UPFRONT
Tea with the Royals
Dramatist Barbara Rinella brought the British Royal family to
life as she cleverly created a portrait of Prince Charles and the
women in his life for an Infinity fundraiser, where guests in
hats, fascinators and tiaras enjoyed a traditional tea of small bites,
scones and sweets at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Infinity, the
League to Aid Abused Children and Adults, assists organizations
that are committed to ending abuse – CASA, Brookwood Florida
and the Suncoast Center. Joy Ruidnicki, the president of Infinity,
spoke passionately about the group’s mission.
Actor Gary Sandy, who portrayed Mike
Hammer in Ruth Eckerd Hall’s world
premiere production in Clearwater,
was congratulated on his performance
by the show’s stage manager Karla
Hartley, who is also producing artistic
director for Stageworks Theatre in
Tampa.
Sterling Society’s Founders Luncheon Encore for
The 11th annual Founders
Luncheon presented by the
Dunedin Fine Art Center’s
Sterling Society featured Michael
Francis, the music director and
conductor of The Florida Orchestra,
speaking on “The Power of Music.”
During the luncheon at the Bon
Appétit Restaurant on the Dunedin
waterfront, the annual Patron of
the Arts Award was presented to
Ed and Betty Proefke, who were
the honorary chairs of Creative
Visions, the art center’s 2016 capital
campaign. The luncheon committee
was chaired by Cindy Gorshe
Collman, the Sterling Society’s
vice president.
38 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2018
Co-chair
Julie Cline,
committee
member
Rebecca
Malowany
and co-chair
Debbie Van
Solkema
were excited
about the
success
of the Tea
with Royals
fundraiser
for Infinity.
The Straz
Kicks Off Broadway
It was a massive season kickoff party at
Carol Morsani Hall in Tampa, as the Straz
Center’s President and CEO Judy Lisi and
Sirius XM Radio’s “Lady of a Thousand
Voices” Christine Pedi announced the
2018-2019 lineup of shows for the Straz’s
Broadway Series. The Play That Goes Wrong
will be there in October and Hello, Dolly!
will follow in December. January 2019 will
bring A Bronx Tale, which will be followed
by the smash hit Hamilton in February.
The season will continue with Dear Evan
Hansen, then Anastasia, and finally in June,
Come From Away. For subscriptions, call
(813) 229-STAR (7827).
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Bill Goede, the market president of Bank
of America in Tampa Bay, was proud to
announce to Georgiana Young, the chief
programming and marketing officer at
the Straz Center, that Bank of America
will be the sponsor of next year’s
Broadway season at the Straz in Tampa.
Ed and Betty Proefke were honored by the
Sterling Society of the Dunedin Fine Art Center
with the Patron of the Arts Award in recognition
of their many contributions to the center over the
last 40 years.
Murder
To create new programming, Ruth
Eckerd Hall President and CEO
Zev Buffman produced Mickey
Spillane’s Mike Hammer: Encore for
Murder in the hall’s intimate Murray
Theatre. Veteran actor Gary Sandy
of WKRP in Cincinnati fame created
Mike onstage with a clarity that
was mesmerizing and so totally
convincing that at times, you forgot
you were watching a play. Carol and
Phillip Beauchamp were the show’s
executive producers, while Leah
and Glenn Bergoffen, along with
Mary and Robert Arvidian, were its
sponsors. 9
GRAM
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