"Fiddler" making news already

The Henegar's upcoming production of "Fiddler on the Roof" will star professional actor Bruce Goldman in the role of Tevye. Goldman's agent contacted director Joan Taddie with information that Goldman was looking to sharpen his chops in the role before he tours in it.

Along with Goldman comes his touring set, costumes and props.

Good heavens, what a bonanza for the Henegar.

"Fiddler" runs March 9 to April 1 at the Henegar. If you want to contact the Henegar now, call 321-723-8698 or visit www.henegar.org.

Artist Ruth Bennett passes away

I just received a call from Ruth Bennett's daughter, Kaaren Finnieston. She told me the news that her mother had passed away. She lived to the age of 93.

I interviewed Ruth a while ago. The purpose was to tell the story of a woman who was discovering a deep artistic current in her propelled by, believe it or not, her macular degeneration. Ruth was legally blind and could see only by "looking" at her art with her peripheral vision.

She was amazing to watch. Fearless and determined, she attacked canvases with uninhibited use of color and line. Her artwork is beautiful. Filled with a resonating aesthetic of mass, movement and color.

Kaaren said it was only within the last year that her sight became worse.

Ruth Bennett was a great voice in our artistic community. We mourn her passing, but celebrate her long life and take comfort in her art which lives on.

Groucho's Comedy goes to Heidi's Jazz Club

Heidi Deleuil has announced that Larry Silver, owner of Groucho's Comedy, will be presenting his comedy acts at Heidi's Jazz Club in Cocoa Beach.

This is terrific news. I love Heidi's Jazz Club. The ambience, music, food and bar are tops. This will be a great locale for comedy as well. Heidi typically attracts some big jazz names. Now, perhaps, big comedy names will appear as well. Musicians and stand up comics really do like an intimate venue to try out their stuff, and Heidi's Jazz club is ideal.

They'll run every second and fourth Wednesday, beginning 8:30 p.m. TONIGHT.

SIDE O' GRITS: Groucho's Comedy at Heidi's Jazz club, 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, $10. Heidi's Jazz club is at 7 North Orlando Ave., Cocoa Beach. Call 321-783-4559 or visit www.heidisjazzclub.com.

Rockledge author releases "Funnel Vision"

Chris Kridler, a former staff writer at FLORIDA TODAY, today released her first novel, "Funnel Vision."

The book details the clash of two personalities -- Jack and Judy -- who meet in Tornado Alley. The writing exquisitely describes the romance of the chase, both personal and weather-related.

It is available on Amazon.com for Kindle at $2.99 and $14.95 paperback.

She will also be at this weekend's Space Coast Writers Guild Conference to speak about how an author can marketing his/her book.

"Arbitrage" at Enzian

Sundance Film Festival has chosen the Enzian to be one of nine movie theaters nationwide to screen "Arbitrage," starring Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth and Brit Marling.

The Enzian is the only Florida theater to screen the film.

Marling will introduce the film and conduct a Q and A. The story concerns a billionaire hedge fun magnate.

The screening begins 6:30 p.m. Thursday and costs $15. Wait. before you peel off those greenbacks, you need to know that the screening is sold out. However, organizers think there some tickets may become available 5 p.m. the day of the event.

Photo courtesy of Sundance.
The Enzian is at 1300 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland. Call 407-629-0054 or visit www.enzian.org.

"Fiddler" auditions

Director Joan Taddie shot me an email this afternoon with a plea that we get this info out there ASAP:

Auditions for "Fiddler on the Roof" begin 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 23 and 24, at the Henegar Center for the Arts. She needs a large cast, ages 12 years and older. The show is scheduled to run March 9 to April 1.

It will be choreographed by Debbie Crisafulli and vocal directed by Daniel Klintworth. The Henegar is at 625 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne. Call 321-723-8698 or visit www.henegar.org.

Foosaner lecture on Jan. 26

While there are plenty of reasons to rush to the Foosaner Art Museum today (free admission Thursdays) to see "Fear and Folly: The Visionary Prints of Francisco Goya and Federico Castellon," but the lecture by a Florida Tech scholar should not be a reason to go today. Save that for Jan. 26.

In today's "Today in Brevard: Entertainment" television broadcast (and later on floridatoday.com) I stated that the lecture is Jan. 26, but ended the segment saying the lecture was 5:30.

Well, yeah...that is correct, but confusing. It does begin 5:30 p.m. but that's on Jan. 26.

Here's the skinny: Dr. John Christopher Frongillo, an expert in early modern English drama, especially Shakespeare and Marlow, will speak about the social and cultural contexts during which time the Poe-inspired Castellon lithographs were published.

Photo is of Francisco Goya's "A Way to Fly," ca. 1812-1820, etching and aquatint. Collection of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Director's Fund Purchase.

SIDE O' GRITS: "Fear and Folly: The Visionary Prints of Francisco Goya and Federico Castellon" exhibition runs through March 18 at the Foosaner Art Museum, 1463 Highland Ave., Melbourne. $5 general, $2 seniors, children and students. Free on Thursdays. Free every day for museum members, Florida Tech faculty, staff and students. Dr. Frongillo's lecture, "Text & Image: Castellon's Fantastic Vision of Poe's Masque of the Red Death," begins 5:30 p.m. Jan. 26 in the museum's Harris Auditorium. Call 321-242-0737 or visit www.foosanerartmuseum.org.