Broadway Icon Chita Rivera and Comedian Robert Klein Perform at SFSC on Feb. 20

AVON PARK, Fla. – Jan. 31, 2019 – The incomparable Broadway legend and two-time Tony Award winner, Chita Rivera, will recreate signature moments from her illustrious career including numbers from “West Side Story,” “Sweet Charity,” “Chicago,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Bye, Bye, Birdie,” “The Rink,” and “The Visit” at the 1,460-seat Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts at South Florida State College (SFSC) in Avon Park on Wednesday, Feb. 20 for one performance at 7 p.m. Robert Klein, who has had an acclaimed 40-year career in comedy, on Broadway, on television, and in film will open the show. The performance is sponsored by Dr. Dini Rada at Heartland Pathology Associates and Dr. Catherine Cornelius, past president of SFSC.

Born on Jan. 23, 1933 in Washington, D.C., Chita Rivera went on to train at the School of American Ballet before becoming one of Broadway’s most beloved stars. She garnered major attention for the role of Anita, which she created, in “West Side Story” and earned her first Tony nomination for her role as Rose in 1960s “Bye Bye Birdie.” She starred in “Sweet Charity,” “Chicago,” “Zenda,” “Flower Drum Song,” “Zorba,” “Anything Goes,” “Nine the Musical,” and more.

“Chita has more Tony Award nominations than any other stage performer,” said Cindy Garren, director of cultural programs at SFSC. “I saw her perform in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ and it was breathtaking. Our audience will witness a Broadway legend at this performance.”

Rivera received her first Tony Award in 1984 for her performance in the musical “The Rink” which co-starred Liza Minnelli. In 1986, while she was co-starring in “Jerry’s Girls,” she was injured in a car accident and required 16 pins in her leg. In her 60s, she was awarded her second Tony Award for her starring role in “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”

Rivera, who was the first Latina to be a Kennedy Center Honoree, is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. It is awarded to people who have made a significant contribution in “world peace, cultural, or other public endeavors.” Together with Andrew Lloyd Webber, she was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Tony Awards. 

Currently, Rivera is touring in London where she is performing prior to her show in Avon Park. “She will then take her performance to Feinstein’s in San Francisco and New

York,” added Garren. “This is definitely a show not to be missed!”               

Robert Klein was a member of the famed Second City comedy troupe in Chicago. Influenced by the comedy of Jonathan Winters and Lenny Bruce, Klein deconstructs life’s absurdities in his funny observational stand-up comedy. He was nominated twice for Grammy Awards in “Best Comedy Album of the Year” for his albums “Child of the Fifties” and “Mind over Matter.” 

In 1975, Klein was the first comedian to appear in a live concert on Home Box Office (HBO). He has gone on to do nine one-man shows for HBO and received his first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music and Lyrics in 2001 for “Robert Klein: Child in His 50s.” 

On Broadway, Klein, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in “They’re Playing Our Song,” also appeared in “The Apple Tree,” “The Sisters Rosensweig,” “Robert Klein on Broadway,” and “An Evening with Robert Klein” which included his signature song and dance routine, “I Can’t Stop My Leg.” 

From 1986 to 1988, he had his own late night talk show, Robert Klein Time, on the USA Network. He has more than 100 late night appearances on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, David Letterman and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. 

“Our audience has been asking for more comedy,” added Garren, “and they’re getting comedy royalty.  Klein has influenced Seinfeld, Jon Stewart and Billy Crystal.”

Tickets begin at $45 and are available online at sfscARTS.org, by phone at 863-784-7178 and in person at the SFSC Box Office located at 600 West College Drive on the Highlands Campus of SFSC.

AVON PARK, Fla. – Jan. 31, 2019 – The Florida Orchestra returns to the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts at South Florida State College (SFSC) in Avon Park for a romantic trip through the stars for Valentine’s Day. Music Director Michael Francis conducts Holst’s iconic “The Planets” along with two dreamy pieces by Debussy, “Clair de Lune (Moonlight)” and “Nocturnes” on Thursday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. The concert also features the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay. The performance is sponsored by Dr. Andrew and Beth Kulick and Carol Emery, professor emerita at SFSC.

Maestro Francis and General Manager Edward Parsons will give a pre-concert talk that delves into the stories behind the music at 6 p.m. in the adjacent SFSC Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC). It is included free with each concert ticket.

This is the orchestra’s third year in a row performing at the Wildstein Center as part of The Florida Orchestra Beyond the Bay. The program’s mission is to reach areas of the state that do not have regular access to a symphony orchestra.    

Based in Tampa Bay, The Florida Orchestra is the premier and largest orchestra in Florida and is recognized as one of the most vibrant and innovative orchestras in the nation. Now in its 51st season, it performs more than 130 concerts a year with a series of classical, popular and light symphonic morning concerts along with community concerts in parks, schools, hospitals, and museums.               

“Taking your sweetheart to a symphonic concert is a perfect, romantic date,” said Cindy Garren, director of cultural programs at SFSC. “Holst’s ‘The Planets’ is a well-loved orchestral piece that, together with Debussy classics, promises to be an especially amorous evening.”               

Tickets start at $24 and groups of 12 or more save 50 percent on admission, plus one free ticket for the group organizer. Tickets are available online at sfscARTS.org, by phone at 863-784-7178 or in person at the SFSC Box Office located at 600 West College Drive in Avon Park on the Highlands Campus of SFSC.

AVON PARK, Fla. – Jan. 31, 2019 – Through a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant, South Florida State College (SFSC) will offer the research and creative work by two history scholars and a professional storyteller in a showcase on early Florida called “First Forays into Florida” on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 3:15 p.m. in the SFSC University Center Auditorium on the Highlands Campus in Avon Park. Members of the community are welcome to attend for free.

The event will begin with a faculty and student showcase displaying Florida-themed undergraduate research in the arts and humanities.

Presenters for “First Forays into Florida” are Dr. Jerald T. Milanich, professor emeritus at the University of Florida; Dr. Maurice O’Sullivan, professor of English at Rollins College; and Carol Mahler, storyteller and singer-songwriter from Arcadia, Fla.

Dr. Milanich’s talk is called “Women in Spanish Moss Sarongs and Alligators with Ears: Theodore de Bry’s Famed 1591 Engravings of Florida Indians.” These controversial engravings are the first and most complete record of Florida’s vanished First Peoples, but they have long been seen as marked by artistic license. Were they spawned from imagination, written accounts, and borrowings from previously published images or based on paintings done by a French colonist, Jacques le Moyne?. According to Milanich, there is a 420-year-old mystery here involving Sir Walter Raleigh, English investors, a dead French artist, a live English artist, a prolific British promoter, the lost Roanoke colony, two French noblemen, and ancient Picts from the British Isles. Through his illustrated presentation, Dr. Milanich will unravel the mystery.

Dr. O’Sullivan will present “Have Ye Not Hard of Floryda?: Early Spanish, French, Portuguese, English, and Latin Accounts of Florida.” “I’m actually finishing up a manuscript on the state’s colonial literature in Spanish, French, Latin, Portuguese, and English,” he said. When explaining the title of his presentation, Dr. O’Sullivan said, “That’s, of course, the title of the first English poem about Florida, printed in either 1563 or 1564—the year Shakespeare was born.”

Mahler specializes in telling Florida folklore and will draw her presentation from tales in the Seminole, African-American, and Florida Cracker traditions. Combining education and entertainment, she has also performed stories about Florida throughout the state, at the Florida Folk Festival, and at the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

“The National Endowment for the Humanities is doing something innovative with its grant to SFSC,” said Charlotte Pressler, professor of English and philosophy and director of the Honors Program at SFSC. “Its program is designed to build up the knowledge base of SFSC’s faculty in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. We faculty can then refresh our own courses and offer our students exciting opportunities for research into this strange and wonderful state that is Florida. Florida’s history is like no other state’s history, and students can get involved with projects that illuminate the past, present, and future of this state they call home.

“The speakers, Drs. Milanich and O’Sullivan, are dynamic, engaging, and funny, and Mahler weaves compelling traditional tales. This event is our way of saying “Thank you” to the College, the community, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.”

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 25, 2019–The South Florida State College (SFSC) Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC) is presenting an exhibition called Vanishing Florida: Photography by Kevin Boldenow in the lower lobby of the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts on the SFSC Highlands Campus in Avon Park, Wednesday, Feb. 6 – Wednesday, May 8. Those interested in Boldenow’s work may meet the photographer during the exhibition’s opening reception on Thursday, Feb. 21, at 1 p.m. in MOFAC.

Boldenow’s photography captures the endangered landscapes of Florida. He has described his work as “a look outside our surroundings. I want people to feel as if they are a part of my picture. We are a part of nature and coexist with every living thing on this planet. Harming nature inflicts damage on all of us and does away with a piece of our soul.”

Boldenow has commented that early in his life, his father instilled in him a particular respect for nature. “I learned how ignoring Mother Nature’s wonders could only lead to certain disaster. Growing up in the 1960s, I realized how destructive a course we had taken—dumping pollutants in the Great Lakes, air quality, and the use of DDT and other pesticides without proper testing was upsetting the balance of our ecology.”

“I’m hoping my photography, no matter where taken, creates a better understanding of our environment,” Boldenow said. “I want my audience to recognize the beauty and power of nature, not just in Florida, but everywhere in the world.”

MOFAC is located in the Wildstein Center at SFSC, 600 W. College Dr., Avon Park. The museum is open to the public on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m., or by appointment for group tours. Patrons of the Wildstein Center may visit the museum one hour prior to matinee and evening performances. For more information about MOFAC and its programs or to request a museum tour, contact Megan Stepe, curator, at 863-784-7240, email stepem@southflorida.edu or visit mofac.org.

SUNDAY, JAN. 20, 2019 — Participants in the second annual Million Dollar Hole-in-One Golf Shootout enjoyed a beautiful day on the Sun ‘N Lake Golf Course, but no one walked away with the million dollar prize.

Of the 12 finalists, Mark Ward shot closest to the pin, and Scott Hitt came in second. No one placed in the third and fourth positions.

The Foundation was grateful to its event sponsor, Ronnie Carter with Century 21 Advanced All-Service Realty; the award sponsor, Bowen and Son Roofing; and the media sponsors, Highlands News-Sun and Herald-Advocate. “We could not host an event like this without the support of all our sponsors, and we are grateful!” said Jamie Bateman, the Foundation’s executive director. “We hope to see everyone next year when the third annual Million Dollar Hole-in-One Shootout returns to the Sun ‘N Lake Golf and Country Club.”

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 18, 2019–The Cosmetology Clinic at South Florida State College (SFSC) is now open Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Services offered are haircuts, permanents, coloring, facials, and manicures. For an appointment or more information, Tim Johnson, SFSC cosmetology professor, invites members of the community to call 863-453-4949. The Cosmetology Clinic is located in Building K on the Highlands Campus in Avon Park. 

AVON PARK, Fla. – Jan. 11, 2019 – While participating in her English honors class at Sebring High School on Wednesday, Jan. 9, Amy Albandoz met with an unexpected surprise. Entering her classroom were her mother, Maria Jimenez; Take Stock in Children (TSIC) staff; her TSIC mentor, Nancy McDuffee; Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brenda Longshore; South Florida State College President Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel; Sebring High School Principal Kimberly Ervin; and SFSC Executive Director of Institutional Advancement Jamie Bateman.

They broke the news that Albandoz was awarded a TSIC $40,000 Leaders 4 Life Scholarship from the Asofsky Family Foundation. She was one of six students statewide who received the scholarship, an award that covers non-tuition expenses such as housing, books, and transportation. Her tuition will be covered by a TSIC scholarship.

The Leaders 4 Life Scholarship is an initiative of the Asofsky Family Foundation, which supports programs aimed at helping the state’s youth. The foundation awards the scholarship in partnership with TSIC. The South Florida State College Foundation is the lead agency for TSIC within the College’s service district of DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties.

Albandoz was eligible for the scholarship because of her participation in the local TSIC program. The program matches students at-risk of not completing high school with mentors who guide them toward earning their high school diplomas and onto college with scholarships in hand.

“We are happy for Amy for being selected as one of six winners of the Leaders 4 Life Scholarship,” said Irene Castanon, student service coordinator for the local TSIC program. “Her outstanding academics speak for themselves, and she has been an exceptional leader in her school and community. More importantly, she is humble and genuine. With this scholarship, Amy is now able to fulfill her dreams at the University of Florida without stress and financial burden.”

“Basically, this scholarship means that I can go forward with my life,” Albandoz said tearfully. “This is something that I was worried about because I don’t really come from a background that’s very wealthy. But getting this money means that I can actually do some good in the world.”

Albandoz graduates from Sebring High School in May 2019, has earned a 4.57 GPA, and is placed in the top 5 percent of her graduating class. She plans to attend the University of Florida to major in sustainable architecture. “I want to make buildings more efficient,” she said. “I think about the planet and how humanity has to advance. We don’t want the planet to deteriorate and not have any way for people to live.”

Nancy McDuffee has served as Albandoz’s TSIC mentor since she entered seventh grade. “All throughout school, Amy told me, ‘I’m going to get straight A’s.’ I thought that was a bit too lofty an expectation and, as a parent, I didn’t want her to have that kind of pressure on her. But she did it—she got straight A’s. But I also told her when she was a freshman in high school that she was going to win the Leaders 4 Life Scholarship, and she did it.”

McDuffee considers herself a support system and something of a cheerleader for Amy. “But motivation has never been a problem for her,” she said. “She is a self-starter and a hard worker. She gets involved in so many things.” In fact, Albandoz was a drum major for the Spirit of Sebring Marching Band and a member of the National Honor Society. As a member of the National Art Honor Society, she participated in the service project “Soup Up the Arts,” in which proceeds went to a local family who lost their home and to another member of the community who is fighting cancer. She was also involved in “80 Ways to Sweeten Up Parkland,” a service event that was dedicated to raising funds for the victims of the Parkland shooting.

Albandoz attributes much of her academic and personal success to the TSIC program. “Every member of the TSIC staff and my mentor have been supporting me since day one and helped me keep my grades up and stay optimistic,” she said. “They’ve done so much for me.”

AVON PARK, Fla.—Jan. 9, 2019—The SFSC Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC) is exhibiting Maggie Dillon’s photorealistic textile work now through Wednesday, Jan. 30 in the lower lobby of the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts on the SFSC Highlands Campus in Avon Park. This exhibition depicting candid moments from the 1930s through the 1950s is called Sweet Temporary: Portraits in Fiber. Those interested in Dillon’s work may meet the artist during the exhibition’s opening reception on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 1 p.m. in MOFAC.

Based in Sarasota, Fla., Dillon is a textile artist who works exclusively in batik fabric. She uses photography to create portraits in fiber.

“My work reawakens a calm moment that is simultaneously ordinary and meaningful,” Dillon said. “I choose images that have photojournalistic qualities and celebrate natural, honest situation. Piecing different shades and textures together, the fabric creates an open-ended story, encouraging the viewer to imagine the subjects as if they were characters in a book.

“I, primarily, work in the decades ranging from the 1930s to 1950s, based on candid moment—a girl’s day at the lake, a picnic in a poppy field, reading a bible in the wee hours of the morning. There is something humbler about those eras. People were less aware of the camera. Vintage images seem purer, even elegant in their simplicity. Because of this, I work in a nostalgic, subdued palette like old film.”

MOFAC is located in the Wildstein Center at SFSC, 600 W. College Dr., Avon Park. The museum is open to the public on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m., or by appointment for group tours. Patrons of the Wildstein Center may visit the museum one hour prior to matinee and evening performances. For more information about MOFAC and its programs or to request a museum tour, contact Stepe at 863-784-7240, email stepem@southflorida.edu or visit mofac.org.

AVON PARK, Fla.—Jan. 7, 2019—The South Florida State College (SFSC) Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC) is offering a Watercolor Workshop with artist Max Gooding. The workshop will be held Friday, Jan. 25, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., in Room A-16, on SFSC’s Highlands Campus in Avon Park. The cost of the workshop is $60.

Gooding will teach the importance of value in watercolor and how to “see” using the medium.

Gooding developed a love for watercolor over time. When asked about his relationship with the medium, Gooding has said, “I despised watercolor before understanding it and embracing it.” In fact, much of his artwork today is in watercolor.

Gooding is a landscape design professional, visual artist, and a business owner who is based in Southwest Florida. A Florida native, the time he spent in Highlands County, on his education in Gainesville, and on professional ventures in Naples, influenced more than his art—these locations uniquely shaped his life. Though he had a fond eye for the design of things early on in life, he had not truly tapped into a well of inspiration until his college years after visiting Europe. Far across the Atlantic, Gooding discovered that professional and creative lives could be reconciled with one another—that good aesthetics could make for good business. He took these lessons learned from Europe and returned to his home in Florida.

Gooding graduated from SFSC, and later attended the University of Florida to study landscape architecture. He graduated in 2013 summa cum laude with a minor in horticulture. He now owns and operates The Max Gooding Company, a landscape design and fine art business in Naples, Fla.

Participants of the Watercolor Workshop should bring their own watercolor paint, brushes, palette, and a few of their own images to paint. Watercolor papers and additional images will be provided.

Participants may bring their own lunch or purchase lunch on or off campus. Coffee and snacks will be provided.

For more information or to register for the Watercolor Workshop with Max Gooding, call Megan Stepe, MOFAC curator, at 863-784-7240 or Karla Respress, SFSC art professor, at 863-449-0978.