Claudia Polzin is In the Know about January and the Arts

This past season has been unique with a major hurricane that has changed many people’s lives forever; delayed people’s return to their beloved Naples; and altered some of the events and occasions in Southwest Florida. As January arrives many people are just now returning after getting their homes repaired or having to find a new place to live here in what we still refer to as Paradise.

Some of our event locations suffered significant damage and their schedules have had to be changed or in some cases totally cancelled. But there are still many events and entertainment options for you to enjoy.

On January 11, the Naples Players will open The Game’s Afoot – this is a breathtaking mystery with high hilarity. The story is a Broadway star, William Gillette, invites his fellow cast members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. But it turns dangerous when one of the guests is stabbed to death. Enjoy this performance for the balance of the month of January and support your local community theatre.

Continue to enjoy your local theatre companies with TheatreZone’s production of A Little Night Music which opens on January 12. Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical is a romantic farce about the lives of upper middle class couples in early 20th century Sweden. An evening of sexual musical chairs on the longest night of the year – has many unexpected turns. The couples, mismatched from the start, end up with more desirable partners before the final curtain. The score features Sondheim’s best-known song “Send in the Clowns”. This musical won the Tony award for Best Musical when it premiered in 1973.

Cambier Park in Naples is the home to many events – concerts, art festivals and the 17th Annual Empty Bowls event. This is an international grassroots effort to raise both money and awareness in the fight to end hunger. The premise is simple: potters, educators and students work in the community to create handcrafted bowls; local restaurants donate soup and guests enjoy a wonderful meal.
The event benefits organizations that provide food to those in need and grants are made to organizations that are fighting hunger in our community. The event will be held January 21 in Cambier Park.

As noted Cambier Park is also the home for many of our local bands – the dates for January, 2023 are:

January 8 The Naples Big Band 2 p.m.
January 15 Naples Concert Band 2 p.m.
January 22 Gulf Coast Big Band 2 p.m.
January 23 Stardust Memories 7 p.m.
January 29 Dixieland Jazz Band 2 p.m.

On January 26 choose to go to the Daniels Pavilion at Artis—Naples for Gulfshore Opera’s production of Mostly Mozart. Mozart’s vocal compositions are admired for melodic beauty, formal elegance and richness of harmony. He greatly influenced the course of opera. Some of his most beloved operas are: Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute – these are still on the top list of most requested by opera lovers around the world. This concert features a variety of scenes and arias by Mozart plus Italian masters –Rossini and Donizetti.

You can end the month on January 29 at Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church at 4pm with an organ concert by Johann Vexo. He is a French organist born in 1978; and currently the organist at both the choir organ at Notre Dame de Paris and the great organ of the Nancy Cathedral. While having this full time position he is also the Professor of Organ at the Conservatory and at the Superior Music Academy in Strasbourg. He has performed extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and
Russia. He will be featured on the Lively-Fulcher pipe organ.

Enjoy the month of January in Naples with the variety of events to participate in and support local companies and organizations.