Blake Walton, left, and Ann Morrison are the artistic leaders of the SaraSolo Festival. STAFF PHOTO/JAY HANDELMAN
With an event like the SaraSolo 2016 festival, you really never know what you’re going to get until you experience it, but when the performers fully connect with their material and the audience, you can feel a sense of discovery.
I saw five of the opening weekend’s eight productions and discovered several engaging performers who I’m eager to see again and rediscovered a couple of others who offered their own surprises.
Read more on the upcoming acts for the second weekend of SaraSolo 2016
Gulfport actress Becca McCoy relates the story of her life in Palatka, Florida in her show "The Pearl in the Hogwaller" during the SaraSolo 2016 Festival. STAFF PHOTO/JAY HANDELMAN
My favorite discovery was Becca McCoy’s “The Pearl in the Hogwaller,” a funny and involving musical story about the two years she lived in remote and rural Palatka, Fla., raising an infant daughter. To say it was culture shock after Chicago would be an understatement. She tells the story through real journal entries and Facebook posts, which naturally lead her to a fun mix of pop, novelty and Broadway songs that range from “Lamest Place in the World” and “Life is So Peculiar” to “Just a Housewife,” “The Ladies Who Lunch” and the hilarious “Lime Jello, Marshmallow, Cottage Cheese Surprise.”
While it could all be a joke, McCoy realized what a gift her time in Palatka might have been for personally and professional, which makes her story inspiring.
A fictional Holocaust survivor named Rose is one of five characters portrayed by Carolyn Michel in her SaraSolo 2016 Festival show "Women I Have Loved." STAFF PHOTO/JAY HANDELMAN
Carolyn Michel, one of Sarasota’s most popular performers, gave audiences an enjoyable chance to rediscover her through excerpts of five previous one-woman shows in “Women I have Loved.” They include Ann Landers, Dorothy Parker, a fictional but beautifully effective Holocaust survivor and two women from Sherry Glaser’s constantly surprising “Family Secrets.” they were all clear and distinct, but it Michel wants to further develop this show, she needs to find a way to bring more of herself into the performance, better linking the characters by sharing how they touched or inspired her, and perhaps how she found her own connections to play them. But she’s off to an engaging start.
I was also taken with New York actress Lisa Seldin Dontzin, who displays the spirit and comic energy of a Carol Burnett in her show “Fairytale Facts.” It starts with a nightmare about waking up in a Cinderella ball gown and having to perform the role on stage. But as she makes clear, she’s always felt more like one of her wicked stepsisters, and learning to understand her own personality and skills helped lead her on a path to a more successful career.
Lisa Seldin Dontzin shares her Cinderella nightmare in "Fairytale Facts," a one-woman show in the SaraSolo 2016 Festival. STAFF PHOTO/JAY HANDELMAN
Christine Alexander has a different kind of comic spirit that emerges from her popular improv performances. In the last year, she has been expanding her repertoire with one-person shows. The latest is called “Next,” in which she plays a radio talk show host with questions and calls from the audience. She plays multiple characters and gets out some great lines and ideas, but the show needs a bit more structure to allow her the freedom to play around with it. The talk show allows for a lot of variety. Now her work should be focused on refining the format without making it too smooth,. She already knows how to reach an audience.
Improv artist Christine Alexander plays a radio talk show host in her one-woman show "Next" at the SaraSolo 2016 Festival. STAFF PHOTO/JAY HANDELMAN
So does Wayne Hosford, turned his engaging but unruly cabaret show “New York States of Mind” into some kind of master class on cabaret performing. The core of his show is fun and moving, sharing songs inspired by his experiences with New York city and the people he has met or admired. It includes a healthy dose of songs by Peter Allen, who he describes as “the best friend I ever had and I never met him,” and Billy Roy, the longtime accompanist for cabaret legend Julie Wilson.
But he became so casual with the audience that he felt comfortable going on numerous tangents that were fun but didn’t always lead him naturally back to where he wanted to be. Still, Hosford is a fine musician and singer, and he demonstrated a keen skill as a songwriter with two touching and involving songs that closed his show.
Cabaret artist Wayne Hosford shares stories from his experiences in the Big Apple in his show "New York States of Mind" at the SaraSolo 2016 Festival. STAFF PHOTO/JAY HANDELMAN
SaraSolo 2016 continues next weekend with eight more shows.
THEATER REVIEW
SARASOLO 2016
Reviewed Jan. 23-24. Continues Jan. 30-31, Crocker Memorial Church, 1260 12th St., Sarasota. Tickets are $15, $50 for a day, $90 for a weekend. For more information; gottavan.strikingly.com
