But for year-rounders and part-timers alike, there's something about the magical date of Nov. 1 that marks it as the beginning of the real season-the time when you'd better be sure you've ordered your tickets, had your best evening togs dry cleaned, and inscribed all the important show dates on your day planner or Palm Pilot. This year, the United Arts Council is emphasizing that timing by naming November "Celebrate the Arts" month in Collier County.

Every year, there's more to celebrate in Southwest Florida's arts and entertainment scene, with more shows, exhibitions and special events for audiences-and artists-to enjoy. Take a look at the highlights we've singled out, and stay tuned month by month with our Along the Gulfshore calendar listings.

November

A number of cultural organizations mark anniversaries this season. One of the biggest is the Philharmonic Center, celebrating its 15th on Nov. 8 with a reception and conductor Doc Severinsen leading the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. The music will range from Puccini to polka, and Severinsen will shine on some trumpet solos too. Also this month at the Phil, the Miami City Ballet returns with the George Balanchine version of the holiday classic The Nutcracker, Nov. 29 and 30. Next door at the Naples Museum of Art, one of the young museum's most exciting exhibitions to date offers a retrospective of the work of modernist giant Hans Hofmann, Nov. 1-March 21. Read more about this landmark show on page TK.

This is also the month for young art lovers to celebrate, with a brand-new group that will mix social and art-related activities. The Contemporaries have been founded for the "young at art" (maybe 25-50, say), and you don't have to be rich to belong. You do, however, have to join the von Liebig Art Center at some membership level; and then you can enjoy the benefits of special tours, talks and get-togethers. The first of these takes place Nov. 14 at the home of art collectors Fran and John Fenning in Fort Myers; for more info, call 262-6517.

The Southwest Florida Symphony kicks off its season with Shakespeare in Song, a full-bodied presentation that brings together the symphony's orchestra, chorus, children's chorus, youth orchestra and chamber groups in a tribute to the Bard. Husband and wife Douglas Renfroe and Lorraine Murphy-Renfroe will team on songs from Kiss Me, Kate. Excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet and jazz pianist George Shearing's Shakespeare Sonnets are also on the bill. That's Nov. 1 at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.

Have you reserved your "isle seat" for the sixth annual Marco Island Film Festival? Steadily moving up the ranks in the film-fest world, the Marco event promises screenings of new indie films, celebrity parties, and, of course, movies on the beach, Nov. 5-9. Where else but in Southwest Florida?

December

A world premiere at the Phil is big news locally this month. Miami City Ballet artistic director Edward Villella and co-choreographer Frank Regan present a new dance, Gismonti Brazil, set to music by Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti, on Dec. 9. Gismonti typically mixes both classic and contemporary sounds with a special Brazilian flair; that should warm up the hall. Also at the Phil: the touring production of Broadway's Seussical, the Musical, the family show based on the work, of course, of Dr. Seuss. The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant and other Seuss characters take to the stage Dec. 26, 27 and 28.

A more tempestuous Broadway hit comes to the Barbara B. Mann, Dec. 2-7, with Miss Saigon. This show about the love between a GI and a Vietnamese woman has been at the Mann before, but this production offers a new interpretation that emphasizes the human story over the admittedly impressive spectacle.

The Naples Press Club presents its second annual Authors and Books Festival Dec. 6 and 7 at the Collier County Professional Development Center. Among the authors to meet are exposé master Leslie Waller (who really killed Princess Diana?), Florida mystery writers James W. Hall and Tim Dorsey, and Pine Island's very own Randy Wayne White, who will premiere his film on Cuban baseball at the Sugden Theater. A writers' conference portion of the event helps wannabes learn about agents, self-publishing and the freelance market.

January

"Everything today is thoroughly modern"...ring any bells? If you have fond memories of the film version of this comedy about a small-town girl turned flapper, in which Carol Channing and Mary Tyler Moore co-starred, head for the Phil this month to see the first national tour of the six-time Tony Award-winning version, Jan. 27-Feb. 1. Lots of Jazz Age razzle-dazzle. Another "modern" meaning is examined with Yasmine Reza's hit play Art, which is turning up everywhere these days, including at the Sugden in a Naples Players production Jan. 14-Feb. 7. It's about the strain that burdens the friendship of three men when one of them buys an all-white painting. Is it really art?

The art of the portrait photographer shines in Ruth Harriet Louise and Glamour Photography, an exhibition on view Jan. 30-April 1 in the Phil Galleries. Louise joined MGM in the 1920s as Hollywood's only female portrait photographer, which may have given her insight into shooting Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer. Those famous faces and more fill this show; we've seen the accompanying book, and it's a beauty. Too bad Louise isn't around these days to photograph the incredibly glamorous Dame Edna (aka Barry Humphries). The outrageous Edna certainly has her own sense of style, along with a wicked wit; he/she will perform Jan. 27-Feb. 1 at the Barbara B. Mann.

Art of a more down-to-earth style is featured in American Folk Art: From Outside the Mainstream, which opens at the von Liebig Art Center Jan. 31 and runs through March 13. Works by the late Howard Finster, Minnie Evans, Purvis Young and other artists working far from the art world's centers are included.

If you're used to only seeing an Arthur Miller play whenever Death of a Salesman is revived, you should stop by Florida Repertory Theatre Jan. 9-Feb. 1, when the playwright's earlier All My Sons is onstage. This drama about defective airplane parts that end up costing soldiers' lives and the impact it has on one family is still devastating. By the way, it also appears on the Sugden's stage April 14-May 8, in case you miss it this month. And Theatre Conspiracy at the Foulds Theater in Fort Myers presents a Florida premiere this month. Walking on Turtle Island, by storyteller Robert Greygrass, is a one-man show featuring 21 characters. Based on tales of his Lakota heritage, it features a spirit narrator, powwow songs, jokes and history, and it will be performed in the round.

February

This is a month with lots of art on view, and it's wide-ranging. We're intrigued by two shows at the Naples Museum. The first is Clement Greenberg: A Critic's Collection, a peek into what this famed and controversial critic, who championed so many abstract expressionist artists of the mid-20th century (de Kooning, Pollock, David Smith), had in his own collection. Works by Larry Poons, Jules Olitski and, yes, Jackson Pollock are included. That's on view Feb. 14-May 9.

The second show, Agnes Denes: Portraits for Public Spaces, offers a rare chance to see work by an artist famed as an originator of conceptual art and a pioneer of environmental pieces that are often monumental in size. We won't see a full-scale installation here, but there will be images of her realized projects in the U.S. and abroad as well as drawings, models and maquettes. On view Feb. 14-May 2.

There's plenty more art on view at the Naples National Art Festival, which celebrates its 25th anniversary Feb. 21 and 22 in Cambier Park. Artists working in a variety of media from all over the country participate. Proceeds benefit programs at the von Liebig (which, by the way, notes its fifth anniversary; the Naples Art Association which calls it home is observing 50 years in the nonprofit arts world).

Opera star Renee Fleming makes her Southwest Florida debut Feb. 8 at the Phil, and if you're lucky enough to snag a ticket you can revel in a voice that's been called both "ravishing" and "sumptuous" by the critics. Those in the mood to revive some quintessential '60s memories should show up for The Graduate, Feb. 10-15 at the Barbara B. Mann. The show has garnered mixed reviews in London and New York, but there's something irresistible about seeing Benjamin, Elaine and Mrs. Robinson (played here by The Sopranos' Lorraine Bracco) again. And there's definitely something nostalgic about Say Goodnight Gracie, the hit Broadway show that brings us Frank Gorshin as beloved comedian George Burns, Feb. 14 and 15 at the Phil. It's not just a comedy, though; it's also a love story, written by Tony winner Rupert Holmes.

March

The Sanibel Music Festival has made a name for itself with its high-quality chamber concerts performed in the intimate Sanibel Congregational Church. This month's fest, with concerts March 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23 and 27, brings us the Jerusalem String Quartet (unable to come last year because of visa snafus), fest favorite pianist Jon Nakamatsu, fellow pianists Christopher Taylor and Bryan Wallick, the Ying Quartet, The Artis String Quartet and the Julliard Vocal Ensemble to the island. Naples Dinner Theatre proves we Americans don't really hate the French when it revives Gigi, the "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" musical, March 1-April 10. NDT's Barry Marcus will take on the Maurice Chevalier role, with Joe Spieldenner (who grew up in Southwest Florida and recently played the national tour of South Pacific) as Gaston, and young Kit Paquin as Gigi.

Drama lovers who like their stories ripped from the headlines will flock to The Exonerated when it shows up at the Phil, March 26-28. This play was written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, who traveled the country interviewing survivors of death row who turned out to be innocent; in productions elsewhere it's starred such high flyers as Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss and Mia Farrow. No word at press time on who'll turn up at the Phil.

We do know who's starring in Florida Rep's offering this month, David Hare's Amy's View. TV and stage actress Carol Lawrence, who's become a friend of the theater company, stars as actress Esme Allen in this comedy/drama about a grande dame of the British stage who's facing trying times. It's onstage March 19-April 11.

Stars of the contemporary art world are the focus when the von Liebig hosts Selections from the Rubell Family Collection of Contemporary Art. Artists included in the Miami-based collection include Clemente, Haring, Basquiat, Fischl and Koons; the collection has been referred to as Miami's "best-kept secret," and our chance to get in on it will be March 27-May 8.

And finally this month, mark March 13 for the Lee County Reading Festival, which will welcome a number of authors, many from Florida. At press time, children's authors Jack Prelutsky and Dan Yaccarino and Henry Ford biographer Douglas Brinkley were among the names scheduled.

April

Florida Rep's producing artistic director, Robert Cacioppo, has been hard at work writing a musical revue based on the songs of the late, great Johnny Mercer ("Moon River," "Skylark," "That Old Black Magic"). He'll put it on its legs, as theater folk say, with a premiere production April 23-May 16; the title of the show is Too Marvelous for Words, and the Rep hopes it has the success of an earlier revue of theirs, Fascinatin' Gershwin.

Mamma Mia! That's the long-running Broadway hit based on the songs of Abba, and it comes to the Barbara B. Mann stage April 20-25. Critics may have thought the storyline was slight in this piece about a mother and her soon-to-be-wed daughter, but fans of songwriters Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus won't care much about that, since they'll all be swaying in the aisles to Dancing Queen and Money, Money, Money.

On a more serious note, the Southwest Florida Symphony and its 100-voice chorus fill the Barbara B. Mann April 30 and May1 with Brahms' German Requiem Then the symphony welcomes the "Singing Policeman," Daniel Rodriguez, who's developed a following after his performances in New York of The Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless America following the 9-11 attacks. The Brooklyn-born tenor comes to the Mann April 16 and 17.

Two more offerings this month: the Naples Museum show Changing Hands-Art without Reservation: Contemporary Native American Art from the Southwest, organized by New York's American Crafts Museum, which displays cutting-edge works in clay, glass, fiber, jewelry, metal, wood and mixed media, April 8-July 31; and the fourth annual Fort Myers Beach Film Festival, set for April 28-May 2, which welcomes new indie filmmakers and offers more free screenings on the beach.

Go for Baroque

Thanks to the Bach Ensemble and its founder and president, Vic Silvestri, this season Southwest Florida audiences will be able to enjoy the baroque stylings of Handel, Vivaldi and Johan Sebastian himself. Silvestri began the vocal group last year as a tribute to his son Marc's godparents, who loved adventure-they joined the Peace Corps in their 50s-and classical music. After a solid first season, the group is now under the artistic direction of Ronald Doiron, music director at St. William Church. The ensemble performs four concerts, including a holiday concert in late November as part of the United Arts Council's Celebration of the Arts month. A retired professor of communication studies, Silvestri began taking voice lessons in Boston "at the age of 58" and developed his singing voice as a labor of love. Although the group's almost 40 members are all accomplished vocalists, singing baroque is new to most. Last year, Silvestri says, "We spent a fair amount of time learning to sing the long lines." This year, under Doiron's guidance, he expects more progress. "As singers of this kind of music, we're in a constant mode of discovery," he says.

Live from Fort Myers

The Florida Repertory Theatre is famous for dramatic energy, and its new associate director, Bari Newport, should help keep the voltage high this season. A one-woman dynamo, Newport directs-including Steve Martin's Underpants last month-acts, casts plays and heads up the theater's children's program. She'll also oversee the Congress Jewelers Play Reading Festival to showcase new work. Still in her 20s, she's had a long career, which began when she saw a Manhattan production of Annie and pestered her parents to let her audition. Driven by "wanting to change things and create things and lead things," she began producing and directing as a teen-ager, winning awards and recognition. Newport, who has a master's degree from the University of Iowa, worked in Los Angeles before moving to Fort Myers. She says that adopting a toy poodle, Zippers, alleviated some of the culture shock, and she's flourishing here. She recently appeared in the cast of Veronica's Room, and says that reminded her of what theater is about: "It's the rush you get-those couple of moments onstage when you lose yourself."

Dancing Queen

After a dose of international acclaim last year, Melinda Roy plans to spend this season in the studio with her students at the Fort Myers dance school she co-founded, Gulfshore Ballet. "I'm putting my Miss Melinda hat back on," she says. Last year was a whirl of excitement for the Sanibel resident. After being nominated for a Tony for her choreography for the Broadway musical Urban Cowboy, she was asked to choreograph a musical that Tommy Tune created for a Holland America cruise. Still, she says, "I really missed my students." Her school, which has just under 100 students, has an impressive staff of classically trained dancers. "This year I'd like to diversify a bit and bring in some other forms of dance," Roy says. Thanks to her experiences on Broadway and as the principal dancer for the New York City Ballet, she can call on some big names for teaching visits and guest appearances at the school's annual fund-raising gala in March-including, perhaps, friend Joey Pizzi, associate choreographer for Best Picture winner Chicago. Although Roy continues to attract buzz and big-league offers of work, she says, "I hope to be here for a good long stretch."

Feasting on Film

Film lovers can look forward to seeing more than the usual Hollywood blockbusters this season, thanks to the SW Florida Film Society and its president, Jane Dunn. After Dunn moved to Florida from the Twin Cities, she discovered other cinema buffs accustomed to independent and foreign films. The group is leasing screen space from the Pavilion Cinema 10 in north Naples and plans to eventually construct its own facility. For Dunn, the appeal of independent cinema lies in "some indefinable quality that makes you think about that film a long time after you see it." A passionate supporter of the arts, Dunn was a co-chair for Gators Galore and the Wet Paint Auction. At its launch last season, the society partnered with the Marco Island Film Festival to show several Chinese-language to sellout crowds. "We were astounded," Dunn says. "That's the sort of appetite for film we believe is here."