Arts talk

Compiled by Times staff

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 17, 2001

'Blaguards' set ticket sales record

A Couple of Blaguards, which closed a week ago at American Stage, set a ticket sales record at the St. Petersburg theater. In 30 performances in the 145-seat theater, the play by Frank and Malachy McCourt drew attendance of 4,163 and had sales of $50,447. That far outpaced the previous biggest main stage hit, Dracula, which had ticket sales of $35,311 in 1997. "It was especially gratifying to have such great response during the supposedly slow season of May and June," said managing director Lee Manwaring Lowry. "We added six shows, and they virtually sold out."

Praise for 'Sacco & Vanzetti'

Anton Coppola's Sacco & Vanzetti, premiered by Opera Tampa in March, got a boost with a strongly positive review in Opera News. "Sacco & Vanzetti may turn out to be the operatic sleeper of recent years and come to enjoy greater shelf life than other works launched with greater fanfare," writes critic Lawrence A. Johnson in the July issue of the influential opera magazine.

Theo Wujcik retrospective

Tampa artist Theo Wujcik's retrospective, which opened at the Gulf Coast Museum of Art in Largo last fall, is on view through July 29 at the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami. The show was co-curated by University of Florida Contemporary Art Museum director Margaret Miller and internationally known artist James Rosenquist.

Fame game

Palm Harbor artist Melissa Miller Nece won best of show at the 51st annual Florida Artist Group Exhibition, on view at the Capitol in Tallahassee through Aug. 11. The Florida Artist Group, a non-profit organization with membership by invitation, has sponsored annual symposiums and exhibitions in various Florida cities since 1949.

Competition for artists

Palm Harbor Arts, Crafts and Music Festival, Dec. 1-2. Outdoor show. Prospectus: Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce, 1151 Nebraska Ave., Palm Harbor, FL 34683. Deadline: Sept. 3.

Dance festival in Miami Beach

The 23rd annual Florida Dance Festival, which begins today in Miami Beach, is two weeks of classes, workshops and performances. Headliners include Brazil's Companhia Lumini, the AXIS Dance Company of San Francisco, Grupo Cultural Uk-Ux Pop Wuj from Guatemala, and the Minneapolis duo of Chris Aiken and Cathy Young. Stephen Petronio's New York modern dance troupe winds up the festival June 29-30 with performances of Strange Attractors, to a commissioned score by Michael Nyman. For information, call (800) 252-0808 or check www.fldance.org.

Conductor gets own orchestra

Edward Cumming, resident conductor of the Florida Orchestra from 1989 to 1993, has an orchestra of his own. Cumming, 43, resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, takes over as music director of the Hartford, Conn., Symphony Orchestra in the 2002-03 season. He was selected this month from a dozen finalists for the position.

Improv auditions Monday

Auditions for an improvisational troupe will be at 7 p.m. Monday at Coconuts Comedy Club in St. Pete Beach. Unlike traditional improvisational comedy, the ensemble will create characters and stories to be continued from week to week. Actors and writers are encouraged to apply. Applicants should prepare to perform in character. No monologues are allowed unless they are original works. Coconuts is at 6100 Gulf Blvd., inside the Howard Johnson's resort. For information, call Mary Jane Heath at (727) 344-1674.

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