Latin art, gospel chorus, theater premieres: Naples gets a week of 'new'
If we had the duplication abilities of Marvel Comics' Multiple Man, we'd still be stretching our super-powers to reach all Southwest Florida's significant events in the next week.
First, it's hard to get more significant than a community choir approaching 100 voices, laying down harmonies on sweet gospel works to benefit Storytellers Creative Arts.
Then there is the eye-catching "La Calavera Catrina," an oversize skeletal array more sassy than scary at Naples Botanical Garden, which reopens Tuesday, Nov. 1, after Hurricane Ian cleanup.
In between you can flip a coin for which "first" production you want to take in first: The world premiere of a whacky comedy at the Center for the Arts Bonita Springs, "A Lovely Day to Kill Your Spouse." Or the debut production of Arts Center Theatre at Marco Town Center, a wry, sweet look at a transplanted life in “Apartment 3A."
A hint for your decision making: This is the final weekend for "Lovely Day." It closes Sunday, Oct. 30.
With some careful planning, you can get to most, if not all, of these without needing the superpowers of Multiple Man — or his cosmetic quirks: We're happy to not need M's tattooed on our eyelids to enjoy all this.
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'Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs'
The annual benefit concert for Storytellers Creative Arts (SCA), an arts organization supporting at-risk people, is as diverse as the groups it helps: Look for jazz, classical, bluegrass and gospel in the lineup.
It all has a spiritual undertone, however, from the bluegrass hymn medley to a specially assembled 30-piece orchestra nearly 100-voice chorus, proclaiming "How Great Thou Art." This year, there is a separate component that's a tribute to military veterans, with the concert date so close to Veterans Day on Nov. 11.
The tickets to the event, at the First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, are free. William Barnett, a Naples minister who is founder of SCA, is hoping, however, that its audience responds generously to the call for donations.
The program benefits SCA's work, "especially to the people in the recovery community — underprivileged children and families," Barnett said.
SCA identifies as a faith-based organization, but not formally affiliated with one denomination. It matches skilled instructors with cost-free classes at places like the David Lawrence Mental Health Center, Pathways Early Education Center, New Horizons of Southwest Florida and more.
Classes vary from music and art therapy, drum circles, visual and performing arts, to storytelling and creative writing or journaling. The Nov. 6 concert incorporates several of them:
An exhibition by art instructors aligned with SCA and others. The exhibition — sculpture as well as two-dimensional art — is based on the Psalms of David. It will be a pre-concert attraction at the church.
A storytelling session with Rob Petterson, former church pastor and Naples author whose latest release is "101 Amazing Stories of Hope and Faith."
125-plus things: To do in November: 'Other Desert Cities,' Spanish songfest coming up
Primarily, however, you can count on a lot of music, from violinist Jeff Leigh's performance of "Ode to Joy" to vocalist Amy Bright's rendition of the contemporary "All My Hope."
Jeff Faux, the church's music ministry director, is also director of the chorus, a popular part of the concert. He's sure whether the numbers would bump 100 this year, thanks to Hurricane Ian — "We have some people who aren't coming down as early as they usually do and others who are busy working on repairing their homes." But he's expecting at least 90 enthusiastic voices on works such as "How Great Thou Art" and "God Bless America."
Free tickets are required, available at the group's website: scanaples.org
What: "Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs"
When: 6 p.m. Nov. 6
Where: First Presbyterian Church, 9751 Bonita Beach Road SE, Bonita Springs
Admission: Free; donations are accepted for Storytellers Creative Arts
Tickets: scanaples.org
Bone vivants: 'La Calavera Catrina'
When Hurricane Irma tore through Naples Botanical Garden a little over five years ago, it lost around 340 trees. Thanks to lessons learned from it, the garden reported losses of only around 35 trees when Hurricane Ian chewed through Southwest Florida. But branch and brush damage were enough to keep it closed until this Tuesday, Nov. 1.
That also delayed the opening of one of its most colorful installations to date, "La Cavalera Catrina," contemporary art pieces designed by Los Angeles-based artist Ricardo Soltero.
Soltero is the set designer for the largest annual U.S. Día de los Muertos celebration, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, celebrating the Nov. 1 Mexican holiday. His frolicking, 8-foot skeletons, originally commissioned by the Denver Botanic Garden, are homage to the happy philosophy of Dia de los Muertos. They celebrate the lives of those who have left us.
Soltero uses papier-mâché, recycled materials, wood, fiberglass and fabric to create his engaging pieces, which are at the garden through March 5. (More of his work, wide-winged wall butterflies, are in the Fogg Cafe.) Aware that not everyone can celebrate on a Tuesday workday, its festival is the following weekend, Nov. 5-6. There will be music, entertainment, special foods and art opportunities at the garden.
The garden has also made space for an ofrenda, a memorial altar that is also a custom of the day, said Jennifer Reed, editorial director for the garden. It was particularly appropriate this year, she said, to give people a space to reflect on the human tragedy of the hurricane that struck little more than a month ago, killing at least 120 people in Florida.
"La Cavalera Catrina" is in conjunction with the Naples Botanical Garden's celebration of “Mexico: A Celebration of Plants & Culture,” a yearlong exploration of Mexico’s wide variety of plants and their cultural connections.
And as if it isn't brimming with color already, there's a mini-exhibition recreating the facade of La Casa Azul, the iconic blue home of artist Frida Kahlo, in Mexico City. Opening Jan. 14, it contains plants that informed her paintings.
All three are in conjunction with Collier County's themed year of Hispanic arts and culture, ¡Arte Viva!.
What: "La Cavalera Catrina" and “Mexico: A Celebration of Plants & Culture,”
When: Tuesday, Nov. 1, through March 5
Where: Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Drive, Naples
Admission: $25, $10 ages 4-17; free to members and ages 3 and younger
Information: naplesgarden.org or 239-643-7275
Something else: Celebration of Dia de los Muertos Nov. 5-6; free with admission
Stage one: Marco, Bonita premieres
The Marco Players Theatre is now the home of its successor, Arts Center Theatre, part of the Marco Island Center for the Arts. But what's different?
Perhaps some new voices: Its premiere play, "Apartment 3A," came from the pen of a TV, stage and Broadway actor, Jeff Daniels.
Perhaps a pricklier sense of comedy: Two of the lead characters debate the existence of God while they circle each other romantically.
Perhaps the fact that the Arts Center Theatre jumped in with both feet, barely waiting until the hurricane winds died down to restart its production. It was a good idea: people need a laugh at a time like this.
They also need some extremely human characters on their stages. "Apartment 3A," nothing like the fanciful comic strip "Apartment 3G," promises to live up to that.
The show runs until Nov. 13, and for those involved with all things Marco, there's a character played by its city manager, Mike McNees. For those not involved with all things Marco, there's the hilarity of seeing an unhinged Annie, a local PBS fundraiser, threaten to send Big Bird to Rikers Island if the donations don't start rolling in.
Chris Dayett directs.
What: "Apartment 3A," produced by Arts Center Theatre, Marco Island
When: Various times through Nov. 13
Tickets: $35 members, $40 nonmembers
To buy: marcoislandart.org or by calling 239-394-4221
What do you want when you're obscenely wealthy? More money, of course, and British millionaire couple Gloria and Graham have decided to kill each other to get it — on their anniversary — during their an island-hopping skiff trip.
But they run into a storm, and something even worse happens to both of them: The arrival of their family rescue team, who have agendas of their own.
Shorter is sweeter: Bonita's 10-minute play fest passes a milestone, still running
This is a world premiere of the comedy from Lindsey Brown, a New Zealand playwright. Until now Brown has been tickling funny bones in Bonita with her one-act plays for "Stage It!" and "Staged Readings" excerpts at the Center for the Arts Bonita Springs.
Her work was chosen this time by an audience to receive a full production because of its suave repartee and its recognition of the fine line between loving and hating your spouse. That, as Brown's work posits, can happen multiple times in a day.
Frank Blocker and Toni Palumbo-Vasquez co-direct.
What: "A Lovely Day to Kill Your Spouse," world premiere production of the Lindsey Brown work
When: Various times through Nov. 6
Where: 10150 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs
Tickets: $30
To buy: artcenterbonita.org or 239-495-8989
Harriet Howard Heithaus covers arts and entertainment for the Naples Daily News/naplesnews.com. Reach her at 239-213-6091.
Free entry to Louis-Dreyfus show
Naples Art has announced some hurricane arts relief: free admission to "The Artist's Hand" Thursday, Oct. 27, through its final date, Monday, Nov. 1. It's full of internationally known names and conversation starters from the William Louis-Dreyfus collection.
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, till 9 p.m. Thursday evening; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Naples Art, 585 Park St., Naples
Admission: Free through Nov. 1
Information: 239-262-6517
Something else: Docent tours, for a charge, between noon and 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples, Bonita Springs tempt lovers with full array of new attractions
