable of handling the tough parts. Hughes plays Candide as I always envisioned the character: awkward and warm, with a tenor that's not too heavy. I expect the opposite from Cunegonde, whose show-stopping aria "Glitter and be Gay" contains some of the most difficult (and glass-shattering) vocal runs ever written for the soprano voice. Barnard pulls off the high E-flats, but she loses the character completely for the rest of the show.
In order to make the character's epic journey a smooth one, the production needs to feel sufficiently operatic but breezy enough to give Bernstein's many comic ensemble numbers the lightness they need. Otherwise, things just start to plod.
Fortunately, with Kin's inventive production, at least we have a sense of his priorities. This Candide taps the show's campy musical-theater elements, placing great emphasis on the characters' attire (Costume Designer Paul Lopez knows where to find a great wig) and watering some of the show's drier scenes with deliciously offbeat details. ("Optimism, brought to you by Prozac," reads the back of Pangloss' chalkboard.)
Elsewhere, Kin's production hits the same old snags. I've yet to see a director find a reasonable way of shoehorning unwieldy Gilbert and Sullivan pastiches like "Auto Da Fe" in Act 1 and "Bon Voyage" in Act 2 into the show.
Then there's the Polish Old Lady's "I'm Easily Assimilated," which, no matter how outrageous the director makes the number, always starts out with great momentum and then falls apart as the actors get tuckered out. (Stephanie Costello does manage to nail the thankless comic-relief role, however.)
The irony here is that I sense great creativity in the music of all three of these pieces -- though it's a strange sort of creativity, one no staging can match, no matter how elaborate.
Which is why whenever I see these numbers go down the tubes, I no longer blame the choreographer, the actors or the director.
I blame Leonard Bernstein, the man responsible for bringing yet another cruel trick of genius to this best of all possible worlds: a work that's wonderful, but basically impossible for anyone to perform well.
3.5 stars
Through March 9, The Players Theatre, 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 365-2494 or theplayers.org.
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Pelican Press, Feb 28 2008
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Sarasota Herald Tribune, Feb 23 2008
A musical look at a wild world
Directed by Jeffery Kin. Reviewed Feb. 21, Players Theatre, 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Through March 9. Tickets are $23, $12 for students. 365-2494; www.theplayers.org
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Sarasota Magazine, March 2008
To read the whole of Mr. Chatterbox's column, get the March 2008 issue of Sarasota Magazine!
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Sarasota Magazine.com, Feb 22, 2008
Candide The Players’ Candide overreaches in an attempt to be topical. By Kay Kipling The musical adaptation of Voltaire’s satire Candide has undergone so many revisions and rethinkings since it originally bowed more than 50 years ago that it probably seems more open to directorial tinkering than most Broadway shows of its era. Likewise, many people have never seen the show despite its cultish reputation, so they have no comparisons to make.That said, it still might have been wiser for the Players of Sarasota production to stick closer to the original, for the audience’s sake. Instead, director Jeffery Kin has taken the opportunity to contemporize the story, originally published more than 250 years ago, of a naïve young man (Candide, played by Kirk Hughes) and his disaster-filled journey through what his tutor, Dr. Pangloss (Cliff Roles) has instructed him is the best of all possible worlds. Some of his choices work better than others. Too often, they just prove distracting and even confusing in a picaresque story that already moves us very quickly from one awful adventure to the next.
The opening scene, which features a troupe-in-a-trunk set of actors preparing to present the play, is fine. And one can understand the temptation later on, for example, of having the Grand Inquisitor who orders Candide burnt at the stake for heresy resemble a 20th-century televangelist, and the crowds who gather for the auto-da-fe be like fans cheering a sporting event. But sometimes the mix of modern and period wear and manners, the feeling of too many winks and nudges to the audience, is a turnoff. And having a Greek chorus provide the narration, rather than, say, the voice of Voltaire himself, adds nothing to the production. There is talent onstage here, fortunately, since the famously challenging score by Leonard Bernstein (well interpreted by musical director Joyce Valentine and her orchestra) demands it. Hughes, Roles and Cara Herman as Paquette, the requisite lusty serving wench, are all suitable players for their roles, and Stephanie Costello certainly makes the most of her part as the Old Lady, whose tales of woe outstrip anything her younger sufferers can relate. In the role of Candide’s true love, the oft-ravished Cunegonde, D’ariel Barnard, who came to the role after another actress left it, has a pretty voice that flies high on her Glitter and Be Gay solo; she is not yet comfortable with some of her movements on stage, and Paul Lopez’s costume designs do little to flatter her. For diehard Candide fans, the chance to see a show so seldom done will still draw them out, and the wonderful music and the timeless appeal of Voltaire’s masterwork do provide rewards. For newcomers to the piece, however, those rewards may not be quite enough. Candide continues through March 9; call 365-2494 or visit theplayers.org. ________________________________________________
AnythingArts.com, Feb 21 2008
I have my own Actor Page at AnythingArts.com! Check it out!
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Bradenton Herald, Thurs Feb 21
(Cliff-Note - PLEASE TELL ME I DID NOT SAY "If you look deep enough, you'll find a deeper meaning", and "I have the music on my MySpace" ... WAS I DRUNK?)
Candide is fun on many levels By JANUARY HOLMES
jholmes@bradenton.com
Jeffery Kin has been itching to direct Voltaire's literary comic romp-turned-Broadway musical "Candide" for at least 20 years. A huge fan of the satirical musical since his college days, Kin has approached directing the piece like a kid in a candy store - combining several different versions of the show and adding a few of his own modern touches. "This show definitely has a Jeffery Kin stamp on it," said Cliff Roles, a Sarasota actor and radio host. Roles plays Candide's philosophically-wise instructor, Dr. Pangloss, in this Players Theatre production, opening at 7:30 p.m. today. Kin, who also is artistic director of the theater, said "Candide" is similar to a series of "Saturday Night Live" skits, featuring people who mysteriously come back to life from the dead and succumb to various tongue-in-cheek circumstances. The show is based on Voltaire's 1759 novelette and features the wacky adventures of Candide (Kirk Hughes) and his quest to answer the question of man's purpose in life. He ends up getting kicked out of his home, drafted into the army, facing the Spanish Inquisition and shipwrecked. It makes Candide ponder the lesson Dr. Pangloss taught him: "Everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds." "It's all about humanity and the way we see the world," said Kin. "We want everyone in the audience to be involved in that idea." "If you look deep enough, you'll find a deeper meaning," Roles said. "If not, just sit back and enjoy the show." The casting and rehearsal process has made the show's cast members instant die-hard fans and has brought other admirers of the piece out of the woodwork. "This musical is very infectious," Roles said. "I've become a 'Candide' fan. I have the music on my Myspace." And he has collected all of the recordings from the various versions of the show, which originally opened on Broadway in 1956 featuring a score by Leonard Bernstein. The music has a light operetta feel to it with songs such as "Bon Voyage" and "I Am Easily Assimilated," Kin said. Another new fan to the show is Hughes, 23, of Sarasota, who originally wasn't aiming to get the title role in the show. He said he hasn't been in a play since college, so he was "blown away" when Kin chose him as the lead. He loves Candide's blind optimism to the chaotic events he finds himself in. "It's so fun, so funny and so silly," he said of the show. Sarasotan D'ariel Barnard, 20, also was surprised to find herself in a supporting role in her stage debut, she said. She portrays the manipulative Cunegonde, Candide's love interest and has been a fan of the show for a while. Linking "Candide's" past with the present, Kin chose not to present the comedy in a solely 18th-century setting. "The setting is anytime," Kin said. "No era is separate from another." Kin hopes audiences will be pleasantly surprised to see that society is still connected to some of the ideals of the past. "It shows that the modernized world that we have hasn't changed at all in 300 years," said Kin. January Holmes, features writer, can be reached at 745-7057. If you go: What: "Candide" When: Opens 7:30 p.m. today. Performances are 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday through March 2 with extended performances through March 9. Where: The Players Theatre, 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota Tickets: $23 adults, $12 students Information: 365-2494
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Sarasota Herald Tribune, Tues 2.19.08
Marjorie North
All's well
Only fabulous futures were divulged by fortune tellers to the fun group who attended the All Children's "Casablanca at the Crosley," benefiting the local specialty-care centers. Even before they had their cards read, guests were met with belly dancers, fire spinners and Earl Nesmith, "Sam the Piano Player." Event chairwomen Dayle Hoffman and Erin Lazo personally greeted everyone as they arrived at the mansion ... to browse the auctions, enjoy the entertainment or dine on Moroccan cuisine beneath a tent overlooking Sarasota Bay. The big auction was emceed by Cliff Roles and dance music was the big-band sound of "Cigar City Band."
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Players of Sarasota, 2.7.08
The Players Theatre opens Leonard Bernstein’s Broadway hit “Candide” on February 21st; show runs through March 9th
(Photo by Ted Mase) Top Left: Kirk Hughes
Top Right: Justin Irwin
Bottom L to R: D'ariel Barnard, Stephanie Costello, Cliff Roles, Cara Herman
SARASOTA, FL —
The Players Theatre 838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota presents the wonderful and comical “Candide” from February 21st – March 2nd with extension dates of March 6th – 9th. The Players Artistic Director, Jeffery Kin, directs the musical. Featuring a legendary score by Leonard Bernstein, “Candide” is perhaps the most oft revived of the classic cult musicals. Part sophisticated operetta, part wacky screwball comedy with shades of Saturday Night Live, this funny irrevent satire is the perfect musical expression of Voltaire’s tongue-in-cheek send-up of optimistic philosophies. In one lightning-paced evening, the audience will witness the hapless bastard cousin Candide, (Kirk Hughes), is expelled from home, drafted into the Bulgarian army, brought before the Spanish Inquistion, swindled out of a fortune, shipwrecked on a desert isle, and separated time and again from his true love Cunegonde (D’ariel Barnard.) Through it all, Candide remembers the lesson of his dear master Dr. Pangloss (Cliff Roles): that "everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds". Additional cast members include: Justin Irwin, Cara Herman, Stephanie Costello, Jack Eddleman and many more. Songs include: “Glitter And Be Gay,” “Bon Voyage,” and “I Am Easily Assimilated.” Show times are Tuesday through Saturday night at 8pm with matinees at 2pm on Saturday, March 1st and Sunday, February 24th, March 2nd, and March 9th. The reserved seat admission is $23.00 for adults and $12.00 for students. For tickets and information call 365-2494 between 10a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Tickets are also available on our website at www.theplayers.org and at the door one hour before the show times. The Players Theatre is a proud recipient of the 2007 Stanford Financial Excellence in the Arts Awards (SFEA), which recognizes and rewards local arts organizations that demonstrate exemplary fiscal management of their resources.
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Sarasota Herald Tribune, Feb 6 2008
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Community Foundation.org, February 2008
| Tune in for Charity Closeups on the Radio |
Cliff Roles’ Talk of the Sun Coast 1220 AM WSRQ Beginning February 6th from 4 to 5pm There are literally thousands of nonprofit agencies in the Sarasota/Manatee County area, so how can a charitably-minded individual figure out which ones are the most effective and well-run? The answer is to trust the experts at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.
Staffers of the Community Foundation will appear as Cliff Roles’ guests every two weeks, beginning February 6, 2008. On each show, they will introduce a local nonprofit and promote the good work done by some of Sarasota County's most effective-but not always best known-charities.
So tune in twice monthly to get up close and personal with some great charitable agencies in our area.
First session: February 6, 2008 from 4 to 5pm
Guests: Stewart Stearns, Community Foundation President/CEO with Carolyn Eagan of Mental Health Community Centers
Talk of the Sun Coast: Live Monday thru Friday from 4 to 5 pm on Sarasota's 1220 AM WSRQ
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Sarasota Magazine.com, Jan 31, 2008
Backstage Babe Shelley Whiteside A Visit from a Wise Man ... I knew I’d been doing well lately. It was obvious, I mean I’m a personal friend of and have been a guest on Cliff Roles’ radio show; I hang out with “The Bobs” and was even at their home for Christmas dinner; Jeffery Kin kisses me whenever he sees me; Matt Orr loves me; and Brenda Terris knows my name. If you'd like to read the whole blog, go to Backstage Babe, A visit from a wise man ________________________________________________
Sarasota Magazine.com, Jan 30, 2008
Bob Plunket - Mr. Chatterbox online No-Campaign Trail ... And now, on a more serious note, don’t forget that this is your last chance to see Cliff Roles in Run For Your Wife at the Venice Little Theater. This is the part Cliff was born to play. He runs around slamming doors, he enters with his trousers down around his ankles, he eats a newspaper, he pretends he’s gay (and quite convincingly, I might add). The only tiny little problem was his British accent. The other people in the cast had much better ones. Cliff and the other members of the cast had the sold-out audience rolling on the floor. And as for me, well, my date Kay Kipling, said I sat there with a smile plastered on my face the whole evening. At least I think that’s what she said. I distinctly remember the word “plastered.” If you'd like to read the whole blog, go to Mr. Chatterbox - No-Campaign Trail __________________________________________________
Sarasota Magazine.com, Jan 30, 2008
Run for Your Wife
Fans of farce should get their fill with Run for Your Wife.
By Kay Kipling
Audiences, it seems, love farces by British playwright Ray Cooney. Theater critics, not so much so. So you pays your money and you takes your choice when it comes to deciding whether or not Run for Your Wife, currently onstage at Venice Little Theatre, is your cup of tea.
It takes the slightest of setups to get the ball rolling: London taxi driver John Smith (Cliff Roles) is involved in a mugging incident that garners him unwelcome publicity—unwelcome because he has two wives in two separate flats; they don’t know about each other but are bound to find out if he’s featured in the newspaper. He shares his problem with upstairs neighbor Stanley (Matt Erickson), and the two proceed to tell elaborate and constantly changing lies in an effort to keep the truth from the wives (Maureen Young and Laurie Colton-Farrar) and two policemen (Ken Fromer and Fred Pazona) determined to fill out their reports with Smith’s proper address.
It’s all pretty frantic and definitely physically demanding…you can see the sweat pouring off the performers as they race around the stage enacting the physical bits of business the playwright and director Murray Chase have concocted. To say things get outrageous—particularly when another neighbor, this one campily gay, turns up—is an understatement.
The cast works well together throughout, and the timing, so crucial to this kind of thing, is good. British accents vary in quality, as does the individual actors’ ease with their dialogue (Roles and Erickson get the lion’s share of the laugh lines), but the audience doesn’t seem to notice, and as the slapstick piles on, rather relentlessly, even a critic is bound to laugh on occasion.
Run for Your Wife continues through Feb. 3; for tickets call 488-1115 or go to www.venicestage.com. ______________________________________________________________
Venice Gondolier, Jan 25 2008
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AnythingArts.com, January 30, February 1 & 4
[ radio daze ] AnythingArts.com’s Christine Alexander and Rick Hughes will be on the Cliff Roles' Talk of the Sun Coast show on January 30. Since we are speaking about ourselves in the third person, give Christine and Rick an on-air call and let’s talk about your upcoming event - 941-952-1220. Then on February 1 the stars of the Golden Apple’s production of “Evita” will be Cliff’s guests: Kyle Ennis Turoff, Rachel Anton and Joey Panek. Then on February 4 Barbara Strauss and Jim Shirley will be on hand to talk about the upcoming Foreigner concert to benefit the PAL Sailor Circus Captial Campaign. Listen right here every weekday from 4:00 – 5:00 pm.
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PAGE1: Wed, 1/23-SRQ's Daily Buzz-worthy Connection
[TODAY] STAGE: RUN FOR YOUR WIFE, 8pm 
Ray Cooney’s bedroom-door slamming British farce stars Cliff Roles as John Smith, the south London taxi driver who gets away with keeping two wives in different parts of London—well, almost. After a fateful accident, Smith can barely keep his double life from exploding. Venice Little Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice, 941-488-1115.
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The Drunkablog , Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Authors interviewed
American Indian Mafia authors Joe and John Trimbach were interviewed by some Limey gink named Cliff Roles the other day on his Sarasota radio show. They do a sort of father-and-son brother act, and quite well, too. (Roles, unfortunately, is a halfwit, but, duh, I already said he had a radio show.)
(via Snapple, of course, to whom the Trimbachs are GODS, and who alleges she'll have all the interesting facts and figures from the interview later.)
Update: Joe Trimbach: "We've received very few negative comments [about the book], and they've been from the bloggers who, no matter what we said or did, they weren't going to like us."
Hmmpf. Somebody's got to tell them about Snapple.
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Bradenton Herald, Wed Jan 16 2008
Circus Sarasota Gala While there were no lions or tigers, the Circus Sarasota Gala did have clowns and jugglers and even a trained horse in attendance. Festively dressed guests, some in costume, filed into the Circus Sarasota tent on Jan. 5 for a lighthearted dinner and auction. Arriving guests were offered red clown noses and face-painters added some sparkle to many folks. The tables were decorated with popcorn boxes and drinks were served from the circus refreshment wagon. Newlyweds Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs, founders of Circus Sarasota, circulated among the crowd along with chairs Nikki Nilon and Linda Houze. Guest of honor Ulla Searing sat at her ringside table as people gathered to thank her for her bequest of $1 million toward the circus' new capital campaign. Cliff Roles donned his ringmaster garb to serve as emcee and Jimmy Dean was the auctioneer for the live auction before everyone was treated to a sneak preview of the upcoming circus show. The season begins on Feb. 1. Call 355-9805 for more details. Susan Wilcox, a Florida native, has lived in Bradenton for more than 20 years. She has been active in many local organizations as a volunteer or an employee.
Scene and Heard, Susan Wilcox
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Sarasota Herald Tribune, Tues Jan 15 2008
