Enjoy the Arts by Claudia Polzin, Independent Consultant

April marks the official end of season in Southwest Florida–don’t get me wrong we love our seasonal visitors–
but sometimes do admit to being frustrated with the crowded roads and inability to get reservations in our favorite restaurants. April also marks the end to several entertainment options in our area –one of those being the concerts downtown Naples primarily held in Cambier Park.

So, if you enjoy these concerts mark your calendars now to enjoy these last concerts of the season:

April 5 at 2 p.m. – Naples Jazz society – one exception to Cambier Park – this concert is held in River Park.
April 6 at 2 p.m. – Naples Big Band
April 13 at 2 p.m. – Gulf Coast Big Band
April 19 at 7 p.m. – Naples Concert Band

Adjacent to Cambier Park is the Norris Center – which is home to several single acts, one act plays and much more. The opening play for April perhaps has a lot of relevance for many in our part of Florida – Assisted Living, the Musical. Everyone knows an eccentric or two –and this musical displays these eccentrics in sketch and song. But, be prepared, there are no sad songs, no Depends jokes and no F-bombs. This show is truly for everyone who hopes to grow old with laughter and joy.

April 12 at 7 p.m. you can enjoy Venturio’s Comedy Night. The last play in April will be featured on April 24 and 25 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 2 p.m. – Good Jew. It is the story of Henryk–who escaped the Treblinka death camps twice, joined the resistance, navigated the ghettos of Warsaw, and made his way through Germany onto Norway and eventually settled in the US with guts, ingenuity and a lot of luck. But Henryk does not see himself as a Good Jew because no one survives by being good.

Staying in downtown Naples at the Sugden Theatre, The Naples Players will continue with their production of the Man of La Mancha through April 13. Enjoy this play if you haven’t already – remember fondly, probably the most famous song from this musical, “Dream the Impossible Dream.”

A piece of 20th century history will be featured in the Price Studio Theatre at The Naples Players – from April 2-27 –they will present The Half-Life of Marie Curie. In 1911 Curie won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her discovery of the elements of radium and polonium. But in 1912 ruthless gossip over an alleged affair with a married Frenchman all but erased her achievements from public memory. Weakened and demoralized by the press, Curie joins her friend and colleague Hertha Ayrton, an electromechanical engineer and suffragette. The play revels in the power of female friendship as it explores the relationship between these two brilliant women. This play also reminds us of how vicious gossip can destroy people.

A gem on Park Street – the Naples Art Institute has been reinvented in recent years and through April 13 will be featuring Art in Balance – Matisse and His Illustrated Works. 140 works are on display that reveal his genius as a printmaker. The exhibit highlights Matisse’s mastery in balancing intense colors with bold black contrasts.

Claudia Polzin

To our seasonal visitors –enjoy April in Naples and take fond memories home with you. For those of us that live year all year–remember to support the organizations that make Naples a wonderful piece of sunshine and beauty.

Enjoy live bands, live theatre and the greatest of all art forms-opera!