Rockin the Ritz for Wine Women and Shoes, part 2
I had a dream that I was legendary rocker Joan Jett. With my red Fender guitar slung over my shoulder, the lights came up and I made my way to the microphone stand waiting center stage of the ballroom of The Ritz Carlton Sarasota. As I belted out a couple of iconic tunes, I strutted down the runway at the Wine Women and Shoes alongside gorgeous models clad in equally gorgeous rock and roll clothes. I was not alone! There were performances by Janis Joplin, and Slash and Axel Rose (of Guns and Roses). Even the King himself, Elvis, was in the building! It all culminated with Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys joining a fly dance troupe on stage! The crowd was on their feet screaming, taking videos and singing along!
Ah, but this was no dream! This was the epic Wine Women and Shoes Rock and Roll themed event benefitting the Forty Carrots Family Center and it all really did happen!
Guests arrived early, dressed to the nines, ready for a good time! They mingled, sipped champagne and shopped at the many vendors that line the hallways and the outside who came from near and far. Then they made their way into the ballroom. As they enjoyed lunch and the program, backstage was a buzz. As we dressed and checked our makeup for the umpteenth time, we took last minute selfies and sips of water. We could see what was happening on stage on the backstage monitor. We started lining up and were ready to rock the crowd. This was it.
The lights went down as Sarasota’s own Twinkle made her way up the stairs and on to the stage to open the show. Paying homage to Janis Joplin, she was joined by her brother and Rock Soul Radio bandmate, Tony LeClerc. They sang a unique acapella performance of Bobby McGee before Twinkle sang Cry Baby. She was followed by multi-talented brothers Jesse and Tyler of their namesake band “The Fulcos” who slayed it as Slash and Axel Rose. Then it was my turn and let’s just say I hope I did Joan justice. I made my way off stage as the international touring Elvis impersonator, Ted Torres Martin, took the stage and swooned the crowd with his smooth as silk dead-ringer vocals in that iconic white jumpsuit!
The “Solemen”, who are always an integral part of the event, didn’t disappoint as they served up a killer dance routine that had everyone dancing! Side note: they rehearsed months in advance under the guidance of choreographers Stacey Marks and Tony Pinho of Flydance Fitness. This year, they were joined by the very charming Howie Dorough of THE Backstreet Boys. Their routine was nothing short of amazing. They even graced us with an encore performance at the after party!!
It takes a village to produce a show of this magnitude. The Wine Women and Shoes show is a year in the making from planning to execution. Besides the volunteers who give countless hours of their time, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that the show couldn’t go on without the generous support of the sponsors. Forty Carrots Family Center’s CEO Michele Kapreilian is the force behind the entire operation with a team of incredibly dedicated professionals who give everything they can of themselves all year. What they do for the community is why I am so happy to volunteer my time year after year.
Wine Women and Shoes event coordinator Minta Moncrief Getzen and event Co-Chairs Allison Imre Perkowski and Renee Phinney took great pains working with their team in order to see to every detail – from the printing of the programs, to the menu selection, the wine, the décor, the auction items, the vendors, the press, the photographers and videographers, the guest speakers, assembling the volunteers, to the afterparty complete with a rockin’ DJ of SRQ Beats! It is an overwhelming to-do list to say the least. I apologize for I know I’m leaving out so many details. My point is that an undertaking of this caliber can be daunting. But not for these women! I am in awe of each one of them!!
A little behind the scenes scoop that I’d like to share about the actual production.
By the time I got the call to perform as the iconic Joan Jett, Stella Runway Models owner Natalie Hayden Nelson, along with the show’s co producer, Joni Bergs, were already hard at work. Both women have a plethora of knowledge in the fashion industry and have produced this event in prior years! Fun fact: I was given the choice to lip sync which I declined. I wanted to be as authentic as I could. Sound is one of the most important aspects of any show, especially a rock and roll show. A concert quality massive sound system was brought in and set up with sound engineers at the control board who ensure the “house sound” is perfect. They make sure that singers like me get what we need in our monitors and microphones. I’ll tell you that they were great to work with! I would like to take a moment to thank my own soundman extraordinaire, my Art Nadelman for not only providing backing tracks, but helping during rehearsal with my personal monitor set up!
Every aspect of the show’s production must have a natural flow and be as spot on as possible. Anything can happen during a live show. It is crucial that everything must be perfectly timed so we can be as prepared as possible. Even the videos up on the big screens were put together months in advance so that they can be timed to the live performances as the models walk the runway.
When I arrived suitcase and guitar case in tow around 8:30 a.m. the day of the show, Natalie already had her stage manager headset on. She and Joni are literally everywhere all at once making sure everyone has everything they need from clothing and accessories to microphones and water. I can tell you that the fast pace behind the scenes is palpable and requires an almost superhuman energy. These women may not be on the stage, but they are true rockstars!!
Hair and makeup provided by the awesome professionals of Nuovo must be coordinated for each model as well. Another fun fact: I did my own makeup and my wig was tweaked by my personal hairdresser so we could achieve Joan’s iconic look. (No, I’m not cutting mine anytime soon). My clothes are my own so you can say this was a typical wardrobe day for me.
Everything is coordinated. This includes but is not limited to the talent, the models, the music and the fashion. The beautiful women’s clothes provided by Lotus and the equally rocking men’s clothes provided by Tweeds with to die for shoes and accessories provided by DIllards, were assigned to specific models. Everything is painstakingly hung up on racks, sorted and pressed. Volunteers take their places backstage to help dress the models. I can tell you from my own experience as a volunteer that once in motion, things move very, very quickly.
Once the crowd is seated, the program begins and the event takes on a life of its own.
Adrenaline takes over and then – it’s showtime. For me it was surreal and over way too fast!
We all high fived and hugged and posed for pictures before we packed up our stuff. Then there’s the task of putting everything away and breaking down the set. But not before I dance at the afterparty!!
I have enjoyed volunteering in many capacities over the years but no doubt this year will always be special. Everyone was simply a joy to work with, especially Natalie and Joni who are consummate professionals leaving behind no detail. The models were stunning and lovely and I had an absolute blast being on stage with them! My fellow musicians all gave stellar performances and I think it’s safe to say we rocked the Ritz. It was an honor to be included in the show.
After all I am an entertainer and I love rock and roll.
Photos from Peter Acker Photography