Gary gets ready to sing âBeauty School Dropout.â (Photo by Charmaine George)
When the musical âGreaseâ hit Broadway back in 1972, my best friendâs Dougâs dad, an investment banker, purchased 10% of the show and basically has been getting paid every time any of the songs from the smash hit show (and yes, even the 1979 movie with the same name, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John) are performed.
The good news, for a certain young wannabe performer, was that Dougâs family took me to see that show at least six, seven or ten times before the summer camp I attended in upstate New York put on âGreaseâ as our summer production in 1974.
And, even though I didnât get to star as Danny Zuko â the role created on Broadway by Barry Bostwick (later, the silver-haired mayor on the Michael J. Fox TV sitcom âSpin City) and reprised by Travolta in the film â despite being the only kid in camp who had memorized every word of every song, I did get to play both Teen Angel (played by Frankie Avalon in the movie) and Johnny Casino, with two solo songs (âBeauty School Dropoutâ and âBorn to Hand Jiveâ).
Therefore, when I heard that the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (the club Jannah and I belong to, which meets for lunch at noon every Wednesday at Omariâs Grille in the Lexington Oaks Golf Club) was going to put on a free, socially distanced âGrease is the Wordâ Singalong event (on Saturday, March 13, 4:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., at Land OâLakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land OâLakes Blvd.) â starring deputies from the Pasco County Sheriffâs Office against firefighters from the Pasco Fire Rescue department â I knew I had to get involved.
To kick off that involvement, I re-created my role as the Teen Angel (in full costume; photo) at a recent Wesley Chapel Rotary meeting, which was enough to get me an invitation to sing the song again at the âGreaseâ singalongâ event.
Iâm obviously pretty excited about the opportunity to be on hand as a part of my childhood is revisited once again, and I hope that at least some of you reading this also will attend â even though my Rotary Club is located in Wesley Chapel and the deputies and firefighters competing (for three prizes; Iâm pretty sure Iâm not eligible) are from Pasco County, because not only is âGreaseâ the word â itâs also a heckuva lot of fun!
And, speaking of fun, here are some fun trivia questions about one of my all-time favorite musicals:
1) How many Tony Awards did âGreaseâ win in 1972?
2) Who played Rizzo in the original Broadway cast and what TV show did she begin starring in 1972?
3) What hit song sung by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the âGreaseâ movie was not in the original Broadway show?
Answers:
1) Zero. The original show, which held the record for longest-running Broadway hit (later broken by âA Chorus Line,â was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, but did not take home any hardware.
2) Adrienne Barbeau, who played Maudeâs daughter Carol on âMaude.â
If you somehow havenât seen it as you crawl to or from I-75 on S.R. 56, or you havenât seen the ads (or my previous shorter writeups) in these pages, a favorite from Tampaâs Armature Works has opened in our area.
Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill opened towards the end of 2020, next to Crumbl Cookie, and has brought that great Tampa vibe along with it.
Gia, who spent several years at Sushi Alive in the Westshore Business District, followed by five years at Ocean Prime outside of the International Plaza, says that Zukku-San allows him to get even more into his unique combination of knowledge and love of the freshest sushi and the ability to create more upscale works of art that he learned at Ocean Prime.
In fact, âZukkuâ is a canvas commonly used by artists to create their masterpieces and âSanâ is a title of respect added to a name in Japanese. Amazing food is the art form and the chefs are the artists who use the finest ingredients to create these culinary masterpieces. In fact, there even are large and small sushi and sashimi palettes served on a custom artistâs palette. These folks are not playing around when it comes to food.
If you spend a few minutes with Ferdian and Chef Gia, you can tell just how excited they are about their latest venture together (they also have a Zukku Sushi location in Charlotte, NC) â and theyâre not the only ones.
Although fans of Zukku-San pack the place (but please note that there are few eateries better set up for social distancing) for dinner virtually every night, Gia and Ferdian only recently unveiled a new lunch menu, so the lunch crowd is just now building.
Jannah and I havenât always gotten a full meal when we visit Zukku-San because the starters are just so delicious.
But, every dine-in visitor to Zukku-San also receives a towel that puffs up when your server pours hot water on it. But, neither photographer Charmaine George nor I got a picture that really does this magical process justice, so youâll just have to check it out for yourself, OK?
But, our favorite starters are probably the wide variety of Tempura a la Carte options. Jannahâs favorite is the zucchini and mine are the broccoli, carrot and amazing whole soft shell crab tempura (right). Also on the tempura menu are shrimp, sweet potato, tofu, whole giant squid, avocado, scallops, hamachi (yellowtail) collar, asparagus, onion rings, red and jalapeño pepper and even whole lobster tail tempura.
âMost Japanese restaurants give you an order of tempura that may have some vegetables you donât like,â Ferdian says. âBut, we give you four pieces of zucchini or broccoli or whatever vegetables you like, for only $2.95 per order. At Zukku-San, you pick only the tempura items you want.â
Thereâs even âChefâs Featuresâ available, like a tender bluefin tuna appetizer, topped with caviar. Ferdian says that the bluefin appetizer is likely to become a regular menu item in the future, but Gia says other âChefâs Featuresâ also are coming soon.
But, itâs really hard for us to ever pass up the Japanese-style fried rice, which is jasmine rice with egg, peas, carrots and onions and available with chicken, beef, shrimp or fried tofu protein options, but our favorite is the veggie fried rice, which adds red peppers, broccoli, zucchini and amazing baby bok choy. The rice has a nutty flavor that is hard to match.
Zukku-San also has a kids menu, but while the items arenât cheap, the portions seem adult-sized to us. Thereâs also a variety of desserts, from triple chocolate cake to matcha green tea cheesecake, fried ice cream and more, but weâve honestly never had room left over for dessert. Thereâs also a variety of hot and iced teas, as well as boba milk tea, but Jannah usually gets a wine or hot saki and I usually have either an Asahi Dry or Sapporo beer, or a whiskey.
Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill (25916 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz) opens every day at 11 and is open until 9:30 on weekdays, 10 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. & 9 p.m. on Sun. For more information, visit ZukkuSushi.com, call (813) 419-1351.
Beginning March 8 and running through March 29, the Tampa Water Department (TWD) is temporarily changing its water disinfection process from chloramine to chlorine to disinfect the water distributed to all TWD customers.
If you get your water from the TWD, you might notice a slight change in what you are tasting and smelling coming out of our faucets the next three weeks. However, chances are you won’t.
Your water is safe to drink and does not need to be boiled, according to the TWD. Customers who are sensitive to chlorine may notice. If so, it is recommended you run the tap for a few minutes before using, fill a pitcher of water and let it sit for a few hours to allow any residual chlorine to evaporate or consider installing a carbon filter on your faucets or replace existing filters with new ones.
The TWD uses chloramine (ammonia added to chlorine) to disinfect the water, but as a sustainable alternative to losing millions of gallons of drinking water by flushing the system, at least twice a year for three-week periods it switches to chlorine disinfection, which is stronger. TWD says the temporary change kills bacteria and ensures the water remains safe to drink as it travels through the water mains and service lines.
âWe work closely with the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) to ensure that we comply with EPA guidelines for using chlorine and chloramine to disinfect Tampaâs drinking water,â it says on the TWD website.
Those who already take special steps to remove chloramine from tap water, such as dialysis centers, medical facilities and aquatic pet owners, should take the same precautions during the temporary switch to chlorine, says TWD.
For more information, contact City of Tampa Utilities at (813) 274-8811, Option 2, or visit tampa.gov/ChlorineDisinfection.
State Rep. Fentrice Driskell (top row, second from the left) picked the brains of some Wharton High students to formulate an environmental bill to try to pass at the upcoming state legislative session, which begins March 2.
If a bill gets passed during this upcoming State of Florida legislative session that helps eliminate food waste and, in the process, provides the Sunshine State with environmental benefits, you might just have some Wharton High students to thank for it.
During a Zoom class on Jan. 28 moderated by District 63 State Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the Wharton students were asked to debate three potential bills they had been given, and whichever one they found to be the most preferable, Rep. Driskell would take with her to Tallahassee when the 60-day legislative session begins March 2 and work to get it passed.
âThis is a new initiative for me,â Rep. Driskell said. âI have heard of other members doing this, but I wanted to put my own spin on it.â
Each of the bills debated had a strong climate change component to them, something near to Driskellâs heart â before attending Harvard University and Georgetown Law School, she was an officer in the environment club at Lake Gibson High in Lakeland.
âWe were setting out to save the world,â she told the class. âNever doubt that young people can save the world, and part of the reason we are having real conversation around climate change is because the younger generation is pushing us to do so.â
The students in the class of Mary Johnson (AP Environmental Science) and Chad Reed (AP U.S. Government) chose a version of the Rhode Island Refuse Disposal Act, which ensures that the organic-waste materials generated by educational facilities are recycled at an authorized composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility.
âThere is a lot of food waste,â said Sarai Guzman, a senior, who added that since she moved to Tampa she has noticed excessive waste, especially in schools. âWe need to help those who donât get as much food.â
Zoe Craig, a junior, agreed. She said she has volunteered a lot in a local food pantry, and sees the need for food in the community.
Sonya Patel, also a junior, also voted for the food waste bill, stressing its environmental benefits.
âIt would lead to less going to the landfill, and the less landfill, the less we burn, which (means) less greenhouse gas,â she said. âThere is a whole chain of reactions involved with that.â
Senior Mark Johnson agreed that the gashouse effect of less waste would provide a large benefit to society.
The other bills presented for discussion included one dealing with testing for and eliminating lead in the water of schools and child daycare centers, and another focused on an energy security and disaster resilience pilot program to create solar energy storage systems at certain facilities which could provide needed power following natural disasters.
The Lead-Safe Schools and Daycares Act also was a popular choice of the class. Kylie Lewis said she thought the transparency of the bill â requiring testing results to be made available to district leaders and parents â was great, while senior Vlada Pitner said the safety issue was important.
âThere have been a lot of problems in the district in Hillsborough County with lead being in the water,â Pitner said. âItâs a big issue and I feel like a lot of people overlook it. And, it affects the next generation, who we want to be healthy.â
Senior Jonathan Arms cast his vote for the solar energy bill, primarily because of the possibilities it could open up.
âIf we could prove to the other states that solar energy is viable and can properly be used as a back up, then there is no real excuse it canât be used as a primary source,â Arms said. âMaybe we can start using solar energy for big projects, maybe we start making, I donât know, solar-powered cars. That would be kind of cool. I kind of like (what this bill could mean for the future).â
In a non-Covid world, Driskell says she would have liked to break off into groups for further debate. Instead, she put it to a vote, with 47 percent of the class picking the food waste bill. She called the experience a success.
âIt went better than I expected,â Driskell said. âThe kids were so impressive to me. They were engaged the whole time. I couldnât have asked for it to go any better.â
Driskell said the class was the first of many she would like to do in New Tampa, and that she will approach other schools in the future. She chose Wharton for this one because of her relationship with principal Mike Rowan, whom she met in 2018 shortly after being elected for the first time.
She will now take the bill, rework the language in it, and work on getting it sponsored. It would then go into committee and, if deemed favorable by the House committee and by a House vote, it would be sent to the Senate floor for a final yes or no vote.
Driskell joked that she will tell the Senators that there would be some angry high school students calling them if the bill doesnât pass, telling the Wharton students to be ready to go.
âI didnât grow up knowing elected officials,â she said. âI had no sense of how accessible government is on the local and state level. I hope this sparks curiosity in the minds of these students. Maybe it gets them engaged at this level, at an early age, and they will want to stay engaged for the rest of their lives.â
The kid that gave socks to the judges, danced with Katie Perry (see photo on next page) and then wowed with his voice â when it transformed from Kermit the Frog to Frank Sinatra to earn a golden ticket â is now older and wiser and back on the show.
The Wiregrass Ranch High graduate, who now attends Florida Southern College, will appear on the audition shows in the coming weeks. He did not appear in the season premiere, which aired locally on Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. on WFTS-TV, or the second episode. He hasnât been told when his episode will air. But he did leave a teaser on his Instagram this weekend.
So, what happens this time? A lot.
But we canât tell you.
Just like last time, Zach has been sworn to secrecy until the episode airs. His family, a good friend and his girlfriend know, and we are privy to a few of Zachâs twists and turns this time around, so we could tell you, but then weâd have to…well, you know how the saying goes.
Zachâs return to âIdolâ actually began in August when he signed up for Zoom auditions. The producers instantly recognized him, and he sang âNo Fireâ by S. Grant Parker while playing the ukelele, and the following round, sang the same song and also played piano while singing âPlaces We Wonât Walkâ by Bruno Major.
Zach wasnât sure he had passed, especially when August passed, and so did September. Then, a friend received a rejection email, so Zach thought he might still be alive. In mid-October, he finally got word that he was headed to Ojai, CA â which is in Ventura County about 90 minutes northwest of Los Angeles â for live auditions the first week of November, and mumâs been the word ever since.
âItâs kind of fun keeping the secret,â Zach says.
Although it was his second time in front of judges Lionel Ritchie, Luke Bryan and Perry, Zach says he still felt a little trepidation about his second chance.
âI was pretty nervous seeing the judges again because itâs been so long,â he says. âWhen I walked out, they were like, âOh, we know Zach.ââ He sang âGolden Slumbersâ by the Beatles.
âAnd, thatâs pretty much all I can tell you,â he says, chuckling.
He returned to Wesley Chapel, won a few singing competitions, graduated from Wiregrass Ranch and was accepted into the University of South Florida, where he was going to study biomedical science and become a doctor one day.
But, âAmerican Idolâ had awakened something in him. He wanted to hone his singing skills. He wanted to help make music. He wanted to follow what had become his passion.
After one year at USF, Zach, now 20, transferred to Florida Southern and is now a music management major. He says he would like to manage artists one day, help them with auditions and, of course, cut his own first album.
âI think only reason I wanted to be a doctor was because they make a lot of money, but would that make me happy?,â Zach says. â(Being on) âAmerican Idolâ made me happy. Singing made me happy. I liked the performing and talking to fans. So why not commit to music fully?â
Why not try âAmerican Idolâ again?
The last thing Zach told us in 2018 after his surprisingly quick end on the show was that he was encouraged by fellow contestants to try again â and he told them he would. And, that thought has always stuck in his head.
His girlfriend, Catie Turner, was on the show with Zach in 2018 and finished sixth. While she canât compete again, she never stopped encouraging Zach to try.
âItâs always been kind of stuck in the back of my head that I would go back and try again,â Zach says. âIt was inevitable. I want to prove to myself that I can do it again. My goal was to make it farther this time than last time.â
Zach says being in California during the pandemic was concerning, especially making the trip out there. But, with Covid-19 tests every other day, and the threat of being sent home if you tested positive, Zach says the auditions were smooth. Each contestant was encouraged to stay confined to their room.
âIt was kind of like house arrest,â Zach jokes. âBut I felt safe the whole time. Everyone wore masks. You wonât see people wearing them while on stage, but anyone who wasnât singing at the time had masks on.â
Zach says people still recognize him in public as the âAmerican Idol,â though most seem to remember his affinity for socks. But his âsocks appealâ is gone, and this seasonâs version of Zach might be best described as âsweater late than never,â as he makes his return with a different style.
As for the rest, Zach says youâll have to tune in on Sunday nights.
