 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Reflecting on hot shows, good eats
© St. Petersburg Times Citrus County entertainment had a stellar year in 2002, as a host of big-name stars topped off a schedule that proves the demand for community theater, live music and outdoor festivals remains quite strong. Among the major artists who performed this year were Mickey Rooney, Willie Nelson, Three Dog Night, Herman's Hermits, Roy Clark and the Kingston Trio. Those concerts took place at Rock Crusher Canyon, the county's premier entertainment venue. But that was only the cream of the crop; many other artists contributed to a busy and worthwhile year. Art League breaks ground: In a drama that unfolded during the past decade, the Citrus County Art League finally broke ground during the summer on its new theater building, which will be used for community theater beginning next season. The new 7,000-square-foot theater with 200 seats is currently under construction on the property adjacent to its present building at 2644 N Annapolis Ave., off County Road 486. Fundraising for the building began in 1991. The art league also managed to revive the annual Inverness Festival of the Arts in November, this time at the Withlacoochee Technical Institute. The festival had been held on the lawn of the Courthouse Square in downtown Inverness for 30 years, but organizers from the art league called an end to the yearly event after the November 2000 show. The reasons given included staff burnout and conflicts with downtown business owners. The 31st festival, held in November at the new site, was marred by strong rain and wind that dampened the turnout and knocked over several exhibitors' tents. Other major outdoor festivals continued to draw huge crowds and fare much better with the weather. The oak-lined streets of Old Homosassa welcomed the return of the annual Homosassa Arts, Crafts & Seafood Festival for its 28th year in November. The event featured an impressive array of fine artists, crafters and a sumptuous seafood court. The Floral City Strawberry Festival was held in March, also drawing large crowds at Floral City Park over its two-day run. The 10th annual Manatee Festival held in January in Crystal River also had an impressive turnout of visitors who strolled the streets looking at art and took free nature cruises on Kings Bay. Live music hit the right notes: No matter what your taste in music, 2002 was a great year to listen and get a groove on. The highlights included: The Citrus High School Hurricane Marching Band, which amazed audiences all year with its sizzling halftime performance at football games, was named the best band in the state in its 2A division in November. This marked the first time a band from Citrus had won the title. The Hurricanes won on the strength of their halftime show Caliente De Muerte, which, loosely translated from Spanish, means "Hot to Death." Rock Crusher Canyon continued to bring in big-name stars to perform both at the amphitheater and the Garden Pavilion. These included Mickey Rooney, Willie Nelson, Three Dog Night, Herman Hermits and the Kingston Trio, the Coasters and the Original Drifters among the major headliners. Rock Crusher Canyon's Garden Pavilion's weekly shows continue to draw ever-increasing audiences, who come to hear the Dixieland music of Razz Ma Tazz, the house band led by Johnny Baier. Rock music fans who attended the January concert by Bill Haley's Original Comets at Curtis Peterson Auditorium caught perhaps the hottest live show of the year. The seasoned musicians put on a red-hot show of early rock 'n' roll that mesmerized the small but enthusiastic audience. Other shows at Curtis Peterson included the St. Louis Brass Quintet and the Grand Ole Opry Citrus County Style in January, the the 10th annual Salute to the Irish in February and performances by The Central Florida Symphony and the Central Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. Folk music was active with two venues putting on monthly shows. The Sunday Sampler in Dunnellon and The Floral City Acoustic Music Series brought in local and national folk musicians. The Blues 'n Barbecue festival in Old Homosassa was held for the fifth year in November. Performers included Willie Lomax, Blue Dice and the Cool Corporate Cats. Community theater brought joy and tears: With three major community theaters and other troupes that put on occasional plays, theater audiences had a multitude of major offerings. The Citrus County Art League, Playhouse 19 and Gulf Islands Civic Theatre produced some well-known plays such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Playhouse 19), along with lesser known yet important works such as I'm Not Rappaport (Art League). Dinner theater offerings at Gulf Island Civic Theatre included Kiss or Make Up and Don't Dress For Dinner. The dinner theater plays are comedies involving topics such as gourmet cooking, poisonings and mistaken identities. Odds and ends: There were entertainment events that didn't exactly fit into any category but reflected a lot of local flavor. These are a major part of the entertainment scene that makes Citrus County weekends exciting and unique. The Citrus County tractor pull in January featured souped-up and ordinary tractors straining to pull a weighted sled across the dirt floor of the livestock arena at the fairgrounds. The event proved to be a big success for the Fair Association, which uses the money to fund college scholarships. It was called That '70s Dance, as members of the Spirit of Citrus dancers paid tribute to the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, disco light balls and polyester suits. Free "hustle" lessons were included. A playful exhibit, Florida Girls & Boys and Their Toys, made a stop at the Old Courthouse Heritage Museum at the Courthouse Square in Inverness. The exhibit featured 30 framed photographs, an information panel and other objects. The theme was to recapture the magic of children playing with toys of yesteryear. The Independence Day Revolutionary River Blast, on the Homosassa River, featured a decorated boat parade and wacky a endeavor -- the Red, White and Blue Beer Belly Contest. The festivities were capped off at night with a fireworks show. The Sandhill Saloon in Lecanto invited area backyard chefs to compete in a beer-can chicken, also known as drunken chicken, contest. The upright birds cooking away while perched on a beer can turned out to be a big hit with diners, who gobbled up the lot in no time. -- Jorge Sanchez can be reached at 860-7313 or sanchez@sptimes.com .
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
Citrus Times |
