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Plant City's 'Red Rose' is queen of the prom

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 6, 2010

On some weekends, stepping into the Red Rose Inn's ballroom is like stepping back into the 1950s.

Couples sway on the dance floor to acts that cover the music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Doris Day or Rosemary Clooney.

Patrons, seated at small tables, sip drinks, dine on steaks and take in floor shows. Sometimes more than 300 pack the ballroom for an oldies weekend.

Some nights the room resembles a mini Las Vegas with performers covering the music of Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Wayne Newton and others.

It's also a cathedral of doo-wop and Motown where surviving members of groups such as The Platters, The Coasters and The Drifters headline at least once a month.

And at the head table Evelyn Madonia presides over the room, her trademark red hair shining in the lights, elegantly dressed in a satin gown and elbow-length gloves. The co-owner and creator of the Red Rose always sits next to her husband of 50-plus years, Batista.

"Mrs. Evelyn," as she called by the staff, is queen of the prom — literally. At some of the Red Rose's themed weekends there are re-creations of prom nights, and she has won the crown.

Her realm includes the 261-room hotel on 2011 N. Wheeler St. (off Interstate 4) in Plant City, its intimate Polo Lounge, a five-star restaurant and a swimming pool adorned with a giant strawberry inlaid in tile.

From rundown hotel to landmark

Madonia says she had no experience running a hotel or booking acts before she and her husband invested more than $5million renovating what had been a rundown Ramada Inn.

She has turned it into a landmark and, in the process, become a celebrity herself, thanks to her appearances in memorable TV commercials that have been airing since 2006. Sometimes the commercials feature only her voice and a photo, although she also has appeared in many — including one for this weekend's Mother's Day buffet with her appearing in a blue dress and purple hat. Such flamboyant attire has helped fuel her fame.

She says she grew up listening to rock 'n' roll and studied music and theater at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. "I always loved doo-wop, Motown and Elvis. And I try to book as many of these kinds of performers as possible," she says.

In addition to traveling acts, The Red Rose is home to Ralph Allocco and Second Wind, a trio from Tampa that celebrates the standards of the past six decades, and Tavares-based P.J. O'Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds. Both bands are rotating regulars in the hotel's lounge.

"I wish there were more places like the Red Rose where people could enjoy this music," says Allocco, who covers Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin and many others.

On May 14 and 15, the Red Rose's ballroom lights up again for a "Lost in the '50s" weekend that will include The Four Preps, The Chordettes and Jimmy Stephens of the Safaris. "For these special events people come from throughout the state and some stay for the Friday and Saturday night shows," Madonia says.

"This place brings back a lot of memories of our youth," says patron Fred Taylor of Orlando. He and wife Jean recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary to the sounds of Vegas-styled singer Gene Ferrari, backed by Craig Turley's 14-piece orchestra out of Orlando.

Black-and-white inspriation

Madonia has created the kind of nightclub she saw in the old black-and-white movies she watched on TV as teen in Franklin, Pa. "I like romantic movies with stars like Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall," she says. "And the clubs in those films had class and good music. Good music makes you feel good."

Madonia also is a fan of "Gone With the Wind," which inspired the Inn's décor. A GWTW suite has portraits of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara and in the bathroom, "Frankly My Dear …" toilet paper.

She has helped her husband run a produce business since they married as college sweethearts in 1958. They made a fortune growing, packing and shipping tomatoes, first in Pennsylvania and then in Florida. She also raised four children.

For years they went back and forth between the states, settling in Plant City in 1980. In 2003, at the urging of friends and civic leaders, they rescued what had once been a Plant City landmark. The hotel was an award-winning Holiday Inn in the 1970s when former owner Lani Purcell ran the world-class 1776 Restaurant. Purcell sold it in 1984.

"They did a wonderful job with that hotel, bringing it back and making it place where just about every club meets," says Marian Smith, president of the Plant City Chamber of Commerce. "The Madonias have been very supportive of the community; they give back a lot." And their oldies weekends have become a tourist attraction.

Evelyn (dressed in a pink gown) is one of the 53 historic city figures depicted on the 70-foot "Heart of Plant City" mural celebrating the 125th anniversary of the city.

She says it's all been a "labor of love" and her reward is "dressing up and listening to this music. It makes you feel young. And that's better than medicine."

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654.

IF YOU GO

The Red Rose Inn

WHERE: 2011 N. Wheeler St, Plant City

WHAT: The inn has different entertainment scheduled every weekend. For this weekend, it's a Mother's Day buffet, $34.95 for adults and $16.95 for children. The next "Lost In The '50s" weekend is May 14 with The Four Preps, Jimmy Stephens of the Safaris and P.J. Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds as well as tributes to Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis, contact the inn for cost and reservations information.

CONTACT: Call 813- 752-3141 or 877-574-0531 or visit the Web site at www.redroseinnandsuites.com

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