Official uVu Blog

Check, Please! South Florida Season 2 - Sneak Peek

Get ready for the second season of Check, Please! South Florida. In this episode find out what South Floridians had to say about...El Toro Taco in Homestead, Rustic Inn Crabhouse in Ft. Lauderdale, and Berries in Coconut Grove. Watch it here on uVu

Culinary Conversation at the Biltmore

The Biltmore Culinary Academy in partnership with The Food Network South Wine & Food Festival hosted a panel discussion on Friday, February 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The discussion titled “The Relationship between Spanish Chefs and Scientists” included panel members Daniel Garcia, the first chef to incorporate liquid nitrogen into cooking in Spain, Katsuya Fukushima, Culinary Director of ThinkFoodGroup and Ruben Garcia, Director of Research & Development of ThinkFoodGroup.

Author of the seminal On Food & Cooking, Harold McGee, offered scientific perspective for the panel and Josh Ozersky, Restaurants Editor for Citysearch, will the moderator.

Following the Culinary Converation, guests joined authors Harold McGee, Josh Ozersky and Lourdes Castro at the Biltmore Culinary Academy for a book signing and a glass of Cava.

VACC Camp

For more than 20 years, Dr. Moises Simpser, staff from Miami Children’s Hospital and volunteers has helped at a free week-long overnight camp for ventilation assisted children and their families. Dr. Simpser and others discuss how the camp has changed their own lives and the lives of these children.
watch the video on uVu

FAU Accepting Applications for the Michael and Madelyn Savarick Music Competition

The department of music in Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters is now accepting applications for the 2009 Michael and Madelyn Savarick Annual Music Competition. This annual competition is open to any resident of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach or Martin County that is between the ages of 13 and 18. The competition is divided into several categories. There is one category for classical music composition and four categories for classical music performance, including piano, voice, strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass or classical guitar), and winds/percussion (woodwinds, brass and concert percussion).  Prizes are awarded in each category for 13-15 year-olds and for 16-18 year-olds. Total prizes awarded may exceed $12,000.

Musicians must send in a recording (CD preferred, cassette tape acceptable) with his/her own performances of two selections of classical music. All recordings and applications must be postmarked by midnight, April 5. Applicants will be notified of results of the preliminary round of judging by April 22, and the final competition will be held on Saturday, May 16 in the University Theatre on the Boca Raton campus of FAU. Beyond the monetary prizes, winners may be invited to perform on WXEL radio, as a soloist with the FAU Symphony Orchestra, or at other FAU organized events.

This competition is made possible by the generous support of Madelyn Savarick. Further information and applications can be obtained by calling FAU’s music department at 561-297-3820.

Join us at the Wolfsonian

Friday, February 27, 7:00 p.m.

WONDERS ARE MANY: THE MAKING OF DR. ATOMIC – Telling the story of the creation of a grand opera about the birth of the atomic bomb, this behind-the-scenes documentary follows Composer John Adams and Director Peter Sellars over the course of a year as they work to forge the tale of J. Robert Oppenheimer into a music drama like no other: the strange and beautiful Doctor Atomic. Co-presented by Florida Grand Opera.

Thursday, March 5, 7:00 p.m.
CINEMA’S EXILE: FROM HITLER TO HOLLYWOOD – When Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, one of his earliest actions was to ban Jews from working in that country's storied film industry, widely regarded at that time as the most creative in the world. This film traces the experiences of the exiles who fled their homeland and came to Hollywood as it also examines their impact on both German and American cinema.

All Cinema 2 at the Wolf films are FREE and open to the public.

Location: The Wolfsonian
Florida International University
1001 Washington Avenue
South Beach
(305)535-2644

Issues: City of Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff

Commissioner Marc Sarnoff joins us on the program to discuss his pivotal vote that placed the Florida Marlins baseball stadium on hold and what concessions he feels should be addressed before he can support the project.

Watch it here on uVu.

Dangerous at the Caldwell Theatre

Rare is the opportunity to see a world premiere of new play, but the Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton has had more than their share of these in the last few seasons.  the latest, by Miami native Michael McKeever is called Dangerous and opens this week.

From the Caldwell web site comes this description:

"...come and explore the deliciously decadent underworld of 1930’s Weimar Germany in the World Premiere of Michael McKeever’s Dangerous. First read at Caldwell’s innovative and popular 2008 Play Reading Series where it received audience rave reviews, Dangerous is “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” deconstructed. McKeever has taken the classic tale of lust and betrayal and recreated it in Germany just as the Nazis begin the their tragic rise to power."

uVu had a chance to sit with some of the cast as well as the director and Mr. McKeever himself, in advance of the official opening, see what they have to say in these clips on uVu.

Get In The Mix

Students from the Dance Division of the New World School of the Arts held their annual fashion show, this year a celebration of the 1940's and 1950's lifestyles, dance crazes and design.  The afternoon was narrated by Richard Roffman, host of The Rich Roffman Show on 880 AM.

As with the last few years, the entire presentation was directed and choreographed by Cynthia DuFault, whose energy level may have even exceeded those of the students, many of whom were involved in this production for the first  time.

From '40s Big Band sounds to '50's Rock and Roll, the program had a little bit of everything.  Dean of Dance, Daniel Lewis, complete in fedora, presided over the entire afternoon.

You can watch the full runway show on uVu and come back soon for a look behind the scenes.

Banyon Elementary School Drumline

Local Filmmaker, Cyndi Lenz  (and regular uVu contributor) captures a short performance of The Banyon Elementary School Drumline at the Garlic Fest in Delray last weekend. This drumline is the only elementary school drumline in Florida. Music Director, Drummer, David Wolfe Music Teacher: Judy McMahon.
Watch it here.

Free Screening of The National Parks - Meet Ken Burns Live!

WPBT 2 presents a free screening of 

The National Parks: America's Best Idea
A Film by Ken Burns
Tuesday, May 5th at 6:30 p.m.
University of Miami
Gusman Concert Hall
Meet filmmaker Ken Burns!

Tickets are free, but you need to register online to receive them

Visit here for details and registration.