What: "Red Hot and Cole," a musical revue of the music of Cole Porter
When: 7:30 p.m. today through Nov.
5. Other show times are 8 p.m.
Tuesday-Saturday, with 2 p.m. matinees on Oct.
29, Nov. 4 and Nov. 5
Where: The Players Theater, 838 N.
Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Tickets: $23 adults, $12 students.
The sassy, sophisticated songs by Cole Porter are front and center in "Red Hot and Cole," opening tonight at The Players Theatre in Sarasota.
The musical revue includes much of Porter's work, using it as an invitation to glimpse important moments in the artist's life.
"It's really all about the music," said Jorge Acosta, who directs the show. "The point of it is, 'When do we get to the next song?' "
The show's setting is a glittering New York cocktail party hosted by Elsa Maxwell where Porter and his friends - Noel Coward, jazz singer Bricktop, Ethel Merman and others - recall their memories of earlier days in New York, Paris and Venice.
"Everybody is dressed very formally, in tuxes and beautiful gowns," Acosta said. "It is a throwback to the '30s and '40s movies. The set is gold and black marble, in an Art Deco look.
We get a glimpse of the world they lived in. It is great, entertaining fun, and a funny evening."
Acosta, who is unabashedly enamoured of Porter's work, added his favorite Porter song to the show, which already included 33 titles.
" 'Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye' is not in the show originally," he said. "I added it. It is an amazing song.
"
Acosta had previously performed "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" in four-part harmony in a variety show about 15 years ago.
"It is a stunning piece of music, so when I noticed this discrepancy - that the song wasn't in the show - I got the musical director a copy of it, and found a beautiful place (in the show) for it," Acosta said.
"Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" joins other Porter tunes: "Night And Day," "I Love Paris," "Anything Goes," "Let's Do It," "Just One Of Those Things," "In The Still Of The Night" and "My Heart Belongs To Daddy.
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"You have heard these songs, but you never know who wrote them," Acosta said. "There are just so many of them."
The instrumentation for "Red Hot and Cole" is a single piano.
Acosta, who is also artistic director for the Galaxy Center for the Arts in St. Petersburg, tells his young students his definition of a great song.
"When you take the song away from the orchestra, and give it to a piano and a singer, if it still tells a story, that is a good song," he said.
Cole Porter's songs are featured in countless movies and record albums. A song title search on listed "Night and Day" as appearing on 5,197 CD albums.
"If you go to the movies, you hear this music," Acosta said.
"Cole Porter's music will never die," he said. "He is truly one of the great composers. In 100 years, they will talk about Stravinsky, Bernstein, Gershwin and Cole Porter.
We're going to be listening to these people for a very long time.
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