Don’t miss our complete Fall Arts Guide!
Joey Panek: Actor, dancer, fitness instructor
Earlier this year, Sarasota resident Joey Panek landed a job in Sugar, the musical version of Some Like it Hot. Of course, the role required that he don a dress—and it seems that drag has remained the theme for this actor’s 2009.
“This is the year of drag for me,” he laughs. “I did a reading of Sordid Lives as Brother Boy, which required a dress. Maybe at some point this year I’ll play a real man. We’ll have to see.”
Panek is affiliated with many theater companies throughout the Bay Area, including American Stage, where he appeared recently in Die, Mommie, Die. Before that he was in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Little Shop of Horrors.
When he’s not on the stage, Panek runs a dance fitness class called Dance Trance in St. Petersburg. The 31-year-old bought into the franchise in January after taking the class for nearly two years.
But so far, the actor/instructor hasn’t found the same success with love.
“I don’t seem to have a problem getting relationships,” he jokes. “But keeping them is hard.”
Panek is equally comfortable in comedy and drama, but he says comedy is more popular in today’s economic climate.
“Everyone needs to laugh right now, and theaters know that,” Panek says. “As an acting community, I think that’s our purpose for this year. And if I have to wear a dress to do that, that’s fine by me.”
Logan Nicholson: Photographer, writer, poet
Growing up in the mountains of North Georgia, Logan Nicholson didn’t know he came from different stock than his peers. In fact, it was with reluctance that his mother told him of his Cherokee past. Since then, Nicholson has embraced his heritage and has actively preserved it for his children and grandchildren.
His exhibits of poetry, short stories and photography have been featured in Sarasota and he continues to follow his passion for photos and the written word.
Nicholson grew up without electricity in a rural town with little more than wagon trails for roads. After high school he spent three years in the military and “20-plus” years as a married man with three children before coming out as a gay man in his late 40s.
Now 67, Nicholson is happily retired in Sarasota with his partner of seven years, Ron Brown.
Nicholson’s photography covers everything from wildlife and landscapes to representations of cultures. But his favorite subjects have always been older people who have experienced life.
“People who have lived a long time have their journey etched in their face,” he says. “I love to get close in with the camera on their life experiences. I love people with age lines.”
His collection of poetry covers his experiences in north Georgia as a child to his hopes to see Amendment 2 denied in this year’s election.
Nicholson doesn’t have a web site to showcase his photography, but watch local listings for his next exhibit in the Sarasota area.
Matthew Mcgee: Actor, Director
As the artistic director at the Show Palace Dinner Theater, Matthew McGee wears multiple hats. He’s a greeter, a director and, perhaps most notably, a performer.
The energetic, out actor has appeared in plays around the state, and most recently in productions of Our Leading Lady at American Stage and in Nunsense—Amen! in Hudson.
It seems that the funnyman finds most of his laughs while portraying women on the stage—at least lately.
“Every one of the shows with drag here has been hugely successful,” McGee says. “I did La Cage, Victor/Victoria—and the audience always seems to love it. It’s all about having a good time.”
McGee admits 2009 has been a busy year for him.
“I enjoy all the work but it can be tiring,” he says. “You have to pace yourself. I’m the kind of person who says sometimes I’m doing so much I can’t do it all, but if I weren’t doing it I’d be miserable.”
The single actor lives in the Tampa Bay area with his Westie, Brian, and enjoys life as a puppy parent. The freedom of having only one pet and no partner allows McGee to pursue acting jobs around the state.
“All I have to do is find a dog sitter,” he jokes.
McGee will appear as the Reverend Mother in Nunsense—Amen! through Sept. 13.
Ricky Wilcox: Busy singer, songwriter and musician
Ricky Wilcox is well known throughout Tampa Bay, but he’s also recognized nationally thanks to an unlikely musical conduit—the ABC soap opera All My Children.
The versatile and popular St. Pete musician has serious alternative rock credentials and power pop roots. He’s toured throughout the U.S. and extensively in Japan, Germany, and Canada. This past year, his song ‘Insignificant’ from his CD monkeyshine has been featured in a recurring story line on All My Children.
Locally, he might be best known as a former member of one of Florida’s most notorious and creative bands, Deloris Telescope. An award-winning drummer, Ricky is still a sought-after sideman on the skins. But he now focuses mainly on his “singer/songwriter” career, playing guitar and singing full time.
Wilcox’s solo gigs, which he describes as “acoustic power pop,” focus on creative song selection, original interpretation, and humorous audience interaction. Wilcox performs throughout Tampa Bay and was a featured entertainer at the 2009 St. Pete Pride street festival.
He also still performs with former Deloris Telescope mate Stevie Grandmaison in his band, The Moonshakes, along with Raiford Starke on guitar and Tampa Bay icon Jeff Wood on drums. Ricky also plays in the campy lounge duo Dick and FEEF, featuring Kathy Randall.
For more information on Wilcox, visit RickyWilcox.com.
Karmic Tattoo: Rocks to riches’ band
Imagine Wynonna, Heart, Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge all fused together into one vibrant harmonizing bundle and you have the energetic force known as Karmic Tattoo. Last year, the group won a very competitive Battle of the Bands contest at Sawmill Campground.
Karmic Tattoo was born in Tampa Bay when Texan Pam Green, Kentucky girl Lisa Noe and Floridian Amy Black decided that they were good separately, but “delicious” together. Originally named Providence, the trio immediately hit the studio and released their 2004 album. Now renamed Karmic Tattoo, the band is currently working on its second CD due sometime this fall.
Noe has a background in opera and theater, and is the group’s lead singer and rhythm guitarist, as well as a songwriter. Singer, lead guitarist and songwriter Green was educated in classical guitar and has performed in bands for years.
Percussionist Black has performed with the Florida Orchestra, the Southwest Symphony and was a percussionist in residence with the Imperial Symphony Orchestra for 18 years. When the three women combine their sounds, they describe the experience as “rocks to riches.” In June, the band performed at St. Pete Pride and continues to increase their following.
Visit KarmicTattooMusic.com or MySpace.com/KarmicTattooMusic.
Someday Souvenir: ‘Driving Rock, Power Pop’ Band
Dari Mahnic, Stephanie Wood and Christine DeRado formed Someday Souvenir after their former band developed a following with enough of a loyal fan base to earn them Weekly Planet’s Readers’ Choice award as 2003’s Best New Band.
Since then the female-fronted trio has graced the stages at St. Pete Pride, Faces Bar in Orlando and the Rare Olive in Ybor City. This summer, the group performed at the Dinah Shore Weekend all-girl celebration in Palm Springs on the same stage as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and the Indigo Girls.
While it could be easy to place Someday Souvenir as a “pop” or “folk rock” band, the women refuse to be confined to any genre or style of music.
“By combining elements of driving rock, power pop and raw emotion, we have managed to craft our own signature sound,” the group shares on their MySpace page.
“What we want more than anything else is to play for anyone who will listen,” the group says. “If this allows us the opportunity to travel the world and keep doing what we are here to do for a bigger audience, then that is the ultimate privilege.”
Someday Souvenir is currently working on its next CD, Shade of Gray, due out in the coming year. For more information on the group, visit MySpace.com/SomedaySouvenir.
Tony Ward: musician, songwriter, fundraiser
“Music saved my life,” states musician, songwriter, and fundraiser Tony Ward. “Like many LGBT & Questioning people that were raised in a very religious household, I dealt with a lot of depression and even suicidal thoughts. But I hid everything. Whenever it got too bad, I’d go into my bedroom and just lay between two big speakers and escape.”
Ward has been writing songs since the age of 13. The youngest of seven boys, he was the only one who lacked athletic prowess because he has a lazy eye and wore a patch. “I think I got all of their creativity,” he reckons. “None of them can sing a note.”
In 1995, Ward made a new year’s resolution to raise one million dollars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He formed Making Music Matter and recruited volunteer talent to record a CD. The Wish List includes performances by jazz singer Jacqueline Jones, Magic center Shaquille O’Neal, and a not-yet-famous Rob Thomas. Ward fell short of his goal, but he managed to raise $35,000 for Make-A-Wish. The organization was thrilled and gave him a full-time position.
This month, the ninth Making Music Matter CD was released. It’s called Let’s Move Together, and benefits the Arthritis Foundation. Ward is currently the charity’s Central Florida community development director, and he has been touched by what he has learned about the disease. One in three people in Florida have arthritis, and 300,000 children are afflicted nationally. The title of the compilation is the foundation’s slogan, and also the directive given to the artists on the CD: “Anything you want…as long as you can dance to the song or it’s about movement.”
Orlando favorite Becky Fisher is among the artists featured, as is former Orlandoan Gerard Kouwenhoven who contributes a track with his New York City band, Dolly Trolly. As on all the other CDs, Ward himself has contributed his music and songwriting skills.
While he acknowledges that there are other openly gay artists on the CD, Ward says, “I’d like to see the day when someone will hear a gay person sing a song and have their sexuality be a non-issue.”
Visit makingmusicmatter.com to purchase Let’s Move Together and to learn more about Ward’s inspiring work. He’s a gentle soul who’s life was saved by music, paying it forward.
Mark Baratelli: performer, Arts entrepreneur
The performing arts most often involve collaboration, and it is wondrous to see talent come together as if with one mind to create a symphony or a ballet. But Mark Baratelli is different. In his Improv Cabaret, Baratelli creates intricate, funny stories flavored with belting musical numbers—all arising from his own stream-of-consciousness. Technically he isn’t doing it alone—he’s always accompanied by a talented piano player—but as you watch Baratelli’s vision unfold, you tend to forget the musician is there.
Attractive and youthful, Baratelli always has a glint in his eye. He’s either smiling or his animated face suggests amusement just below the surface. The effect is playful, mischievous, and a little disconcerting. It feels like he is up to something… and he usually is.
A few years back, Baratelli started an arts blog to address Orlando’s dwindling arts coverage. But after traveling with different touring companies, he became interested in the ways cities function and grow. The experience inspired him to expand his blog to cover, well, everything. On TheDailyCity.com Baratelli has promoted unique businesses, offered opinions, and shared ideas from other cities (which he labels “BTO”—Bring To Orlando). He’s also created events that help people discover the real O-Town. The site recently won ‘Best Local Blog’ by readers of Orlando Weekly.
Baratelli recently launched the Mobile Art Show, a BTO idea he decided to take on himself. He filled a U-Haul with artwork, then parked it at various locations posted simultaneously on Twitter. Not only did the happening expose people unexpectedly to art, it also focused attention on locations like the Parramore Community Garden.
“The big thing was watching people walk into the truck and to see their reactions,” says Baratelli. “They ranged from glee to disgust and everywhere in between.”
His Taco Truck Taste Tests supports the many local food vendors you see parked outside of gas stations. Baratelli sets the date and then encourages his followers to meet together to experience new food, support a local entrepreneur, and break through cultural barriers.
“They’re not reaching a mainstream audience, so I wanted to bring attention to them,” he states simply.
Baratelli’s next endeavor could provide a real boost to the local cultural landscape; he is in the planning and fundraising stages for an improv festival. It will kick off August 31 in donated space at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater with a cabaret called A Night with the Girls, showcasing the talents of several female performers. Where’s the best place to find more information about it? TheDailyCity.com, of course.
