Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center goes "Wicked" The Wizard of Art' gala features Broadway stars
BY ARTIS HENDERSON news@floridaweekly.com

ADAMS

This weekend, supporters of the Fort Myers arts community will have a chance to get "Wicked." The fourth annual Sidney

and Berne Davis Art Center fundraiser, The Wizard of Arts, will take place downtown Saturday, Nov. 1, and feature performers from the Tony award-winning musical.

Katie Adams, the fair-haired actress who stepped into the role of Glinda the Good Witch for the show's national tour, first made her Broadway debut in "Wicked."

The Pittsburgh native now lives in New York and works on the show as a standby or understudy for eight performances a week.

"I'm very lucky," she says. Out of college, Ms. Adams moved to New York City and found an agent, then worked odd jobs while auditioning for roles. "I nannied and hostessed my butt off those first few years," she admits. "But now I make a living from the theater full time."

She's excited to support the arts at the downtown gala and is looking forward to singing alongside Shoshana Bean, the sultry songstress who spent two years as Elphaba (who would be the Wicked Witch of the West) on Broadway and in the show's national tour. The two previously performed together in New York.

COURTESY OF THE SBDAC Shoshana Bean, star of "Wicked" on Broadway, will be at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center's fourth annual fundraiser, The Wizard of Arts, on Nov. 1 to perform.

Ms. Bean also appeared in the original Tony Award-winning cast of "Hairspray," and her first album, "Superhero," will be released Dec. 2.

"My musical style is all over the map," says the 31-year-old actress, singer, and songwriter. "But I'm rooted in R&B and soul."

In addition to performing favorites from "Wicked" and "The Wizard of Oz," Ms. Bean will also sing ballads from her new album at the gala.

"It will be the kind of event Fort Myers hasn't seen in a while," says Fran Fenning, co-chair of the center's gala committee. In addition to the performances, the evening will feature a formal sitdown dinner, with each course inspired by the Wizard of Oz. The center, too, will reflect the Emerald City theme, and attendees are encouraged to dress in costume.

For many, one of the brightest attractions of the evening is the gala's silent auction, which will feature major fine art pieces. The auction will showcase work by Darryl Pottorff, protégé of the late Robert Rauschenberg, that incorporates Rauschenberg's clothing in the piece.

Also available for bidding is work by Keith Haring, whose urban-inspired art spanned the 1980s and became highly sought-after following the artist's death from AIDS in 1990. Other items in the auction include pieces by Fort Myers artist Marcus Jansen and lithographs by Salvador Dali and Mark Chagall.

Money raised from the event will go to funding the continued restoration of the center's downtown location.

"I don't like to put a cap on it," says Executive Director Jim Griffith when asked how much he hopes to raise from the gala. Of the restoration's $5 million price tag, $2 million is still needed. "I think this event will do well and will get us significantly closer to that."

Built in 1933, the current home of the Davis Center originally served as the post office for the Fort Myers community. In 1965, the post office was converted to the Federal Building and acted as a courthouse for the next 33 years. The site was

abandoned in 1998 when the Federal Building moved to its new location on First Street, then sold to the city of Fort Myers in 2000. In 2003, the building became the home of Florida Arts.

"It's one of the most brilliant pieces of architecture in all of Florida," Mr. Griffith says of the Depression-era structure, which was built by the Works Progress Administration under Roosevelt. "It's served the community for so long."

Pamela Templeton, owner of Fort Myers Toyota and a major supporter of the Davis Center, admits she's in love with the building. "It's a magnificent structure."

Ms. Templeton witnessed the revitalization of Alexandria, Virginia's historic downtown and believes Fort Myers can achieve a similar effect, with the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center as the centerpiece of a revitalized River District. "Once you create a cultural heart, that's the stimulus for everything else to follow." She points out that a nightlife tied to the arts will encourage restaurants and other venues to open downtown, drawing crowds to the original charm of the city. "This is a legacy."

The Davis Center will launch its first full season in 2009. Designed as a multidisciplinary arts building, the center will host a variety of events. In January, an art show on global warming will appear at the center and a local theater troupe will stage "Macbeth." In February, the center is partnering with the Black History Museum to present a pictorial exhibit of jazz legends from ragtime to the present, and jazz musicians from New York will be performing. March will feature chamber music and contemporary dance performances.

"We can do anything in there," says Mr. Griffith. He points to the building's uniqueness and attractive layout, which he says make it a prime draw for events and receptions. The center has already hosted its first wedding.

Mr. Griffith assures that the Davis Center won't compete with existing venues like the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Halls. Rather, he says, the two locations will complement one another. As a matter of fact, organizers didn't know "Wicked" was coming to the B.B. Mann until after they had chosen the theme for this year's gala. The performing arts hall has even donated "Wicked" tickets to the fundraiser.

"We've come along way," says Mr. Griffith. "But we still have a lot of work to do. It's time to step up and finish the restoration."